Chapter 6: Campaigns
Creating your own adventure is a chance to weave the threads of your imagination into heroic sci-fi tales filled with astonishing feats in fantastic locations. At their core, most adventures are stories. Some are played in one to two sessions similar to a blockbuster movie, while others link together into long-running campaigns more akin to a novel or TV series.
Whether you prefer one-shot missions, intriguing tales, or galaxy-spanning epics, each of these types of stories share common elements that make them enjoyable and memorable. This chapter provides guidance on using those elements to design and present fun, engaging, and memorable sci-fi adventures.
SECTION 1
ADVENTURE ESSENTIALS
Great RPG adventures have several elements in common.A DEFINED STRUCTURE
As with any story, an established structure of key events and information helps to keep the game flowing and puts the players and GM on the same page. The best example of this is the popular “three-act structure” used in storytelling. Even if you’re designing an adventure with a myriad of paths and multiple endings, all of those story elements still link together into a path that takes the players on towards an eventual conclusion.A CLEAR GOAL
Establishing a goal at the beginning of an adventure provides the players with a focal point they can use to guide their decisions and actions. An adventure’s starting goal is not by any means required to be the same as the one that leads to the adventure’s conclusion. As the story changes, so may the objective of the player characters. While priorities may shift, however, there should always be at least one active goal at all times, even if said goal is to search for a new one.CONSEQUENTIAL CHOICES
The player characters’ actions and decisions should have a great and meaningful impact on the adventure’s story and flow of events. While most adventures share a structure similar to a story or novel, adventures differ from those in that they allow for more than one outcome. Scenarios, where the characters’ actions don’t seem to matter, are not fun nor engaging to players, who may feel as if they were railroaded into an inevitable conclusion to which they played no part.CONSISTENT THEMING
Consistency is key to writing any story. When designing an adventure, it’s important to establish certain thematical elements early on. Environmental Theme. Great science fiction settings transport us to another place and time. In such environments, the rules on how things work are important. You can fall back on game mechanics as a guide, but certain scenarios may call for the GM to improvise, especially when describing a futuristic environment. Even small details such as how lighting works, how computers are accessed, or the types of fuel used to operate machinery help the players share a consistent vision of how their characters interact with the setting. It can also open numerous exploration opportunities and ideas. Narrative Theme. Set a narrative tone for your adventure. Some adventures have serious themes while others are more humorous or whimsical. Any of those can be dark in nature or more upbeat. Even if your tone is a mix of these, keeping the theme consistent makes it easier for your players to relate to events and plot points. However, don’t feel as if you need to force the theme upon the players should they choose to play it differently. A tragic drama and a dark comedy can both lead to the same outcome so long as everyone has a good time.COMPELLING PLOT POINTS
Adventures are more fun when they have an interesting and engaging storyline. This doesn’t mean the story needs to be long or even remotely complex. But it should introduce story elements that involve the player characters directly.
Plot Hooks. Creating interesting plot hooks at the beginning of an adventure is an easy way to draw the characters in. Even with the simplest of narratives, introducing events during the adventure that connect with the characters’ own development can keep them motivated and excited to see what happens next.
Surprises. A well-timed surprise can easily delight your players and create memorable experiences. A fissure in an underground passage can lead to the discovery of a spaceship that’s been buried for centuries. Strange lights floating through the sky could be revealed as intelligent energy beings studying the characters from afar. Introducing the occasional plot twist, surprise enemy, or pop-up mystery can keep things interesting, but try not to overdo it. Simple encounters can be just as fun and too many surprises can become tiresome after a while.
FOCUS ON THE HEROS
Regardless of the adventure’s storyline, events should be narrated from the point of view of the player characters. The characters are always the heroes of the story. They should never become mere spectators, watching as events unfold around them that they can’t influence.SOMETHING FOR ALL PLAYER TYPES
Each player has their own play style and expectations when playing in your game. Adventures should accommodate for different players and multiple character types. One of the best methods for this is for your adventure to include each of the three pillars of play—combat, exploration, and social. Having a good balance of these effectively draws each type of character into the storyline. If you’re running a series of adventures, you can spread your balance of the play pillars out more broadly. If you play consistently with the same group of players, you only need to appeal to those players, who may enjoy more exploration over combat or vice versa.SUITABLE GAMING TOOLS
Depending on the type of adventure you’re running, having additional tools or accessories handy can help you run the adventure smoothly and keep the pace going. For example, you may wish to have detailed maps for an adventure set in a sprawling space station or the twisting tunnels of an asteroid base. Player handouts can be useful for an adventure with complex visual puzzles or for information players need to refer to regularly.PUBLISHED ADVENTURES
If you don’t have the time or inclination to write an adventure on your own, you can instead run a published adventure. Published adventures contain a pre-generated scenario complete with the necessary stats, encounters, and maps needed to run it. While published adventures provide tips and instructions on how to run their scenarios, you’re not required to follow them. You can make adjustments to any published adventure as you see fit to better suit your campaign or storyline. Some examples would be replacing a villain or NPC for one of your own, or taking the pre-built encounters and placing them into a scenario you’re currently running. You can also use the maps and plot points provided as tools or inspiration to create your own adventure.
