Session Zero

Agenda:

 * point of tonight is to make sure we're all getting to play the game that we want to play
 * all is open to discussion
 * Some differences and my plans on Campaign 2
 * Questions for you guys
 * Social Contract
 * Character Intros/workshop
 * Minor RP session (if everyone is ready)

Plans for new campaign:

 * Setting intro:
 * Forest planet km deep
 * Floating City run by Zydel Corp
 * culturally, it's something between a frontier boom town and an oil drilling platform
 * lots of danger, lots of money to be made, lots of fools to make money off of
 * extinct alien race and rare materials
 * already found Merahtite, who knows what other secrets there are?
 * theming is hybrid F&D and EOTE
 * First session or two kind of on rails, goal after that is more sandbox (if that's what you want)
 * theming is hybrid F&D and EOTE
 * First session or two kind of on rails, goal after that is more sandbox (if that's what you want)


 * I'd like to ask your characters questions at the beginning of each session
 * Ok with improvising? I can send out warnings otherwise.
 * Chance to redo stats after a bit
 * Killing characters (not pulling punches)
 * Encounters will probably happen a bit more than the average for OSB
 * more like the last 10 or so sessions
 * natural consequences of choices or environment, not just "next room, next combat"
 * I'm totally fine (delighted) if you resolve an encounter using a clever idea or a non-combat skill
 * Rule changes:
 * No re-rolls for destiny points. Thanks for your generosity in that Tyler, but it's not RAW
 * I'm going to be portraying technology very differently from Tyler.
 * Star wars has been described by many as an "analog future." This means there will be very little crossover from our current smartphone culture.
 * More complex systems are usually expensive and specialized, and can't be accessed from a datapad.
 * Communication is usually by voice or video, sometimes text, hacking has far fewer capabilities.
 * Slicing is still totally a thing, like you can slice a control panel to open a door or jam another ship's targeting systems, but if you want access to a secret military database you probably have to get into the control room or within the facility if it's tied all together (like a star destroyer or floating city).
 * I believe in the rule of cool, so I will award good narrative and cool things even if it bends the rules a bit
 * Using both obligation and morality?
 * thinking of doing a mix where we only use morality at character creation, but we can use the obligation mechanic to track consequences for choices, like gaining a bounty or stealing from a Hutt.

Questions for players:

 * what is something that you've always wanted to do in an TTRPG and never gotten to?
 * Peter: do awesome things and have a good time.
 * "That was awesome and ridiculous."
 * Tyler: do something stealthy, like an infiltration
 * "we cannot be seen doing this"
 * GTFO if caught, bad consequences
 * Matt:
 * Political intrigue
 * machinations between people groups
 * this is what he means by "gilded age" company store company housing, company controls all, nominal presence, other interests crop up


 * How do you want to deal with canon? My position is that it holds until we change it (or contradicts my story for obscure stuff). They say "if you stat it, they will kill it"
 * things you want to make sure don't change?
 * Topics to avoid
 * Matt: check in w/ people if we get into abuse situations
 * misc preferences/ any worries

Logistics

 * Mondays at 8:30, start playing 8:45 or 9:00 and finish around 11:45
 * How do you want to deal with players missing? Quorum used to be 3 people, so is it still 3 or is it 4 with one more regular?

Character Intros (optional)

