TEXT:  
  The First to Strike 
  Episode V of Star Wars: Dawn of Defiance 
  OWEN K.C. STEPHENS 
  
   
   
  2 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The First to Strike is the fifth adventure in the Dawn of Defiance 
  campaign, which will take heroes from 1st level all the way through 
  20th level in a continuous storyline designed to give both players and 
  Gamemasters a complete Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition 
  experience. This adventure is the midpoint of the overall campaign and 
  represents a shift from investigating to actually taking on Imperial 
  forces—and winning. Though a serious of rough and action-filled 
  encounters, the heroes should advance to 11th level by the conclusion of 
  the adventure. Over the course of this adventure, the heroes will free a 
  planet from Imperial tyranny, become allies with some of that planet’s 
  leaders, and discover that the trail to the Sarlacc Project leads right into 
  the heart of the Empire—to Coruscant itself. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  What is Dawn of 
  Defiance? 
  Dawn of Defiance is the name given to a series of 10 linked adventures 
  that Gamemasters can use to create an entire campaign for their players. 
  Set in the months after the events of Revenge of the Sith, the 
  adventures in the Dawn of Defiance campaign are designed to provide 
  players and GMs with the iconic Star Wars Roleplaying Game experience, 
  set against the backdrop of the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. The 
  Dawn of Defiance campaign takes the heroes all the way from 1st level 
  up to 20th level and features an ongoing storyline that progresses over 
  the course of the campaign. Each adventure can also be played 
  individually and should provide the heroes with ample challenges to gain 
  two levels per adventure. Gamemasters should feel free to use the Dawn 
  of Defiance adventures either as an entire campaign or as fillers for their 
  own home campaigns. 
   
  If you are a Gamemaster wishing to run the campaign, read the 
  GM’s Primer, which summarizes the overall plot of the campaign and the 
  events of each adventure. The GM’s Primer is available at the Star Wars 
  Roleplaying Game Web site (www.wizards.com/starwars). The site also 
  features other articles related to the Dawn of Defiance campaign, 
  including the official campaign standards and an FAQ. 
   
  Warning! If you will be playing in a Dawn of 
  Defiance campaign or in a campaign using its 
  adventures, read no further. 
  Bill Slavicsek 
  Director of RPG R&D 
  Christopher Perkins 
  Design Manager 
  Leland Chee, Frank Parisi 
  Lucas Licensing Editors 
  Elizabeth McLaren 
  Art on p. 5 
  Corey Macourek 
  Cartography 
  Chad Laske, Matt Burke 
  Production 
  Ray Vallese, Gary M. Sarli 
  Typesetting 
  Ray Vallese 
  Editing 
  Rodney Thompson 
  Development 
  Owen K.C. Stephens 
  Design 
   
  Some rules mechanics are based on the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition by Christopher Perkins, Owen K.C. Stephens, and 
  Rodney Thompson; the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson; and the new 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
   
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form 
  without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit 
  www.wizards.com/d20. 
   
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  3
  Adventure 
  Summary 
  After weeks of meditation and study, Master Denia once more calls the 
  heroes together with news. The meditation techniques she learned from 
  the holocron have proven to be helpful, and she believes that she has 
  located the home planet of the slaves the heroes rescued in The Queen 
  of Air and Darkness. After consulting the Force, she believes that the 
  alien slaves were in fact Nazren, a species from Nizon, an obscure planet 
  in the Maldrood Sector. 
   
  A special request by Senator Organa to the University of Aldera 
  revealed only that the planet Nizon is a barren world in the Centares 
  System. It lies near Centares, an industrial world occupied by the Empire 
  from which Imperial forces have been withdrawing for some months 
  now. Captain Verana has managed to locate Nizon in his navcomputer 
  and is willing to share the coordinates with the heroes if they agree to 
  investigate the world. 
  Arrival 
  When the heroes arrive in the Centares System, they discover an Imperial 
  presence not so lessened as they would like to believe. A Victory II-class 
  Star Destroyer floats in orbit, and a number of smaller capital ships and 
  corvettes dot the space above Nizon. As the heroes arrive, they witness a 
  transport ship (similar to the slave ship from The Queen of Air and 
  Darkness) leave Nizon’s orbit and jump to hyperspace for parts unknown. 
  Slipping past the Imperial Navy will not be easy; the heroes are fired 
  upon for violating Imperial space. To make matters worse, the space 
  around Nizon is filled with fragmentary asteroids, known as rogue 
  fragments, that pose a constant danger to anyone without access to the 
  tracking information being broadcast from the planet’s surface. 
   
  After the heroes land (or crash) on Nizon, it soon becomes clear that 
  their help is sorely needed. Nizon is a barren world covered in dirty red 
  clay with powerful gusts of wind. The gales kick up dust storms that 
  make the planet barely habitable, and the heroes are required to wear 
  breath masks to filter out the dust. The Nazren’s only major city lies not 
  far from the heroes’ vessel and should be a natural place for them to 
  begin their search for information. 
  The Lay of the Land 
  Inside the city, the heroes discover that Imperial oppression is alive and 
  well on Nizon; stormtroopers march down the streets, an AT-ST walks 
  around the wider avenues, and V-wing starfighters scream overhead 
  every now and again. The Nazren themselves, hulking beings comparable 
  in size to Wookiees, lumber through the streets with their shoulders 
  hunched and their eyes downcast, but a smoldering look of hatred boils 
  just below their stoic surfaces. In addition to the Nazren and the 
  Imperials, Trandoshan slavers prod groups of Nazren along or gather at 
  the entrances to buildings, eyeing the Nazren like farmers eyeing cattle. 
  Other species are present in the city, too, allowing the heroes to move 
  through the streets without being accosted at every turn. 
   
  The heroes eventually make contact with Sartok, the leader of an 
  underground resistance movement. The Nazren have been planning to 
  overthrow their Imperial masters for a while, but thus far, Sartok has 
  been unable to convince enough of his people that it is possible to 
  defeat the Empire and reclaim their world. After learning of the heroes’ 
  previous successes against the Empire, Sartok pleads with them to help 
  him reclaim the capital city, which should inspire his people to continue 
  their rebellion. If the heroes agree, he fills them in on his plans. 
   
  Resistance 
  When Sartok gives the word, his allies throughout the city begin to riot. 
  The heroes tackle a number of encounters during the riots that aid the 
  Nazren in their struggles to reclaim their capital. They must help capture 
  an Imperial checkpoint, rescue Nazren children trapped in a collapsing 
  building, stop Trandoshan slavers from herding frightened Nazren onto 
  their space ship, and so on. The critical battle of the revolt takes place in 
  Martyr’s Plaza, which contains the entrance to the planetary control 
  center, which runs all global communications as well as the rogue 
  fragment tracking station. 
   
  Moreover, the heroes face one other unforeseen challenge: a bounty 
  hunter. Inquisitor Valin Draco posted a bounty on the heroes after their 
  last encounter, and a Zabrak named Vril Vrakth has been on their trail 
  for a few weeks. Having learned about Senator Organa’s request to the 
  University of Aldera, Vrakth has set himself up on Nizon as a scout for 
  the Imperials and the slavers, but the heroes are his true prey. The 
  bounty hunter plans to capture the heroes and kill Sartok, who also has 
  a bounty on his head (though his is “dead or alive”). Vrakth has crab 
  droids from the Clone Wars crawling through the city, reporting 
  anything they find and attacking his prey when possible. If the heroes 
  don’t deal with him prior to their capture of the control center, they 
  must face Vrakth outside the city, at a planetary defense battery being 
  installed by the Empire. 
  Conclusion 
  With the capital city securely in the hands of the Nazren rebels, word 
  begins to come in that Nazren in other settlements have begun their 
  own uprising. Meanwhile, the heroes gain access to an Imperial 
  intelligence datachip that was entrusted to Vril Vrakth. From this 
  datachip, they learn that the Nazren slaves were used as a part of the 
  Sarlacc Project, and that every so often, the slaves were executed to 
  keep them from spreading word of the project. Additionally, the datachip 
  indicates that the orders regarding the Sarlacc Project originate from 
  Coruscant, which is also referred to as the home of the project’s 
  designers and architects. Thus, the best source of information on the 
  Sarlacc Project seems to be one of the most heavily guarded planets in 
  the galaxy. With this knowledge in hand, the heroes return to the 
  Resurgence. 
  What You Need 
  The First to Strike is designed for use with the Star Wars Roleplaying 
  Game Saga Edition Core Rulebook and Starships of the Galaxy. However, 
  Starships of the Galaxy is relevant only for the first combat encounter 
  (in Part 2: Into the Jaws) and even so, it’s not absolutely necessary. The 
  encounter uses ships and rules from that book, but this adventure 
  includes enough of the rules to allow you to run the encounter without 
  having a copy of Starships of the Galaxy. The adventure doesn’t 
  reproduce all of the ship statistics referenced, but it provides suggestions 
  for replacements. 
  Opening Crawl 
  If you wish to have an opening crawl before the adventure, consider 
  using the boxed text on the next page. 
  
   
   
  4 
   
  STAR WARS: DAWN OF DEFIANCE 
   
  Episode V 
   
  THE FIRST TO STRIKE 
   
   
  It is a time of rebellion in the galaxy. Members of the Alderaanian resistance have 
  won a major victory against the Empire, and more battles are close at hand. 
   
  The Empire’s mistreatment of non-Humans continues throughout the galaxy, 
  as Wookiees, Mon Calamari, and other species are forced to work 
  as slaves on Imperial projects. 
   
  Aboard the Resurgence, Master Denia has peered into the Force and discovered 
  another group of oppressed beings, ones who might hold the key to 
  unlocking the mystery of the Sarlacc Project . . . 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  5
  “Thank you for coming. I know that you have many demands on your 
  time. 
   
  “As I had hoped, my training with the holocron has proven very 
  useful, and I thank you again for your assistance in recovering it. 
  With its aid, I have deepened and lengthened my meditations and 
  have begun to understand the glimpses I receive with greater 
  accuracy. Unfortunately, the galaxy is filled with great suffering, and 
  the cries of whole worlds oppressed come through the Force most 
  clearly. 
   
  “In particular, I have been hearing cries for help from what I 
  believe to be the homeworld of the slaves you freed from the 
  Imperials. Having seen and heard them more clearly, I now believe 
  these prisoners were Nazren, a species from Centares, an obscure 
  system in the Malrood Sector. I passed this information to Senator 
  Organa, and he sent a few discreet inquiries to Aldera University. 
   
  “It seems that the Nazren are a species from outside the Empire. 
  They never joined the Republic and thus have no representation in 
  the Senate. The Empire has a small force on the mining planet 
  Centares, the third world in the Centares System, but has been 
  reassigning those ships for some weeks. The Nazren are native to 
  Nizon, the fifth planet in the system. Since the Empire has no 
  official interest in Nizon, it seems likely that they have made raids 
  on Nizon for slave labor, perhaps originally to run the mines on 
  Centares. But they might have left some records or clues on Nizon 
  about the Sarlacc Project. Also, the people of Nizon might make 
  useful allies if the Empire has mistreated them. 
   
  “Though there is little information about Centares or Nizon in 
  our records, Captain Verana has managed to locate hyperspace 
  coordinates for Nizon in his navcomputer. He’s willing to share them 
  with you—if you’re willing to travel there. I ask that you take a trip 
  to Nizon and investigate its treatment at the hands of the Empire. 
  Proof of Imperial depredations might give Senator Organa additional 
  influence in the Senate, and if the Nizon are interested in opposing 
  the Empire on a widespread basis, we might be able to assist them.” 
  Part 1: Whispers in the 
  Force 
   
  Some weeks after their last mission, Denia asks the heroes to come 
  speak to her about things they have encountered before, especially the 
  slave ship from The Queen of Air and Darkness. After seeing to their 
  needs and seating them comfortably, she speaks to the heroes. 
   
