Imperial discrimination

By welldressedgent, in Star Wars: Age of Rebellion RPG

How realistic is the Imperial academy cadet career for a non-human PC? Except Adm Thrawn, I have never seen an alien Imperial officer.

54 minutes ago, welldressedgent said:

How realistic is the Imperial academy cadet career for a non-human PC? Except Adm Thrawn, I have never seen an alien Imperial officer.

Not. It's extremely rare for a non-human to make it into the Imperial ranks. Thrawn was only allowed because he was absolutely unique and extremely promising. Pretty much nobody would even be able to apply.

However, if you're just talking about picking up the spec, it depends on how binding your group views career/spec names as being. In my opinion, as a general rule, a spec is a collection of stats and no more. If a Rebel trooper wanted to pick up the spec, I'd probably say fine.
The key is when it comes to the content of the tree. Some trees (the Lightsaber Form trees and the Nightsister universal spec come to mind) have stats that tie them closely to a narrative requirement such as being a Nightsister or having access to training in the particular form. Most do not have those caveats.

Also, you don't automatically get a position in the Imp military by going through Cadet training, and there could easily be non-Humans being given the privilege to train at a cadet academy without that meaning they'll go on to an Imperial military career. It's not uncommon for people to go through military, law enforcement, or other government type training programs without being ment to serve in any government body. I could easily see the local academy accepting non-Human students to train up local sycophant police officers, or whatever. Also, you're the GM; it'll work if you want it to work :)

Not.

But perhaps your character has the tree because they were skilled and accepted for a time, before being forced out. Perhaps you were accepted on a world with a large non-human, but an Imperial-loyal, population and there are a lot of "cadets" who simply are never allowed to join official Imperial ranks from your world.

But the question may also hinge on how non-human you are. Sentients with minor cosmetic differences (like Chiss being blue or Arkanians having 3 fingers) may be more tolerable than say, a Chevin or a Hutt. Especially if you are particularly skilled (which I just default assume the PCs are that's why they're PCs and not ya know, N PCs).

And of course the plausibility depends on if you're the GM, or asking one.

Thanks for info guys. Sounds like the best two solutions are either:

1. Token aliens who were hazed out as the Empire grew less tolerant (canon grey area), or

2. Graduates of "The Academy For Young Bothans", or some such (canon white area).

-g

The Empire is likely 99%+ human for several reasons.

1) The clones during the Clone Wars were based off of human DNA, and the transition to Stormtrooper armor and armaments was easier to use for humans only.

2) Many Imperial officers served the Republic in the Clone Wars as well, and would found Imperial academies on their own home worlds after the formation of the Empire.

3) Unit cohesion would be easier to maintain with a single species and universal language being used.

4) Makes physical security oh so much easier when anyone who isn't a human is immediately suspect.

5) Making hundreds of alien costumes for Episode 4 was likely WAY out of budget for George Lucas, so we got humans in Stormtrooper armor as bad guys. But more likely... (see below)

6) For story-writing purposes (movie, books, etc.), racism is a cheap way to make the villain/bad guys more untenable to the reader/viewer, and Mr. Lucas definitely wanted a clear-cut Black vs White, Good vs Evil vibe for the movies. The Jedi and Rebels are good, and the Empire/Sith are very bad.

All of that being said, the Empire uses bounty hunters in one of the movies (even though the officer was insulted they had to "stoop that low"), and you pointed out Grand Admiral Thrawn. For your own needs, I don't think it would be odd for a non-human group of sentients to be employed by the Empire. In fact, I am just now thinking about the Inquisitors from the Rebels cartoon, and even Grand Admiral Thrawn employed the noghri species as his personal staff.

2 hours ago, SuperWookie said:

All of that being said, the Empire uses bounty hunters in one of the movies (even though the officer was insulted they had to "stoop that low"), and you pointed out Grand Admiral Thrawn. For your own needs, I don't think it would be odd for a non-human group of sentients to be employed by the Empire. In fact, I am just now thinking about the Inquisitors from the Rebels cartoon, and even Grand Admiral Thrawn employed the noghri species as his personal staff.

Neither of those were part of the Imperial military proper. The Inquisitors were former Jedi and a pet project of Sidious and Vader, who are both above Imperial policy, and the Noghri were Thrawn's, and Thrawn doesn't really subscribe to the Empire's humanocentrism. Neither would have gone through the Imperial Academy.

