Do you ever ask your players to make fear checks? If so, how does it affect your games? Do your players roleplay it well, or is it just an annoying mechanical thing? If you don't call for fear checks, why not? What about the fear rules turn you off?

They're scary.

I've used them many times, and the effects that they have are rather underwhelming considering the amount of dice rolling that it takes to resolve them.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

As a GM I use Fear checks irregularly, but one of my players keeps making me roll Fear checks for NPCs due to some talent or other...

I like the effects, it's not a simple fight-flight silly, it will mostly cause setback dice, and/or strain, so it gives room for narration and roleplaying. Also, I feel the "underwhelming" effects is an argument to use it more often, fear is a natural part of the SW galaxy due to all the warring, crime, evil schemes and plots...

I'd agree that use should be sparing when the reason-to-be of most characters is to brave the extraordinary.

My best use of it was for fun and humor. The party broke into a warehouse full of Chihuahua-sized spiders. I made clear through a Knowledge check that the spiders were harmless, but two of my players reacted strongly, personally -- especially when I intermittently lightly rapped my fingers on a folder. So, Fear check, both failed, and the roleplaying got even funnier. Great teamwork.

First time events may be a reasonable place for a fear check. First battle ever? fear check is appropriate. For the first time only. First time encountering a rancor or rathtar? Fear check. First time negotiating with a hutt? Fear check is appropriate.

Ironically so far we have used fear checks more often against NPCs. Our group has one aggressor who usually starts "neogating" with the enemies AFTER killing tons of them in one go with double lightsabers, force powers and planetary scale weapon. Afterwards fear checks against the enemy opposition seem appropriate. On the downside, we had to burn our ship IDs twice and the inquisition and black sun are after us already as well. So based on the reputation system from Fly Casual we would be right in the dreaded category for slave traders, drug dealers, the ISD and inquisition. It starts to become a real issue for the group too, but it comes with some advantages too.

So it really depends on the group and past experience.

Overall the guidlines for fear checks are imo quite nice and balanced, especially as they take the situation and past experience into consideration: Running into a suicide commando with infantry units against AT-AT and planetary scale fire? Yeah, that is for sure a formidable check. (5 violett dice), etc
We like the rules, but usually our group tries to prevent situation which would get us into fear checks. We don' run as infantry units against AT-ATs, instead we use air support and artillery fire against enemy infantry, etc and run before things get too hot for us.

Overall we really like the idea of fear checks even when they are a rare occurance for us, and personally I think they are a nice tool in the GM's toolbox to give plays an idea how dangerous a situation really is. If your character is terrified then retreat is most likely a good idea.

Fear checks have been rarely used, but most of the time;

Encountering a NPC we know to be really dangerous. Hutts, Vader.

Encountering overwhelming odds. Being heavily out numbered by an imperial force, being attacked by multiple inquisitors.

Planetary scale weapons; Turbo Lasers glassing a planet usually warrants a fear check)

Unusually unsettling circumstances; millions of crawling spyyyyders? Fair play. XD

I find fear to be alright, it's rarely rolled for us (we are usually used to attacking superior forces anyway with plans to mitigate numbers) and usually it's minor boon.

Do you ever ask your players to make fear checks? If so, how does it affect your games? Do your players roleplay it well, or is it just an annoying mechanical thing? If you don't call for fear checks, why not? What about the fear rules turn you off?

I tend not to use them but not out of any dislike for them. I might have a high bar as far as when I think they need to be used. Being our campaign doesn't put the PC's in much contact with big nasties like an unimaginable collection of things the Empire can put in the field, it just hasn't come up. I used fear checks when the PC's ran across nexu on Cholgonna the first time then once more when, after learning firsthand how vicious they are, when they ran into a few nexu with upgrades (nexu 2.0). Beyond that, I don't think I have used them at all. But I definitely would if I felt the situation called for it.

I think you have to know your group, too, so I don't envy those of you who play with pick-up players or on Roll20, etc. My group is 5 players. Our "new guy" has been with us for 15 years. The rest of us have been gaming together for 28 to 30 years. We're best friends away from the gaming table - several of us having been Best Man at each others' weddings. Two of our wives used to play but put their dice bags up when the stork started dropping off kiddies (and, at this point, some of the kiddies are showing interest). I know if I pulled out the fear system other than for extraordinary reasons, they'd get frustrated.

I do sometimes use them as a kind of morale check for NPCs, very seldom on PCs; e.g. rakghouls. If a player themself is being freaked out by a situation, I will sometimes give them appropriate situational modifiers (i.e. setback or challenge).

