One of the major strengths of Dungeons & Dragons is the Player's Handbook, which allows each player to possess their own copy of the rules that govern their character, without requiring them to invest in the larger set of information that is only needed by the DM. Star Wars, like most other RPGs that I have run into, uses an all-encompassing Core Rulebook (CRB for short). While I don't expect any player to read the CRB from cover-to-cover, you will need to have a basic grasp of game mechanics in order to build your character and begin playing. This guide is not intended to fully replace the CRB, but it should be a helpful starting point.

This guide will also contain any House Rules that are relevant to our campaign.

Read This First - This link is a quick introduction to Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars RPG system, geared toward explaining what makes it different from Dungeons & Dragons (and other d20-based games). Since everyone in our group has played D&D, I didn't bother doing a full write-up on how roleplaying games work in general. Anyone who played in my previous campaign should skip this part, unless you're looking for a refresher on the basics.

Fantasy Flight Games makes 3 different thematic CRBs for Star Wars, each with its own line of expansion books. Edge of the Empire focuses on life in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, and allows players to be a variety of fringe-type characters such as bounty hunters, smugglers, and colonists (Imagine Firefly with a Star Wars backdrop). Age of Rebellion is all about being a member of the Rebel Alliance and fighting against the Empire. Force and Destiny is all about playing the part of a Force User. I want players to be able to pull their character creation options from all 3 games, so I have had to tweak a few of the rules. Please read this section, even if you have played before.

Character Creation House Rules:

1. Players may choose any playable Species and Career from any of the 3 games, including options from the CRBs and the expansion books.

2. All characters must choose an Obligation, per the rules in Edge of the Empire. The starting Obligation score is based on the number of players in the campaign. Assuming 5 players, starting score will be 10. Extra Obligation may be taken in exchange for additional starting XP or Credits, also covered in the Edge of the Empire rules.

3. Any character who starts as a Force Sensitive character (or who becomes Force Sensitive later on) must choose a Morality, per the rules in Force and Destiny. Starting Morality score is 50. You may NOT use the rule for adjusting Morality to gain starting XP or Credits. However, if you have taken on extra Obligation, you may choose to adjust your Morality score accordingly.

4. Any character with an Age of Rebellion career takes a Duty score, per the rules of that game. You may NOT use the rule for spending Duty to gain starting XP or Credits. However, if you have taken on extra Obligation, you MUST drop your Duty score accordingly.

5. Please write a background story. It doesn't have to be a book, but please give me at least a few paragraphs about your character. If you purchase any Restricted or especially rare items as starting gear, you should talk about how they came into your possession. The background story will be worth some extra XP.

Other House Rules:

1. The 3 games use the same core system with a few exceptions. When not otherwise covered by a house rule, the newer rules set (Force and Destiny) will generally win out where there is a disagreement, but common sense must also be applied. This is especially true when it comes to using the Force, since Force and Destiny was designed around a party of Force Users.

2. I will allow players to use Dark Force Points, even if they have no Destiny Points left to spend. However, this comes at a cost. Rules as Written (RAW) state that Dark Force Points can be used by spending a Destiny Point, taking 1 Strain per Dark Force Point used, and a conflict score is generated. When there are no Destiny Points available, this is not possible. Rather than cutting the player off from the Force for that turn, the house rule is: If no Destiny Points can be spent, the GM will gain a temporary Destiny Point (gets removed from play after use, rather than going to the players), plus the Strain cost is doubled, and the resulting conflict score is doubled.

Follow the steps below to create your character:

1. Choose an Obligation
This is an aspect of your character's personality or background that can come back to haunt you. Choose wisely...

2. Choose a Species
Once you pick a species from the list, write down its Characterisitcs and Abilities on your character sheet.

3. Choose a Career and Specialization
You have 18 options for a Career - 6 from each of the 3 CRBs. Your career choice is permanent, but you may always purchase Specializations in any Career later on. Careers from Edge of the Empire and Age of Rebellion give you 8 Career skills (gain a free rank in 4 of them). Careers from Force and Destiny give you 6 Careers skills, plus a starting Force Rating of 1 (gain a free rank in 3 of them). After you've chosen your Career, pick one of the Specializations that belongs to that Career as your starting Specialization. Your starting Specialization gives you 4 more Career skills, and allows you to gain a free rank in 2 of them. Each Specialization also comes with a Talent Tree.

4. Invest Starting XP Each Species comes with some Starting XP, which can be spent on advancing your character before you begin to play. Use the following chart as a reference for spending Starting XP:

5. Calculate Derived Attributes
Wound Threshold and Strain Threshold are calculated accoring to your Species abilities. Soak Value starts with your Brawn characteristic, and is increased by your armor and certain talents. Defense usually starts at 0, and can be increased by certain armors or talents.

6. Choose a Motivation
Choose a Motivation from one of the CRBs. Pages 94-97 in Edge of the Empire, Pages 104-108 in Age of Rebellion. Pages 105-107 in Force and Destiny. Playing according to your character's Motivation can earn some bonus XP, and may occasionally help you earn a bonus on a roll.

7. Purchase Starting Gear
Spend your starting credits on any weapons, armor, or other gear that your character might need. AFTER purchasing all of your starting gear, gain 1d100 credits as 'pocket change' to begin play (in addition to any of your starting credits that were left over).

8. Write a Backstory
Give me a summary of your character's life up until now. Try to incorporate your Obligation, Motivation, and Career, to make the backstory feel genuine. The backstory is worth about 1 session worth of XP that can be spent AFTER character creation (meaning it can't be used to raise a Characteristic, but it may be used to raise a skill beyond 2 ranks).