Under A Black Sun LoRes Just Story
Under A Black Sun LoRes Just Story
Under A Black Sun LoRes Just Story
Below are various adversaries the PCs might come up While traveling throughout the city, the PCs may en-
against, depending on how they handle their investigation. counter some Black Sun operatives going about their
business. At this stage, the Player Characters are still un-
known to the greater organization, but there is a chance
Coruscant Underworld Police
that they will run afoul of these thugs, deepening the
A recent speeder chase through the city that included potential for animosity between the PCs and Black Sun.
blaster fire has put the Coruscant Underworld Police on
a heightened alert. Local holovids taken from various Black Sun Thug [Minion]
buildings circulate the PCs’ descriptions; a small squad of
police droids might stop and question the Player Charac- 3 2 2 2 1 1
ters about their recent whereabouts and activities. How BRAWN AGILITY intellect cunning willpower PRESENCE
the PCs handle this situation will be crucial—if they end soak value W. Threshold
up in a shootout with police droids, they are likely to find 3 6
a squad of Underworld Police arriving as backup.
Skills (group only): Brawl, Coercion, Ranged (Light).
Police Droid [Minion] Talents: None.
Abilities: None.
In lieu of wasting precious policemen on routine patrols
Equipment: Blaster pistol (Ranged [Light]); Damage 6;
and minor transgressions, the Coruscant Underworld Po-
Critical 3; Range [Medium]; Stun setting).
lice frequently employ droids to help keep the peace. Un-
fortunately, the droids’ literal programming sometimes
Local Vermin
allows crafty criminals to talk their way out of trouble.
Numerous vermin infest the lower levels of Coruscant.
2 2 1 2 1 1
BRAWN AGILITY intellect cunning willpower PRESENCE Duracrete Slug [Rival]
soak value W. Threshold
Named for the material that comprises the bulk of their
3 6 diet, the invasive duracrete slugs are particularly dan-
gerous to buildings, as they eat away at the founda-
Skills (group only): Ranged (Light), Vigilance.
tions. Their tunnels are a common sight in the under-
Talents: None.
Abilities: Droid (does not need to breathe, eat, or world, where slugs may grow up to 10 meters long.
drink, and can survive in vacuum or underwater. Im-
mune to poisons or toxins). 3 2 1 1 1 1
Equipment: Light blaster pistol (Ranged [Light]; Dam- BRAWN AGILITY intellect cunning willpower PRESENCE
age 5; Critical 4; Range [Medium]; Stun setting). soak value W. Threshold
6 10
Coruscant Underworld Police [Rival]
Skills: Brawl 2, Coordination 1, Resilience 2.
Anonymous and imposing in their long leather uniforms Talents: None.
and enclosing helmets, the Underworld Police are a Abilities: Bite (Brawl; Damage 3; Critical 4; Range [En-
mystery to most. However, few who have been on the gaged]), Duracrete plating (melee and ranged attacks tar-
wrong end of their heavy blasters doubt the danger geting it gain a Setback die ∫ due to its armored carapace;
they pose for lawbreakers. characters may aim to hit weak spots and ignore 1 soak).
Equipment: Partially-digested landspeeder identity plate.
3 2 2 2 3 1
BRAWN AGILITY intellect cunning willpower PRESENCE
realizes he might be in for trouble and immediately sum- soak value W. Threshold
If the PCs have already been to the Spyder and Many locations throughout Coruscant offer games of
know about Kaa’to’s gambling debts, or if they de- chance and gambling, but the Spyder has earned a rep-
mand more information than Speng initially provides, utation among the gamblers of the city as a place for
he elaborates with the following on a further Average large payouts and larger sources of information. Many
(π π) Coercion check: high rollers frequent the sabacc tables to make their
fortunes—and more often lose them. As the PCs enter
the location, read the following:
Fine! I know where he stays. He’s been known to
hole up somewhere around the kelerium process-
The sights and sounds of the Spyder are similar to
ing plant in Sector 943. It’s an out-of-the-way place
those of many sabacc parlors, with a central pit of
that no one is supposed to know about. He stays
card tables surrounded by various electronic games.
there when he’s on Coruscant so he can work with-
The establishment is crowded and noisy; the cheers
out prying eyes on him.
that accompany winning hands and lucky rolls ring
out across the room. Behind the bar, a two-headed
Troig deftly passes out drinks using all four arms,
After the PCs have finished with Speng, they can in-
chatting with down-on-their-luck gamblers or himself
vestigate another location. If the club is their last stop,
intermittently. A quick scan of the room shows that
they can put all their information together and pro-
the Nikto bounty hunter is not here, so you must rely
ceed to Episode III.
on the various patrons and employees for information.
