Hi all, long time no post.

So with the little Ewok turning 7 having a crack at the RPG during our annual xmas AOR game with the Brother in law and his sons, (and her infiltrator face doing wonders throughout the session) she now wan'ts to start playing regularly at home.

So we are looking to set up a 2 player game focusing on the usual trope of a Jedi Knight/Padawan combo with the wife as the freshly knighted Jedi finding the street urchin during her first solo mission that has a *gift*.

Wife and I have been playing for years and she is quite experienced (although this will be our first force focused campaign). Setting is going to be just before episode I, and I am aiming to journey through the clone wars and into the rise of the empire.

The daughter and I have already rolled up her PC. She is going to play a scoundrel to start with (looked for the most "street-rat" looking spec, and offered her that or thief. Again, the stereotypical backstory of orphaned street kid who's parents were killed (This time on their fishing boat by a giant sea monster, which she *somehow* managed to escape... her idea, not mine)

Thus comes the first point I want to raise for discussion. To represent her *gift*, I am planning on giving her the basic "enhance" power, and the house rule that in order to use her untrained power she must flip a destiny point. with a 2 player game, DP economy is at a premium, (max of 4) so this should limit her use, and its only the basic power, so only for athletics, until she gets some training.

Once the Wife's Jedi PC discovers this gift and starts to guide her, I will let her start to invest XP in the power, but she won't get a force rating until she gets a spec. I plan on gifting her Padawan and a force rating at the end of this adventure, when they have a chance to return to a Jedi academy and she is inducted.

so, opinions and thoughts on this idea? to OP, to constricting? I want to introduce the force slowly to her, as the rules can be complicated.

This comes to my second discussion point: Guiding my wife in generating her Jedi PC.

My idea for her character is for a senior Padawan who has completed all but one of the trails, with the last being to go off and complete a solo mission.I plan on righting up a set of orders from the Jedi council (or sector equivalent, as they are based in the outer rim, operating from a Jedi academy cruiser/training ship, which her master commands) that outline her investigation mission to the planet where the daughter lives. this will provide the guidance from which the wife can generate her character.

I will then leave it to her as to weather she picks up Jedi/padawan as her career, or use a FAD career/spec. I was also going to give her some extra XP to invest, as she is older and more experienced than the daughter. The question is, how much? should I go full knight level and give her 150, or is that too much of an imbalance. should I aim for something that allows her enough to get to a second force rating, or maybe almost within reach. Or should I gift her more force powers to represent her Jedi training. or gift her a lightsaber style

Sex in advance for your thoughts/opinions/advice

58 minutes ago, Funk Fu master said:

Hi all, long time no post.

So with the little Ewok turning 7 having a crack at the RPG during our annual xmas AOR game with the Brother in law and his sons, (and her infiltrator face doing wonders throughout the session) she now wan'ts to start playing regularly at home.

So we are looking to set up a 2 player game focusing on the usual trope of a Jedi Knight/Padawan combo with the wife as the freshly knighted Jedi finding the street urchin during her first solo mission that has a *gift*.

Wife and I have been playing for years and she is quite experienced (although this will be our first force focused campaign). Setting is going to be just before episode I, and I am aiming to journey through the clone wars and into the rise of the empire.

The daughter and I have already rolled up her PC. She is going to play a scoundrel to start with (looked for the most "street-rat" looking spec, and offered her that or thief. Again, the stereotypical backstory of orphaned street kid who's parents were killed (This time on their fishing boat by a giant sea monster, which she *somehow* managed to escape... her idea, not mine)

Thus comes the first point I want to raise for discussion. To represent her *gift*, I am planning on giving her the basic "enhance" power, and the house rule that in order to use her untrained power she must flip a destiny point. with a 2 player game, DP economy is at a premium, (max of 4) so this should limit her use, and its only the basic power, so only for athletics, until she gets some training.

Once the Wife's Jedi PC discovers this gift and starts to guide her, I will let her start to invest XP in the power, but she won't get a force rating until she gets a spec. I plan on gifting her Padawan and a force rating at the end of this adventure, when they have a chance to return to a Jedi academy and she is inducted.

so, opinions and thoughts on this idea? to OP, to constricting? I want to introduce the force slowly to her, as the rules can be complicated.