   
  After speaking to Denia, the heroes are likely to have numerous 
  questions. Denia admits that she has few hard facts, but her sense 
  through the Force is that the Nazren are suffering in a way that could be 
  stopped, and that the heroes will find something worth their time. Here 
  are some possible answers to questions that the heroes might ask. 
  • 
  Why don’t you go yourself, or at least come with us? 
  “Though this is one of the strongest visions I have had in my 
  meditations, it is far from the only tremor I have sensed in 
  the Force. I need to remain here for some weeks yet to 
  meditate on these feelings and try to clarify them. 
  Unfortunately, I feel that the threat—and the opportunity—on 
  Nizon cannot wait for me to be ready. That’s why I ask you, 
  my trusted friends.” 
  • 
  What is Centares or Nizon like? 
  “We don’t have much information about them. Both are 
  apparently very dusty planets, and I can provide breath masks 
  for any of you that don’t already have them. There is a single 
  mining operation on Centares, with no native life, and one 
  major city on Nazren. That’s all we know.” 
  • 
  What kind of opposition are we likely to face? 
  “The Empire has been removing its forces from Centares for 
  some time; that much is clear through reports filed with the 
  Senate. It has no official presence on Nizon, but I sense that 
  some threat does lurk there. I can’t give you more advice 
  than this: Be cautious, and don’t grow overconfident.” 
  • 
  What’s in it for us? 
  Hopefully, by now you know your players well enough to 
  know if they need more incentives than an opportunity for 
  adventure and a chance to oppose the Empire. If they do 
  need a financial motive, Denia provides one: “Senator Organa 
  is willing to pay each of you 4,000 credits just for making the 
  trip. If you find the information that I 
  sense waits there, he will reward you 
  for recovering that as well.” 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  6 
  Hyperspace fades, and the stars find their rightful positions again as 
  you arrive in the Centares System, far enough from Centares to 
  avoid any starship with sensors sharp enough to find you. A Message 
  to Spacers broadcasts automatically, warning travelers to be 
  cautious of rogue meteor fragments. You can see that the system 
  has seven planets, many of which are ringed by fragments from a 
  large asteroid belt between the second and third planets. Centares 
  and Nizon sit within asteroids, too, but they’re also cloaked by dust 
  clouds. There’s a lot of rock in nearby space. 
  Part 2: Into the Jaws 
   
  The first arc of the adventure involves getting past Imperial forces and 
  finding someone to talk to on Nizon. Stealth and speed will serve the 
  heroes well. 
  The Centares 
  System 
  The Centares system has seven planets. The first and second are a gas 
  giant and a toxic ocean, respectively, and an asteroid belt separates 
  them from the rest of the system. The third planet is Centares, the fourth 
  is another gas giant, the fifth is Nizon, the sixth is barren, and the 
  seventh is yet another gas giant. Fragments from the asteroid belt have 
  spread throughout the system, such that several worlds (including 
  Nizon) are surrounded by asteroid rings and clouds of dust and debris. 
  The clouds are thickest as they reach the upper atmosphere of these 
  worlds, wreathing them in dirty halos. The clouds are not solid, however, 
  and a few thin pathways through them allow access to the planets. 
   
  When the heroes drop out of hyperspace in the Centares System, 
  they find the Imperial presence not so much lessened as moved. There 
  aren’t many Imperial ships around Centares, which is the only official 
  reason for anyone to be here. However, there is a surprising amount of 
  activity around Nizon. Assuming that the heroes jumped out of 
  hyperspace near Nizon (their ultimate destination), a DC 20 Use 
  Computer check can pinpoint the ships that remain around Centares—a 
  Venator-class Star Destroyer with a half complement of starfighters and 
  its escorts, and two Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers. The forces around 
  Nizon are more extensive. 
   
  A band that is 40 squares thick (in starship scale) marks the dust 
  field between the vacuum of space and the Nizon atmosphere. The 
  Arkanian Dragon, a Victory II-class Star Destroyer, sits on the edge of 
  that field, while the heroes’ ship is 10 squares farther away. A patrol of 
  four V-wings surrounds the Arkanian Dragon. A Gallofree Yards Medium 
  Transport is beside the Dragon, but it jumps to hyperspace before the 
  heroes can examine it closely. The Arkanian Dragon knows every ship 
  that is scheduled to arrive, and the heroes aren’t on that list 
   
  The object for the heroes is to get past the Arkanian Dragon and 
  below the planet’s dust cloud, not to defeat a capital ship. If a player 
  asks about the Star Destroyer’s abilities, you should make it clear that 
  the ship can’t fly in a planetary atmosphere or land on a planet. The 
  heroes’ safest course is to get past the Imperial ship rather than risk 
  having it chase them through open space or trace a hyperspace jump 
  back to where they came from. 
   
  Getting past the ship is a CL 9 encounter. However, if the heroes 
  decide to slug it out with a Star Destroyer toe to toe, the challenge level 
  rises to 18 (the CL of the Arkanian Dragon). 
   
  If the hero operating the ship’s sensors makes a DC 20 Use Computer 
  check, also read the following information. 
  The Arkanian 
  Dragon 
  A Victory II-class Star Destroyer, the Arkanian Dragon controls access to 
  space around Nizon. It is currently escorting a transport ship (similar to 
  the slave ship from The Queen of Air and Darkness) out of the planet’s 
  orbit, at which point the transport jumps into hyperspace. The heroes’ 
  ship has no cover and no business being in the Centares System, so the 
  Arkanian Dragon immediately orders them to stop and prepare to be 
  boarded. Presumably, the heroes refuse. 
   
  This is likely the first time that the heroes have had to confront a 
  Star Destroyer directly, so you should warn them of the danger of trying 
  to defeat such a ship. It’s also important for them to learn that the 
  Arkanian Dragon can’t land or operate in the atmosphere of Nizon. It’s 
  bound to the reaches of space, so if the heroes can get past the ship and 
  through the dust cloud that surrounds the planet, they can escape its 
  attentions. Doing so, however, requires the heroes to fight their way past 
  the Star Destroyer and its complement of starfighters. 
   
  Sixteen of the Arkanian Dragon’s V-wing fighters are deployed 
  elsewhere around Nizon, out of range of this battle. Of the remaining 
  eight, the captain of the Star Destroyer opts to keep four in reserve (in 
  case the heroes are just a diversion) and sends four out after the heroes. 
  Because the V-wings are receiving guidance from the tracking station in 
  the capital of Nizon, they fly through the few safe routes in the dust 
  cloud. Their erratic flying makes it clear that they have tracking 
  information the heroes lack, although it has no effect on their 
  movement rate. (Though they take no damage, the V-wings still spend 2 
  squares of movement for each square moved. See the Nizon Space 
  sidebar on page 8.) 
  Then all of your ship’s sensors and warning alarms go off at 
  once, and it’s easy to see why. Between you and Nizon, emerging 
  from the dust cloud that surrounds the world, is a Star Destroyer! 
  It’s an older, smaller model than the new Imperial class that the 
  Empire is producing, but it’s still a fully functional capital ship, with 
  an escort of V-wing fighters. Having just escorted a transport ship 
  (of a type you’ve seen before) out of Nizon’s orbit, the Star Destroyer 
  turns and heads toward you. The Imperial ship makes no effort to 
  communicate with you, and its approach is direct—and hostile. 
  Chatter over the transceiver reveals additional ships in the system. 
  At least two other Star Destroyers are in orbit around Nizon, though 
  nowhere near your position. Dozens of starfighters, mostly V-wings 
  and V-19 Torrent models, are also in orbit around the planet. A few 
  other ships, including bulk carriers and personal starships, are flying 
  about in the planet’s atmosphere, below the dust cloud. 
   
  At least one ship still orbits Centares, maintaining an Imperial 
  presence there. From the sound of the chatter, it’s another old Star 
  Destroyer design, though perhaps a bigger design. Whatever it is, 
  you don’t want to be sitting in orbit if it decides to investigate. 
  
   
   
  7
   
  Rendili StarDrive Victory II-class Star Destroyer 
  CL 18 
  Colossal (cruiser) capital ship 
  Init –2; Senses Perception +6 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defense Ref 14 (flat-footed 12), Fort 51; +12 armor, Vehicular Combat 
  hp 1,380; DR 20; SR 150; Threshold 251 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed fly 2 squares (starship scale) 
  Ranged 4 heavy turbolaser batteries +14 (see below) and 
  Ranged 4 double turbolaser batteries +14 (see below) and 
  Ranged 2 heavy ion cannon batteries +14 (see below) and 
  Ranged 2 tractor beams +14 (see below) 
  Fighting Space 2×2 squares (starship scale); Cover total (crew) 
  Base Atk +2; Grp +63 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 92, Dex 14, Con —, Int 18 
  Skills Initiative –2, Mechanics +6, Perception +6, Pilot –2, Use Computer 
  +6 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Crew 5,200 (skilled); Passengers 2,040 (troops) 
  Cargo 6,107 tons; Consumables 4 years; Carried Craft 24 V-wings (16 
  deployed elsewhere in orbit), 5 Lambda-class shuttles, 15 AT-STs 
  (deployed), 10 Juggernauts (deployed), various support vehicles 
  Hyperdrive ×1 (backup ×15), navicomputer 
  Availability Military; Cost Not available for sale 
   
  Heavy turbolaser battery (5 gunners) 
   Atk +14 (–6 against targets smaller than Colossal), Dmg 7d10×5 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Double turbolaser battery (5 gunners) 
   Atk +14 (–6 against targets smaller than Colossal), Dmg 4d10×5 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Heavy ion cannon battery (5 gunners) 
   Atk +14 (–6 against targets smaller than Colossal), Dmg 4d10×5 ion 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Tractor beam (5 gunners) 
   Atk +14 (–6 against targets smaller than Colossal), Dmg — (grapple 
  +63) 
   
  Kuat Systems Engineering 
  Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing Starfighter (4) 
  CL 8 
  Huge starfighter 
  Init +8; Senses Perception +6 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defense Ref 15 (flat-footed 11), Fort 23; +3 armor, Vehicular Combat 
  hp 80; DR 10; SR 15; Threshold 33 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed fly 16 squares (max. velocity 1,450 km/h), fly 6 squares (starship 
  scale) 
  Ranged light laser cannons +6 (see below) 
  Fighting Space 3×3 or 1 square (starship scale); Cover total (crew), +5 
  (astromech droid) 
  Base Atk +2; Grp +25 
  Atk Options autofire (light laser cannons) 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 36, Dex 18, Con —, Int 14 
  Skills Initiative +8, Mechanics +6 (+13*), Perception +6, Pilot +8, Use 
  Computer +6 (+13*) 
  *If the ship has an astromech droid, use these skill modifiers instead. 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Crew 1 plus astromech droid (skilled); Passengers none 
  Cargo 60 kg; Consumables 15 hours; Carried Craft none 
  Hyperdrive ×1 (with booster ring), 10-jump memory (astromech droid) 
  Availability Military; Cost 102,500 (45,000 used) 
   
  Light laser cannons (pilot) 
   Atk +6 (+1 autofire), Dmg 3d10×2 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  If possible, the Imperial forces use the V-wings to drive the heroes 
  toward the Arkanian Dragon. The Star Destroyer is closer to the planet 
  than the heroes’ ship, but most likely it is significantly slower as well. 
  That means it has to deal with the concealment granted by the dust 
  cloud (see Features of the Area, below), so the closer it can get, the 
  better. Although the heroes are unlikely to allow it, the Arkanian Dragon 
  would like to get a tractor beam hit on the interloper. It has no fear of 
  anything smaller than another capital ship, but it realizes that only a 
  lucky shot is going to hit a smaller starship in a dust cloud. 
   
  Once the heroes’ ship manages to travel 40 squares, they pass 
  through the dust cloud and into the upper atmosphere of Nizon. The 
  Arkanian Dragon can’t follow them, and its sensors can’t penetrate both 
  the dust cloud and the atmosphere to target them. As the view of the 
  Star Destroyer fades, surviving V-wings peel off as well, unwilling to 
  continue operations without the Dragon’s support (and unwilling to 
  leave it without an escort in case the heroes are merely a distraction). 
  The heroes can see that there is only one major city anywhere on the 
  
   
   
  8 
  Nizon Space 
   
  The space around Nizon is filled with a thick cloud of dust and 
  rogue asteroid fragments that can do serious damage to a 
  starship with very little warning. Any ship that has access to the 
  data from the rogue fragment tracking center (see the Battle for 
  Martyr’s Plaza, page 23) avoids taking damage but must use 2 
  squares of movement for each square traveled. 
   