There were rare non-humans, but very rare. Rare enough that making non-human Stormtroopers would be a story point and would influence a lot of how you structure the campaign, not just throwing a bunch of non-humans into the ranks of the Stormtrooper corp. In fact, I'm not sure they were allowed at all until an Imperial successor faction, long after the Emperor's death.

4 minutes ago, P-47 Thunderbolt said:

Neither of those were part of the Imperial military proper. The Inquisitors were former Jedi and a pet project of Sidious and Vader, who are both above Imperial policy, and the Noghri were Thrawn's, and Thrawn doesn't really subscribe to the Empire's humanocentrism. Neither would have gone through the Imperial Academy.

There were rare non-humans, but very rare. Rare enough that making non-human Stormtroopers would be a story point and would influence a lot of how you structure the campaign, not just throwing a bunch of non-humans into the ranks of the Stormtrooper corp. In fact, I'm not sure they were allowed at all until an Imperial successor faction, long after the Emperor's death.

I never said any of those things. I just pointed out that non-humans did get work in the Empire.

Just now, SuperWookie said:

I never said any of those things. I just pointed out that non-humans did get work in the Empire.

I was referencing back to the original question, which was about the Imperial Academy.

I would permit.. actually I have permitted, a non-human Stormtrooper. PCs are often exceptions to the rule.

I have even introduced non-human death troopers, in a special circumstance. The things PCs encounter are also exceptions to the rule sometimes.

The rules are the rules for a reason, and discrimination could play a part in story and backstory. But rules are made to be broken.

Now listen here, all of you!

*Start inspirational Imperial March like music*

In this here great Galactic Empire we like to see all beings flourish. Peace and stability for all! Besides a bit of genetics, body chemistry and some cultural and linguistic differences, there are no differences between bothans, cathar, sullustans or mon calamari. Wookiees aren't slaves! They are valued for their physical prowess and stoic labor values. Take a look at this here fine young wookiee specimen... thing... person. Rorwuuhl, I think it is called? Say hi to the people, Rorwuuhl!

Raaargh!

Yes, that's enough now. Go the the shuttle. You see, people, Rorwuuhl is an Imperial Flight Academy cadet. He earned his place due to his hard work and dedication to our glorious Empire. And so can you!

*Endinspirational Imperial March like music*

...

...

...

Rumor control, all of you! Settle down, please!

*Start sad Imperial March like music*

It is true that Rorwuuhl is no longer a part of the Imperial Flight Academy. He has shown great promise, but there just wasn't a suitable place for him. It is all part of his own doing, however. He started to object to the size of the cockpits of TIE fighters! He made a mess of training materials by means of his inhuman strength. He refused to learn Imperial Basic as to improve proper communications. The teachers have tried their best, but Rorwuuhl's leaving the Academy was in everyone's best interest. Rest assured we have found him a new place within our glorious Empire where his strengths and abilities can be put to a proper use, and language is hardly a barrier. But again, none of it can be put at fault of the Empire. Rorwuuhl caused his own undoing.

*End sad Imperial March like music*

...

...

...

Cue the Maw Installation. A sad, young wookiee is put to work. It seems slave labor to all but the human overseers themselves, indoctrinated to the point where they actually believe to be superior to their worker force. Little do they know that the wookiee, Rorwuuhl, has had some Imperial Academy Cadet time for real, if just for the show, the veil of inclusion drawn over the eyes of the average Imperial citizen. One day the Rebellion will come. One day Rorwuuhl will be freed. And if the Rebellion has a starfighter with big enough of a cockpit, he will show them his training.

20 minutes ago, Edgehawk said:

I would permit.. actually I have permitted, a non-human Stormtrooper. PCs are often exceptions to the rule.

I have even introduced non-human death troopers, in a special circumstance. The things PCs encounter are also exceptions to the rule sometimes.

The rules are the rules for a reason, and discrimination could play a part in story and backstory. But rules are made to be broken.

https://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Flegoeducationalresource.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F01%2Flego-alien-stromtrooper.html&psig=AOvVaw1y7debb-K3qmQjqeFdaxi7&ust=1607614440919000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCLC8z96cwe0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAU

Yes, Legacy Era. But in a OT Trilogy era as an exception to the rule, or a propaganda stunt? Why not?

