Need Help Selecting a Written Module to Run

By Sincereagape, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

Hello. One of my players who is semi-new to the system (He has read the books, has a great memory, but has only played 3 times now) is willing to give me a break as a GM (1 session for my every 4-5 or end of an arc).

He mentioned yesterday during our session that he would feel comfortable running a module for the group during his turns. Their current arc will wrap up after the next session. He asked for a few suggestions, but I was unable to finalize one with him. Good thing is that we have over a month to select.

A few notes:

The campaign is set during the DarkTimes/Solo time period 10 years BBY. The group is playing as a rogue band of misfits who are working as a special ops group for Bail Organa. They are essentially laying the foundations of the Rebellion and their first major arc will lead them to discover the Nova Defiant base in Allies of the Stronghold. There is no Rebellion. There are only Splinter Cells fighting against the Emperor along with local militias and resistance groups

Meaning...

1. Onslaught at Arda is Out.

2. Beyond the Rim is Out - I've read it and own it.

3. Chronicles of the Gatekeeper is Out - Used the first portion of the adventure, Airbooine (Gel Marcolf), as the main point of our first story. May continue with the Sujilo Warde arc depending if they redeeem Gel Marcolf (which it seems like they are trying to do).

Leaving...

1. Rescue at Glare Peak

2. Under a Black Sun

3. Masks of the Pirate Queen

4. Friends Like These

5. Ghosts of Dathomir

6. Jewel of Yavin

*** Since he would be new to gming the system and his preference to running a module/adventure -- this is the way to go for him. For those who have read or have run/played any of the above modules/adventures...are there ones where we can play one portion of the module and then move onto something else and then come back to it?

For example: If we play the first part of Jewel of Yavin, are we able to switch back to the main campaign and then return to it later? Or is it we should/have to follow and complete the entire written adventure at one time?

And what module/adventure would you guys recommend to us? Is there something else that is not on the list?


Thanks for the help!

I'm partial to Debts To Pay. It's short enough that it should only take a session (especially if he chooses to forego the first combat encounter...which I did...and focus on the main thrust of the adventure). But, it also allows for potential future follow-up, depending on how certain elements go.

Edited by Nytwyng
Confused the titles of two adventures. Debts To Pay is NOT Friends Like These.

Jewel of Yavin is a fun adventure, but it’s EotE, so it might not fit your campaign thematically. You’ll have to mess with it a little bit to fit the timeline, since the adventure assumes Lando is Baron Administrator of Cloud City. However, he doesn’t appear or play a major part in the story in most cases. It could be split up between Acts, especially if you treak it a little bit. Trying not to spoil, it’s basically:

Act 1: You have like a week to prepare for this one crazy night

Acts 2 & 3: One crazy night

You could easily modify the timeline to say the PCs are planning ahead by several weeeks, thus giving them time to do other things between Acts 1 and 2.

Rescue at Glare Peak is a nice one for a short game and easy to rationalize rescuing one of Organa's agents.

Mask of the Pirate Queen can end up taking quite a while to get through.

I can't recommend ever playing Friends Like These if your group averages an IQ above 80.

If he's never GM'd before, Under a Black Sun is a fun easy run. It starts media res, so you'll need a reason to get to the starting point, but other than that it should be simple enough. I don't think the rest are good for a new GM.

But honestly I'd consider the AoR beginner box instead of all the above. I could see it fitting very well with your campaign as pre-Rebellion splinter cells. The in-the-box adventure is pretty simple, but there is a PDF followup that is well worth downloading, with lots of options that can easily be stretched to 3-5 sessions of play if you want it to. The NPC character motivations are fleshed out enough that, with a little creativity, it could even be stretched into a campaign. Plus there is a 4-part Clone Wars arc about Onderon to give a ton of flavour.

40 minutes ago, HappyDaze said:

I   can't recommend ever playing Friends Like These if your group averag  es an IQ above 80

Could you explain?

50 minutes ago, Yaccarus said:

Could you explain?

I have in several other threads that can be searched. To summarize: This adventure is terrible.

