TEXT: TM
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  Star Wars Roleplaying
  2
  CREDITS
  LUCASFILM
  A CALL FOR HEROES 
  WRITING AND DEVELOPMENT
  Jordan Goldfarb with Sam Stewart
  BASED ON
  The Star Wars Roleplaying system, designed by Jay 
  Little and developed by Max Brooke, Andrew Fischer, 
  Tim Flanders, Tim Huckelbery, and Sam Stewart
  MANAGING RPG PRODUCER
  Sam Stewart
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  Christine Crabb and David Johnson
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  Brian Schomburg
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  Andy Christensen
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  Melissa Shetler
  COVER ART
  The Lucasfilm art archives
  INTERIOR ART
  The Lucasfilm art archives
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  dgren, and Johanna Whiting
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  CREATIVE DIRECTOR
  Andrew Navaro
  EXECUTIVE GAME DESIGNER
  Corey Konieczka
  EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
  Michael Hurley
  PUBLISHER
  Christian T. Petersen
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  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  3
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  “I’ve never met a Resistance fighter before.”
  “Well, this is what we look like. Some of us. Others look different.”
  –Rey and Finn
  THE STORY SO FAR
  A 
  Call for Heroes is an adventure for the Star Wars: The 
  Force Awakens Beginner game. It is designed to follow the 
  events of Discovery on Jakku, the Beginner game’s adventure.
  Since the events of Discovery on Jakku, the Player 
  Characters (PCs) have likely made contact with the Resis-
  tance and joined the struggle against the First Order. At the 
  very least, they now have good reasons to resent the rising 
  power of this new state, even if they were not able to reach 
  the Resistance. In a Call for Heroes, the PCs can follow up 
  on the events of Discovery on Jakku and strike out against 
  the newly revealed oppressors.
  If you are a player planning to take on the role of Game Mas-
  ter, then read on to find out more. You should read through the 
  entire adventure before beginning your first session. However, 
  if you are planning to be a hero player in the adventure, please 
  stop reading now in order to avoid spoiling any surprises.
  GAME MASTER ONLY!
  IF YOU ARE A HERO PLAYER, STOP READING HERE!  
  Only the GM should read the rest of this book prior to play. It contains secrets and surprises 
  for the course of the adventure, and reading ahead can spoil the fun!
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  4
  TAKING THE NEXT STEP
  N
  ow that they are in contact with the Resistance, the PCs 
  must work to aid its cause and assist in protecting the 
  galaxy from the First Order’s ambitions. The data detail-
  ing hidden Imperial bases in the Unknown Regions that the 
  hero players retrieved has proven their value to Resistance 
  command, but there is still work that must be done. In fact, 
  the very data the PCs discovered on Jakku is enough to 
  provide the Resistance with a set of promising leads on 
  what to do next.
  RESISTANCE BRIEFING
  After the PCs deliver the data to the Resistance, the Resis-
  tance leadership asks them to stay and help investigate it. 
  The PCs may be willing to do so out of a sense of duty, or 
  simply because they object to the First Order. If altruism 
  is not enough motivation, however, the Resistance is pre-
  pared to offer them some financial compensation. (At the 
  GM’s discretion, the Resistance could give each PC 1,000 
  credits for having delivered the data and 5,000 credits for 
  investigating it.)
  At some point after this negotiation, the PCs receive an 
  alert that they are needed for an important mission. Read or 
  paraphrase the following aloud:
  The PCs can ask questions, but the messenger only knows 
  that there is an important briefing waiting for the PCs in the 
  war room, with Major Ematt presenting.
  Once the PCs are ready for the briefing, read or para-
  phrase the following aloud as they enter the war room:
  He pauses for a moment before continuing. If the PCs 
  want to interrupt him with questions, he answers them 
  concisely but encourages the PCs to wait until he finishes. 
  When he continues, read or paraphrase the following  sec-
  tion on the next page aloud:
  After you delivered the data to the Resistance base 
  on D’Qar, officers gave you access to base facili-
  ties for refueling and resupply. They informed you 
  that they will likely have further need of your skills. 
  Soon enough, this proves true, as a runner comes 
  to find you. “Major Ematt wants to see you in the 
  war room.”
  You enter the Resistance war room, where efforts 
  against the First Order are coordinated. Passing by 
  data stations staffed with intelligence analysts, you 
  arrive at a central holoterminal. There, you see an 
  older man with long white hair and a thick beard. 
  His hooded eyes betray his weariness, but he smiles 
  briefly when you arrive. “So, you’re the team that 
  recovered those old Imperial datafiles. That was 
  good intel, and it’s going to help us a great deal 
  in the days to come. We’ve already discovered two 
  important leads by cross-referencing the data with 
  intercepted First Order transmissions. Since you’re 
  already somewhat familiar with the situation, I’d like 
  you to investigate it.”
  BEGINNING A NEW SESSION
  I
  n general, a roleplaying game is played by a 
  group of people who meet several times, days or 
  even weeks apart. Each time the group gathers in 
  the same place to play the game for a few hours, it 
  is called a “session.” Discovery on Jakku probably 
  took your group one or two sessions. A CAll for He-
  roes, on the other hand, might take three or more 
  sessions to complete.
  You can think of sessions of a roleplaying game 
  as episodes of an ongoing television show. At the 
  beginning of each session, it can be helpful to re-
  cap what happened in the previous session, just as 
  many television shows do. Sometimes a new ses-
  sion picks up the events of the adventure at the 
  very moment the previous session left off (espe-
  cially if it ended on a cliffhanger!) At other times, 
  hours, days, or even longer can be assumed to 
  have passed in game time. Here are some steps 
  you should take at the beginning of each session:
  • Make sure everyone has had a chance to 
  spend any experience points received at 
  the end of the previous session.
  • Allow everyone to recover from all of 
  their strain. (Even if only moments have 
  passed in game time between the previ-
  ous session and the new one, it’s usually 
  simplest for the game if everyone begins 
  free of strain.)
  • If a considerable amount of in-game 
  time has passed, allow characters to re-
  cover from wounds and make attempts 
  to heal Critical Injuries.
  • Recap the important points of the story, 
  so that everyone remembers what is go-
  ing on and what the group’s goals are.
  • If a considerable amount of in-game time 
  has passed, it can be fun and help sup-
  port the narrative to ask players what 
  their characters have each been doing 
  during the “downtime.”
  • Finally, generate a new Destiny pool by 
  asking each player to roll a Force die º.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  5
  After finishing the briefing, Major Ematt takes questions from 
  the PCs. Following are some of the questions they are likely to 
  ask, with suggested answers. At the GM’s discretion, the major 
  may provide details beyond those the PCs inquire about.
  HOW DO WE DESTROY THE RESEARCH FACILITY?
  WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE RECON 
  TEAM THE FIRST ORDER IS SENDING TO THE 
  IMPERIAL RESEARCH FACILITY?
  WHY DID THE EMPIRE ESTABLISH A RESEARCH 
  FACILITY IN THE UNKNOWN REGIONS, AND 
  WHAT THREAT DOES IT POSE NOW?
  Major Ematt continues the briefing, “The leads we’ve 
  found are planets in the Unknown Regions that have 
  become sites of First Order interest. One is an old Im-
  perial research facility mentioned in the data you re-
  covered. Thanks to that data, we’ve been able to prop-
  erly interpret certain messages regarding that area of 
  space. We believe the First Order plans to send a recon 
  team to investigate and salvage the base. We need the 
  base scuttled before that can happen.
  “The other lead is an actual First Order outpost on an 
  isolated world, which we believe holds a communica-
  tions relay that may handle the transmission of vital in-
  tel. Environmental data from the Eradicator’s databanks 
  describe a planet with atmospheric ion storms, but noth-
  ing else of note. We want you to scout the base and, if 
  possible, infiltrate it to recover the relay’s data archives.
  “If you can retrieve the communication data and deal 
  with this old Imperial research facility, you’ll be doing 
  the Resistance—and the galaxy—a great service.”
  “The recovered data indicates the facility was consid-
  ered a potential risk if discovered by enemies of the 
  Empire. According to standard Imperial protocols, 
  there should be a self-destruct panel on the base’s 
  main generator. If you can’t activate the self-destruct, 
  do your best to strip the base of resources and destroy 
  anything of value. We’ll dispatch some fighters when 
  we have them to spare.”
  “The recovered data indicates the facility was consid-
  ered a potential risk if discovered by enemies of the 
  Empire.” Major Ematt calls up a schematic of the base’s 
  main generator; a particular control panel blinks red.
  “The transmission regarding their activities was heavily 
  encrypted, so we don’t know much. We do know they 
  don’t want to draw attention to the base, so it should be 
  a small team.”
  “The Eradicator’s data is limited in that regard. It 
  was some kind of research facility that experimented 
  with advanced weapons technology, and it may have 
  worked on other projects as well. The First Order 
  clearly thinks whatever the Imperials were working on 
  was powerful enough to give the First Order an advan-
  tage in this fight, and that’s not a risk we can take.”
  BEGINNING WITH ALTERNATIVE ENDINGS 
  T
  he default assumption in A CAll for Heroes is that 
  the PCs have been able to escape the First Order 
  and make contact with the Resistance. This adventure 
  assumes that the PCs have already met with Resis-
  tance leadership and joined the fight against the First 
  Order. However, the events of Discovery on Jakku 
  could have led the PCs to a different fate. Suggestions 
  on how alternative endings to the previous adventure 
  could tie in with the new narrative possibilities pre-
  sented here include the following:
  • If the PCs were captured by Captain Phasma 
  and her troops at the end of Discovery on 
  Jakku, Phasma is able to discover the data 
  aboard their ship and infer that they may 
  be working with the Resistance. However, at 
  the time she encountered the PCs, she was 
  making ready to return to Starkiller Base in 
  preparation for the First Order’s devastat-
  ing attack on the New Republic. As such, 
  she needs to transfer responsibility for any 
  prisoners to other agents of the First Order. 
  She sends the PCs to the secret base on GH-
  531 aboard a shuttle commanded by one 
  of her subordinates. Assault on GH-531 on 
  page 7 of this adventure contains details on 
  what to do if the PCs arrive on GH-531 as 
  prisoners. It integrates them into the main 
  adventure when they meet a genuine Resis-
  tance agent already held captive there.
  • If the PCs are not prisoners of the First 
  Order but have not yet made contact with 
  the Resistance, the GM can easily bring 
  them to the Resistance’s attention in any 
  of a number of ways. Contact with New Re-
  public authorities who survive the attack 
  on Hosnian Prime could see them directed 
  to the Resistance base in order to deliver 
  their data. They could encounter merce-
  naries or smugglers who direct them to 
  Maz Kanata’s castle, where Maz herself 
  might send them along. With the galaxy 
  reeling in the wake of the First Order’s at-
  tack, support for the Resistance is swelling 
  among those with the courage to stand up 
  for their ideals; the PCs could find a helpful 
  agent in any number of places.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  6
  WHAT HAPPENED TO THE IMPERIAL CREW OF 
  THE RESEARCH FACILITY?
  WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BASE 
  AROUND THE FIRST ORDER COMMS RELAY?
  ARE THE ION STORMS OVER THE COMMS 
  RELAY A THREAT TO US?
  DEPARTURE FROM D’QAR
  W
  hen the PCs leave the Resistance base, the Resistance 
  offers them some basic supplies. Any items on the 
  PCs’ character sheets that were used or lost during the 
  previous adventure are replaced (this includes items like 
  stim packs and grenades). In addition, the Resistance can 
  provide a few simple items such as climbing gear, breathing 
  gear for hostile atmospheres, and rations.
  The remainder of this adventure is divided into three 
  independent “episodes.” The PCs can complete these acts 
  in any order they choose, or can even skip one of them if 
  they prefer:
  • Assault on GH-531: The First Order has concealed 
  a communications station on a world shrouded by 
  storms. The PCs’ mission is to scout the base and re-
  port back to the Resistance. However, an unlucky en-
  counter with stormy weather may leave the PCs’ ship 
  damaged, forcing them to raid the base for tools and 
  replacement parts.
  • From the Ashes of the Empire: Long ago, the Em-
  pire constructed a number of weapons research labo-
  ratories in the Unknown Regions. Now, the First Order 
  hopes to plunder the secrets of one such laboratory. 
  The PCs must try to stop it from obtaining the informa-
  tion in the lab’s databanks.
  • Return to Jakku: When the PCs fled Jakku, they left 
  behind a community of nomads. The PCs promised to 
  return and help the nomads deal with a local criminal 
  organization. However, when they do, they find that the 
  situation has escalated in the meantime. 
  “We believe they abandoned the facility after the war. 
  They couldn’t have remained indefinitely without re-
  supply from the Imperial Fleet. I doubt that the origi-
  nal crew will cause you any problems.”
  “That base started out as an Imperial observation 
  post, and it has been taken over by the First Order. It 
  must be small and self-sufficient to stay undetected, 
  given the volume of message traffic it handles. The 
  ion storms mask the transmissions, but the storms 
  couldn’t hide the supply ships we detected traveling 
  regularly in the area. If The First Order had some-
  how managed to establish a fortified base there, we’d 
  have spotted that activity, so the outpost should be 
  lightly secured, beyond the secrecy.”
  “I won’t lie to you: flying in through the planet’s atmo-
  sphere is going to be a risk. My advice is to land as 
  quickly as possible, and make that double if a storm 
  starts to build. If you need to evacuate during a storm, 
  stay in the lower atmosphere until a break opens up.”
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  7
  ASSAULT ON GH-531
  I
  n the encounter presented here, the PCs find their way 
  to a First Order outpost, either sent by the Resistance or 
  brought in as prisoners. When a sudden ion storm grounds 
  their ship, the PCs must attack the outpost in order to 
  recover parts with which to fix their ship and make good 
  their escape.
  THE BASE AT GH-531
  The Empire selected GH-531 as an observation post due to 
  unusual atmospheric conditions that scramble signals and 
  interfere with scanning attempts. The world is a desolate 
  rocky ball scoured by high-speed winds and ion storms. Its 
  thin, dry atmosphere is just barely breathable. When the 
  Empire established the post, almost no one knew the planet 
  existed, and even those who did had no reason to visit.
  This secrecy appealed to the First Order, which converted 
  the observation post into a communications relay. Highly 
  specialized, carefully calibrated equipment is necessary sim-
  ply to detect transmissions that have passed through the 
  atmosphere, let alone to decipher them, making the atmo-
  sphere’s ion charge the perfect cover for the base’s mission.
  The base is rudimentary but self-sufficient, designed to 
  operate for extended periods resupply or direct contact with 
  headquarters. The First Order built the base’s core in the 
  heavy stone bunkers constructed by the Empire, installing 
  advanced communications systems and the shield genera-
  tors that protect the base from ion storms. Other facilities 
  in the base manufacture supplies and house security for the 
  technicians operating the station.
