I’m completely new to EotE and I’m putting together my first campaign. I’m hoping to get some input from the more experienced GM’s here to help point out things I’ve missed or might be to approach differently. Here’s what’s going on so far:

• It’s going to be an EotE campaign with characters from the other 2 systems allowed. I’m going to have all characters use obligation in addition to Duty/Morality if applicable. Starting obligation, of course, will be encouraged to represent backstory for the PC’s.
• The PC’s are part of a ship’s crew under the Captain, who is an NPC. At the start of the campaign the PC’s are in a local detention facility after the cantina they were waiting for the Captain in was raided by local security forces.
  • Because the Captain has a not-so-great past with the Empire, the PC’s are being held until Imperial forces arrive.
  • The contact that the Captain was meeting with discovered the crew’s detention after the Captain failed to arrive for the meet. Because the contact is old friends with the Captain, he instigates the PC’s escape because, hey, he needs a crew to haul his merchandise. Do the PC’s take on obligation as a result?
  • After the escape, the PC’s discover the Captain was killed. Hopefully, the PC’s decide to follow through with the job the Captain was arranging, because, hey, smuggling bacta is crazy lucrative. This might be tied to the obligation above?
  • Clues turn up that suggest what happened to the Captain was more than a simple “bust gone wrong” as the "facts" become increasingly more suspicious. Would this result in obligation to the Captain who took these “societal rejects” in as his crew, giving them stability in a war-torn galaxy?
• Would all this obligation be too much?
  • Each PC has their normal starting obligation; then they get obligation to the Captain’s “friend” and contact who set up a small bacta smuggling operation. Then finally, the obligation to learn the truth about their Captain’s fate.

Finally, as you may have guessed, the main campaign arch is to be a mystery/investigation plot. Does anyone have experience running and building such a campaign? I understand the basics in that I need to design plot points that are fluid so they can be worked into the player’s actual path of travel. I don’t want to force that path.

I look forward the feedback. Running this game is going to be a blast, I really enjoy how the game system is designed.

I would perhaps do a couple of jobs first to get to know the guy: I mean if the captain literally is setting up jobs and gathering misfits it might be pretty neat to establish a crew dynamic off, before having the captain killed during "what should be just customs." That way it builds more into lending it. Further more you can introduce the supplier/captain's friend earlier to make the jump from detention/free more easier.

I would perhaps do a couple of jobs first to get to know the guy: I mean if the captain literally is setting up jobs and gathering misfits it might be pretty neat to establish a crew dynamic off, before having the captain killed during "what should be just customs." That way it builds more into lending it. Further more you can introduce the supplier/captain's friend earlier to make the jump from detention/free more easier.

I get what you're saying. The reason for the current set up is that is important that the crew has never met the Captain's "friend," the contact. Perhaps I'll share the full backstory of the Captain.

Drexel Annix

The campaign is entitled, The Annix Legacy.

The simple premise is that the PC's, who have been part of the crew for varying lengths from 2 years (the pseudo first-mate and his wife) to a few month's for the others, have bonded to Drexel Annix in such a short time because on his character, his integrity, and that no matter how awful the PC's background may have been, he believes and shows them that they can be something greater, they can be a Crew, they can be a family. In mechanics terms this is all the result of past/current obligation and motivation.

Throughout the arc of the campaign the PC's:

• Will discover Drexel's backstory and how Teela Vox destroyed his life and family.
• They will discover that this current bacta smuggling series of jobs is to aid the rebellion, not against the Empire, but against Vox.
• The PC's will discover that Vox imprisoned their Captain. (they may attempt to rescue him but he will be dead when they arrive as the campaign is about his legacy)
• They will discover that the "friend"/contact is actually one of Vox's operatives supplying the bacta so that the locations of the rebel cells can be found and destroyed.
• The PC's will discover that Drexel's daughter was in fact, kidnapped, and not killed and is being raised by Vox as her own daughter. (saving her will be a major plot point, of course. She is his legacy, after all.)
• The PC's will discover the location of Drexel's legendary ship, the "Angel's Grace."

Of course, the PC's may or may not discover all these points or in any specific order. These are just the things I'm playing with currently.

I would perhaps do a couple of jobs first to get to know the guy: I mean if the captain literally is setting up jobs and gathering misfits it might be pretty neat to establish a crew dynamic off, before having the captain killed during "what should be just customs." That way it builds more into lending it. Further more you can introduce the supplier/captain's friend earlier to make the jump from detention/free more easier.

As I think about it... I can still utilize this suggestion. Just use other jobs to establish the back drop, build the dynamic. Introduce other contacts from his past, and how reluctant the captain is to introduce the crew to them, to establish a false sense of security. Then start the third or fourth session with this job and the detainment.

This sounds like a really good campaign! Love the depth of character u have for Drexel

Scrambler,

It sounds like you have a good start set up for this campaign, and I have to echo LordBiscuit's advice.

The only weakness that may crop up is if the players don't have a solid connection to Drexel. Having one or two exciting missions before this reveal may help build a relationship of trust between the PC's and Drexel. Building a connection will help the players want to follow your plot idea. It can also help you reveal some important plot points or characters for the future betrayal.

Here's the other hazard. The PC's may not like Drexel and may not follow this plot.

"So, the captain is dead, we have a ship with a cargo full of highly valuable bacta? SWEET! Let's find a customer!"

It's what my group might do in this situation . . .

It's a constant hazard with a Sandbox like Star Wars. Be prepared to "Kill your Darlings."

I also have a thought about obligation and would caution you to play this with a lighter hand. Or think it through differently.

For instance, just because the PC's are on a ship with a cargo doesn't mean that they have an obligation to investigate the Captain's death. That's a job for the local constabulary.

However, the Bacta was purchased and is expected to be delivered to a specific client. If that client doesn't get the cargo the PC's have an obligation to that recipient (whether or not they want to acknowledge that obligation).

Is the ship free and clear? Is it jointly owned? If Drexel took out a loan to buy the ship then that loan represents a defacto obligation. If the PC's don't honor the loan, then bounty hunters will be dispatched. I think you mentioned that Drexel was married? (I could be wrong) but if there is a will and ownership doesn't transfer to the PC's then the PC's will have an obligation to the rightful owner. (You owe me a ship! )

The spy trying to set up the PC's to uncover the rebel cell doesn't cause an obligation to the PC's, he's just a straight up Nemesis! And yes he will haunt the PC's!

I like where you're thinking on the campaign. Let us know how it goes!