SECTION 2
ADVENTURE STRUCTURE
As noted earlier, an adventure bears many similarities to a written story. The same can be said regarding an adventure’s structure. The most basic of these is the “three-act structure”, which is defined as having elements separated by a beginning, middle, and ending.BEGINNING
The beginning of an adventure sets the stage for the rest of the story. A good adventure introduces plot hooks to get the characters motivated and interested in becoming involved. Perhaps they’re contacted for a job they can’t pass up. Maybe one of the characters stumbles across illicit data they weren’t meant to see. Maybe an old contact sends out a distress call just before going missing. These hooks can draw the players into the story right away. Once they act upon these hooks, the decisions they make early on help to enmesh them into the story as it progresses. Many published adventures also provide an adventure introduction at the beginning, with background on the story and critical information the GM requires before running.MIDDLE
The middle of the adventure is where most of the events take place. It’s here that the story unfolds through linked scenarios, and the characters are prompted to make critical decisions that have an impact upon how the adventure concludes. In addition to dealing with potential obstacles and adversaries, the characters can learn important information or make vital discoveries that can be used to decide upon their actions. Many great adventures have a mix of these, introduced alongside a rising sense of tension in the form of powerful enemies or critical plot development.ENDING
The ending includes both the adventure’s climax and the outcome of the characters’ choices. The climax is often a scene where the rising tension built throughout the adventure reaches its peak. This often takes place during a final encounter where the fate of the characters hangs in the balance and the overall outcome hinges upon their actions. An adventure’s conclusion doesn’t have to wrap everything up into a neat bow. Many adventures can leave the story open for a follow-up, or they can leave plot threads that lead to other adventures. After the conclusion in published content, you can often find a breakdown of the experience, rewards, and loot the characters can gain during the adventure.STYLE & SUBSTANCE
In truth, there are just as many types of adventures as there are types of stories. The following provides advice and starting points for the type of adventure you wish to create. Beyond an adventure’s basic structure, you should establish specifics on how your adventure’s events flow and how definitive your conclusion will be. These choices can help you decide how and where to place the adventure’s encounters and events.LINEAR VS NON-LINEAR
The choice between linear and non-linear progression is significant when writing the content between the beginning and end of your adventure. Linear progression is where a choice or event in a section of the adventure leads directly into the following section and similarly following sections after that until the conclusion. Even if there are multiple encounters in a section that leads into the following sections, this is still considered linear. For example, in Fall of the Eos Keldor, the players choose which deck to visit as well as what encounters to resolve. Their destination, however, remains unchanged regardless of the path they take. Adventures with a non-linear progression have no set paths to guide players to different parts of the adventure. For example, the characters could be hunting a fugitive on a space station with many locations. Their choice of where to look and the actions taken there may give them clues, lead to dead ends, or may even change the location of the fugitive. When and how the characters reach the adventure’s conclusion is dependent upon how they proceed. Linear adventures allow for more focus on story progression and major events. Non-linear adventures have more options and place a great deal of the resolution in the hands of the players. While they represent different styles of play, each method has its own advantages.PLOT FOCUS
The foundation for an adventure can focus on either the adventure’s main story or the location in which it takes place.STORY-BASED ADVENTURERS
A story-based adventure focuses on the consequences of the actions between the characters, NPCs, and villains. There are several types of story-based adventures. Major Event. In these adventures, the story hook and progression are centered on a specific event or special occasion. Some examples include the anniversary of a great battle, the launch of an experimental ship, the birth of a monarch’s heir, or the celebration of a new arc-bind. The conflict that draws the players in is centered around that event, serving as either the adventure hook or the basis of the entire adventure’s story. Villainous Plot. The adventure’s conflict is created by the machinations of a particular villain. The actions of the villain could be anything to where the characters become involved. Examples include an assassin who kills a friend or important figure, a hacker who frames the characters for their crimes, a megacorporation secretly developing a deadly virus, or a street gang squeezing out locals to expand their territory. You can also connect such a villain to a major event as described above. Personal Plight. Many adventure storylines are launched from characters being tasked to aid others with a dilemma. Examples include an NPC hiring the characters to locate a missing loved one, a friend or contact that needs to be kept out of danger, or the player characters themselves stumbling into a heap of trouble. These can also be combined with the villainous plot or major event, such as an old friend who is framed for causing a major catastrophe while the real perpetrator is in hiding. Mystery. A classic “whodunnit” story works well in any genre, including sci-fi. Who killed the Sagaren ambassador? What really happened at the Battle of Eden Prime? Who sabotaged Zergal’s corporate database and why? Adventures centered on a mystery require three major elements:- A crime or tragedy with associated victims of said event ( Multiple suspects and witnesses defined by motive or circumstance.
- Clues or evidence that characters must properly interpret to deduce the facts.
Intrigue. Easily coupled with mystery, these adventures are socially motivated, revolving around the exchange of information, favors, and compromises amid a complex power struggle. Intrigue storylines are commonplace among corporations, crime syndicates, governments, and information brokers. Intrigue adventures should directly involve one or more of the characters in some way such as a personal stake or the possibility of gaining favor or boon.
LOCATION-BASE ADVENTURERS
Many great sci-fi tales center upon fantastic locations, strange anomalies, and the mysteries of the universe. Location-based adventures focus on the various elements of the environment and the consequences of the characters’ actions within. While these adventures involve fewer complexities than story-based adventures, they are by no means any less challenging or enjoyable When planning a location-based adventure, you should establish a reason for the characters to be at this location, as well as their eventual goal. Perhaps the characters are exploring a spatial anomaly that causes ships to vanish, or they could happen upon a secret underground facility beneath their colony. Maybe their ship becomes stranded on a strange moon in the outer zones, or they could be exploring an abandoned station in search of money and supplies. Establishing Details. Flesh out your location with details integral to the progression of the adventure. You can also break the area down into smaller locations in which you can place encounters. See chapter 8 for guidance on creating adventure environments. Cast of Characters. Interesting locations can spark interesting personalities. Identify any important NPCs the characters deal with in your location. Potential allies, contacts, vendors, rivals, or villains are but a few examples. Each NPC should have some connection to the adventure’s location or at least a reason for being there. Events. Like any adventure, you should create a hook as to how the characters find themselves in your adventure location. There should also be a planned climax and conclusion that coincides with the characters’ goals.COMPLICATIONS
