Aftermath - Mythic and Lego Star Wars #2

 Kha-sa wandered through the arena, completely stumped by what he saw and heard, or rather by what he didn't see or hear. What remained of his brothers were clumps or body parts and robes. Before Palpatine's throne, he only found burnt marks on the ground. Smoke still rose from parts of the throne, and the entire room held a charred odor. 

Footsteps broke the silence, and Kha-sa turned. "Snoke."

Snoke approached him, but his arms were in normal condition, so this was a different clone. "You survived, Sith cult brother."

"I was outside the arena. What happened?"

Snoke stared at the throne. "The Jedi defeated Palpatine and escaped. I shall seek revenge for us."

"Revenge?" Kha-sa tilted his head to the side. "This was a trial between the Jedi and the Sith and the Jedi won. If the trial ended, there is no need for revenge, only rebuilding."

Snoke smirked. "You misheard me, petty one. Revenge shall be solely mine!" Holding out his hand. He lifted Kha-sa into the air, while the young cultist gripped his own throat.

Before this fight begins, I need stats for this Snoke clone.

(Q)  Is Snoke Level 1?  (Likely)  No.

So he's level 0.

(Q)  Is his Force +1?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Is his Think +1?  (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Is his Talk a 0 (Likely)  Yes.

So we have -2 Do, 0 Think, 0 Talk, +2 Force. He's deadly against Kha-sa when using his powers but not to much in physical combat.

Also, from the previous post, Kha-sa gained 2 Saga Points, 1 for helping Snoke and the other for winning his clash against Nek-Va.

This first Clash is Snoke lifting and choking Kha-sa, who's just trying to survive.

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+1 Think vs. +2 Force = Unlikely)  Yes.

Controlling his mind and wriggling with all his strength, Kha-sa managed to break free. Collapsing to the ground, he gasped for air.

Snoke circled him. "This is just the beginning, petty one."

Kha'sa managed to speak again. "Why are you doing this? I'm no threat to you."

"I require strength," Snoke answered. "By destroying you and any others in my path, I shall gather enough to become invincible."

"Seriously?" Kha-sa reached his feet. "What kind of lunatic attacks random foes just to get stronger?"

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+1 vs. +2 = Unlikely)  No, Random Event.

(Event)  "Control, Danger."

Kha-sa suffers -1 RS.

Kha-sa tried to escape, but Snoke used the Force to lift a rock. It slammed into Kha-sa, knocking him into the ground. Rising to all fours, he felt his head ringing.

Kha-sa needs something to help him fight. Maybe he can locate a weapon.

(Ability)  Does Kha-sa find a weapon to use?  (+1 vs. Unlikely = 50/50)  X-Yes.

The Exceptional result, I'm interpreting as a weapon with +1 Damage.

Fingers searching the ground, Kha-sa frantically tried to locate something to help him. Then he found it, a spear, or the remains of one. Rolling to a sitting position, he forced himself to his feet as Snoke approached him.

"No more games," said the clone. "Once I snap your neck, I can move on."

I'm using both of his Saga Points here for combat.

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+2 Do, -1 RS, +2 SP vs. +2 Force = Likely)  X-Yes.

+2 Damage vs. -2 Toughness means a roll for Incapacity.

(Incapacity)  Is Snoke Incapacitated?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

As Snoke approached him, Kha-sa gathered all his strength and hurled the spear. It struck Snoke right in the chest, and the clone howled in agony before crumpling to the ground. 

But the effort caused Kha-sa to fall back as well. Collapsing against the throne, he saw images;

The rotted Palptine regaining his body.

Palpatine hurling lighting at the stars.

Palpatine hurling lightning at the Jedi.

The Jedi using a laser sword to reflect the lightning back.

Palpatine crying out as the lightning disintegrated him.

Ceaseless fury over generations twisting into infinite terror in a matter of seconds.

I want Kha-sa to eventually gain the Force, so falling into the spot where Palpatine died and possibly absorbing some darkside energy would do the trick. The real challenge will be using it without turning to the darkside.

Shuddering, Kha-sa regained his feet. The arena suddenly chilled him to his bones. 

Rushing through the tunnels, he sought a way to escape. Finally stopping before some statues, he found himself rising as the lift brought him to the planet's surface.

Kha-sa kept his eyes, however, on his own feet. Feeling the dread now inside, he couldn't bring himself to view the faces of the statues.

Finally, a breeze struck him, and he saw he had reached the surface., but still under the floating megalith above. Walking as fast as his legs could carry him, he slipped past the darkness and now found himself in the open. He continued walking, not risking any look back, until a new shadow fell on him.

A ship stood before him. Looking around, Kha-sa noticed no one else in the area, so he climbed up and into the craft. Searching the cockpit, he found a flight manual and read through it.

