I am starting a group, well it looks likely to start in Feb next year though we are getting together so players can create their characters.

I hae one that wants to be the Force Exile and take on "Oath" as his obligation. He is adding on more to get XP and money so looks likely it will sit between 20 and 30.

So, looking for assistance and suggestions on how to run his oligation and use it in game. obligation, as I understand is supposed to be a bit of nuisance. its to get in the way of the adventure, pull the character aside to resolve his/her obligation if it comes up in that session.

Would aprpeciate input on story hooks and also how i could run the "Oath" Obligation for a Force Exile. He says that his oath will be to the Jedi code and the way of the Jedi. Bit difficult considering that there are no jedi around (as far as the galaxy is concerned) so there is no one to show him the way. Even existence of texts would be in short supply. He may know the code as its recited though all the flesh underneath makes it sketchy for him. Not entirely sure how to apply obligation "Oath" to this Force exile.

The best way to deal with Oath coming up would to put the character into a situation where he runs a great chance of breaking that oath. Have him be tempted by the quick and easy path, or in a situation where he needs to protect innocents but his life is at stake.

As for how he knows the Jedi code, that really depends on his character. Perhaps he's old enough to have been around when the Jedi still existed. Maybe he found a long lost Jedi holocron. Or it's possible even that a Jedi that survived the purge mentored him at some point (before getting discovered and killed, perhaps.) Really, the best option would be to sit down with him and discuss his character's origins and if they can work with his concept.

One thing you can do is provide him with chances to learn more about the code, either via artifacts, texts, etc.

Also, talk to your player and kind of figure out where his character learned the code and what that means to the character. I'd say once you've got that lined out, present him with tough choices that have him referring back to the code for guidance. Maybe pick a line from the code and incorporate a scene that serves as an example of that idea in action.

"There is no emotion, there is peace."

Place the character and/or his allies in a tense situation that they can only resolve if they don't panic.

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge"

Acting solely on what information is presented at face value gets the mission done, but investigation reveals some important fact about the mission that changes the objective or casts it in a new light.

"There is no passion, there is serenity."

Insult or threaten something important to the player/group, but if they act on it, have it be a trap or ruse.

"There is no death, there is the Force."

The character must risk their own life to complete the mission, or must cope with the passing of someone close to them.

Obviously these are just a couple of suggestions, and they wouldn't apply to every mission where the obligation comes up, but that's just my two credits.

I like that idea of discovering the code and its intricacies through the adventures. If his obligation comes up I can throw in a hook about an artefact that has surfaces and is being sold on the black market, or a tome, an item, whatever it may be. So his choice is to follow this with fervor but it will mean that he drags his group with him or abandons them.

Thats positive advice, always helps to ask on a forum. Now what other suggestions could there be.

It sounds like your player has already gotten pretty dedicated to the idea of playing the character this way, but based on the way the Force Exile specialization is described and laid out, it's pretty obvious that it is not intended to be played as a full-on Jedi. But, I admit that I may be a bit biased in my interpretation (too many bad experiences with Jedi unbalancing systems and marginalizing their teammates).

It seems like it'd be kind of a stretch to have an Exile playing the part of a Temple Jedi. Their powers are weak, their training is clearly lacking, and they have no council of Masters or holocrons/tomes of knowledge to lean on for guidance. On top of that, unless your campaign is going to take a decidedly different route, most EotE games result in players dealing closely with Hutts, Pirates, Gang Lords, and maybe worse. Not exactly the type of characters a Jedi would likely get chummy with.

Additionally, unless your game is set in a time other than the presumed default (seems to be somewhere between ANH and ESB), any Force Sensitive exercising a dedication to the Jedi Code and actively training their Force abilities would no doubt draw a lot of attention from agents of Palpatine and Vader. That kind of uber-Obligation is a bit much for an EotE game, doncha think?

Sorry to sound like a party-pooper here. Just making sure that this has been thought through before dragging a "true" Jedi into the sort of mess that's usually reserved for Smugglers, Bounty Hunters and such.

But, having said all of that, I'm a HUGE proponent of letting EotE players build and play the characters they'll most enjoy telling the story of. If this player gets excited about the idea of telling the tale of a Jedi-in-Hiding, it would be uncharacteristic of me to dissuade them, regardless of the misgivings I've listed.

Yeah I made it known clearly that he is no jedi character. No starting lightsaber either. He starts with a career and then can take the Universal specialisation that is the force exile. Im starting to gather pace with my thoughts on how to run the obligation of oath.

You say how its going to work on the edges of the galaxy when he needs to follow his code and oath? Well that to me now is part of the obligation and how it can become a burden/impediment which obligation in my mind is supposed to be.