 * Intros
 * for each character:
 * how did you end up here?
 * bullet points of important people or locations in your character's life
 * 3 character goals: 1 short term, 1 medium term, 1 long term
 * Tyler
 * Gotal
 * Seeker, Hermit specialization
 * wanted to make a character with a specific kind of skill: animal bond
 * gets an animal companion
 * Cunning-based character build
 * willpower is backup skill
 * brawn or agility for tertiary?
 * Zurn Roxirk
 * force-sensitive
 * Strength: caution Weakness: fear
 * Main weapon: https://star-wars-rpg-ffg.fandom.com/wiki/Palm_Stunner
 * likes the idea of his building being next
 * might join the party as an effort to get info
 * wants to figure out what's going on
 * can't imagine Jedi vs. usurpers not being central, can't imagine the Jedi being forgotten
 * will appear behind whoever looks the strongest and hits them with the palm stunner
 * killed his master
 * survived order 66, but one of the jedi hunters came after us
 * beat his master (he's a padawan)
 * jedi hunter allows him to live if he kills his master
 * starting at morality 45
 * Whitney
 * pretty physical, down to earth, in the moment
 * b/c doc was none of these things
 * almost went chadra fan
 * Kyuzo
 * honor bound
 * likes trickster legend
 * face mask only translates to and from common
 * want to build a hat-throwing mechanic
 * has a machete
 * machete-wielding jungle-hopper
 * force-sensitive
 * Minn Jhcor
 * Matt
 * politician from the moon of
 * Pantoran
 * younger sister of Senator
 * not sure her role, haven't heard from her in a while
 * Rebel? Imperial sympathizer?
 * rose through the political ranks, now split into pro- and anti-Imperial factions
 * some are expansionist and want to take advantage of chaos to gain power
 * She's from the appeasement faction - "integrating with the Empire is the only way to ensure strength and security"
 * as part of her training she's sent as an ambassador to help resolve the dispute between the academics and Zydel corp
 * applied to a program and the system spat her out here
 * will the Empire really support her?
 * looks up to her older sister and is heavily influenced by her
 * idealist who wants to help everything around her, will have issues in the grey morality of this world
 * from a political family with big boots to fill
 * protector - guardian
 * or peacekeeper
 * hard support character
 * focused on presence
 * charming people, negotiating, cool under pressure, natural leader
 * wants to help people perform the best that they can
 * Pantoorans are sometimes force-sensitive (rare but not unheard-of)
 * success of some politicos is tied to force-sensitivity
 * Goal is not to become a Jedi (general powerful force-user)
 * not really even on the table at the moment
 * goal is to be "one with the force and the force is with me"
 * Either Compassion and hatred or justice and cruelty
 * Taveera Chuchi
 * How is your character going to add to the group? Why will you be involved?



Social Contract:


 * You will respect the players by running a game that is fun, fair, and tailored for them. You will allow every player to contribute to the ongoing story and give every character moments to shine. When a player is talking, you are listening.
 * The players will respect you and the effort it takes to create a fun game for everyone. The players will allow you to direct the campaign, arbitrate the rules, and settle arguments. When you are talking, the players are listening.
 * The players will respect one another, listen to one another, support one another, and do their utmost to preserve the cohesion of the adventuring party.
 * Should you or a player disrespect each other or violate the social contract in some other way, the group may dismiss that person from the table.

GM intro (new players):

 * I won't say never, but my goal is to not look up rules during game if at all possible. We will make a table rule and I'll make a note to look it up later.
 * I believe strongly in the rule of cool, so I will award good narrative and cool things even if it bends the rules a bit
 * Character voices are encouraged. If you say something and it's not clear whether it's in character, I'm choosing whatever is funnier.
 * Not pulling punches. I'm not out to trick or kill you guys, but if you take risks or do dumb things and it goes wrong, your character will die, no matter how much you love them.
 * Don't help other PCs build or interpret dice pools. If you are faster at interpreting and want to move the game along, then your best bet is to give them practice so they get faster and so they understand the game better.
 * No murder hobos. You can be evil if you want, or murder if you want, but it needs to be a realistic character choice.
 * I expect you to play your character as they would actually Act
 * My role is to describe the world and act as referee. I will represent other characters or creatures and physics. I will also do my best to create the world around you, partly from any plans I've made and partly made up in response to your decisions. However, My role is not storyteller. That's a role that belongs to all of us. This game will be a success if we have fun and if we create a compelling story, something exciting or adventurous or heartfelt or whatever fits us best as a group.
 * My job is to balance the game. If you want to steal a death star, go for it, but I will balance the game.
 * How serious is the role-playing going to be? Like, how likely are you to do something self-destructive with your character because it's funny?
 * Please don't question my ruling on things during the session. Even if you disagree with a decision I've made, remember that I'm only doing it to try to help everyone have fun and keep things balanced or to keep the story moving. Please save it until between sessions and then I'd genuinely like to talk with you about it. If I was unfair I'll try to make it up to you.
 * Conflict will be awarded not just for bad things, but sometimes also external trauma that would cause internal "conflict?"
 * 1 turn is not 6 seconds, it's more like one panel of a comic strip, lasting up to a minute.