Recently, we announced Dangerous Covenants, a Hired Gun sourcebook forStar Wars®: Edge of the Empire™.

With three new specializations, new equipment and vehicle options for all players, and advice for GMs, Dangerous Covenants will turn any Edge of the Empire player into a force to be reckoned with. Dangerous Covenants also introduces signature abilities for Hired Guns. For more on these abilities, we turn to developer Sam Stewart.

A Word From the Developer

When it comes to a fight, the Hired Gun is likely the most dangerous character in the room. Thus, it stands to reason that their signature abilities only make them that much more deadly.

Generally, when we design signature abilities, we create one that is more narrative in design, and one that is more mechanical.

The narrative ability allows the player to pretty much re-write the ongoing story, changing a crucial plot point in some way. The mechanical ability is equally powerful, but designed to enhance the player’s character within the rules. Thus, in Enter the Unkown (the supplement for Explorer characters) the two signature abilities were Sudden Discovery and Unmatched Mobility.

Sudden Discovery allowed characters to immediately come across some lost item or location, avoiding long and potentially tedious trips through dianoga-infested swamps or frozen tundras.

Unmatched Mobility, on the other hand, granted characters the ability to use a third maneuver in a turn. This is equally powerful, but focused on the mechanical side of the game, rather than the narrative side.

Signature Abilities for Hired Guns

In Dangerous Covenants we did the same thing, and since this is the book for Hired Guns, we decided to focus on combat. We also decided to break the two signature abilities down into two further focuses—offense and defense. To that end, we created Last One Standing and Unmatched Protection.

Last One Standing lets Hired Gun players reenact every glorious last stand depicted in books and film—and still walk away. If the character activates this signature ability, he eliminates every minion in the current encounter. How he does it is up to the player. The Hired Gun could decimate them with heavy blaster fire, cooly shoot them from afar with precision sniper shots, or take them on hand-to-hand in a blaze of martial fury.

In contrast, Unmatched Protection makes the Hired Gun close to invincible. This ability halves incoming damage from certain attacks, meaning that if he’s lucky, the Hired Gun can walk through explosions or shrug off disruptor shots. Unmatched Protection can even allow the Hired Gun to help bodyguard his allies, taking shots meant for them, then reducing the damage with his ability.

Both of these abilities are extremely potent, although GMs can ensure they allow their players to use them without overwhelming the game. Last One Standing, for example, specifically eliminates minions (and can be upgraded to eliminate one to two rivals), but cannot effect Nemeses. It also, importantly, takes the Hired Gun out of the encounter for two rounds. GMs can create situations where the Hired Gun needs to eliminate the hordes of minions while his allies deal with some rivals, nemeses, or both. Alternatively, the Hired Gun can engage in a desperate holding action while his allies complete some equally vital task such as hotwiring a starship or stealing a valuable corusca gem from a vault.

Likewise, Unmatched Protection makes the Hired Gun nearly invincible (for a couple rounds, anyway), but still is designed so the player has to think quickly to get the most out of it. For example, the Hired Gun may have to distract or taunt an especially dangerous enemy, convincing it to attack him instead of his somewhat more vulnerable friends. In addition, the Hired Gun can still be overwhelmed by shear volume of fire, so must take care not to become outnumbered.

With a little thought and planning, these signature abilities can generate incredibly fun and cinematic highlights in the middle of a campaign. Have fun with them!

Thanks, Sam! Pre-order Dangerous Covenants at your local retailer today, and keep checking back for more news and previews for Dangerous Covenants and Star Wars roleplaying games!

Suns of Fortune, a Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ sourcebook for the Corellian Sector, is now on sale on our webstore or at your local retailer. Explore the fantastic opportunities and dangers found in the birthplace of Han Solo and Wedge Antilles, and discover three new species, exotic weapons, dozens of vehicles, nine modular encounters that Game Masters can use in any Edge of the Empire campaign.

Modular Encounters and More

Recently, we previewed the modular encounters available in Suns of Fortune. In addition to the nine modular encounters, detailed information regarding Corellia, and fast new starships and vehicles, Suns of Fortune also introduces new options for character creation and gear.

Players can choose from three new species options when they make their characters: The hyper-intellectual Drall, the dour and dangerous Selonians, and the Corellian-born humans.

Additionally, Suns of Fortune profiles exotic weapons, armor, and gear from Corellia and the other planets in the Sector. From the Coronet Arms dueling pistol to the Nomad Greatcoat, players will find plenty of interesting toys that they can insert into their game to give it a Corellian flavor.

Purchase Your Copy Today

Suns of Fortune is your chance to explore the intrigues and dangers in the heart of the Star Wars galaxy. This setting sourcebook for Edge of the Empire is now on sale! Purchase your copy today, and keep your eyes open for more announcements, previews, and other news about Star Wars roleplaying!

Whether you think of TIE fighters pursuing the Millenium Falcon through an asteroid field or Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa piloting speeder bikes through the forest moon of Endor, high-speed chases and races are iconic moments in the Star Wars universe.

We recently announced The Jewel of Yavin, an upcoming supplement for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™that focuses on a gem heist and a con scheme. Scoundrels, thieves, and slicers will have ample opportunity to shine in this adventure!

However, your typical Edge of the Empire crew includes a pilot or a gunner as well, and during this adventure they get to show off their skills for more than just the getaway. Designing the race was one of the highlights of developing The Jewel of Yavin, and in today’s designer diary, developer Katrina Ostrander discusses the Cloud City Grand Prix.

A Word from the Developer

When it comes to Cloud City, most galactic citizens think of high stakes gambling tournaments and the orange-colored cloud cars. It should come as no surprise that the two things are combined every year in a spectacular race through the clouds.

The Cloud City Grand Prix pits the top airspeeder pilots from around the galaxy in a test of skill, cunning, and determination. Along with the prestige and prize money comes VIP access to the grand gala and auction, where the Player Characters can begin to execute their con.

Like any top-caliber race, strategy is key, and preparing for the race is at least as important as the race itself. Savvy PCs can size up the competition and gain some insight as to their tactics, or they can recruit a pilot or co-pilot to help fill out their team. They can trick out their ride by installing brand-new custom attachments and modifications for vehicles silhouette 2 and smaller, featured for the first time in this adventure. More daring crews might even try to cheat the odds ahead of time, if they’re not above making a few “special modifications” to their opponent’s cloud cars.

For characters not participating in the race directly, the Cloud City Grand Prix represents an opportunity to do some last-minute preparations for the heist or to try and get closer to their marks. Those that stay to watch can find a bookie to place bets with to make a tidy profit on the side. They can also assist their allies from the grandstands, relaying key information about placing and hazards from the holoscreens.

This info can be especially useful, as each leg of the track is fraught with its own particular brand of danger. In addition to dodging flocks of tibannuk, massive beldons, and aggressive velkers, racers have each other to contend with. Outright destroying rival cloud cars is against the rules, but a little “friendly fire” is allowed—and encouraged—in order to maintain or gain the lead. Of course, the sponsors of the race have their own hands to play as well, just to ensure that there’s something exciting to shoot on the holovids.

To help capture the thrill of a race mechanically, we’ve built upon the chase rules to track place value as well. Going faster will help you win, but pushing your cloud car will make it harder to control. Advantage, Threat, Triumph, or Despair can also affect your team’s standing, with some suggestions included in the table below.

Click the image to enlarge.

Game Masters can take these rules and adapt them to run their own races, whether it’s the Vinta Harvest Classic on Malastare or the Blockade Runner’s Derby on Ord Mantell.

Pre-Order Today!

Thanks, Katrina! Get a team together, customize your cloud car, and get ready for a high-octane race through Bespin’s Cloud City in The Jewel of Yavin. Pre-order your copy today at your local retailer, and keep checking back for more news and information related to Star Wars roleplaying!

Dangerous Covenants, a Hired Gun rules supplement for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ is now available though our webstore and at your local retailer! Hired Guns will find a bounty of information to make sure they are always prepared to shoot first, such as new specializations and talents. All players will find new character, vehicle, and equipment options, aiding in their experiences on the fringe. GMs will gain new tools to help in crafting memorable and exciting combat encounters.

Specializations and Signature Abilities

Dangerous Covenants features new Hired Gun centric Motivations, Obligations, and backgrounds. Just because a character is a fighter doesn’t mean he can’t have a deep and interesting backstory, and this book helps players create that for their characters. Meanwhile, Hired Gun characters (or any character, actually) can pick up one of three new specializations. Enforcers, Demolitionists, and Heavies offer three new choices that add a lot of variety to the Hired Gun career.

In addition, Dangerous Covenants also introduces two new, high level advancement opportunities in the form of the Hired Gun’s signature abilities, recently previewed by developer Sam Stewart. These abilities are career specific talents that a character can only access once they’ve spent a lot of time and experience investing in a specialization. In return, however, they offer Hired Guns some really potent abilities that can change the course of an entire battle.

Of course, no Hired Gun is going to head into battle without a trusty weapon of some sort. Whether you want to deal out destruction with a heavy weapon like a flechette launcher or a plasma missile, or if you’d prefer to dominate a back alley brawl with a pair of vibro-knucklers, Dangerous Covenants has you covered. In addition, the book introduces new ships, ranging from small, single-seat starfighters to full-sized cruisers. When it comes to GM advice and guidance, Dangerous Covenants has a whole range of suggestions. These range from practical details (if a Hired Gun is actually working as a Hired Gun, how much are jobs like protection, mercenary work, and sabotage going to pay?) to overarching campaign guidance, and everything in between. Purchase your copy of Dangerous Covenants at your local retailer today! Then, keep checking back here for more news and previews related to Star Wars roleplaying.