On 12/7/2020 at 10:08 PM, welldressedgent said:

Thanks for info guys. Sounds like the best two solutions are either:

1. Token aliens who were hazed out as the Empire grew less tolerant (canon grey area), or

2. Graduates of "The Academy For Young Bothans", or some such (canon white area).

-g

I would also highly suggest being openminded when it comes to the name of specs. Some people get too attached to the specs name when, yes the name implies a typical archetype for that character. However, as @P-47 Thunderbolt points out, having it doesn't necessarily mean you went to the imperial academy, you could interpret it simply as having training that is similar or on par to the Imperial academy.

Put it this way, would renaming the spec "Flight Academy Graduate" change anything and make total sense? It would: then go for it.

In my campaign one of my players is a mechanic, but he started the campaign as a hired gun - demolitionist because he wanted to be an expert on explosives and use the signature ability of the Hired Gun. All of his other trees are out of career and he never at one point in his backstory ever implied he worked for hire as a hired gun. It was simply a means to an end.

Sometimes people interpret the trees and careers a little too literally, which is not initially a bad thing, its nice to have a quick label to shove on something. However, taken abstractly you can make any backstory work with almost any career/spec.

With Zeltron and Pantoran pilots being added for the Empire in Squadrons, it's conceivable that other highly-skilled near-humans side from Thrawn could have gotten postings if they got through the academy. I believe you can use these species in the campaign, so Titan Three could be near-human.

I've also used the Imperial Academy Cadet career to represent other "formal military academy" training. I rolled up a Pantoran character a while back, and part of his backstory was that he was part of a home-grown Pantoran navy, and went through training based closely on Republic training programs. So he didn't study under the Empire, but the training regimine was probably close enough that it would make sense to take that tree.

I've come to think of Recruit as the "Enlisted Soldier" tree, and Imperial Academy Cadet as the "Officer Training School" tree.

17 hours ago, abookfulblockhead said:

I've also used the Imperial Academy Cadet career to represent other "formal military academy" training. I rolled up a Pantoran character a while back, and part of his backstory was that he was part of a home-grown Pantoran navy, and went through training based closely on Republic training programs. So he didn't study under the Empire, but the training regimine was probably close enough that it would make sense to take that tree.

I've come to think of Recruit as the "Enlisted Soldier" tree, and Imperial Academy Cadet as the "Officer Training School" tree.

Same for me, I found the "Universal" Specialization awfully specific so I went ahead and generalized all of them for my campaign players.

  • Imperial Academy Cadet -> Military Academy Training
  • Deathwatch Warrior -> Jetpack / Rising Phoenix Training
  • Nightsister -> Force Cultist
  • Republic Representative -> Political Education
  • Retired Clone Trooper -> Special Forces Training
  • Recruit -> Militia Training

and so on and so on.

Edited by Fl1nt
On 12/20/2020 at 4:22 PM, Fl1nt said:

Same for me, I found the "Universal" Specialization awfully specific so I went ahead and generalized all of them for my campaign players.

  • Imperial Academy Cadet -> Military Academy Training
  • Deathwatch Warrior -> Jetpack / Rising Phoenix Training
  • Nightsister -> Force Cultist
  • Republic Representative -> Political Education
  • Retired Clone Trooper -> Special Forces Training
  • Recruit -> Militia Training

and so on and so on.

Oddly enough, I preferred them as being linked to specific organizations/roles. Admittedly, I do use Recruit to represent recruits to Alliance Special Operations, not just any part of the Rebel Alliance (so not everyone recruited by the Alliance is likely to be a Recruit).

6 hours ago, HappyDaze said:

Oddly enough, I preferred them as being linked to specific organizations/roles. Admittedly, I do use Recruit to represent recruits to Alliance Special Operations, not just any part of the Rebel Alliance (so not everyone recruited by the Alliance is likely to be a Recruit).

Yeah thats surely also a good way to go, simply comes down to preference and probably campaign setting.

I personally found it odd for these to be tied to organizations as they would probably be previous life-paths but they could probably be aquired later on, maybe learning from a Retired Clone Trooper grants the associated Tree.

For me and my Group the generalization made more sense but it's interesting to see how this is handled differently.