My son and his friends have been visiting with the extended weekend on Columbus Day. They've shared their disappointment over two significant yet (hopefully) temporary events. We discussed how to be a supportive friend at school, and to avoid temptations to retaliate against the assailant bully. They also expressed how one friend likely NOT playing takes some wind out of their sails before the game actually begins.

My suggestions about helping their school friend, from a woman's point of view, seemed to help them. I think they will be fine because they already texted her and will meet for lunch at Panera Bread today. She has her own loyal watchdogs, if she wants. I just asked them not to bite strangers or get violent themselves.

Honestly, there is more than a small part of me that wants to be a fly on the wall at lunch. I really wonder if they will try to recruit her for our game, knowing we're down one player for the foreseeable future.

So, I'll just throw this out there, as if money were no object...

Would a Diplomat with an entourage of Soldiers work to meet one or more of the following goals here:

* Require non-violence from the Diplomat. Whether by species or background or whatever, could we have a non-violent role for one player that makes sense and is useful to the game?

* Let some players, still angry over school violence from last week, be Soldiers as bad as they want to be? Wait- it's violent, but the Diplomat is the one under direction to be non-violent, so how convincing would they be? Like I've said, the teens want to play as themselves, and right now, they feel angry over the school violence to another casual friend. Could role-playing under careful direction give these kids the outlet to focus their anger and resolution, especially as soldiers?

* I have no idea what kinds of missions or gear this change would require. I bet one or both of the career specialization books would have details.

I read a lot of blogs and reviews of these two books, and am wondering if a completely different change in direction is needed to get bad tastes out of our mouths. At my comic book store, I can put one book on my "tab" that I pay at the end of the month. I'm looking at three: Age Core, Diplomat, and Soldier.

Advice is welcomed. I know this is a lot of $$ to drop after just buying new books. "Expensive" is relative, especially knowing how much therapy for autism can cost. Yeah, it'd ALMOST be cheaper for me to buy all three books at once with my discounts than therapy with deductibles and copays for new sleep medicine cocktails. No, I'm not suggesting we go without either medical option, I'm just comparing costs.

So, I'm kind of at a loss with the game as is, because of some sore memories that will take time to heal. We'll revisit or use it still.

I also wonder if we offered a re-start like this if we could invite other players without the bad start. Maybe we even nullify parental objection about violence if their kid played the non-violent Diplomat? Grasping at straws, now, second guessing my own parenting behavior and ability to guide kids who are and who technically aren't my own through a rough path.

Since the game hasn't really started yet, a change in premise isn't out of the question. I'd just be careful that they understand that, although they're "playing thrmselves" in game, the premise and their character builds won't be changing with every major event that comes along in life. How they approach their characters can change, but you won't be rebooting all the time.

That said, given their newfound protective drives, Bodyguard (a spec for Hired Gun in the Edge of the Empire CRB) might be better for one of them than Soldier. (I say for one of them to allow for the variety of specializations we've emphasized all along.) Forged in Battle is the recently-released Soldier sourcebook, and the base career/specializations can be found in the Age of Rebellion CRB.

It's great to see them taking such an interest in making sure she's ok. Part of me hopes they DO recruit her for the game.

The idea of soldiers was my son's contribution. He's read a lot more blogs and online reviews than I have. I'm considering it because of the medic and the general combat-oriented skills this career has over technicians. Isn't there a Bodyguard talent tree in the Soldiers' book, too? I imagine this party would have its non-violent diplomat, and the rest of the party (3?) are soldiers of varying specializations, like medic. Doesn't the diplomat book have more details about protocol droids, too?

They returned from lunch. Everyone bought her meal because they chipped in their allowance or spare change. He said the biggest take-away was she knows she has friends. Very interestingly, they did NOT recruit her for the game. "If we did ask her, her lunch wasn't free. She needs basic friends right now." I'm paraphrasing a bit, but that was the scope of the lunch: support, not (necessarily) gaming recruitment. Of course I had to probe, and while they did mention us playing the Star Wars game, it was just as filler for what they like to do. I'm proud of my son and his friends for prioritizing real life friendship over following the fantasy of gaming distractions from real life. I wonder if these events will find their way into his final book report?