This would explain his +1 Think, despite being a scientist. He picks up new skills quickly but has yet to master any.

Since he has a manual, I'm putting the Diffculty in learning to fly at +1.

(Ability)  Does Kha'sa learn to fly the ship?  (+1 Think vs. +1 Diff = 50/50)  No, Random Event.

(Event)  "Positive, Deceit."

Kha-sa struggled to understand the manual, which he found strange because he thought he recognized the language. Then he realized he was holding it upside down. Turning it the correct way, he tried again.

(Ability)  Does he fly the ship?  (50/50)  Yes.

This time, he understood the language. Following the instructions, he flipped the switches and turned the dial. The cockpit closed and the ship slowly hovered just inches above the ground. Kha-sa then pivoted the ship so it faced upward. 

He expected it to takes it time climbing into the sky. Instead, it shot up like lightning, shrieking like some terrified animal.

And Kha-sa screamed along with it.

Since Kha-sa has gained 3 SPs, I'm going to see if he levels up.

(Q)  Does Kha'sa Level up?  (+2 Diff = Very Unlikely)  No.

So, not yet, but he did gain another SP so he's back to +1.

I'm also altering his name to Casa to show that he's leaving that life behind.

Now I just have to figure out where he'll go next.

Lego Binds the Galaxy Together! - Mythic and Star Wars

 I know I haven't done Part 2 of the Adventure Crafter yet, but I'll get to it eventually. Maybe. But first I wanted to play a Star Wars game.

I bought Lego Star Wars the Skywalker Saga not long ago and am having a blast. You know there's a lot to the game when you complete all 9 movie missions, but the progress bar reads only 33% complete. The rest is completing side missions, unlocking characters and ships, finding collectibles, and running/flying around while exploring.

So this is a blog post about the video game, right?

Correct.

But, wait, Mythic is in the title. So is this about a video game or Roleplaying game?

The answer:

Yes.

Mythic Magazine #37 has an article on adding roleplaying elements to your videogames. I was originally going to try it with Skyrim. However, after playing Lego SW, I came up with ideas that I wanted to try out after exploring a bit. So I'll be jumping back and forth between the video game and roleplaying.

Now I have the old SW RPG d20 rules, but I wanted something simpler. So my plan was to tweak my Discworld rules to fit in SW. Once again, I'll use Mythic for combat, story-telling, and skill resolution, and my rules for characters themselves.

A quick recap and summary of the tweaked character rules:

- There are 3 Abilities:  Do (anything physical, including combat), Think (anything mental, including computer use and sneakiness), and Talk.

- A Zero is considered average for an Ability, with higher numbers being better.

- Characters get 2 Ability Points per level, plus 1 additional point at Lvl 1 for Race (I play fast and loose with this).

- Level 0 characters have a total of 0 for their Abilities. So if one Ability is +1, another must be -1.

- Level -1 Characters are similar, but their Abilities must total -1.

- Force Using characters have a fourth Ability: Force, but the same number of Ability Points. Force, however, is added to other abilities for Force Powers. For example, Force + Mind for levitation.

- Successfully completing a Clash or Ability check results in gaining a Saga Point. SPs can be spent to gain a bonus on any future rolls, but once they're spent, they're gone.

- After gaining 3 SPs, a character can roll to level up. The Difficulty is the next level. So for a lvl 1 character, the Difficulty is +2 or Very Unlikely. SPs can be used here as well.

- I'll get to ship rules later.

So let's get started. This takes place near the ending of Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker. Spoilers ahead.

Inside the Sith Temple on Exegol, Snoke paced the cave. Staring at his limp arm, he found he could only raise it by using the Force, but that only brought more pain.

Hearing a shuffling, Snoke looked up and saw a figure approach. The figure, like so many others in the temple, wore a black robe with a black robe concealing his face.

The figure stopped before Snoke and bowed. "A'hil un 'krii inSnuuk t'e."

Snoke stared at the figure while tilting his head.

Seeing the other's reaction, the figure gave a nod. "Apologies, Snoke. I forgot you speak not the language of the Sith."

The figure in black is my PC. In the game, he is referred to as a Sith Acolyte, one of the robed figures you see watching the final fight at the conclusion of the film. However, with the upcoming series having the same name, I'm instead using the term Sith Cultist.

My plan is to see if I can take this character and turn him into a hero. Now in the game, the cultists spend their time either tending to Palpatine or conducting experiments. I'm going with the latter for this character.

Using Mythic 2e, I rolled for his name and got, "Kha + Sa." Sith cultists tend to have hyphenated names, so Kha-sa makes sense.