  SURVIVING THE ION STORMS
  The base’s electronically hardened and heavily shielded 
  equipment facilitates the safe transmission of signals. How-
  ever, when the atmosphere’s ion charge builds to sufficient 
  intensity, all activity on the base halts, and all power is redi-
  rected to its insulating shields. Beyond the shields, massive 
  electrical discharges streak through the atmosphere in an 
  intense display before slowly grounding themselves in the 
  planetary crust. A full-scale discharge is likely to annihilate 
  anything caught in it, and even the initial buildup is capable 
  of frying the systems aboard a starship or speeder. After an 
  ion storm, it takes some time for the planet’s magnetic field 
  to draw the spent energy back from the ground. Occasional 
  aftereffects keep the base on a low-activity cycle for an ex-
  tended period following a major storm.
  BASE STRUCTURE
  The base is built out of a series of old Imperial bunkers. 
  Three bunkers form a rough semicircle around one side of 
  a central communications bunker and comms tower. A rudi-
  mentary shuttleport occupies the other side. 
  GENERATOR AND SHIELD FACILITY
  To avoid the dangerous ion storms, the Empire relied on 
  thick stone walls and grounding devices to bleed off elec-
  trical strikes. The First Order uses shielding technology to 
  protect its facility instead. 
  One of the bunkers has been retrofitted to hold a mas-
  sive power generator and shield projectors that create the 
  energy field that protects the communications facility. The 
  interior of the bunker has been renovated into a single large 
  room. The entirety of the space is dominated by the enor-
  mous, humming generator. Power cables run to the roof of 
  the bunker, where four shield projectors create the invisible 
  energy barrier that protects against the storms. 
  A pair of First Order stormtroopers guard the generator, 
  since it is a vital part of the base. However, the equipment is 
  largely automated, so there are no techs on duty.
  HYDROPONICS BAY AND STORES
  A modest hydroponic garden and processing facility pro-
  vides the bulk of the base’s food stores. Gardeners cultivate 
  produce from off-planet seed and culture a local microbial 
  life form for protein. The facility is vital to the base’s ability 
  to remain isolated for long periods. A storehouse for sup-
  plies lies to the rear of the hydroponics facility. This structure 
  holds everything from spare power packs for the garrison’s 
  weapons, to spare parts for ships and equipment, to nonper-
  ishable emergency food supplies.
  A shift of two workers tends to the garden at all times, 
  and two First Order stormtroopers patrol the perimeter of 
  the supply complex. A third stormtrooper keeps watch over 
  the warehouse from an internal monitoring station to pre-
  vent theft. The stormtroopers spend their time in the base’s 
  garrison when off duty, while the workers have a small living 
  area within the supply complex.
  GARRISON
  Although the First Order relies primarily on the base’s se-
  crecy for its defense, it does maintain a small military pres-
  ence to enforce Captain Talkar’s will and to act as a visible 
  symbol of power in the eyes of the isolated crew. A small 
  garrison of stormtroopers fills this role. Although the total 
  troop complement is only twenty stormtroopers operating 
  across the shifts, the small size of the facility makes that 
  number sufficient.
  The structure that serves as the stormtrooper garrison 
  is bleak and minimalist, holding little more than bunks, 
  refreshers, and a small armory. Any stormtroopers not ac-
  tively standing guard or patrolling elsewhere are invariably 
  sleeping in the bunks, maintaining equipment, or practicing 
  marksmanship drills just outside the building.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  8
  DETENTION BLOCK
  The base’s so-called detention block is little more than a 
  maintenance shed near the garrison. It can be jury-rigged 
  to hold prisoners in containment cells should the need arise. 
  At the time of the adventure, the cells hold a single captive: 
  a Resistance scout named Wol Kessix, who stumbled across 
  the base while fleeing pirates in his fighter. He crashed in an 
  ion storm, but the First Order soldiers who found him are 
  convinced he was searching for their base. He has suffered 
  from the First Order’s attempts at interrogation, but refuses 
  to talk to his captors.
  SHUTTLEPORT
  Like the base’s detention block, the base’s shuttleport facili-
  ties are simple to the point of being rudimentary. The con-
  sist of a flat landing strip, fusion-pressed into the ground, is 
  capable of holding a small squadron of fighters or a pair of 
  mid-sized transports. A locating beacon to help guide incom-
  ing ships occupies the center of the strip, and the First Order 
  has set up a refueling station along the side of the strip clos-
  est to the rest of the base.
  When the PCs arrive on GH-531, the only craft docked 
  at the shuttleport is a transport shuttle kept in reserve as 
  a courier and emergency evacuation vessel. The ship’s sys-
  tems remain on lockdown at all times; the access codes are 
  secured in Captain Talkar’s code cylinder.
  The docked shuttle is capable of transporting the entire 
  population of the base, albeit in cramped quarters and 
  without supplies for a long journey. A more modest crew—
  such as the PCs—could use the shuttle as a long-range 
  craft without issues. However, getting the shuttle’s systems 
  operational without the captain’s code cylinder requires a 
  Hard (π π π) Computers check.
  COMMUNICATIONS RELAY
  The small complex of buildings making up the communica-
  tions relay facility is the heart of the First Order base. The 
  relay itself is at the very center, and a series of power and 
  shield generators that support the base crowd around it in 
  a tight cluster. These generators are supposed to be spaced 
  widely enough to maintain sight lines for guards watching 
  for approaching personnel, but the constraints of keeping 
  the entire base small enough to fit under the shields means 
  that there is an unusual amount of cover on the approach to 
  the relay. Two pairs of stormtroopers patrol the perimeter of 
  the communications relay to help mitigate this vulnerability.
  The relay is a twenty-meter-tall comms tower rising over a 
  pressed stone bunker originally constructed by the Empire. 
  The tower is located directly behind the bunker. Heavy duty 
  power cables run from the tower to the interior of the bunker. 
  The interior of the bunker has been renovated to house 
  the comms equipment necessary to support the relay. The 
  ground floor of the bunker contains three rooms. The First 
  Order has set up two rows of terminals in one of the front 
  two rooms. There, a team of four technicians processes in-
  coming communications and prepares them for transmis-
  sion to other bases deep in the Unknown Regions. Next to 
  this room is office space for the base’s commanding officer, 
  FIRST ORDER STORMTROOPER
  5
  5
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  3
  3
  2
  2
  3
  1
  Skills (group only): Athletics (varies: º º π for 
  a full group of three, º π π for a group of two, 
  and π π π for a single stormtrooper), Discipline 
  (varies, as Athletics), Melee (varies, as Athletics), 
  Ranged (Heavy) (varies, as Athletics), Vigilance 
  (varies, as Athletics).
  Other commonly used skills: Cool 0 (π).
  Equipment: Blaster rifle (Skill: Ranged [Heavy] 
  (varies: º º π for a full group of three, º π π 
  for a group of two, and π π π for a single stor-
  mtrooper) Damage 9; ≤ ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical 
  Injury; Range [Long]; Stun setting), vibroknife (Skill: 
  Melee (varies, as Blaster Rifle) Damage 4; Range 
  [Engaged]; ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical Injury; Pierce 2 
  [ignore 2 points of the target’s soak), stormtrooper 
  armor (+2 soak [included in soak value]), utility belt.
  Minion rules: Stormtroopers use the minion 
  group rules.
  Since the Stormtroopers have no strain thresh-
  old, whenever they would suffer strain, they suffer 
  wounds instead.
  FIRST ORDER TECHNICIAN
  2
  4
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  2
  2
  3
  2
  2
  2
  Skills (group only): Computers (varies: º º π for 
  a full group of three; º π π for a group of two, 
  π π π for a single technician), Mechanics (varies, 
  as Computers).
  Other commonly used skills: Perception (π π), 
  Ranged (Light) (π π), Vigilance (π π).
  Equipment: Light blaster pistol (Skill: Ranged 
  [Light] [varies; º º for a full group of three; º π for 
  a group of two, π π for a single technician]; Damage 
  5; Range [Medium]; ≤ ≤ ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical 
  Injury), uniform, technical readouts, code cylinder.
  Minion rules: First Order technicians use the min-
  ion group rules.
  Since the technicians have no strain threshold, 
  whenever they would suffer strain, they suffer 
  wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  9
  Captain Talkar, and his team of analysts. There, they sift 
  through communiqués and intelligence to assemble a stra-
  tegic picture of the state of the galaxy.
  The back room, packed with computer towers and pro-
  cessing systems, is directly linked to the comms tower via 
  heavy-duty cables run through the bunker walls. A narrow 
  stairway leads to the bunker’s basement, where the First Or-
  der has retrofit an Imperial geothermal generator to power 
  the comms tower and communications equipment. In an 
  emergency, the First Order can also rely on the generator to 
  power the entire base for a short time.
  ARRIVAL AT THE BASE
  Events begin as the PCs arrive in the remote system housing 
  the First Order base, either as Resistance agents or as pris-
  oners of the First Order. This adventure largely assumes the 
  PCs have been briefed by the Resistance and are on a mis-
  sion to disable the base. If they are prisoners instead, use 
  the Prisoners of the First Order sidebars, on pages 10 and 
  11. If they are on the Resistance mission, read or paraphrase 
  the following aloud as they approach GH-531:
  If the PCs want to use the their ship’s scanners to find a 
  safe place to land or learn more about the energy spike, they 
  can focus the ship’s sensors with an Easy (π) Computers 
  check. The atmosphere’s ion charge adds two Setback dice 
  ∫ ∫ to the check, however. One or more Successes ≥ in-
  dicate they can pinpoint the location of the energy readings 
  amid surrounding rock formations, which should provide 
  plenty of cover for landing. If they get at least one Advan-
  tage ≤ on the check, they learn that the atmosphere’s ion 
  charge is building up, which could make the approach im-
  possible if they don’t move in soon.
  AN ABRUPT LANDING
  As the vessel carrying the PCs enters the atmosphere of GH-
  531, disaster strikes. The building ion storm releases an ear-
  ly electric discharge that strikes their ship and disables key 
  systems. If the PCs are making the approach aboard their 
  own ship or a Resistance vessel, read or paraphrase the fol-
  lowing aloud as they enter the planet’s atmosphere:
  Dropping out of hyperspace, you see a small planet 
  ahead, veiled by clouds and bedecked with mesmeriz-
  ing, sparkling patterns. As you approach, you realize 
  that the patterns are bolts of lightning arcing across 
  the clouds. Your scans are having difficulty picking 
  anything up through the ion charge in the planet’s at-
  mosphere, but there’s a spike in energy readings that 
  seems to come from the planet’s surface. The source 
  of the spike is likely to be the base, given what you 
  learned at your briefing.
  CAPTAIN TALKAR
  3
  12
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  2
  3
  2
  2
  3
  3
  Skills: Coercion 2 (º º π), Discipline 1 (º π π), 
  Leadership 1 (º π π), Ranged (Light) 2 (º º π).
  Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (Skill: Ranged 
  [Light] (º º π); Damage 7; Range [Medium]; ≤ 
  ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical Injury), armored uniform 
  (+1 soak, included above), officer’s code cylinder.
  Since Captain Talkar has no strain threshold, whenev-
  er he would suffer strain, he suffers wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  10
  The PCs need to land and seek shelter from the storm 
  before it fries more of their systems. The ion charge is worst 
  in the upper atmosphere, so turning around would prove 
  deadly, but making the landing under extreme sensor inter-
  ference and atmospheric turbulence won’t be easy either. 
  To land safely, one of the PCs must make an Average (π π) 
  Piloting check with two Setback dice ∫ ∫.  If the PC suc-
  ceeds, they land safely but are trapped on the ground until 
  the storm passes. If they succeed with one Threat ∑, then 
  everyone in the ship suffers 1 strain from being jostled around 
  by turbulence. If they succeed with at least two Threat ∑ ∑, 
  then they land safely, but a lightning bolt clips the ship. The 
  ship’s navicomputer shorts out, necessitating repair before the 
  PCs can safely travel through hyperspace again. If the PCs fail, 
  they end up in a barely controlled crash landing. If the navi-
  computer shorts out or the ship crash-lands, it is clear to the 
  PCs that they will need supplies from the base to effect repairs. 
  (See page 14 for information on repairing the ship.) 
  PLAN OF ATTACK
  Whether the PCs land properly or crash-land, they find 
  themselves trapped on the ground until the storm passes. 
  They are a couple of kilometers from the base. They may 
  need parts to repair their ship, or even a whole new vessel in 
  which to escape. To accomplish their objectives, they’ll need 
  to come up with a plan to retrieve what they need from the 
  First Order base. The PCs also need to infiltrate the base to 
  complete their scouting assignment and perhaps even re-
  cover valuable intelligence for the Resistance. 
  Getting inside the base can be broken up into two parts. 
  First, the PCs need to breach the outer perimeter of the 
  base. Second, they need to get inside the secured build-
  ings that hold their objectives. If the PCs want to spend 
  time planning and scouting the base in order to develop 
  a comprehensive course of action, the GM should work to 
  support them, but it should also be possible for a more 
  direct, unplanned approach to succeed. Some ideas on 
  how to handle both kinds of approach to the perimeter and 
  buildings are detailed below. 
  PERIMETER BREACH: INFILTRATION
  Approaching the base undetected is fairly easy. The rocky 
  terrain around it allows for abundant cover, and the First Or-
  der only has a small number of personnel on duty. The First 
  Order installed perimeter sensors when they set up shop, 
  but it quickly found that the ion storms disrupted the sen-
  sors and left them largely useless.
  Under these circumstances, approaching the base un-
  detected requires an Easy (π) Stealth check. If the PCs 
  have scouted out the base from a distance, are trying to ap-
  proach from a particularly sheltered area of the terrain, or 
  otherwise have taken time to plan, they should add a Boost 
  die ∫ to the check. The GM should have each PC make a 
  Stealth check, but as long as at least half of the PCs suc-
  ceed, they are all able to approach the facility undetected. 
  If more than half of the PCs fail their Stealth check, the pe-
  rimeter sensors pick them up, and the GM should use the 
  Perimeter Breach: Assault section, below, to determine 
  the events of the remainder of the encounter.
  Once the PCs are past the perimeter sensors, they can 
  head toward one of the three exterior bunkers or proceed 
  to the main communications bunker. The security measures 
  for each of these locations are detailed on pages 7-8 of this 
  adventure. Further ideas on how to continue a stealthy infil-
  tration of the base are described below, in Getting Inside: 
  Infiltration on page 11.
