[GM Workshop] Building a FFG SW RPG Campaign from scratch

[Giorgio]

Brainstorming #2

The Prophecy of the Chosen One ™, is “roadblock” #2 in figuring out how to integrate this into my WIP campaign, along the spectrum of “Follow Disney Canon to Make Everything Up”.

In the Disney Canon Timeline (DCT), Anakin Skywalker is found by Qui-Gon Jinn in 32 BBY during the Invasion of Naboo. He is trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi after both Qui-Gon and Darth Maul die fighting each other. The rest they say, is history.

In this timeline Qui-Gon Jinn left the Jedi Order shortly after Jedi Master Dooku did, so he wasn’t present at the that battle. Sometime between 42-30 BBY a new Jedi organization (name TBD) is created by Dooku and QGJ in the CIS and begins the Crisis of Faith*. I would rather have Anakin be found by another Jedi from the CIS Jedi faction at an early age, and raised as a Separatist Jedi (alongside his no longer a slave mother). That should open up a lot of storytelling opportunities. If Anakin is raised as a talented Jedi padawan and trained by QGJ directly, he would be about 18 years old by the time the campaign starts in 24 BBY.

How Anakin would bring “Balance to the Force” is probably the LAST thing I am going to work on considering the major changes that I am developing for the Jedi Order, (unnamed CIS Jedi organization), the Sith Brotherhood (public facing version) and Order of the Sith (behind the scenes version, led by Darth Maul).

*= Crisis of Faith, something I just came up with to cover the splitting of the Jedi Order into GR and CIS factions, which I will develop further in a separate post.

[Giorgio]

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Update 10/10/21: complete re-write of the “Key Changes” section, deletion of other topics, various edits to the timeline dates (20 BBY → 24 BBY), and multiple spelling error corrections.

I will answer any questions/comments that may arise, and I will add more content this weekend (THU 10/14 – SAT 10/16).

[Giorgio]

Brainstorming #3 Pre-Gen PCs and their Ship

For this campaign I will be using a “troupe” style play where a player can control more than on PC at a time and any XP earned is applied to all PCs under their control. Only one of their PC can be used per scene, and it allows for some flexibility of play as the adventure session can be adjusted to the number of players that show up to the table (3-6 players).

I will be creating 12 pre-generated PCs sheets for the players to choose from at the campaign start, and I will provide them the option to create their own custom 3rd level PC(s) to be introduced into the story at an appropriate time if they wish. They group will have their own starship and will “deploy” as many PCs are needed (1 per player at the table) for each mission (adventure).

The reason I do this is partially based on prior GM experience with creating new characters at a campaign start, which can take up a lot of time, especially if the player is new to an RPG game mechanics/system, doesn’t have access to the core rulebooks and supplements, and doesn’t really know what kind of PC they want to play until they have more experience with the game mechanics and subsystems. I don’t want to prevent them from creating their own character, so that is why I encourage them to create their custom/new PCs alongside the current pre-gens, so they have time to learn the ins and outs of the rules, find their preferred play style, and have time to read the rulebooks and supplements they need, and to ask questions/clarifications as needed.

Still working on a group name for a CIS independent team of investigators, troubleshooters, and ad hoc problem solvers, that is more then an average combat squad, but short of special forces commandos. It is designed for a wide range of special missions, and while team members have some combat training, only 33% of them are combat focused.

This group was trained at the Tarkin Military Academy on Eriadu, and it’s part of the Confederate Outlands Region Security Force led by Wilhuff Tarkin. It is well trained, equipped, led, and loyal to the CIS.

CIS Rapid Response Team (CRRT)?

CIS Rapid Response Group (CRRG)?

CIS Special Expeditionary Team (CSET)?

CIS Special Expeditionary Group (CSET)?

1- Ace (Pilot)
2- Commander (Tactician)
3- Diplomat (Analyst)
4- Diplomat (Quartermaster)
5- Soldier (Medic)
6- Solider (Sharpshooter)
7- Solider (Trailblazer)
8- Solider (Vanguard)
9- Engineer (Mechanic)
10- Engineer (Scientist)
11- Spy (Slicer)
12- CSI Jedí (Padawan)

This group has a specialized starship built at the Quintad Orbital Manufacturing (QOM) Shipyards over Eriadu, and it is designed to be a mobile base of operations. A limited run of six of these starships were built, and assigned one per CIS Sector (TBD), with the CIS Eriadu Sector receiving the first of this class.

I have yet to design it (going to take a look at @P-47Thunderbolt’s Chapter VII: Starships and Vehicles Comprehensive Overhaul document first), but I am thinking something the size of a shuttle, with low electronic emissions, good sensors, light weapons, moderate amor and shields. It is not designed for dropping troops into a hot landing zone, but for stealth infiltration, and able to be camouflaged once it is planetside.

The team is the shuttles crew (pilot, gunner, engineer…), has berthing space for 14 people, a small galley, bathroom, recreation room/meeting room, armory, medbay, science station, electronics workshop, mechanic workshop, and cargo space for 6 months of consumables. While extra firepower and space for a few grav bikes would be nice, that would have increased the size and cost of the shuttle, so they were not included. This vehicle has zero available hardpoints for modifications, and given that so much is being stuffed into a small hull, it is probably high maintenance, and/or has a “prototype” flaw. As the PCs will be receiving the very first of this new class of starship, I expect it to have “teething” problems that only a real “shakedown” cruise will reveal, and perhaps need to be corrected or modified in a future design or upgrade.

