I have noticed that many people here talk about their groups' origins and activities. The "how we stole our ship" story is very common, and many seem to be in campaigns where the central background activities of the group is illegal trade (smuggling). There's nothing wrong with this -my own group did this too - but do any of the other options get covered?

It seems like each Career could form the basis for at least one type of campaign. Since Smuggler gets talked about so often, I'm going to skip it.

Bounty Hunter: The group consists of one or more bounty hunters along with specialists that they've partnered with in a life of hunting down the bad guys. Yep, that's right, in this game the PCs are on the right side of the law (mostly). Sure, they may be shady, but they're hunting down even worse bastards for those that can pay. The Empire considers you an independent law enforcement team, but only if you stay clear of taking on illegal bounties. Maybe the PCs can stay clean...

Colonist: The group consists of a group of troubleshooters working for the cause of some legitimate institution. A local government, a university, a noble house, or something similar. Once again, the PCs are legal at the start though they may be tempted to do illegal things. An example of this type of game might be a philanthropist noble and his retinue out wandering the galaxy on his yacht.

Explorer: This one is covered pretty well in Enter the Unknown, but briefly such things as being the crew of a Scout Corps vessel or of being part of an archeological expedition searching sectors for mysteries from the past are ways to play a non-criminal group.

Hired Gun: Here the idea that stands out to me is of playing a legitimate mercenary (private security) force. Because PC groups tend to be small, going for something like high-end bodyguarding (think secret service for hire) could work and would be on the 'right side' of legal. I'm sure that Dangerous Covenants will offer more here.

Technician: Usually support to other roles, a campaign catered on this could easily have the group operating a salvage ship, or something equivalent to a space tow truck. The role of wandering repairmen can fit in here too. These are all legal activities that can be high risk, high reward at times (like actual gameplay) but has low risk, low reward background activity to fill in downtime.

So those are a few of my ideas. I'm thinking of basing my next game on the bounty hunter idea I mention above. Has anyone else opted for a game that isn't criminal-based (particularly smuggling)?

My character is a Bothan Explorer that is part of a group called The Talus Ranger Corps.

Funny trivia: HappyDaze isn't kidding about the "legal recognition" aspect of bounty hunting during the Galactic Civil War. The old WEG books went into detail about this in Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters, and it even has an example in the form of Bossk's Imperial Peace Keeping Certificate (IPKC), in this case issued by the Imperial Office of Criminal Investigations (IOCI), though Scum & Villainy (the d20 Saga Edition splatbook) mentioned similar issued permits by other governments in other periods. In particular, the IPKC was essentially a permit for the transport and use of otherwise-illegal weapons and devices in pursuit of registered bounties.

If you'd like some sample adventures in this vein, check out the old D6 splatbook No Disintegrations!

Bounty Hunter: The group consists of one or more bounty hunters along with specialists that they've partnered with in a life of hunting down the bad guys. Yep, that's right, in this game the PCs are on the right side of the law (mostly). Sure, they may be shady, but they're hunting down even worse bastards for those that can pay. The Empire considers you an independent law enforcement team, but only if you stay clear of taking on illegal bounties. Maybe the PCs can stay clean...

Now all I can think of is playing a Judge Dredd knock off in star wars. This must happen.

I'm currently working on an Archeologist with no criminal ties if I need a non-AoR character.

Funny trivia: HappyDaze isn't kidding about the "legal recognition" aspect of bounty hunting during the Galactic Civil War. The old WEG books went into detail about this in Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters, and it even has an example in the form of Bossk's Imperial Peace Keeping Certificate (IPKC), in this case issued by the Imperial Office of Criminal Investigations (IOCI), though Scum & Villainy (the d20 Saga Edition splatbook) mentioned similar issued permits by other governments in other periods. In particular, the IPKC was essentially a permit for the transport and use of otherwise-illegal weapons and devices in pursuit of registered bounties.

If you'd like some sample adventures in this vein, check out the old D6 splatbook No Disintegrations!

The IPKC has a very brief mention in the Core book as well.