  PERIMETER BREACH: ASSAULT
  If the PCs decide to forgo stealth and proceed with a frontal 
  assault on the perimeter, the perimeter sensors should pick 
  them up even through the ion storm’s interference. However, 
  You smoothly cut through the dark clouds in the sky 
  of the remote world, revealing a desolate and rocky 
  surface. You can see the base’s distant landing bea-
  cons, but the warning lights on your console draw 
  your attention. Scans indicate that the ion charge in 
  the atmosphere is building. Suddenly, your screens 
  flicker and blur, and the ship shakes as thunder 
  booms outside the hull. The storm is fast approach-
  ing, and when it hits, you’d better not be in the air.
  PRISONERS OF THE FIRST ORDER
  I
  f the PCs are arriving as prisoners of the First 
  Order, read or paraphrase the following aloud as 
  they approach GH-531:
  At this point, the PCs may be entertaining 
  thoughts of attempting an escape, but the time 
  they’ve spent imprisoned in the cargo hold has 
  temporarily weakened them, and they need time 
  to recover their full range of motion. They are able 
  to stand and walk behind the First Order ensign, 
  but cannot do much else. If they ask him ques-
  tions, he rebuffs them and orders silence until 
  they arrive before the captain.
  The last thing you remember after being 
  captured by Captain Phasma is a mention of 
  “transfer orders” before you were dragged off 
  into the cargo hold of a shuttle. You’ve been 
  kept locked up in the hold for a while now. The 
  monotony of your imprisonment is broken sud-
  denly by the arrival of First Order stormtroop-
  er stepping into your cell.
  “The captain wishes to have a few words with 
  you before our landing. You will come with 
  me.” He activates a control for your binders, 
  and they detach from the magnetic clamps 
  on the wall, although you still can barely 
  move in them. “Hurry along now,” the stor-
  mtrooper insists.
  
  due to the base’s limited staff, the response Captain Talkar 
  can send quickly to deal with intruders is limited. 
  If the PCs assault the base or are discovered as they at-
  tempt to infiltrate, Talkar dispatches both teams of two stor-
  mtroopers on the perimeter to intercept the PCs immedi-
  ately; he then organizes the rest of the base’s forces. 
  PERIMETER ENCOUNTER
  When the PCs encounter the patrolling teams, they are 
  fighting two minion groups of two stormtroopers each. 
  The encounter starts with the PCs at long range from the 
  stormtroopers, fighting across broken ground crisscrossed 
  by ravines and covered in large rocks. 
  Both groups should roll for Initiative using Cool, since both 
  sides are expecting a fight. The stormtroopers spend their 
  first maneuver going for cover (adding one Setback die ∫ to 
  any ranged combat checks targeting them), then open fire. 
  At the GM’s discretion, one minion group can spend its first 
  turn moving sideways from the other group to spread out 
  and attempt to catch the PCs in a crossfire. 
  The PCs can spend a maneuver to take cover behind the 
  rocks (adding one Setback die ∫ to any ranged combat 
  checks targeting them). A PC can also attempt to approach 
  the stormtroopers from the cover of the ravines. Doing so 
  requires an action to make an Average (π π) Athletics 
  or Coordination check. If the check is successful, the PC 
  moves one range band closer to the stormtroopers and can-
  not be targeted by the stormtroopers until the end of the 
  PC’s next turn.
  CAPTAIN TALKAR’S RESPONSE
  While the PCs are dealing with the initial patrols, Captain Talkar 
  attempts to scramble reinforcements by calling the off-shift 
  stormtroopers to duty, but assembling his troops takes time. 
  The first of these reinforcements won’t be able to arrive until 
  after the PCs have finished the initial encounter. Ideas on how 
  the captain might deploy his additional troops are described 
  on page 12, in the section titled Getting Inside: Assault.
  GETTING INSIDE: INFILTRATION
  Once inside the perimeter of the base, the PCs can try to 
  travel undetected between the various bunkers and facilities. 
  This should only be possible if the PCs remained undetected 
  on the approach.
  PRISONERS OF THE FIRST ORDER
  I
  f the PCs are arriving as prisoners of the First Order, 
  read or paraphrase the following aloud as they en-
  ter the planet’s atmosphere:
  At this point, the PCs can attempt to implement any 
  of a variety of plans, such as seizing weapons from 
  the stormtroopers guarding them or dashing to the 
  shuttle’s escape pods. In the chaos aboard the shut-
  tle’s bridge, almost any course of action is possible. 
  The First Order crew took the brunt of the electrical 
  discharge because their active equipment drew in the 
  ionic charge; they should be easy to dispatch. Two in-
  dividual First Order stormtroopers occupy the bridge 
  (one is the stormtrooper who brings the PCs to the 
  bridge, the other is the commander) in addition to a 
  minion group of two shuttle crew to fight. Use the pro-
  files for First Order stormtroopers from page 8 and 
  First Order technicians from page 8 to represent the 
  opposition. The First Order personnel each add two 
  Setback dice to their checks ∫ ∫ due to their disorien-
  tation and surprise. Once the PCs defeat the shuttle’s 
  crew, they can attempt to land it safely with an Aver-
  age (π π) Piloting check. Add two Setback dice ∫ ∫ 
  to skirt through the storm, as described above.
  If the PCs make a dash for the escape pods, they make 
  it off the shuttle just in time to watch as a second dis-
  charge ignites a fuel line, destroying the ship. Their es-
  cape pods put down in the hills overlooking the base. 
  The adventure can continue with Plan of Attack.
  WHAT ABOUT OUR GEAR?
  I
  f the First Order captured the PCs, their captors 
  separated them from their weapons and equipment 
  shortly after taking them prisoner. Depending on how 
  the PCs manage to escape, there are a few options for 
  reequipping them. If they take out the shuttle crew 
  and land the ship, they can find their gear in a storage 
  locker on board. If they make their way to the escape 
  pods, they might be able to steal gear from the shuttle 
  crew on the way. Alternatively, at the GM’s discretion, 
  the locker holding their gear could be near the escape 
  pods. As a last resort, PCs without access to other 
  equipment should find emergency survival kits in the 
  escape pods. These contain a blaster pistol and two 
  stimpacks for each PC.
  The stormtrooper brings you to the bridge of the 
  First Order’s shuttle to see the viewport filled 
  with dark clouds crackling with electricity. From 
  the sounds of it, you’ve arrived at the tail end of 
  an argument. You hear the pilot’s insistent voice 
  saying something about an ion storm, only for 
  the ship’s commander to interject, “The storm is 
  only in its preliminary stages. If you are not con-
  fident of your ability to get us through even this 
  minor hazard, then I must question your value 
  as a pilot.”
  The commander looks like he’s going to continue 
  his tirade, but suddenly the shuttle shudders 
  amid a loud crackle of energy. Electricity arcs 
  from the bridge’s computer arrays. As chaos 
  breaks out, you hear the faint click as your ion-
  ized binders pop open.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  12
  Traveling between any of the main areas of the base, such 
  as from the hydroponics bay to the garrison, or from any 
  exterior area to the communications relay, requires an Easy 
  (π) Stealth check from each of the PCs. As long as at least 
  half of the PCs succeed on their Stealth check, they can pro-
  ceed from one location to another without being noticed. 
  If more than half fail, the PCs are picked up on sensors or 
  spotted by any guards who happen to be nearby. 
  At the GM’s discretion, attempting particularly risky ac-
  tions, such as removing spare parts from a landed shuttle 
  or trying to get into the communications bunker, may add 
  one or more Setback dice ∫ to the check. GMs should add 
  one Setback die ∫ to the check if they feel it is moderately 
  risky, and two Setback dice ∫ if they feel there is a high risk 
  of detection.
  However, PCs moving around, near, or approaching the com-
  munications relay receive a Boost die ∫ on any Stealth checks 
  to avoid notice, due to the abundance of cover from the various 
  power and shield generators surrounding the relay.
  If a majority of the PCs fail a Stealth check, they encounter 
  the stormtroopers and other staff on duty at the immediate 
  location. The rest of the base takes some time to organize 
  and respond to a sudden incursion; the PCs have time to re-
  solve a single combat encounter before anyone else reaches 
  their position. Afterward, if the PCs want to try to hide again, 
  they may. However, all Stealth checks become Average 
  (π π) instead of Easy (π) to represent the heightened alert 
  of the base. 
  GETTING INSIDE: ASSAULT
  The PCs may not be interested in sneaking around the base, 
  or the perimeter sensors may deny them the opportunity. 
  If the PCs are active inside the base without using stealth, 
  Captain Talkar should mobilize every stormtrooper he can to 
  deal with them. However, knowing that the base is no longer 
  secret should also make him concerned about the possibility 
  of additional attackers. This makes him unlikely to call the 
  stormtroopers guarding the hydroponics facility and store-
  house from their posts. Instead, he calls up the off-duty stor-
  mtroopers to reinforce the bases’s defenses while the PCs 
  are dealing with the perimeter patrols.
  The First Order’s stormtroopers are trained to respond to 
  a crisis at a moment’s notice, but even so, going from sleep 
  or a meal to an armed and ready status takes time. As such, 
  the GM does not need to present overwhelming force to the 
  PCs at any point during their incursion. 
  Instead, the PCs should encounter reinforcements when-
  ever they attack a new location. As well as the normal per-
  sonnel stationed at any specific location, the GM should 
  include one minion group of two stormtroopers. These stor-
  mtroopers are waiting in a defensive position just outside the 
  location when the PCs arrive. The defensive position gives 
  the troopers cover, adding one Setback die ∫ to any ranged 
  combat checks targeting them.
  WHY DON’T THE TROOPERS JOIN FORCES?
  If all of the stormtroopers launch a coordinated assault against 
  the PCs, they could prove to be a fatal foe. Even if four stor-
  mtroopers are killed on the perimeter, sixteen stormtroopers 
  remain (enough for four minion groups of four stormtroopers 
  each). If the PCs take on those forces in a straight fight, they 
  will probably be overwhelmed.
  However, as long as the PCs play smart, there are a few 
  reasons the GM can use to avoid having the stormtroopers 
  team up as a single monolithic adversary. 
  First, Captain Talkar does not know who or what is attack-
  ing his base. If he masses his forces to meet an assault that 
  turns out to be a diversion, he leaves the base vulnerable to 
  other enemies, whether real or imagined. As such, his first 
  response is to reinforce the various locations on the base 
  with his off-duty troopers, as described above.
  Second, the rising ion storm starts to seriously interfere 
  with communications and sensors. This makes it harder for 
  Captain Talkar to determine what’s going on outside the com-
  munications bunker. The rising winds whip up dust and grit, 
  making it more difficult for the First Order troopers to see 
  what’s going on as well. This makes Talkar even more cautious, 
  keeping his defenses evenly reinforced across the compound.
  Third, if the PCs take out one of the bunkers and move on, 
  Talkar will have to choose between sending troops to investi-
  gate and reinforcing his remaining positions. If he does send 
  troops to investigate, it makes it even harder for him to mass 
  overwhelming force at any one location.
  NO PLAN SURVIVES CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY
  J
  ust as in the encounter with Captain Phasma at the 
  end of Discovery on Jakku, the PCs’ efforts to at-
  tack or infiltrate the First Order base are not guar-
  anteed to be successful. It is entirely possible for the 
  guards on the base to overpower the PCs, due to poor 
  planning, previous injuries, or even just bad luck. How-
  ever, these circumstances do not need to mean the 
  end of the adventure, any more than capture by Cap-
  tain Phasma in Discovery on Jakku prevents the PCs 
  from continuing on to the events of A CAll for Heroes.
  If the PCs are defeated at the First Order base, Cap-
  tain Talkar throws them in the detention block with 
  the existing prisoner. From there, the GM has 
  several options. Wol Kessix might have a plan for 
  escape he was saving for an opportunity that has 
  now arrived, or Captain Talkar might set off the core 
  meltdown sequence in the base for fear of further 
  Resistance attention. Although he leaves the PCs to 
  die in the detention block as the First Order evacu-
  ates, this could give them the opportunity to escape 
  before the base blows up. The only limit on other 
  possibilities is the GM’s supply of ideas. However, 
  the GM should try to create a new path for the ad-
  venture that keeps the PCs from running into the 
  same hurdles that led to their last defeat, to prevent 
  the scenario from repeating itself.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  13
  These combat encounters should be spaced out enough 
  for the PCs to accomplish a goal or visit a new location in the 
  base between them. They should have time to steal from the 
  storehouse, rescue the prisoner, or take some other action 
  before more troops arrive. If the PCs want to take shots at 
  the communications relay tower to cut off the base’s com-
  munications, or sabotage shield generators to open an area 
  to the ion storm, these activities should be possible with an 
  appropriate check and a bit of creative adjudication of any 
  Advantage ≤ and Threat ∑ generated.
  Furthermore, there are only twenty stormtroopers at the 
  base in total. If the PCs are able to defeat more than ten 
  stormtroopers, Captain Talkar is likely to order any remain-
  ing troops to secure the evacuation shuttle while he sets off 
  the base’s self-destruct.
  REALISTIC NPC RESPONSES
  However, there always remains the possibility that the PCs 
  may make choices that put them in an untenable situation. 
  These choices may include holing up in one of the bunkers 
  and giving the First Order plenty of time to organize and 
  prepare an all-out assault, or trying to attack the commu-
  nications bunker as their very first action, forcing Captain 
  Talkar to summon all troops to protect the most vital portion 
  of the installation. 
  In such cases, the GM should encourage the PCs to re-
  member what their primary goals are (scout the installation 
  and report back to the Resistance, and potentially obtain 
  spare parts for their ship). The PCs don’t have to take down 
  the whole base; they can simply get as much information 
  as possible and flee. The PCs could even make an Average 
  (π π) Perception check in their current location to find 
  enough spare parts to jury-rig repairs for their starship. 
  If the PCs insist on taking on the entire complement of the 
  base, the GM can have the two sides fight it out in a pitched 
  battle. The PCs will likely end up as prisoners (or dead), and 
  while escape can be an exciting adventure, it is outside the 
  scope of this module. 
  CORE MELTDOWN
  The First Order’s decision to make the comms relay a 
  secret installation did not end with planning around the 
  ion storms. Rather than risk capture of the base and its 
  communications logs by the Resistance or New Republic, 
  the First Order installed a self-destruct. The mechanism is 
  designed to make the power generators running the relay 
  undergo a critical meltdown. 
  If Captain Talkar is convinced that the PCs are going to 
  take the base or steal the communications records, he uses 
  his code cylinder to engage the self-destruct and gathers 
  what personnel he can for an evacuation. Canceling the 
  self-destruct process without his code cylinder is nearly im-
  possible, requiring a Daunting (π π π π) Computers or 
  Mechanics check. The meltdown takes approximately half 
  an hour to complete, and it cannot be halted at all if more 
  than fifteen minutes have passed since it was initiated. The 
  base’s computers can still be accessed during the meltdown, 
  but with a Setback die ∫ added to any Computers checks 
  for every five minutes that have passed since initiation, due 
  to the increasing probability of electrical failure.
