Ok, so we had our first session after the beginner box yesterday that went pretty well. I had to end it short due to a family issue that came up. There was some pretty good fails due to my part. We are running the adventure out of the Core Rule Book, "Trouble Brewing".

It took us 2 and a half hours and we stopped right after they beat the ambush party outside the gangs wearhouse.

Our first PC is Pash a Smuggler Pilot from the beginners box, I didn't see how this was a problem and its a pretty good guy to have around.

Our Second PC is a Falleen Doctor/Scholar/Force Sensitive who is also a pacifist, I told the PC go for it, I thought it would be interesting. Problem is that she spent so much just getting the specilzations she is pretty much worthless. I kind of expected this PC to take care of talking to people and being the spokes person, but her skills for right now are so low is really doesnt serve too much of a purpose.

And our mussel "Kenneth" a Trandoshan Marauder. When the player first told me about her PC I was pretty weary, she painted him as a blood thirsty serial-killer but I think she was mainly messing with her friend who is playing the Falleen. When she emailed me her PC's back story it was actually pretty **** impressive.

Problems I felt we had during the game:

• Pre-reading the adventure 2 times is not enough to GM it. I know know I really need to take notes, and make cards for encounters. Going back and forth on pages trying to figure something out kills the game play.
• Destiny points. I was completely lost on these so to keep it simple we left Destiny Points and Obligations out of the first session.
• I am utter crap at roll playing. Well acting out the NPC part anyway. Half the time I try and act out what the NPC says, the other times I just tell them what the NPC says. I really got to get better at this part of the game.
• General lack of knowledge. I thought I studied up pretty well. I was wrong. Thankfully, no one else seemed to really study up either a lot of it was simple to look up but caused a pause and go effect that was not good.
• Finding out in general how combat worked was a bit hard when it wasn't the simple pre-cut PC's. We had to look up damage for fists and claws lol. Pretty simple problem to fix but **** did it suck not knowing basic things.
• Combat was very sluggish and clunky. I think I already solved this by making sure I have a combat sheet and print out the encounter before hand so I know all the details.

So here are my questions:

1. What are simple tips and tools that GM's use to make sure everything goes smooth.
2. Destiny points. How does this work. My understanding is every PC take a roll before the match. You tally up everything and the W&B cancel each other out but what ever left is put in to a pool. The PC's can use the Positive's and the GM uses the negative. Once you use a point, it flips to the opposite side. So I have two questions tied to this. A: Whats the point of a pool if the points will always flip back and forth and don't get used up? B: What kind of positive and negatives are we talking about? I read the entire section in the book but would like to hear some more examples.
3. Space combat. We will be involved in this next week and I am defiantly going to need some help. My main question is how the flying and maneuvering will work. You have different sections of the ship shielded differently, and weapons can only fire in specific directions.

Anyhow, any help or comments are welcome. I started writing this out with a lot more questions, but I either answered them after typing them out or forgot what they were lol.

-FootNote

I can tell you one thing, and that is destiny points. Destiny points works in that the before the session (or, if you play multiple short sessions to span an adventure, than just say for the sdventure) you roll the force die for every PC (Player Character) and record the results.

For example, I'm going to make up a scenario.

John, Mike, Ashley, and Phil have all come to play the game. Phil is GM, the rest are players. Before beginnings, all of the players roll the force die individually. John gets one black, Mike gets two blacks, and Ashley gets two whites.

Each black dot rolled on the die generates a dark side destiny point (the side with the red symbol). Each white dot generates a light side point (the side with the Republic-esque symbol).

In gameplay, the GM can use dark side points for the enemy, and the players can use light side points for their own benefit. As the players are going through the game, they come across some Gamorean thugs sent by a Hutt lord they owe money to (falling back to the whole Hutt crime lord idea because it's simple and Phil isn't too creative in this example). Ashley, a Thief, says she tries to hide, even though the Gamoreans are looking right at the group. The GM notes this, but he suggests that she use a destiny point so that it becomes possible.

She does, to the protests of John and Mike because they had planned to use it in a time of dire need, and she makes her roll. Because she used a destiny point to do this action, the point becomes a dark side point, and you flip the token. She is a pretty good Thief, so she's able to pass with a triumph! The Gamoreans don't even notice her as she quickly dives into a hidden alcove, and they run at the others.

Now Phil, who is out to get Mike, decides to stir some extra trouble. He spends a dark side point and has the Gamoreans do a stronger attack, by increasing one of their attack rolls by one (instead of, say, two green and one yellow against the PCs one purple in resistence, they roll one green and two yellow against the PCs).

