Introduction

In the Edge of the Empire roleplaying game, you're part character, part storyteller, and part improvisational actor. You simultaneously create and play through fantastic Star Wars stories filled with action, suspense, space battles, and more than a few stormtroopers, smugglers, bounty hunters, and Hutt crime lords. In Edge of The Empire, you play characters at the fringes of civilized space or society—usually both. To play the game, you need your imagination, (possibly) this wiki, paper and pencil, some Star Wars Edge of the Empire dice, and several other players. Before you begin, you need to decide which member of your group will play as the Game Master (GM). While not a permanent decision, the role of GM does not generally change from one game session to the next, and the Game Master has several responsibilities that the rest of the players do not.

'''I'M THE GAME MASTER! WHAT DO I DO?'''

Running a roleplaying game is a lot of fun. The GM runs the game, provides the basic story plot, plays the characters the players meet, describes the surroundings, and adjudicates the rules. A good GM must think on his feet. The GM responds to unexpected actions from the players and adjusts the story as the players come up with the best way to resolve the situation they have encountered. Your number one job is to make sure everyone has a good time. Fun first, rules second.

'''I'M A PLAYER! WHAT DO I DO?'''

As a player, you take on the role of an individual character, referred to as the Player Character (PC). You usually create a Player Character for yourself at the beginning of the game, but the Game Master may provide a pregenerated PC for you. Your Player Character takes part in an adventure, analogous to episodes of a television show or individual movies wherein you play part of the recurring cast. Adventures last for one or more game sessions.

With each adventure, your character gradually becomes better at what he or she does, and the story evolves with and around all the characters.

Player Characters in Edge of The Empire are typically from the rough-and-tumble side of the galaxy, but they don't have to be. You use the rules to create the kind of character you want to play, and you develop it by playing, the role you envision. You might play a character based on someone found in the Star Wars movies and stories, but most players use a combination of abilities and backstory to create a character unique to them.

For example, the opening story featured a common Player Character type—Sona, a smuggler whose deal with a criminal benefactor turned sour, forcing her and her crew to take drastic action to regain their ship. The Pero brothers and the story's narrator could be played by other players.

Your smuggler might run contraband to Imperial worlds while dodging Star Destroyers and stormtroopers. You could become a Rodian bounty hunter, chasing down the scum of the universe for profit. Or you could be a disgraced human noble or politician on the run from the Empire and fending off accusations of being a rebel sympathizer... accusations which might be true!

During the adventure, you tell the GM what you want your Player Character to do. You might use accents or unusual voices like an improvisational actor, but it's perfectly fine to simply say what you want to do and let the GM respond. Don't worry about knowing all of the rules of the game immediately—you'll learn from the GM and other players as you go, although reading the Edge of The Epire Core Rulebook is helpful. Having a good time is more important than following every rule to the letter.