Star Wars rpg campaign ideas?

[Composeure]

So recently I was thinking about scifi rpgs, and then I wondered about the possibilities present in a Star Wars rpg campaign.

It seems to me many SW RPGs were focused on events such as the Rebellion and the GCW, which means their scope is somewhat limited.

Having said this, I think playing/GMing an RPG like this are great opportunities to branch out and explore different campaigns, as well as change the "canon" events. For example, maybe you want to get rid of (or replace) the Vong as well as the ""galactic hyperspace barrier"" (these ""arbitrary galactic barrier"" thingies are things I've never liked and always thought was really weird-- especially in ST where such a thing is basically the definition of redundant). Maybe you want to diminish the role of the ""Imperial remnants"" as well.

Some new campaign ideas could be those set in the New Republic. Adventures might include setting off on missions of exploration, or seeking to unravel ancient mysteries concerning ancient civilizations or the Force. "Crossover" one shots or even campaigns might be ideas as well.

In terms of adding to the base game, it could be possible to introduce, depending on the campaign/time period, new technologies and such.

Anyways, what ideas do you have?

[Solauren]

Pic a Star Wars fan-fiction.
Redevelop it to your players tastes.

[Composeure]

Could you be more specific? Incidentally, I'm not that interested in fanfic in general.

[Solauren]

I'm saying - there are literally thousands of Star wars fanfics that cover the topics or ideas you seem to be looking for help with. Fully or at least partially fleshed out ideas.

Instead of asking us to come up with stuff for you, go look at what people have already done, and see if you can find some inspiration.

[bilateralrope]

There is no need to limit yourself to Star Wars fanfic. Pick a story your players probably haven't read/watched and try to adapt it to fit into Star Wars. If you don't remember parts of it, improvise. Let it derail when your players do something that pushes it in a different direction. At no point should you reread/rewatch the source material.

maybe you want to get rid of (or replace) the Vong as well as the ""galactic hyperspace barrier""

I forget if that hyperspace barrier is a thing in the current canon. But I know that the Vong are gone.

[Batman]

I don't think Composeure gives a flying fuck about what is and isn't currently 'canon' , they're thinking more about Star Wars in general.

[Composeure]

Yeah that's the gist of it. The general idea of the setting is what I'm wondering about here.

Fwiw I did not intend to come across as demanding anyone to do anything (though I'm somewhat unsure how it could have been interpreted that way). Having said that I have to say that ""SW fanfic"" is not exactly the best place to get ideas. Especially since fanfic in general is not the most coherent or inspiring thing.

[madd0c0t0r2]

What ruleset so you intend using? That will help define a story the rules support.
Eg. Traveller is great for trader/smuggler stuff, lasers and feelings for silly one shots focused on jedi.

[Shroom Man 777]

Everyday joes face unemployment when their vehicle factories at the Tiorted (Detroit spelled backwards) system get shut down as the Imperial government shows favoritism to Kuat Drive Yards and Seinar facilities. The workers go on strike and are put down by the local Moff. The ISB gets involved when they suspect Tiorted factories and unionized workers are secretly supporting Rebel groups, even supplying them with equipment. (It doesn't help that common Rebel craft like Incom X-Wings have certain parts sourced from Tiorted).

[Composeure]

In terms of rulesets, I was thinking about maybe using GURPS as a possible base. Having said that, I feel the setting is more important than rulesets at least in terms of plot and adventures.

Tbh I think Traveller is not a good rpg so I wouldn't want to use it.

[bilateralrope]

Someone has started work on building a new spaceport on some random planet. While the initial earthworks were underway, they found buried structures that had this message carved all over them:

This place is a message... and part of a system of messages... pay attention to it!

Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture.

This place is not a place of honor... no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here.

What is here was dangerous and repulsive to us. This message is a warning about danger.

The danger is in a particular location... it increases towards a center... the center of danger is here... of a particular size and shape, and below us.

The danger is still present, in your time, as it was in ours.

The danger is to the body, and it can kill.