Later, the PCs are flying through space. They come to a mining town, only to find that deadly gas has leaked all over the place. Mike then spends a destiny point and says "Good thing we packed those gas masks!" The GM then flips the destiny point, and Mike is right, they have gas masks not afore mentioned. However, when they are later dealing with a shop keeper, John tries to spend a destiny point to say that he has a picture of the shop owners family to threaten him with, by spending a destiny point. He cannot do this, however, as it would be a big change in the story and just wouldn't work out.

Statistically, destiny points can make your rolls easier and enemy rolls harder. However, narratively, it can make slightchanges to the story and can allow the player to do something strange and unreasonable. They are the heroes, after all, and should be allowed to feel like it, but not so much that they feel invincible.

Yeah Destiny points really help the flow of the game I was worried my group would try and lock me out but it never came to that. The best part of Destiny is when I spend a Darkside point and they immediately sped a Lightside to cancel it out, which it doesn't. Both good and bad dice are upgraded so it can get real fun fast on what happens.

This happened in one combat round and on their upgrade the rolled a blank on my challenge die they rolled a Despair, I let out a "yes! Despair!" Then we all busted out laughing well except the Wookie who got his leg crushed because of it.

PRINT STAT BLOCKS FOR NPCS IN ALL ENCOUNTERS!!!

PREROLL ENEMY INITIATIVE BEFORE THE ACTUAL GAME !

Delegate tasks to players: initiative-turn order guy, dice app roller guy, waterboy, adventure log guy, etc

Use the adversary & encounter creation tools with ' another character generator ' tool! Its best software I've used as a GM!

.........

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Ahhh ok, I got it. Makes sense.

PRINT STAT BLOCKS FOR NPCS IN ALL ENCOUNTERS!!!

PREROLL ENEMY INITIATIVE BEFORE THE ACTUAL GAME !

Delegate tasks to players: initiative-turn order guy, dice app roller guy, waterboy, adventure log guy, etc

Use the adversary & encounter creation tools with ' another character generator ' tool! Its best software I've used as a GM!

Already making the cards.

Hm... Preroll, good idea.

We have one guy who is good at notes and seems to be tracking things.

As far as addressing #3...dont worry about shields facings & firing arcs too much. Arcs are more for capital type ships or if your ship was disabled or not moving. (someone blows out your sublight engines or has you in tractor beam).

Pilot & crew can use the 'angle the deflector shield to increase power to say....REAR shields were fighters would be shooting them.

Unless the 'gain the advantage' maneuver is used, the target always gets to pick what shield facing gets hit. 'Gain the advantage' always the attacker to choose which shield facing he is hitting so they can target the weak point.

If you still feel unprepared, I'd try and find a actual podcast where someone is doing space combat so you can see how they run the show.

I would recommend against using crewed enemy ships until you get a better grasp of the rules, so stick with enemy starfighters.

1a) GM Screen. It has almost all you need. Use your players if the workload becomes too heavy, but don't bog them down.

1b) When acting out NPCs, make some notes on the card or description, basically where you have the stats, about how s/he/it is . Mannerisms, tone of voice, language (i.e. educated and eloquent, redneck, hobo, and so on...). Keep it simple and maybe only one or two particular distinguishing features. Also, a desire or goal could be helpful, he might want something from the PCs, so a sort of motivation. Again, simple, broad, general - unless it's an important NPC of course.

1c) Another thing. You don't have to act out all NPCs and all the stuff that happens. I mean, you should if its necessary and important for the campaign, plot, scenario and encounter, but some encounters can be described and explained, which could be beneficial to the session. Of course I try to keep this to a minimum, but sometimes players need a little "leading", particularly in the beginning of a session, so starting with a small story about what happened last time and then throw them into a fire fight, or chase scene, or something.

2) I think you've received adequate answers to his, in short: when a light side points is spent something good happens for the players, for instance upgrading the ability check. Or something out of the ordinary happens, something helpful. Can also be spent to activate certain talents. when a dark side point is spent, it's the opposite more or less, its "good" for the GM, and bad for the players; their difficulty can be upgraded and so on.

3) If you're going straight into that, have you Pilot player (if any) read up on the rules beforehand also - preferably iron out how mechanics work between the two of you. This way you have a partner to help activate the other players (particularly anyone not in turrets or (co-)pilot chair.) Keep the encounter simple. The first starship encounter for my 6 man group (well only 5 where present I think ) went rather well, but they knew the basic system pretty well, but I kept it simple, only one opposing ship, a heavily armed transport, they nailed it - sustaining a lot of damage. Then they barely escaped when reinforcement arrived (now they have pissed off both the Death Watch, and a clan of Mandalorians...)