Career-specific Specialization Decks for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™, are available for the Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook, and beyond! Whether you’re colonizing a new world, or engaging in shady deals at the fringe of the galaxy, Specialization and Signature Ability Decks help you keep the details of your talents at your fingertips, leaving you free to focus on your adventures.

Keep the Game Moving

Edge of the Empire Specialization and Signature Ability Decks provide GMs and players with an easy way to manage character and NPC talents at the gaming table. New and experienced players alike will appreciate these handy reference cards, and GMs will love being able to keep the action moving.

Each Specialization Deck comes with a reference card (shown at right), which details how to use the twenty included talent cards. With a description of each talent, along with the icons for dice needed to make any relevant checks on each card, Specialization Decks ensure you’ll have all the information you need to keep your head in the game. Our Edge of the Empire Specialization Decks don’t replace the talent trees found in the Core Rulebook or supplements, but are instead an excellent optional tool, which help you stay focused on the game!

Along with a deck for each of the Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook’s nineteen specializations, you'll also find decks for the expanded Explorer specializations introduced in Enter the Unknown, such as the Driver,Archaeologist, and Big Game Hunter! Each specialization (or signature ability) is represented by a unique deck of cards.

Whether you’re making a living as a gun for hire, slicing terminals for valuable data, tapping into the Force, or grinding out a living at the Empire's edge by any other means, these new Specialization and Signature Abilities Decks will keep you focused on the action. Purchase your Specialization and Signature Abilities Decks today!

Brand new Specialization Decks and Signature Abilities Decks for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ are now available for the Hired Gun specializations and the Signature Abilities introduced in the Dangerous Covenants rules supplement. Dangerous Covenants added the Enforcer, Demolitionist, and Heavy specializations to the Hired Gun career, along with expanded Signature Abilities for Hired Guns.

Now, tough and tenacious Hired Guns can handle even the most deadly situations that come their way, without having to stop the action to reference their talents! Each Edge of the Empire Specialization Deck and Signature Abilities Deck provides GMs and players with an easy way to manage character and NPC talents and abilities at the gaming table. New and experienced players alike will appreciate these handy reference cards, and GMs will love being able to keep the action moving.

Don't Miss the Action!

Each Specialization Deck and Signature Abilities Deck comes with a reference card, which details how to use the twenty included talent cards. With a description of each talent or ability, along with the icons for dice needed to make any relevant checks on each card, Specialization Decks and Signature Abilities Decks ensure you’ll have all the information you need to keep your head in the game. Our Edge of the Empire Specialization and Signature Abilities Decks don’t replace the trees found in the Core Rulebook, but are instead an excellent optional tool, helping you stay focused on the game!

Whether you’re laying down cover fire for your crew, throwing your weight around, or rigging an enemy ship to blow, these new Hired Gun Specialization and Signature Abilities Decks will keep you focused on the action. Purchase your Hired Gun Specialization and Signature Abilities Decks today!

The Jewel of Yavin, the newest adventure module for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ is now available at your local retailer, and through our webstore!

Prepare for the heist of a lifetime, as you and your crew band together to steal a priceless corusca gem, known as the Jewel of Yavin. From the heart pounding, adrenaline pumping race to the winner’s circle in the Cloud City Grand Prix, to the manipulation and finesse required to ratchet up the bids on the Jewel of Yavin, to the high-level hacking skills needed to slice in and divert the funds to your own account at the last moment, The Jewel of Yavin adventure module provides players with a thrilling, fast-paced adventure set on Bespin’s Cloud City that will give all characters a chance to show off their skills.

In addition to showcasing the skills and talents possessed by Scoundrels, Slicers, and Thieves, players will also find rich social intrigue opportunities, as well as chances for piloting- and combat-focused characters to shine. If a party is missing a crucial role or skill-set, don’t worry! Included in the adventure module is half a dozen unique NPCs who can help fill out a crew.

GM’s will enjoy pushing players to their limits, and introducing PCs to some of Cloud City’s most iconic characters, like the Bespin Wing Guard, and Lando Carlrissian. Plus, the Cloud City Gazeteer provides a wealth of information for running this adventure, and those of your own creation set in Cloud City, Bespin. The section features over a dozen useful pages of material detailing locations in the plaza district, Port Town, and the industrial levels.

Purchase Your Copy Today!

Check out adventure developer Katrina Ostrander’s recent preview of The Jewel of Yavin. Then, head to your local retailer or our webstore to purchase your copy today! Don’t forget to keep checking back here for more news and previews related to Star Wars roleplaying.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Far Horizons, a sourcebook for Colonists making their living at the galaxy’s fringes in Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™. Far Horizons offers new options for Colonists, along with new gear, spaceships, and species that all players (and GMs) will find useful. Read on for developer Sam Stewart’s insight on what Far Horizons has to offer.

A Word From the Developer

Colonists really are the unsung heroes of Star Wars. When other fringers get their hands cut off, Colonists patch them up. When confronted with strange and terrifying mysteries, it’s Colonists who cooly assess the situation, solve the problem, and identify the sleazy Hutt behind it all. And when the rest of the heroes get locked up by Imperial stormtroopers, Colonists whip crowds into a raging frenzy to burn down the garrison and free them. Now, Colonists are get the respect they deserve in Far Horizons. This sourcebook features plenty of new content for the Colonist career. However, it should prove valuable for every character, with plenty of new material and information on making social encounters even more interesting, building your own homestead, and turning your character’s marketable skills into cold, hard cash during periods of downtime. New specializations, species, talents, spaceships, and gear will prove useful to anyone playing Edge of the Empire.

Colonists for Hire

One of the interesting things about Colonist characters is that they have access to the most varied career in Edge of the Empire. Even though they may both be Colonists, a Doctor and a Politico are very different characters. What they share is that each one is a job someone could have in their day to day lives. Colonists are people who lived normal lives and had regular work before something happened that sent them fleeing to the galactic fringe. The three new specializations in Far Horizons continue that trend. Players gain access to the Entrepreneur, the Performer, and the Marshal. The Entrepreneur is an interesting specialization, with a focus on making money and spending it in unorthodox ways. Entrepreneurs are characters with plenty of deals going on behind the scenes. They are generally involved in more business ventures than a gunslinger has blasters. They get a steady and significant revenue stream, and then have ways to spend that money to make their lives a lot easier. This might include knowing who to bribe to get some crucial information, or just spending a few credits to take their mind off their current troubles. And of course, few characters are going to be more useful than the Entrepreneur when sitting down at the negotiating table. The Performer on the other hand, is a specialization designed to encompass all types of entertainers; musicians, actors, acrobats, and even comedians. As is to be expected, they have quite a few talents that mesh with their abilities to charm and deceive. A lot of the Performer’s abilities are all about making him or her the center of attention, whether the audience wants to pay attention or not. They also have a few really flavorful talents. For example, once in a while, NPCs may turn out to be the Performers biggest fan, whether or not the GM expected it. And a portion of the specialization is dedicated to the Performer’s not inconsiderable athletic ability. Quite a few crime lords have ignored or mistreated their entertainers, only to end up with a knife in their back or slave’s chain around their throat. Finally, we have the Marshal. The Marshal is every inch the embodiment of law on the Outer Rim. He can be good with a blaster, since sometimes justice has to come at the barrel of a gun. However, Marshals are also tough, diligent, and relentless. A Marshal can get up and keep going after a lesser individual would drop to the ground exhausted. In addition, a competent Marshal can be almost impossible to deceive. They’re great at ferreting out the truth from unwilling suspects, and can play good cop or bad cop as circumstances require. These specializations add even more variety to an already varied career. However, Colonists aren’t the only characters who may want to use them. An Assassin could make use of the Performer specialization to reinforce his coordinated melee combat style and ability to trick his way closer to targets. A Trader might decide that the Entrepreneur is a great advancement to represent his business taking off and making some real money. Finally, a Mercenary Soldier might decide to quit being a soldier of fortune and put his leadership abilities and gun hand to use keeping the peace on a world on the fringes of Wild Space. In the end, your only limit to what characters you can make with these specializations is your imagination.

New Horizons Await

Thanks, Sam!

Far Horizons will hit stores in the third quarter of 2014, and with it comes brand new opportunities for Colonists to make a name for themselves at the Edge of the Empire. All players (and GMs) will discover new ships, gear, and more to introduce into their escapades at the galaxy’s fringes.

Keep checking this page for more news and information related to Far Horizons, and Star Wars Roleplaying.

Civilization doesn’t happen by accident. It’s hard work.

Accordingly, many people find it difficult to understand the colonist’s desire to brave remote areas and dangerous conditions in order to establish settlements on new worlds. When they could live on any of tens of thousands of civilized worlds, what exactly draws them to forge ahead with yet another settlement on a world that is most likely to be unremarkable or inhospitable?

This is a question that runs throughout Far Horizons, the Colonist sourcebook for the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ Roleplaying Game.

Of course, there are as many specific reasons for colonists to pursue new settlements as there are colonists, but the larger reasons tend to fit into categories that are ages-old. Colonists willing to brave the dangers of the wilds often wish to break with current society or government, establish civilizations based on specific ideals, or exploit new resources.

Despite their best intentions, not all colonists are able to enjoy peaceful and profitable lives on their adopted homeworlds. Some become swept up in events and find themselves caught in interplanetary adventures. In such situations, colonists do well to draw upon their considerable courage and talents. Although anyone can become a colonist, the best are typically smart, ambitious, tough, and willing to brave the unknown. These are the characters you’ll find given more attention in Far Horizons.

For more about what Far Horizons offers these characters, we turn to lead developer Sam Stewart.

Colonists extend civilization to the farthest reaches of the Star Wars galaxy.