  The self-destruct can also work to the PCs’ advantage. If 
  they can enter the communications relay facility and defeat 
  Captain Talkar before he sets off the self-destruct, they can 
  acquire his code cylinder and use it to destroy the base them-
  selves once they have all the data the Resistance wants.
  RESCUE AND RETRIEVAL
  The PCs have three primary objectives to accomplish in 
  the First Order base, although they may not be aware of 
  all of them initially. In most circumstances, they should 
  need parts for repairing their ship due to damage taken 
  during the ion storm. They need to gather data of value to 
  the Resistance. Even PCs who arrived as prisoners of the 
  First Order may want to gather data from the base’s com-
  puters to figure out how to get back home. Finally, the PCs 
  should have a chance to rescue Wol Kessix, a captured 
  Resistance agent.
  INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
  Retrieving the data from the base’s computers should be 
  possible after the PCs either defeat Captain Talkar and his 
  technicians, or after the First Order personnel desert the re-
  lay to evacuate the base. 
  Slicing into the computer logs and archives of comms traf-
  fic requires an Average (π π) Computers check. If the PCs 
  have a code cylinder from one of the technicians, the check 
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  14
  receives a Boost die ∫. If they have Captain Talkar’s code 
  cylinder, they can simply access the logs using his clearance 
  without making a check. If the PCs have not found Wol Kes-
  six in the detention block at this point, the central computer 
  contains information about Wol Kessix’s capture and impris-
  onment that can alert the PCs to his presence.
  The base’s computers also have a number of other files 
  that the PCs may find interesting. PCs who arrived as prison-
  ers should find a local star chart that provides coordinates 
  of nearby known systems, as well as the First Order’s intel-
  ligence on the old Imperial research base that features later 
  in this adventure. GMs should feel free to add other details 
  they come up with that may be useful in their campaigns.
  RESCUING THE PRISONER
  Rescuing Wol Kessix can occur at different points during the 
  adventure, depending on when the PCs reach the detention 
  block. If the PCs pass by the detention block, he may spot 
  them and call out for help. If they are attempting stealth, he 
  may try to distract his captors to help them. Alternatively, 
  the guards at the garrison could reveal his existence by dis-
  cussing their prisoner within earshot or securing his cell in a 
  way that draws attention to it. Finally, there are records of 
  his incarceration in the central computer banks.
  If the PCs encounter Wol Kessix before they finish dealing 
  with the First Order troops, he helps them to the best of his 
  ability. This isn’t much, but if they give him a weapon, he is 
  glad to inflict some payback on his captors. The GM can ei-
  ther run him as an NPC, or have him operate narratively. He 
  could aid a PC to add a Boost die ∫ to the PC’s next check, 
  or eliminating one minion from a minion group at the end 
  of each round of a combat encounter. Wol has overheard 
  his guards discussing various aspects of the base’s opera-
  tions and knows enough to help the PCs navigate it. Once 
  the PCs secure the base, he should suggest that they acquire 
  data from the computers for the Resistance if they have not 
  already done so.
  PARTS FOR REPAIR
  Acquiring parts to repair the ship the PCs landed in requires 
  access to the storehouse attached to the hydroponics bay. 
  The ion storm primarily damaged sensitive electronics, so 
  power couplings and wiring are the main targets. These are 
  portable and not too large, so PCs who come up with a plan 
  to distract the guard could steal them and get away while 
  staying undetected. Otherwise, the PCs need to fight the 
  guard. There isn’t much else of note in the storehouse, but 
  the PCs could carry out approximately 200 credits’ worth of 
  goods per character, in addition to ship parts.
  WOL KESSIX, RESISTANCE AGENT
  W
  ol Kessix is of medium height and unremark-
  able build, and trained at blending in with 
  planetary populations across the galaxy. All his in-
  filtration training didn’t help him when he crashed 
  on a First Order world, however, and he is notice-
  ably the worse for wear after his stay in the de-
  tention block. Despite his injuries, Wol handles his 
  circumstances with a calm, knowing smile.
  2
  10
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  2
  2
  3
  3
  3
  2
  Skills: Cool 2 (º º), Discipline 1 (º π π), Piloting 
  1 (º π), Ranged (Light) 1 (º π), Stealth 2 (º º).
  Equipment: None. Wol’s gear was all lost in his 
  crash onto GH-531 or taken by his captors. At 
  the GM’s discretion, he might have a few personal 
  items elsewhere in the base.
  Since Wol Kessix has no strain threshold, whenever 
  he would suffer strain, he suffers wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  15
  FROM THE ASHES OF THE EMPIRE
  I
  n the encounters presented here, the PCs arrive on a long-
  abandoned world housing a decrepit research facility dating 
  back to the rule of the Empire. They must navigate threats 
  from native wildlife and what remains of the base’s security, 
  while attempting to stop a reconnaissance team sent by the 
  First Order from doing the same. Once they reach the heart of 
  the research facility, they must find a way to destroy it to keep 
  its secrets from falling into the wrong hands.
  STRUCTURE  
  OF THE IMPERIAL 
  RESEARCH FACILITY
  Like the First Order’s comms relay operation at GH-531, the 
  Empire’s work at the research facility was designed to be secret 
  and self-sufficient. However, after so much time, most of the 
  structures that once supported the facility have fallen into seri-
  ous disrepair. A complex of crumbling plascrete bunkers and 
  rusting durasteel frames surrounds the main research center, 
  which remains largely intact after decades of neglect, thanks 
  to redundant environmental seals and reinforced construction. 
  A significant element of the main research center extends un-
  derground, housing the central databanks and slowly failing 
  generators that control its limited remaining functionality.
  THE RESEARCH CENTER
  The research center has five levels, two above ground and 
  three below. The spacious floors house multiple offices and 
  rooms. Access to the center is possible only through a single, 
  heavily secured blast door on the ground floor, although the 
  locks that once held it shut have long since failed. A serious 
  push is enough to engage the remaining servos and slide the 
  door open, revealing sterile-looking metal hallways under 
  flickering lights.
  The ground floor of the center was an administrative hub, 
  split up into several offices focused on the day-to-day minu-
  tiae of the facility as a whole. Activating the few still-working 
  terminals requires time and effort, and reveals little of note 
  about the research in the facility, as all the important records 
  are stored in the central databanks. The second floor of the 
  center was a security hub containing surveillance centers 
  and droid deployment mechanisms. The few security droids 
  that are still operational return to the recharging hubs on the 
  second floor to refresh their aging batteries.
  The underground portion of the center is where the actual 
  research occurred. The first two floors are composed entirely of 
  labs, which were protected by security checkpoints and droid 
  guard stations. Most of the lab equipment has long since de-
  teriorated into corroded junk, although an ingenious PC might 
  find some use for the tools within. The upper labs were devoted 
  to droid programming and computer slicing techniques, while 
  the lower labs dealt with high-energy weaponry. On the very 
  bottom floor, the central databanks recorded all progress from 
  the various labs. This floor also holds the research facility’s gen-
  erator, which is currently running down the last of its fuel.
  An infestation of local crawlers travels through the ducts 
  and ventilation on all levels. The crawlers favor the lab areas, 
  where they feed on spilled chemicals and rare metals to rein-
  force their chitinous hides. Their main hive-nest is within the 
  chamber of the central databank.
  ARRIVAL
  The PCs’ arrival in the remote system the Empire chose for 
  its facility should be uneventful. They are able to make it 
  A FREE AGENT
  F
  rom the point when the PCs rescue Wol Kessix un-
  til they return to the Resistance, the group effec-
  tively has an extra character. While Wol is unlikely to 
  overshadow the PCs or make them feel less heroic by 
  participating in their adventures, keeping track of an 
  extra character can be a burden that could slow down 
  play. If one of the players is confident with the game 
  and is willing to take on the responsibility of running 
  another character, the GM can provide information on 
  Wol’s dice pools and allow that player to control and 
  roll for him. GMs who choose this option retain veto 
  power on Wol’s actions, allowing him to remind play-
  ers that while the newly freed Resistance operative is 
  grateful, he is not a lackey or cannon fodder.
  If none of the players are up for controlling their new 
  companion, or if the GM wants to keep the group at its 
  current number, it is entirely reasonable to rule that 
  Wol remains on the ship for the rest of the adventure 
  to recover from his ordeal, and perhaps to work on 
  repairs and maintenance. If necessary, this allows the 
  GM a chance to have Wol arrive as emergency backup 
  should the PCs get in over their heads. Wol should 
  spend most of his time either on the front lines with the 
  PCs or hanging back, rather than switching between 
  the two, so as to avoid a feeling of inconsistency.
  If the PCs arrived as prisoners and are unsure what 
  to do next after taking down the base on GH-531, 
  Wol can prompt them to use the data they recovered 
  from the comms relay archives to continue with the 
  adventure. If the PCs did not recover any data before 
  the base self-destructed, the GM can decide that Wol 
  overheard enough from his captors to be able to guide 
  them towards the old Imperial research facility anyway. 
  Of course, he won’t be able to provide the PCs with as 
  much information as the Resistance briefing, knowing 
  little more than vague coordinates and the existence of 
  something the First Order desires.
  
  down to the research center without incident. As they ap-
  proach the surface and look for a landing site, read or para-
  phrase the following aloud:
  The energy signal in question is, of course, from the ship 
  used by the First Order recon team. The ship has a rudimentary 
  stealth field that masks its signature. If the PCs are interested 
  in finding the ship, the GM should inform them that the signa-
  ture appears to fracture and move under dedicated scanner 
  sweeps. Any search for it would have to occur on foot, which 
  gives the enemy team more time to unlock the base’s secrets.
  Once the PCs land, they can make their way to the main 
  research facility without issue. If they wish to search the ru-
  ined buildings, an Easy (π) Perception check reveals not 
  only that nothing of value remains in the outer areas of the 
  base, but that the structures are highly unstable. Multiple 
  Success ≥ or Advantage ≤ results on the check could re-
  veal that the base is falling apart even more seriously than 
  years of disrepair would indicate, while a Triumph ± result 
  reveals the cause: underground vents from the main re-
  search center are releasing a slow trickle of corrosive fumes 
  into the air. These fumes are not powerful enough to harm 
  the PCs, but they have been slowly weakening the structures 
  of the research complex since its abandonment.
  THE RACE TO THE BASE
  At this point, the PCs probably realize that a First Order team 
  is present, and likely already within the main research center. 
  Now they need to get inside the research center and find their 
  way to the central databanks before the recon team does. 
  This means they need to find a way into the main building, 
  bypass the remaining security, and deal with the local wildlife.
  The PCs’ actions during their investigation of the research 
  facility should determine their progress relative to the recon 
  team. If they successfully deal with obstacles and quickly 
  move toward the center of the base, they should be able to 
  beat the methodical sweep of the First Order’s recon team, 
  especially if they avoid leaving behind signs of their activ-
  ity for the recon team to find. On the other hand, if they 
  are slow to move forward or suffer repeated setbacks, they 
  should find the recon team already set up at the central da-
  tabanks when they arrive. In general, the PCs should get to 
  the central databanks first, unless one or more PCs become 
  incapacitated in a combat encounter, or unless they lose 
  significant time in their investigations due to Threat ∑ or 
  Despair µ results. The First Order recon team is extremely 
  methodical in its search, and unless the PCs give away their 
  presence, is in no hurry about their work.
  TRACKING THE RECON TEAM’S PROGRESS
  Instead of tracking time directly, the GM can use the follow-
  ing process to track how close the First Order recon team is 
  to the central computer.
  The old Imperial facility registers on your scanners as 
  a twisted mass of collapsed buildings. Only a single 
  structure at its heart remains relatively intact. The 
  years since the Empire’s fall have not been kind to this 
  old ruin. Landing in the middle of the facility would be 
  a nightmare, but there’s plenty of room beyond what 
  remains of the complex’s perimeter fence. Before you 
  can make for a landing site, your scanners reveal one 
  other thing: a muddled energy signal. You’re unable to 
  pinpoint it, but it may be a landed ship.
  THE EMPIRE’S EXPERIMENTS
  T
  he nature of the experiments conducted in the Im-
  perial research center has been left vague delib-
  erately. For the purposes of this adventure, it doesn’t 
  matter what the experiments are, as the PCs are un-
  der instructions to blow up the whole research center 
  and prevent discovery of their data anyway. However, 
  it is possible that the GM might want to know what 
  they were in order to better describe the abandoned 
  labs, or that the PCs might want to retrieve the ex-
  perimental data for the Resistance. It is even possible 
  that the First Order agents could escape with the 
  data if the PCs fail in their mission.
  As such, a few examples of experiments the Empire 
  could have been running in some of the labs are de-
  tailed below. This is not meant to be a definitive list; 
  instead, GMs should select a few examples to use, or 
  take the list as inspiration for their own ideas about the 
  Empire’s experiments. Additionally, it should be noted 
  that the Imperial researchers never completed any of 
  these technologies. If GMs wish to include the research 
  in their campaigns, they are free to do so, but each of 
  these technologies is something that might not be pos-
  sible even within the Star Wars universe.
  • One or more labs could have been de-
  voted to researching new applications for 
  disruptor weapons. Disruptor technology 
  is a variant of blaster weaponry that tears 
  apart targets on a molecular level, effectively 
  disintegrating them through the blast. The 
  Empire may have been trying to scale up the 
  technology for space combat applications.
  • Some labs might have been working on weap-
  ons with unusual energy frequencies intended 
  to bypass ray shields. Ray shields are normally 
  impervious to energy weapons such as blast-
  ers and laser cannons. Targets protected by a 
  ray shield require expensive munitions such as 
  proton torpedoes to penetrate the shielding.
  • In labs devoted to slicing and droid program-
  ming, the Empire could have been working 
  on a way to project a signal resembling a re-
  straining bolt’s override that they could use 
  to take control of nearby droids. Research-
  ers might have intended it for covert use to 
  secretly create spies loyal to the Empire.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  17
  Each time the PCs generate four Threat ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ or 
  one Despair µ, or each time a PC is incapacitated, the GM 
  should take a time counter or make a tally mark on a piece 
  of paper. A time counter can be any small object, such as an 
  unused Destiny Point token or a coin. If the GM has at least 
  three time counters, then the PCs will encounter the First 
  Order recon team in the central databanks. If the GM has at 
  least six time counters, the PCs arrive at the databanks just 
  after the First Order has left.