• But yes, keep it simple, have a sheet for the pilot (and co-pilot) with available actions and manoeuvre for the ship they're flying. Have another sheet (or two) for the other players not in turrets, with their available actions and manoeuvres.
• I'd also suggest using ship based initiative. This means that your players can make tactical choices easier, letting someone boost the shields or engines before the pilot does something, and so on. This might not be completely as it should be, but its easier and the players cooperate more, so everyone is slightly more involved, than if you make per character/NPC(group) initiative.
• Make it a chase - this makes is slightly more fun for the Pilot, have him perform Pilot (space/planetary) checks at high speeds in difficult terrains, while performing evasive manoeuvres and perhaps plotting a hyperspace jump, while his co-pilot help navigating, the gunners are trying to take out the pursuing [insert starship], and the mechanic is trying to get more juice of their darling flying machine.

Also, I'm just taking a guess that you don't have the core rule book. If you do, all of your questions are answered in their own sections. If you don't, than I'd suggest that you get it.

As far as addressing #3...dont worry about shields facings & firing arcs too much. Arcs are more for capital type ships or if your ship was disabled or not moving. (someone blows out your sublight engines or has you in tractor beam).

Pilot & crew can use the 'angle the deflector shield to increase power to say....REAR shields were fighters would be shooting them.

Unless the 'gain the advantage' maneuver is used, the target always gets to pick what shield facing gets hit. 'Gain the advantage' always the attacker to choose which shield facing he is hitting so they can target the weak point.

If you still feel unprepared, I'd try and find a actual podcast where someone is doing space combat so you can see how they run the show.

I would recommend against using crewed enemy ships until you get a better grasp of the rules, so stick with enemy starfighters.

I think the podcast is my best bet. I am planning on finding one for Order 66 soon.

1a) GM Screen. It has almost all you need. Use your players if the workload becomes too heavy, but don't bog them down.

1b) When acting out NPCs, make some notes on the card or description, basically where you have the stats, about how s/he/it is . Mannerisms, tone of voice, language (i.e. educated and eloquent, redneck, hobo, and so on...). Keep it simple and maybe only one or two particular distinguishing features. Also, a desire or goal could be helpful, he might want something from the PCs, so a sort of motivation. Again, simple, broad, general - unless it's an important NPC of course.

1c) Another thing. You don't have to act out all NPCs and all the stuff that happens. I mean, you should if its necessary and important for the campaign, plot, scenario and encounter, but some encounters can be described and explained, which could be beneficial to the session. Of course I try to keep this to a minimum, but sometimes players need a little "leading", particularly in the beginning of a session, so starting with a small story about what happened last time and then throw them into a fire fight, or chase scene, or something.

2) I think you've received adequate answers to his, in short: when a light side points is spent something good happens for the players, for instance upgrading the ability check. Or something out of the ordinary happens, something helpful. Can also be spent to activate certain talents. when a dark side point is spent, it's the opposite more or less, its "good" for the GM, and bad for the players; their difficulty can be upgraded and so on.

3) If you're going straight into that, have you Pilot player (if any) read up on the rules beforehand also - preferably iron out how mechanics work between the two of you. This way you have a partner to help activate the other players (particularly anyone not in turrets or (co-)pilot chair.) Keep the encounter simple. The first starship encounter for my 6 man group (well only 5 where present I think ) went rather well, but they knew the basic system pretty well, but I kept it simple, only one opposing ship, a heavily armed transport, they nailed it - sustaining a lot of damage. Then they barely escaped when reinforcement arrived (now they have pissed off both the Death Watch, and a clan of Mandalorians...)

• But yes, keep it simple, have a sheet for the pilot (and co-pilot) with available actions and manoeuvre for the ship they're flying. Have another sheet (or two) for the other players not in turrets, with their available actions and manoeuvres.
• I'd also suggest using ship based initiative. This means that your players can make tactical choices easier, letting someone boost the shields or engines before the pilot does something, and so on. This might not be completely as it should be, but its easier and the players cooperate more, so everyone is slightly more involved, than if you make per character/NPC(group) initiative.
• Make it a chase - this makes is slightly more fun for the Pilot, have him perform Pilot (space/planetary) checks at high speeds in difficult terrains, while performing evasive manoeuvres and perhaps plotting a hyperspace jump, while his co-pilot help navigating, the gunners are trying to take out the pursuing [insert starship], and the mechanic is trying to get more juice of their darling flying machine.

