New game previews! [Ossus]

[Faily]

Game Premise

Ossus, known as Idux while under the control of Xim's empire, was the third planet in the Adega system in the Auril sector. Known to the galaxy since over 20,000 years ago, when the Jedi expanded there from the planet Tython and established a Jedi Academy, Ossus would become a popular world of the Galactic Republic. This world would also become a place of great importance to the Jedi, as the site where they stored the sum of their knowledge, though such attentions came at a price. When the Jedi Knight Exar Kun turned to the dark side and became the Dark Lord of the Sith, catapulting the galaxy into the Great Sith War, he attacked Ossus, desiring Sith secrets hidden by the Jedi. During the events this action incited, the Cron Cluster was detonated, spreading a shockwave around the galaxy. The shockwave destroyed all life on the planet, and it was believed to be lost...

... Until recent discoveries by Jedi Master Reikiss and his padawan turned up clues of the planet's whereabouts (as astrocharts had deleted its existence), and that it is not the destroyed world everyone had believed it to be.

With the loss of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the Jedi are looking elsewhere to settle, where Tython seems to be the leading candidate. However there are voices in the Order that speak of returning to their roots on Ossus, to reclaim the lost knowledge there, and to restore the Order from one of its most important holdings of old. This sentiment has won some approval outside of the Order as well, and some senators and political leaders have given their aid to the Order to seek out Ossus and its lost secrets, and hopefully establishing a base of operations there. Many in the scientific community who have worked with the Order have too joined in, willing to offer their assistance as well as taking part in the chance of uncovering lost history, and documenting the planet's conditions after the detonation of the Cron Cluster.


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The game will take place entirely on Ossus, as part of an expedition to the lost world of Ossus. The main focus of the game will be establishing a proper base for the expedition, uncovering the secrets of the world thought to have been destroyed, and mysteries of the Force. While the Force and the history of the Jedi is a large part of the story, there will be elements and storylines for those of the military and scientific division of the expedition as well, giving room for all sorts of Republic-affiliated characters.
The nature of the game is focused on cooperative play, building, and allocating resources. There will be NPCs present as part of the expedition, but with room for PCs to be part of the leadership.

[Faily]

New Duty Option: Officer [5 Points]
Duty points can be spent at the beginning to become an officer. In addition to being saluted and referred to as sir (unisex) or by rank (more common), certain events will receive bonuses when an officer is present.

Officer status should be noted in the character’s signature.

Jedi, similarly, can spend initial Duty to become a Jedi Knight; all others are Padawans. These operate similarly to Officers, but not identically: Jedi Knights sometimes count as Officers, but not always, and Officers never count as Jedi Knights.

For Jedi Characters, this means they can start the game as Jedi Knights.
For Military Characters, this means they can hold any rank higher than Corporal, but no higher than Captain.
For other Characters, this means they will be Senior Advisors within their field of specialty.

[Faily]

Ossus Character Creation

1. Returnees from Jedi Academy will gain 160XP to cover the years since and their advancement since then. New characters after starting XP gain an additional 245XP. Characters from Olon's 11 will not be allowed in this game.

2. We will be using Duty rules, but modified for this game. Specifics will be announced later, but for purposes of Character Creation Duty will still reward additional XP or Credits as per RAW.

3. All Careers and Specializations from Age of Rebellion, Edge of the Empire, and Force & Destiny are allowed, including Specializations from their related splatbooks. The Clone Wars books (Rise of the Separatists, Collapse of the Republic, and Dawn of Rebellion) will not be in use this game, except for the following:

• All listed gear (in case of items that have printings in other books with different Rarity and pricing, you may use the one found in these books as they better represent the prices and availability in the Old Republic)
• Death Watch specialization (for Mandalorian characters only)
• Force Adherent specialization
• Force Sensitive Outcast specialization
• Pirate specialization
• Republic Navy Officer specialization
• Republic Representative specialization
• Scavenger specialization
• Senator specialization
• Ship Captain specialization
• The following species are also allowed for play: Drabatan, Geonosian, Gigoran, Harch, Iakaran, Karkarodon, Tognath, Umbaran.

4. Only Republic-affiliated characters will be allowed for this game. This means Jedi, Republic military, and others that would be trusted to take part in a secret mission to reclaim the lost world of Ossus. This rules out characters that are on the shadier side of things and civilians who "happen to be there". This is a mission primarily led by the Jedi Order, with support from the Republic military and scientist community. Characters may have backgrounds in the Sith Empire or an unaffiliated group, only to have later joined the Republic, but we are not allowing double-agents and infiltrators this time around.