Lead Developer Sam Stewart on the Colonists of Far Horizons

“In our announcement of Far Horizons, we looked at how the sourcebook fleshes out the Colonist career with three new specializations: the Performer, the Entrepreneur, and the Marshal. However, the book offers much, much more for both your Colonist characters and any GM looking to write these characters into a truly engaging campaign that plays to their strengths and interests. Among the first new options Far Horizons offers your Colonists are two new signature abilities. Signature abilities are powerful, advanced abilities that are available only to a specific career. Specializations can be taken by any character, but signature abilities are exclusive to the careers to which they’re tied.

“Appropriately, the Colonist’s two signature abilities play to some of this career’s greatest strengths, and the Colonists who take them become even better at drawing upon the knowledge and skills that allow them to thrive on some of the galaxy’s wildest and most dangerous planets.

“The first is called Insightful Revelation. As befits the career with the Scholar specialization, Insightful Revelation allows characters to really put their Knowledge skills to use; a character with Insightful Revelation can make a single check to reveal vital information about his or her situation that he or she couldn’t normally uncover.

“This is great deal more potent than a normal Knowledge skill check, because it’s specifically intended to reveal relevant information that would otherwise be outside your character’s frame of reference. In complex negotiations with a Hutt Crime Lord? Use Insightful Revelation to find out that his new slave is actually a Rebel agent, and make a deal with her instead. Captured by the Empire? Turns out the lieutenant heading up your prison detail is secretly Force-sensitive, and desperate to hide it from his superiors. Who knew? Well, you did, thanks to Insightful Revelation.

A human Politico has an Insightful Revelation about the Rodians with whom she’s in negotiations.

“Playing alongside these sudden epiphanies, we have Unmatched Expertise. Perhaps more than any other characters, Colonists such as Doctors, Scholars, and Performers are defined by their jobs and specializations. Accordingly, it’s appropriate that Unmatched Expertise rewards them for their dedication and helps make them the very best at what they do.

“Specifically, Unmatched Expertise allows the most talented Colonists to decrease the difficulty of all career skill checks by one for an entire encounter. Nobody out-talks a Politico, out-medics a Doctor, or out-deals an Entrepreneur!”

New Species

“Far Horizons also introduces three new playable species: Arcona, Gran, and Chevin. These species offer you some interesting choices when you build your character. While you can use them with any career, each species works especially well as a Colonist.

From left to right: Arcona, Gran, and Chevin.

“The Arcona are reptilian, community-oriented individuals from a dry desert planet. They have formidable wills, and their unique heat vision abilities allow them to read others’ moods, giving them a decided edge in negotiations. However, they have one dangerous weakness as a species; an Arcona can become fatally addicted to sodium chloride. To an Arcona, simple purified salt is more powerful than the strongest spice, and whenever these sociable aliens imbibe, they risk dooming themselves to slow and painful deaths.

“Meanwhile, the Gran first debuted in theStar Wars®: Age of Rebellion™ Roleplaying Game, but they’re back in Far Horizons because of their powerful personalities. Nobody gabs like a Gran, and their ability to talk the ears off a gundark makes them great Entrepreneurs, Performers, and Politicos.

“Finally, we have the Chevin. The Chevin are a species of cunning and dangerous merchants, nomads, and slavers from Vinsoth. Chevin may look clumsy, but you would be unwise to underestimate the resilience of their rock hard skin or their innate physical strength. However, as Far Horizons reveals, their real strength lies in their mercantile and mercenary minds. Chevin can find the advantage in nearly every situation, and exploit it for their benefit. And while many Chevin are known to be vicious slavers, there exist a significant number of Chevin who have turned their back on this deplorable practice and set out to try and change their society. A hard-nosed Chevin who turns away from slavery in preference for justice can make a formidable Marshal.”

Skills and Talents for Every Occassion

Isolation from the galaxy at large demands that colonists refine their intelligence, skills, and self-reliance. Simultaneously, the often challenging circumstances of their lives demand that they grow adaptable and resilient.

Accordingly, Colonists are some of the most reliable adventurers in Edge of the Empire. When they’re swept along by currents of events that carries them into adventures that may span the galaxy, you can rely upon them to make good use of all the skills and tools at their disposal.

Far Horizons allows you to prepare your Colonist for more of anything and everything with more talents, careers, and signature abilities. Of course, a good Colonist also knows when to share with others for the good of the homestead, and Far Horizons includes a wealth of material that any Edge of the Empire character can use.

Few may understand the Colonist’s desire to settle some of the galaxy’s most dangerous and most remote planets, but many have benefitted from their successes.

In upcoming previews, we’ll look at some of the sourcebook’s new gear and at how Game Masters can use the book to craft dynamic and dramatic campaigns centered around a colonist’s homestead.

For now, be sure to book your ticket to the next remote planet… Head to your local retailer today to pre-order your copy of Far Horizons!

“You got a lot of carbon scoring here. It looks like you boys have seen a lot of action.”    –Luke Skywalker

Once upon a time, a young farm boy from Tatooine cleaned a droid, caused it to play a recorded message, and triggered a series of events that would reshape the galaxy…

When your destiny calls, there’s no place you can go to escape it – not even a desert planet at the far edge of the known universe. Even when the Colonists of Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ travel to the far ends of the galaxy in order to establish new homes and new lives, their pasts have a nasty habit of catching up with them. Outstanding obligations lead to adventure. And since your adventures can take you anywhere, it pays to be prepared.

At the edge of the Empire, even routine shipments may run afoul of pirates.

In the Colonist sourcebook, Far Horizons, you’ll find a wealth of new droids, vehicles, starships, weapons, and gear that any character can use. However, since most of these items are designed to help tame even the wildest and most dangerous environments, the game’s Colonists should find them especially appealing.

Droids

It was Luke Skywalker’s interaction with a pair of droids that first led him down a path that would eventually take him off of Tatooine, past the destruction of the Death Star, and to the ultimate triumph of the Rebel Alliance over the evil Galactic Empire. To say, then, that there’s tremendous potential for adventure within the handful of new droids presented in Far Horizons is a bit of an understatement.

Perhaps even more so than in other areas of the galaxy, droids in the Outer Rim are essential to the day-to-day functions of civilized society. In a region where so many systems remain uncharted and unknown dangers can reside in even the most welcoming paradise, droids help make life easier and safer for their organic masters, colleagues, and friends. Accordingly, Far Horizons features a sampling of speciality droids common to the Outer Rim, including the AC Law Enforcement Droid, which is a relatively new entry to the field of police automata.

Nearly two meters tall, the broad-shouldered AC Series LE droid possesses an average intelligence and a stern, imposing disposition. It is programmed for both standard police duties as well as fast-response riot control, and it is covered in imposing plate armor with only a single red, horizontal photoreceptor band serving as any hint of facial features. These droids aren’t for everyone, though. Even as they’re becoming the standard for police droids at the edge of the galaxy, civilians tend to despise them.

Vehicles and Starships

It is a commonly held belief that the various worlds of the Outer Rim are where old vehicles go to die. Indeed, the region’s inhabitants work hard to keep a great number of speeders and groundcars alive and functional long after they would have been scrapped in the more civilized, affluent areas of the galaxy.

After all, no amount of preparation, innate skill, or specialty equipment can make a difference in an endeavor if an individual and his equipment can’t get where they need to go, and the work performed by colonists’ starships, speeders, and walkers is nearly as important as the work performed by the colonists themselves.

In Far Horizons, you’ll find a large selection of airspeeders, landspeeders, walkers, wheeled and tracked vehicles, and freighters, any of which may serve more than one purpose in times of need.

For example, the Hunchback construction strider is a lightweight utility walker designed for construction and civil engineering work. Similar to the Republic’s AT-PT, the Hunchback is a bipedal walker with a slab-sided rectangular command pod perched atop a pair of powerful reverse-articulated legs. The Hunchback's arms carry a wide array of tools such as plasma cutters, saws, welders, drills, compressed air guns, and small, dextrous manipulators for fine work.

While it typically carries no offensive weapons, the Hunchback is sturdy and armored, and desperate colonists may find a way to modify it in order to help defend their homesteads from enemy forces.

Weapons, Armor, and Tools

Typically, Colonists are the characters in Edge of the Empire that are least likely to embrace violence when other means may suffice. However, it would be a mistake to assume Colonists have no need of arms or armor. The truth is that on the fringe of the galaxy, violence (and the need to protect against it) is all too commonplace. Accordingly, Far Horizons presents a wide array of weapons and armor, as well as a range of speciality tools appropriate for Colonists of all specializations.

The Outer Rim can be a dangerous and unforgiving place, but that doesn’t you’ll want to shoot to kill each time a situation devolves to violence. Far Horizons introduces a number of non-lethal weapons, like the Telex-Delcor SWE/2 Sonic Rifle, which may not be as useful in a shoot-out against heavily armed Imperial forces, but are incredibly useful for a Marshal who wants to ensure that he earns a reputation for his resolve as well as his justice and mercy.

Such a Marshal may also do well to invest in some of the new armor from Far Horizons, or even some reinforced environment gear. Such suits are valuable to Colonists not only because they must often brave strange and hazardous planetary conditions, but because they are more likely to be exposed to airborne toxins and to suffer injuries from falls or unstable environmental formations.

Finally, though they’re often the last characters you’d expect to load up on weaponry, Colonists usually have the greatest need for specialized tools. Performers must have all manner of amplifiers, props, or instruments. Doctors require a great deal of surgical equipment and medical supplies. Even Politicos need remote access to communications, and Traders and Entrepreneurs need business aids.

Far Horizons introduces a diverse array of these materials, which offer benefits for nearly all characters, and since they introduce so many specialized abilities, their inclusion in (or exclusion from) your setting may provide the impetus for a wide range of thrilling adventures.

Can You Tame the Wildest Edges of the Galaxy?

As the Colonist sourcebook for Edge of the Empire, Far Horizons introduces a wide range of new character options and equipment for any character eager to explore and settle the wildest edges of the galaxy.