This comes to my second discussion point: Guiding my wife in generating her Jedi PC.

My idea for her character is for a senior Padawan who has completed all but one of the trails, with the last being to go off and complete a solo mission.I plan on righting up a set of orders from the Jedi council (or sector equivalent, as they are based in the outer rim, operating from a Jedi academy cruiser/training ship, which her master commands) that outline her investigation mission to the planet where the daughter lives. this will provide the guidance from which the wife can generate her character.

I will then leave it to her as to weather she picks up Jedi/padawan as her career, or use a FAD career/spec. I was also going to give her some extra XP to invest, as she is older and more experienced than the daughter. The question is, how much? should I go full knight level and give her 150, or is that too much of an imbalance. should I aim for something that allows her enough to get to a second force rating, or maybe almost within reach. Or should I gift her more force powers to represent her Jedi training. or gift her a lightsaber style

Sex in advance for your thoughts/opinions/advice

You might have more luck if you take the offer of sex off the table...

As far as the Enhance goes. That's really one of those powers that can be narrated as being "instinctual". the character doesn't even have to know he or she is using the Force. So, I wouldn't bother with the Destiny Point flip. What I would require is that the character have one of the Force using Universal specs, if she's starting as a Scoundrel.

42 minutes ago, Vek Baustrade said:

You might have more luck if you take the offer of sex off the table...

sorry, just following the order 66 tradition...

29 minutes ago, Tramp Graphics said:

As far as the Enhance goes. That's really one of those powers that can be narrated as being "instinctual". the character doesn't even have to know he or she is using the Force. So, I wouldn't bother with the Destiny Point flip. What I would require is that the character have one of the Force using Universal specs, if she's starting as a Scoundrel.

I thought that, but I didn't want to dilute her initial character build with another spec tree, nor make it too complicated for the daughter (the one shot she played she kind of ignored the spec tree and just bought up skills). I want her to get used to the mechanics of a spec tree with just one. And I was going to bend the rules and gifther Padawan (and an associated force rating)after a few games anyway I didn't see the need.

Plus, I see her instinctual use of enhance during times of intense stress, not at will, so I wanted to highlight the use of it with DP. Plus it will be more impact when she gets Padawan and can start using her powers at will (oh god, what am I creating...)

11 minutes ago, Funk Fu master said:

sorry, just following the order 66 tradition...

I thought that, but I didn't want to dilute her initial character build with another spec tree, nor make it too complicated for the daughter (the one shot she played she kind of ignored the spec tree and just bought up skills). I want her to get used to the mechanics of a spec tree with just one. And I was going to bend the rules and gifther Padawan (and an associated force rating)after a few games anyway I didn't see the need.

Plus, I see her instinctual use of enhance during times of intense stress, not at will, so I wanted to highlight the use of it with DP. Plus it will be more impact when she gets Padawan and can start using her powers at will (oh god, what am I creating...)

The problem is that unless she starts with a Force using career and spec , she can't have a Force rating at all , until such time as she takes one of the Force using universal specs. That also means, by RAW , she cant take Enhance at all. until she meets the requirements.

I have a Force sensitive Mandalorian character (Guardian Armorer) with the basic Manipulate power. The character does not realize this Force sensitivity though. Instead the character uses Manipulate as a sort of "concussive recalibration" (a good wack against the side of the vehicle in question), not realizing that it's the Force at work.

So, my suggestion, if she wants the "force sensitive street urchin", would be go with the Sentinel career from F&D, with either the Shadow , Racer , or Investigator , specs, with Shadow being my first choice.

8 hours ago, Tramp Graphics said:

The problem is that unless she starts with a Force using career and spec , she can't have a Force rating at all , until such time as she takes one of the Force using universal specs. That also means, by RAW , she cant take Enhance at all. until she meets the requirements.

I have a Force sensitive Mandalorian character (Guardian Armorer) with the basic Manipulate power. The character does not realize this Force sensitivity though. Instead the character uses Manipulate as a sort of "concussive recalibration" (a good wack against the side of the vehicle in question), not realizing that it's the Force at work.

So, my suggestion, if she wants the "force sensitive street urchin", would be go with the Sentinel career from F&D, with either the Shadow , Racer , or Investigator , specs, with Shadow being my first choice.