5. We will be allowing most published races, as long as there's an in-universe reason for them to be there. Not all races are discovered in the Galaxy yet in this timeline, so please ask if you are uncertain. Miraluka is available, as is the True Sith (though one can't be a member of the Empire or the Sith Order). Both are courtesy of Dapper Dog.

6. The game setting will be taking place in the same universe as Dapper Dog's Star Wars games (with permission from Dapper Dog, thank you!), so players are welcome to draw inspiration from those games. Read the timeline here:

7. We will be using the Backgrounds, found here, for Character Creation. Bonus skill from Backgrounds cannot take a skill above 2 as per normal character creation rules.

8. All characters start with additional money and gear, as outlined below. Pre-game purchases are limited to Rarity 8, and some Restricted Items may be allowed (please speak with the GMs) depending on GM approval.
New characters start with an additional 6000 credits. They may choose to lower this to 4000 and gain a Signature Item. A Signature Item is an important item that is part of your character's identity; a lightsaber for Jedi, Mandalorian armor for a Mandalorian. Signature Items are approved on a case-by-case basis.
Returnees from Jedi Academy get an additional 4000 credits, but do not get any Signature Items (as they already have one in the form of their Lightsaber).

9. Your character needs to have ties to either the Jedi Order, the Republic military, or the scientific community in the Republic. The mission requires many different talents and skills, ranging from combat, to science, to the Force, to simple things as building, construction, and all that is needed to establish a self-sustained base.

10. Character submissions can either be sent to togashiayame@gmail.com, through PM here, posted in PF here, or through PM on Discord to either myself or Hatoful GM.

[Faily]

Master Reikiss Nrevin
Jedi Master | Thisspiasian | Xenobiology Expert | Niman | Commander | Very Old

Species: Thisspiasian
Age: Over 200 years
Hair: Thick white hair
Eyes: Yellow, snake-like
Scales: Faded dull green/brown
Height: 1.7m (while coiled)
Build: Snake-like, scrawny
Background: General Citizen
Rank: Jedi Master, commander for the Ossus Expedition

Caretaker of the green-houses and gardens of the Tower of Reconciliation at Coruscant's Jedi Temple, the Thisspiasian master has been there for over two hundred years... and has been complaining about younglings and padawans stealing fruit and herbs from his gardens for at least a hundred years. While Reikiss cares mostly about maintaining the gardens and caring for all the things that grow here, he often teaches the youngest students that come to the temple that the Force and life exists everywhere. He is also an expert on xenology and occassionally teaches classes on the subject. He has taken very few padawans, but each one have shared his appriciation for all life - the most recent one being Master Murah Bakash, and his current Padawan, Zizzy Roosh.

The loss of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant has been hard for the old Thisspiasian, but along with his padawan and other members of the Order, it seems that he still got some life left in his ancient body to push forward on behalf of the Jedi that has been his life for 200 years. He bears the responsibility of the expedition to Ossus, steadfast that it will be an important contributor to the continued existence of the Jedi Order.

While old and frail, the Thisspiasain master is not to be underestimated with a lightsaber and certainly not in ways of the Force.

[Faily]

Kerren Sek
Jedi Knight | Ex-Sith | Pureblood | Ataru | Scarred | Counsellor

Species: Pureblood Sith
Age: 25
Hair: Black
Eyes: Orange
Height: 1.85m
Build: Athletic and muscular
Background: Sith Bloodline
Rank: Jedi Knight, "counsellor" to his fellow Jedi on topics on the Dark Side

Kerren Sek is not a usual sight in the Jedi Order. Once a Sith apprentice to Lord Destrus (now rumored to be Darth Destrus), Kerren defected from the Sith in order to avoid death at the hands of his master, seeking a group of Jedi on the planet of Auratera who were there for their trials.

After careful consideration from the Jedi Masters, it was decided that Kerren had been honest in his approach, and thanks to the group of Jedi padawans undergoing their trials, he was already opening up to embracing the teachings of the Jedi. Master Syo Bakarn took it upon himself to take in the refugee Sith, taking responsibility for him as his Padawan and refugee.

In the years since, Kerren has crafted new lightsabers for himself by undergoing the Jedi trials and while it has been a difficult road, he has earned the trust of the Order, and even the admiration of some. With the guidance of Master Syo, Kerren has been a great help in understanding more about the Sith and its traditions, but for the average member of the Order he has been more a help for those finding themselves struggling with the Dark Side. While he isn't the most charming person or the best talker, he has a great understanding of the pitfalls and dangers of the Dark Side, and the hard road ahead of walking away from it.