  If the PCs wish to confront the recon team directly, the 
  GM should grant them a chance to track the First Order’s 
  agents through the research complex. They should make 
  checks to slice security footage, find footprints in the dusty 
  halls, or spot forced doorways, using skills such as Comput-
  ers, Perception, or Vigilance. The success or failure of such 
  checks, as well as any other narrative dice results, should 
  determine both how quickly the PCs up and how ready and 
  aware the recon agents are when they do. For example, if 
  the PCs succeed on the check to track the recon team with 
  no Advantage ≤ or Threat ∑, they should find the trail 
  to its location somewhere in the lower levels, where they 
  should be able to make an opposed Stealth check versus 
  Vigilance (º π) check to sneak up on the agents. If they 
  succeeded with Advantage ≤ or Triumph ±, they might be 
  able to catch the recon team early, or surprise them with-
  out needing a Stealth check. However, if the PCs fail their 
  checks or get Threat ∑ or Despair µ results, the recon 
  team might discover its pursuers, and could even attempt 
  an ambush of its own.
  If either the PCs or the First Order recon team is able to 
  set up an ambush for the other side, the ambushers each 
  receive a Boost die ∫ on their Vigilance checks to determine 
  Initiative order and on their first combat check in the initial 
  round of the combat encounter.
  The number of First Order recon agents on the recon 
  team equals the number of PCs.
  INTERIOR DEFENSES
  In addition to responding to the recon team, the PCs need 
  to contend with what remains of the research center’s auto-
  mated security and with the invasive wildlife that has moved 
  in since the Empire’s fall. The GM should plan to include one 
  combat encounter with the local crawler insects and one 
  combat encounter with the security droids. 
  The droids are most numerous on the above ground lev-
  els of the center, as their primary charging station is in the 
  second floor’s security center. However, secondary charging 
  stations also exist on the sublevels, and the droids patrol the 
  labs intermittently. In contrast, the crawlers are more plenti-
  ful and aggressive near their hive on the lower levels, or their 
  feeding grounds in the lab, but could emerge from the vents 
  or from cracks in the walls or flooring on any level.
  In short, the GM should feel free to use either droids or 
  crawlers at any point where it feels appropriate, but droids 
  are more common above ground and crawlers are more 
  common on the sublevels. The GM can reinforce this, and 
  keep the atmosphere of the research center appropriately 
  foreboding, by having the PCs encounter inactive droids at 
  a charging station or allowing them to see crawlers skitter-
  ing between vents or feeding on lab chemicals through a 
  reinforced window.
  SECURITY DROID ENCOUNTER
  The first time the PCs are about to encounter a droid patrol, 
  paraphrase or read aloud the following:
  FIRST ORDER RECON AGENT
  3
  10
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  2
  3
  3
  3
  2
  2
  Skills: Computers 1 (º π π), Melee 1 (º π), Per-
  ception 2 (º º π), Ranged (Heavy) 2 (º º π), 
  Stealth 2 (º º π), Vigilance 1 (º π).
  Equipment: Blaster carbine (Skill: Ranged [Heavy] 
  [º º π]; Damage 9; Range [Medium]; ≤ ≤ ≤: 
  inflict one Critical Injury), vibroknife (Skill: Melee 
  [º π]; Damage 3; Range [Engaged]; ≤ ≤: inflict 
  one Critical Injury; Pierce 2 [ignore 2 points of the 
  target’s soak]), armored stealth suit (+1 soak [in-
  cluded in soak value]), survival kit.
  Since the recon agents have no strain threshold, 
  whenever they would suffer strain, they suffer 
  wounds instead.
  
  The security droid is a straightforward combatant. It 
  plants itself at the end of a hallway (at medium range from 
  the PCs) and opens fire, targeting the closest PC. It always 
  fires using the Auto-fire quality, which means the difficulty 
  of its Ranged (Heavy) combat checks increases by 1, and it 
  can spend two Advantage ≤ ≤ or one Triumph ± to deal 
  an additional hit to the target or to another target engaged 
  with the first target. 
  CRAWLER PACK ENCOUNTER
  The first time the PCs are about to encounter a pack of 
  crawlers, paraphrase or read aloud the following:
  The encounter begins with an attack by two minion 
  groups of four wild crawlers each. They emerge from the 
  vents on either side of the PCs at short range (so that one 
  group is on either side of the PCs). Each minion group moves 
  to engage the PC closest to it and attacks. 
  The GM should plan on having the PCs encounter the 
  crawlers and a security droid at least once each. Opportuni-
  ties for additional encounters with these adversaries occur 
  at various points below, but the GM should avoid including 
  so many that the fighting gets boring. 
  When in doubt, the GM can use the players’ mood as a 
  judge. If they are eager to proceed past the encounters, the 
  GM can limit the number of combats they face. If it seems 
  like they are enjoying taking their time or like they feel there 
  is not enough to do, it is probably a good idea to use the full 
  number of combat encounters.
  THE CENTRAL 
  DATABANKS
  If the PCs are able to make it to the central databanks before 
  the First Order recon team, either by generating two or fewer 
  time counters (see page 17), or by stopping the recon team 
  on the way down, read or paraphrase the following aloud 
  when they arrive:
  You have been hearing an unsettling noise in the back-
  ground all around this area, coming from the walls, 
  floor, ceiling—from all around you, really. You keep 
  noticing a faint scuttling that echoes from the vents 
  in the walls. Then, it suddenly stops. Scant heartbeats 
  later, the vents burst open and huge, many-legged ar-
  thropods lunge toward you from the openings, hissing 
  angrily and clacking their mandibles.
  You enter a room with a massive computer array 
  occupying the far wall, and with only one other door, 
  which is marked with faded warning signs and the 
  label “Generator.” This appears to be the final stop 
  on your exploration of the research center. Hope-
  fully, the computers before you hold the key to the 
  self-destruct mechanism.
  Flickering illumination from around the corner 
  ahead of you takes on a reddish tinge, as though a 
  new light source approaches. You hear a faint me-
  tallic rattling and heavy, clanking footsteps. A mo-
  ment later, a decrepit security droid with red-lensed 
  sensors and black armor plating comes around the 
  corner. Its photoreceptors brighten slightly, and it 
  levels its blaster arms.
  DECREPIT SECURITY DROID
  5
  14
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  4
  2
  1
  1
  1
  1
  Skills: Ranged (Heavy) 4 (º º π π), Perception 
  2 (º π).
  Other commonly used skills: None.
  Equipment: Integrated auto-blaster limbs (Skill: 
  Ranged [Heavy] [º º π π]; Damage 8; Range 
  [Long]; ≤ ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical Injury; Auto-fire).
  Since the security droids have no strain thresh-
  old, whenever they would suffer strain, they suffer 
  wounds instead.
  WILD CRAWLER
  2
  3
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  1
  3
  1
  1
  1
  1
  Skills (group only): Brawl (varies: º π π for a full 
  group of four, º π for a group of three, º for a 
  group of two, and π for a single crawler), Stealth 
  (varies: º º º for a full group of four, º º π for 
  a group of three, º π π for a group of two, π π π 
  for a single crawler).
  Other commonly used skills: None.
  Equipment: Biting mandibles (Skill: Brawl [varies: 
  º π π for a full group of four]; Damage 3; Range 
  [Engaged]; ≤ ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical Injury, 
  Pierce 1).
  Minion rules: Wild crawlers use the minion rules.
  Since the wild crawlers have no strain threshold, 
  whenever they would suffer strain, they suffer 
  wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  19
  If the First Order recon team beat the PCs to the central 
  databanks, but did not have time to make its getaway, as a 
  result of the PCs having generated between three and five 
  time counters, read or paraphrase the following aloud when 
  the PCs arrive:
  If the recon team beat the PCs to the central databanks 
  and managed to leave before the PCs arrived, thanks to the 
  PCs’ having generated six or more time counters, read or 
  paraphrase the following aloud when the PCs arrive:
  In any of these three cases, the PCs must now prepare for 
  a battle against the occupants of the central databanks. If the 
  PCs arrived first, or if they arrived after the recon team left, 
  the hive disgorges a number of crawlers equal to twice 
  the number of PCs present (including Wol Kessix, if he is 
  with them). The crawlers are in minion groups of two or three 
  crawlers each. The hive is at short range of the entrance, and 
  all crawlers released from it begin engaged with the hive.
  If the recon team arrived first, the hive’s initial defenders 
  are already dead and the recon team is ready for battle, 
  with their profiles available on page 17 (as noted previously, 
  there are a number of agents in the team equal to the num-
  ber of PCs). They are positioned by the main console in the 
  room, at short range from both the hive and the entrance. 
  As this is the climactic battle of this portion of the ad-
  venture, the GM should use narrative dice results. Positive 
  results, such as Advantage ≤ or Triumph ±, could mean 
  an attack damages the crawler hive, or crawlers attack First 
  Order agents. A single advantage ≤ might make destroy-
  ing the crawler hive later on easier by adding ∫ to relevant 
  checks, while three Advantage results ≤ ≤ ≤ or a Tri-
  umph ± might spawn a minion group of two crawlers that 
  focuses on attacking the recon team. Negative results, such 
  as Threat ∑ or Despair µ, could mean additional crawl-
  ers emerge to attack the PCs, or a stray shot damages the 
  computer array, making later access more difficult. A result 
  of two Threat ∑ ∑ might impose a single Setback die ∫ on 
  the Computers check to access the main console, while a 
  Despair µ could see the hive release a minion group of two 
  crawlers that attack the PCs. If a PC’s positive dice results 
  cause crawlers to attack the recon team, the PC may choose 
  which member of the team gets attacked. If a PC’s negative 
  dice results cause crawlers to attack the PCs, the crawlers 
  attack the PC whose check resulted in the crawlers’ emer-
  gence. All crawlers that emerge from the hive during the fight 
  begin at engaged range from the hive.
  If any First Order agents are present in the central data-
  bank room, they fight with professional detachment. They 
  focus on any crawlers that are attacking them first, then 
  turn on the PC who appears to be the biggest threat. This 
  could be the PC who has the most powerful weapons, or 
  You enter a room with a massive computer array oc-
  cupying the far wall, and with only one other door, 
  which is marked with faded warning signs and the label 
  “Generator.” A team of soldiers in First Order uniforms 
  stands over the computer array. The the blasted bod-
  ies of several of the crawlers you fought earlier lie near 
  what a moment’s horrified examination reveals to be a 
  massive hive of the creatures. At your approach, the 
  First Order scouts turn and level their blasters.
  You enter a room with a massive computer array oc-
  cupying the far wall, and with only one other door, 
  which is marked with faded warning signs and the la-
  bel “Generator.” A trail of footprints through the dust 
  of many years suggests someone else beat you here, 
  but whoever it was has since departed. Before you 
  can examine the footprints or access the computer, 
  a now-familiar scuttling noise draws your attention to 
  what you had mistaken for some strange mechanism 
  attached to the computer. The emergence of several 
  of the crawlers you fought earlier makes you realize 
  what it truly is—a massive hive of the creatures. They 
  don’t seem pleased with your intrusion.
  As you survey the room, a now-familiar scuttling noise 
  draws your attention to what you had mistaken for 
  some strange mechanism attached to the computer. 
  The emergence of several of the crawlers you fought 
  earlier makes you realize what it truly is—a massive 
  hive of the creatures. They don’t seem pleased with 
  your intrusion.
  THE RESEARCH CENTER, SIMPLIFIED
  R
  unning the events within the research center as 
  presented can seem like a daunting task for a 
  first-time GM. If you are not confident in your abil-
  ity to judge the pacing of the encounters or impro-
  vise details, consider using this defined progression 
  for the PCs’ path through the research center:
  • The PCs enter the research center and 
  immediately proceed downward toward 
  the central databanks.
  • Upon entering the first sublevel, the PCs 
  pass several laboratories full of partially 
  assembled droids, then deal with a se-
  curity droid in the hallway. After dealing 
  with the security droid, they find stairs to 
  the second sublevel.
  • On the second sublevel, the PCs walk past 
  the various high-energy labs and their ar-
  rangements of exotic sensors and other 
  equipment. As the PCs pass one such 
  lab filled with spilled chemicals, crawlers 
  burst out of the vents nearby, leading to 
  the second combat encounter. Afterward, 
  the PCs are able to find the stairs down 
  to the central databanks, where they con-
  front the First Order recon team.
  Note that this version of events does not allow for 
  the PCs to control their progress or plans, and may 
  require adjustment if the players wish to approach 
  the research center differently. If necessary, use 
  this summary as a simplified starting point, and 
  adapt using the other guidelines found above.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  20
  the PC who inflicted the most damage in previous rounds. 
  If any PC attempts to access or tamper with the computer 
  console, that character becomes the recon team’s top tar-
  get. No more than half of the recon team attacks a single 
  target at a time if it is possible to address multiple threats 
  at once.
  The crawlers, on the other hand, attack in a wild frenzy to 
  defend their hive. They continue attacking their initial tar-
  get—either a randomly chosen PC if the crawlers were the 
  initial opposition, or a target based on the narrative dice re-
  sults if they emerge during the battle—then attack the next 
  nearest character if they incapacitate their initial target. If 
  two or more new targets are equally distant from crawlers 
  that have just dispatched their current target, the GM should 
  choose the new focus of the crawlers’ attacks randomly.
  ACCESSING THE DATABANKS
  Once the PCs have dealt with their initial opposition, they 
  are free to examine the consoles in the computer array and 
  try to find the base’s self-destruct or to find signs of what the 
  recon team took from the databanks. If they wish to track 
  down the recon team before the First Order agents get away, 
  they might be able to follow the footprints in the dust with 
  an Easy (π) Survival check, but the check receives one Set-
  back die ∫ for every time counter the PCs generated past 
  six, and an additional Setback die ∫ if the PCs spend time 
  checking the files in the databanks. If the PCs are able to 
  find a trail and immediately depart to catch the First Order 
  team, they are able to catch up with it just outside the larger 
  Imperial complex, as described on page 15. If they choose 
  this option, the GM should allow them to use their previous 
  exploration of the facility to return to the databanks without 
  further incident, rather than having them encounter more 
  droid patrols or wild crawlers.
  Examining the consoles to find the self-destruct typically 
  takes ten minutes, although an Average (π π) Computers 
  check speeds this up by one minute per net Success ≥. A 
  PC can use another such check to download the base’s en-
  crypted research files, although this adds five minutes to the 
  time the PCs must spend using the consoles. If the First Or-
  der recon team used the computer array and left the room 
  before the PCs arrived, the PCs find signs of access by a 
  recent user. Advantage ≤ or Triumph ± on the Computers 
  check indicates that the recon team managed to download 
  the full research files, while Threat ∑ results prevent the PCs 
  from determining what was accessed. With a Despair µ re-
  sult, the PCs trip a fail-safe in the databanks that the recon 
  team activated, and the research files become corrupted 
  and inaccessible.
