I'm coming out of GM retirement and running a game and I seek some advice.

Are there any suggestions for coming up with good Star Wars names for characters and planets? I have a planet that is like the state of Montana and it needs a name. I also have an Indiana Jones knockoff character that needs a name. Any suggestions?

I also have a problem with my first adventure. I've got a couple of ideas, but I want to start kinda slow.

The first adventure will introduce the general theme but I'm not sure how i want to go. The adventure kicks off with the players at "home" and they get a call from a friend of their parents who will deliver a message and the plot hook. Parents are archeologists who are off world searching for societies that were early jedi/bendu. They uncover something that suggests an important artifact is on the home planet.

My problem is dealing with the messenger. Part of me wants him to be a returning supporting character and above reproach. Another part of me wants him to be a double agent for the Empire. A third part of me wants him to be impersonating the messenger and working for the Empire.

I'm worried that if I use the betrayal theme right out of the gate my players will be immediately distrustful of all new npcs. What do you suggest.

Hmm I had an inspiration while sitting in the inspiration place a.k.a. bathroom. It's amazing all the thoughts you can have there, but I digress.

I think the messenger will have an assistant who is an Imperial agent and do all the double crossing. Especially after the party finds the maguffin.

5 hours ago, Tahl said:

Are there any suggestions for coming up with good Star Wars names for characters and planets?

Just google "star wars name generator", there are several good options.

This is my favorite: https://www.dimfuture.net/starwars/random/generate.php

8 hours ago, Tahl said:

I also have an Indiana Jones knockoff character that needs a name. Any suggestions?

Ah yes, knockoff characters. My favorite. I have a PC in the wings (that I'll never get to play as so NPC he shall become someday) as a total Max Payne ripoff known as Myn Yuforhea, and a future NPC as a Punisher/Frank Castle copy known as the Lawbringer/Jack Bastille.

My recommendation: go over the top with it. Players love that kind of stuff, since hiding it is kinda pointless as they'll figure it out eventually "hey... they sound almost like so and so pop culture character".

For Indiana Jones.. I would go with Corellia Smith

For the planet just pick an existing one at random, look it up on Wookeepedia, if there's too much info already pock another until you find one unexplored by existing lore.

This is what I do anyway, or sometimes use what little info there already is as a seed for my own world building.

For names I use; http://aux5.com/images/7/77/Star_Wars_-_Game_of_the_Name.pdf

For planets I look at the galaxy map in the book and then wookieepedia. I find a planet whose name and location I like and then look it up on wookiepedia to see its history, if any. Many planets on that map just have a cool name and no history, which is perfect. And you can then show your players where their planet is located on the galaxy map which is a nice for immersion, planning travel, etc.

Depending on your campaign setting, the Force & Destiny beginners box set adventure would fit the adventure you described with some minor tweaks. Since you mentioned you're coming out of GM retirement, having a printed adventure may ease your burden. You can even combine the printed adventures to form a sort of campaign. I have ran 'Lessons from the Past' followed by 'Hidden Depths' and then followed by the Beginner's Box set adventure. My players enjoyed it but liked the box set adventure the most.

Imho, I'd hold off on the betrayal since it's your first game with this new group. Nothing wrong building some trust with your new players, and instead slow playing and foreshadowing the betrayal over time. If you can first establish the traitor as a good friend or loved NPC over time, then the actual betrayal will be even more hard felt.

25 minutes ago, SemperSarge said:

For planets I look at the galaxy map in the book and then wookieepedia. I find a planet whose name and location I like and then look it up on wookiepedia to see its history, if any. Many planets on that map just have a cool name and no history, which is perfect. And you can then show your players where their planet is located on the galaxy map which is a nice for immersion, planning travel, etc.

You may also like this online galaxy map: http://www.swgalaxymap.com/
It has many more planets and each has a link to its Wookieepedia article (though some don't have an article yet, I've noticed).

9 hours ago, Stethemessiah said:

For the planet just pick an existing one at random, look it up on Wookeepedia, if there's too much info already pock another until you find one unexplored by existing lore.

This is what I do anyway, or sometimes use what little info there already is as a seed for my own world building.

This. There are a LOT of planets on Wookieepedia that either have zero information or only a tiny blurb about something minor which happened there or was mentioned about it; leaving you plenty of room to flesh it out however you want.

A few years back I came across a site which generated sites like 'The Spice Mines of Kessel' or The Ice Plains of Xatoor'... They were useful for story ideas or just dropping into overheard conversations in cantinas or passing people at spaceports.

Found it: https://donjon.bin.sh/scifi/name/star_wars.html#type=star_wars_location

On 5/20/2020 at 6:06 PM, Vorzakk said:

This. There are a LOT of planets on Wookieepedia that either have zero information or only a tiny blurb about something minor which happened there or was mentioned about it; leaving you plenty of room to flesh it out however you want.

There are enough 'Un-named' stars on the Galactic Map too. I usually point and say something like 'The brightest star in H7'... then later take a zoomed in Snipping Tool picture and name it for my homebrew.

I've played characters that were blatant Indiana Jones knockoffs more than once, and the name I almost always use is Nebraska Smith.

Alien names are one of my favourite things. A name needs to flow nicely, so a neat trick I sometimes play around with is just looking at a sentence and swapping a couple vowels around, since established language generally flows already. Perhaps drop some punctuation in there too, for more alienness.

It's a fun game.

Language generally- Lanerally Gen'Guage- Equipped with a silver tongue and an eye for a usefully deceptive mis-translation, schmoozing the Imperial upper class out of their ill-gotten gains.

I have an eye on a female Devaronian hunter with a penchance for stealth and sabotage, going by the name of Phosvaa Ghosp. Assembled from a sentence on the work notice board one lunch break.

The latter may be on the trail of the former.....

Ofc, Star Wars names don't mind being blatant puns as well