[Giorgio]

My notes from paper to digital format, random!
Revised: 10/21/21 1210 EST

-[44 BBY to 20 BBY] Pre-Campaign Timeline Changes

-Divergent Point from Disney Canon Timeline (DCT): The assassination of Ranulph Tarkin prior to him leading the ORSF attack on the pirate Iaco Stark in 44 BBY.

-General Grievous dies in surgery, the CIS doesn’t employ bio-weapons or terrorist attacks during the Galactic War?

-Qui-Gon leaves the Jedi Order to travel, finds the Jedi temple and documents that appears in one of those movies, doesn’t die by Darth Maul’s lazer sword, starts a new CIS Jedi Order going back to the “basics”?

-Jedi Master Dooku leaves the Jedi Order, founds a new Jedi Order/Tradition in the CIS, the Jedi Council is paralyzed by internal debate and doesn’t interfere, even as many Jedi leave to join this new CIS Jedi Order/Tradition?

-The Jedi Order refuses to join the rebuilt Republic Army and Navy, as they are peacekeepers of the Judicial Forces, and not military officers, and have no interest in building a Jedi Army?

-There is no secretly built Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), instead the Military Creation Act is passed earlier then in the DCT and the restrictions of the Russan Reformations are lifted, and the Republic Army and Navy starts slowing rebuilding in the open?

-New designs of vehicles, starfighters, and Capital Ships for the Republic Army and Navy, built for non-organics servicemembers?

-New designs of vehicles, starfighters, and Capital Ships for the Confederate Army and Navy, built for organic servicemembers?

-House Tarkin and Eriadu join the CIS as a founding member world, and the players are part of their military forces (ORSF); the more missions they succeed in the more responsibilities and freedom of independence they have (using the AOR Duty mechanic)?

-Rename the pan-Galactic War something other than “The Clone Wars”, as in this timeline the Kamino Clones nor the Trade Federation Droids are the central focus of the war, but instead organic species fighting for retaining power/centralized government vs. diffusing power/decentralized government as the primary focus of the conflict.

-References of the Campaign (priority): FFG SW RPG line, The Essential Guide to Warfare, The Essential Atlas, Jedi vs. Sith The Essential Guide to the Force….

-Space Opera Narrative Game in Episodic Format, limited sandbox, or full sandbox campaign style?

-The events of the movies didn’t happen, as the timeline diverges before they start?

-Patreon for Wookieepedia and the SWRPG Community?

-Darth Sidious’s plans don’t follow that of the movies, discards the Rule of Two, and creates a new Sith Brotherhood on Exegol?

-Start campaign prior to 1st movie?

-Sith Eternal and Exegol are founded much earlier?

-Use 5x8 index cards to form outlines of topics, then develop further in WORD document?

-Edit “SW RPG” folder to replace all old documents prior to SEP 2021, and download all SW files from the FFG SW website.

-Make list of famous people and make profiles to figure where everyone is at the campaign start in 20 BBY?

-New CIS Jedi Academy on Eriadu?

-Tarkin family increases Eriadu’s sphere of influence by abandoning its pro-humans stance and embracing multi-speciesim and turning their world into an economic and trade powerhouse, and importing advanced terraforming and environmental cleaning technology to clean the planets pollution, and to rival the Core Worlds in power and influence?

-Go through each year from 40 BBY downwards and take notes of special events at the tail end of the High Republic era (80 BBY – 33 BBY) to see how I might incorporate them into my campaign.

-Systems and Resources to the Galactic West?

-New CIS Jedi order?

-The Chosen One Prophecy?

-The Clone Wars without Palpatine controlling both sides of the conflict?

-No Plot Armor for main NPCs?

-Relationship between Jedi Master Dooku, Qui-Gon, Anakin, and Obi-Won?

-Dathomir as part of the CIS Jedi training program?

-Evolution of the GR Judicial Forces and Planetary Defense Forces to the reborn Republic Navy and Army?

-Evolution of the CIS Judicial Forces and Planetary Defense Forces to a new Confederate Law Enforcement equivalent, Army and Navy?

-Creation of a new Galactic Republic via conscription, robots, clones, volunteers, Judicial Forces, Planetary Defense Forces, no Jedi, mercenaries…?

-Exogel status in 20 BBY?

-Mandolore and Mandalorian status in the CIS?

-Council of Neutral Systems status?

-Cutting off the source of Raw Materials to the Core Worlds before the start of the Galactic War?

-Reorganize Chrome Bookmarks?

-Reorganize RPG folder on OneDrive?

-Create Book reading list?

-Locate RPG Wiki and Master index?

-Check prices of SW Legos Clone War figures vs. Star War Legions miniatures?

-Check VTT support: Roll20, Foundry, and Fantasy Grounds?

-Google Star Wars “Master Index”, “GM Tools”, and “RPG Resources”?

-Download FFG Star Wars DLCs into new folder?

-Jedi Sifo-Dyas died in 32 BBY (DCT), have him leave with Dooku in 42 BBY?