The form of the danger is an emanation of energy.

The danger is unleashed only if you substantially disturb this place physically. This place is best shunned and left uninhabited.

Deeper scans were not possible due to a layer of radioactives that needed to be removed before construction can begin. Now that the radioactives are nearly out of the way, various groups have emerged trying to seize whatever powerful thing is buried there for their own purposes. Or at least to stop their enemies from using it.

The PCs are employed there to keep the peace and try and get the spaceport completed Preferably on schedule. Though the PCs might have other agendas.

[Composeure]

Besides specific scenarios, any ideas for overarching settings?

One idea I have is the New Republic commissioning fleets and organizations dedicated to exploration. A ""sub-setting"" so to speak for this might be set in areas conflicted over by Imperial remnants and assorted would-be dictators.

[KraytKing]

Well, the big Star Wars RPG campaign I was a player in an age ago revolved around a wannabe Sith upstart. The idea was that Palpatine found a second potential apprentice sometime after the Clone Wars and sort of positioned him as a competitor to Vader. He was never actually a competitor--he was just supposed to scare Vader into getting in shape and fixing some of the issues the Imperial Navy was facing. But this spare Sith had his own ideas about how to gain the Emperor's favor and impose his vision on the Galaxy, which the PCs had to fight. We ended up allies of convenience with Vader a couple of times, though of course it was pretty hairy. One of the PCs fell to the Dark Side and ended up a DM controlled villain under Vader's tutelage, though he was just a pawn and was sacrificed to keep the competitive Sith busy.

The part I liked about it was that it gave us stakes in the campaign, while not upsetting the existing balance of Star Wars. We were never a real threat to Vader or the Emperor; that role belongs to Luke, Leia, and Han. But they made appearances in our game, and we fought what we thought was a serious enemy. We never realized that it was all a setup until the very end, when it was revealed that by stopping the upstart, we had allowed Vader to accomplish his far more important mission of solving manpower shortages in the Imperial Navy.

But yeah, seconding what bilateralrope said. Pick a story you like and copy as much as you can into whatever period of Star Wars you like best. I think the consolidation of the Empire is ideal, back when Vader is still building his cult of personality, the Stormtroopers are conquering the galaxy, and there's still Jedi holdouts for the PCs to find. And before the heroes of the OT steal the spotlight.

[Composeure]

I think this tip has some merit to it. However, I think a problem might arise in how players might feel they are being overshadowed by ""canon"" characters.

A big source of possiblities is exploring settings that take place after the ""major events"" so to speak.

[Lord Revan]

I think this tip has some merit to it. However, I think a problem might arise in how players might feel they are being overshadowed by ""canon"" characters.

A big source of possiblities is exploring settings that take place after the ""major events"" so to speak.

To be fair a RPG campaign doesn't need to involve a galaxy ending threat, there's sometimes a charm at being the little guy who can explore the galaxy at their own terms

[KraytKing]

I think a player that complains about being overshadowed by the canon needs to get their head out of their ass. It's why so much of canon is a disjointed mess nowadays. Not every character is equally important. Star Wars is the story of Luke, Leia, and Han, and by necessity everyone else is going to be kinda out of the spotlight. They should absolutely be heroes of their own story, but that should be a separate, smaller story. And the intersections with the big heroes, or more frequently villains, should be moments of reverence for the players. Not jealousy.

[Composeure]

I mean an easy fix is literally just to set it after (or perhaps even before) the ""big events"" so to speak. Or just in a different area or something.

Also not exactly sure about your gaming table but in my experience I deal with people that have huge aversions to what they perceive as ""GMPCs"" probably from bad experiences with them.

[bilateralrope]

Then I'd suggest having the canon characters play no part in the campaign. They are off doing their own then elsewhere, probably unaware of whatever the PCs are up to. Multiple layers of bureaucracy or rebel cells between them and any named characters.

[Composeure]

Oh sure. Fwiw by the end of the ""main trilogy"" this is basically the case anyways, which is why I recommended that.