I've run Mask of the Pirate Queen, and I really liked the adventure.

It's a fun module with plenty of stuff to do on Ord Mantel and Salucemi (who doesn't love rigging a fight by entering in it yourself!) and some good characters to use in other stories outside of the campaign.

It does get slightly mired in underworld politics. It serves as a good introduction to the Zann Consortium and adds the Veiled Sorority as factions for the Gang to interact with, which can be very fun if the group enjoys social interactions.

Overall, I would recommend it for social players since it's not as combat heavy until the very end, and most parts can be resolved through clever negotiations and thinking.

Thanks for the suggestions. I was doing some research last night and came across Debts to Pay from the EotE GM tool kit. I haven’t read it. But it might work in our campaign. They will desperately need contacts and credits to help with their goals.

How about Debts to Pay?

1 hour ago, Sincereagape said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I was doing some research last night and came across Debts to Pay from the EotE GM tool kit. I haven’t read it. But it might work in our campaign. They will desperately need contacts and credits to help with their goals.

How about Debts to Pay?

Take my Friends Like These recommendation, and change the title to Debts to Pay. That’s the one I was thinking of. Don’t know how I got the titles crossed in my head.

I am currently running Friends Like These for my group with MAJOR changes. As @HappyDaze pointed out, the module itself isn't great.

I have added in Saw, who helped the Rebels defeat the Zygerrians instead of recruit them. They have convinced Saw to join the final battle, and lasr game they worked on recruiting the Mandalorians. I also cut a heap out of that section of the module and focused on Social combat, rather than the meaningless side adventures.

The big battle is next game!

My point...don't necessarily run a module "by the book" Take the elements you like and make it fit with your campaign.

I introduced the Zygerrian slavers earlier in this "season" of the campaign as a few of the players hate slavers. It seems odd they would try and recruit them as allies. The players also know the Imperials are doing something big on Jedha, hence me bringing Saw into the game. The next few games will be set there.

1 hour ago, Andreievitch said:

I am currently running Friends Like These for my group with MAJOR changes. As @HappyDaze pointed out, the module itself isn't great.

I have added in Saw, who helped the Rebels defeat the Zygerrians instead of recruit them. They have convinced Saw to join the final battle, and lasr game they worked on recruiting the Mandalorians. I also cut a heap out of that section of the module and focused on Social combat, rather than the meaningless side adventures.

The big battle is next game!

My point...don't necessarily run a module "by the book" Take the elements you like and make it fit with your campaign.

I introduced the Zygerrian slavers earlier in this "season" of the campaign as a few of the players hate slavers. It seems odd they would try and recruit them as allies. The players also know the Imperials are doing something big on Jedha, hence me bringing Saw into the game. The next few games will be set there.

I know. I tend not to run modules by the book because rarely do the players go by the book.

However, for my friend this will be his first time GMing Fantasy Flight Star Wars. And knowing his personality, does things by the book. If I had to play something by the book, he is actually the type of person I would want to run it.

From what I am hearing, Friends Like These sounds like a adventure for a more experienced GM to make better. He's the Force and Destiny guy of the group. For some reason, I eventually want him to run Ghosts of Dathomir, maybe because out of all of the written adventures...Ghosts of Dathomir seems the most interesting.

3 hours ago, Sincereagape said:

I know. I tend not to run modules by the book because rarely do the players go by the book.

However, for my friend this will be his first time GMing Fantasy Flight Star Wars. And knowing his personality, does things by the book. If I had to play something by the book, he is actually the type of person I would want to run it.

From what I am hearing, Friends Like These sounds like a adventure for a more experienced GM to make better. He's the Force and Destiny guy of the group. For some reason, I eventually want him to run Ghosts of Dathomir, maybe because out of all of the written adventures...Ghosts of Dathomir seems the most interesting.

By the book, the end of Friends Like These always results in the Empire being beaten back but escaping, so the base will lost to the inevitable overwhelming counterattack no matter what the players do. Like I said, it's a crapsack.