  Ships without that information must make Pilot checks to 
  avoid hitting a rogue fragment and taking damage. For every 5 
  squares (or fraction thereof) that a starship moves, its pilot must 
  make a DC 15 Pilot check. On a failed roll, the starship collides 
  with a meteor fragment and takes 4d6 + 20 points of damage. 
  The dust clouds also cause poor visibility, granting all 
  nonadjacent targets concealment. 
   
  These conditions exist in a band above Nizon’s atmosphere 
  that is 40 squares thick (in starship scale). If the heroes pass 
  through the band, the Arkanian Dragon must let them go. Patrols 
  will be sent looking for them, and the Star Destroyer will wait for 
  them to leave the planet. For their sake, the heroes had better be 
  able to give the ship other concerns to attract its attention. 
  surface of Nizon, and there’s plenty of rocky wilderness around it where 
  they can land and conceal their ship. 
  Total Victory 
  Although unlikely, it’s possible that the heroes—through great skill, great 
  luck, or more firepower than the adventure is designed for—destroy the 
  Arkanian Dragon and enough of its escorts to take control of the star 
  system. If this happens, you as the GM have two basic options. First, you 
  can run the adventure as written, but allow the PCs to use their starship 
  as a weapon during the riots on Nizon. They can’t bypass certain 
  encounters (for example, finding Sartok is possible only on foot, and the 
  Imperial ground troops don’t evaporate just because their support ship is 
  gone), but a functioning starship makes other encounters (such as the 
  Battle for Martyr’s Plaza) much less challenging. 
   
  Alternatively, you can have Imperial reinforcements arrive within a 
  few hours of the Dragon’s destruction. The Empire has been regularly 
  moving material between a nearby industrial world and Nizon, and a 
  missed hourly status check from the Arkanian Dragon can bring more 
  Star Destroyers to secure the system. These starships can be as heavy 
  and as numerous as you need to prevent the heroes from feeling 
  confident enough to fly their ship around during the rioting. A Venator-
  class Star Destroyer (see page 148 of Starships of the Galaxy) and its 
  escorts should be more than enough to get the most hardened aces to 
  land and keep their ship under cover until the planet is secured 
  (especially since they are unlikely to have defeated the Arkanian Dragon 
  without suffering serious damage). Once the control center has been 
  captured and the planet is in Nazren hands, any remaining Imperial 
  space forces evacuate to carry word of the defeat back to Coruscant. 
  Total Defeat 
  At the other extreme, if the Arkanian Dragon defeats the heroes, the 
  adventure changes very little. If the heroes’ ship is destroyed, inform the 
  players that they have been shot down and crash outside a large city, 
  and proceed with the adventure normally. If the heroes are captured, the 
  Dragon’s captain informs them that a bounty hunter is looking for them, 
  and the Empire is inclined to turn them over. The heroes are placed in a 
  detention camp, where Sartok finds and rescues them before asking for 
  their help to free his world. 
  Landing Site 
  Once the heroes are within Nizon’s atmosphere, visibility clears up 
  slightly. Any effort to scan the surface visually or listen to incoming 
  communications reveals that there is only one major city on the whole 
  planet. When the heroes begin to examine the city or look for a place to 
  land, read the following text. 
   
  Critical Challenge: The heroes must prevent their ship from being 
  spotted by Imperial ground patrols or V-wing flyovers. The high level of 
  dust and poor visibility will help, but additional action is required. 
   
  Many caves and valleys can be used to conceal their ship, but 
  getting into these locations is tricky at best. If the heroes’ ship has 
  crashed, the caves and valleys aren’t an option. If the heroes land under 
  their own power, they can try these difficult landing spots. A valley 
  landing requires a DC 20 Pilot check and adds +5 to any check made to 
  hide the starship. A DC 25 Pilot check allows the heroes to land deep in 
  the back of a cave, which ensures that no one will find their starship for 
  at least several days (which should cover the timeframe of the 
  adventure). Characters might wish to rig some kind of tarp or wall to 
  hide their starship, constructed from local material or appropriate 
  camouflage they bring with them. Such efforts require a Mechanics 
  check made to aid another on a Stealth check. 
   
  Any other attempt to conceal the ship, from covering it in scrub 
  brush to landing it in a dark shadow, counts as a Stealth check. Note the 
  total of the Stealth check. Each day, allow local patrols to make a 
  Perception check with a +5 bonus. On any successful check, the starship 
  is found and placed under guard (until the Empire is forced to withdraw 
  from the system). In the first fight to take place on the day their ship is 
  discovered, the heroes face one additional crab droid from Vril Vrakth’s 
  forces. The crab droid carries something that it took from the heroes’ 
  ship, which was used by Vrakth to guess their plans. 
   
  Auxiliary Challenge: Nizon is an inhospitable planet. Visibility on the 
  surface is limited, the native dust makes it difficult to breathe without 
  assistance, and it’s easy to get lost. Since the heroes are unlikely to have 
  landed within sight of the city, they must make their way there from the 
  outer reaches of the badlands without being spotted or getting lost. 
  Doing this successfully requires a DC 15 Survival check. If one or more 
  heroes does not have a breath mask of some kind, the DC of the Survival 
  check increases by 5. On a failed check, the heroes either get lost or are 
  forced to take cover from the worst of the dust, losing a day of travel 
  time. This increases the chances that their starship is discovered and 
  The city is a major metropolis, but it’s also the only big city you find 
  anywhere. You can see starship traffic, proving that the city has a 
  spaceport—most likely, the only one on the planet. The city is built 
  on a flat, rocky region between a large mountain and rough 
  badlands of valleys and hills. There is construction on the mountain 
  overlooking the city, but from here it’s impossible to tell exactly 
  what’s being built. 
   
  Starship traffic is regular enough to suggest the presence of 
  more than just Imperial forces and the local population. A few small 
  freighters, manufactured by numerous different companies, are 
  landing or taking off. Given that they lack any sign of Imperial 
  markings or identification broadcasts, they are probably privately 
  owned, meaning that at least a few members of other species will 
  be found in the city, making it easier for you to move around there. 
   
  Though they are nowhere near you, you pick up transceiver 
  broadcasts from patrols on the far side of the city. If you want your 
  ship to remain undiscovered, you’ll have to make some effort to 
  conceal it once you land.
  
   
   
  9
  The Nazren
   
  Nazren are tall humanoids, approximately the same height as 
  Wookiees, but broader at the shoulders and narrower at the hip, 
  with longer arms and torsos but shorter legs. They are hairless, 
  with thick skin that has a heavy hide or leather look. They are 
  brown to light yellow in color, a natural camouflage for their 
  dust-bowl world. The head of a Nazren has no nose and is flatter 
  than a Human's. A prominent brow ridge protects their eyes, and 
  a series of small knobs start at the back of the head and run 
  down to a visible spine. 
   
  Nazren wear sleeveless tunics tucked into black hide pants 
  and heavy boots. Their clothes are normally fastened with hooks 
  or clamps on the end of short lengths of cord or attached belts. 
  Pads that strap onto the shoulders (to cushion a heavy load) and 
  arm bracers are common, also attached with the hook system. 
  that they’ll encounter crab droids deployed by Vrakth. If the heroes take 
  more than two days to reach the city, they run into one crab droid in the 
  badlands each day until they make it to the city. 
   
  Auxiliary Challenge: Though inhospitable, Nizon is not lifeless. Tough 
  and dangerous predators prowl the rough badlands and hunt the 
  recessed valleys. The most dangerous of these is the blade scorpion, a 
  massive creature that combines the worst traits of a crab and a spider. 
  The Nazren fear these beasts and never travel alone in regions where 
  they are common. The creatures are one reason that the bounty hunter 
  Vrakth chooses to employ crab droids on the world. 
   
  Each day that the heroes are in the badlands (including their first 
  day), make a Perception check with a +10 bonus against the worst 
  Stealth check of any hero in the group. If the Perception check is higher, 
  a blade scorpion picks up their scent and attacks. Use the statistics for 
  an acklay (page 275 of the Saga Edition Core Rulebook) to represent the 
  creature. Instead of a bite attack, the blade scorpion makes a net attack 
  (as if using the net ranged weapon). 
  The City 
  The city of the Nazren has no name. None is needed, as it is the only 
  settlement larger than a town on the entire planet. The Nazren refer to 
  it as ahdjok, but this is nothing more than their word for “city,” and the 
  Empire hasn’t bothered to assign it a name. Its position behind Mount 
  Antas protects the city from the worst of the planetary dust, and it has a 
  large, flat area on which to build a spaceport. As a result, the city has 
  been the main point of contact between the Nazren and offworlders. It 
  sits atop an underground river, which provides an endless supply of fresh 
  water. This, combined with offworld trade, allowed the city to grow 
  much larger than local agricultural conditions would otherwise permit. It 
  is a traditional pilgrimage site for Nazren worldwide, making it a 
  convenient location for the Empire to gather slaves. 
   
  Critical Challenge: Now that the heroes are in the city, they need to 
  learn what’s going on and what they can do about it. 
   
  The easiest option is to make a Gather Information check. A result of 
  10 to 14 reveals that the Empire took control of the city about a year 
  ago and has been shipping Nazren off as slaves ever since, mostly with 
  Trandoshan slavers. It also reveals that any Nazren who resists the 
  Empire is placed in a detainment camp in the center of town, and thus, 
  most Nazren leaders are now in that camp. 
   
  A check result of 15 to 19 also reveals that many Nazren are 
  prepared to fight back as soon as they receive a signal from Sartok, a 
  Nazren leader recently arrested and thrown into the detainment camp. 
  However, the Empire doesn’t realize that Sartok is anyone special. 
   
  A check result of 20 or more also reveals that a bounty hunter 
  named Vril Vrakth has recently arrived on Nizon with a collection of old 
  crab droids. Most people think that Vrakth is hunting Sartok (which is 
  true), but they note that he keeps asking about newcomers, and that he 
  seems to have the aid of Imperial troops. Many believe that Vrakth is 
  chasing an Imperial bounty on a non-Nazren target (which is also true; 
  the Zabrak was hired by Inquisitor Draco to find the heroes). 
   
  A hero could also attempt to gain this information from an Imperial 
  administrator or slaver by making a Deception or Persuasion check. For 
  an administrator, use the statistics for an Imperial officer (page 280 of 
  the Saga Edition Core Rulebook), and for a slaver, use the statistics for a 
  thug (page 284 of the Saga Edition Core Rulebook). Such characters can 
  give the same information as a DC 10 Gather Information check. 
   
  With a DC 20 Use Computer check, a hero can slice into the local 
  datastreams and pick up broadcasts from Imperials and Nazren 
  insurgents (with the same results as a DC 15 Gather Information check). 
   
  Auxiliary Challenge: The oppression the Nazren suffer is obvious, 
  and patrols of stormtroopers march through the streets. At a 
  dramatically appropriate point, the heroes see six heavy stormtroopers 
  kick down the door of a building and drag a screaming Nazren mother 
  out of the house. If the heroes do nothing, the mother is hauled off, and 
  the cries of a Nazren child can be heard within the structure. 
   
  If the heroes fight the stormtroopers, the real challenge is to be fast 
  and quiet. If the heroes defeat the stormtroopers silently or in 1 or 2 
  rounds, no one reports the fight. If the fight is noisy and lasts for 3 or 
  more rounds, someone calls more stormtroopers. A squad of six more 
  arrives in 2 minutes, a group of 12 arrives in 5 minutes, and an AT-ST 
  arrives in 10 minutes. 
   
  If the heroes manage to keep mother and child together, give them 
  200 XP as a bonus. If they make sure that the child is cared for after the 
  mother is taken, give them only 100 XP. If the mother is saved, she says 
  that Sartok will wish to talk to the heroes, but she is too fearful to 
  answer questions about the resistance leader, other than to choke out 
  “detainment camp.” She then runs off to go into hiding. 
   