The GM screen, that comes with the GM Kit? What all comes with that? I am hesitient to spend $20 on a few pages I can print out myself.

All very good advice. Ship based initiative defiantly makes sense and I will email the pilot one on one so we are all on the same page.

Also, I'm just taking a guess that you don't have the core rule book. If you do, all of your questions are answered in their own sections. If you don't, than I'd suggest that you get it.

I actually do have the core rule book, but yes my questions are pretty basic. Reason being is the way I read the rules and how the rules are applied don't always match up and I wanted to make sure I understood them correctly.

Maybe this really isn't an issue but I read it as one in your original post.

If your "bought +2 specializations out of the gate for a total of 3 specializations at chargen" PC seems useless to you, and more importantly FEELS useless to the player, I don't think it's inappropriate to let the player cash back in one of those specializations fully for XP to develop the other 2 specializations she has.

OTOH, if she's fine with presently being kind of underpowered but having a LOT of unlocked growth potential, eh. In any case I'd advise talking to her about it. You seem to be disappointed by the fact that she either can't contribute much or can't succeed much. Are you picking this up from the player as well? Mainly I think talking is good especially if it was her idea to buy 2 more specializations in the first place and now she regrets it but doesn't want to look like she's complaining after you allowed it. Personally I'd rather allow a retcon in that case than have a player who's not enjoying their character or feels super incompetent/burdensome to the group.

Maybe this really isn't an issue but I read it as one in your original post.

If your "bought +2 specializations out of the gate for a total of 3 specializations at chargen" PC seems useless to you, and more importantly FEELS useless to the player, I don't think it's inappropriate to let the player cash back in one of those specializations fully for XP to develop the other 2 specializations she has.

OTOH, if she's fine with presently being kind of underpowered but having a LOT of unlocked growth potential, eh. In any case I'd advise talking to her about it. You seem to be disappointed by the fact that she either can't contribute much or can't succeed much. Are you picking this up from the player as well? Mainly I think talking is good especially if it was her idea to buy 2 more specializations in the first place and now she regrets it but doesn't want to look like she's complaining after you allowed it. Personally I'd rather allow a retcon in that case than have a player who's not enjoying their character or feels super incompetent/burdensome to the group.

We have only had one session so far so it hasn't been much of an issue. I warned her she was cutting her own feet out from under her when she started but she said she still wanted to do it for her back story.

I honestly would give her a refund if she asked but she seems happy with where she is. I will ask her the next time we meet up again and see if she wants to re-consider but I doubt she will. I am not sure disapointed was the right word but I deffently expected her to take more of a leadership roll which she didn't. *shrug* I am not complaining, everyone seemed to have a good time so I am happy with that.

The GM kit comes with a GM screen and it's own campaign, which I hear should be pretty good. The screen itself has notes on some of the basic rules, so you can keep the game flowing.

I myself, however, plan to just cut out a cardboard standup and tape some sheets with the basic rules onto the back. It's not as pretty, but I can switch out the sheets if I want to to include notes on the adventure or a specific situation I have planned. If you have money and want a nice extra and a good campaign, then you might want to look into the GM kit. If you're short on cash and don't need an adventure, you can just build one. Sounds easy enough (although that means it will probably be hard).

The GM kit comes with a GM screen and it's own campaign, which I hear should be pretty good. The screen itself has notes on some of the basic rules, so you can keep the game flowing.

I myself, however, plan to just cut out a cardboard standup and tape some sheets with the basic rules onto the back. It's not as pretty, but I can switch out the sheets if I want to to include notes on the adventure or a specific situation I have planned. If you have money and want a nice extra and a good campaign, then you might want to look into the GM kit. If you're short on cash and don't need an adventure, you can just build one. Sounds easy enough (although that means it will probably be hard).

Thanks,

Its tempting, but honestly I am not sure how I would feel about having a big screen in front of me basicly seperating me from other players. It could be a good thing if I have lots of notes or things layed out but mainly it seems I would pay for something I already have printed.

i use the screen but lay it down on the table and let everyone who needs to use it. i hate the secrecy side of some great game i have played before, and enjoy the open feeling of playing this game. i enjoy challenging players without having that "i am gonna kill your character" mentality some game masters have in other games. and the screens do have alot of info, but not all the info you will need, but it can be a great time saver when playing to have that as a ready reference. plus you can always make your own. knowing which tables, notes, rules your group uses most and making a screen for your group, can be really valuable when it is time for game play.