Group Obligation

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

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Have you tried to use a group obligation instead or in addition of individual obligations?

How you build the Obligation table in that case?

Mechanically, how much do you reduce the strain threshold of each individual if the group obligation is triggered at the start of the session? by 2?

Cheers,

Yepes

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Why try and create "group" obligation? If everyone in the group takes on obligation to a Hutt let's say each party member has 5 Hutt obligation, no need to try and make a "group" thing.

For example, when I was younger my roommate and I had rent obligation but I can tell you even though we both paid the same amount he was always worried about it (taking strain in game terms) I was only worried when I had to float him a nice in awhile.

In short, each member can have obligation to the same person/plot device, etc and it be separate and affect the players as the rules are written.

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Why try and create "group" obligation? If everyone in the group takes on obligation to a Hutt let's say each party member has 5 Hutt obligation, no need to try and make a "group" thing.

This possibility of a group obligation is suggested in page 41, under "Assembling the group's obligation".

I find it a great way to add cohesion to the group.

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Why try and create "group" obligation? If everyone in the group takes on obligation to a Hutt let's say each party member has 5 Hutt obligation, no need to try and make a "group" thing.

This possibility of a group obligation is suggested in page 41, under "Assembling the group's obligation".

I find it a great way to add cohesion to the group.

You sure that is what it is suggesting? As opposed to just building up the list of obligations each character has and their values for rolling the D100 before a session to see who is suffering strain?

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I decided to use "group" obligation for a PC party of 6 ... however, it was of 5 kids (from about 9 - 12) and 1 adult. I thought it might be better if I could keep all of them on the same page without having to worry about different backgrounds. And it stays fairly simple for them ... I have just continued the story line from the Beginner game / Long Arm of the Hutt and have that aspect pop up now and then, such as when they do Streetwise checks they might hear whispers of a bounty hunter whose been asking around, etc.

I think having one group obligation helps keep the party together, especially if they are new to the game or young, however, if at character creation they put together characters with wildly different backgrounds, then having the individual obligation makes more sense, and allows them to flesh out their character in their own way.

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You sure that is what it is suggesting? As opposed to just building up the list of obligations each character has and their values for rolling the D100 before a session to see who is suffering strain?

Copied directly from the book:

"In some cases, the group may possess an Obligation as a whole (not divided amongst the characters). In this case, the group Obligation gains its own entry and listing"

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I've been using group obligation in addition to individual obligation, I would say it comes from issues that crop up during missions and works well to tie the individual characters together.

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In the case of group obligation, I'd probably treat it as a single block of obligation but subdivide it on the table amongst the players.


So if a group of four double-crosses an employer, they might get a single 20-obligation block of Betrayal, but on the table, each PC would show 5 of that 20. When someone's obligation triggers, that PC just happens to be more worried than the others about this vengeful employer.


When it comes to settling the obligation, I'd go back to treating it as a single block before subdividing it again. In the example above, if they reduce their betrayal from 20 to 15, then each PC's share of that goes down to 3. With any remainders, I'd spread that out amongst the PCs who had a hand in instigating the obligation in the first place.

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By the end of the first session of this adventure our players are currently experiencing, the group ended up with a group criminal obligation of 10 for stealing a ship. It has its own entry in the obligation table. When it triggers, it's like triggering an obligation for every person in that group. So in our most recent session that group obligation actually did trigger and on doubles so everyone who was part of the outlaw group had their strain threshold reduced by 4 when they saw their faces all over the holonews and some constabulary droids were on the prowl because they got words these outlaws were in the are. We also had some new players since then who weren't part of the original heist, so I had their strain threshold reduced by 2.

Had I known we were going to pick up more players I may have considered it an individual criminal obligation, but since they did it as a group, it makes sense that when it triggers, it triggers for everyone who was involved.

For the purpose of reducing the obligation, it may vary from obligation type to obligation type, but ideally, you want the obligation to be reduced for the group and not for the individual. I used idea of group obligation to bring the party together. They all needed a way off Kessel so working together to get off the planet. Now they are marked as criminals.