I've seen several non-criminal characters in Edge. What I don't tend to see are non-criminal groups. What kind of group identity and why the group travels the galaxy together interest me, and I'm hoping to see more than another band of smugglers described soon.

An Archaeologist, Scholar (languages), Pilot (legal transportation), Doctor (medical needs), maybe a Politico to iron out legal acquisition of artifacts. I'd have fun in that group.

I'd skip a language expert in this game. The Archaeologist can easily carry that fluff. I'd suggest a Bodyguard for the group instead.

Well, unless you have players that are only pushing to be criminals rather than the more Serenity/Fire Fly good guys that do some minor crimes in order to get by it's really up to the GM to present non-criminal options. My group stole their starship too but they haven't turned into Murder Hobos because I've just not crafted adventures that lean in that direction.

My group consists of a Bothan Smuggler/Pilot, Gran Technician/Outlaw Tech, Human Hired Gun/Mercenary Soldier, Rodian Hired Gun/Bodyguard/FSEm, and Human Colonist/Doctor. There was supposed to be a Twi'lek Explorer/Trader but he never showed up to play. The pilot started with the FSEx spec too, but retconned himself as he didn't care for it.

The group decided to tie their obligations together in that they are the troubleshooters for a group of displaced/refugee aliens and humans traveling and trying to find a home. Always on the lookout for equipment, food and other things, the group takes jobs to get the money or items needed. That is how they have ended dealing with Reom and are currently on Cholganna.

While they are not adverse to criminal enterprises, they are not the goto action of them either. But they have their lines they will not cross. The nice thing is that their obligation could easily turn into Duty at some point.

I play an older Rodian Colonist (Doctor) who used to go to med school on Coruscant, until the Empire took over and kicked him out. Since then he's been drifting, doing good where he can and mostly using his skills to help others and earn him a place to sleep. His Obligation is "Oath," since he's licensed and considers himself required to help others and do no harm. He doesn't even have a weapon.

It's possible to have non-criminal characters, but every so often they'll have to get involved in something that's at least a grey area of the law, if not outright illegal.

Well, unless you have players that are only pushing to be criminals rather than the more Serenity/Fire Fly good guys that do some minor crimes in order to get by it's really up to the GM to present non-criminal options. My group stole their starship too but they haven't turned into Murder Hobos because I've just not crafted adventures that lean in that direction.

I really think you missed my point. I'm not condemning players playing smuggler-centered games (which includes Firefly), I'm asking if others have considered a campaign that simply isn't based on the background activity of being a crew of smugglers.

I'd skip a language expert in this game. The Archaeologist can easily carry that fluff. I'd suggest a Bodyguard for the group instead.

True. But to fill up the group. But yes, Bodyguard would work as well.

AFB, so I'm not sure what some of the differences are between Archaeologist and Scholar, but I'd head that direction personally.

Hopefully this time around, an archaeologist storylines would be a little easier.

An old GM told me that she couldn't think of stuff for an archaeologist to do in a game that stemmed back to the creation of humans that began with the Biblical Cain & Able?

I play an older Rodian Colonist (Doctor) who used to go to med school on Coruscant, until the Empire took over and kicked him out. Since then he's been drifting, doing good where he can and mostly using his skills to help others and earn him a place to sleep. His Obligation is "Oath," since he's licensed and considers himself required to help others and do no harm. He doesn't even have a weapon.

It's possible to have non-criminal characters, but every so often they'll have to get involved in something that's at least a grey area of the law, if not outright illegal.

Once again, non-criminal characters are fairly common, but what kind of group is this character flying around the galaxy with? The most common answer I've seen is "a group of misfits on a smuggler's ship" and I'm hoping to see more variety.

As for the group I presented, searching for history on (sp) Rakatan from the KotOR series or Jedi and Sith history, even if none of the players want to play a Jedi, or some other extinct species (Taung), or even some fan made created secret sect of Jedi or Sith. Maybe even maybe delve into the whole Grey Jedi faction. Just depends on how cannon you want your game.

My group has started out this way. We're all part of a small private company, Recovery Inc. We specialize in recovering things. Crashed ships, kidnapped people, etc. We're not quite half way through BtR, so we haven't really done any recovering yet though. I guess we'll see if we can stay legit or not.