Tall and muscular, he speaks with an Imperial accent in a smooth voice. While dressed in the traditional robes of the Jedi, he still favors black and darker colors than the drab browns.

[Hatoful GM]

Corvin Zell
Senior Jedi Knight | Human | Ataru | Scarred | Explorer | Survivor

Species: Human
Age: 33
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Dark Brown
Height: 1.7m
Build: Wiry
Background: Non-Republic Citizen (Outer Rim)

Jedi Knight Corvin Zell has had a very busy couple of years. Healing provided by Master Murah restored Corvin, if not quite up to his previous physical ability, at least fairly close. And just in time; his recovery was complete just when the Sith attacked Coruscant. Corvin was not present, of course; he was off crawling through mud on a distant planet. But he, like so many others, saw the aftermath.

In the short years of the war, Corvin, along with his Padawan Zanja, went on mission after mission, working behind enemy lines to harass and sabotage Imperial forces. The two crossed lightsabers with Sith a number of times. Almost every mission involved something blowing up dramatically. It was a few months before the end of the war that Corvin was injured again, caught in an explosion that couldn't be detonated remotely.

Unable to fight, and walking with a cane once more, Corvin was assigned to the Ossus mission in hopes that his experience with exploration will be of use, even if he cannot personally do most of it.

[Hatoful GM]

Chriala Hulis
Jedi Master | Miraluka | Makashi | Witchy | Sees Everything | Returned?

The Sith attack on the Jedi Temple came by surprise. But that didn't mean no one was prepared.

The strange mystic Jedi Master, Chriala Hulis, had found herself walking a particular pattern through the halls in the few days before the attack. Trusting the Force, she continued to do so, walking it again and again, until it felt right. When the attack came, she knew what to do. She lead the group of younglings she was teaching through that exact pattern, around melees, through withering blaster fire, and past explosions, until they were outside. Every one of them made it.

But the pattern had always ended with Chriala walking back into the temple. And so she did. She was not among the survivors afterwards, nor was her body or possessions found afterwards. She was declared missing in action, and mourned with the rest.

Everyone was quite surprised when, as the Ossus mission was being assembled, Master Chriala suddenly entered the meeting room and volunteered for it. She had no explanation for where she had been, and examination found nothing wrong with her.

And so one more Jedi Master joined the expedition.

[Faily]

Houserule: Duty

Duty works as written for Character Creation, except for the Duty chosen which must come from the list below. You may only choose one Duty, which starts at 20 but can be reduced to 5 in Character Creation (by choosing additional credits or XP as detailed in the Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook, or the Command-duty option).

You contribute a number of points equal to your Duty (ranging from 5 to 20) to your chosen Duty.

Example: Lyseil used 5 points of her 20 Duty points during character creation, so she has 15 Duty at the beginning of the game. Her chosen Duty is Personnel, meaning she contributes 15 points to the Personnel score.

Each day will have a Duty Event (Limited Participants), that can give rewards based on the participating characters' Duty / or prevent loss of Duty.

Instead of Duty Groups working towards 100 total to unlock new loot, Duty is separated into categories that unlock "good stuff" for everyone once a new treshold is reached.


Duty
Threat Response
Intelligence
Personnel
Rescue and Recovery
Resources

New Duty Option: Command
During creation, a character may choose to reduce their Duty score by 5 to attain a rank of command. For Jedi, this means they can hold the rank of Jedi Knight. For Military personnel, this means they can hold any rank above corporal, up to captain. For other members, this means they hold a position of senior advisor on the mission.

Those who take a rank of command will be provided with gear according to their rank, and will have more power in making decisions and allocating resources, but they will also bear the brunt of responsibility.


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These are the individual benefits of each Duty when chosen at Character Creation. As new thresholds are unlocked, new benefits will be revealed which will be broader in scope and beneficial to more members of the expedition.


Threat Response
Threat Response improves the overall performance of the group. Whenever Threat Response Duty is awarded, which is at the end of any combat Event, two other Duty-categories may also gain 5 Duty. If characters with Threat Response as their Duty participated, a third category may gain 5 Duty.


Intelligence
Intelligence covers internal security of the expedition, as well as tactics and planning for missions. When a character with Intelligence Duty participates in a non-combat Event, once per session they may re-roll a failed Skill Roll of their choice.