Meanwhile, it also explores the concept of the Colonist’s homestead and how the Game Master can use a homestead to shape a campaign. Whether or not your campaign features a character with the Colonist career, the homestead is an idea that transcends a single class and can lend an immediate focus and urgency to your campaign. We’ll take a closer look at how Game Masters can make use of the homestead in our next preview of Far Horizons!

“The Jundland Wastes are not to be traveled lightly. Tell me, young Luke, what brings you out this far?”
    –Obi-Wan Kenobi

Far Horizons, the Colonist sourcebook for the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ Roleplaying Game, is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

Filled with new specializations, signature talents, weapons, vehicles, gear, and other equipment, Far Horizons introduces a wealth of new options designed to help you better outfit your Colonist – or any character – for life on the galaxy’s wildest, deadliest, and most exciting planets. Whether you’re looking to ply your skills in the service of a wealthy gangster or you’re looking to tame a planet full of untapped natural resources, Far Horizons provides you with the tools you’ll need to you build and play your character the way you want.

It also comes with an extensive collection of background information, adventure seeds, and other information to help Game Masters incorporate Colonists more fully into their campaigns.

Colonists in Your Campaign

Edge of the Empire campaigns are often full of smugglers, bounty hunters, hired guns, and other shady characters. Many of these outlaws are constantly running from their pasts, haunted by the decisions they’ve made and the debts they owe. They may have dabbled in crime in order to build lives for themselves free from the Empire’s oppressive influence, but their crimes have led them too far down the wrong paths. They might find themselves on the run, wanted by the Hutts. They might find themselves blackmailed by politically ambitious ISB agents. Or they might need to figure out how to deal with a Black Sun Vigo who considers them a serious threat to his business.

Still, the Star Wars galaxy is a vast and diverse place, and Edge of the Empire holds room for far more characters than outlaws and con artists. There are a wide range of characters who wish primarily to see what the galaxy has to offer. While they may also have some darker secrets in their pasts, these skilled individuals include your Explorers, Technicians, and Colonists. Events and circumstances beyond their control may lead them down many of the same paths as the game’s other characters, but their skills and interests can spur your campaign toward another whole set of adventures that focus less on blasters and stolen goods and more on tricky social situations and the difficulties and drama inherent in establishing a new life on a hostile planet.

Even as Far Horizons explores some of the different reasons your Colonists may have first become embroiled in your ongoing Star Wars adventures, it provides GMs some tools to amplify the drama and tension of their social encounters and introduces a variety of twists and revelations that may push the encounters in interesting directions. Furthermore, Far Horizons introduces a number of adventure seeds and payment charts built around the idea of contracted work. It even looks at designing entire campaigns around one or more Colonists, possibly even flipping the traditional campaign model on its head.

Centering Your Campaign Around a Homestead

You don’t have to haul illicit goods from system to system or chase bounties through the stars in order to find adventure. When you’re running from the Empire or trying to establish a home on one of the galaxy’s wildest or deadliest planets, adventures have a way of coming to you…

In a campaign centered around one or more Colonists, you may direct a colonization effort, help a struggling colony, or cast your lot in with a group of like-minded individuals looking to start new lives upon some remote, unsettled planet. In such a campaign, the majority of your adventures might all take place upon the same planet, possibly even within a limited geographical area, and the utility of your group’s starship might be significantly reduced. Accordingly, Far Horizons introduces a set of optional rules that allow players to start an Edge of the Empire campaign with a homestead (or other base of operations) instead of a starship.

Over the course of your campaign, you can grow your homestead in size and complexity. You can purchase upgrades like a mechanic’s garage, a landing bay, and advanced security systems. You might even develop your homestead until its influence rivals that of any land baron in the sector.

Of course, you are bound to encounter obstacles along the way. You may have to fend off raiders, arrange for the illicit shipments of goods to cure strange illnesses, or restore your communications arrays after natural disasters. Perhaps a rival land baron will seek to reassert his dominance. Perhaps you’ll actually establish lives that are both peaceful and prosperous – until one of your characters’ past obligations catches up to him and everything you’ve worked so hard to create is placed at risk.

If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It…

It’s easy to recognize the smuggler’s hardships or the danger inherent in the Hired Gun’s chosen profession; however, the Colonist’s life is just as dangerous and just as full of drama. If it weren’t, then the galaxy would be full of individuals happy to uproot their lives and transplant them on remote, hostile planets outside the Empire’s sphere of influence.

Far Horizons ensures that your Colonists – and other Edge of the Empire characters – can develop the talents and find the tools that they need in order to survive and prosper in even the most difficult of situations. Additionally, it helps Game Masters think of new ways to incorporate these characters into their campaigns, or even build entire campaigns around them. In the end, at the Edge of the Empire, a Colonist’s life is never dull.

Head to your local retailer today to pick up your copy of Far Horizons, or order it online through our webstore!

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Lords of Nal Hutta, a Hutt Space sourcebook for the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ Roleplaying Game that allows you and your friends to escape the oppressive rule of the Empire and engage in devious schemes with the galaxy’s slimiest and most notorious gangsters: the Hutts.

Name your vice: gambling, luxury, spice, or beauty, perhaps? Whatever your pleasure, you can find it in abundance in Hutt Space, provided you’re willing to pay. Smugglers, freelancers and mercenaries flock to the galaxy’s many Hutt-controlled hives of scum and villainy to fulfill their depraved desires or make a quick profit. Opportunity is abundant, but it comes at a perilously steep price. Anyone who flies Hutt Space lanes and hauls their questionable cargo must continuously ask themselves how far they’re willing to go in the name of cold, hard credits.

In the 144 pages of Lords of Nal Hutta, Game Masters can find all the information they need to bring the most corrupt and lawless stretch of the galaxy to life. The book places everything you need to base a campaign in this infamous region at your fingertips, including information on over a dozen planets and their history, people and culture, points of interest and plot hooks, as well as local creatures and challenges.

For more information on the details of Hutt Space, we turn to Lead Developer, Max Brooke.

Lead Developer Max Brooke on the Land of the Kajidic

“This book expands considerably on Hutt Space in the Star Wars roleplaying game, giving players and GMs the resources and support to tell countless new stories in locations like Nal Hutta, Nar Shaddaa, Toydaria, Kintan, and more!

“In addition to information about the environments and inhabitants of Hutt Space, Lords of Nal Hutta contains facts about the Hutt kajidics that hold sway there, describing these clans along with their influential members, alliances, rivalries, and histories. The allegiances and squabbles between the various kajidics, as well their interactions with the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance, can make for extremely exciting stories, especially for the smugglers, fringers, and other Edge of the Empire characters who find themselves trapped in the middle! Hutt Space is full of opportunities for an ambitious individual to get incredibly rich—or to lose everything to a Hutt scheme.

“To help bring all of this setting information into your games, Lords of Nal Hutta has a plethora of player resources and a set of modular encounters related to Hutt Space. You’ll find rules for playing four new species native to the region: the rugged and adaptable Nikto, the cybernetic mercenaries known as Ganks, the adept and prideful Sakiyans, and the mighty Hutts themselves. The book also features weapons, equipment, starships, and vehicles from Hutt Space to help the GM and players immerse themselves and their characters in the region. Further, the modular encounters included in this book give GMs ways to easily seed trips to Hutt Space into their adventures or even to run full campaigns within this murky hive of galactic iniquity.”

Residents of the Rim

Along with a detailed overview of the most prominent figures in Hutt Space Lords of Nal Hutta also includes a wealth of new options for character creation.

Players now have four more species options:

• Sakiyans are unparalleled killers in the galaxy. Their predatory skill is unmatched, but protecting and defending their families and prides are their top priorities. While most show little to no interest in leaving their homeworld, Saki, those who do leave quickly become renowned as bounty hunters and assassins, finding their skills in high demand among the Hutt kajidics. Sakiyans are also noted for their distinct lack of humor as well as their intellectual and problem-solving abilities; they rarely take kindly to being proven wrong.
• Niktos are hardy, stoic creatures known for being slaves to the Hutts. Reptilian humanoids with tough, leathery skin and standing roughly the height of an average human, the Niktos are a product of the environment of their harsh home planet, Kintan. All five of the Nikto sub-species are commonly found throughout Hutt Space and the Outer Rim. Most of them operate somewhere between illegal and immoral–doing dirty work for their powerful and devious employers.
• A feared and mysterious species of mercenaries in the employ of the Hutts, the Ganks are among the most bloodthirsty killers in Hutt Space. Fur-laden carnivorous bipeds, they are clad from head to toe in high-tech battle armor, and are rarely seen in the flesh by non-Ganks. At their best as faceless thugs and enforcers, Ganks are almost exclusively bounty hunters, assassins, and bodyguards for Hutts and others willing to pay cold, hard credits for their unseemly services.
• Hutts are large, slow-moving, long-living gastropods with remarkable physical and mental strength. Hutts can be found in nearly any profession, though the most infamous Hutts in the galaxy tend to be gangsters and crime lords. The massive slug-like creatures live for hundreds of years, and though they are slow, they are still physically powerful in their own right. Hutts also retain a great deal of societal power from the influence of the Hutt kajidics.

Black Market Wares

The infamous black markets that litter the seedy underbelly of Hutt Space offer virtually any armaments imaginable, offering everything from the small but powerful blasters of the Hutts to the bizarre tensor rifles of the Sakiyans and the deadly cortosis staves of the Morgukai. Accordingly, Lords of Nal Hutta contains profiles for a wide range of new weapons, armor, and gear, even exotic weapons that spew acid and poison gas.

The wealth of new gear extends far beyond weaponry, though, most notably including some cybernetic favorites of the Ganks. On Nar Shaddaa it is easy to find a back alley doctor willing to replace a limb or implant an artificial device, but only if you’ve got the credits.