He is Level 1 and not (yet) Force user, so he has 3 Ability Points. I'm keeping his Talk at 0 because he's spent most of his life within the temple, so while he is polite, he is not the best in social skills. That means either a 2 Do and 1 Think or 1 Do and 2 Think. Since he's a scientist, the latter seems likely.

(Q) Does Kha-sa have a 1 Do and 2 Think?  (Likely)  No.

Okay, so 2 Do, 1 Think, and 0 Talk.

The figure bowed his head. "Greetings to you, Snoke, my name is Kha-sa." He then noticed the other's arm. "You are injured."

Snoke groaned. "I emerged from the vat like this."

"I see." Kha-sa stepped for and examined the arm. "Possibly an imperfect experiment."

Seeing where this was going, Snoke pulled slightly away. "And what usually happens to these imperfect experiments?"

"They tend to be destroyed." Kha-sa lifted the arm and turned in his black-gloved hands.

 Kha-sa will attempt to repair Snoke's arm.

(Q)  Is the Diffuclty +1?  (Likely)  Exceptional No.

This means it's only -1.

(Ability)  Can Kha-Sa repair the arm?  (+1 Think vs. -1 Diff = +2 or Very Likely)  Yes, Random Event.

(Event)  "Control, Increase"

I'm interpreting that rather loosely.

Reaching into a bag that hung from his shoulder, Kha-sa, pulled out some cloth and a long rod. Placing the rod against Snoke's arm, he wrapped it with the cloth. Finally, he used a pin to keep the cloth in place.

"There," said Kha-sa, "I would suggest you move your arm as little as possible, but it will now heal correctly."

"You don't believe in destroying imperfect experiments?" Snoke asked.

Kha-sa closed his bag and shifted it back under his robe. "How can we learn if we destroy everything that fails to meet our expectations." Hearing murmuring in the distance, he motioned to the other to follow. "Come, it sounds as if they begin soon."

Snoke followed him. "What begins?"

"Palpatine has invited the Jedi to a final confrontation," Kha'sa answered. "The arena is already filled with people."

As they walked through the cavern, Snoke thought for a moment. "Tell me, Kha-sa, I was born with knowledge of thousands of worlds, of countless languages, and untold generations of wisdom in the Force. Yet I know nothing of the Sith. Why is that?"

Kha-sa didn't even seemed surprised by that question. "For reasons we've yet to understand, Snoke clones, their bodies, and most importantly their minds are incompatible with Sith language and wisdom." He glanced at a shattered portion of a wall. "We learned that in a rather unfortunate manner."

Seeing his reflection in one clear rock, Snoke stopped, turned,  and studied himself. "So I am a recent clone then." He turned slightly. "That must mean I am a vast improvement over the original Snoke clone, wouldn't you say?"

But Kha-sa said nothing, at first. Having never met the original Snoke clone, he lacked the basis for comparison. However, the last thing this clone needed was an existential crisis. "In time." Passing a room, he slipped in and quickly returned with another robe. "Here, put this on, at least for the moment."

Snoke put on the robe so that he blended in. They then entered the arena, where countless others in similar robes awaited in the stands.

Now, in the film, Palpatine's death (I warned you of spoilers, remember?) also destroyed much of the arena, killing nearly all the cultists. Somehow, Kha'sa needs t survive, but how? 

Time to ask Mythic.

(Q)  How did Kha-sa Survive?  "Help, Fight."

Well, Kha-sa, being a lvl 1 character, is nowhere near a help in any Sith fight. However, I remembered in the game that cultists spent a lot of time stabbing each other in the back (sometimes literally), so I went with that.

"Kha-sa, a moment."

Kha-sa turned as another figure in black approach.

This figures needs a name, so back to 2e's Name Generator:  "Location + Va."

For the location, the first thing I thought of was Necropolis (given the temple), so I chose to make his name Nek-Va. It sounds like another cultist name.

"Nek-Va," Kha-sa said. "What is it?"

"We're needed to guard the lift in case the Jedi brought allies," Nek-va answered.

"Or course." Kha-sa turned to Snoke. "I'll return soon." He followed the other back through the tunnel.

I now need stats for this new character.

(Q) Is Nek-va Level 1?  (Likely)  No.

So he's Level 0.

(Q)  Are any of his Abilities +1?  (Likely)  No.

So, Nek-va has all 0 for his 3 abilities. To allow him a slight edge, I'm giving him a knife, which adds +1 to Damage.

 Exiting the tunnel, they approached bridge that passed over a chasm. 

Kha-sa stood at the edge of the bridge. "Do you think they'll enter from this end, brother?"

"Oh, I can assure, brother, that something shall end." Standing behind Kha-sa, he pulled out a knife and lunged forward.