Introducing unforeseen complications can make things interesting and introduces refreshing elements that keep the players on their toesSIDE MISSION
Defined by location or events, you can introduce side missions that lead the characters off from the main story. While these can be unrelated to the main goal of the adventure, completing them could also provide characters with a benefit toward completing their primary goal.SURPRISE TWIST
An unexpected twist can introduce complexity into the story and make the characters’ goals harder to achieve. The characters may discover they are racing against time to complete their task. They could realize their goal has been the wrong one all along or perhaps the goal is not as beneficial as they were led to believe. They could also end up having to accept help from an unlikely ally to survive.MORAL DILEMMAS
Unintended consequences of the characters’ actions could result in a crisis of conscience. Should innocents be sacrificed for the sake of the greater good? How much should one compromise with a potential enemy? Would one choose to betray the trust of an ally if there are no other options? These situations introduce a new dynamic into the story, often prompting some great roleplaying. Alignment can also be used as a guide for players as to how their characters would resolve these issues. However, it is just that—a guide. Whatever they may tend to do should not dictate the eventual action they take in a particular scenario.SAMPLE ADVENTURE TYPES
The following table provides a list of sample adventure types. You can choose one from the list, determine one randomly, or use the list as inspiration for creating one of your own.| D12 | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artifact | A special or unique item is the focus of these adventures in which it must be found, protected, or deciphered in order to stop an imminent threat. |
| 2 | Comedy | Silly one-liners, comic capers, and awkward situations can make for a fun scenario filled with humor and levity. |
| 3 | Competition | The characters must compete in some form of competition such as arena combat, tournament, or sporting event. These events can be casual or lethal depending on the story. |
| 4 | Disaster | The end is nigh, and the characters are the only hope of stopping it. Examples include the decimation of an area, a sweeping pandemic, a collapsing planet core, or other mass extinction events. |
| 5 | Espionage | The fate of a mission's success depends upon the use of stealth, subterfuge, deception, or betrayal. Spy thrillers use these in abundance. |
| 6 | Expedition | The characters face an arduous journey through dangerous regions such as uncharted space, ravaged lands, hostile environments, or enemy territory. |
| 7 | Hot Pursuit | Something or someone has gone missing, and the characters need to find them and fast. These often involve high-speed chases, red herrings, and suspenseful intrigue. |
| 8 | Hunted | The characters are criminals, escapees, or fugitives being hunted down by a force of equal or greater power. |
| 9 | Intrigue | A volatile situation arises that involves diplomacy, tense negotiations, and navigating the fine line between friends and foes. |
| 10 | Mystery | The characters investigate and uncover clues to find the truth behind a particular event, quandary, or puzzle. |
| 11 | Strike Team | The characters are storming a base, hunting down surviving foes, assaulting a nest of threats, and any other scenario where they're taking the fight directly to the enemy. |
| 12 | Transporters | Something (or someone) needs to make it from a starting point to a destination with dangerous complications along the way. Examples include deliveries, escort missions, or smuggling jobs. |
SECTION 3
CREATING ENCOUNTERS
In an adventure storyline, major scenes are broken down into encounters. Great encounters have a primary objective that connects directly to the overall story and goal of the adventure. Most encounters hinge upon whether the characters succeed or fail. A successful encounter could come with additional benefits or detriments depending upon how it was resolved. Similarly, failing an encounter doesn’t necessarily mean the adventure is over (unless, of course, the characters are killed). Each encounter should have consequences based on the characters’ success or failure. The outcome of an encounter often affects the encounters that follow, and so on.ENCOUNTER GOALS
Encounters should have a clear and straightforward objective, even if complications are introduced along the way. The primary objective should be focused on moving the characters forward toward their overall goal. Examples of these objectives could be passing through a dangerous area, convincing an NPC to follow advice, defending a specific location, or simply winning a fight. No adventure can account for every action the players may take. Sometimes players may make decisions that create their own encounters, such as pickpocketing a device for information or looking for a shortcut to the roof of a building. These may create additional benefits or consequences depending on the scenario.ENCOUNTER TYPES
Each encounter has a primary focus related to one of the three pillars of play—combat, exploration, or social. This does not mean that an encounter of a certain type can’t include aspects of the other two. For example, a character can attempt to negotiate a cease-fire during a combat encounter, bolster the morale of a teammate about to jump a chasm, or attempt to bypass an electronic lock in the middle of a firefight.COMBAT ENCOUNTERS
Combat encounters present life or death challenges against adversaries and threats. When building a heroic combat scenario, let your imagination be your guide to creating something fun, interesting, and action-packed to delight and excite your players. The rules for building a combat encounter are provided below followed by rules for building starship combat encounters.EXPLORATION ENCOUNTERS
The mainstay of location-based adventures, exploration encounters focuses on obstacles defined by the characters’ current environment. Investigating an area, avoiding a hazard, or surviving an environmental effect are all examples of these encounters. Chapter 8 provides rules and guidelines for creating adventure environments.SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS
These encounters involve dealing directly with NPCs. Roleplaying is commonly used to resolve these encounters accompanied by corresponding skill checks. See chapter 1 for guidance on running social interactions. Interesting NPCs make social encounters far more interesting as well. Additional information found in chapter 7.BUILDING A COMBAT ENCOUNTER
The following are rules for building a combat-based encounter. When building your encounter, keep the following in mind.- Your choice of threats should fit the adventure’s story or scenario, regardless of the mechanical balance of the encounter.
- Take care to note whether the characters have had time to rest between encounters.
- If the encounter includes additional obstacles or non-combat challenges, you may wish to modify your choice of threats accordingly.
- If possible, test a few simple encounters with your players for balance before creating more complex scenarios.
ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY
should set the difficulty of the encounter. There are four levels of encounter difficulty. Easy encounters aren’t life-threatening and require only a few resources for the characters to succeed. Average encounters can be dangerous, but the characters can often succeed with no casualties unless things go terribly wrong. Hard encounters have a greater chance of going badly for the characters. There’s a much greater chance of a character being defeated or killed. Deadly encounters can wipe out a party of characters unless they use tactics and quick-thinking to survive.CALCULATING DIFFICULTY THRESHOLDS
Refer to the following rules to gauge the difficulty of your combat encounters. Determine XP Thresholds. Use the XP Thresholds by Character Level table to determine the experience point (XP) threshold for each character in the party. The table is divided into four categories, each representing your encounter’s difficulty. For each character, use their level to find their threshold for each difficulty. Determine Party XP Thresholds. For each category of encounter difficulty, add up the characters’ XP thresholds. This determines the party’s XP threshold. You’ll end up with four totals, one for each category of encounter difficulty. For example, if your party includes two 4th-level characters and two 3rd-level characters, the party’s totaled XP thresholds would be as follows:-
Easy: 400 XP (125 + 125 + 75 + 75)
Medium: 800 XP (250 + 250 + 150 + 150)
Hard: 1,200 XP (375 + 375 + 225 + 225)
Deadly: 1,800 XP (500 + 500 + 400 + 400)
XP THRESHOLDS BY CHARACTER LEVEL
| Level | Easy | Medium | Hard | Deadly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 |
| 2nd | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 |
| 3rd | 75 | 150 | 225 | 400 |
| 4th | 125 | 250 | 375 | 500 |
| 5th | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,100 |
| 6th | 300 | 600 | 900 | 1,400 |
| 7th | 350 | 750 | 1,100 | 1,700 |
| 8th | 450 | 900 | 1,400 | 2,100 |
| 9th | 550 | 1,100 | 1,600 | 2,400 |
| 10th | 600 | 1,200 | 1,900 | 2,800 |
| 11th | 800 | 1,600 | 2,400 | 3,600 |
| 12th | 1,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 4,500 |
| 13th | 1,100 | 2,200 | 3,400 | 5,100 |
| 14th | 1,250 | 2,500 | 3,800 | 5,700 |
| 15th | 1,400 | 2,800 | 4,300 | 6,400 |
| 16th | 1,600 | 3,200 | 4,800 | 7,200 |
| 17th | 2,000 | 3,900 | 5,900 | 8,800 |
| 18th | 2,100 | 4,200 | 6,300 | 9,500 |
| 19th | 2,400 | 4,900 | 7,300 | 10,900 |
| 20th | 2,800 | 5,700 | 8,500 | 12,700 |
ENCOUNTER MULTIPLERS
| # of Threats | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 1 | x1 |
| 2 | x1.5 |
| 3-6 | x2 |
| 7-10 | x2.5 |
| 11-14 | x3 |
| 15 or more | x4 |
PARTY SIZE AND MULTIPLE THREATS
The preceding guidelines assume that you have a party consisting of three to five characters. If the party contains fewer than three characters, apply the next highest multiplier on the Encounter Multipliers table. For example, apply a multiplier of 1.5 when the characters fight a single threat, and a multiplier of 5 for groups of fifteen or more threats If the party contains six or more characters, use the next lowest multiplier on the table. Use a multiplier of 0.5 for a single threat.USING AN XP BUDGET
If you determine the party’s XP threshold (see step 2 of “Calculating Difficulty Thresholds”) for each encounter difficulty, you should have an XP budget that you can spend on threats to build encounters for any difficulty. Just remember to include the Encounter Multipliers table, as multiple threats can take up more of your XP budget.EVALUATING THE CHARACTERS
Regardless of their XP value, not all threats are exactly alike. Some threats have certain features can impact the difficulty of an encounter. Examine the capabilities of the characters and use caution when assigning threats for them to face whose challenge ratings that are higher than the average level of the party. Some of these threats can easily kill a low-level character in a single attack. Some threats have special features that should be accounted for as well. Multiple threats that use arcane powers are particularly dangerous for lower-tier characters, as well as threats that have resistances and immunities to mundane damage or arcane powers.MULTIPART ENCOUNTERS
Some combat encounters involve additional threats that appear after combat has already begun. For example, a group of enemies may call for reinforcements. In these situations, you should treat the total number of possible threats as being part of the same encounter, even if the characters don’t face them all at once. You can always increase the difficulty of the encounter to compensate for the delay of additional threats. Other combat encounters may include multiple groups of enemies appearing, such as a creature nest that generates waves of threats. For such encounters, treat each part or wave as a separate encounter for the purpose of determining its difficulty.MODIFYING COMBAT ENCOUNTERS
Your choice of an encounter’s location and scenario can make it more engaging, and can also be used to increase or decrease its difficulty. Consider increasing the difficulty of an encounter (for example, from Medium to Hard) if the characters have a benefit not available to their enemies. Likewise, consider decreasing the difficulty if the characters instead suffer from a significant drawback. Situational benefits include the enemy being easily surprised, the party being able to attack from cover or camouflage, or if an environmental effect causes the enemy to take damage each round. If these situations instead benefit the enemy, they would be considered situational drawbacks for the characters.RESTING AND COMBAT XP
To keep an optimal balance between combat encounters, characters should be allowed to rest and recover hit points, powers, and other features they rely on to survive. Long Rests. As defined in chapter 8 of the Core Manual, characters can take a long rest every 24 hours. The Daily Combat XP table provides an estimate of how much XP each character in the party should be able to earn in a 24-hour period before needing a long rest. This can also be used to estimate the adjusted XP value for encounters the party can handle before a long rest is required. Short Rests. On average, the characters will likely need to take two short rests between having to take a long rest, usually spaced evenly apart. If facing multiple combat encounters, the total adjusted XP value of those encounters should be equal to or less than one-third of their total daily combat XP.DAILY COMBAT XP
| Level | Adjusted Daily XP per Character |
|---|---|
| 1st | 300 |
| 2nd | 600 |
| 3rd | 1,200 |
| 4th | 1,700 |
| 5th | 3,500 |
| 6th | 4,000 |
| 7th | 5,000 |
| 8th | 6,000 |
| 9th | 7,500 |
| 10th | 9,000 |
| 11th | 10,500 |
| 12th | 11,500 |
| 13th | 13,500 |
| 14th | 15,000 |
| 15th | 18,000 |
DAILY COMBAT XP (Continued)
| 16th | 20,000 |
| 17th | 25,000 |
| 18th | 27,000 |
| 19th | 30,000 |
| 20th | 40,000 |
QUICK COMBAT ENCOUNTERS
The following approach takes the rules for creating a combat encounter and provides a streamlined method for creating balanced encounters using the average level of the players. This method assumes that you’re already familiar with the threats you plan to use in the encounter, from their capabilities to how they would match up against the player characters. You should also be able to make quick adjustments to compensate for the players’ abilities such as altering a threat’s hit points, damage output, etc. Even while using this method, you should refer to the advice provided at the start of “Building a Combat Encounter”. Take extra precaution as well when building an encounter for 1st level characters.MULTIPLE THREAT CHALLANGE RATING
| Level | 1 Threat | 2 Threats | 3 Threats | 4 Threats | 2 PCs | 3 PCs | 4 PCs | 5 PCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | ¼ | ⅛ | - | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 |
| 2nd | ½ | ¼ | ⅛ | - | ½ | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 3rd | ½ | ¼ | ⅛ | ⅛ | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4th | 1 | ½ | ¼ | ¼ | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5th | 2 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| 6th | 2 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7th | 3 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8th | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| 9th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 10th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 11th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 12th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 13th | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 14th | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 |
| 15th | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| 16th | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
| 17th | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| 18th | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 15 | 16 |
| 19th | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
| 20th | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 19 |
ENCOUNTER BY CHARACTER LEVEL