Dangerous Opportunities

Lords of Nal Hutta also includes five unique modular encounters that range in length from a thirty minute interlude to a full session’s worth of content. Each is designed to require a minimum of preparation on the part of the Game Master and can be used to help fill out a game with new and exciting locations, prevent disruption in your campaign during an unexpected turn of events, serve as a guide for a one-shot session, or even comprise a series of adventures in their own right.

Engage with the Hutt clans and kajidics as slimy allies or wretched foes, strike a deal with a weapons dealer in Nar Shaddaa, or hunt for spice in the swamps of Toydaria. The options are vast and the choice is yours.

Welcome to Nal Hutta

In Hutt Space, so long as your crew has the guts, the gear, and the luck to pull it off, you can make a lot of quick credits while working for or against the Hutts. The Empire’s limited presence means that once your characters earn their credits, they’ll also find plenty of opportunities to get their hands on some of the most obscure and dangerous gear on this side of the galaxy.

Whether the Hutts become your friends or foes, Lords of Nal Hutta gives you the chance to interact with the slimiest and most devious creatures in this infamous corner of the galaxy.

This setting sourcebook for Edge of the Empire is scheduled to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2014. Until then, keep your eyes open for more announcements, previews and other news about the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Roleplaying Game.

“Don’t get jittery, Luke. There are a lot of command ships. Keep your distance though, Chewie, but don’t look like you’re trying to keep your distance.” 
    –Han Solo

Risk and opportunity are two sides of the same coin, and in a galaxy riven by war, opportunities abound for those willing to take the risks. Across the stars, smugglers flaunt the Empire’s laws to turn a profit. These daring outlaws, scoundrels, and con artists gamble it all for a shot at getting rich…

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Fly Casual, a smuggler sourcebook for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™!

Smuggling in the Star Wars galaxy is a high stakes job filled with danger and excitement. However, flying from one planet to another, sneaking past Imperial patrols, and dealing with the scum of the galaxy is not just a job; it is a way of life. For those men and women drawn to this lifestyle, its opportunities, its freedoms, and its thrills, Fly Casual offers a terrific haul of new character options, equipment, ships, modifications, and potential jobs.

Life on the Edge

Smugglers’ lives are full of risk. They’re nearly always in danger of being caught, and they’re often in danger of being cheated, extorted, or betrayed. Still, many of the galaxy’s best smugglers are able to build reputations for themselves; they have developed the skills they need to survive, and they deliver the goods, no matter how harrowing the experience.

Fly Casual allows you to further develop your Smuggler’s skills. Whether you start from scratch with one of the book’s three new playable species or take your veteran Smuggler to all-new heights with one of two new signature abilities, Fly Casual presents you with all the skill, charm, and daring you need to run a profitable career in the galaxy’s shadiest fringes.

Additionally, you’ll be able to train your Smuggler in a range of new talents associated with three new specializations: Charmer, Gambler, and Gunslinger. These specializations and their talents add new dimensions and versatility to the Smuggler career, providing your Smuggler with new ways to refine his talents or branch out into new operations.

Tricks of the Trade

Every Smuggler knows that keeping his cargo safe and his clients happy takes as much preparation as it does luck. You need a fast ship, the right gear for your job, and a blaster in hand whenever a deal goes bad. If you’re constantly gambling on your life and reputation, it pays to stack the odds in your favor, even if doing so may require a fair investment of credits.

Accordingly, the new weapons, gear, vehicles, and starships in Fly Casual are designed for speed, stealth, and skulduggery. From light and concealable blasters to digital lockpicks, and from shadowcloaks to the fast, but temperamental YT-2000, you’ll find a wide range of new tools to help you survive your business with a galaxy full of greedy Hutts, violent thugs, heartless bounty hunters, and other dregs.

Of course, there’s virtually no such thing as a stock smuggler’s vessel, so Fly Casual also introduces more than half a dozen different starship and vehicle modifications. If you want to succeed, make sure you’re prepared.

It’s Just Business

Smuggling plays a large part in many Edge of the Empire campaigns. Although this is obviously likely to be true for parties that include one or more Smuggler characters, any group with its own starship and the need to pay off an Obligation might end up taking on work moving contraband.

At their most basic level, smuggling adventures involve transporting something across the galaxy and either bypassing or overcoming the obstacles that lie in-between the beginning and end of the journey. Usually, the party will haul some illicit cargo, but it could just as easily take on passengers who need to get somewhere quickly and discreetly.

However, there’s often more to a job than just moving goods or passengers, and Fly Casual helps Game Masters liven up their smuggling runs with new rules and information for hyperspace travel, con jobs, heists, gambling, recurring rivals, quick-draw blaster duels, and other important features of smuggling adventures. Additionally, should your players aspire to remove themselves from the daily risks and travails of the smuggler’s lifestyle, they could put their talents to use in the formation of their own smuggling ring. Fly Casual provides enough information about smuggling rings and other syndicates that you could easily create a campaign around a group of characters who would rather run the show than fly back and forth at the behest of others.

Who Doesn’t Like a Good Payoff?

While the rules and information in Fly Casual are geared primarily toward Smugglers and their interests, the book is filled with toys, tricks, and opportunities that are certain to catch the imagination of any Player Character interested in turning a profit at the edge of the Empire. You just have to be willing to accept the risks.

Fly Casual is scheduled to arrive at retailers in the first quarter of 2015. Until then, keep your eye to our Edge of the Empire website for more information about this book and others!

"Soon you will learn to appreciate me."   –Jabba the Hutt

Recently we announced Lords of Nal Hutta, a sourcebook for the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ roleplaying game. Lords of Nal Hutta provides players and GMs with a wealth of information to help them to incorporate the slimy characters, black markets, and lawless planets of Hutt Space into their games. You can travel into the most decadent and corrupt stretch of the galaxy, work for a criminal syndicate, or create your own ambitious and conniving Hutt character. In this decadent and corrupt region of the galaxy, you’ll find plenty of opportunities for profitable crimes, illegal luxuries, or unexpected good deeds.

Today’s preview looks at Hutt character creation and the fundamentals of Hutt culture. Contributing writer Sterling Hershey also introduces you to the four kajidics featured in Lords of Nal Hutta, each one specialized in a different style of crime.

Power and Greed

Thousands of years ago, the Hutts used to be a warrior culture, settling disputes on the battlefield rather than in the political arena. When a civil war devastated the entire species, the Hutts created a ruling council and a clan system, so their battles for power and control could take place peacefully. Now, Hutt clans aggressively compete for political and economic power. The Hutt Ruling Council governs their society with a legal framework that is built to be manipulated, and their justice is based on politics and revenge instead of balance or fairness.

Since they transitioned from military to economic competition, the Hutts have come to dominate criminal activity in the galaxy, using legitimate activities to conceal their illegal dealings. Their knowledge of trade routes, open and secret, is unsurpassed. The spice trade, slave trade, and weapons black market all depend on the galaxy-wide networks of the Hutts.

The Means to Prosper

The most important unit of Hutt society is the kajidic – essentially a clan-based crime syndicate. Kajidic translates to “the means by which we prosper,” revealing that a kajidic’s purpose is to make its members as wealthy and powerful as possible. Each kajidic specializes in a unique set of legal and illegal economic activities, possesses a certain amount of political power, and is usually governed by a single, preeminent Hutt. Here, contributing writer Sterling Hershey introduces the four kajidics featured in Lords of Nal Hutta, including two that he designed:

“Kajidics are criminal syndicates intertwined with the Hutt clans through all of Hutt space and beyond. The book features four of the kajidics in detail, and I named and created two of them. Each kajidic description covers its general history, recent events, legitimate and criminal activities, areas of operation, and a few significant members. There is a mixture of recognizable and new characters.

“The featured kajidics include two of the best known – Desilijic and Besadii. Desilijic is Jabba the Hutt’s operation, an ancient and poweful kajidic that currently holds the upper hand in Hutt politics. The rival Besadii kajidic includes Durga the Hutt and Gardulla the Hutt, who are both heavily tied into previous Hutt storylines. Besadii lost its seat on the ruling council during the Clone Wars, but has prospered through striking secret deals with the Empire.

“Qunaalac is a heavily armed kajidic. It is a major defender of Hutt space, especially around the secretive Hutt throneworlds in the Bootana Hutta. It retains more of the Hutts’ ancient militaristic past traditions compared to other kajidics. Hutt military fleets are usually ad-hoc affairs reliant on current alliances and multiple agendas, like any other Hutt operation. So the Qunaalac Hutts aren’t entirely military, but it is their strength.

“While Qunaalac operates mostly within Hutt Space, Gorensla Hutts are galactic black marketeers. They operate in the shadows, secretly owning and controlling ports, hyperspace smuggling routes, and more. Their front organizations influence entire economies. They rig laws to legalize their activities. They play and profit from all sides in wartime. Gorensla even sells to the Rebels, but are careful to conceal that fact from both sides of the Galactic Civil War.”

Thank you, Sterling!

You can integrate your knowledge of kajidics and Hutt culture into your campaign, whether it takes you deep into Hutt Space or entangles you in Jabba’s smuggling ring on Tatooine. If you’re building an NPC or PC Hutt character, you’ll want to consider what kajidic the Hutt belongs to and how they fit into the competitive and ruthless society of the Hutts.

Be Your Own Crime Boss

In Lords of Nal Hutta you’ll find the outline for creating a Hutt character, namely a young adult Hutt only one or two centuries old. Your Hutt might be a self-interested smuggler eager to rise up in the ranks of his kajidic, or an outcast and a member of the Rebel Alliance. You might be running a successful weapons smuggling ring, or making a name for yourself as a warrior in order to better launch your political career. Or, you may choose to subvert Hutt tradition, and use your wealth to aid other, more impoverished species.