  The city is sprawling, with 10- to 15-story buildings crowded around 
  wide streets and public fountains. Most of the city looks old, 
  constructed of stone and natural caverns. Ancient statues of rock 
  and ornate decorative carvings are worked into most buildings, and 
  even the roads are paved with carved stones. More modern 
  constructions can also be seen, mostly watch-posts bolted onto 
  buildings or gates that block access to some streets. Posters, wanted 
  signs, and recruitment fliers for the Empire have been plastered 
  everywhere, ugly debris atop the city’s natural charm. 
   
  Most of the creatures you see are obviously locals, the Nazren. 
  None seem to carry weapons, not even something as crude as a 
  knife or club. Their heads are generally downcast and their shoulders 
  slumped, but whenever one glances at an Imperial poster or flyer, it 
  looks up, and a flash of hatred shows briefly in its eyes. 
   
  Though much less common, aliens from dozens of worlds also 
  walk through the streets. Most are followed by one or two Nazren 
  carrying heavy bundles of goods. The aliens go by without comment 
  and are diverse enough that you see no reason your own appearance 
  should draw unwanted attention. 
   
  The Imperial presence here is also obvious. Stormtroopers in 
  small groups patrol openly through the city, and in the distance you 
  can hear the mechanical stomp of military walkers, though nothing 
  as big as an AT-AT would fit in the streets. 
  
   
   
  10 
  Sartok makes a quick sweep of the cavern, checking to ensure that it 
  has not been disturbed. Apparently satisfied, he crouches by the 
  simple fire and motions for you to sit. He takes a few long breaths, 
  then turns and speaks to you. 
   
  “My world is enslaved, and we have come to realize that no 
  negotiation or appeal to reason can free us. The only way we shall 
  regain control of Nizon is to take it back by force, which requires us 
  to face the weapons and training of the Empire. That battle must 
  begin here—all other settlements look to us for inspiration and 
  leadership. For the sake of our world, we must take up arms against 
  our oppressors. 
   
  “The cost shall be high for my people, but they are eager to pay 
  it. The cost for remaining slaves would be higher, and it would be 
  paid by our children and our children’s children. If you will help us, 
  we are ready to throw off the yoke of tyranny, even if we lose our 
  lives. Liberty is too precious to sell for the chance of quieter, safer 
  lives under the dark shadow of oppression. 
   
  “I have allies throughout the city who are ready to raise arms 
  against the Empire at my signal. We are not a warlike people, but 
  the stormtroopers have shown us the basics of violence, and we 
  have learned the lesson well. Against soldiers, I have no doubt that 
  my people would fight bravely with a fair chance at victory. But the 
  Imperial forces have vehicles—large, metal, two-legged machines of 
  war—that we cannot face. My people fear these machines, and 
  though many would still fight bravely, too many would wait to see if 
  we could topple them. Such an attack would be staggered and lose 
  too much of its impact. Only if many of us take up arms at once can 
  we overthrow our oppressors. 
   
  “But you are outsiders, and to be standing here, you must have 
  opposed the Empire’s machines successfully. Many of my less 
  confident allies believe that with your aid, even the walking war 
  machines could not stop us. This would give them the confidence to 
  bring enough forces to bear at once. If we can take control of the 
  planetary shields and turbolasers that they have nearly finished 
  building on Mount Antas, we can complete those structures 
  ourselves and use them to defend against further Imperial attack. 
  The first step in such an attack is a citywide riot, which I am 
  prepared to trigger. 
   
  “I know this world is not yours, that our people are not your 
  people. But if you will aid us, you will always have a place of honor 
  among the Nazren.”
  Part 3: Insurrection 
   
  Eventually, it should be clear to the heroes that their best chance to help 
  the Nazren and gain information about the Imperial forces is to rescue 
  Sartok from the detention camp. The camp is easy to find because it 
  takes up the center of town, which used to be an open market before the 
  Empire shut it down. The heroes’ attack on the camp is critical to the 
  rest of the adventure. It is a challenge that can be overcome only 
  through battle—an important evolution from the stealth and 
  investigation of the early stages of the Dawn of Defiance campaign to 
  the beginning of open opposition to the Empire. It is also where the 
  heroes first encounter Sartok, who will guide them in the rest of the 
  adventure. 
   
  If the heroes don’t seem inclined to free Sartok from the detention 
  camp, you might need to encourage them. 
  • 
  If they have befriended any GM character in the city, that 
  character can be grabbed and thrown into the camp. 
  • 
  If they are focused on finding and stealing information from 
  the Empire, let them overhear that a data slicer working for 
  Sartok was thrown in the camp. Once the heroes get inside, 
  they find only Sartok, who promises to share the slicer’s 
  information if the heroes help with the coming riots. 
  • 
  If they seem worried about particular Imperial forces (such as 
  the AT-STs), let them see those forces head out to patrol 
  several hours away from the city, creating a window of 
  opportunity. 
  • 
  If they think that the Nazren in the camp are safe, at least 
  temporarily, have stormtroopers start to post execution times 
  for the next day. 
   
   
  If the heroes attack the camp, run “The Breakout” (see page 14 for 
  more information on the encounter). If they simply refuse to get 
  involved, Sartok escapes on his own after a few days and seeks the 
  heroes to propose an alliance between them. In that case, skip “The 
  Breakout” and proceed with “Nurturing a Revolt.” 
   
   
  Nurturing a Revolt 
  If the heroes allow Sartok to lead them to his safe cavern, the resistance 
  leader picks up a few cached belongings and asks his guests to sit 
  comfortably. At this point, Sartok is dressed as humbly as any Nazren, 
  but he carries a satchel over one shoulder, in which he keeps a hidden 
  blaster. The second and fourth fingers are missing from his left hand, and 
  he has numerous scars, including some across his face. He is darker 
  brown than most Nazren, with lighter splotches of skin at his wrinkles 
  and creases. As an older member of his species, he has seen much that 
  he'd rather not have witnessed. 
   
  If the heroes have any pressing needs (such as treating serious 
  injuries), Sartok helps see to them before speaking. 
   
   
  What If the Heroes Get 
  Captured? 
   
  If the heroes are captured at any point during The First to Strike, 
  they are stripped of weapons and equipment and thrown into 
  the detention camp. Feel free to let them try to escape on their 
  own. If that fails, a Nazren decides to aid them—either Sartok (if 
  he is alive) or another Nazren leader (if Sartok has been killed). 
  The Nazren manages to deliver the heroes’ weapons and gear by 
  concealing them in a tattered, smelly cloak and then getting 
  himself thrown into the detention camp. If the heroes don’t 
  already have something similar, the Nazren also brings an 
  explosive charge to blow through the camp gate. 
  
   
   
  11
   
  Obviously, this is a big step, and the heroes probably have numerous 
  questions. Below are answers to some likely questions. 
  • 
  How did the Empire seize control? 
  “They came as friends, claiming that we were in danger of 
  being attacked by Separatists who wished to use our world as 
  a secret base. The Empire landed troops and built barracks. 
  Then, after they had more weapons than we did, they took 
  over the city and the mountain and begin shipping our people 
  off like cattle.” 
  • 
  What are you planning to do during the riot? 
  “I have every intention of fighting by your side. I can guide 
  you around the city and ensure that your help goes where it 
  is needed the most. I would not ask you to take any risk that I 
  am unwilling to take myself.” 
  • 
  How many Nazren will join you? 
  “Dozens at first, then hundreds, and then, I believe, 
  thousands. Eventually, we might be able to bring the whole 
  world into the fight.” 
  • 
  Where does the Empire keep its important records? 
  “They might be in the control center below Martyr’s Plaza. It 
  houses our most advanced computer system, which tracks 
  major rogue fragments in orbit. The Empire currently controls 
  it and thus flies safely in our skies. Another possible location 
  is the construction site on Mount Antas. It is heavily guarded, 
  but if we take the city, the Empire will be forced to move 
  many soldiers into the streets, leaving the site more 
  vulnerable.” 
  • 
  How will you prevent the Empire from returning and taking 
  over again? 
  “If we regain control of the tracking station, we can ensure 
  that the Empire’s ships are threatened by space debris and 
  that only our allies can safely fly near our world.” 
   
   
  If the heroes reject Sartok’s request for help, the resistance leader 
  still gives the signal for his people to riot, thus allowing the adventure to 
  continue. However, the Nazren are brutally suppressed and treated even 
  more harshly by the Imperials. Regardless of whether the heroes agree to 
  help Sartok, the next encounter is Checkpoint Gamma (page 16). 
   
  Sartok 
  Sartok has spent the past few months sneaking around the city, hiding 
  Nazren who are in trouble with the Empire, keeping his people’s spirits 
  up, and planning a revolt to drive the Imperials out. Unfortunately, he’s 
  not a natural leader. The Nazren have come to respect him because he 
  has defied the Empire and survived, but he’s managed that mostly 
  through stealth and luck. Sartok knows that the will of his people is 
  ebbing, and they need a major victory to restore their faith in the 
  struggle for independence. 
  Sartok 
  CR 7 
  Medium Nazren scoundrel 3/scout 4 
  Force 4 
  Init +8; Senses Perception +16 
  Languages Basic, Dosh, Nazren 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defense Ref 19 (flat-footed 19), Fort 19, Will 21 
  hp 57; Threshold 24 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed 6 squares 
  Melee vibroblade +6 (2d6+5) 
  Ranged blaster pistol +5 (3d6+3) 
  Base Atk +5; Grp +6 
  Atk Options Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Sneak Attack +1d6 
  Special Actions Fool’s Luck, Hidden Movement, Improved Stealth, Quick 
  Draw 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 10 
  Special Qualities Nazren resilience 
  Talents Fool’s Luck, Hidden Movement, Improved Stealth, Sneak Attack 
  Feats Improved Damage Threshold, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick 
  Draw, Skill Focus (Perception, Stealth), Toughness, Weapon 
  Proficiency (advanced melee weapons, pistols, rifles, simple weapons) 
  Skills Deception +8, Initiative +8, Gather Information +8, Perception 
  +16, Persuasion +8, Stealth +13 (may reroll) 
  Possessions blaster pistol, vibroblade, comlink 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Nazren Resilience—Once per encounter, when a Nazren would be moved 
  down the condition track by taking damage equal to or exceeding the 
  Nazren’s damage threshold, the Nazren may reduce the number of steps 
  moved down the condition track by 1 (minimum 0 steps). 
  The Riots 
  Sartok allows the heroes as much time as they need to prepare before 
  sending the word to begin the uprising. Once he does, however, things 
  start to move very quickly. The riots are a series of several encounters 
  that can occur in any order, with one exception. “Point Gold” (page 25) 
  must be the final encounter of the adventure, as it signals the end of the 
  Imperial dominance of Nizon. 
   
  Sartok can lead the heroes through the city to these encounters, or 
  they can find their own way. Regardless, you are free to determine which 
  encounters the heroes must deal with and in what order. Additionally, 
  you can design your own noncombat encounters, particularly challenges 
  that require the use of skills. For these challenges, use the following 
  guidelines: easy task: DC 18, moderate task: DC 23, challenging task: DC 
  28, and hard task: DC 32. 
   
  For example, during the riots, an injured Nazren resistance fighter 
  might become trapped on top of a condemned building, with no way to 
  get down. You might determine that getting to the Nazren would be a 
  moderate task (allowing Acrobatics checks to balance on the crumbling 
  stairs or Climb checks to scale the outside of the building) at DC 23. 
  