He will struggle as the vices of the edge of the galaxy will rub against his revised view of the world now that he is bearing an oath to an order decades dead. However not to say that the edge is only full of the bad and the ugly. There are decent folk to and their needs or issues could cross his path that will test his oath.

In summary, I have no concerns that he wants to take this path. My hope is that the group will play through to the third book and he can then become a Jedi...... if his path has been travelled well.

Yeah, it could work. It's the old "pastor/priest/monk gets mixed up with a band of scoundrels" trope, but Star Wars flavored.

Make sure the player understands the difference between Obligation and Motivation. Based on your original post, it sounds like you have a firm grasp on the distinction but it wouldn't hurt to remind the player. Motivation should be the carrot on a stick, where as obligation is the bug biting the horse's butt.

I like the ideas about having the character uncover the lore and code through the campaign, but that should happen when the PCs obligation is triggered. Obligation is supposed to be negative in consequence, and should put the character on edge (-2 strain threshold). So the ideas of putting the PC in situations at odds with the Jedi Code is the way to go.

To address the concerns that others share that Jedi lore is rare and largely unknown at the time, have the Force Sensitive uncover a busted up droid similar to a protocol droid. The droid could use some repairs, or is only just functional enough for basic interaction.The droid could have been an instructor or a knowledge keeper at one of the Jedi Temples. It could impart knowledge of the code on to the PC and be there as a handy plot device whenever you need it.

Your PC finds a lightsaber after months of gaming and you need a way to introduce the Lightsaber Combat skill to the PC? Turns out that droid contains knowledge of basic lightsaber forms, but needs a macguffin to unlock them. Hey, what a handy way to add an adventure to your game and give the Force Sensitive a motivation to see it through.

Motivation should be the carrot on a stick, where as obligation is the bug biting the horse's butt.

I love this quote and am totally going to steal it. Hope you don't mind

Would aprpeciate input on story hooks and also how i could run the "Oath" Obligation for a Force Exile.

You got some brilliant ones up above. I'm just going to chime-in with my incessantly annoying drumbeat that you aren't bound to use Obligation per RAW if it feels too awkward and artificial. A character sworn to the Jedi code is going to face challenges on a daily basis if he crews with smugglers. Having his Ob "come up" might indicate a job/plot-hook with serious humanitarian issues (e.g.: "surprise! the cargo is slave girls!") that might cross the line for even common fringers, to wit:

Would aprpeciate input on story hooks and also how i could run the "Oath" Obligation for a Force Exile.

You got some brilliant ones up above. I'm just going to chime-in with my incessantly annoying drumbeat that you aren't bound to use Obligation per RAW if it feels too awkward and artificial. A character sworn to the Jedi code is going to face challenges on a daily basis if he crews with smugglers. Having his Ob "come up" might indicate a job/plot-hook with serious humanitarian issues (e.g.: "surprise! the cargo is slave girls!") that might cross the line for even common fringers, to wit:

"The special Hell..."

As an added twist, there's always the possibility that the 'cargo of slave girls' is actually 'legitimate' (aka: legal) slave trade in the source system, but the buyer is an organization secretly dedicated to freeing those slaves once they reach the destination system. The buyer does this secretly in order to be able to continue 'purchasing slaves' in the future. (Slavers are unlikely to knowingly sell their 'merchandise' to those who intend to free the slaves, even for an outstanding price, because doing so will inevitably interfere with future trade.)

The party can be *apparently* damned it they do, but only *actually* damned if they don't. They build a public reputation as being involved in the slave trade (a potentially dangerous Obligation source), even while they're actively doing the right thing.

He says that his oath will be to the Jedi code and the way of the Jedi. Bit difficult considering that there are no jedi around (as far as the galaxy is concerned) so there is no one to show him the way. Even existence of texts would be in short supply. He may know the code as its recited though all the flesh underneath makes it sketchy for him. Not entirely sure how to apply obligation "Oath" to this Force exile.

I think the reason you're having trouble with this oath is that the Jedi Code isn't really an oath but a Way, which is why it's called a Code not a Vow. An oath is to something or someone (oneself included) regarding behavior or future action. I promise not to drink blue milk or I will never steal are oaths. You can take an oath to live by the Jedi Code but there are no actual proscriptions in the Code, it's a guide on how to view your actions in relation to the universe. There are rules in the Jedi Order but not in the Code itself, if your PC can find those then it makes sense as an Obligation but without something more concrete there really is no way to accurately value such an Obligation or know when it's "paid off".

I would suggest you have your player choose a more well defined Oath that is easy to determine whether or not they succeed in following it. You can absolutely use the Jedi Code to come up with one but I think you're going to find it difficult to do in the context of the Obligation Mechanic. Not impossible but pretty difficult.

