Hi there,

In a few days, I'll be starting a new campaign with new players (most of them new to the EotE system). Unlike my previous campaigns, I won't use only pre-made modules but start my own campaign.

Session One will be dedicated to character creation and rules explanations. As we'll have plenty of time, we're probably going to start the campaign as well.

At the start of the campaign, the players will be descending into the atmosphere of Raxus Prime in an old and battered YT-2400. As this will be their ship's last journey ('cause of the bits falling off...), one of the players / the group decided to head to Raxus Prime to meet a Toydarian junk-dealer, who owes them something.

The start of the campaign will be some Pilotiong and Coordination checks to turn their landing attempt from an uncontrolled to a controlled crash-landing...

Once landed, the Toydarian will give them a choice of three used ships. Unfortunately, the players will need to find some replacement parts to make their new ship flyable again (If they really want, they can try to repair their old ship as well, but guess what, they'll need some parts for that ).

Whichever ship they choose, they will need four parts (different parts for each ship, of course).

The Toydarian will lend them a skiff to fly around on the planet's surface.

The first part will be in the possession of some Jawas. Fortunately, they'll need someone to smuggle some crates past some Imperial guards to a smuggler's ship currently located in a landing bay in the next Imperial outpost. Should the PCs take over that mission, they can axpect the spare part and some credits as reward.

The second part will be located in a crashed ship in an area controlled (they'll get a hint either from the Jawa clan-chief or from the Toydarian) by a local droid collective. The droids will be wary of strangers but can be persuaded to let the players through. Of course, the players will have the option to fight the droids instead as well or try to sneak in.

A salvage team of the Yiyar-clan will have the third the third part. The clan members will behave very rude but will give the players’ characters the chance to earn it by clearing an old CIS ship of some malfunctioning battle droids. One option will be simple to fight the droids, another to sabotage their power supply and to wait they run out of energy. Of course, the players could decide to attack the Yiyar salvage team instead or to try to steal the needed parts…

The fourth part will be located in a toxic and dangerous area patrolled by pirates f the Blood-Nexu clan. The job will be simple: go in, get the part, and try to get out without being seen and without falling in the toxic lake and probably followed by a skiff chase.

The players will be able to get the parts in any order they like.

Once all parts are gathered, they’ll have to travel to a bigger Imperial outpost and factory to get their BOSS license (they’ll probably have to bribe / charm /… some official first…).

Once returned they will be informed by some frightened Jawas that the Blood-Nexu pirates raided the area while the PCs were away and that the Jawa chief and the Toydarian were taken hostage. The PCs will have to rescue them out of the pirate hide-out (a lot of pirates led by a pirate captain nemesis (probably a recurring enemy)). Inside the hide-out, the PCs will have the option to free other hostages as well (maybe tying in the PCs’ obligation or as further adventure hooks). Once they have freed the hostages, they can deliver them to Central Station for a reward with their new spaceship.

After that, the campaign will be open-world. One of the hostages will probably be Reom (from Beyond-the-Rim) who is going to try and hire the PC’s to transport him to the Wheel station after he received as mysterious holo-call about an old lost CIS ship on Central Station. If my players want to run an official module, the story will transit seamlessly into Beyond the Rim. If they want to do something else, the other ex-hostages will be in need of further transport as well…

Any advice? Or ideas to spice everything up a bit? That’s my first own campaign concept and I’m not sure if it’ll work out…

Help would be appreciated!

Have you decided what three ships they'll get to choose from?

Will their old ship be used as part payment for the new one unless they think their old one is better?

What does the Toydarian or Jawa Chief get from all of this?

Maybe whilst they're fetching this replacement part, part of the reason for it is for them to complete some job the Toydarian or the Jawa Chief owes the specific owner of that part and what this is really about is the PCs completing some outstanding work in return for parts supplied by the Toydarian himself/herself?

What if when the pirates kidnap these two the PCs need to rescue them as they are the only ones that know where their outstanding payment of parts is located?

By rescuing them to get your introduction to Reom as the Toydaraian now owes the PCs for their rescue and this gives your PCs a handy introduction and reference for your later adventure explaining why they got that job?

Yeah, I decided which ships they'll get to choose, but I don't have my notes with me at the moment...

Yes, the Toydarian Junk Dealer will claim their old ship to salvage it as payment.

The Toydarian will be in dept to one of the PCs or the group. Maybe they saved his life once or helped him set up shop on Raxus Prime in the past? That question will be part of the character creation process. He'll give them the ship (after some haggling and please note that each of the ships will be used and have some quirks...) to pay of his dept and the PCs will be in dept to him in return for the ship (even used a starship is worth quiet a lot...). At least unless they save him from the pirates. After that, they should be even.

The Jawa Chief will give them his part as payment for the smuggling job. Maybe he'll be a recurring character and/or adventure hook later on.

I like your idea that they have to work for the Toydarian and the idea with the outstanding payment as well...

On the other hand, it would be nice if their ship is already fully flight-ready once the pirate attack happens. I want to give my players the chance to escape the pirates on their new ship --> maybe followed by a ship battle. If they don't take their ship with them on the rescue attempt, I want to have the ship and the rest of the Jawas as a back-up plan in case my players' rescue plan goes horribly wrong...

Concerning Reom: Once the PCs have transported Reom to the Wheel, they'll get a few hours of free time. In the meanwhile, Reom will realise that he finally got a trail on the Sa Nalaor and that the ISB is probably already observing him. That way his own ships will be no option and his only chance to find the Sa Nalaor quickly will be the PCs who are only loosely associated with him and probably won't be observed at first but who on the other hand already proved their worth by saving him.

Update: The three ship choices are a YV-560, a Ghtroc 720 and a Loronar E-9 Explorer.

New idea: maybe the pirates do not only take hostages but steal their freshly repaired spaceship as well? More reasons for the PCs to go after the pirates...