Nek-va is performing a Damage in the Clash, while Kha-sa will attempt an Escape to avoid damage.

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

This explains Kha-sa's +1 to Do. He has a lot of experience in defending himself from sneak attacks from the others.

Kha-sa easily dodged the attack, spinning around to face other other. "Our brothers attempting to strike at each other surprises me little. Yet, I always find astonishing that you prefer to all speak first and then attack."

Nek-va growled. "A mistake I shall not replicate, as I know enough to destroy mine."

Kha-sa tilted his head. "Is that what this is about, my sparing a Snoke clone?"

"You were to destroy failures," Nek-va snarled.

"I violated no law," Kha-sa answered.

"But you showed weakness," Nek-va responded, "and by destroying weakness, I shall grow stronger."

For this Clash, Kha-sa will fight back, though he's unarmed. I imagine his fighting style is a mix of throws and escapes combined with basic strikes.

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+2 vs. 0 = Very Likely)  Yes.

Nek-Va suffers a -1 Rank Shift.

Nek-Va lunged again, but Kha-sa blocked it with his forearm. He then struck with his other open palm, causing his opponent to stumble back.

In the distance, they heard Palpatine's cackle, followed by lightning slashing above.

"We're missing the event," said Kha-sa. "Should we continue this at a later time?"

"This event belongs to me," said Nek-va. "Today, I shall become one of greatness."

(Clash)  Does Kha-sa win the Clash?  (+2 vs. -1 = Nearly Certain)  Yes.

Since, even unarmed, Kha-sa's Damage is 3 ranks higher than Nek-va's Toughness, Nek-Va must roll for Incapacity to see if he's dead.

(Incapacity)  Is Nek-va incapacitated?  (+2 vs. -2 = Certain)  X-Yes.

Nek-va growled and lunged one more time, but Kha-sa dodged it. Tripping on a wrong, the other cultist tumbled over the edge, and disappeared into the chasm.

Kha-sa shook his head. "How unfortunate." He then jumped as he heard Palpatine's voice again. But this time, instead of a cackle, he heard the Sith master screaming in agony. Suddenly, there was an explosion, and gusts of debris shot through the tunnels. 

Ducking behind a statue, Kha-sa braced himself as the entire temple shook. Even the statues began to crumble. He tried to avoid them, but something slammed into his head, and he fell to the ground. 

Waking up some time, later, Kha-sa found himself in near darkness. Wandering through the temple, he found nothing but silence. Entering the arena, he saw no sign of Palpatine, and among the ruins in the stands, only torn robes and burnt bodies.

 "Master?"

The Trials of Nihilus - A Future Tales and Star War adventure

I've got a box full of Star Wars miniatures, but the SW mini rules really don't support solo play.  However, THW games do and with the story structure in Future Tales, I had just the set-up.  Bringing back a character I created in the old SW RPG, I decided to blow off some steam by creating my own continuity with the character,

In addition to the rules in FT, I also created an Add-on for using Star Wars characters, etc. in the game, including using the Force.  Adding to those, I'm using Ed's UIC table for challenges and interactions.  However, I'm keeping the opposed rolls for consistency as FT uses them for finding clues.

Finally, I added an ability for Force users called Force Skill.  When performing a Challenge or Interaction, Force users can choose to use the Force to aid them, granting a +1d6 on their rolls.  However, failing results in a -1 to Rep for the rest of the scene.

Now onto the adventure!


Some time after the Battle of Endor . . .

The abandoned star destroyer drifted through space.  Its lone inhabitant, a young man in his early 20's, entered the computer room.  He stood average height and was thin and bald.  In most situations, he could step through a crowd a be forgotten in seconds.  Of if he wished, he could pass through the same crowd and no one would forget!

This was the man once known as Thuun, the son of an Imperial governor who was assassinated not long ago.  Right after that, young Thuun, a stage performer, encountered a mysterious guide who showed him that he had an ability not of this world, and taught him to use it.

Kneeling before the hologram display, Thuun waited as the display lit up.  but instead of revealing a person, it only showed a bright light like a star.

"You have done well," a voice said.  "Thousands of years ago, a Sith Lord known as Darth Nihilus terrorized the galaxy.  But the Sith are no more so that task shall fall to you, Nihilus."

"Thanks," the young man said.

"Consider this your first trial," the voice continued.

An image appeared.  "This is Mas Sechar, the governor of the Imperial world Carsux.  Eliminate him so Imperial control of the world shall fall."

Thuun stared at the image and hesitated.

"Is the a problem, Nihilus?" the voice asked, now addressing him by his new name.

"Are we not on the same side?" Nihilus asked.  "Do we not have the same goal, to defeat the Rebellion and save the Empire?"

