So my group is doing to be starting up a secondary EotE game part time, an early matinee show, if you will - to incorporate a couple of kids into the mix. So here's what I was thinking for the initial game to kick off the campaign, a tried and true trope: the jailbreak!
It's pretty straight forward, more of a series of bullet points in a vaguely linear sequence than a than a carefully crafted game. A touch simplistic, but it should be just fine for the intended demographic! Anyway, take a peek and tell me what you think -
THE BIG JAILBREAK
The players have been guests of the Empire for some time now, enjoying all the amenities that a Imperial work camp has to offer. 16 hours a day of back-breaking labor, friendly guards, a cot with only the very best lice and fleas and all the nutripaste you can eat!
Where are they? No idea - the most they know of the planet is that it's low gravity (about 3/4th standard) mostly covered in thick impenetrable jungle and the surface is constantly buffeted by harsh seasonal gales. The plant life sports poisonous thorns, barbs or burrs and the wildlife is ferocious, have fangs and were usually venomous in some way.
What are they working on? Some kind of space ship or space station. The slave labor is deployed for heavy lifting, particle welding and basic construction. Any of the higher end construction, involving skilled labor is well outside of their routine tasks. Nope, it's a life of grunt work for you!
Then one day, the usual routine is disrupted. The work bosses didn't come to collect the crews, the dormitories have been left unguarded, no beatings, nothing - just a big pit full of confused slaves and empty catwalks. The massive blast doors are still locked tight, so some layer of security remains in place. However, the Empire seems to have forgotten all about them today.
SO, NOW WHAT?
The prisoners dormitory is a large featureless room about 150 feet by 400 feet, walls about 20 feet high with catwalks for the guards. Hundreds of cots are bolted to the floor throughout the room, and a line of open, exposed san-facs are at one end of the room. At the other far end of the room is a massive metal blast door, leading right to the slave processing center. The guard catwalks have access to several smaller, more standard blast doors.
The crowd consists mostly of big strong burley aliens - wookiees, barabels, Gamorreans and so on. Very few humans and almost no weaker aliens (verpine, squibs, etc). The slaves mill about confused, most of them waiting for the other shoe to drop - yet, no shoe is coming. Some of the slaves start fighting, others start getting admitted, some sink into a morass of despondency. During this brief window of confusion, the players should hook up with each other.
THE BREAKOUT -
After a half an hour (or so) of no imperials, it probably becomes clear that this is probably the best opportunity they'll ever have to escape imperial custody. The first step involves being on the other side of those doors. The lower strong blast door was designed to be impregnable - no access to the locking mechanisms on the slave side. Opening the door is at least <><><><> and some black die. The guard access security doors are much easier to crack, only <><> and some black dice for not having the right tools.
On the other hand, brute force might work too, simply bashing the door down. There's enough large aliens with muscles to get the job done. It's just a matter of organizing the slaves into some kind of effective unit via Leadership with at least a <><> difficulty with a bunch of black Dice.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS -
The Characters first glimpse of their larger world is coming out on the roof of their dormitory complex. Below them is a vast facility stretching for miles. If their dormitory is anything like these other buildings, there is easily a million slaves housed in this facility. Beyond the compound, the landscape is nothing but a sea of vegetation as far as the eye can see.
The center of the complex is a spaceport-like area with a flotilla of imperial ships leaving. Dozens of Shuttles, troop transports, cargo ships lift off every second, with only a few ships inbound. Clearly if they want to get off this planet, this is the place they have to make for
They are going to have to find a terminal and get a map to this place or they are going to get lost.
SECURING WEAPONS -
At the first security checkpoint the characters come to, they can eavesdrop on the scuttlebutt that yes, the base is being evacuated and all the essential personnel are being recalled. Why? They have no idea.
The security checkpoint also has a supply of blasters, some riot control gear, and a
bunch of stim packs. The problem is, of course, the guards. How to deal with two
stormtroopers and two techs on duty. Send the droid in? Bluff? Jump 'em by surprise?
Once they deal with the guards, they have a few moments to gear up and gather
intelligence. At the very least they can download a map of the complex.
AUTOMATED DEFENSES -
The Characters pick up other straggler prisoners along the way. As they head down a corridor, one of those stragglers takes a blaster bolt to the chest and killed instantly while a network of lasers spring up behind the group. The lasers slowly inch forward, forcing the characters into the turret's line of fire.
They need to disable the gate or take out the turret quickly or they'll be forced into a deadly hail of bolts.
ENCOUNTER PRISIONERS -
Round the corner, the characters run headlong into another group of escaping slaves. One human, two Gamorreans and a Trandoshan. "Hey, that's some nice gear. Why don't you let me look at it? We're safety inspectors and you don't want to get hurt, right?"
The human motions to his flunkies who move forward to inspect the weapons. In short, a fight is about to break out
CROSSFIRE -
The characters burst out of their crawlway/side passage/ room smack into the middle of a hail of blaster bolts. At one end of the hall, organized, precise and efficient Stormtroopers. At the other end of the hall, a mass of prisoners trying to escape. Safety? On the other side of this hallway, requiring a <><> difficulty agility roll (with some GM force points to upgrade difficulty)
Despair means that someone throws a grenade and it gets kicked into the door with the other characters.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS -
Crawling through a connecting drain pipe, it's smelly and dark and cramped. One of
the tag along red shirts gets pulled under by a dianoga. Hard to fight what you cant see!
After dealing with the beast, the sewer opens up into a shaft extending down as far
as the eye can see. They have to navigate a narrow, slippery ledge to reach the
other side. That's when the security droids show up and start shooting.
INTO THE HANGER, BRUTE FORCE -
A bunch of Stormtroopers catch up to them just before the hanger doors. Boxes and junk provide cover, but they still have to fight while one picks the lock. Inside, there are a dozen stormtroopers engaged in battle with another group of prisoners. "Those bastards are trying to steal our ship!"
They have to get onboard first, kick any other prisoners to the curb and lift off before they are overrun.
Once airborne, they are attacked by four TIE fighters. Two are close range right behind them, two in the distance ahead of them. Perhaps increase the shuttle's stats to compensate for the TIE Fighters' badassery.
After they break orbit and deal with the TIE fighters, they get to witness the first use of the Imperial planet-busting laser as the Death Star scorches the surface of Despayre.
INTO THE HANGER, STEALTH -
The characters could make their way off planet by sneaking onto a departing transport. This is far easier than stealing a ship, but leaves them at the mercy of wherever the ship is bound for. Sneaking off brings, in fact, a whole host of problems as they will soon see. . .
They'll have to -
Sneak into the cargo staging area
Quietly incapacitate a guard
Skullduggery to open a crate without marking it
Stealth to hide away
-or-
The Humans of the group can steal a uniform and attempt to bluff their way onto the transport.
Should they stealth off the planet, they have a much bigger problem - they're now aboard the Death Star, with a whole new host of problems. But that's a whole new game for another time. . . .