   
   
  12 
  Once the heroes reach the roof, they can provide medical assistance or 
  lower the Nazren safely to the ground. 
   
  Below are several skill-based encounters that you can use between 
  combat encounters. Each gives the heroes experience points equivalent 
  to defeating a CL 9 opponent. 
  • 
  A Nazren resistance fighter picks up transmissions on an 
  Imperial channel from a guard post that has received word of 
  the riots. The heroes must pose as Imperial officers, making 
  Deception or Persuasion checks to convince the guard post 
  not to send reinforcements. 
  • 
  A stash of weapons in an Imperial garrison could be enough 
  to turn the tide in several sections of the city. The heroes try 
  to use Deception to bluff their way into the garrison or 
  Stealth to sneak in, obtaining the weapons and funneling 
  them to the resistance. 
  • 
  A communications array atop a Nazren building needs to be 
  disabled so that the Empire cannot signal the Arkanian 
  Dragon for help. The heroes can make Climb checks to reach 
  the roof and then make Mechanics checks to secure 
  explosives. Alternatively, they might make Use Computer 
  checks to seize control of the array and use it to coordinate 
  groups of resistance fighters throughout the city. 
  • 
  A group of captured resistance fighters was abandoned in a 
  detention facility when the Imperial guards were called away 
  to reinforce another position. The heroes must make 
  Mechanics or Strength checks to open the cell doors, allowing 
  the prisoners to escape and join the resistance. 
  • 
  For months, Nazren slaves have been covertly stowing the 
  parts for an anti-aircraft weapon in secret locations, and now 
  the resistance needs to build the weapon to protect against 
  attacks by V-wing fighters stationed on Nizon. The heroes 
  must make Endurance checks to help carry the heavy 
  equipment up to the roof of a building, where the weapon 
  must be assembled quickly with Mechanics checks. 
  • 
  The chaos of the riots has left many resistance groups 
  scattered and uncoordinated. One group in particular has 
  obtained access codes to the Imperial garrison, but the group 
  cannot be found. The heroes must make Gather Information 
  checks to locate the missing Nazren or find alternative ways 
  to contact them. 
  • 
  Once the riots are well underway, Sartok needs the heroes’ 
  assistance in coordinating the rest of the attacks. They can 
  make Knowledge (tactics) checks to plan the next attack or 
  make Intelligence checks to notice flaws in Sartok’s plans. 
  Checkpoint Gamma 
  One of the ways that the Empire has kept the local population under 
  control is with heavily armed checkpoints throughout the city. 
  Movement is limited to those with the proper Imperial forms, making it 
  difficult for the Nazren to gather and plan. Now, reports come to the 
  heroes that a central checkpoint, Gamma, is being held by AT-RT walkers 
  equipped with heavy weapons. Unless it can be opened up, the small 
  units of Nazren trying to start an uprising won’t be able to get together 
  to form more effective squads of rioters. 
   
  See “Checkpoint Gamma” (page 16) for more information on running 
  this encounter. 
  Collateral Damage 
  As the Imperial forces begin to react to the rioting, a set of cannons on 
  Mount Antas starts to bombard residential areas. As the heroes run by a 
  building, it takes a hit and begins to collapse. Fire breaks out in the 
  lower floors, and numerous young Nazren are trapped within the 
  structure. 
   
  See “Collateral Damage” (page 18) for more information on running 
  this encounter. 
  Rest Stop 
  As the heroes make their way through the city, they find themselves 
  cornered by advancing Imperial artillery. Fortunately, the heroes have 
  earned a reputation in the city by now, and a Nazren woman comes to 
  their aid, leading them to a safehouse to rest. This should give the heroes 
  a chance to recover and heal, though their respite doesn’t last long. Crab 
  droids sent by Vril Vrakth find the safehouse and burrow inside. 
   
  See “Rest Stop” (page 20) for more information on running this 
  encounter. 
  The Black Ship 
  During the rioting, the heroes see a black cargo vessel fly overhead, 
  trailing smoke from badly tuned engines. The ship has the same markings 
  as the slave transport they saw in The Queen of Air and Darkness, as well 
  as the ship that was being escorted off Nizon by the Arkanian Dragon. 
  The black ship shrugs off light weapons fire from the surface and lands a 
  short distance away. If Sartok is still with the heroes, he informs them 
  that the vessel has landed near the slave pens, where there is still one 
  shipload of Nazren scheduled to be flown offworld and sold into slavery. 
   
  The black ship is the same type as the one encountered in The Queen 
  of Air and Darkness—a Gallofree Yards Medium Transport. It is staffed by 
  18 Trandoshan slavers, though only nine of them are free to fight at any 
  given moment. The rest remain inside the ship, struggling to repair the 
  damaged systems so that it can take off again as soon as the latest crop 
  of slaves is aboard. 
   
  See “The Black Ship” (page 21) for more information on running this 
  encounter. 
   
  An AT-RT walker with pilot.
  
   
   
  13
  An AT-ST walker.
  Martyr’s Plaza 
  As the riots spread through the city, more and more Imperial forces leave 
  their posts to reinforce troops in trouble elsewhere. Eventually, up to 
  half the forces in each security zone have moved off, leaving those 
  locations as vulnerable as they’ll ever be. In particular, the forces in 
  Martyr’s Plaza have sent away one of their two AT-STs and several dozen 
  troopers, leaving it less well guarded than at any time during the 
  Imperial occupation. At the center of the plaza is the access to the 
  underground control center, which directs all communications on Nizon 
  and monitors the asteroid fragments that endanger nearby starships. As 
  long as Imperial forces hold the control center, their vessels can fly 
  freely through space around Nizon and land troops wherever they wish. 
   
  When word comes of the reduced security at the entrance to the 
  control center, Sartok tells the heroes (either face to face or via comlink) 
  to move to Martyr’s Plaza and secure the entrance. If the heroes do so, 
  they will allow the Nazren to take control of the center, which will 
  enable them to keep the Empire off their world indefinitely. 
   
  See “Battle for Martyr’s Plaza” (page 23) for more information on 
  running this encounter. 
  Point Gold 
  Capturing the control center is the endgame of Sartok’s plans to take 
  back the planet, and once that has been accomplished, the Nazren 
  believe that victory and freedom are inevitable. The Empire, however, has 
  no faith in something as simple as asteroid fragments or a tracking 
  station to secure a whole world. They have begun construction of a 
  planetary turbolaser battery on Mount Antas outside the city, along with 
  a shield generator large enough to cover the turbolasers and the city 
  itself. While only one battery is currently operational, it has the 
  firepower to challenge even a Star Destroyer and could be used to clear 
  a section of space of rogue asteroid fragments, allowing troop ships to 
  land. As long as the mountain base is in Imperial hands, more forces 
  could return to retake the planet. 
   
  This base, Point Gold, is currently manned mostly by neutral 
  technicians and minor Imperial officers. While Imperial doctrine calls for 
  it to have an AT-AT and a division of troops, they 
  have not arrived yet. All ground forces from the 
  Arkanian Dragon were deployed throughout the 
  city, and if the heroes have taken out the AT-ST 
  already, they’ve dealt with the largest part of the 
  ground forces. 
   
  However, Vril Vrakth has been using Point 
  Gold as a base of operations for his attempts to 
  target Sartok and the heroes. His ship is docked 
  on a small landing bay at the edge of a 
  construction platform, guarded by however many 
  crab droids remain. With the whole planet in 
  open revolt, Vrakth has been waiting for an 
  opportunity to capture the heroes, assuming that 
  they are behind the riots. The Zabrak bounty 
  hunter has pulled the datachip for the Sarlacc 
  Project, since he knows that the Imperials want it 
  destroyed, and placed it in the center of the 15-
  meter-square construction platform, which is 60 
  meters up in the partially finished shield 
  generator. He wants to be high up so that he can 
  see the heroes coming. Vrakth believes that he 
  can defeat them, turn the tide on the revolt, and 
  collect a huge bounty from the Empire. 
   
   
  See “Point Gold” (page 25) for more information on running this 
  encounter. 
   
  Vrakth remains in contact with his apprentice, a Trandoshan bounty 
  hunter named Koorst, who is flying in a cloakshape fighter with a 
  hyperspace sled outside the range of the planet’s asteroid fragments and 
  dust clouds. Koorst can’t fly safely to the surface now that the tracking 
  station is in Nazren hands, but he receives constant reports from Vrakth 
  during the rioting and even the final battle. If Vrakth is taken down, he 
  drops an open comlink (unblocked by the Nazren in the control center) 
  that shows Koorst yelling for more information. If the heroes pick up the 
  comlink and Koorst sees any of their faces, he swears his eternal hatred 
  of those who felled his mentor, then flies off into hyperspace. He will 
  return in The Gem of Alderaan, later in the Dawn of Defiance campaign. 
  Concluding the 
  Adventure 
  Though Vrakth did not destroy the Sarlacc Project datachip, he still 
  damaged it. It takes time and a DC 20 Use Computer check to get 
  anything out of the cracked, burned chip. If the heroes can’t manage 
  that task, they have allies who can. Eventually, they discover that the 
  Sarlacc Project is a massive construction effort taking place in the Deep 
  Core, with costs so high that the Empire decided to complete it with 
  slave labor. The information on the datachip does not specify any details 
  about what, exactly, is being built. But all contacts and notes are tied 
  directly to Coruscant, which seems to be the place to go for more 
  information on the project. 
   
  The heroes are now honored allies of Nizon, treated with respect by 
  any Nazren they encounter. Sartok begins to work toward a planetary 
  council, though he confesses to the heroes that he hopes he isn’t on it—
  he’d prefer to leave his leadership role behind. He does, however, ask the 
  heroes to take a message of friendship to Senator Organa, along with an 
  offer that the Nazren will help him against the Empire in the future. This 
  victory is minor in the grand scheme of things, but it’s an important 
  beginning, proving that the Empire can be defeated, at least on small 
  planets outside the Core Worlds. 
   
  If any heroes were killed during the adventure, 
  the grateful Nazren erect a statue in their honor in 
  Martyr’s Plaza. 
   
  For the Empire’s part, losing the Nazren as a 
  source of slave labor is irritating, but thanks to the 
  tracking station, they have little choice but to stay 
  clear of the planet—at least temporarily. The 
  Empire is too new to spend many resources 
  dealing with the Nazren, and work on the Sarlacc 
  Project can continue with Wookiee and Mon 
  Calamari slaves. Believing that all information on 
  the project has been destroyed, the Imperials 
  abandon the world for the time being. 
   
  
   
   
  14 
  The Breakout 
  Challenge Level 11 
   
   
  Setup 
  The detainment camp has a 9-meter tall wall around it, with a single 3-
  meter wide gate in the middle of the northern wall. There are four 12-
  meter tall towers, one at each corner of the yard. Each tower contains 
  two experienced heavy weapons stormtroopers (use the ARC Trooper 
  statistics on page 282 of the Saga Edition Core Rulebook). Being in the 
  towers gives the stormtroopers cover and a clear shot at any target in 
  the yard. There are 20 to 30 Nazren in the yard, most huddled together 
  in the center, away from the walls and gate. Two Nek dogs patrol the 
  inside of the yard, but they don’t get closer than a few meters from any 
  of the Nazren. 
  Read-Aloud Text 
  When the heroes scout the detention camp, read the following text. 
  Nek Dogs 
  In addition to the eight heavy weapons stormtroopers, there are two Nek 
  dogs in the yard. Use the statistics for the wampa (page 277 of the Saga 
  Edition Core Rulebook), but remove the arctic trait and use the 
  description below. 
  Tactics 
  At least half the stormtroopers stay in their towers unless a pressing 
  need (such as the tower being set on fire or targeted by a thermal 
  detonator) drives them out. With heavy weapons, a clear field of fire, 
  and fortified positions, the stormtroopers simply shoot at any characters 
  breaking in or out. Most of the Nazren throw themselves prone when 
  any fighting starts (so as not to get in Sartok’s way) and are ignored by 
  the stormtroopers. This also prevents the tower guards from going after 
  the heroes immediately, as they must continue to watch the prisoners. 
   
  The stormtroopers who are free to engage the heroes move onto the 
  stone wall around the yard to get closer to any heroes shooting or 
  escaping. 
   