"The Empire of old cannot defeat the Rebellion," the voice answered.  "It must be destroyed so that something stronger can rise, destroying the Rebellion and the new Jedi."

Nihilus nodded.  "Then it will be done."  Standing, he wore a dark gray jumpsuit and robe.  Attached to his belt, along with the hilt of his black-bladed lightsaber, was a simple cloth mask that concealed his face completely.  Now he truly could choose to either be forgotten or the substance of nightmares.

Nihilus:  Human; Rep 5; Magic, Charismatic, Brawler; Lightsaber.

This story is a Find Person.  I've also decided the person, Mas Sechar, is also the Big Bad.  5 clues are required to complete this.

First locale:  Urban - Question.

Boarding his personal transport, Nihilus traveled to the planet Corellia.  Arriving in one of the cities, discarded his robes in favor of a normal jumpsuit and entered a club and sought out Orb Corana, a merchant known for successfully navigating both Imperial and free systems.

Calling on the Force, he looked into Orb's eyes.  "Tell me how you entered the Carsux system."

This turned out to be unnecessary as his opponent seemed perfectly willing to cooperate.  "With the fall of the Empire, the planet's defenses are completely disorganized.  While a large ship would be stopped, a freighter could slip right in unopposed."

"I see."  Nihilus thought for a moment and decided against using the Force for the rest of his questioning.  "And what can you tell me about Mas Sechar?"

"Not much," Orb answered, "but a Rebel pilot named Marda Clame originally showed me the route.  He'd know more than I do.  You can find him on the Rebel Ship Quasara."

Leaving the city, Nihilus decided to seek out the Quasara and Marda Clame.

Found 1 clue.

Next - Question; Space.

Note that the Rebel ship is much larger than Nihilus' freighter; it only looks the same size because it's still in the distance.  At least that's the excuse I'm giving!

Nihilus steered his ship through space until her located the Quasara.  Once a Rebel warship, it had recently been converted into a civilian transport, though members of the Rebellion still occupied the vessel.  Boarding the ship, Nihilus explored the halls in search of Marda.

Locating the pilot in one of the offices, Nihilus approached him.  "My name is Thuun.  Orb Corana sent me because he said you could give me more information on Carsux and Mas Sechar."

After showing Nihilus a computer model of the system and various recommended routes, Marda copied the information to a disk and handed it to the man.  "Just don't approach Sechar alone."

"Why is that?" Nihilus asked.

"He may look like some boring governor, but he carries a vibro staff that he knows how to use.  He also, on his belt, has a force field that protects him for threats."

I added those to explain his Big Bad Star Power.

"Thank you"  Boarding his ship again, Nihilus studied the information on the disk.  He would have to make another stop in a nearby system so he could join the convey entering the system and slip in unnoticed.

Gain 1 clue.

Next - Search - Off-Planet - Barren.

Nihilus took his ship into hyperspace, but the ship trembled and entered real space again.  Examining the systems, he noticed the faulty nav computer emitting smoke.  Looking over the star charts.  He noticed the planet Tattoine was nearby.  Better land there and find a new computer.

Unfortunately, the nav computer had also interfered with his sensors.  He was able to land, but he couldn't find any close-by settlements.  He would need to set out on foot and locate the settlements himself.

The Search for this scene is locating a town where he could purchase a new computer.

Keeping his cloak close to him, he traveled the desert for several hours.  His binoculars finally located a settlement in the distance, but he still had far to walk.

Then he heard a weird screech.

Desert Skimmers, as they were called.  Two of these lizard-like creatures raced forward to flank the man.  Keeping calm, Nihilus pulled out his lightsaber and the black blade came to life.

Leaping forward, he swung his blade, slicing the beasts down.  With no more foes nearby, Nihilus finally located the town of Mos Espa and entered the town.

Gain 1 clue.

Next - Rural - Question.

Exploring the town, Nihilus encountered numerous individuals wandering around, though few took more than a moment's notice of the cloaked man, probably because he resembled a simple wanderer (and they couldn't see his lightsaber).  A few of the inhabitants eventually pointed Nihilus to Borga the Hutt, who specialized in selling ship parts.

"I need a nav computer for my freighter," Nihilus said.

"I have a few left over," Borga replied in the Basic language.  "How will you pay for it?"

Knowing mind tricks were useless against the Hutt, Nihilus produced a series of gems from his master's collection.  "Is this enought?"

The Hutt's eyes widen.  "Very much so.  Here, this is the top of the line.  Great doing business with you."

Gain 1 clue.  

Next - Off-Planet - Urban - Search.

Travel Scene!

As Nihilus again trekked through the desert toward his ship, he sensed danger approaching.  Unlike the Desert Skimmers, these opponents chose a more subtle approach - an ambush!