I understand the RAW . If I was following it to the letter we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I am using GM handwavium to set up a scenario for my daughter to be a discovered padawan to my wife, and slowly learn the mechanics of the game. What I am asking is if the house rules that I am putting in place makes sense for what I am trying to acheive

9 hours ago, Tramp Graphics said:

The problem is that unless she starts with a Force using career and spec , she can't have a Force rating at all , until such time as she takes one of the Force using universal specs. That also means, by RAW , she cant take Enhance at all. until she meets the requirements.

I have a Force sensitive Mandalorian character (Guardian Armorer) with the basic Manipulate power. The character does not realize this Force sensitivity though. Instead the character uses Manipulate as a sort of "concussive recalibration" (a good wack against the side of the vehicle in question), not realizing that it's the Force at work.

So, my suggestion, if she wants the "force sensitive street urchin", would be go with the Sentinel career from F&D, with either the Shadow , Racer , or Investigator , specs, with Shadow being my first choice.

Actually, she can start with a Force Die. Heck, she can start with 5 if the GM wants to give them to her.

RAW? No. But his game, his rules. Period .

56 minutes ago, Funk Fu master said:

I understand the RAW . If I was following it to the letter we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I am using GM handwavium to set up a scenario for my daughter to be a discovered padawan to my wife, and slowly learn the mechanics of the game. What I am asking is if the house rules that I am putting in place makes sense for what I am trying to acheive

As for the OP. I think it's a pretty neat way to handle the force power. We had a character that had Sense and 1 FD (Force Die) and didn't know why he had " a bad feeling" about things from time to time.

One other option, you could GM Grant a universal spec that gives a FD if you'd rather. Padawan Survivor and Force Sensitive Emergent might be good places to look.

In my game, I've GM Granted a free spec to everyone during a particular story moment and it helped cement things mechanically that the story created. It's an option that may or may not work for you. If not, granting a FD is perfectly fine, especially given your particular group and circumstances.

1 hour ago, Funk Fu master said:

I am using GM handwavium to set up a scenario for my daughter to be a discovered padawan to my wife, and slowly learn the mechanics of the game. What I am asking is if the house rules that I am putting in place makes sense for what I am trying to acheive

Your ideas should work fine for your stated purpose. If a suitably dramatic moment presents itself, where a force leap would be appropriate, I’d even throw that in. Destiny flips in lieu of a mechanical force rating or spec will work to start. You might want to roll some extra dice for Destiny, though. In the solo game I play with my son, we both roll two dice to create the pool.

13 hours ago, Funk Fu master said:

Thus comes the first point I want to raise for discussion. To represent her *gift*, I am planning on giving her the basic "enhance" power, and the house rule that in order to use her untrained power she must flip a destiny point. with a 2 player game, DP economy is at a premium, (max of 4) so this should limit her use, and its only the basic power, so only for athletics, until she gets some training.

Once the Wife's Jedi PC discovers this gift and starts to guide her, I will let her start to invest XP in the power, but she won't get a force rating until she gets a spec. I plan on gifting her Padawan and a force rating at the end of this adventure, when they have a chance to return to a Jedi academy and she is inducted.

so, opinions and thoughts on this idea? to OP, to constricting? I want to introduce the force slowly to her, as the rules can be complicated.

This comes to my second discussion point: Guiding my wife in generating her Jedi PC.

My idea for her character is for a senior Padawan who has completed all but one of the trails, with the last being to go off and complete a solo mission.I plan on righting up a set of orders from the Jedi council (or sector equivalent, as they are based in the outer rim, operating from a Jedi academy cruiser/training ship, which her master commands) that outline her investigation mission to the planet where the daughter lives. this will provide the guidance from which the wife can generate her character.

I will then leave it to her as to weather she picks up Jedi/padawan as her career, or use a FAD career/spec. I was also going to give her some extra XP to invest, as she is older and more experienced than the daughter. The question is, how much? should I go full knight level and give her 150, or is that too much of an imbalance. should I aim for something that allows her enough to get to a second force rating, or maybe almost within reach. Or should I gift her more force powers to represent her Jedi training. or gift her a lightsaber style

Sex in advance for your thoughts/opinions/advice.

First off, awesome notion, and great that your daughter has a desire to join the hobby.