  The Nek battle dogs attack heroes who have melee weapons over 
  those who have ranged weapons. If a character tries to leave the yard, 
  the nearest Nek dog makes a grab attack against that character. The 
  creatures fight only until they have lost half of their hit points. After 
  that, they retreat and do not attack unless threatened. 
  Conclusion 
  If any prisoners escape from the yard, reinforcements—a squad of eight 
  crack stormtroopers (with the same statistics as those in the towers)—
  are dispatched to track and recapture them. It takes the reinforcements 
  5 minutes to muster and reach the detention camp. If the heroes are 
  willing to be led by Sartok, he guides them through a series of caves 
  (parts of the underground river that ran dry decades ago) to a particular 
  hidden cavern. If they refuse, Sartok follows them and offers his aid once 
  the reinforcements track them down. After that, the heroes can find any 
  place to hole up as long as they stay off the streets. Within hours, their 
  faces are plastered on posters all over the city. 
  Encounter Map 
  See the map of the encounter on page 15. 
   
   
   
  There are several small yards near the center of town, but these are 
  clearly only for the elderly and very young. They have few guards 
  and low walls, and the Nazren within them seem unlikely to be able 
  to run even if unguarded. 
   
  The central detainment yard is different. Thirty meters on a side, 
  it is a large square enclosed by a tall stone wall, which looks like it 
  was built from the rubble of collapsed buildings. A metal gate in the 
  north wall of the yard controls access and is apparently remotely 
  operated. There are four guard towers, one at each corner of the 
  yard, with two heavily armed stormtroopers in each. Two vicious, 
  cybernetically enhanced Nek dogs patrol the inside of the yard, 
  growling at the prisoners without getting too close to them. Most of 
  the Nazren huddle together in the center of the yard, but you notice 
  one captive keeping an eye on the others and moving around the 
  outside of the group to stay between them and the Nek dogs. 
  Prowling along the inside of the yard are two large quadrupeds, 
  roughly 2 meters tall at the shoulder. The vaguely canine creatures 
  are powerfully muscled and covered in a tough brownish hide. Their 
  huge mouths have three rows of razor-sharp teeth, and their legs 
  each have three long claws. 
  Features of the Area
   
  The outer wall of the yard is made of meter-thick stone (DR 10, 
  500 hit points per square). The gate is neutronium-reinforced 
  lanthanide, but much thinner (DR 15, 150 hit points). The hinges 
  of the gate are even thinner but can be hit only by a very well-
  placed shot (Reflex Defense 25). Heroes can also make a 
  Mechanics check to carefully place an explosive. 
   
  Gravity plates have been placed 1 meter underground 
  around each tower, as shown on the map. These squares count 
  as high-gravity environments (see page 257 of the Saga Edition 
  Core Rulebook). A DC 20 Perception check is required to notice 
  the effects of the gravity plates at range, and a DC 20 Mechanics 
  check is required to disable a plate. If any square takes 50 or 
  more points of damage, the plate beneath stops working. 
  
   
   
  15
  The Breakout Encounter Map 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  16 
  Features of the Area
   
  The barrier across the roadway is made of ferrocrete (DR 10, 300 
  hit points per square). It’s 1.5 meters high and gives cover to the 
  AT-RTs against any attacks from the far side. The gate is only 
  wire mesh (DR 3, 20 hit points) and gives no cover. 
   
  The stone buildings to either side are old, and chunks of 
  them can be brought down on a 2×2 area with a successful 
  attack (Reflex Defense 5, attack must deal 20 or more points of 
  damage). At least one AT-RT pilot tries this with his laser cannon 
  if any heroes stay behind cover, and the option is available for 
  the heroes as well. Such chunks count as large falling objects. A 
  successful Mechanics check to place demolitions can create a 
  huge falling object.
  Checkpoint Gamma 
  Challenge Level 9 
   
   
  Setup 
  This is a wide street, littered with abandoned crates and broken-down 
  speeders. The checkpoint is a gate between two ferrocrete barricades. 
  Behind it, three AT-RT personal walkers fire freely at anyone who does 
  not have clearance to pass through. 
  Read-Aloud Text 
  Read the following text aloud as soon as the insurrection starts. If the 
  heroes have agreed to help the Nazren, they are sought out for aid. 
  Otherwise, they happen to be the first people the wounded Nazren finds 
  while looking for assistance. 
   
  AT-RTs 
  Because the dust and grit in the air tends to cause fast wear and tear on 
  speeders, the Empire has assigned a dozen old AT-RTs (one-person 
  walkers) left over from the Clone Wars to reinforce ground troops in the 
  city. Three of them are present at this checkpoint. The pilots of the 
  vehicles are veteran clone troopers, in the last years of their service to 
  the Empire. If you need statistics for the pilots, use those of the clone 
  trooper on page 281 of the Saga Edition Core Rulebook. However, if an 
  AT-RT is taken down, its pilot most likely is out of the fight. 
   
  AT-RT (3) 
  CL 6 
  Large ground vehicle (walker) 
  Init +8; Senses Perception +3 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defense Ref 14 (flat-footed 13), Fort 20; +3 armor 
  hp 60; DR 10; Threshold 30 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed 5 squares (max. velocity 70 km/h) 
  Ranged laser cannon +7 (see below) or 
  Ranged mortar launcher +7 (see below) 
  Fighting Space 2×2; Cover +5 
  Base Atk +5; Grp +25 
  Atk Options autofire (laser cannon) 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 20, Dex 14, Con —, Int 12 
  Skills Initiative +8, Mechanics +4, Perception +3, Pilot +8 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Crew 1 (expert); Passengers none 
  Cargo 6 kg; Consumables 1 day; Carried Craft none 
  Payload 12 mortar rounds 
  Availability Restricted; Cost Not available for sale 
   
   Laser cannon (pilot) 
   Atk +7 (+2 autofire), Dmg 4d10 
   ———————————————————————————— 
   Mortar launcher (pilot) 
   Atk +7, Dmg 3d6, 2-square burst 
  Tactics 
  This early in the insurrection, the Imperial forces aren’t taking the 
  uprising too seriously. If the AT-RT pilots don’t see any heavy weapons, 
  they march out and deal with attackers directly. If an obvious threat 
  (such as a blaster cannon) is present, the pilots stay behind their barrier 
  and fire from cover, using mortars to attack foes in cover or tight groups. 
  Conclusion 
  If the heroes take out Checkpoint Gamma, Vril Vrakth sends two of his 
  crab droids (see “Point Gold,” page 25) into the chaos as the Nazren link 
  up to take control of various parts of the city. If the heroes don’t destroy 
  the checkpoint (either because they don’t try or because the fight goes 
  badly for them), Vrakth gathers information about their activities from 
  Imperial allies and sends two crab droids into the next encounter the 
  heroes have. 
   
  If any AT-RTs survive, they show signs of damage. The Nazren offer 
  to haul the walkers to an underground shop to see if they can be 
  repaired. If a hero insists on piloting a walker, he must make a DC 20 
  Mechanics check between each encounter to keep it running smoothly. 
  Be sure to keep track of its payload, its reduced hit points, and its 
  position on the condition track. 
  Encounter Map 
  See the map of the area on page 17. 
   
   
   
   
  A Nazren with serious battle wounds comes stumbling out of the 
  smoke. Upon seeing you, she rushes up, pointing to a rubble-choked 
  street behind her. 
   
  “The Imperials have set up a new checkpoint, with heavy 
  weapons guarding it! We can’t break through, and it’s preventing 
  our two largest groups from connecting and taking control of the 
  outer sections of the city!” 
   
  Through the smoke, you see flashes of heavy blaster fire and 
  hear more Nazren running from a fight that seems to be too much 
  for them. 
  
   
   
  17
  Checkpoint Gamma Encounter Map 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  18 
  Features of the Area
   
  The collapsing building is 12 meters tall, and all Nazren inside it 
  are currently on the top floor. Moving through the building is 
  hard because it’s badly damaged, and the whole building counts 
  as difficult terrain. 
   
  The bottom floor is on fire. Each round that the heroes are in 
  it, they suffer a fire attack (1d20+5) against their Fortitude 
  Defense. On a successful attack, they take 1d6 points of damage 
  and catch on fire; on a miss, they take half damage and do not 
  catch on fire. Taking reasonable precautions (such as getting wet 
  or covering up with a thick blanket) adds +5 to that character’s 
  Fortitude Defense against the fire attacks. A character who is on 
  fire can put himself out as a full-round action. 
   
  The entire burning building is also a smoke hazard. Each 
  round that a character is exposed to a smoke hazard, make an 
  attack roll (1d20+5) against the target’s Fortitude Defense. If the 
  attack succeeds, the target takes 1d6 points of damage and 
  moves –1 step down the condition track. If the attack fails, the 
  target takes half damage and does not move down the condition 
  track. Being in the smoke grants concealment, and creatures not 
  in the smoke have concealment against those in the smoke. 
   
  Though the stairs in the burning building still work, they are 
  in the far corner, reachable only by moving through a lot of 
  smoke and fire. The turbolift shaft, which is closer, no longer has 
  a working turbolift, but it can be climbed with a DC 20 Climb 
  check. A character can also climb up the outside of the building 
  with a DC 15 Climb check. Climbing up the outside of the 
  building protects a hero from smoke damage but not from fire. 
  Climbing while carrying a Nazren child imposes a –2 penalty to 
  the check, and climbing while carrying a Medium creature 
  imposes a –5 penalty to the check. (continues on next page) 
  Collateral Damage 
  Challenge Level 10 
   
   
  Setup 
  This area features two buildings, the collapsing residential building and a 
  small warehouse. Stormtroopers are positioned on the roof of the 
  warehouse. Anyone inside either building has cover from attacks from 
  the outside, and anyone on the roof of either building has cover from 
  those not on one of the two roofs. 
  Read-Aloud Text 
  Read the following text aloud any time the heroes are moving from one 
  part of the city to another. 
  Nazren Children 
  There are a dozen panicked Nazren children trapped on the roof of the 
  burning building. They are Small 1st-level nonheroic characters, 
  unwilling to make attacks and not currently the targets of any enemy 
  fire. Treat them as having Defenses of 10 and skill checks of +0 if their 
  abilities become important. The children will obey anyone who is clearly 
  trying to assist them. 
   
  A dozen stormtroopers are on the warehouse roof. Use the heavy 
  stormtrooper statistics on page 279 of the Saga Edition Core Rulebook. 
  Tactics 
  The stormtroopers are here to call in targeting instructions to the blaster 
  artillery on Mount Antas. They had the residential building hit to ensure 
  that no provocateurs were inside (none were). They have no interest in 
  the trapped children and don’t target them, but the stormtroopers shoot 
  at any hero or armed Nazren. The stormtroopers try to hold their 
  defensible position on the warehouse roof, but they move if forced to 
  (such as if someone throws a thermal detonator onto the roof). 
  Otherwise, they shoot first at any hero who doesn’t have cover, and then 
  at any hero who seems heavily armed. If a character shows a lightsaber, 
  that character is targeted with frag grenades until the stormtroopers run 
  out. 
  Conclusion 
  Nazren civilians come out of basements and bunkers to offer to care for 
  any rescued child. These adult Nazren are grateful to the heroes for their 
  help and offer what minor assistance they can. A single medpac may be 
  available for wounded heroes, or the Nazren can give directions to any 
  other part of the city, including Martyr’s Plaza, the spaceport, or even 
  the artillery if a hero thinks to ask—one of the Nazren here helped dig 
  the moorings for the blaster cannons. 
   
  If a stormtrooper is killed or captured, his utility belt beeps, 
  revealing a coded comlink. A DC 15 Use Computer check allows a 
  character to activate the comlink and receive communication from the 
  blaster artillery on the lower levels of Mount Antas. The artillery is 
  reporting to all spotters to hold targeting commands until further notice. 
  The old Clone Wars-era artillery has suffered a malfunction and won’t be 
  able to fire for another 15 minutes or so. The comlink is attached to a 
  datapad that shows the artillery’s concealed location. Armed with this 
  information, the heroes may make a strike on the artillery. 
  Encounter Map 
  See the map of the area on page 19. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The sounds of distant combat echo from every street as the city 
  erupts into widespread violence. The smell of smoke and burned 
  insulation becomes thick enough to reach you even through your 
  filter masks. A loud clap of thunder announces the opening of heavy 
  blaster artillery bombarding the city from the base of Mount Antas. 
  One of the heavy bolts arcs into the city near you, and a wave of 
  debris showers over you as a building takes a direct hit. 
   
