# Star Wars - Dark Tides, act one



## SurfMonkey01 (Jun 3, 2002)

I started running my very first Star Wars d20 campaign this past weekend, using the D20 revised rules.  I'm trying to run the game with more of the feel from the movies, the whole fast-paced pulp adventure theme.  My groups consists of two experienced and phenomenal roleplayers, one veteran who flip-flops from good roleplaying to just plain roll-playing, two flat-out roll-players (they're only there because they were part of the previous Star Wars groups, which I kinda wrestled control of), and one complete newbie.  The characters are as follows: Reila Kat'iya, a Twi'lek noble who's a "lobbyist" for the fledgling new Republic (played by one of the roll-players); Sin-Yowl, a human soldier (obviously the other roll-player); Talwin K'or, a human Jedi Consular in training who is a former spice addict (one of my veterans); Lea Odac, a Zabrak scout and pilot (the other veteran); MD-94, a modified medical droid obsessed with self-improvment (he who varies); and Saril Tepp, a Sullustan scoundrel/fringer in the Han Solo vein (the newbie).  The time frame for the "movie" is one year after Return of the Jedi.  In the following posts I'll weave the tale of the days' events.


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## SurfMonkey01 (Jun 3, 2002)

STAR WARS

DARK TIDES

ALTHOUGH THE EMPIRE HAS BEEN DEFEATED, REMNANTS STILL EXIST AND STRUGGLE TO RETURN IT TO ITS FORMER GLORY.  THE REBELLION REMAINS EVER WATCHFUL OF SUCH ATTEMPTS, KNOWING IT HOLDS ONLY A VERY FRAGILE PEACE.

GENERAL SOLO, LEADER OF THE REBEL FORCES, HAS RECEIVED WORD OF IMPERIAL SHIPS TRAVELLING TO A DISTANT SECTOR OF THE GALAXY.  THE ONLY CLUE TO THEIR FLIGHT PATH IS A FAULTY ASTROMECH DROID DISCARDED ON THE PLANET OF TREVURA.

KNOWING THAT THIS TINY OVERSIGHT MAY BE THEIR ONLY CHANCE TO AVERT DISASTER, GENERAL SOLO HAS DISPATCHED A TEAM OF REBEL SOLDIERS TO FIND THE DROID AT ALL COSTS…

The group entered the Trevura system in a stolen Imperial Guardian-class ship.  There was a total crew of eight on the ship, the six PCs plus Jan Ors and Kyle Katarn (the Jedi Master to our Consular).  They transmitted their transponder code and were granted clearance to land.  Unfortunately, the Imperials who still ran this world were expecting Kyle, and a contingent of stormtroopers was waiting outside the docking bay.  The group was alterted to their presence in time, and they smashed their craft back through the roof of the hangar and fled the city.  They found a small forested area a few kliks outside of the city, and decided to put the ship down there.  Knowing the planet maintained the deceased Emperor's no non-humans policy, the Reila and Saril stayed behind on the ship.  Kyle and Jan also remained behind, because their presence had apparently been more noticed than they had liked.  The remainder of the group entered the city, where they soon found groups of stormtroopers blasting any and all droids in the streets with what appeared to be modified ion blasters.  They quickly took cover, not wanting to lose MD-94.  They soon found out that a droid assassin had been hired to kill the Imperial governor, and all droids were being considered suspects.  As the group tried to move quietly around the city, they encountered a suspicious ASP labor droid that seemed uncomfortable in his own "skin."  Finding him suspicious, the group split in half to pursue him and try to cut him off.  While Talwin chased the ASP, the others found themselves face-to-have with a hostile 3PO unit that actually fired on them.  It was quickly taken down, while the Consular subdued the ASP.  Forcing the droid to take them to his hideout, they found that he was SR-6, a notorious droid assassin the vein of IG-88.  He had indeed been hired to kill the governor, and was also a avid gun collector.  The droid left the group to their own devices while he went to finish his job.  As soon as he left, a group of stormtroopers raided the warehouse, hoping to catch the droid they had been tracking.  The party quickly talked the troopers down, with a little help from the Force, and thought they were clear.  Meanwhile, a squad of troopers was searching the forest for the craft.  Fortunately, Saril was an excellent shot with the laser turrets, and the troopers quickly fell.  At this, they decided to move the ship to the other side of town.  Back in town, MD-94 went outside to run a sensor sweep of the area, and soon found himself face-to-face with more droid-zapping strormtroopers and technicians -- including a technician who had the astromech they were after!  As the group engaged in a brief firefight, the others aboard the ship brought it overhead for a quick pickup and flight.  Soon the group and the droid were loaded, and they thought they were in the clear.  At least until they picked up a tail....