After you’ve established the details of your combat encounter, use the Multiple Threat Challenge Rating tables to determine an appropriate challenge rating for a group of threats based upon the average level of your party. This table should be used only if you have multiple threats in the encounter. For encounters using only a single threat, see “Solo Threat Encounters”. Multiple Threats per Character. For each character, look up their character level and choose a number of threats to assign to each character to determine the appropriate challenge rating for each threat. For example, a 5th level character can handle one CR 2 threat or two CR 1 threats. Multiple Characters per Threat. This side of the table is useful if you have multiple established threats with different challenge ratings. Look up the challenge rating for one of your chosen threats. Determine the average level of the characters and look across that row until you reach the CR closest or equal to that of your threat. That column provides the suggested number of characters for that threat’s CR. For example, if your encounter has a CR 4 threat and the average level of the characters is 6th level, that threat can face off against three of the characters. Combining Challenge Ratings. You can use both sides of the table together to fine-tune your encounter. For example, you have a party of five 7th-level characters and you plan on using a kotatu alpha (CR 6) in the encounter. Using the table, four of the characters would be an optimal challenge for the kotatu alpha, leaving an additional 7th level character. Per the table for 7th level, you can add either one kotatu (CR 3) or three young kotatu (CR 1) to the encounter. Depending upon your scenario, these could be any other combination of threats so long as they are the defined challenge rating.SOLO THREAT ENCOUNTERS
Each threat’s individual challenge rating assumes an easy-to-average encounter against a group of four characters with a level equal to the threat’s CR. The following method uses that approach for parties consisting of more than four characters, as well as making a solo threat encounter more challenging. For encounters that involve more than one threat, use the “Encounters by Character Level” method above. More Characters in the Party. If you have a party of more than four characters, increase the threat’s CR by one for each additional character (up to seven characters). If you have a party of only three characters, decrease the CR of your threat by 1. For example, if you have a party of six 8th level characters, the optimal challenge for a single threat would be CR 10, whereas a party of only three characters of the same level would face a CR 7 threat. Challenging Solo Threats. You may wish to create a “boss level” type of encounter with a single threat that provides a difficult yet rewarding challenge. Start with the CR you’ve already determined above for the number of characters in the party. If the average level of your party is 1st—5th, increase that CR by 1. Increase the CR by 2 for a 6th—10th level party and increase the CR by 3 for a party of 11th level or higher. Using the example from above, a party of six 8th-level characters would face a challenging encounter against a CR 12 threat (CR 10 as determined above, plus a CR increase of 2 for 6th—10th level characters). If that same party were 14th level, a challenging threat would be CR 17. If you wish to create an even greater challenge, you can use a legendary creature of the appropriate CR.Paragon Threats
CREATING STARSHIP ENCOUNTERS
Space combat in Stellar Winds is designed to complement ground combat, sharing the same action-packed edge-of-your-seat scenarios that threaten the survival of the characters. Use the following steps to build a starship encounter.STEP 1: CHOOSE ENCOUNTER SIZE
Determine whether the players are facing enemies in a single ship-versus-ship scenario or if you’re creating an encounter with multiple ships. An ideal one-to-one scenario is between two ships of the same size category. You could increase or decrease the difficulty of such an encounter by increasing or decreasing the enemy ship by one size category, provided it remains within the same ship scale (standard vs. grand). Step 5 also provides additional options for encounters with solitary enemy ships. If the battle involves multiple ships, define a rough estimate of how many ships are involved in the encounter before continuing to the next step.STEP 2: DETERMINE NUMBER AND SHIP SIZES
Using your estimate of how many ships are involved in the encounter, use the Ship Encounters by Size table to determine the optimal number of player ships to enemy ships. First, note the size category of each enemy ship your players will face. Then, find the size category of each player ship. The table shows what a single-player ship of a given size category can face, represented by a ratio that compares numbers of player ships to numbers of enemy ships. For example, a 1:4 ratio is defined as one player ship for every four enemy ships. The ratios can be used as defined or added together to create any combination. For example, if the players are in a Large ship, they can be matched up against four Small ships or two Medium ships. Also, two Medium player ships can face off against one Large enemy ship, or a group of four Small enemy ships (using the one-to-two ratio for each Small ship), or a group consisting of two Small enemy ships and one Medium enemy ship. Between Combat Scales. Ratios aren’t provided for most encounters between standard and grand scale ships due to the large disparity in power and capability. For those encounters that don’t appear on the table, assume at least a 1:12 ratio for larger player ships or a 12:1 ratio for larger enemy ships. These usually come with situational circumstances such as a high-level crew or weapons capable of ignoring a ship’s damage threshold. Adjusting Encounter Difficulty. If your encounter involves multiple enemy ships, you can make the encounter easier or harder by adjusting the number of enemies. For a harder encounter, multiply the number of enemy ships by 1.5 rounded down. For example, a hard encounter for a Large player ship would be against six Small enemy ships instead of four. For easier encounters, you can divide the number of ships by 1.5, rounded down. If there is only a single enemy ship, refer to step 5 for additional ways to adjust the difficulty.SHIP ENCOUNTES BY SIZE
| PLAYER SHIP SIZE | SOLITARY | SMALL | MEDIUM | LARGE | HUGE | MASSIVE | COLOSSAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solitary | 1:1 | 2:1 | 3:1 | 5:1 | - | - | - |
| Small | 1:2 | 1:1 | 2:1 | 4:1 | — | — | — |
| Medium | 1:3 | 1:2 | 1:1 | 2:1 | — | — | — |
| Large | 1:5 | 1:4 | 1:2 | 1:1 | 8:1 | — | — |
| Huge | — | — | — | 1:8 | 1:1 | 2:1 | 4:1 |
| Massive | — | — | — | — | 1:2 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Colossal | — | — | — | — | 1:4 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
STEP 3: EVALUATE THE PLAYERS
Before building the encounter itself, you should assess the condition of the players’ ships and their crew. If the characters haven’t been able to perform a patch or full repair, or if a ship does not have all of its action stations assigned, you may wish to modify the encounter accordingly. A missing weapon attack or saving throw hampers a ship’s effectiveness, while a weakened structural integrity could spell doom for the entire party. Keep these in mind when working on the next steps.STEP 4: SELECT ENEMY SHIPS
After using the tables to determine the number of enemy ships, you’re ready to assign individual enemy ship stat blocks. Several enemy ship stat blocks can be found in appendix C. You can also choose to design your own using the rules provided in chapter 4. As with ground combat encounters, try to select ships that fit well with your scenario. If selecting a premade stat block, take note of the enemy ship’s special features and actions, and how those stack up against the capabilites of the players. A high damage threshold, for example, could turn a combat deadly for player ships without sufficient damage output.STEP 5: ADJUSTMENTS BY LEVEL
Most enemy stat blocks are designed with the assumption that the players have reached an appropriate level of experience for the type of ship they control. In some cases, however, larger ships may find themselves with an inexperienced crew. Similarly, you may have high-level characters controlling a squad of starfighters. After assigning stat blocks, you can optionally fine-tune your encounter with adjustments based on the average character level of the players. This is dependent upon the enemy stat blocks you’re using for the encounter. Using Your Own Stats. If you created your own enemy ships using the rules provided in chapter 4, you can easily balance your encounter by setting the enemy crew’s level and stats to match the average level of the players. Modifying Existing Stat Blocks. If you’re using existing stat blocks for your encounter, you can adjust their stats using the Ship Modifiers by Player Tier table. To use the table, first determine the average level of the player characters, then look up the level tier for that average (1st - 5th for Initiate, 6th - 10th for Expert, 11th - 16th for Master, and 17th - 20th for Epic). For each enemy ship, look up its size and compare it to the players’ level tier to determine the modifier used to alter the enemy stat block. Apply the modifier to the following stats:- Maneuver Defense
- Structural Integrity
- Piloting (Bonus and DC)
- Saving throws (if listed)
- Weapon attack bonus (“to hit” modifier)
- Save DCs for attacks and special actions
- Hit points (multiply the modifier by 5 and add this amount to the ship’s hit point maximum.)