  THE SELF-DESTRUCT
  When the PCs activate the self-destruct, a loud rumbling be-
  gins to emanate from the generator room off to the side of 
  the databanks. The PCs are likely to take this as a sign to 
  leave, but the surge of energy from the generator upsets the 
  remaining crawlers in the hive, including any that returned to 
  it from elsewhere in the facility while the PCs were using the 
  consoles. As the generators begin building their destructive 
  charge, a tide of crawlers bursts forth from the hive. There 
  should be crawlers equal to the number of PCs (again, in-
  cluding Wol Kessix if he is present), plus an additional minion 
  group of three crawlers for every five minutes the PCs spent 
  on the computer array. If the PCs wish to simply flee past 
  the crawlers, they must make an opposed Coordination 
  check vs. Brawl (º π) check against the largest minion 
  group, adding a Setback die ∫ to the check for every min-
  ion group past the first. Failure on this check leaves the PCs 
  trapped in combat and inflicts 1 strain per Threat ∑ result. 
  The PCs must battle the crawlers as the charge in the genera-
  tor builds. The full self-destruct takes an hour to complete, 
  leaving the PCs in no immediate danger of explosion, but 
  the GM should feel free to play up the rising tension with 
  pulses of energy, loud noises, or other intimidating phenom-
  ena. These additional details could be used with Threat ∑ 
  or Despair µ results during the combat to inflict strain or 
  wounds. Two Threat ∑ ∑ could inflict 3 strain or a single 
  wound, for instance.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  21
  Fortunately for the PCs, the self-destruct draws on the 
  power in the security droids, and drives any remaining crawl-
  ers in the upper levels out of the research center, allowing 
  them a speedy exit once they dispatch the last swarm of 
  crawlers near the hive.
  DON’T LET THEM ESCAPE! 
  (OPTIONAL ENCOUNTER)
  As described on page 19, if the PCs were late to the central 
  databanks and unable to stop the First Order recon team 
  from accessing them, there is still a chance that the team 
  could be stopped before it escapes offworld. If the PCs suc-
  ceed on the check to track the team (see Accessing the 
  Databanks, page 20), they manage to catch up to it at the 
  perimeter of the decaying complex. Read or paraphrase 
  the following aloud:
  The First Order recon team has a significant head start on 
  the PCs, and they begin the encounter at long range from 
  them. However, as none of the agents have weapons capable 
  of firing at that range, they spend the first round of combat 
  taking cover in the outskirts of the Imperial complex to pro-
  tect themselves from the PCs’ attacks. On the second round 
  of combat, if the PCs have moved closer, the recon agents 
  aim with their carbines and attack, focusing fire on whom 
  they perceive to be the biggest threat. If the PCs close to 
  engaged range, the agents draw their vibroknives and fight 
  in close quarters, but otherwise they do not leave their firing 
  positions in cover.
  If the PCs are able to defeat all the recon agents, search-
  ing the bodies reveals a datapad containing a copy of the 
  research files from the databanks. If the PCs are defeated, 
  the recon team takes them captive aboard their ship, hoping 
  to find out how they discovered the location of the Impe-
  rial facility. The consequences of being captured by the First 
  Order recon team are beyond the scope of this adventure. 
  However, if the PCs have not yet been through the encoun-
  ters in Assault on GH-531, it may be possible to adapt 
  those events with some modification of the Prisoners of 
  the First Order sidebars.
  As you hurry down the trail left by whatever group 
  accessed the databanks before you, you finally catch 
  sight of the group just beyond the crumbling buildings 
  that surround the central research facility. It appears 
  to be a team of soldiers in First Order uniforms. As 
  you get ready to deal with the threat, one of the sol-
  diers looks back and spots you.
  DESTROYING THE CRAWLER HIVE
  S
  ome of the PCs might have the idea of trying to 
  destroy the crawler hive while others work on re-
  trieving data or locating the self-destruct commands. 
  This isn’t an easy task, as the crawlers’ metabolism 
  allows them to digest and secrete substances from 
  the labs to reinforce their hive, but it is possible. 
  Simply attacking the hive with blasters could do it, 
  but is likely to anger the crawlers still inside. The 
  hive has a soak value of 5 and a wound threshold of 
  30. The first attack made against the hive causes it 
  to release a minion group of three crawlers, and any 
  further attacks either add a crawler to an existing 
  minion group, or release a new minion group of two 
  to three crawlers, at the GM’s discretion.
  Alternatively, the PCs could try to improvise an ex-
  plosive charge by scavenging materials from the 
  labs. This requires a Hard (π π π) Mechanics 
  check. Success destroys the hive instantly and pre-
  vents any further crawlers from emerging, including 
  those that would otherwise swarm out after the PCs 
  activate the self-destruct mechanism.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  22
  RETURN TO JAKKU
  I
  n this set of encounters, the PCs revisit the planet of Jakku 
  to check in with their friends among the nomads there. They 
  may wish to deliver payment from the Resistance for the help 
  the nomads provided in the recovery of the data stolen from 
  the Eradicator, or they might simply want to see how the no-
  mads are faring in the harsh wastes. 
  When they arrive, they discover the nomads in dire straits. 
  The Strus Clan gangsters whom they had previously crossed in 
  Discovery on Jakku have sworn to make the nomads pay. An-
  gry that the nomads defied them and helped the PCs recover 
  the secrets of the Starlight Wanderer, they are waging a cam-
  paign against them. The nomads have only survived thus far 
  by fortifying the wreck. To end the threat against the nomads, 
  the PCs must first secure the loyalty of a group of mercenaries 
  who are no friends of the Strus Clan. Then, they must convince 
  the nomads and hired guns to attack a Strus Clan compound 
  in the deep desert.
  THE FINDER’S FEE
  Depending on the events during Discovery on Jakku, the 
  nomad merchant Jax Torani may have been expecting the 
  PCs to bring the nomads payment for the valuable data the 
  nomads helped recover. Even if the PCs did not make such 
  a promise, the Resistance is likely to have wanted to send 
  a gesture of thanks to the nomads for their efforts and aid. 
  This finder’s fee could be something the PCs have stored in 
  their ship’s cargo hold until they find time to deliver it, or it 
  could be something they retrieve from the Resistance shortly 
  before returning to Jakku. Either way, the GM should find a 
  way to explain how the PCs were able to find payment in 
  credits and supplies for the nomads.
  NOMADS IN NEED
  When the PCs contact Misha Vontoba, the nomad leader, 
  from aboard their ship to find out the nomads’ current loca-
  tion, read or paraphrase the following aloud:
  If the PCs want to talk with Misha further, she agrees to 
  answer a few questions, but warns that she must return her 
  attention to her people before long. Some questions the PCs 
  might ask are listed below, along with Misha’s answers to 
  each. These answers may also be used if the PCs ask the 
  questions later on, during a meeting with her on the planet.
  WHERE DID YOU TAKE REFUGE?
  CAN WE EVACUATE YOUR PEOPLE?
  DO YOU HAVE A PLAN?  
  WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
  You punch the frequency to reach Misha into your 
  comms system, but when her face resolves on the 
  holodisplay, it looks uncharacteristically worried. 
  “Friends, it is good to hear from you. We’re in terrible 
  need of your help. The Strus Clan swore revenge after 
  we defied it. We’ve taken refuge for now, but unless 
  you help us, I fear we’re all in mortal danger.”
  “The fight with the Strus Clan left them reeling. We 
  took the opportunity to fortify the wreck, and so far 
  that’s kept the Strus from attacking. However, the 
  situation can’t last forever. Eventually, the Strus Clan 
  will muster the forces to wipe us out.”
  “Your ship is nowhere near big enough to fit all of us. 
  Even if it were, we have nowhere to go! We have no 
  money and no one to offer us shelter. I know Jakku is 
  a harsh world, but I doubt there are others rich and 
  generous enough to take all of us without wanting 
  something in return.”
  “I have a few ideas. Not far from here, a band of merce-
  naries has taken up refuge in a crashed Star Destroy-
  er. If they would help us, I think we’d have a chance to 
  defeat this branch of the Strus Clan. That should get 
  the rest of the Strus Clan to leave us alone for good.
  “The only problem is that the mercenaries want pay-
  ment, and we don’t have anything to pay them with. I 
  sure hope you can think of something to get them on 
  our side, because without them, I don’t think we can 
  take the Strus Clan on alone.”
  WHERE DOES THIS FIT IN?
  T
  his set of encounters doesn’t have much to do 
  with the conflict against the First Order or with 
  the other elements of the adventure. In some ways, 
  this makes it difficult to tie into the rest of A CAll for 
  Heroes.  However, it also makes the sequence of the 
  events in this adventure more flexible. GMs to want 
  to have the PCs head back to Jakku earlier or later 
  in the adventure can do so without issue. They could 
  even separate the encounters in Return to Jakku 
  to use some as part of another adventure, or they 
  could hold off on using them until the PCs choose to 
  visit the nomads again of their own accord.
  Additionally, this set of encounters assumes that 
  Wol Kessix has rejoined the Resistance instead of 
  continuing to travel with the PCs. Nothing needs to 
  be changed if he is still present for some reason, 
  but the GM should remember that he is a stranger 
  to the nomads and Jakku, and should appropriate-
  ly factor him in to any combat encounters.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  23
  The PCs have the option to travel back to the Starlight 
  Wanderer and meet with Misha and the other nomads there. 
  If they wish to do this, the GM can use the information pro-
  vided about the Starlight Wanderer in Discovery on Jakku. 
  The welcome they can expect depends largely on the man-
  ner of their leaving. If they successfully fought off the Strus 
  Clan, the nomads are pretty hospitable toward the PCs. If, 
  however, the PCs did badly against the Strus Clan, the no-
  mads see the PCs as the cause of their troubles, not the cure. 
  Some nomads, including Jax Torani, are interested in 
  getting a cut of whatever the PCs have received from the 
  Resistance. Unfortunately, the money the PCs received (as 
  long as they visited the Resistance first) is not enough to 
  satisfy Jax and the nomads unless the PCs give them all 
  of the credits given to the PCs by the Resistance. If the 
  PCs want to split the money, they must make an opposed 
  Negotiation check vs. Jax’s Negotiation (º º). If the 
  PCs offer Jax and the other nomads more than half, they 
  add two Boost dice ∫ ∫ to the check. If the PCs want to 
  offer Jax and the other nomads less than half, they add one 
  Setback die ∫ instead. 
  If the PCs fail to convince Jax, he cannot force the PCs to 
  give him a better deal. However, he develops bitter enmity 
  for the PCs and starts spreading rumors about their being 
  unscrupulous, devious double-dealers. This adds a Setback 
  die ∫ to any Social skill checks that the PCs make when 
  interacting with the mercenaries, and may have other long-
  term effects, at the GM’s discretion.
  If the PCs are interested in finding out more about the 
  mercenaries, any PC can make an Easy (π) Knowledge 
  check with two Setback dice ∫ ∫. (Fira Bon removes both 
  Setback dice from her check, since she’s worked as a mer-
  cenary before and knows a bit about the mercenary groups 
  on Jakku.) Success reveals the following:
  • The mercenary group is led by a woman named Brana 
  Tsaro. Brana has been a fixture among Jakku’s small 
  and tight-knit mercenary culture for years; Fira has met 
  her briefly once or twice.
  • Brana’s mercenary group has a reputation for profes-
  sionalism. If they agree to a contract, they hold up their 
  end as long as the other parties do as well. 
  •  Brana is rumored to have a criminal background. Brana 
  refuses to speak about it to anyone, however, and nobody 
  in her mercenary group knows anything more about it.
  The PCs can also travel directly to the mercenary encamp-
  ment. In either case, when the PCs make their way to the 
  coordinates Misha provides, read the following aloud.
  The mercenaries ask the PCs to identify themselves, and 
  what the PCs are doing at the camp. Provided the PCs ask 
  to be taken to speak to Brana Tsaro, the mercenaries escort 
  them into the camp, past the wary guards and into the hulk. A 
  half-destroyed ready room in the depths of the wreck has been 
  turned into an ad hoc armory, with piles of body armor, blaster 
  rifles, and grenades stacked on tables. Brana is standing on the 
  far side of the armory, cleaning her blaster rifle. She carefully 
  washes each part, then reconstructs the weapon with practiced 
  motions before turning and acknowledging the PCs. 
  The following are some of the questions the PCs may ask 
  Brana Tsaro, as well as possible answers. 
  JUST WHO ARE YOU, EXACTLY?
  From the viewports of your quad-jumper, you can see 
  the mercenaries’ encampment set up inside the wreck 
  of a crashed Star Destroyer. Taking shelter in an old 
  wreck is nothing new for those on Jakku, but you see 
  signs that they’ve fashioned the Star Destroyer’s hull 
  plates into barricades and set up guards. As you set 
  down your ship outside the camp, a few mercenaries 
  are already heading out of the barricades to meet you.
  “My name’s Brana Tsaro. I run a small band of free-
  lance protectors, helping folks out with problems they 
  can’t handle. Me and my troops don’t come cheap, 
  but I assure you we’re worth every penny.”
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  24
  WILL YOU CONSIDER HELPING THE NOMADS?
  HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST FOR YOU TO 
  FIGHT THE STRUS CLAN?
  WE DON’T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY;  
  CAN WE NEGOTIATE?
  WHAT’S YOUR OPINION OF THE STRUS CLAN?
  BRANA TSARO AND THE STRUS CLAN
  As the PCs may guess, Brana Tsaro hates the Strus Clan with 
  a passion. If it were only up to her, she’d ride off with the PCs 
  to fight the Strus Clan in a heartbeat, and all she’d ask for 
  in return would be the pleasure of killing as many of them 
  as possible. However, Brana also feels responsible to her 
  troops, and thus cannot take a job gratis. She feels obligated 
  to make sure her people get a fair deal.
  Brana used to be an enforcer for the Strus Clan. However, 
  decades ago, the Strus Clan told her to kill a small-time mer-
  chant and his family for refusing to pay protection money. 
  Brana couldn’t bring herself to do that, and instead smug-
  gled the merchant to Niima Outpost. When the Strus Clan 
  found out, they buried Brana in the dune wastes up to her 
  neck and left her to die. Somehow, Brana dug her way out 
  and spent three days hiking across gnaw-jaw infested salt 
  flats to get to the nearest village. Brana would love to get 
  revenge on the Strus Clan.