As for your idea with burgeoning Force ability, I'd go ahead and just give her Force Rating 1 and the Enhance basic power, but perhaps remove "must spend a Destiny Point to use black pips" when rolling to generate Force points. The character would still suffer strain (and perhaps unbeknownst to her, conflict, if you chose to use that part of the rules at all), making things a bit simpler for her while still introducing the core mechanics around playing a Force user.

I do like the prior suggestion by Edgehawk of allowing your daughter's character to be able to flip a Destiny Point to do "really cool stuff" like Force leaps, but only at a dramatically appropriate time. It's not too unlike what we see with Ezra Bridger in Rebels (would I be accurate in guessing she's seen the show and is a fan of that particular character?)

With regards to the Destiny Pool, with only two players I'd actually suggest taking a note from Genesys route, and starting each session with two light side Destiny Points per character and one dark side Destiny Point for the GM. With so few players, this method gives the group a bit more leeway in spending those Destiny Points and not being subject to the vagaries of the dice, especially with a young player in the group.

As for your wife's character, I'd lean perhaps a bit more into having her go Jedi/Knight, and use the Collapse of the Republic optional rule to let a Jedi PC spend 30 of their starting XP to increase their Force Rating to 2, thus the wife's PC is a more experienced Force user. As for additional XP, what's great about this system is that it's not always how much XP a character has under their belt, but rather how they've spent that XP. So you could go ahead and let your wife build her Jedi PC at Knight Level, but perhaps reducing the skill rank cap back down to 2, as well as encourage her to invest XP into various Force powers rather than just skills and talents. Plus, the daughter's already getting what roughly works out to 30 bonus XP, so the disparity isn't that huge.

With that said, I'd also suggest letting your daughter earn a little more XP each session than her mom's character; it's a common trope of the young student quickly growing to eventually rival the skill level of the older mentor after all. Probably no more than 5 or 10 bonus XP, at least until the two characters are within spitting distance of each other in terms of XP totals. Just make sure to explain to both why this is occurring, that it's a limited time thing; I've little doubt your wife will take issue, but your daughter might be confused as to why she's getting more XP than mommy's character, and why that bonus XP suddenly stopped.

Take a look at the racer spec from endless vigil, a very eote themed spec.

Sentinel:racer/hotshot/padawan makes a force sensitive but otherwise stereotypical smuggler (pilot/gambler/gunslinger/erstwhile face), might want to consider pantoran (also in endless vigil) as species so can start with 4 in agility, 3 in cunning and presence and 2's in brawn, intellect, and willpower. And lightsaber crafting rules are in endless vigil.

Your are only restricted by your own choice. My players are commonly disappoint how the Jedi are in the game versus the screen, but it is for balance reasons. If you daughter wants to play help her enjoy the game more. Do be confined by the rules and since your group is only 2 people make it to them, balance is less important.

I start her with a force rating or maybe 2, that is how the other Jedi found her cause she is strong with the Force. I would give her the basic power of 3 things that she can do to start the game with. Then let her buy more as she advances.

For the experience for your wife I would set it high if she is a well trained Jedi (600 earned, maybe higher) But have the talk with her that his is for her to develop her padawan. Maybe have her pick motivation of teacher or similar. The as long as she understands her character is much more powerful it will let her come in to save the padawan of thing get out of control.

This sounds like an awesome opportunity for you, my family won't play with me. So help make it cool and memorable. Let her know you are not following the rules for creation since the group is small and just those 2. That way if she plays later on she will understand the difference between what you have her and a starter character.

For the wife's character I'd allow her to start at knight level and let the player decide how to spend those 150 XPs. Knight level is exactly meant for a freshly knighted Jedi and not for an experienced Jedi. That's what the wife's character is a former Padawan that is knighted just before the game starts.

I won't allow the Quick Path to Power, to spend 30 XPs to get a FR2, because imo it doesn't fit with a fully and properly trained Jedi from the time when there was a Jedi Academy. It fits better with younglings and padawan being knighted during the clone war before they finished their training, because too much casualties created a shortage of knights.

1 hour ago, WolfRider said:

For the wife's character I'd allow her to start at knight level and let the player decide how to spend those 150 XPs. Knight level is exactly meant for a freshly knighted Jedi and not for an experienced Jedi. That's what the wife's character is a former Padawan that is knighted just before the game starts.