Personnel
This represents the overall status of the expedition’s members (that aren’t the PCs or Important Characters). Increases in Personnel represents the overall well-being of the expedition and how well they perform. Personnel score can drop as the result of some Events or actions (which means that personnel can die or become lost). Whenever a character with Personnel Duty participates in an Event that results in the loss of Personnel, they may reduce the loss (varies for each Event).


Rescue and Recovery
This represents how well prepared the expedition is for handling medical emergencies and saving the lives of the expedition. Once per session when using a stimpack, a character with Rescue And Recovery as their Duty can heal an additional 2 points of Wounds.


Resources
Resource acquisition and R&D, Resources deals directly with how well equipped the expedition is and what equipment is available. Characters with this Duty may, during Acquisitions in downtime, reduce the Rarity of one item of their choice by 1.

[Faily]

The Battle Of Ossus [Great Sith War/Krath Holy Crusade]

"We have arrived, Exar Kun."
"Yes, Ulic—Ossus is ours for the taking."
―Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun

Ulic Qel-Droma fighting his brother Cay Qel-Droma during the Batte of Ossus.

The Battle of Ossus took place almost 350 years ago (year 3996 BBY) during the Great Sith War, and was one of the last major battles to be fought during that conflict. With Aleema Keto's destruction of the Cron Cluster through the use of Sith magic, an enormous supernova was on a direct course for the Jedi library world of Ossus. With the knowledge that the Sith-created supernova would force the Jedi to evacuate Ossus, the Sith Lords Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma led an attack against the Jedi planet, intent on capturing the vast amount of Force knowledge and tomes that had been collected there over the millennia. Armed with a number of Mandalorian warriors, as well as their army of Krath soldiers, Qel-Droma and Kun stormed Ossus, taking advantage of the confusion and chaos surrounding the devastation headed for the planet.

Following their initial invasion, both Sith Lords were involved with various skirmishes, until Ulic was confronted by his brother Cay, who was attempting to turn Ulic back to the light side. The two brothers eventually battled, and the resulting fight saw the death of Cay Qel-Droma at the hands of Ulic. Finally realizing how he had allowed the dark side to manipulate him, Ulic repented and offered to lead the Jedi to Kun's hidden fortress on the jungle moon of Yavin 4.

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Aleema Keto, one of Exar Kun's dark allies among the Krath, was the one responsible for the Cron Supernova. The Cron Cluster, a group of ten stars in the Auril sector has been theorized to have been constructed by an ancient race in a time before any known records.

By using an antiquated Sith Warship, the Corsair, that once belonged to the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, Keto was able to use the warship's Sith sorcery-engineered superweapon that was able to rip out the core of a star. Naga Sadow had used this weapon to cause solar flares to cover his escape to the Sith worlds.

However, when Keto used the weapon at the Battle of Kemplex IX, a chain reaction happened with the Cron Cluster when she used it on one of the stars' core, triggering a massive supernova shockwave. Not only did this wipe out Aleema Keto and everyone present at the Battle of Kemplex IX, but the supernova spread further out in the system - towards the scholar world of Ossus.

A large-scale planetary evacuation was called, with military, civilian, and Jedi personnel alike struggling to escape the planet before the nova-wave arrived. The Jedi Masters planet-side began a rescue operation focused upon salvaging as many relics, manuscripts, and other antiquities as possible from the enclave while there still was time. At this time, Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, along with their Mandalorian allies and Massassi warriors attacked.

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With the evacuation already reaching critical levels, the Sith and Mandalorian ships converged upon the planet, targeting numerous civilian and military transport craft and engaging the Jedi defenses long enough for Kun to slip beneath the screens and land in the enclave. It is known that he personally took many important relics and texts that belonged to the Jedi Order, and speculated that he personally killed the Jedi Masters trying to prevent him from doing so. Ulic Qel-Droma fought and killed his brother Cay Qel-Droma, whom tried to save Ulic from the Dark Side, an act he would later come to regret even as it was the moment that opened his eyes to the madness that the Dark Side had corrupted him with. Even if Nomi Sunrider cut him off from the Force following this event, Ulic would be instrumental later in ending the Great Sith War.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Ossus, the Great Sith War moved onto Yavin IV. Ossus itself, was scorched by the supernova, and no one believed that the planet could have survived the Cron Supernova. During the Jedi Civil War many years later, some Jedi Masters erased all astrogation knowledge of Ossus from the Jedi records and in the time since it was considered a lost world. Until the knowledge was no longer lost...