Hutts are physically tough, with a Brawn of three and a fairly high wound threshold. Their immense size does, however, cause a low Agility score and make them Ponderous, meaning that they can only spend one maneuver moving each turn. Hutts are also mentally tough. They have a high Willpower and are not only difficult to deceive, charm, or coerce, but resistant to the Force. Having taken advantage of their clientele for centuries, the Hutts are not about to let anyone take advantage of them.

The Only Limit Is Ambition

At the edge of the Empire, where Imperial laws fail to check violence and greed, you’re sure to encounter the Hutts. You may perform in a decadent Hutt palace, make a deal with Gardulla in order to get supplies for the Rebellion, or become indebted to Jabba because of a bad smuggling run. With Lords of Nal Hutta, you can integrate the Hutts’ aggressive politics and black market economy into your campaigns, and even participate in their devious schemes as an aspiring Hutt yourself. In Hutt space, the only law is avarice, and the only limit is ambition.

Preorder Lords of Nal Hutta from your local retailer today!

“The Jundland Wastes are not to be traveled lightly.”    –Obi-Wan Kenobi

In the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ Roleplaying Game, a Colonist’s life is full of danger. You have your outstanding Obligations and your own reasons for avoiding the Empire, but you’re never really free from your debtors, bounty hunters, and Imperial agents. Moreover, the distant planets you seek to settle may have atmospheres and terrain as hostile as any pack of Stormtroopers.

Fortunately, four new Specialization Decks introduce plenty of tools for overcoming all the obstacles that life sets before you. Drawn from the pages of the Far Horizons sourcebook for Colonists, these Specialization Decks each offer quick and easy access to the rules for the talents and abilities from the Entrepreneur, Marshal, and Performer specializations, as well as the Colonist Signature Abilities.

Building Better Lives

For reasons as diverse as the Outer Rim planets they settle, Colonists abandon their Core World homes to explore and tame the wilderness. They may not always appear as rough and ragged as many of the other individuals you’ll find undertaking adventures at the Edge of the Empire, but Colonists are far more capable than they seem.

Most of them are well-educated, and many of them formerly lived among the professional and cultural elite. Their combination of education and hard-earned life experiences give them the courage and resilience to overcome any challenges put before them. They also tend to have a good perspective on the bigger picture. When the time is right, they can grab their tools, draw upon their extensive knowledge, and put their experience to good use.

Likewise, Specialization Decks are an excellent tool for players and GMs looking to manage Colonists and their many skills. Each comes with twenty talent cards, one for each of the talents in the targeted specialization’s talent tree. These cards ensure that you’ll have the rules for your talents close at hand, along with art designed to help immerse you more deeply into the Star Wars galaxy.

• Entrepreneurs know the power of wealth, and handle any situation with a sharp mind and a fist full of credits. For Entrepreneurs, wealth is never a problem, just a solution.
• Marshals keep the peace in Outer Rim towns. Often the only thing standing between law and chaos, a Marshal must dispense justice with a steady hand and steely demeanor.
• Whether a musician, actor, comedian, or other entertainer, the Performer is always the center of attention. Using this to his advantage is the Performer’s greatest act.

Meanwhile, the Colonist Signature Abilities deck comes with eighteen cards that neatly summarize all the rules for the different talents from the two Colonist signature abilities found in the Far Horizons sourcebook, Insightful Revelation and Unmatched Expertise.

These signature abilities allow your Colonist to make a lasting impact as a paragon of his or her trade, and the cards from Colonist Signature Abilities serve as a tangible reminder of your character’s unparalleled skill and experience.

The Tools of the Trade

Outfit your Colonist for life on the galaxy’s wildest, deadliest, and most exciting planets. Whether you’re looking to ply your skills in the service of a wealthy gangster or you’re looking to tame a planet full of untapped natural resources, these Specialization Decks provide you with the tools you’ll need to build and play your Colonist the way you want.

Pick up your copy today!

• Colonist Entrepreneur
• Colonist Marshal
• Colonist Performer
• Colonist Signature Abilities

“Let the Empire think they control the galaxy – we know where the true power lies.”
–Jabba Desilijic Tiure, Lords of Nal Hutta

Home to lethal political posturing, high-stakes smuggling, and decadent luxuries, Hutt Space is one of the most dangerous and profitable regions in the galaxy. In Lords of Nal Hutta, a supplement for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™, players venture into this lawless sector where the Empire has little power, immense wealth lives side by side with terrible poverty, and any deal might result in terrible pain or tremendous profit. You’ll find ample descriptions of several Hutt planets and countless details about Hutt culture in Lords of Nal Hutta, enabling you not only to create complex Hutt PCs and NPCs, but stage an entire campaign in Hutt Space.

Today’s preview surveys three of the many locations featured in Lords of Nal Hutta: Toydaria, Nar Shaddaa, and the Hutt homeworld, Nal Hutta. It also looks at the modular encounter that takes place on each planet. Modular encounters are flavorful set pieces that provide a sample of the experiences your group might have in Hutt space. GMs can easily incorporate a modular encounter into an existing campaign, use one as the launching point for a campaign of their own creation, or make one the focus of a single-session adventure.

Markets, Mushrooms, and Swamps

Although a few cities dot its landscape, most of Toydaria is covered with putrid swamps and pastoral villages that remain untouched by technology. The shrewd, avian Toydarians have resisted being enslaved by the Hutts, but they have allowed the Empire to station a garrison deep within the swampland. You might venture to Toydaria hoping to pick up exotic food items to sell abroad, open up a trading contract with King Maalva, or relax in the luxurious gardens of the royal palace, but you’ll have to be careful to avoid any Imperial entanglements.

In “Toydarian Grocery Shopping,” one of the five modular encounters in Lords of Nal Hutta, players are tasked to find rare Black Gabaki mushrooms to be served at the king’s banquet. Black Gabaki mushrooms only grow inside dank swamp caves, where voracious grabworms and other deadly predators dwell, and their high value on the black market is partially owed to the peril involved in obtaining them. Characters might take on this task in order to work their way into court, or as their first job within a Hutt kajidic – either way, it could prove as lucrative as it dangerous.

The Smuggler’s Moon

Nar Shaddaa is a massive, smog-filled city, filled with ports, cantinas, markets, slums, smuggled weapons, and slaves. It is a haven for the lost, downtrodden, and hunted, where an operative of the Black Sun smuggling ring might buy you a drink, or you might discover a former Jedi knight living on the streets. You might go to Nar Shaddaa in order to quickly make some credits, or just to see for yourself the magnificent mixture of luxury and depravity.

Each sector of the city has a uniquely sordid character. In the Corellian sector, you’ll find posh restaurants and trendy nightclubs alongside fighting pits and public housing. The Red Light Sector is notorious throughout the galaxy, and on its streets you can find any temptation imaginable among the slave dealers and bio-enhancement shops. The Undercity is an expansive and polluted processing district inhabited by murderers and mutants, so vile and dangerous that even the hardiest bounty hunters avoid it.

The modular encounter “A Deal Gone Wrong” takes you to the streets of a busy Nar Shaddaa market district, where players will encounter a down-on-her-luck Twi’lek smuggler fighting with a a Trandoshan weapons dealer over some merchandise that she failed to procure. The situation is so explosive that players have no choice but to become involved. Taking either side will likely earn them some credits… and get them into some serious trouble.

An Invitation You Can’t Refuse

Like Toydaria, Nal Hutta is a humid and swampy planet. Unlike Toydaria, Nal Hutta has synonymous with heinous villainy and ruthless subjugation ever since the Hutts invaded it and almost eradicated the native Evocii. The capital, Bilbousa, is home to both the Hutt Ruling Council and the most profitable weapons smugglers in the galaxy. Nearby are the Guarja shipyards, where starfighters are manufactured and secretly sold to the Rebel Alliance, not because the Hutts want to overthrow the Empire, but purely for the sake of profit.

The modular encounter “Rubbing Slimy Elbows” takes place on Nal Hutta. Players are invited by a mysterious Hutt patron to attend a lavish traditional dinner called a Granee Noopa. Refusing the invitation is impossible without causing serious offense, and attending means a chance to earn fame, fortune, and opportunities for further advancement among the Hutts. However, clear information about Granee Noopas is difficult to find. Some say that no one who has ever attended one has lived to talk about it. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be the first to survive and spill all the details.

Peril and Profit

You may enter Hutt Space looking to make a profit or resolve a debt, to acquire some illegal weapons or rise in your clan’s crime syndicate. Whatever your reason for venturing into this lawless territory may be, you’re certain to encounter supreme luxury, dangerous intrigues, and all sorts of illicit activities.

Pre-order Lords of Nal Hutta from your local retailer today!

“This bounty hunter is my kind of scum. Fearless and inventive.”   –Jabba the Hutt, Return of the Jedi

The upcoming Lords of Nal Hutta sourcebook for Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ takes players into the lawless, ruthless depths of Hutt Space. In this region of the galaxy you’ll find exiles, smugglers, and all sorts of scum, including countless bounty hunters and enslaved bodyguards. You may find yourself hunting others for profit, or being relentlessly hunted for an Obligation to the Hutts that you could not fulfill.

The four playable species featured in Lords of Nal Hutta are all native to this violence and chaos. A playable Hutt was discussed in our first preview. In today’s preview, contributing writer Gregory Koteles introduces the other three: the stoic Niktos, bloodthirsty Ganks, and cunning Sakiyans. You’ll also get to peek at some of the cybernetic implants that may enable your character to not just survive, but even thrive in Hutt Space.