That is the correct way to do that . You should be proud of him, and it sounds like you are!

Very interestingly, they did NOT recruit her for the game. "If we did ask her, her lunch wasn't free. She needs basic friends right now." I'm paraphrasing a bit, but that was the scope of the lunch: support, not (necessarily) gaming recruitment.

My hat is off - that is ridiculously insightful for a young.

Yeah, I do feel proud that his go-to response to a friend having difficulties was to pop for pastries with no strings attached. Myself? I'd have tried to offer support too, without thinking of the added social pressures being asked to play a new game would have. Yet, he's the one with an IEP because he "learns differently." He could read and write before 1st grade, although fractions (literally) have given him nightmares. He is a big young man, but still my little baby behind his peach fuzz, muscles, and grease or oil stains that never seem to wash out.

So, you can see why this game is a cathartic outlet for him. He is willing to take something we all deem as casual fun and turn it into a learning experience. Even without being graded, he knew the "right answer" to a lunch date with friends. Despite his Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis at a relatively young age, he seems to grasp some social situations better than some adults. He and I are both at a loss to explain the sudden religious zeal by another friend and their parents.

I have to do right by my son. You've seen a hint of his personality and Star Wars interests. I want to tap into that fun creativity and just let him be a kid and play for a couple of hours each week with friends. It's even better that I can GM, because I have a front row seat to seeing how he behaves with others in planned situations.

He's of an age that I value experiential gifts over tangible things. I toss RPGs into the former category, although we need books and other reference pieces. He can hold the book and digest it til his heart is content, but we use those feelings, likes, and interests to build a deeper experience not found within the book. Does this make sense? I feel like I might be rambling. I AM proud of my son, which is why I want to share a hobby I've loved for decades, and also share our love of Star Wars.

So, whether it's soldiers or technicians, droids or verpine or ugnaughts, or a party of three or five, my mission on these boards - with your help - is to give him the best (expletive) rpg experience I can because he deserves it, and I love him .

After some great discussions and encouragement from the community, I think we can retire this thread. I lead us off topic a lot, and new readers may get confused by the banter. My biggest take-away from this original post was that this community has a lot of experience in gaming, and with Star Wars, and shares of themselves freely with some good humor whenever needed.

Where do I go from here? I'll kick around the idea of an Age of Rebellion vs Edge of the Empire game, for reasons mentioned earlier. I feel responsible to actually carry-out a game, due to my son's "book report" hinging on his interpretation of those books. There is a string sense of community on these message boards, and quite a bit of community in our, umm, real community I live in.

I'll check back from time to time. I'm likely to be more of an observer with LIKES more often than actual posts.

Thanks, everyone. I wish I could give you all penguins!

Thanks, everyone. I wish I could give you all penguins!

That's okay, I got your back!

We'll miss talking with you, Lady StarWarsMom! Don't be a stranger!

He said the biggest take-away was she knows she has friends. Very interestingly, they did NOT recruit her for the game. "If we did ask her, her lunch wasn't free. She needs basic friends right now." I'm paraphrasing a bit, but that was the scope of the lunch: support, not (necessarily) gaming recruitment.

Wow. That is an amazingly forward-thinking adult type of response.

I can think of so many people who are old enough to drink alcohol but who are not that far evolved.

It sounds to me like you’ve got a keeper!

After some great discussions and encouragement from the community, I think we can retire this thread. I lead us off topic a lot, and new readers may get confused by the banter. My biggest take-away from this original post was that this community has a lot of experience in gaming, and with Star Wars, and shares of themselves freely with some good humor whenever needed.

Where do I go from here?

IMO, I think maybe we need to give you a whole thread of your own. We have much to learn from you and yours.