Optional Encounter:
First Impressions The right and left heads of the Troig bartender, Pillaat
and Nerro, have worked at the Spyder for many years
As the PCs travel around the city asking questions and are very familiar with the regulars. The Troig loves
about Kaa’to, word is sure to spread back to the to discuss the comings and goings of the city, especially
bounty hunter that people are looking into his deal- the underworld activity, and is quick to share some gos-
ings. The GM should use any Threat ∑ or Despair sip after a few credits pass his way.
µ rolled when PCs are questioning individuals to
If the PCs begin inquiring about Kaa’to, the Troig’s two
represent the fact that Kaa’to is becoming aware
heads exchange furtive glances and seem slightly on edge.
that intruders are poking around where they don’t
The PCs can attempt an Average (π π) Charm check to
belong. During the PCs’ travel between locations,
get him to share what he knows. Pillaat informs the PCs
Kaa’to can confront the characters.
that the bounty hunter is very quick to anger and has in-
If one of the PCs succeeds in a Charm check with a With this suggestion in mind, the PCs might decide
difficulty of (π º) Fenn decides to loosen his lips. He that sending Black Sun agents against the bounty hunt-
reveals that Kaa’to’s debts have increased greatly due to er would work in their favor to keep suspicions pointed
a bout of bad luck two months ago at the sabacc tables. away from them. Fenn points out a group of Black Sun
He now owes the Spyder close to 20,000 credits, and he members, including an influential underboss, playing
has become desperate to find new sources of income to sabacc at a nearby table. Perhaps someone would like
alleviate this debt. Fenn banned Kaa’to from the Spyder to be dealt into the game?
until the debts are paid, though he is becoming increas-
PCs who wish to join in a game of sabacc must pay a
ingly worried that he will never see his money. The Nikto
25-credit entry fee. This is the starting ante for any of
did offer Fenn a shipment of spice to offset his debts, but
the tables and goes straight to the sabacc pot, while
Fenn wants nothing to do with that business.
10 credits suffices as the wager on additional hands.
The PCs might reveal that they are tasked with deal- Two spots remain open at the Black Sun operatives’
ing with Kaa’to for their own employers, who are famil- table. The Falleen underboss is dismissive of any new-
iar with the spice market, and that perhaps they can comers to the game, convinced that his gaming prow-
help make an example of Kaa’to and get Fenn’s money ess is unsurpassed. Two humans, an Aqualish, and a
in return for the spice shipment. If they are successful Weequay are seated alongside him. If asked, Fenn in-
on an Average (π π) Negotiation check, Fenn agrees dicates that one of the humans and the Aqualish are
to help the PCs by passing along word to Kaa’to that also members of Black Sun.
≤≤≤ Figure out an opponent’s tells and downgrade the difficulty of your next roll once.
± Reveal a positive or negative 23 and win the entire sabacc pot (determined by the GM).
∑ Suffer 1 strain as one of the cards in your hand unexpectedly flips, forcing you to change your strategy.
∑∑ Add a Setback die ∫ to your next roll as you fall for an opponent’s bluff.
∑∑∑ You lose your ability to concentrate on the game, upgrading the difficulty of your next roll once.
µ If you aren’t cheating, you bomb out, run out of chips, or are otherwise ejected from the game.
Attempts to strike up conversation during the game are not to reveal their direct link to his activities, or Verannis
rebuffed by all players at the table. Their focus is on the could deduce their role in the break-in. Throughout the
game; the players do not have time for pleasantries and discussion, a series of Hard (π π π) Charm or Decep-
discussion. After a few hands at Average (π π) Difficulty tion checks determines how willing he is to listen to the
and perhaps one at Hard (π π π) Difficulty (see the Sa- Player Characters and whether he believes them. Initial
bacc Rules sidebar above for a simple in-game mechan- skill checks should have a Setback die ∫ added to the
ic), the Falleen makes motions to leave the table. If the roll, since Verannis is dubious of the PCs’ claims. (See also
players don’t win the sabacc pot (500 credits), the Falleen the Blood Runs Thicker... sidebar on page 28 to see if
does, then calls to have the house prepare his winnings for Matwe might complicate matters.) If any Despair symbols
transport. At this point, the PCs can mention Kaa’to and µ come up, Verannis realizes that the PCs are the intrud-
try to convince the Black Sun underboss that the bounty ers who broke into the Black Sun facility. This leads to a
hunter is going to turn against the organization. If the PCs direct confrontation between his group and the PCs.
succeed with a Hard (π π π) Streetwise check or man-
If the PCs successfully convince Verannis of Kaa’to’s
aged to beat the Falleen at a hand of cards, he retakes his duplicitous nature, he dispatches his guards to seek out
seat and listens to what the PCs have to say after dismiss- the bounty hunter and bring Kaa’to before him at his
ing the other players (except for his own men). headquarters. He curtly thanks the PCs and leaves.