- Weapon damage modifier (for example, if applying a +2 modifier, a weapon that deals 1d8 + 2 damage now deals 1d8 + 4 damage. Do not apply this to weapons with no damage modifier.)
SHIP MODIFIERS BY PLAYER TIER
| ENEMY | INITIATE | EXPERT | MASTER | EPIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solitary | - | +2 | +4 | +5 |
| Small | — | +1 | +3 | +4 |
| Medium | — | — | +2 | +3 |
| Large | -1 | — | +1 | +2 |
| Huge | -2 | -1 | — | +1 |
| Massive | -3 | -2 | — | — |
| Colossal | -5 | -4 | +2 | — |
SECTION 4
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
As characters traverse through unexplored areas, they are bound to run into unexpected encounters. Random encounters are used to represent these. They are usually presented in the form of a table. When a random encounter occurs, you roll a die and consult the table to determine what the party encounters. Random encounter tables should be used with a specific purpose in mind. Just throwing an encounter into an adventure that adds nothing to the story can end up feeling like a time-waster or a distraction. An example of a well-placed random encounter would be to create a sense or urgency for players that procrastinate or linger about instead of advancing to the next step of an adventure. A well-placed random encounter can also establish atmosphere, such as a horrific creature that crashes out of a nearby vent in a lab performing strange experiments. Such an encounter can also reveal details about the area the characters may have missed otherwise. Some encounter table entries don’t even require a combat scenario. They could instead be a helpful NPC or creature. Another could be a specific feature of the area that can be investigated for interesting background information. Random encounters should never become tiresome or feel like a waste of time. You don’t want the players to feel as if a random encounter is impeding their progress or interrupting the overall pace of an adventure. There is no requirement to use random encounters in your campaigns. If you don’t find them useful or they become more trouble than they’re worth, don’t use them.TRIGGERING RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
Your placement of a random encounter should build on the intended narrative of the current scenario. Consider using a random encounter under any of the following circumstances:- The players are getting off track and slowing down the game.
- The characters stop in an unfamiliar place for a rest.
- The characters are on a long, uneventful trip.
- Characters trying to keep a low profile instead draw attention to themselves.
CHECKING FOR RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
You can place a random encounter yourself or roll to see if one occurs. Consider checking for a random encounter once every hour, once every 4 to 8 hours, or once during the day and once during a long rest—whatever makes the most sense based on how active the area is. If you roll, do so with a d20. If the result is 18 or higher, a random encounter occurs. You then choose an appropriate encounter or determine one randomly using the random encounter table.CREATING RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLES
Examples of random encounter tables can be found in the back of the Threats Database. These tables are geared toward encountering threats provided in that book. Your own tables, or those found in certain adventures can be entirely different. Creating your own tables is the best method for keeping them in line with your own campaign’s theme and tone. Always keep in mind that a random encounter doesn’t need to be combat-oriented. It can also be a social or exploration encounter. Creating your own random encounter tables is straightforward. Determine what sort of encounters might occur in a given area, figure out the likelihood of a particular encounter occurring, then arrange the results. Some easy examples of random encounters include a single threat or NPC, a group of threats or NPCs, a random event (such as a blackout or a group of vehicles speeding by), or a random discovery (such as a charred corpse or a holographic figure speaking an unknown language). Create Your Encounter List. Once you’ve established the details of your location, make a list of creatures that might be found wandering there. Refer to the encounter tables in the Threats Database for suggestions of creatures that appear in each galactic environment. When placing creatures, you should also establish reasons for why they are there. The reasons don’t need to be complicated and could be as simple as it is their home, a hunting ground, or a place where they’re searching for something. If the encounter is not a creature, it should be an object or event relevant to the story or area, but not so much that the players can’t progress without running into the encounter. Determine Probabilities. A random encounter table can be created in a number of ways, ranging from simple (roll 1d6 for one of six possible encounters) to complex (roll percentile dice, add modifiers for the amount of time passed, and cross-index the result with the current building sector). The complexity of any random encounter table is up to your discretion.AWARDING XP
Completing encounters often comes with receiving experience points as a reward, which allows characters to advance in level.COMBAT XP
Combat encounters provide the most direct experience rewards. Each threat has an XP value based on its challenge rating. Defeating one or more threats, often by killing, capturing, or routing them, provides an XP total which is divided evenly among the characters. If the party received significant support from one or more NPCs, count those NPCs as party members when dividing up the XP.SPACE COMBAT XP
Starships don’t have challenge ratings the same way that threats do. Experience for space combat is instead awarded based upon the size of an enemy ship, as defined on the following table. To receive experience for space combat, a character should have performed one or more crewmember roles at a ship’s action station for a reasonable portion of the encounter. Multiple Player Ships. If there are multiple player ships involved in the encounter, the experience is divided between the total number of crewmembers collectively, regardless of the number of ships. For example, if the party is operating a ship with three crewmembers and another ship with two crewmembers, the XP award for each enemy ship would be divided amongst a total of five characters.SPACE COMBAT XP AWARDS
| SHIP SIZE | XP VALUE |
|---|---|
| Solitary | 25 |
| Small | 50 |
| Medium | 100 |
| Large | 200 |
| Huge | 5,000 |
| Massive | 15,000 |
| Colossal | 25,000 |
NON-COMBAT XP AWARDS
In many adventures, characters may accomplish major goals without drawing their weapons. Negotiating peace between factions, exposing a hidden conspiracy, or recovering an ancient artifact through wit and diplomacy are all examples of non-combat success that may merit an experience award. You can award XP for these accomplishments by evaluating their impact on the story, their complexity, and the level of effort required. The Objective XP method assigns a fixed experience point value per character, based on both the party’s level and the narrative significance of the quest or objective completed. To determine how much XP to award, consider the following four categories:- Minor Objective . A simple or low-stakes task, such as delivering a message, persuading a minor NPC, or scouting a location.
