I'm planning on starting a mixed setting game. I want to make it easy on myself by having all the players be childhood friends. We have all three Cores and I'd like to allow all of the specs and most species. What would be the best planet of origin for these characters?

Nar Shaddaa would be a good place. A big, ugly mixing pot of peoples from across the galaxy.

The Corellian system has five inhabited worlds around one star.

The players could all identify as being "Corellian" while having some local uniqueness and rivalries in play.

Besides, Corellians are Star Wars rock stars.

20,000 years of Hyperspace, it's more a question of what planet do you all like the most in my mind.

You want to find out what they want to play first. Then you can choose or create an origin planet that makes sense.

There's little point in putting them on Corellia or Nar Shadda if they want to be hunters and archeologists.

If you have to Have To HAVE TO plan further ahead, then you should choose or make a planet that's reasonably diverse to allow for your unknown player's concepts, and one that has some sort of conflict to drive them forwards.

I'm just looking for general ideas that I can aim them toward.

Alderaan. Gives them an instant common enemy.

I just started my rebel campaign. When we get something further in it I will talk about the setting I created, but here are the basics:

I created my own sector, all with 50 inhabitated planets and everything. Story is, that originally 8000 years ago three human colonies came to the planet, one from Corellia, one from Coruscant and one from Chandrila (the three c's you could say). They established a somewhat aristocratic house system to which later a Duros house, an Ithorian house, a Chadra-Fan house and another human house were added. The houses have clans under them, who swear fealty to their house, those are made up from pretty much any species. Who is the current Patrician is decided by vote from all the houses (basically like the Kurfürstenwahl of the Kaiser back in feudal times here in what is now called germany and austria - the holy roman empire of german nation). Now with the help of the Empire one of the original human houses had ursurped this system, killed almost the entire house that was currently ruling and the leader of this house was declared gouverness of the planet.

So this is where the players came in:

I allowed the following:

If you were part of the sectors underground cell, you choose from EotE plus additionaly the Diplomat career from AoR

If you were part of the Rebel Alliance's contact group that was sent, you are of course taking the careers from AoR

With Obligation, Duty and Morality I handled it like this:

The local cell has obligation and a Duty of their choosing at value 0

The Rebels have a staring Duty, but may take an obligation for extra XP. Alternatively they can decide if they want to lower Duty. They can do both, but only as half of a step towards the 10XP and 2500 Credits awards. Tey can't get more XP or money from this.

Morality is for Force characters only.

The FaD careers I allowed where it was appropriate, for example, the rebel Commander, who came with the Alliance group is actually a Guardian Peacekeeper. He is not yet aware of his force ability, this he has no force powers. But he soon will be and then he can start buying them. Until then he only uses the force die with his talents, as some sort of subconsciously using the force. He of course got some Duty points, just like in AoR described alongside with his morality

We also have a Verpine Outlaw-Tech who was toying with Sentinel Artisan, but ultimately decided, that his character could become force sensitive later if he really wanted to. Then of course he has to take either force sensitive emergent or exile, as the FaD Spec trees don't give you an initial force rating.

The story develops pretty much in the way the players go. They are currently building a network and meeting the important people from the clans, while combating COMPNOR idiots in the street.

I will post more wheny they are further in the campaign in the GM section. The campaign is also designed to have some trips outside the sector, like Nal Hutta, Corellia or Mon Calamari.

Ill second a vote for the Corellian system, Centerpoint Station would be a great place for them to be, but with little bits of history tying them to particular worlds. Depends on your campaign though. What theme do you and your players want to run?

I'm not sure what theme yet. I invited 12 of my friends and all though five have resoonded, I can only seem to schedule two at a time. I'm still in the logistical stages.

Perhaps have a couple of very broad campaign ideas, then when you do get together as a group you can throw the options at them and see which one they like:

A Rebel Cell posing as a traveling Circus or Theatre Production.

Rouge One style, a Squad/Squadron of Storm Troopers that all defect to the rebellion to start the campaign.

Gang members on Nar Shaddaa, Gang is Family

A group of escaped slaves, on the run and nothing to their name

Fringers growing up in the Outer Rim in a small colony settlement on some kind of hostile world.

Rebels in the bowls of Coruscant striking out against the Empire above

New Business owners (Each PC is sent a part ownership of said business upon death of the previous owner, no explanation is given and no one knows each other)

Employees on a Universitys Archeological Dig that digs up something unexpected, or a Big Game Hunting Company (killing all the Expedition Leaders)

Diplomats for the Rebellion, trying to gain the support of a Sector.