This is a great opportunity for the PCs to roleplay with If the PCs are unsuccessful, Verannis sends his two
Verannis (as he finally introduces himself to the PCs). lackeys (and possibly a Trandoshan as well—see the
They should make their case for the Black Sun to distrust sidebar Old Wounds on page 28) to shadow the
Kaa’to and either cite their own experiences with his con- PCs and find out what they’re up to.
duct or spin a tale of their own. They need to be careful
6 15
Black Sun Lackey [Minion]
Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Coercion 1, Coor-
dination 1, Perception 1, Ranged (Heavy) 1,
3 2 1 2 2 1 Ranged (Light) 1, Survival 2, Vigilance 1.
BRAWN AGILITY intellect cunning willpower PRESENCE
Talents: Knockdown (after hitting with a Brawl
soak value W. Threshold
or Melee attack, the character may knock the
4 8 target prone by spending a Triumph ±).
Abilities: None.
Skills (group only): Brawl, Coercion, Melee, Ranged Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (Ranged [Light];
(Light), Stealth. Damage 7; Critical 3; Range [Medium]; Stun set-
Talents: None. ting), poisoned claws (Brawl; Damage 5; Critical 3;
Abilities: None. Range [Engaged]; spend 2 Advantage ≤ ≤ to in-
Equipment: Blaster pistol (Ranged [Light]; Damage 6; flict poison: the target must succeed at an Average
Critical 3; Range [Medium]; Stun setting), switchblade [π π] Resilience check or suffer 5 strain and lose
(Melee; Damage 4; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]), bind- his free maneuver for a number of rounds equal
ers (breaking free of these restraints requires a Daunting to the number of Threat ∑ generated during the
[π π π π] Athletics or Coordination check). Resilience check), padded armor (+2 soak).
Storage Facility
Sublevel 1A, a hidden storage area for the weapons
smuggling operation, is accessible either by the eleva-
tors (with a special card) or through the ventilation
grates at street level.
Sector 943 Once the PCs have landed, they see two paths lead-
ing off of the pad: one to the NovaCORE offices and the
Known as the Works, this once-thriving manufactur-
other toward the kelerium storage tanks that feed the
ing area for companies such as Serv-O-Droid, Inc.;
refinery. If the characters investigate the various crates
Hunvicko; and Nebula Manufacturing is now a run-
on the landing pad, they find tools, machine parts, and
down sprawl where disenfranchised individuals go to
other basic materials.
remain “off the grid.” It is home to smugglers, death
stick addicts, malfunctioning droids, gangsters, bounty
hunters, and countless others. Duracrete slugs, stone Location B: Offices
mites, conduit worms, and worse vermin can be found
throughout the area, and travelers are advised to steer The austere offices of NovaCORE are run by a skele-
clear of the decaying buildings. ton crew. As you enter the building, you see an elevat-
Though much of the industry has moved offworld to ed walkway that overlooks the main floor filled with
cheaper, less restricted factories, many of the plants here shambling worker droids that monitor various screens
still function under long-forgotten automated processes. and equipment for the main factory. Large banks of
The Empire uses a number of facilities in this area for the security screens show most of the main refining plant
production of its TIE fighters, and those plants are kept and the processes taking place inside. Across the
under constant guard by Imperial stormtroopers. building from your vantage point, a small office sits
above the activity, overseeing it all. Behind the large
On the western fringe of Sector 943 lies the Nova- windows, three Mustafarians run the operation.
CORE kelerium processing plant. The mineral is used
in a great number of manufacturing practices, and the
When the PCs enter the area, most of the NovaCORE
plant has been operating for centuries. It is a massive
droid workers are involved with their tasks and do not
complex stretching across a third of the sector. The
pay any attention to their arrival. One droid does notice
plant is nearly 100% automated, with droids carry-
them on its security screen, but seems unsure if they be-
ing out the majority of the work. A small contingent of
long there or not. After a few minutes, it sends an alert to
NovaCORE employees maintains an office in the north
the overseers that there are others in the building.
tower in case of emergencies.
When the employees are alerted to their presence, one
Kaa’to Leeachos stays in an annex of the kelerium
of the Mustafarians comes out of the office to investigate.
plant that is no longer in use. Old exhaust vents are large
He barks at the PCs in his language, demanding to know
enough to safely house his ship, Blade’s Edge, within.
E1
C3 D
E
F
F1
C4
C2
C C1
A B
Kaa’to does not typically use the main floor of the Location F: Kaa’to’s Hideout
plant’s abandoned section, a remnant of a time when
the ore required more processing prior to smelting. No The old foreman’s office serves as Kaa’to’s home
one has entered the space for many years, and there is while he is on Coruscant. A simple bed sits against
nothing of value to be found within besides archaic ma- the north wall, and eight crates are stacked along
chinery, which is, surprisingly, still operational. A grime- the west wall. These crates resemble those housed
covered control panel can be switched on with a Hard in the Zelcomm Tower, which were remnants of the
(π π π) Mechanics check, bringing the equipment bounty hunter’s last weapons shipment.
whirring back to life.