Moderate Objective. A task of moderate complexity, such as infiltrating a facility, gathering intelligence, or preventing a crime in progress.
Major Objective. A mission that advances the primary story arc or reshapes a region’s political or social structure.
Epic Objective. A defining or campaign-altering achievement with widespread consequences, such as thwarting a great evil or saving a city from destruction.
Objective XP Table
| Party Level | Minor Objective | Moderate Objective | Major Objective | Epic Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 100 XP | 250 XP | 500 XP | 1,000 XP |
| 3–4 | 150 XP | 400 XP | 800 XP | 1,600 XP |
| 5–6 | 250 XP | 600 XP | 1,200 XP | 2,400 XP |
| 7–8 | 400 XP | 800 XP | 1,600 XP | 3,200 XP |
| 9–10 | 600 XP | 1,000 XP | 2,000 XP | 4,000 XP |
| 11–12 | 800 XP | 1,200 XP | 2,400 XP | 4,800 XP |
| 13–14 | 1,000 XP | 1,500 XP | 3,000 XP | 6,000 XP |
| 15–16 | 1,200 XP | 1,800 XP | 3,600 XP | 7,200 XP |
| 17–18 | 1,500 XP | 2,000 XP | 4,000 XP | 8,000 XP |
| 19–20 | 2,000 XP | 2,500 XP | 5,000 XP | 10,000 XP |
LINKING ADVENTURES
A campaign in the style of an episodic TV show rarely needs plot links between adventures. Each adventure is a featured episode with its own villains and guest stars. Once the characters complete the adventure, there are typically no loose plot threads. The next adventure is a brand new episode with a different story and challenge having no connection to the preceding adventure. As the characters gain experience, they become more powerful, as do the threats they must overcome. This kind of campaign is easy to run, requiring little effort beyond finding or creating appropriate adventures for the party’s tier. A campaign with a continuous narrative lets the players feel as though their actions have far-reaching consequences. They’re not just grinding experience points just for the sake of defeating stronger enemies. This section provides guidance on creating an adventure series (also referred to as an adventure path) in which early adventures help set up later ones. The adventure series could take the characters to a certain level or it could instead become a full adventure campaign, taking the characters through their entire career.DESIGNING AN ADVENTURE SERIES
The best method for creating a series of adventures is to establish an overarching storyline. The storyline comes to an end once the characters achieve (or fail to achieve) encompassing goals that require the completion of each adventure in the series. The following are examples of a series storyline.EXAMPLE 1: THE MISSION CHAIN
You can tie adventures together using an encompassing goal that can be achieved only by first completing a series of related missions. For example, you could create a sinister organization whose main stronghold can’t be penetrated until the characters acquire five code key ciphers. Each of these ciphers is located in a different location filled with various challenges presented by the organization’s agents. The characters increase their power as they gather the ciphers, eventually storming the main stronghold for a final battle against the organization’s ruthless commander.
In a similar type of story, the characters must face a villain that can’t be defeated until they destroy each of the villain’s subordinates.
EXAMPLE 2: A GRATER PURPOSE
You can also build a campaign around a looming galactic menace that threatens the entire galaxy. To stop it, the characters become agents of an organization made up of allied planets or societies. The characters’ overarching mission might be to explore an uncharted system, forging alliances where they can and overcoming threats they encounter along the way. Their goal might be to discover lore that can be used to defeat the threat, which lies in the farthest reaches of the outer zones. The characters could be recruiters, amassing forces and creating partnerships between groups that share little in common. Or they might be spies, infiltrating an enemy’s forces to search for potential weakness.PLOT HOOKS
Your campaign can feel like one continuous story planting hooks for one or more upcoming adventures before the current one is finished. This technique can guide the characters along to their next goal. A well-placed plot hook gives the characters a path to follow when they finish an adventure. Perhaps a character discovers an ancient machine but learns they need a special key to access it. This leads into the next adventure, which is to obtain the key. The party might find an encrypted datapad that, once its encryption is broken, points the characters toward a new destination. Perhaps they meet an NPC that delivers a warning or asks the characters for help. Where plot hooks help to weave adventures together, they shouldn’t distract the characters from the current adventure’s goal. Placing a plot hook should be done with care. The hook should be compelling and provide information, but not so much that the players stop caring about what their characters are currently doing. With this in mind, you may wish to save your best ideas for the very end of your adventures or insert them during periods of downtime. Here are a few examples of ways in which a plot hook can be revealed: A captured NPC reveals the information that might interest the characters.- The characters are contacted by an anonymous benefactor who shares their interests and provides them with information.
- On a villain’s corpse, the characters find evidence that the villain was an agent of a private employer.
- The characters are searching the SIM where they happen upon a mention of a person or place they’re searching for.
- The characters intercept an online police bulletin with the description of someone connected to the character’s goals.