Force Sensitives of a Non-Jedi Force Tradition in an Unknown region of space, when an Inquisitor comes a knocking...

I was thinking about ripping off Dragonlance of all things. All but one of a group of very close childhood friends who return home for a reunion. The reunion quickly devolves into a firefight as the group is set upon by both the Empire and the Hutts. The players have to figure out why this is happening and how to survive.

Nice! I love Dragonlace, long time since i read it though.

Probably better to stick to a lesser planet then, so your not contradicting all the Fan Boys and their Legends material!

Edit: Or not, have an Alternate Universe game, where the Empire invades Corellia and takes over.

Age of rebellion since the Alliance accept anyone who dont like the Empire, even smuggler who only love money and farmboy without fighting experience.

I'm sure I'll get a lot of hate for this but I'm going to go with the Disney canon. It's just easier to manage.

I'm sure I'll get a lot of hate for this but I'm going to go with the Disney canon. It's just easier to manage.

Enjoy it while you can. It will end up just as large and complicated as the EU in a while.

As for settings it all depends on what the players want to do. Corella or one of its systems (Duros maybe) is good for smugglers and rebels, Nar Shadaa is good for a poor man's Coruscant, etc. Find out what your group wants to do and what you're interested in GMing and go from there. If all else fails, make your own planet/system.

I approach canon in a very simple and narrow way.

The movies and TV shows are canonical.

Everything else is apocryphal.

I only tweak canon if absolutely necessary for the story.

I only use apocrypha if it inspires me or my players.

If it doesn't - its out.

End of the Clone Wars up to the First death star.

You have the hunt for jedi, local ressitance up to forming of the rebels. Spice it with the usual Edge stuff and you're golden.

Some ideas for childhood friends:

- School runion on honeworld

- Local militia compulsery draft

- Family event drawing all togather

- Inheritance celebration

- Republic Academy school-mates meet at the same academy, under imperial rule

- Few closer friends apply for position togather (gang, mercenary,mundane job) realise other friends are too and/or are managers.

- Meet as prisoners while others are guards/jailors.

A funeral! I'll use a funeral to bring them together, I'll use a mystery to rope them in.

I'll probably use one of the Forgotten Jedi, either Quinlan Vos or Shaak Ti as a mentor. Though, I may bring back a popular dead one like Mace Windu instead. I'm definitely going to use Grakkis the Hutt as one of the villains. I need to find someone good from the Empire to use. I may just pull the Grand Inquisitor from Rebels.Notable bounty hunters will be Cad Bane and Black Krrsantan.

One of my players has all three Cores so I have access to them all but I want to buy a book as well. I'm just not sure if EotE or F&D is the better buy for me.

I approach canon in a very simple and narrow way.

The movies and TV shows are canonical.

Everything else is apocryphal.

I only tweak canon if absolutely necessary for the story.

I only use apocrypha if it inspires me or my players.

If it doesn't - its out.

So you treat the Legends material exactly as it's now "meant" to be treated.

I approach canon in a very simple and narrow way.

The movies and TV shows are canonical.

Everything else is apocryphal.

I only tweak canon if absolutely necessary for the story.

I only use apocrypha if it inspires me or my players.

If it doesn't - its out.

So you treat the Legends material exactly as it's now "meant" to be treated.

Pretty much, but I've always done that. Its the only way to reduce the material to a manageable source that doesn't double as a self-contradictory straightjacket. Of course, the books and other things Disney is now publishing / licensing off screen is, from my perspective, just more Legends....

One of my players has all three Cores so I have access to them all but I want to buy a book as well. I'm just not sure if EotE or F&D is the better buy for me.

If you're only going to buy one book, I'd recommend getting Edge of the Empire. Of the three, it feels the most broad and comprehensive, while Age and Force are a little more focused on their specific part the star wars mythos.

All three are good, but if I was on a budget that's what I'd buy.

One of my players has all three Cores so I have access to them all but I want to buy a book as well. I'm just not sure if EotE or F&D is the better buy for me.

If you're only going to buy one book, I'd recommend getting Edge of the Empire. Of the three, it feels the most broad and comprehensive, while Age and Force are a little more focused on their specific part the star wars mythos.

All three are good, but if I was on a budget that's what I'd buy.

Definitely! Force is pretty much just Jedi, and Age is pretty much just Rebels. Edge has more for the regular guys just trying to make a living in the galaxy.

Haha you mean you don't like everything from legends? =) My favorite silly story is Skippy R5-D4 by Peter David. Where the droid who has a bad motivator is revealed to be a force adept droid.