But then one groups legit is anothers criminal, so we'll see.

Well our group is from a small farm planet side, no starship but we have a speeder and some bikes. We are leftovers from a colony that has recently struggled. Recent developments by a merchant corps have led us to be hired to explore the planet/region. We do some mapping, catalog wildlife,explore ruins/wrecks etc...so between local bandits, deadly wildlife and all sorts of survival type hazards it keeps us busy..Bounty Hunter Survivalist was the inspiration.

So the "employer/merchant corps" will actually turn out to be the rebellion who intend on using the planet for something.

The game I'm actually playing a character in and not GM'ing I play a hired gün bodyguard on a personal quest to get his stolen concussion rifle back and he vows to never own another gun until he does. He's human and joined up with a wookie technician/trader who employs a duros ace pilot/swoop racer and my character as the 'face' because he's human. A role he is not suited for so but does because he needs transportation and a human, no matter how badly they choose to colourfully mis translate what the wookie captain says, is useful under the empire.

While our group are good guys, they also fit into the 'outlaws flying around on a stolen ship' motif. Some things are just classic 'Star Wars'. We have an Archaelogist/Big Game Hunter who is sponsored by Czerka and is (mostly) legit...

The main thing here being, is that considering the Empire is so restrictive (at best) and outright tyrannical (at worst), it's really easy to end up on the wrong side of it. Jo is a criminal because she's a self-taught Force-sensitive. Chakk is a criminal because he objects to his people being enslaved. Cynn is a smuggler who tried for ages to be legit.

In a world where the law are the Bad Guys by default, it's very easy to end up on the wrong side of the law.

That said, I really like the idea for PC adventures that aren't 'Shadowrun in Space' and 'Enter the Unknown' is actually a good place to start here.

Beyond the Rim more or less puts the PCs directly in the sights of the ISB. There's almost no way out of the adventure without attracting that kind of negative attention unless your PCs are the odd ones that go to the ISB and do the mission for them.

My group has started out this way. We're all part of a small private company, Recovery Inc. We specialize in recovering things. Crashed ships, kidnapped people, etc. We're not quite half way through BtR, so we haven't really done any recovering yet though. I guess we'll see if we can stay legit or not.

But then one groups legit is anothers criminal, so we'll see.

The main problem here is, at some point in any premade adventure, you will swap blaster fire with stormtroopers, and that's the point most parties become outlaws...

Beyond the Rim more or less puts the PCs directly in the sights of the ISB. There's almost no way out of the adventure without attracting that kind of negative attention unless your PCs are the odd ones that go to the ISB and do the mission for them.

Yep, I meant 'Enter the Unknown', sorry HD.

Pretty much any FFG adventure has you crossing swords with the Empire at some point, which is why so many PCs end up criminals. This is why there is a Rebellion after all.

My group has started out this way. We're all part of a small private company, Recovery Inc. We specialize in recovering things. Crashed ships, kidnapped people, etc. We're not quite half way through BtR, so we haven't really done any recovering yet though. I guess we'll see if we can stay legit or not.

But then one groups legit is anothers criminal, so we'll see.

The main problem here is, at some point in any premade adventure, you will swap blaster fire with stormtroopers, and that's the point most parties become outlaws...

The players can take the adventure off the rails. They don't have to exchange fire with stormtroopers. Sometimes such events can be seen far enough ahead of time that players that don't want to play outlaws will just say no to certain premade adventures. As long as the GM is onboard with such decisions, all is well.

Beyond the Rim more or less puts the PCs directly in the sights of the ISB. There's almost no way out of the adventure without attracting that kind of negative attention unless your PCs are the odd ones that go to the ISB and do the mission for them.

Yep, I meant 'Enter the Unknown', sorry HD.

Pretty much any FFG adventure has you crossing swords with the Empire at some point, which is why so many PCs end up criminals. This is why there is a Rebellion after all.

And there's a game for playing that way too. It'll be out this summer. For now, I'd like to see how Edge can be done with less overtly anti-Imperial and pro-criminal themes.