I won't allow the Quick Path to Power, to spend 30 XPs to get a FR2, because imo it doesn't fit with a fully and properly trained Jedi from the time when there was a Jedi Academy. It fits better with younglings and padawan being knighted during the clone war before they finished their training, because too much casualties created a shortage of knights.

You might want to give your daughter a small bump past starting too. Btw the padawan survivor universal spec in dawn of rebellion is the most jedi like way to convert a non-fs character to a fs character but force sensitive outcast from I think rise of the separatists is a quick way to fr2 (straight shot down the right column) and picking up a few lightsaber talents along the way.

Just my two cents, but in general, new player characters should all start with the same number of experience points.

For a game where Force abilities matter, the Knight-level rules are an excellent choice.

That would also make a dip into a second spec with a force rating and the basic sense power eminently affordable.

I'm not a RAW warrior and the GM is 100% entitled to house rule it, but the mechanism and points to dip into a second spec with a FR and buy the Enhance power are there if that option is chosen.

Thanks for all the advice guys, it is helping me to shape the outline of the campaign and set it up for the girls.

I am away on business for a week, with rpg books packed so that I can get into the meat of writing up the campaign story arc.

Attached is the initial brief that I will be giving the wife. This she can use towards developing her character as she generates it. ( I am thinking of giving her 100 extra XP at start. Not quite a knight, but close)

MISSION 01.pdf

It looks like nearly everything has been covered and I love your ideas.

On the XP bonus for the Jedi. I would say go ahead and let her start with more XP. This isn't your typical group where resentment could arise if one character has an advantage over another. It's mother-daughter. Your starting campaign notion includes an imbalance of power in it's narrative description. So it makes complete sense to with the 150 XP or whatever you decide.

But, I wouldn't keep that gap going throughout the campaign. Explain to your wife that sometimes you are going to give your daughter's character 10 XP while the Jedi gets only 5 XP. Perhaps hand-wave this as that a child is naturally able to learn quicker and the Jedi is taking much of her time to develop the child as a mentor instead of developing herself. When your daughter's character has caught up in XP, then start dishing it out more evenly.

UPDATE

So I mentioned in passing to the daughter (dangerous, I know) that some specs let you interact with animals......

She has now redone her character as a Seeker Pathfinder. Meaning all my ideas and house rules about her predestined emergent force powers were for naught 😄

I will give her the basic enhance force power as planned, and probably sense, to represent her link with nature.

For the wife, she is struggling to pick a career/spec, as we have never done a force focused game before (AOR all the way, Ooora!) so has left it up to me. I was thinking a Consular Arbiter/Nimian/Padawan (noting she has an extra 100XP) with enhance, move and manipulate. Species wise, are there any huminoids/near humans with a 3 in willpower, to maximise Nimian technique?

Finally, the published adventures for FAD, Ghosts of Dathomir or Chronicles of the Gatekeeper. Anyone see any issues in converting these to Pre-Clone Wars or Clone wars era? will the CIS substitute the Empire good enough? which order should they be played in.

I am hoping to kick the campaign off this weekend, have some introductory adventures for my daughter to cut her teeth on, then dive into one of these books before the clone wars kicks off fully

PS. Just picked up a semi-regular third PC, who will be the ships captain ( I am thinking padawan drop out come pilot)

There are a lot of species with a buff to Willpower, one of the cooler ones is Zabrak, but they get a 1 in Presence if that means anything to you.

I don't know much about the adventures, but Ghosts of Dathomir would need an era overwrite since the Nightsisters would still be around (unless you are really late in the Clone Wars era.

58 minutes ago, P-47 Thunderbolt said:

There are a lot of species with a buff to Willpower, one of the cooler ones is Zabrak, but they get a 1 in Presence if that means anything to you.

I don't know much about the adventures, but Ghosts of Dathomir would need an era overwrite since the Nightsisters would still be around (unless you are really late in the Clone Wars era.

Dathomir is covered in Collapse of the Republic along with Mother Talzen and Nightsisters and brothers

The one cardinal rule of roleplaying games; never, ever even joke about offering the PC's a pet! IT WILL DOMINATE THEIR DESTINY! XD

Just kidding that's cool, all this sounds awesome.