  While speaking with Brana, if the PCs want to gauge her 
  opinions on the Strus Clan, they can make an Easy (π) 
  Perception check. If they succeed, they realize that Brana 
  hates the Strus Clan passionately. Any Advantage ≤ can 
  be spent to reveal that the only thing restraining Brana is 
  her loyalty to her people. If the players do not come up with 
  the idea of gauging Brana’s feelings on the Strus Clan, the 
  “Look, I don’t like the Strus Clan any more than the 
  next person on Jakku…but my people need to be 
  paid. From what your friend Misha told me, her no-
  mads don’t have the money to afford us.” 
  “That depends. First, me and my people would fight 
  with you and yours, but not for you. We’re not going 
  to let you sit back and have us take all the risks. But 
  as long as you’re willing to do that, say ten thou-
  sand. That’s pretty fair, since you’re asking us to 
  fight a war.”
  “I’ll listen, but you’d better give me a good reason to 
  consider doing this as charity work.”
  “Nobody here likes them, if that’s what you’re asking. 
  If you’re asking me, specifically, well…if it was up to 
  me, I’d bury the lot of them in the sand and leave them 
  for the steelpeckers. It’s no more than they deserve.” 
  BRANA TSARO, MERCENARY LEADER
  B
  rana Tsaro is a burly woman whose armor and 
  gear show signs of significant wear. When she 
  removes the wrappings and goggles that protect her 
  weathered face from the blowing sands of Jakku, her 
  steely gray eyes show a depth of determination and 
  calculation that marks her as a dangerous woman.
  4
  12
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  3
  3
  2
  2
  3
  2
  Skills: Cool 1 (º π), Melee 2 (º º π), Percep-
  tion 1 (º π), Ranged (Heavy) 2 (º º π), Stealth 
  1 (º π π), Vigilance 1 (º π π).
  Mercenary Leader: When Brana Tsaro hits a tar-
  get with a ranged attack, the next Jakku mercenary 
  to attack the same target adds a Boost die ∫ to 
  that attack.
  Equipment: Modded blaster carbine (Skill: Ranged 
  [Heavy] [º º π]; Damage 10; Range [Medium]; ≤ 
  ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical Injury), vibroknife (Skill: Me-
  lee [º º π]; Damage 4; Range [Engaged]; ≤ ≤: 
  inflict one Critical Injury; Pierce 2 [ignore 2 points of 
  the target’s soak]), armored environment suit (+1 
  soak [included in soak value]), survival gear, canteen.
  Since Brana Tsaro has no strain threshold, whenever 
  she would suffer strain, she suffers wounds instead.
  JAKKU MERCENARY
  3
  10
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  2
  3
  2
  2
  2
  2
  Skills: Melee 1 (º π), Perception 1 (º π), Ranged 
  (Heavy) 2 (º º π), Stealth 1 (º π π), Vigilance 
  2 (º º).
  Equipment: Blaster carbine (Skill: Ranged [Heavy] 
  [º º π]; Damage 9; Range [Medium]; ≤ ≤ ≤: 
  inflict one Critical Injury), environment suit (+1 soak 
  [included in soak value]), survival gear, canteen.
  Since the Jakku mercenaries have no strain thresh-
  old, whenever they would suffer strain, they suffer 
  wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  25
  GM can have the PCs make an Easy (π) Vigilance check 
  instead. If a PC succeeds, the GM can provide the aforemen-
  tioned information.
  HELP US, AND YOU’LL BE DOING THE RIGHT 
  THING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
  The PCs can attempt to appeal to Brana and her merce-
  naries’ better natures, asking them to join the fight against 
  the Strus Clan because it’s the right thing to do. If the PCs 
  attempt this argument, they’ll need to make an opposed 
  Charm check vs. Brana’s Discipline (π π π), with two 
  Setback dice ∫ ∫ added because this argument is counter 
  to Brana’s goal of making sure that her mercenaries are paid 
  for their efforts. If the PCs can make a compelling argument 
  that this will help advance the mercenaries’ interests in some 
  way, the GM can remove one of the Setback dice ∫. 
  THE STRUS CLAN IS RICH. THROW IN WITH US, 
  AND WE’LL GIVE YOU FIRST PICK OF THE LOOT!
  This branch of the Strus Clan has been raiding and pillaging 
  this region of Jakku for years. The PCs can make the case 
  that after the local Strus Clan branch has been defeated, 
  the PCs and Brana’s mercenaries can split the treasure and 
  valuables that the Strus Clan has been hoarding for years. If 
  the PCs attempt this argument, they’ll need to make an op-
  posed Negotiation check vs. Brana’s Negotiation (π π). 
  If the PCs also offer Brana’s group a small fee in advance, the 
  GM should allow them to add a Boost die ∫ to the check. 
  LOOK, WE CAN TELL YOU HATE THE STRUS 
  CLAN. LET’S GET THEM TOGETHER!
  If the PCs discovered Brana’s deep anger toward the Strus 
  Clan, they can attempt to appeal to that emotion directly. If 
  the PCs attempt this argument, they’ll need to make an op-
  posed Charm check vs. Brana’s Discipline (π π π), with 
  two Boost dice ∫ ∫ added because this argument appeals 
  directly to Brana’s base instincts. 
  CONFRONTING  
  THE STRUS CLAN
  The only way to stop the Strus Clan gangsters from continu-
  ing their attacks on the nomads is to attack on the compound 
  from which they operate, deep in the deserts of Jakku. A 
  blow against their compound would draw enough attention 
  away from the nomads to allow a full withdrawal from the 
  Strus Clan’s trackers and enforcers. With luck, and perhaps 
  help from Brana Tsaro’s mercenaries, the PCs might even be 
  able to force the Strus gangsters to surrender and stop the 
  attacks entirely, although others in the criminal organization 
  might eventually cause trouble down the line.
  THE REVENGE OF VENAS
  T
  he Strus Clan forces in Discovery on Jakku 
  were led by Dokar Venas, a major enforcer for 
  the Strus Clan’s operations. It is probable Dokar 
  was killed in combat during the previous adven-
  ture, but if he was left alive or in an ambiguous 
  status after confronting the PCs, the GM may opt 
  to have him spearhead the Strus Clan’s revenge 
  against the nomads.
  In this situation, Misha should mention that the en-
  forcer who led the previous assault is now continu-
  ing his attacks as a personal vendetta. In addition, 
  Dokar should show up during the PCs’ assault on 
  the Strus compound. He specifically seeks to battle 
  the PCs, even if the mercenaries are assisting them. 
  Ideally, he targets the specific character who inca-
  pacitated him or drove him off previously, if the GM 
  kept track of that.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  26
  The first thing the PCs should decide when planning their 
  attack is whether their goal is to be a diversion or an all-out 
  assault. Both plans require the PCs to break into the Strus 
  compound in the deep desert and wreak havoc. If the PCs 
  want to create a diversion, they need to get the gangsters’ 
  attention by wrecking supplies, then steal speeders upon 
  which to escape. If they want to stop the gangsters’ preda-
  tion altogether, they need to draw out the leaders who are in 
  the compound and defeat them, then negotiate a surrender 
  with the beaten gangsters. 
  Defeating ruthless career criminals like the members of 
  the Strus Clan is a daunting task; the PCs need a lot of force 
  on their side to have a chance of showing up the gangsters. 
  Fortunately, if they came to an understanding with the mer-
  cenaries, Brana Tsaro is willing to assign some of her hired 
  protectors to a more offensive role supporting the PCs, either 
  as a secondary diversion or in a direct assault. If the merce-
  naries join the PCs’ assault, Brana assigns one mercenary to 
  the assault for each PC present. At the GM’s discretion, the 
  players can control these mercenaries for the duration of the 
  combat, or they can form a separate squad that contributes 
  to the battle “off screen,” providing only narrative benefits, 
  but perhaps explaining reduced resistance to the PCs as 
  they attack the Strus compound.
  THE STRUS CLAN DEFENSES
  The Strus Clan compound is walled off from the blowing 
  desert sands with scavenged hull plating from various 
  crashed ships. These makeshift walls surround the com-
  pound in an armored perimeter, breaking only at three 
  entrances evenly spaced around it. More scavenged sheet 
  metal and plating forms a makeshift garage for the gang’s 
  sand skimmers and speeders just outside one of the en-
  trances. A series of shanty buildings inside the walls uses 
  the same material. The leaders of the Strus have environ-
  mentally sealed cabins inside the compound, made from 
  escape pods or ship airlocks hauled out of old wreckage. 
  They have applied some of these environmental seals to 
  parts of the garage as well, to protect vehicles as they 
  undergo maintenance.
  The Strus did not develop their compound in a planned 
  or orderly fashion; makeshift barracks and commissaries 
  sit  next to ammo dumps and power generators. The inte-
  rior of the compound is cramped and hazardous. Charac-
  ters should add one Setback die ∫ to any Coordination or 
  Stealth checks to move around in the compound. 
  The Strus defend their compound from assault from 
  guard towers fitted with scavenged blaster cannons. Their 
  scavenged generators cannot provide the huge weapons 
  with anything resembling their full power output, but they 
  are dangerous nonetheless. Anyone coming toward the com-
  pound over the open sands is likely to draw fire from the 
  guard tower that overlooks their approach.  
  Fortunately for the PCs, the cannons have a limited field 
  of fire. Each tower covers a separate approach, and once tar-
  gets make it to engaged range from an entrance, the towers 
  can no longer fire on them. Instead, those who make it past 
  the defense guns have to deal with a motley horde of angry 
  gangsters inside the compound.
  STRUS CLAN ENFORCER
  3
  5
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  1
  Skills (group only): Melee (varies: º º π for a 
  group of four, º º for a group of three, º π for a 
  group of two, and π π for a single enforcer), Per-
  ception (varies, as Melee), Ranged (Heavy) (varies, 
  as Melee).
  Other common skills: Cool 0 (π), Vigilance 0 (π π).
  Equipment: Light blaster carbine (Skill: Ranged 
  [Heavy] [varies: º º π for a group of four]; Dam-
  age 8; Range [Medium]; ≤ ≤ ≤: inflict one Criti-
  cal Injury), vibroknife (Skill: Melee [varies: º º π 
  for a group of four]; Damage 4; Range [Engaged]: 
  ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical Injury; Pierce 2 [reduce 
  target’s soak by two]), heavy desert clothing and 
  face wraps (+1 soak [included in soak value]), 
  canteen, respirator. 
  Tower Cannons: In a guard tower, a minion group 
  of two Enforcers has the following weapon: blaster 
  turret (Skill: Ranged [Heavy] [º π]; Damage 9; 
  Range [Long]; ≤ ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical Injury; 
  Linked 1 [Spend two Advantage ≤ ≤ after a suc-
  cessful attack to make the target suffer an addi-
  tional hit from this weapon with the same damage 
  as the initial hit]).
  Minion rules: These Strus Clan enforcers use the 
  minion group rules. 
  Note that since the enforcers have no strain thresh-
  old, whenever they would normally suffer strain, 
  they instead suffer wounds.
  STRUS CLAN WARRIOR
  5
  10
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  3
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  Skills: Melee 2 (º º π), Perception 1 (º π), Vigi-
  lance 2 (º º).
  Equipment: Vibro-ax (Skill: Melee [º º π]; Dam-
  age 6; Range [Engaged]; ≤ ≤: inflict one Critical 
  Injury; Pierce 2 [reduce the target’s soak by two]); 
  heavy armor padding (+2 soak [included in soak 
  value]), canteen, respirator.
  Since the warriors have no strain threshold, whenever 
  they would suffer strain, they suffer wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  27
  The disorganization of the cramped compound prevents 
  the Strus from bringing their numbers to bear effectively, but 
  the PCs should encounter a welcoming committee of two 
  Strus Clan warriors and two minion groups of three 
  Strus Clan enforcers. After defeating this initial threat, the 
  PCs should move on to executing their plan. Plans of diver-
  sion or all-out assault begin similarly, by hitting targets of 
  opportunity, as described below in Targets and Vulnerabil-
  ities. After drawing sufficient attention, the PCs then need 
  to escape the compound, as detailed in the section titled 
  Grand Theft Sand Skimmer, on page 28 or they need to 
  confront the Strus leadership, as described in the section 
  titled Toppling the Leadership, on page 28. 
  If Dokar Venas is alive, he should join in the final confron-
  tation against the PCs, either attempting to stop them from 
  stealing the speeders in the garage, or defending the Strus 
  leadership. 
  TARGETS AND 
  VULNERABILITIES
  Storming the compound doesn’t mean fighting every indi-
  vidual gangster present until the last few surrender. Instead, 
  the GM should present the PCs with targets of opportunity 
  inside the compound. Eliminating these targets could seri-
  ously impact the morale of the Strus Clan and bring the PCs 
  closer to victory. The PCs need to hit two of these targets in 
  order to gather enough attention for a diversion or to draw 
  out the gangsters’ leadership. Finding opportunities for may-
  hem in the crowded compound is time-consuming, but not 
  difficult, as possible targets are scattered throughout. The 
  PCs can deal with the encounters detailed below in any or-
  der, and they may even focus on a particular type of target 
  and repeat a given encounter. Once the PCs have hit two 
  targets, they have the attention they need, and they should 
  proceed to the finale on page 29, Conditions of Victory, 
  as appropriate.
  FUEL FOR THE FIRE
  At the rear of the speeder garage, and at various points 
  throughout the compound, the Strus have piled tanks of sto-
  len or smuggled fuel for their vehicles. These heavy drums 
  are difficult to damage, but an explosion from breaching 
  them would be catastrophic, capable of wrecking a portion 
  of the compound and roasting any nearby unfortunates in 
  the ensuing fireball. 
  The Strus Clan guard its fuel supply carefully, however. As 
  such, when the PCs approach within long range of a set of 
  fuel tanks, a group of six Strus Clan warriors emerges from 
  the debris around the tanks to try to stop them. The warriors 
  are equipped with simple weapons to avoid the risk of ac-
  cidentally damaging the volatile fuel. They attempt to close 
  to engaged range with the PCs and fight them in melee as 
  quickly as possible. If the PCs manage to breach the fuel 
  tanks before the warriors have made it to engaged range, or 
  if at least half of them have been defeated, the warriors flee 
  the scene. Otherwise, the warriors continue fighting, enraged 
  by the destruction of their property.
  Attacking the tanks works like attacking a character, but 
  with two Boost dice ∫ due to the ease of targeting them. The 
  tanks have a soak value of 12, and they rupture if they suf-
  fer any damage in excess of that soak value. A tank ruptured 
  by blaster fire ignites, setting off a massive explosion that 
  breaches the other tanks stored near it and ignites everything 
  within short range of the tank with a fireball. The fireball deals 
  20 damage to all characters affected. Nearby walls are blown 
  apart, and anything flammable in range is set ablaze.