FORESHADOWING
Foreshadowing involves a subtle placement of plot hooks for future adventures. Not all foreshadowing bears fruit, particularly if the clues are too subtle or if events move the characters in an unexpected direction. The goal of foreshadowing is to hint at upcoming events and new threats in your campaign without making it obvious to players that you’re telling them what the future holds. Here are some examples:- The characters come across the logo of a corporation that plays a major role in upcoming adventures.
- A news reporter is standing outside of a scene the characters will have to return to later on.
- Random starships are being attacked by a strange vessel, alluding to a future threat the characters may face.
INTERWEAVING
If you’re familiar with the player’s characters, you can create additonal plot hooks using the art of interweaving. This is the practice of taking aspects of a character’s origin, history, or background and interconnecting them with the overall storyline of your adventure series. This creates an additional sense of immersion for the players and gives their characters personal motivations toward achieving the story’s overarching goal. This method of using plot hooks should be done delicately and is not for everyone. It should be discussed with your players first so you can gauge their interest in the concept. Some players may even volunteer a background element or part of their history for you to work into the story. Here are some examples of interweaving plot hooks.- A major NPC is a relative, close friend, or past acquaintance of one of the characters.
- Part of the overarching story occurs on a character’s homeworld or place of origin.
- The major threats of the series are each connected to one of the characters in some way.
- An adventure’s plot hook is tied to an event from a character’s history.
SERIES BONDS
An alternate method is to create characters bonds specific to the adventure series. This works best for starting characters. The chosen or created bond is separate from the background bond the player chooses during character creation. This allows players to play their characters outside of the adventure series while remaining connected to your campaign’s storyline.CAMPAIGN TRACKING
Consistent details bring your setting to life, and continuity helps players feel that their characters are part of a living galaxy. If the characters have a regular hangout, the location’s details and NPCs should remain consistent unless changed as either a result of the characters’ actions, or of actions they learn about. An important NPC that dies should stay dead, unless someone brings them back to life. When you need to keep track of certain details or changes, make notes using whichever method you feel is most comfortable. If you’re tracking activity on a map, for example, you can write directly on an adventure map for convenience, or keep notes by location on a notepad or digital device. It’s also a good tactic to record major events that extend beyond the scope of a single adventure. You should encourage your players to keep notes as well. This can help you recall events or information particular to their characters.USING THE TIERS OF PLAY
As characters grow in power, their ability to affect the state of the galaxy grows with them. It helps to think ahead when creating your campaign to account for this change. The ability to make a greater impact on the galaxy comes with greater challenges, whether the characters want them or not. Powerful factions view them as a threat and plot against them, while friendly ones scout them as potential allies. The tiers of play represent the ideal milestones for introducing new major events to the campaign. As the characters resolve one event, a new danger emerges or past deeds create a new threat for the characters to face. These major events also increase in size and scope, affecting the entire setting in significant ways. This approach helps you plan ahead, planting seeds for higher-tier adventures into lower-level scenarios.INITIATE TIER: LEVEL 1-4
Characters in this tier are still learning their role as an Adventurers and how it defines their character, including their choice of specialization. Even starting adventurer, however, are still set apart from the average citizen due to their heightened awareness and connection to the Arcanums. At the start of their careers, characters use rank 1 and 2 powers and use the standard gear. Aside from money, their loot often consists of common consumable items (compounds or low-tier core stones) and a very few uncommon permanent items. Many initiate tier adventures are focused in a localized area such as a settlement, ship, station, or city district.EXPERT TIER: LEVELS 5-10
Upon reaching this tier, characters have mastered the basics of their class features, though they continue to improve throughout these levels. They have found their calling as an arcane user and have begun pursuit of their chosen purpose within the galaxy. The strength and effectiveness of class features and Arcane powers increase significantly compared to the lower levels. Characters begin to acquire more permanent forge-enhanced items (uncommon and rare ones) and customized gear. The fate of a planet or star system might depend on the adventures that characters of levels 5 to 10 undertake. These adventures take them to uncharted worlds, interstellar anomalies, and ravaged wastelands.MASTER TIER: LEVELS 11-16
By this tier, characters are paragons in the galaxy whose actions can determine the fate of multiple civilizations or even the entire galaxy. Channelers and forgers gain access to master rank arcane powers. Class features can have a great impact on an adventure when used properly. Characters obtain powerful forge-enhanced items (rare or very rare), advanced gear customizations, and gain command of grand scale starships. Adventures at this tier cause tremendous ripples throughout the galaxy. Characters discover unknown galactic regions, broker alliances between worlds, and uncover cosmic secrets that lie dormant for eons. They face off against powerful creatures and threats that hold significant galactic presence and influence.EPIC TEIR: LEVELS 17-20
Characters at this tier are viewed as cosmic juggernauts, their deeds, and actions the stuff of galactic myth and legend. Upon reaching this tier, characters have mastered their Arcane nature and can grow it to its full potential. They have have several rare and very rare items at their disposal and have begun to acquire epic items and optimum grade Armaments. Adventures at these levels have far-reaching consequences, possibly determining the fate of the universe and even places beyond. Characters explore extradimensional realms where they face colossal cosmic threats and forces that can devastate entire star systems. Characters who reach 20th level have attained the pinnacle of their nature as an arcane user and have mastered their cosmic destiny. Their deeds are historic and told throughout the galaxy. Reaching this point doesn’t necessarily mark the end of your campaign. The characters might be called on to undertake grand journeys into realms unbound by time or space, unlocking mysteries of the universe no mortal could ever conceive. Characters gain no more levels at this point, but they can still advance in meaningful ways.STARTING AT HIGHER LEVELS
Experienced players familiar with the the character classes may wish to start a campaign with characters above 1st level. Creating a higher-level character uses the same character creation steps outlined in the Core Manual. The character has more hit points, class features, and arcane powers, and probably starts with better equipment. Starting equipment for characters above 1st level is at your discretion. You can also use the Starting Gear table below as a guide.STARTING GEAR
| LEVEL | GEAR |
|---|---|
| 1st-4th | Normal Starting Equipment |
| 5th-10th | 5,000 cu plus 1d10 x25 cu, normal starting equipment |
| 11th-16th | 50,000 cu plus 1d10 x2,500 cu, two permanent uncommon items, normal starting equipment |
| 17th-20th | 200,000 cu plus 1d10 x 2,500 cu, two permanent uncommon items, one permanent rare item, normal starting equipment |
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