Normally this travel scene would be a space battle or something similar, but I'm keeping it on-planet because I really want to fight Sand People!

Force Skill - Sense - Pass 2d6.

Two Tusken Raiders, aka Sand People, approached from the front while two others attempted to flank him.  Two of them were armed with their gaffi sticks while the other two loaded their slug thrower rifles.

Normally, a roll for How Many would result in no more than 3 opponents, but I increased it to 4 because I really wanted to fight Sand People!

The 4 opponents continued to sneak forward, concealing themselves with the hills.  For a moment, Nihilus considered using the Force to instill terror in the beings, but that would only be a temporary solution, and they might return with reinforcements before he reached his ship.

And also because I really . . . well, you know.

The two on his flank leaped forward and to both sides of him.  Igniting his lightsaber, Nihilus attacked without hesitation.

Striking down both foes, he now turned his attention to the to before him who had their rifles pointed at Nihilus.

The Sand People attempted to maneuver Nihilus between them, and both fired their weapons.  But Nihilus deflected the blasts, sending them into the sand.

Lunging forward, he struck at the closest opponent, slicing right through the creature's weapon and arm.  It collapsed to the ground, blood pouring into the sand.

The lone opponent, showing remarkable courage in the moment, opened fire.  Dodging the attacks, Nihilus leaped forward, landing right in his opponent's face.

A lightsaber swing later, the battle was over.

Reaching his ship, Nihilus installed his new computer and set course for the Onoli system.

A day later, Nihilus reached the Onoli system.  Entering the capital city, he searched for the shipping docks.

He finally reached the docks and found a droid salesman who was already shipping droid parts to the planet Carsux.  The merchant allowed him to help with shipping the parts and thus joining the convoy.

Gain 1 clue.  

Final Scene.  And as the Big Bad is also who I was searching for, I skipped rolling on the Final Scene table and instead just went to the scene itself.

The convoy entered Carsux without problem, and slipping out of the group, Nihilus landed his ship just outside of the Imperial base.  Sneaking into the base, he found himself in a maintenance station.

The d6 represent PEFs between Nihilus and Mas Sechar.  The first one immediately entered the station where Nihilus was located.

Two Imperial technicians entered the room.  "Hey who are you?" the first one asked.

Knowing it was far too early to battle opponents, Nihilus called on the Force.  "I am Admiral Gram.  Carry on."

"Yes sir, Admiral," the two saluted and left.

Next, he encountered three storm troopers guarding a hanger.  "You will let me pass."

FAIL!  -1 to Rep!

"Intruder!"  The three all attacked without hesitation.

Luckily, Nihilus still possessed plenty of fighting ability.  Igniting his Lightsaber, he assaulted and quickly took down all three opponents.

With the foes vanquished, Nihilus took a deep breath and stepped into the hanger, where he sensed his adversary awaited.

Ad this point, I figured all opponents would hear the sounds of fighting, so I resolved all PEFs right there and then.  Fortunately, only one resolved as contact, but then added minions for Mas Sechar.

Nihilus stepped through the doorway to find Mas Sechar preparing to enter the shuttle.  Flanked by storm troopers and Imperial personnel, he ordered the group to attack.

Knowing that he was outnumbered, Nihilus slashed several nearby fuel hoses to keep the shuttle from taking off right away.  Then, sucking laser blasts, he slipped back into the hallway.

The first few storm stroopers raced through the doorway, but Nihilus struck them down, using the Force to lift them up and smash them into the floor (Damage spell).

A heavy trooper approached, armed with a rocket launcher.  Nihilus knew there was no way he could deflect that with his blade, so he'd have to strike first.

Calling on the Force, he held his free hand out, and the trooper was lifted up and smashed against a computer console.  It exploded in his face and he fell to the ground, just as a trooper with twin pistols attacked.

The trooper fired, but Nihilus deflected the bolts right back into the trooper's chest.  With no more opponents remaining, the dark sider stepped again through the doorway.

He found Sechar and a technician standing near the shuttle's ramp.  The tech raised his blaster, but Nihilus sent him flying.  No only Sechar remained.

Stepped down from the ramp, Sechar pressed a button on his belt, and a glowing bubble surrounded him.  Leaping forward, Nihilus swung his blade, but his opponent blocked it with his staff.

Backing into the terminal, he again blocked the dark sider's assaults, but his own strikes were also met with equal failures.

Out of no where, Sechar swung his staff low, sweeping Nihilus' feet.  Nihilus hit the ground and rolled aside (Star Power) and away from his foe.  Calling on the Force, he pushed Sechar away, but his opponent was protected by his force field (Star Power).