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## SurfMonkey01 (Jun 3, 2002)

The group's ship was being followed by a Jedi starfighter, the likes of which the characters had never seen (even though the players had just seen one recently in episode 2).  A voice came over the comm and introduced himself as Ardos Veras, a "friend."  After a brief comm parly, the party agreed to meet with him on the planet Duros, an 8-hour hyperspace jump away.  The meeting was tense -- Veras was obviously a Jedi of some kind, but he wore armor that had both unknown marking as well as sith writings on it.  He told the group he needed the astromech, and would not leave without it.  While he and Katarn almost came to blows, MD-94 quickly uploaded the astromech into the ship's computers, memory-wiped it, and gave it to the "Jedi."  As Veras prepared to depart, he left Katarn and Talwin with the knowledge that they are not "true Jedi," but rather that he is.  The group then contacted the Rebel fleet and arranged a rendevouz in the Corellian system.  As General Solo debriefed them, technicians decrypted the knowledge from the astromech.  In it were incomplete schematics, using unrecognized symbols (old Imperial codes, and the code of the old Trade Federation).  Also in it were the word "Jensaarai," and information about an Imperial space station above the planet of Firrerre, where more answers could be found.  Solo told the group to get ready, they had another mission...

END ACT ONE

All in all, this game was a lot of fun.  I didn't add in a lot of the fun little asides, mostly because they were group in-jokes... even from the write-up, you can tell which characters have the players that get into character and whatnot... but even the bad gamers can't keep me from having fun with this game.  And just wait till they see what's next... if anyone wants to know, just ask me...


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 3, 2002)

I'll bite ... what's next?!

Glad to see another Star Wars Story Hour on the boards ... keep up the good work.


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## SurfMonkey01 (Jun 3, 2002)

Well... on the Imperial station, they're going to find directions to the Remnant's new base... it'll be near Yaga minor.  They'll also find that Firrerre is completely uninhabitable due to an old biological weapons test by Vader back in the day.  The Imps are mining metal from the debris of the second Death Star which can be found on the surface... and they're also going to find the glove of Vader, which I'm making to be a bit of a Sith artifact.  When they follow the directions to the new base, they're going to find an asteroid field.  The base is on one of the asteroids.  There the Remnant is making an army of battle droids and Dark Troopers (from the Dark Forces PC game).  The Imperials have also sided with a small splinter group of Jensaarai.  Jensaarai are Jedi who left the order back in the days of the Republic, not liking the way the order was going.  They found ancient Sith teachings and worked them into their ways, working to preserve what they felt was the "true" way of the Jedi.  They see Luke Skywalker and his half-assed attempts at a revival as an affront to the true Jedi, and are working to restore themselves to their former glory.  If this involves working with the Empire, so be it.  Of course, things could get out of hand if the head of the splinter Jensaarai, a man named Sillik, gets a hold of Vader's glove...

There's just a smattering of what's to come... what do you think?


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 3, 2002)

Sounds like your players have a wild ride in store for them!  I've got my own Star Wars story hour on these boards, Tales from the Outer Rim.  Check it out sometime ... the Star Wars d20 game is relatively unestablished, always good to compare notes with another GM.


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 22, 2002)

I've led a relatively sheltered Star Wars life.  Enormous fan of the original trilogy... seen 'em hundreds (literally) of times.  Only vaguely interested in the new trilogy.  I like the movies, and all... but it's not part of my "culture".

The new d20 game material is my first experience dabbling outside of the films.  It's interesting to see the universe outside of R2-D2's scanner range.  I'll be watching for more.


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