Gregory Koteles on the New Species of Lords of Nal Hutta

Alongside the Gamorreans and Weequay, the Niktos are probably one of the most recognizable races working for the Hutts. Due to rapid mutation caused by radiation on their homeworld, there are five distinct Nikto subspecies. From a design perspective, this gave us a lot to play with. While the Niktos all share a basic physiology and certain characteristics, the subspecies have unique traits that can give them a real edge in certain situations and environments, such as the Red Niktos’ capacity to weather the hottest desert environment, the Green Niktos’ natural coordination and deadly claws, or the Pale Niktos’ ability to move through water as easily as on land. Niktos are excellent survivors and likely to appeal to players who prefer more straightforward and brutal methods of conflict resolution.

Though the Niktos are familiar to most Star Wars fans, the Ganks have made far fewer appearances in the Star Wars universe and remain much more mysterious – even their homeworld is unknown. These notoriously secretive, consummate mercenaries have a penchant for augmenting their bodies with cybernetics – a lot of them. Ganks start their careers in Edge of the Empire with multiple cybernetic implants and can augment their natural abilities with even more technological enhancements as they progress, making them extremely efficient killers – though they might want to avoid the company of Jawa scavengers, lest they find themselves used for spare parts.

The Sakiyans are known for stealth and cunning. We chose to concentrate on their impressive hunting and tracking abilities, making them excellent Bounty Hunters and Explorers. Their slighter frames make them likely to absorb raw damage, but this is more than made up for by their intelligence and perspicacity. As one of the few species native to Hutt Space not completely under Hutt domination, the Sakiyans are less likely than others to owe a starting Obligation to the masters of Nal Hutta. Yet, coming from a culture that puts great emphasis on honor, they’re likely to owe some Obligation to their family and their pride, or clan.

Along with their Hutt overlords, these three new playable races give players the opportunity to explore the darker margins of life on the fringe of the galaxy, and they give GMs a few new resources to complicate things for players who cross paths with the Hutts.

Becoming More Machine

Whether you play a Gank assassin who needs to kill on sight, or a human wanting to replace a lost limb, cybernetics allow you to transcend your body’s limits. As long as you have the credits to pay for it, there’s a doctor on Nar Shaddaa willing to implant any artificial device you can imagine.

For an edge in the struggle for survival, you may want to purchase some adrenal implants. These small devices attached to your subadrenal gland stimulate the production of epinephrine, which speeds recovery from fatigue. Any character who possesses adrenal implants therefore gains a rank in the Rapid Recovery talent. Similarly, cybernetic reflexes stimulate and regulate the nervous system, granting one rank of the Rapid Reaction talent. Either implant could make a significant difference in the middle of a fight – or even a high-stakes late-night negotiation.

Gank comm implants allow characters to communicate silently across several kilometers, essentially as if sharing thoughts. A team of characters with Gank comm implants could not only coordinate actions at a distance, but plan an attack or escape while standing in the presence of an enemy threat. These implants have proven to be so useful that almost all adult Ganks possess them and while they’re relatively rare, they only cost a couple of hundred credits.

The repulsor fist is a more drastic cybernetic improvement: a violent melee weapon that replaces your hand and upper arm. Lacking synthskin, repulsor fists aren’t designed to appear natural. Instead, you can rely on the mere sight of one to instill fear and caution in a potential attacker. For Bounty Hunters, Hired Guns, and anyone else who intends on doing a lot of melee fighting, a repulsor fist is a solid, permanent, investment.

Hunters and Hunted

You might make a living in Hutt Space as a Gank mercenary, using your cybernetic implants and brute strength to survive in war, or as a Sakiyan assassin, relying on your wits and natural stealth to hunt down your target. You might take on the sympathetic role of an escaped Nikto, hunted by the cruel Hutt that you once served, or play a conniving young Hutt, willing to do anything to rise in your kajidic. No matter what, you’ll soon find that almost everyone in Hutt space is either a hunter or hunted, and that it’s far better to be the predator than the prey. Do you have what it takes to survive in this realm of iniquity, or will you fall victim to others’ cunning snares and cold-blooded cruelty?

Pre-order Lords of Nal Hutta today!

Venture into one of the most dangerous parts of the galaxy! Lords of Nal Hutta, a sourcebook for the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ roleplaying game, is now available at your local retailer and in our online store.

Lords of Nal Hutta contains all the information that you need to experience Hutt Space. It provides countless details about Hutt civilization, including their ruthless crime syndicates and violent history. It describes each of the major locations in Hutt Space, from the dimly lit cantinas and black markets of Nar Shaddaa to the jungles of Saki, providing GMs with numerous and detailed settings for adventures. Lords of Nal Hutta also features new playable species and a wide variety of gear to help you survive in this notoriously lawless region.

Crime Families

The heart of Hutt culture is the kajidic, a clan-based syndicate governed by a single Hutt and often specialized in illegal activities. It is within his kajidic that a Hutt is given his first job, cultivates his career, and perhaps even attains political power. In our first preview, contributing writer Sterling Hershey introduced the four most prominent kajidics, from Jabba’s own Desilijic to the militaristic Qunaalac Hutts.

For Hutts, power and money are inextricably linked, and the end almost always justifies the means. Many kajidics, specialize in the lucrative spice trade – “spice” euphemistically including a wide variety of legal and illegal substances. Hutts have put thousands of slaves to work in spice production, and employed a vast number of smugglers and pilots who, like the famous Han Solo, are willing to risk their lives (and Imperial entanglements) for the sake of profit. A risky spice smuggling run, such as the infamous Kessel Run, could be the centerpiece of an Edge of the Empire campaign. A failed run might be the source of your obligation to a vindictive Hutt overlord.

Worlds of Beauty, Cruelty, and Wealth

A total of twelve planets are detailed in Lords of Nal Hutta: densely populated trade outposts where anything can be found for a price, desolate worlds with enslaved populations, vast game reserves where assassins hone their skills, radioactive wastelands. Our second preview explored three different planets within Hutt Space: the so-called Smuggler’s Moon, Nar Shaddaa, the capital and home of the Hutts, Nal Hutta, and the pastoral world of Toydaria. It also looked at three modular encounters: ready-made, detailed set pieces that GMs can use as the launching point of a campaign or a single-session adventure.

One location essential for any voyage into Hutt Space is the Kwenn Space Station, the neutral gateway between the Empire-controlled Mid Rim and the lawless regions ruled by the Hutts. Over 325,000 humans, Hutts, and other species permanently reside in the space station, with at least another 20,000 passing through daily, many of them being spice smugglers, weapons dealers, and mercenaries. But Kwenn is also an elite resort catering to the galaxy’s ultra-wealthy. Its towers are filled with expensive entertainments, from casinos and cantinas to spas – and even an opera house. It’s an ideal place for a smuggler to have a business meeting with his Hutt employers, for a bounty hunter to begin the search for her quarry, or for a quiet young entertainer to become involved in a Rebel conspiracy.

Native Species and Survival Gear

Lords of Nal Hutta introduces four new playable species native to Hutt Space: Ganks, Niktos, Sakiyans, and of course, the Hutts. In our third preview, contributing writer Gregory Koteles discussed the Ganks’ predilection for cybernetics, the Sakiyans’ stealth and intelligence, and the Niktos’ diversity. We also looked at a few of the cybernetic implants that your Gank or other character might purchase in Hutt Space.

Of course, survival in Hutt Space isn’t just a matter of shooting first. In this realm of deadly intrigue, you may want tools more subtle than a blaster. Poison, for example, may be a more effective weapon, and Lords of Nal Hutta introduces three kinds of it. If you intend on gambling at the Kwenn Space Station, you might want a marked sabaac deck or some loaded chance cubes to ensure to ensure that the odds are always in your favor. A portable credit cleaner can make sure that any money you earn in Hutt Space cannot be traced by even the most skilled accountant droids.

Follow Your Ambitions

Hutt Space is a realm of extremes. Its inhabitants are largely free from Imperial laws, but slavery is rampant. Unfathomable wealth lives side by side with desperate poverty. There’s as many opportunities for profit and political gain in Hutt Space as there are backroom deals, and as many opportunities for doing good as there are examples of cruelty. Whatever lures your Edge of the Empire roleplaying group into Hutt Space, you’re sure to encounter there danger, intrigue, and plentiful adventures.

Pick up your copy of Lords of Nal Hutta today!

“Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid. I’m in it for the money.”
   –Han Solo

A smuggler’s life is one of bending the rules or creating your own, of fighting for survival and making narrow escapes. Smugglers may be thought of as greedy and self-interested, but that’s the price they pay for freedom – and under Imperial rule, freedom is a precious commodity. They’ll take on any job that pays well, not just for the money, but because money is what gives them independence.

In Fly Casual, a sourcebook for the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ roleplaying game, you’ll find everything you need to experience a Smuggler’s life, from talents that let you talk your way out of trouble to gear that conceals contraband. For Game Masters there’s plentiful information about smuggling within the Star Wars galaxy, a guide to designing a smuggling ring for your group, and ideas for staging con jobs, scams, break-ins, and all sorts of illegal activities.

Today’s preview focuses on the Smugglers themselves. We’ll look at the three new Smuggler specializations introduced in Fly Casual, three new species apt to practice these specializations, and some of the gear that can help you succeed in this underhanded, risky, and lucrative career.

Talk the Talk

In the Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook, you’ll find three Smuggler specializations. You can choose to be a focused, hardworking Pilot, a quick-witted, cavalier Scoundrel, or a stealthy, cunning Thief. But if your charisma is your favorite weapon, and you prefer to negotiate rather than intimidate or fight, you might want to become a Charmer, the first of the new specializations introduced in Fly Casual. Armed with the skills Charm, Cool, Leadership, and Negotiation, Charmers can befriend the people they’re about to steal from and talk their way out of a bad situation. They can easily navigate both the underworld and the upper echelons of society, and they always know exactly the right thing to say.