"Who are you?"  Sechar asked.  "I'm trying to save the Empire."

"No," Nihilus replied, literally adding Force to his voice (Dazzle), "it cannot be saved.  You have failed and will be replaced."

Thrown off guard by his opponent's words and voice, Sechar hesitated.

And that's when Nihilus struck.

Knowing the staff aside, he stabbed straight forward, his blade cutting into his foe's throat.  Sechar's eyes went wide, then lost all focus, and he collapsed.

His mission complete, Nihilus slipped out before more troops arrive.  Leaving the system, he leaped into hyperspace and returned to his base of operations.  While he had succeeded in his plans, he did make some glaring mistakes and would have to practice more caution in the future.

Nihilus gained Increasing d6 for completing the story, defeating the Big Bad, and defeating opponents.  He gained Decreasing d6 for failing with his Force skill and using Star Power.  Rolling his remaining Increasing d6, I got a 6.  

Nihilus is now Rep 6.  Hopefully this will help him more in his next trial.

CR 2015: Star Wars: First Battle of Kashyyk

(Note:  This adventure includes some minor spoilers from the book; Aftermath.)

"All right, listen up," Hathis said to her team, "We've been ordered by Command to join the fleet at Akiva for a major engagement against the Empire."

"We can handle it," Morano said.  "The rest of our squad is already en route."

Hathis nodded.  "That's true, but we may have another mission instead."  She looked to Roork, who brought up a hologram of another planet.  "This is Kashyyk, home of the Wookiees.  Now, the Empire had a blockade around the planet and numerous troops on the surface.  But since they've pulled most of their forces away to fight us at Akiva, the planet is lightly-defended at the moment.  Our contact has requested assistance in helping to free the wookiees and fight off the Imperials. "

She looked sternly at the others.  "This would not be an official mission.  In fact, if we took it, we'd be basically ignoring direct orders from Command.  Therefore, you're all free to say no."

"I've seen what the Imperials do to slaves," Morano said, "and I'm not good at following orders to begin with . . well, except for yours."

Rorrk thought for a moment.  "It would bring me one step closer to romancing a wookie."

All eyes turned to Rorrk, but Hathis merely shrugged.  "Whatever floats your freighter, my friend."  She then looked to the newcomer.  "Azra, while you're on loan from Fist Squadron, you're still under orders from them, I believe."

Azra nodded.  "Correct.  However, Azra prefers to follow greater order, which is to help those in need.  Azra believes that would be the natives of the planet Kashyyk."

"Then, we're in."  Hathis turned to her pilot.  "Morano, set course for Kashyyk."

"I'm not it."  Morano started for the door, then paused.  "One question; who's our contact and do you trust him?  Okay, technically two questions."

"I trust our contact," Hathis answered, "but at the moment, I'm not permitted to reveal any information on the person, at least for now."

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Hours later, the group landed in a forest and assembled inside the remains of one of the huts.

The team:

Hathis:  Rep 6 Rebel Leader; Sniper Pistol.

Rorrk:  Rep 5 Duro Tech Specialist; Pistol.

Morano:  Rep 4 Human Pilot; Heavy Pistol.

Azra:  Rep 4 Gand Findsman; Shotgun.

  "Here is a video of the Imperial base," Rorrk said, show them his computer pad.

"This stations serves to relay communications from the various bases.  If we were to assume control, we would deprive them of contact with each other."

"Sounds good," Morano said.  "But you didn't noticed we're slightly outnumbered, did you?"

Rorrk nodded.  "Actually I did notice, but our contact according to Commander Hathis has revealed possible allies for us."  He pressed a button, and the image changed.

Hathis stepped in.  "Our contact said these four were captured and are set to be executed as an example.  If we set them free and arm' em, we'll have a little help."

"But it's just four more," Morano said in disbelief.

"These four have a rep as trouble-makers," Hathis answered.  "They should be able to do enough damage to help us."

"According to this," Azra observed, "the wookies may express their anger in random directions.  Will you be safe?"

"Fortunately, I speak their language," Rorrk said.  "I'll let them know what we plan to do."

"Sounds good," Hathis said.  "You and Azra free the wookiees.  Morano and I'll try and distract the others."

(For this encounter, both teams must reach different locations and perform skill challenges to succeed.  For the first team, it will be a Mental Challenge to free the wookies.  For the second, it will simply be to keep the rest of the Imperials busy.)

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Azra and Rorrk approached the entrance of the base.  Finding a door, the paused and peeked through a window.

"They turned the operations pit into a detention center," Rorrk said.  "However, the moment we open the door, they will notice us."

"Understood," Azra said.  Lifting his shotgun, he aimed it at the window.