  Nazren children inside the building cry for help as the structure 
  leans to the side, and fire bursts out through the lower-floor 
  windows. A few adult Nazren rush toward the building but are 
  forced to take cover as stormtroopers on the roof of a nearby 
  warehouse open fire on them. While the children seem to be moving 
  safely to the top of their ravaged home, the burning building will 
  claim their lives in a matter of minutes if the stormtroopers don’t 
  allow some rescue effort. 
  
   
   
  19
  Features of the Area
   
  (continued from previous page) 
   
  The roof of the burning building is currently free of fire and 
  smoke hazards, but that won’t last long. Every 5 rounds, one 
  randomly selected square of the roof catches fire, and all 
  surrounding squares become smoke hazards. Once there is no 
  longer enough room on the roof for all refugees, they begin to 
  jump. Make a 1d20 attack roll against a falling character’s 
  Fortitude Defense. On a successful attack, the character takes 
  4d6 points of damage; on a failed attack, the character takes 
  half damage. (The adult Nazren in the area gather around the 
  building, ignoring stormtrooper fire to catch any children who 
  jump so that the kids don’t take falling damage.) 
   
  The warehouse is in much better shape. A lip runs around 
  the outer edge, allowing any prone character to gain cover 
  against attacks made from the ground or the burning building. 
  The outer wall of the warehouse is more difficult to climb (DC 20 
  Climb check), but the building has two working lifts inside. 
   
  Any time a frag grenade or other explosive is set off inside 
  the burning building (most likely thrown by the stormtroopers), 
  everyone in the building is showered with rubble as the damaged 
  structure shudders. (Make a 1d20+5 attack roll against 
  everyone’s Reflex Defense, dealing 2d6 points of damage on a hit 
  and none on a miss.) 
  Collateral Damage Encounter Map 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  TURBOLIFT SHAFT
  
   
   
  20 
  Features of the Area
   
  The walls of this basement are sturdy, as are the pillars holding it 
  up. The crab droids dig their way in across from the entrance and 
  leave a tunnel leading out. The stairs are buried when the 
  buildings outside collapse, so the tunnel becomes the only exit. 
  Rest Stop 
  Challenge Level 9 
   
   
  Setup 
  As starfighter-damaged buildings bury a street, an old Nazren woman 
  leads the heroes to safety. They get a few minutes of respite before some 
  of Vril Vrakth’s crab droids find them. 
  Read-Aloud Text 
  Read the following text aloud any time the heroes seem to need a break 
  from nonstop rioting. 
  Yurka Aggel 
  The old Nazren is Yurka Aggel, a healer and wise woman among her kind. 
  She aids the heroes in any way she can, which is mostly limited to her 
  single Force power, vital transfer. Aggel has seen her people go from a 
  proud and independent civilization to Imperial slaves, and she is happy 
  to see the Nazren rise up to throw off the Empire’s shackles. 
   
  Yurka Aggel: 3rd-level nonheroic; 24 hp; vital transfer; Use the Force +5. 
   
  Since Aggel isn’t going to fight the heroes, isn’t attacked by the crab 
  droids, and doesn’t go with the heroes, you’re unlikely to need other 
  statistics for her. If you do, use the statistics for the rebel trooper (page 
  280 of the Saga Edition Core Rulebook). 
  Crab Droids 
  Unless they’ve all been destroyed already (which is unlikely), three of Vril 
  Vrakth’s crab droids crawl in through a tunnel in the back of the shelter 
  and attack the heroes. Use the statistics on page 201 of the Saga Edition 
  Core Rulebook. The crab droids have no interest in Yurka Aggel but are 
  happy to attack Sartok if he’s present. 
  Tactics 
  The crab droids aren’t complicated. They march in, start firing, and 
  continue to fire until destroyed. 
  Conclusion 
  Yurka Aggel suggests that the crab droids must have been looking for 
  someone, possibly based on spotter’s reports from the V-wings. An 
  inspection of the crab droids shows that they have been heavily 
  damaged, repaired, and modified over the years, but not by the Empire. 
  Each droid bears an owner’s stamp. Anyone who knows Zabrak or who 
  makes a DC 15 Knowledge (galactic lore) check can identify the stamp as 
  a Zabrak symbol that is best translated as “long hunter.” This might be 
  the heroes’ first clue that a bounty hunter is on their trail. 
  Encounter Map 
  See the map of the area below. 
   
   
   
   
   
  V-wings go screaming overhead, dropping mines and making 
  blaster-fire runs on larger buildings. One of the buildings beside you 
  explodes, sending chunks of rubble everywhere. The buildings groan 
  and look ready to collapse. 
   
  From a set of stairs leading down into a sturdy-looking 
  basement bunker, a voice calls to you. “Over here! Quickly, you’ll be 
  safe here!” A frail, older Nazren female waves you to follow her into 
  the lower level of what seems to be a church or old meeting house. 
  With a loud crack, other buildings begin to slide into the street and 
  threaten to bury you. 
  
   
   
  21
  The Black Ship 
  Challenge Level 10 
   
   
  Setup 
  The cliff wall that runs along the north edge of the landing platform is 
  very rough and has numerous cables and sensors bolted to it. This makes 
  it very easy to climb (DC 7 Climb check) and gives characters the 
  opportunity to take cover if they wish. A cable can be used as an 
  improvised electrostaff (dealing 4d6 points of damage) but can’t be 
  taken more than 3 squares from the wall without breaking loose and 
  losing power. A DC 20 Mechanics check allows a wrenched-free cable to 
  incapacitate the black ship, stranding the Trandoshan slavers here. 
   
  The slavers also have four nashtah, six-legged lizards about the size 
  of a big dog. 
  Read-Aloud Text 
  When the heroes approach the site of the slaver ship (named The Bloody 
  Credit), read the following. 
  Slavers 
  The Trandoshan slavers are experienced mercenaries who fought as 
  Separatist soldiers during the Clone Wars and who have been capturing 
  and moving Wookiees for the Empire. Because they usually want to 
  capture subjects alive and often have to deal with rebellious slaves 
  without damaging them too badly, the slavers have more experience in 
  unarmed combat than with firing blasters. 
   Nine Trandoshans remain inside the ship, trying to repair its systems 
  so that it can take off again. Meanwhile, nine more slavers are rounding 
  up Nazren outside. 
   Much of the cargo space in The Bloody Credit has been converted to 
  slave pens. The Trandoshans use all the regular passenger space for 
  themselves, allowing the ship to have a larger-than-normal crew. 
  Nashtah 
  For the nashtah, use the nexu statistics on page 276 of the Saga Edition 
  Core Rulebook. Like the slavers, the nashtah have breath masks strapped 
  on to protect them from the smoke. Choose one of the slavers to be the 
  nashtah handler. If that slaver is taken out, the nashtah flee the scene if 
  they are intimidated, move more than 1 step down the condition track, 
  or suffer any fear effect. Otherwise, the beasts attack the closest hero at 
  the beginning of each round. 
  Tactics 
  The Trandoshans want to escape with enough slaves to turn a profit. If 
  that doesn’t seem likely, however, they run for it. If they can get all their 
  forces into the ship, it takes off with whatever slaves are already inside. 
  If the heroes gain control of the ship, the remaining slavers run into the 
  city and try to hide from the Nazren’s wrath. 
   
  Slaver (9) 
  CL 5 
  Medium Trandoshan soldier 5 
  Force 4 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision; Perception +3 
  Languages Basic, Dosh 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defense Ref 21 (flat-footed 19), Fort 20, Will 16 
  hp 72; Threshold 20 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed 6 squares 
  Melee unarmed +10 (1d8+8) or 
   
  unarmed +6 (1d8+12) with 4 points of Power Attack or 
   
  unarmed +10 (2d8+8) with Mighty Swing 
  Ranged hold-out blaster +7 (3d4+2) 
  Base Atk +5; Grp +10 
  Atk Options Devastating Attack (simple weapons), Melee Smash, Mighty 
  Swing, Stunning Strike 
  Special Actions limb regeneration 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 20, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10 
  Talents Devastating Attack (simple weapons), Melee Smash, Stunning 
  Strike 
  Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II, 
  Mighty Swing, Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Proficiency (pistols, 
  rifles, simple weapons) 
  Skills Endurance +10, Jump +12 
  Possessions hold-out blaster, comlink 
   
  The Bloody Credit 
  CL 8 
  Colossal space transport 
  Init –5; Senses Perception +5 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defense Ref 14 (flat-footed 14), Fort 31; +14 armor 
  hp 130; DR 15; SR 45; Threshold 81 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed fly 12 squares (max. velocity 650 km/h), fly 2 squares (starship 
  scale) 
  Fighting Space 1 square (starship scale); Cover total (crew) 
  Base Atk +0; Grp +41 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 53, Dex 10, Con —, Int 12 
  Skills Initiative –5, Mechanics +5, Perception +5, Pilot –5, Use Computer 
  +5 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Crew 6 (normal); Passengers 40 
  Cargo 19,000 tons; Consumables 6 months; Carried Craft none 
  Hyperdrive ×4, navcomputer 
  Availability Licensed; Cost 350,000 (125,000 used) 
  The foul scent of acidic vapors chokes the air, and you hear the 
  barks of rushed orders ahead of you. Turning the corner, you see a 
  group of Trandoshans in old military jumpsuits, along with four 
  multilegged lizard beasts, all wearing breath masks and driving a 
  line of Nazren toward the black ship. You’ve seen ships of this type 
  before—they carry slaves. The Trandoshans seem to be in a hurry and 
  aren’t being gentle. They cuff and beat the Nazren, forcing the 
  prisoners along a docking wall covered with cables and into the 
  ship’s loading ramp. 
  
   
   
  22 
  Features of the Area
   
  The entire area is filled with smoke; the badly tuned engines of 
  the slavers’ ship belch gas and impurities into the air. The slavers 
  had planned to get the engines fixed before taking off, but the 
  rioting has convinced them otherwise. The smoke acts as an 
  atmospheric hazard, making a 1d20+5 attack against the 
  Fortitude Defense of all creatures not wearing breath masks (as 
  all the slavers and nashtah are). A successful attack deals 1d6 
  points of damage and moves a target –1 step down the 
  condition track. Crude efforts to block the smoke (such as tying a 
  wet cloth across the mouth) don’t prevent the damage but do 
  stop the target from automatically moving down the condition 
  track. All of the Nazren slaves are protected in this manner, but 
  each slave would gladly give his or her protection to a hero in 
  trouble. The smoke also gives everyone in the area concealment 
  if they are not adjacent to their attacker. 
   
  The nine Trandoshans in the ship are too busy to fight 
  anyone who gets inside; the ship is in bad shape and needs care 
  or it won’t take off. Any hero inside the ship can free five Nazren 
  slaves each round. There are 60 slaves inside the ship. 
  Conclusion 
  If The Bloody Credit gets away, the heroes have a few options. If they 
  dare, they can take to their starship and go after it. If they take this 
  approach, run a space battle at the edge of the planet’s ring of dust and 
  debris, using the same rules as in Part 2: Into the Jaws (page 6). If the 
  combat lasts more than 10 rounds, three V-wings arrive to aid the slave 
  ship. Three additional V-wings arrive on round 15, and the Arkanian 
  Dragon shows up on round 20. (If the heroes managed to defeat the 
  Dragon earlier in the adventure, use whatever Star Destroyer comes to 
  replace it.) However, if at any time the slaver ship has fewer than half its 
  hit points and no Imperial ship is present to assist it, the Trandoshans 
  surrender and either land or allow the heroes to board their ship. 
   
  Any freed slaves immediately grab weapons from the slavers (or use 
  tools or sticks to arm themselves if nothing else is handy) and rush off to 
  join the revolt. (They don’t attack the Trandoshans, leaving that to the 
  heroes, which prevents you from having to run too many GM characters 
  in this conflict.) This escalates the rioting within the city to its peak and 
  draws Imperial forces away from Martyr’s Plaza. If the heroes fail to free 
  any slaves (and thus don’t draw forces away from the plaza), add an AT-
  RT (from the “Checkpoint Gamma” encounter) to the “Battle for Martyr’s 
  Plaza” encounter. 
   