The stairs lead to Kaa’to’s living quarters. He has booby- Kaa’to’s simple lodgings are kept in disarray. He uses
trapped certain steps, which he avoids. Have the PCs make the bed sporadically but is usually out and about in the
Hard (π π π) Perception checks when they enter the city tracking his prey.
room to try and spot the explosives. Diffusing them re-
Searching the room, the PCs find that three blaster rifles
quires an Average (π π) Cool check. One misstep, and
(see page 31) still remain in the crates, along with two
the charges rip the stairs apart with an explosion (5 dam-
frag grenades (see page 31), four stun grenades (see
age to any in short range), cutting off access to Kaa’to’s
page 14), and a mini thermal detonator (see page 36).
T
over the loading bay. They are grimed over from years of hese insidious devices are half the size of frag
soot and nearly blend in with the surrounding walls. They grenades but have a thermite-baradium cas-
are of poor quality and shatter with a few blaster shots. ing surrounding a baradium core. On detonation,
the resulting fusion reaction creates a particle
Location G: Kaa’to’s Ship “Hangar” wave that disintegrates everything in the blast.
(Exhaust pipes) One mini-detonator can clear a large room. The
stats for them are as follows: (Ranged [Light];
These large exhaust pipes vent directly to the outside Damage 12; Critical 2; Range [Short]; Blast 10).
and haven’t been used in decades. Taking advantage Blast 10 means that the attacker can spend
of this fact, the bounty hunter used one of the pipes 2 Advantage ≤ ≤ to ensure the blast hits ev-
for housing his heavily modified Z-95-AF4 Headhunt- eryone within short range of the original target,
er, Blade’s Edge. The ramp to the ship is down, and dealing 10 damage to each.
the area seems deserted. Cargo sits at the base of Thermal detonators can be either set to deto-
the ramp, including the stolen spice shipment! nate on impact, or be set with a timer to deto-
nate up to 3 rounds after being activated at the
If the PCs return here after the battle and search the beginning of the attacker’s action.
ship, they find a small portion of the spice shipment This particular batch was defective, so the weap-
stolen from the Pykes. The PCs are able to return this to on only detonates if 3 Advantage ≤ ≤ ≤ or a
the Pykes to assist in lessening their Obligations by 5 Triumph ± are spent during the Ranged (Light)
each. Alternatively, the PCs can keep this shipment and check. On a Despair µ it explodes prematurely
sell it on their own. This brings the PCs 10,000 credits in the wielder’s hand.
from the right buyer (a Hard [π π π] Streetwise
check), but costs them an additional 5 Obligation each,
Once the fighting has begun, Kaa’to flees into the kele-
as they too betray their employers; future campaigns
rium processing plant with the PCs in hot pursuit. He
could involve the Pykes exacting their vengeance.
uses his jet pack to move around vertically and avoid the
hazards in the plant, but otherwise follows the standard
Smile, you’re on camera maneuver rules for moving in and out of range bands,
etc. The jet pack can hover in the air for up to two con-
Epilogue
A fter the battle ends, the Player Characters can make
their way back to the hangar and search Kaa’to’s ship
(G). The characters might decide to claim the ship for their
• Black Sun: The PCs had many encounters with
Black Sun during this adventure, and that can con-
tinue as a recurring theme. The Player Characters
own to sell (the starfighter is worth 55,000 credits). On might still be wanted by Black Sun for their break-in
board, a small crate of spice is found in the cargo hold. and theft of data, leading to exciting adventures as
This represents only a fraction of the shipment that Kaa’to they try to evade the galaxy-spanning organization.
stole from the Pykes, but it provides a start for repaying • Fulfilling Obligations: The PCs all have a number
debts or starting their own smuggling business. of Obligations that shape their goals and behav-
For their successful takedown of the bounty hunter, ior. The GM is encouraged to use the Obligation
the Pykes pay each character 1,000 credits in accor- system to craft adventures and give the characters
dance with their previous agreement with Chopper. The greater depth and background.
Pykes also reduce the Obligation of each player charac- • Adapting Starting Adventures: A number of ex-
ter by 5, but the PCs may have accumulated even more citing starting adventures are available to kick off
Obligation over the course of the scenario. your campaign. The adventures inside the Edge
What lies ahead for the Player Characters from here of the Empire Core Rulebook (Trouble Brewing)
is up to the GM. Some possible ways to continue their and Game Master’s Kit (Debts to Pay) are perfect
adventures at the Edge of the Empire include: ways to follow up on this adventure.
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