I use them, but importantly IMHO they provide a great model for how to deal with other social conflict. So if I count adapting them across multiple situations, I use them all the time.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

Oh, I've been GMing this system for over two years now, so I know what I'm doing with it. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

I've found that fear checks seem to have minor effects and slow the game down more than they help it out. My narrative should instill a sense of dread in the players and they should roleplay accordingly; turning that into a dice roll is very clunky for us.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

Oh, I've been GMing this system for over two years now, so I know what I'm doing with it. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

I've found that fear checks seem to have minor effects and slow the game down more than they help it out. My narrative should instill a sense of dread in the players and they should roleplay accordingly; turning that into a dice roll is very clunky for us.

You're always free to just impose the penalties you want and skip the dice roll. I do appreciate it when a player will RP appropriately, but it only takes one to not do that and then the RPers feel cheated. So I also like having a mechanic I can drop back to.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

Oh, I've been GMing this system for over two years now, so I know what I'm doing with it. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

I've found that fear checks seem to have minor effects and slow the game down more than they help it out. My narrative should instill a sense of dread in the players and they should roleplay accordingly; turning that into a dice roll is very clunky for us.

You're always free to just impose the penalties you want and skip the dice roll. I do appreciate it when a player will RP appropriately, but it only takes one to not do that and then the RPers feel cheated. So I also like having a mechanic I can drop back to.

I was always under the assumption that I RP for my enjoyment and not for the enjoyment of others. For me it is hard to grasp the concept behind feeling cheated for playing the way you enjoy the game.

Besides, I think players are mostly happy about setback dice, because then they can use their talents to reduce setback dice.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

Oh, I've been GMing this system for over two years now, so I know what I'm doing with it. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

I've found that fear checks seem to have minor effects and slow the game down more than they help it out. My narrative should instill a sense of dread in the players and they should roleplay accordingly; turning that into a dice roll is very clunky for us.

You're always free to just impose the penalties you want and skip the dice roll. I do appreciate it when a player will RP appropriately, but it only takes one to not do that and then the RPers feel cheated. So I also like having a mechanic I can drop back to.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

Oh, I've been GMing this system for over two years now, so I know what I'm doing with it. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

I've found that fear checks seem to have minor effects and slow the game down more than they help it out. My narrative should instill a sense of dread in the players and they should roleplay accordingly; turning that into a dice roll is very clunky for us.

You're always free to just impose the penalties you want and skip the dice roll. I do appreciate it when a player will RP appropriately, but it only takes one to not do that and then the RPers feel cheated. So I also like having a mechanic I can drop back to.

I was always under the assumption that I RP for my enjoyment and not for the enjoyment of others. For me it is hard to grasp the concept behind feeling cheated for playing the way you enjoy the game.

Besides, I think players are mostly happy about setback dice, because then they can use their talents to reduce setback dice.

I know I get the warm and fuzzies when I use a talent to remove a setback.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

Oh, I've been GMing this system for over two years now, so I know what I'm doing with it. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

I've found that fear checks seem to have minor effects and slow the game down more than they help it out. My narrative should instill a sense of dread in the players and they should roleplay accordingly; turning that into a dice roll is very clunky for us.

You're always free to just impose the penalties you want and skip the dice roll. I do appreciate it when a player will RP appropriately, but it only takes one to not do that and then the RPers feel cheated. So I also like having a mechanic I can drop back to.

Isn't that like imposing critical injuries and just skipping the dice roll? I know my players would object to either.

Groups are different, we even skip to crit proc and simple allow for a temporary crit like effect of choice via the aim maneuver sometimes. The big difference is just that it does not count as crit for further critical hits and only last for the encounter. Good enough, especially in starship combat often.

There is an episode of the Order66 podcast on them. I would recommend going over to d20 radio and subscribing. You will find a ton of good info to help you are as a new GM to this system.

Oh, I've been GMing this system for over two years now, so I know what I'm doing with it. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

I've found that fear checks seem to have minor effects and slow the game down more than they help it out. My narrative should instill a sense of dread in the players and they should roleplay accordingly; turning that into a dice roll is very clunky for us.

I still recommend giving them a listen. They have a lot of really good stuff for even experienced GMs. Often times it is worth hearing another perspective. And the point of fear checks is not to take away player agency but to model real life doing stuff while you are afraid. Which often has people act hesitant and shake etc. So they give a minor penalty to acting while afraid.