Even existence of texts would be in short supply. He may know the code as its recited though all the flesh underneath makes it sketchy for him. Not entirely sure how to apply obligation "Oath" to this Force exile.

This came up in my game too, and I'll give you the same answer I gave my player: the galaxy is a big place, really really big. The empire certainly did its share of book burning and data wiping, but you can't get rid of every reference on every planet everywhere, just the stuff thats a clear and direct threat. Finding a copy of "Master Wumba's guide to introductory force usage and how not to chop off your own face with a lightsaber" on a core world is probably going to be quite a trick. Finding a copy of "Advanced portable electromagnetically contained plasma systems and their application toward resolving conflict in the Sepan system by Master Wumba" out on Dantooine is a little more likely.

Of course that second title probably isn't an easy read, but if you're willing to work at it you might be able to learn something.

He'd be much like a Quixotic Jedi. He may know of the Code and want to live by it. He will want to right wrongs, actual and perceived. You can use information on Jedi relics and such to draw his attention. And he will probably be dragging his compatriots along with him. I would think that this would make for some great fun in a group, creating some interesting situations.

In a universe where solid info on the Jedi is now extremely inaccessible or even illegal, I think Obsession with the Jedi is much more workable than Oath. Though I might allow the player to take Oath later when he has a better basis for the knowledge.

He says that his oath will be to the Jedi code and the way of the Jedi. Bit difficult considering that there are no jedi around (as far as the galaxy is concerned) so there is no one to show him the way. Even existence of texts would be in short supply. He may know the code as its recited though all the flesh underneath makes it sketchy for him. Not entirely sure how to apply obligation "Oath" to this Force exile.

I think the reason you're having trouble with this oath is that the Jedi Code isn't really an oath but a Way, which is why it's called a Code not a Vow. An oath is to something or someone (oneself included) regarding behavior or future action. I promise not to drink blue milk or I will never steal are oaths. You can take an oath to live by the Jedi Code but there are no actual proscriptions in the Code, it's a guide on how to view your actions in relation to the universe. There are rules in the Jedi Order but not in the Code itself, if your PC can find those then it makes sense as an Obligation but without something more concrete there really is no way to accurately value such an Obligation or know when it's "paid off".

I would suggest you have your player choose a more well defined Oath that is easy to determine whether or not they succeed in following it. You can absolutely use the Jedi Code to come up with one but I think you're going to find it difficult to do in the context of the Obligation Mechanic. Not impossible but pretty difficult.

I dont have the book with me though my recollection is that under Obligation and on the obligation chart, the description of Oath makes a reference to the Jedi Code. Pretty sure. Have to see the book again when i get home to confirm.

Some great input and ideas ladies and gentlemen. Really appreciated. Now I have a continuing question though please post on the original to help out. My added question around obligation and oath deals with the fact that your suppose dto be paying that obligation off. Meaning your supposed to be reducing that value. AT this stage my thoughts are that the player wouldnt be interested in doing that as this is something he wants to do. So it certainly goes to the point that its more of a motivation than an obligation.

THough the concept of having the player tested along moral grounds is very appealing. he will be in a group with characters of ill repute. THey may have no qualms dealing with the underbelly of society though this force exile certainly would have issues. So the whole obligation, needs to be built in a way that he wants to get rid of it as his motivation is to become a jedi. So once again, how can that oath be run. Could he swear an oath that he will chase down any bounty hunters that are exclusively hunting force sensitive individuals, an oath to once again raise the jedi order, an oath to help the weak and defend against tyranny and evil.

Still grasping on that as I currently see this whole oath thing more of a positive in the mind of this aspiring jedi.

Well, the book also says that some obligations never go away, and that if a character ever looks like they will pay off all their obligation, there's always 5 left no matter what. In this case, the Oath never goes away completely, instead serving as a constant reminder of how well he's following the Code. That lingering 5 Obligation means he's being a good 'Jedi', but that the ideals of the Code are always at the back of his mind.

Also: the book mentions using Obligation as a 'threshold', meaning that certain things happen when your obligation gets too high or too low. Maybe if his Oath obligation goes too high (meaning he hasn't been following the Code very well) and he starts forgetting about it, he's in danger of falling to the Dark Side, or the Jedi artifact that he's been getting his information from stops responding to him.

On the other hand, if his Obligation stays really low, he gains a reputation for being a heroic person, meaning people trust him more than the rest of the crew, which could make him beneficial as the crew's face to non-criminals. That also gives the rest of the crew incentive to keep his obligation low, as people are always willing to pay for the services of a hero, and someone trustworthy can get them into places they couldn't ordinarily get into.