Sometimes a Charmer’s persuasive words and disarming smile are enough to gain entry to a private cantina, or to pass through an Imperial checkpoint. At those times, False Credentials may prove useful. For 800 credits your character can buy a fake identity that will fool even the most sophisticated scanners and most perceptive adversaries. You may want to keep some on hand just in case someone links your character’s real name to the ignoble deceptions and illegal deeds you’ve perpetrated.

Beat the Odds

Charmers are easy to recognize: their natural magnetism and compelling words always make them the center of attention. Gamblers, however, must avoid receiving too much attention and keep their tricks hidden in order to survive. Rather than attract attention, they may prefer to keep a low profile and secretly strategize for the moment when they reveal their hand. Specializing as a Gambler involves more than always winning at the sabacc table. Gambling is a mentality, a way of life, a willingness to risk it all and a knowledge of how to triumph against the odds.

A Gambler's bonus skills include Computers, Cool, Deception, and Skulduggery, allowing you to double up on the latter two since they are part of the Smuggler base skill set. With these skills, you are as well suited to playing casual games of cards with the Imperial aristocracy as you are hacking into the computers of a Hutt crime boss. You might be the brains behind an independent smuggling ring, or a card shark out in one of the colonies. You might even play a Trader and use the Gambler specialization to enhance your negotiating skills.

Shoot First

Sometimes deals go wrong. Sometimes your client refuses to pay for the merchandise you’ve smuggled across the galaxy. Sometimes you get caught in the act of stealing, or a rival Smuggler turns to violence to cut down his competition. In these cases, having a Gunslinger on board your ship can prove very useful. Gunslingers start with the bonus career skills Coercion, Cool, Knowledge (Outer Rim), and Ranged (Light). But the true strength of a Gunslinger lies in their ability to shoot faster than their opponent. The Gunslinger’s talents allow him to draw fast, aim well, and deliver a lethal blow before anyone else has got a weapon in hand.

All Smugglers need a way to prevent their valuables – and stolen goods – from being taken in a search. But Gunslingers who want to keep their hands free for drawing and shooting may be particularly interested in a Smuggler’s Trenchcoat. It has more pockets (and pockets within pockets) than Imperial stormtroopers are willing to search, and, since it adds a point to your soak value, it protects both you and your contraband in a fight.

Native to the Outer Rim

The three playable species introduced in Fly Casual each hail from a different world in the Outer Rim. Each offers its own challenges and advantages for the Smuggler career. 

The Quarren once led a peaceful underwater existence on their homeworld of Dac, and these tentacled, amphibious humanoids still feel more comfortable swimming than walking or flying. Conflicts with the Mon Calamari and the Empire have now compelled some Quarren to leave Dac and earn a living on the fringes of the galaxy. Because they can be aggressive and strong-willed, Quarren take easily to the Gunslinger specialization or the Hired Gun career, but some also possess a natural meticulousness that suits them to the work of a Mechanic or Outlaw Tech.

The shrewd, elegant, reptilian Falleen make excellent Charmers, Politicos, and even Performers, possessing a disarming presence that can make anyone put down their guard. After all, the Falleen control the Black Sun, one of the most powerful crime syndicates ever known in the galaxy. In addition to their natural intelligence and cunning, the Falleen also have the ability to modulate their skin color and pheromones to affect the emotional states of others. Anyone who lets his guard down might find himself agreeing to whatever a Falleeen wants without exactly knowing why– and later regretting his decisions.

The tall, burly Gotals possess great Cunning, lack much Presence, and, because they can be so inconspicuous, are well suited for the Gambler specialization. They also possess energy-sensitive horns that, through fluctuations in the electro-magnetic field, can sense the emotional states of others. The same adaptations that enable Gotals to tell whether or not someone is bluffing also make them sympathetic Doctors or perceptive Marshals. Yet some Gotals use their empathy as a weapon: a Gotal Bounty Hunter, for example, could use it to more easily hunt down his prey.

The new species of Fly Casual from left to right: a Gotal, Quarren, and Falleen

Fortune Favors the Bold

A Charmer, a Gambler, a Gunslinger, and a Pilot could make an excellent smuggling team: let the Charmer and Gambler run con jobs and do the dirty work while the Gunslinger eliminates any armed opponents and the Pilot takes care of the quick getaway.You might also pick up Charmer, Gambler, or Gunslinger as an additional specialization so that your Colonist, Bounty Hunter, or Explorer has a few underhanded tricks up her sleeve. Whether smuggling is your livelihood or you play high-stakes games of sabacc and hintaro as a pastime, Fly Casual open up dangerous, profitable, and thrilling new adventures for you to experience in the Star Wars universe.

Fly Casual is coming soon. Pre-order it from your local retailer today!

“Never tell me the odds.” 
   –Han Solo

Fly Casual, a sourcebook for the Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ roleplaying game, is now available at your local retailer and in our online store.

As a Smuggler, you thrive on risk and adventure. You’re happy never knowing what your next job might be or where it might take you. You might transport spice for a Hutt kajidic on one trip and ferry stolen medical supplies to a Rebel cell on the next. You don’t mind taking on illegal jobs from nefarious crime lords, as long as the pay is good. You just want to avoid Imperial attention, remain independent, and stay alive. 

For players who want to experience the thrills, dangers, and freedom of a Smuggler’s life, Fly Casual introduces new specializations, species, and signature abilities, along with new vehicles, and gear. For Game Masters, it provides copious information about smuggling in the Star Wars galaxy, from ideas for smuggling jobs to guidelines for quick-draw showdowns.

Shady Characters

We’ve already previewed the three new specializations – Charmer, Gambler, and Gunslinger – featured in Fly Casual, along with the three new species: the glamorous and shrewd Falleen, the empathic Gotals, and the aggressive Quarren. All are well-suited to becoming Smugglers, but there’s no limit to the careers they might take on. A Falleen could use her grace and intelligence as a Politico or Trader, while a Gotal might use his sensitivity to others’ emotions as a Doctor in an Outer Rim colony.  A Quarren, given the species’ meticulousness, might find employment as an Outlaw Tech. 

Although Smugglers may be Scoundrels, they aren’t necessarily cynical criminals or Outer Rim low-lifes. Fly Casual offers numerous suggestions for Smuggler backgrounds and Obligations. A Charmer might have been born into a privileged situation in a core world, but gave it all up in order to experience the open skies. A Gunslinger might once have been part of the Imperial military, but then became disillusioned with the Empire’s policies and left. Your Obligation might come from the notoriety you’ve gained for flagrantly breaking the law, or you might have a family on your homeworld that you support through smuggling.

No matter your specialization or background, as a Smugglers you are most certainly self-reliant. The new Unmatched Fortune signature ability helps you control your fate. The basic ability allows you to spend two Destiny Points to change the face of a positive die in your pool, making success out of failure, or even a triumph out of a success. If you foresee yourself getting into a lot of tough situations with no obvious exit, you may want the Narrow Escape signature ability. It allows you to spend two Destiny Points and make a Streetwise check: if you pass, you can escape from the present problem unscathed and live to fight, and fly, another day.

The Ship of Your Dreams

Some Smugglers, particularly Gamblers, might be able to sustain their career planetside. But most need a ship to carry their contraband, or at least help them make a clean getaway. Fly Casual features a range of ships suited to smuggling and new attachments so you can customize your chosen vessel. A whisperthrust engine, for example, makes your ship hard to detect at low speeds and can help you avoid getting boarded by Imperial officials. If you do get boarded, cloaked smuggling compartments and a rapid cargo evacuation chute can ensure they won’t find any evidence of your illegal merchandise. 

A good smuggler’s ship at a low price is the Starlight-class light freighter, which costs just under 70,000 credits and is incredibly fast at unloading and loading cargo. The sail-like shape of these freighters makes them unmistakeable, but it also makes them difficult to handle and unable to carry too much weight. Nevertheless, for lighter jobs and quick exits, you can’t do much better for the price. 

One of the best light freighters is the YT-2000, twice as expensive as the Starlight-class freighter, with better handling, better durability, nearly twice the encumbrance capacity, and better guns. YT-2000 was intended to be the pinnacle of the YT light freighter series, but the design was leaked through espionage and production was rushed before all the kinks were worked out. For that reason, keeping a YT-2000 in shape means constant work for a Mechanic or Outlaw Tech – but that job could easily become a labor of love. 

Occupational Hazards

If smuggling were easy it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. Therefore, Fly Casual offers Game Masters a number of ways to complicate smuggling jobs. To assist you in creating Imperial entanglements, it provides details on the Imperial Customs Office, the Bureau of Ships and Services, and the logistics of hacking transponder codes. If you’re staging a heist, you can use some of the detection devices and traps described in Fly Casual. The book even introduces rules for playing hintaro, a game played with chance cubes that is certain to drain your PCs credits – unless they know how to beat the odds.

Game Masters may also appreciate the three types of nemeses described: the Patron, the Law, and the Friendly Foe. A Smuggler’s relationship with his Patron may begin positive, but a failed job or personal offense could turn a Patron into a deadly and powerful enemy. The Law, of course, is seldom on a Smuggler’s side. The Friendly Foe may have gotten you out of countless scrapes, or even taught you everything you know, but that doesn’t mean you can trust him. He might buy a round of drinks only to distract you while he steals your cargo, or hook you up with a spice smuggling job a few days before turning you in to the authorities.

Take to the Skies

Whether you’re an ambitious and cunning Charmer looking to pick up the perfect talents, a seasoned Pilot in search of the perfect ship, or a Game Master developing smuggling adventures for your Edge of the Empire campaign, you’ll find what you need in Fly Casual. 

The open skies of the Outer Rim are waiting. Pick up your copy of Fly Casual today!