"Be careful," Rorrk said, "Between the tint and glare, firing through the window may prove more difficult than simply peering through it,"

Azra nodded.  "Agreed, but one moment."  He took a deep breath, then fired his weapon twice.  "Please proceed."

Rorrk entered to find two dead stormtroopers, along with four astonished wookiees behind a force field.

(Mental Challenge:  Rorrk passed 2d6).

Reaching the computer, Rorrk pressed some buttons and the force field dropped.  The four wookies lunged forward, but Rorrk managed to communicate to them that they were there to help.

He turned to Azra.  "They need their weapons, and they said they thought the Imperions placed them nearby."

Azra closed his eyes.  (Mental Challenge with the Force:  Pass 2d6).  Opening them, he pointed to a large cylinder.  "Their weapons are hidden beneath that."

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(Technically, the first few rounds of this scene happened at the same time as the above one.)

"Good job," Hathis said over her comlink.  "Are they still able to fight?"

"Correct," Rorrk answered.  "However, I believe on their leader, Arrilanna is a soldier.  She just recruited the rest because of their personal hatred for the Empire."

"You're kidding."

"I am not."  Rorrk continued.  "Gooron crafts quilts and blankets, Kalova likes to explore, and Geyynik apparently passes for what you humans call Comedians.  However, Arrilanna vouches for them, insisting she trained them to fight."

"Good enough," Hathis said.  "We're about to enter the base here.  Try to slip in a flank them"

"It appears our new allies will be joining you soon.  They thought it was the quicker path."

The wookiees:

Arrilanna:  Rep 4 Wookiee Warrior; Meteor Hammer, Rifle.
(The meteor hammer is a melee weapon that can strike opponents at short range.)
Geeynik:  Rep 4 Wookiee Scoundrel;  Rifle.
Gooron:  Rep 3 Wookiee Tech Specialist; Bowcaster.
Kalova:  Rep 3 Wookiee Scout; Bowcaster.

"Great," Hathis said, "we've got company, whether we want them or not."

Morano nodded.  "Until they get here, we'll need to distract the Imps."

"You're right."  Pulling out a thermal detonator, Hathis tossed it at the wall.  It exploded, and when the smoke cleared, the noticed several storm troopers and Imperial soldiers looking at them in shock, and one trooper on the ground, covered in debris.

"Well that worked!"

The two slipped back behind the wall as about a dozen troopers appeared from a side door, entering the grass.  The two groups exchanged fire until Hathis and Morano heard roaring behind them.  turning, they spotted the wookies rushing in, weapons blazing.  Arrilanna even swung her weapon out, decapitating one trooper.

The fight is on!

The rebels managed to down several troopers, and the wookiees pushed forward.  Suddenly, a second squad appeared from a hidden bunker and opened fire.  Geeynik got caught in the back and fell (OOF) while the remaining warriors continued on.  Hathis spun around and caught the shooter while Morano took out the others.

Meanwhile, they heard blaster fire inside and saw another trooper drop as Azra fired from inside.

The remaining troopers started to fall back as Azra appeared from the hallway.

A moment later, Rorrk joined them.  "I have blocked all communications into and out of this station so they cannot request assistance."

"Good," Hathis said, "let's finish this."

The wookiees meanwhile, rushed right and, continuing to drop troopers left and right.  They took out the remaining troopers, reducing them to piles of broken, bloody armor.

Racing in, Morano froze as he surveyed the damage.  "I hope you got all that out of your systems!"

Hathis, Azra, and Rorrk joined the group, and Arrilanna growled an inquiry to Rorrk.

"Those were the remaining forces located at this station," he answered.

Immediately, they turned and rushed outside to their fallen comrade.  Hathis and the rest joined them, with Rorrk doing his best to tend to Geyynik's wounds.

(Recovery Table:  Pass 2d6.)

"He will feel discomfort for some time," Rorrk said, "but he will recover."

Arrilanna growled a comment and Rorrk turned to Hathis.

"She thanks us for rescuing them and asks how they can help."

Hathis looked to the wookiee leader.  "Well, our contact asked us to take over this base and wait for orders..  No doubt, more troops will arrive to find out why they lost contact here, which is probably the plan.  Will you help us when they arrive?"

The tall leader nodded and rumbled a response.

"She says they'll be happy to mutilate more Imperials," Rorrk translated.

"Then let's scour this place and prepare for the next fight."

Arrilanna roared and raised her weapon in the air, indicating they were ready for anything.

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Elsewhere,

The Imperials, indeed knowing the rebels had taken control of their base, began assembling a squad to regain it.  And they stood tall and ready as their leader arrived.

(After Battle improvements:  Hathis advanced to Rep 7; Rorrk advanced to Rep 6; Azra advanced to Rep 5.)