  If the PCs blow up a set of fuel tanks and move on from 
  the scene, some of the Strus gangsters divert their attention 
  to putting out the fire before it consumes more of the com-
  pound. This has no effect on the encounters to follow, but 
  does mean that a fire started in any one location does not 
  burn the entire compound down.
  STEALING FROM THIEVES
  The ill-gotten gains of the Strus take many forms. New Re-
  public credits and other forms of currency are rare on Jakku, 
  but boxes of credit chips rest alongside salvaged technology, 
  ration packets, and other valuable supplies in the piles of 
  loot gathered in various places throughout the compound. 
  Some of these piles are heaped high enough to make it clear 
  the Strus are more interested in stealing and feeling power-
  ful than in making use of what they’ve taken. Of course, that 
  doesn’t stop them from feeling possessive about it; if the PCs 
  try to steal or reclaim anything back from the gangsters, they 
  are sure to draw attention.
  Most of the loot piles are near the middle of the com-
  pound. Some spoils are marked with signs or tags indicat-
  ing an owner, but the piles remain generally disorganized. 
  Despite their disorganization, the Strus keep a close eye on 
  their loot, and the PCs need to confront any gangsters in 
  the area to get at it. PCs who get within medium range of 
  a loot pile draw the attention of two Strus Clan warriors 
  and a minion group of three Strus Clan enforcers, who 
  attempt to drive off the PCs. The Warriors engage the PCs at 
  the forefront of the group in close combat, while the minion 
  DOKAR VENAS
  5
  14
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  3
  3
  2
  3
  2
  2
  Skills: Cool 1 (º π), Gunnery 2 (º º π), Melee 
  1 (º π π), Ranged (Heavy) 1 (º π π), Vigilance 
  1 (º π).
  Equipment: Blaster rifle (Skill: Ranged [Heavy] 
  [º π π]; Damage 9; Range [Long]; ≤ ≤ ≤: in-
  flict one Critical Injury), Heavy staff (Skill: Melee 
  [º π π]; Damage 6; Range [Engaged]; ≤ ≤ ≤ 
  ≤: inflict one Critical Injury), battle armor (+2 
  soak [included in soak value]), canteen, respirator.
  Since Dokar Venas has no strain threshold, whenev-
  er he would suffer strain, he suffers wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  28
  group of Enforcers shoots at any other PCs, favoring those 
  who continue to approach their loot.
  A PC can spend an action to go through a pile at engaged 
  range in order to find something useful, like blaster power 
  packs, a grenade, or a box of credits. Alternately, the PC can 
  spend that action just scooping up an assortment of loot 
  from the pile. Grabbing loot from the pile draws the outrage 
  and attention of any nearby Strus Clan members, who will 
  prioritize getting it back from the thief who took their stolen 
  goods. An additional minion group of three Strus Clan 
  enforcers emerges from a nearby shanty hut and attacks 
  the PC who is going through the loot pile.
  VAPORATOR VAPORIZING
  The Strus can’t rely entirely on stolen supplies to keep 
  themselves going. On a desert planet like Jakku, any sort 
  of self-sustaining settlement needs moisture vaporators to 
  help provide water. The Strus Clan’s vaporators are at the 
  outskirts of the settlement, but still inside the protection of 
  the walls. They remain some of the only machinery in the 
  compound that stays clean and carefully maintained. The 
  vaporators’ value to the settlement is too great to risk.
  If the PCs are feeling particularly angry at the Strus, they 
  can try to target the vaporators. Tampering with someone’s 
  water supply on a desert planet is considered as serious as 
  just gunning for them directly, if not more so. However, if the 
  situation is already at the point of blaster fire, it’s easy to see 
  vaporators as fair game. Of course, the Strus do not take such 
  attempts lightly. When nearby gangsters spot the PCs head-
  ing toward the vaporators, a large force gathers and attempts 
  to head them off. By the time the PCs get within long range 
  of the vaporators, a group of Strus defenders should emerge 
  from between the clutter of buildings at medium range from 
  both the PCs and the vaporators. Four Strus Clan warriors 
  attempt to defend the vaporators, joined by a minion 
  group of three Strus Clan enforcers if the PCs have already 
  hit a target. The warriors attempt to block the PCs’ lines of 
  sight to the vaporators and get them locked down in close-
  quarters combat, while the enforcers and any other gangsters 
  take cover behind the buildings and concentrate their fire on 
  any PC who remains focused on the vaporators. If the PCs 
  destroy a vaporator, the Strus defenders become enraged, 
  gaining a Boost die ∫ to all combat checks for one round.
  Attempting to damage or destroy a vaporator with blaster 
  fire works like attacking a character, but with two Boost dice 
  ∫ ∫ due to the ease of targeting them. The vaporators have 
  a soak value of 10 and have an effective wound threshold of 
  6. Inflicting any damage to a vaporator’s wound threshold 
  damages it, while inflicting a Critical Injury or wounds greater 
  than its wound threshold destroy it entirely. 
  TOPPLING THE LEADERSHIP
  Once the PCs have struck at two major targets within the 
  compound, the local leaders emerge to try to deal with the 
  intruders directly. A triumvirate of ruthless Enforcers for the 
  greater Strus Clan leads the gangsters of this branch. 
  Each of the three favors a different fighting style: Tann Atar 
  carries a hefty vibro-ax into melee, while Ganjira Rell keeps 
  a high-powered blaster rifle ready to gun down her enemies 
  at long range. The most feared of the three, Hodeka, carries 
  a deadly disruptor pistol that disintegrates his enemies. All 
  use the profile for the Strus Clan leader, although each of the 
  leaders has only one of the listed weapons, as well as a vi-
  broknife tucked away for emergencies. The leaders use their 
  superior knowledge of the compound’s layout to engage the 
  PCs from favorable positions. When the PCs spot them, Tann 
  Atar and Hodeka duck around a corner within short range 
  of the PCs, and Ganjira Rell is behind cover at long range. If 
  there are three or fewer PCs, Hodeka is away from the com-
  pound at the time of their attack and is unable to take part 
  in the encounter.
  Defeating the Strus leaders takes the fight out of any re-
  maining gangsters. See Conditions of Victory on page 29, 
  for what happens next.
  GRAND THEFT SAND SKIMMER
  If the PCs are planning on escaping after causing a diversion, 
  then the compound begins to stir with increasing signs of 
  activity after they hit two targets, signaling that the PCs had 
  better get ready to leave before they bite off more than they 
  can chew. Fortunately, on the outer wall of the compound is 
  a garage full of sand skimmers and other speeders, which 
  the PCs can use as getaway vehicles if don’t have or can’t get 
  to their own. The PCs might have spotted the garage on the 
  way in or been informed about it by Misha or Brana Tsaro. If 
  the PCs really don’t know where to go, they might hear the 
  gangsters yelling to secure the vehicles in the garage.
  STRUS CLAN LEADER
  5
  13
  SOAK VALUE
  W. THRESHOLD
  BRAWN
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  CUNNING
  WILLPOWER
  PRESENCE
  3
  3
  2
  3
  2
  3
  Skills: Melee 2 (º º π), Perception 1 (º π π), 
  Piloting 1 (º π π), Ranged (Heavy) 2 (º º π), 
  Ranged (Light) 1 (º π π), Vigilance 2 (º º).
  Equipment: Vibro-ax (Skill: Melee [º º π]; Dam-
  age 6; Range [Engaged]; ≤ ≤ inflict one Critical 
  Injury; Pierce 3 [ignore 3 points of the target’s 
  soak]), blaster rifle (Skill: Ranged [Heavy] [º º π]; 
  Damage 9; Range [Long]; ≤ ≤ ≤: inflict one Crit-
  ical Injury), disruptor pistol (Skill: Ranged [Light] 
  [º π π]; Damage 10; Range [Short]; ≤ ≤: inflict 
  one Critical Injury, plus one Critical Injury for each 
  additional ≤), vibroknife (Skill: Melee [º º π]; 
  Damage 5; Range [Engaged]; ≤ ≤ inflict one criti-
  cal injury; Pierce 2 [ignore 2 points of the target’s 
  soak]), battle armor (+2 soak, [included in soak 
  value]), canteen, respirator.
  Since the Strus Clan leaders have no strain thresh-
  old, whenever they would suffer strain, they suffer 
  wounds instead.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  29
  Getting to the garage is easy, but breaking into it is hard, 
  as the garage is well defended, protected by the best de-
  fense systems the Strus could scrape together. Once the PCs 
  exit the compound walls near the garage, they emerge at 
  medium range of the garage entrance—and of a group of 
  gangsters assigned to guard it. One minion group of four 
  Strus Clan enforcers protects the garage, but the minion 
  group is set up in heavily fortified positions that impose two 
  Setback dice ∫ ∫ on attempts to shoot at it with ranged 
  weapons. What’s more, above the fortified balconies on 
  which the minion group has taken position, there is one 
  guard tower emplacement with a blaster turret con-
  trolled by one minion group of two Strus Clan enforcers 
  (see their profile on page 26).
  The warrior controlling the turret has a passkey to the ga-
  rage. Without the passkey, the PCs must make a successful 
  Easy (π) Mechanics or Computers check to force the lock 
  or fool the computer into accepting a false access signal. 
  Once inside the garage, the PCs have their choice of getaway 
  vehicles, but must figure out a way to avoid pursuit. They can 
  rig the other speeders to explode or fail with an Average 
  (π π) Mechanics check, convince the repair droids in the 
  garage to strip down the other speeders with an Easy (π) 
  Deception check, or come up with some other ruse to deny 
  the Strus access to the means to pursue them.
  If the PCs do not prevent the Strus from following them, 
  they must escape pursuit, led by Ganjira Rell. Ganjira Rell 
  and one minion group of four Strus Clan enforcers take 
  speeder bikes to pursue the PCs. Escaping them requires 
  a opposed Piloting check vs. Ganjira Rell’s  Piloting 
  (º π π). Failure indicates the PCs are run to ground or shot 
  off their vehicles, forcing a confrontation in the desert away 
  from the compound. The Strus pursuers leap off their bikes at 
  long range and begin shooting the downed PCs. If the PCs can 
  turn the tables and defeat their pursuers, they can take the 
  speeder bikes from them and continue their escape. 
  CONDITIONS OF VICTORY
  Once the PCs have concluded their assault on the com-
  pound, the GM should move the encounter toward its logi-
  cal aftermath. If they were trying to cause a diversion, they 
  could receive a transmission from Misha indicating her peo-
  ple are safe as the PCs make their escape. In the case of a 
  full assault, the remaining Strus gangsters might surrender 
  to the PCs, possibly at the behest of any surviving leaders.
  If the PCs forced a surrender on the surviving Strus, they 
  need to determine its terms. Making sure the Strus don’t sim-
  ply return to their old ways should be a priority for the PCs. 
  Some possible terms they could impose might be a complete 
  disarmament, return of stolen goods, and other means of re-
  ducing the Strus Clan’s capacity for mischief. If Brana Tsaro 
  is present and the PCs know of her past association with the 
  Strus Clan, they could suggest that she be put in charge of 
  reforming them. Getting the Strus to agree to particularly 
  punitive terms might require an opposed Negotiation vs. 
  Negotiation check (π for an enforcer, π π for Dokar or a 
  warrior, and π π π for a leader) against the highest ranking 
  survivor. A failed check might mean the Strus insist on addi-
  tional concessions before giving up, or it might lead to another 
  fight breaking out. However, after the PCs’ victories leading to 
  this point, none of the Strus are eager to push them too far.
  
  Star Wars Roleplaying
  A CALL FOR HEROES
  30
  RETURN TO THE RESISTANCE
  O
  nce the PCs have accomplished their missions for the 
  Resistance, and have perhaps delivered aid to the no-
  mads on Jakku, they should check in at the Resistance 
  base again. Read or paraphrase the following aloud after 
  they deliver the report of their efforts to Major Ematt:
  Major Ematt receives your report, carefully listening 
  to all the details you present, then nods curtly. “You’ve 
  done all that we asked, and more than could be rea-
  sonably expected. Well done, all of you. The Resistance 
  thanks you.” He turns to leave, then turns back to you 
  for a last word. “We’ll always be happy to have the aid 
  of brave souls like you. If you’re willing to stick around 
  and help out more, we’d welcome your assistance. But 
  wherever you go…may the Force be with you.”
  CONTINUING THE FIGHT
  T
  he PCs’ adventures don’t need to end when they 
  finish A CAll for Heroes. There are many pos-
  sibilities for further developments in the story, and 
  there may be a number of loose ends that could be 
  addressed. A few ideas to help the GM continue are 
  listed below:
  • If Captain Talkar escaped the base on GH-
  531, he might have a vendetta against 
  the PCs he wishes to pursue. He might be 
  able to gather a task force of stormtroop-
  ers to chase them across the galaxy, or he 
  might go rogue after his superiors shame 
  him for failure, working with criminals and 
  bounty hunters in a desperate attempt to 
  take vengeance.
  • Messages from the communications relay 
  archives could reveal more installations, 
  fleets, or other assets the First Order has 
  secretly established in the Unknown Re-
  gions. These may range from minor out-
  posts to major installations, and would 
  need to be investigated and possibly even 
  dealt with.
  • The PCs might examine the records from 
  the old Imperial research center and try to 
  track where its scientists went after aban-
  doning the base. Some of them might still 
  be developing weapons that could threat-
  en innocent lives or spread tyranny, while 
  others might have realized the horror 
  of the Empire’s rule and be willing to lend 
  their expertise to the Resistance.
  • Even though the gangsters are no longer 
  preying on them, the scavengers on Jakku 
  don’t have an easy life. If they find a big 
  score, they might contact the PCs to see if 
  they can leverage it with some rich buyer 
  in exchange for transport offworld and 
  a new home. Such a deal would require 
  careful negotiation, and the scavengers 
  would need help to make sure they ar-
  rived and settled in safely on a different 
  and unfamiliar world.
  • The mercenaries who helped deal with the 
  Strus gangsters might be impressed with 
  the PCs. They could offer to cut the PCs in 
  on additional jobs that align with the Resis-
  tance’s interests, or might offer to work for 
  the Resistance if the PCs can find a way to 
  pay them.
  • The Strus compound the PCs assaulted was 
  not the only stronghold of the Clan, which is 
  a major criminal organization across Jakku. 
  Other branches are unlikely to consider the 
  nomads worth their time, but they might 
  very well want to make an example out of 
  the PCs who defied the Strus Clan, either 
  by sending agents after them, or by hiring 
  mercenaries or bounty hunters to do their 
  dirty work.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Star Wars [multi]/FFG/Misc/The Force Awakens - (SWR09b) A Call For Heroes.pdf