  If there are any crab droids left in Vrakth’s arsenal, they attack the 
  heroes at the landing pad 5 minutes after the slaver encounter ends. 
  They fight until one crab droid is destroyed, at which point the 
  remaining droids flee in different directions to rendezvous with Vrakth. 
  Encounter Map 
  See the map of the area below. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  23
  Battle for Martyr’s Plaza 
  Challenge Level 11 
   
   
  Setup 
  At the center of Martyr’s Plaza is a 9-meter wide stone dome with a 
  hatch on top. Three massive statues surround it, depicting ancient 
  martyred heroes of the Nazren. The Empire has set up three defensive 
  turrets between the statues. An AT-ST patrols the 30-meter-wide empty 
  circle around the dome and statues. If there are any other forces here, 
  they support the AT-ST.  
   
  The AT-ST is a major foe for the heroes, and this battle is one of the 
  centerpieces of the adventure. The heroes might be able to defeat the 
  walker through sheer firepower, but they can also attempt to take 
  control of a turret or topple a giant statue onto the AT-ST. If the heroes 
  come up with another workable plan for dealing with the walker, feel 
  free to run with it. Beating the machine that has terrified the Nazren for 
  months should be the heroes’ greatest moment of glory to date. 
  Read-Aloud Text 
  Read the following text as soon as the heroes can see the plaza. 
  Each turret is located between two of the three statues. As a result, each 
  one has line of sight to only a third of the battlefield, and the turrets 
  cannot target each other. Treat them as stationary Incom-T47 
  airspeeders (they have the same weapons, defenses, DR, and hit points, 
  and they are manned by skilled soldiers). 
  Tactics 
  The AT-ST is aggressive, hunting down any heroes it spots and attacking 
  with a full weapon load. If a hero has cover, the walker isn’t shy about 
  using its grenade launcher to attack an area or firing all weapons at the 
  cover to destroy it. The turrets have fewer options and simply fire at 
  anything in their line of sight that isn’t Imperial. If an enemy vehicle 
  appears, a turret tries to tie it down with a harpoon gun. Whenever 
  possible, each turret provides cover fire for the AT-ST, and the walker 
  tries to ensure that no one swarms over and takes control of a turret. 
   
  If the heroes defeat the AT-ST and the turrets, they can open the 
  hatch in the stone dome and descend into the underground control 
  center. The six Imperial technicians inside the station surrender. They 
  realize that they have no chance against any force able to defeat a 
  walker. On the other hand, if you want to run another encounter in the 
  control center, have the Imperial technicians resist the intruders. 
  Imperial Technician (6) 
  CL 2 
  Medium Human nonheroic 3/soldier 1 
  Force 1; Dark Side 3 
  Init +3; Senses Perception +2 
  Languages Basic, Binary (understand only) 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defenses Ref 13 (flat-footed 12), Fort 13, Will 11 
  hp 14; Threshold 13 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed 6 squares 
  Melee unarmed +3 (1d4) 
  Ranged blaster pistol +5 (3d6+2) 
  Base Atk +3; Grp +4 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 11, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10 
  Talents Weapon Specialization (pistols) 
  Feats Armor Proficiency (light), Skill Training (Knowledge [technology]), 
  Weapon Focus (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (pistols, rifles, simple 
  weapons) 
  Skills Knowledge (technology) +7, Mechanics +7, Use Computer +7 
  Possessions blaster pistol, comlink, utility belt, blast helmet and vest 
  Conclusion 
  Once the heroes and their Nazren allies take over the control center, 
  they are in charge of all communication on the planet. They can cut off 
  Imperial communications planetwide, and they begin to hear reports of 
  Nazren defeating stormtroopers throughout the city. 
   
  In addition, the Nazren now control the rogue tracking station. The 
  Empire will have to deal with rogue fragments if they wish to land on 
  Nizon from space, greatly increasing the difficulty of an Imperial mission 
  to retake the planet. 
   
  The control center is also able to track the crab droids that have 
  been harassing the heroes by tracing their signal back to its origin. If a 
  hero thinks to try this, it requires a DC 15 Use Computer check. 
   
  The heroes also detect a message from an Imperial officer to Vril 
  Vrakth, who is stationed on Mount Antas. It instructs him to wait for any 
  remaining officers within the city, then destroy the Sarlacc Project 
  database and evacuate the planet. Vrakth acknowledges the order but 
  doesn’t promise to obey it. If the heroes contact Vrakth, he offers to 
  leave the database intact but taunts them by suggesting that they come 
  talk to him about it in person. Vrakth isn’t done with his hunt just yet. 
   
  If Sartok accompanied the heroes into the control center, he asks to 
  remain there so that he can coordinate revolts planetwide. However, if 
  the heroes want him to keep traveling with them, he agrees to do so, 
  assigning another Nazren to stay and begin the worldwide operations. 
  Encounter Map 
  See the map of the area on page 24. 
   
  Martyr’s Plaza is a picture of dichotomy. The ornate central stone 
  dome is covered in scrollwork and decorative bas reliefs of Nazren 
  history. A hatch sits atop the dome, its thick metal etched with 
  golden colors. Standing around the dome are three 15-meter-tall 
  statues. Each depicts a Nazren in robes, arms extended and face 
  tilted up to the sky. Though the statues are noble and moving, they 
  are also centuries old. Each shows signs of wear from the elements, 
  and their bases are cracked and worn away. One of the statues leans 
  slightly, and the others don’t seem securely set in their mountings. 
   
  Marring this peaceful and holy place are the ugly scars of 
  Imperial occupation. Three armored turrets sit between the statues, 
  blasters tracking the outer rim of the plaza. Walking in patrol 
  around the dome is an All-Terrain Scout Transport, a massive war 
  machine armed with twin blaster cannons, twin light blasters, and a 
  grenade launcher. The walker seems undamaged and is alert for 
  possible trouble. 
  
   
   
  24 
  Features of the Area
   
  The three central statues of the martyrs are sitting loose on their 
  bases, and each weighs as much as a space transport. However, a 
  judicious use of explosives might be able to knock one over, 
  possibly crushing a turret or even the AT-ST. A single charge of 
  explosives can knock over a statue if a DC 35 Mechanics check is 
  made to set the charge. Four or more charges of explosives can 
  do it with a DC 25 Mechanics check. Also, any attack at the base 
  of a statue that hits a Reflex Defense of 20 and deals 50 or more 
  points of damage knocks over that statue. (Each statue has a 
  Reflex Defense of 5, but an attack that doesn’t hit a Reflex 
  Defense of 20 lacks the precision to knock it over—the attack 
  merely causes damage instead.) 
  If a statue is knocked over, it covers an area 3 squares wide 
  and 10 squares long, starting from its base. Whoever knocked it 
  over decides exactly what area it covers and makes an attack roll 
  (using only base attack bonus) against everything in the area. A 
  successful attack deals 15d6 points of damage to a target; a 
  miss that hits at least a Defense of 10 deals 5d6 points of 
  damage. Any target that moves a step down the condition track 
  from this damage is pinned under the rubble and can free 
  himself only by making a Strength check with a DC equal to the 
  damage dealt. Anyone unable to free himself can be dug out by a 
  dozen or so workers in 10 to 20 minutes. 
   
  The hatch on the dome, which leads to the underground 
  control center, has DR 20 and 150 hit points. It can be bypassed 
  with a DC 30 Mechanics check. 
  Battle for Martyr’s Plaza 
  Encounter Map 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  25
  Point Gold 
  Challenge Level 12 
   
   
  Setup 
  This encounter follows immediately after the heroes seize the entrance 
  to the control center beneath Martyr’s Plaza. It takes place atop a shield 
  generator on Mount Antas, which was under construction when the riots 
  began. 
  Read-Aloud Text 
  When the heroes arrive in this area, read the following text aloud: 
   
  Vril Vrakth 
  Vril Vrakth was raised on a failed colony, a world too harsh to support 
  much life. As food and resources became increasingly scarce, his people 
  turned on themselves in a series of increasingly vicious settlement wars. 
  Though Vrakth originally began training as a soldier, he changed to 
  follow the career of a scout. He learned the value of hunting prey with 
  caution, but he also learned that most battles are won by those who 
  shoot the fastest and can withstand the most damage. When a bounty 
  hunter named Jeyrs Hundar followed a criminal to Vrakth’s homeland, 
  the young Zabrak was one of only a handful of colonists still alive. 
  Impressed with Vrakth’s tenacity and self-reliance, Hundar took him on 
  as an apprentice bounty hunter. 
   
  Vrakth alternated between training to be a warrior and training to 
  be a hunter, eventually becoming a crack shot with a pistol. He served as 
  Hundar’s backup, covering escape routes and double-teaming the targets 
  that were too dangerous to take solo. When Hundar proved too slow to 
  bring in a particularly vicious Rodian, Vrakth completed the job. This 
  established him as a feared bounty hunter (despite having no levels in 
  the bounty hunter prestige class—Vrakth is as much an assassin as a 
  hunter). He soon came to the attention of a local Republic governor, 
  who used him to hunt down CIS generals during the Clone Wars. Vrakth 
  now works almost exclusively for the Empire, especially Inquisitor Valin 
  Draco. 
  Vril Vrakth 
  CR 10 
  Medium Zabrak soldier 3/scout 4/gunslinger 3 
  Force 8 
  Init +8 (Improved Quick Draw with pistol); Senses Perception +11 
  Languages Basic, Huttese, Zabrak 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Defense Ref 32 (29), Fort 27, Will 24 
  hp 92; Threshold 27 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Speed 4 squares 
  Melee force pike +11 (2d8+9) 
  Ranged heavy blaster pistol +13 (3d8+6) or 
   
  heavy blaster pistol +13 (4d8+6) with Rapid Shot (Trigger Work) or 
  Ranged thermal detonator +12 (8d6+5) (4-square burst) 
  Base Atk +9; Grp +12 
  Atk Options Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot 
  ———————————————————————————— 
  Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 8 
  Special Qualities heightened awareness, trusty sidearm +1 
  Talents Armored Defense, Evasion, Improved Armored Defense, Improved 
  Quick Draw, Surefooted, Trigger Work 
  Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Extra Second Wind, Point Blank 
  Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Shake It Off, Weapon 
  Focus (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (advanced melee weapons, pistols, 
  rifles, simple weapons) 
  Skills Endurance +12, Knowledge (Tactics) +11, Mechanics +11, 
  Perception +11 (may reroll) 
  Possessions heavy blaster pistol (2), force pike, thermal detonators (4), 
  battle armor, comlink, pocket scrambler, code cylinder, voice amplifier 
  (can be heard clearly from half a kilometer away) 
   
  Crab Droids 
  Vrakth has six crab droids (see page 201 of the Saga Edition Core 
  Rulebook) that he has modified to obey him and serve as his scouts and 
  hunting drones. Each has an added comlink, which allows him to give 
  them override orders from his cloakshape fighter. The droids have been 
  hunting and harassing the heroes throughout their time on Nizon, and if 
  any remain, they are here. Since Vrakth is not directly controlling the 
  crab droids, they attack the nearest foe who attacks Vrakth. Any hero 
  who does not attack the bounty hunter is ignored by the crab droids. 
  Conclusion 
  When the encounter has concluded, the heroes and their Nazren allies 
  control the city, the rogue fragment tracking center, and the 
  construction on Mount Antas. Any remaining Imperial forces evacuate or 
  surrender, and reports begin to come in of Nazren seizing control in 
  smaller outposts and settlements. Between the tracking center and the 
  planetary shields and turbolasers (which they can complete), the Nazren 
  can make retaking their planet too costly for the Empire. 
  Encounter Map 
  See the map of the area on page 26. 
  The massive shield generator is incomplete but is already the biggest 
  structure in or near the city. While the eastern third is finished, the 
  rest is a mass of unfinished framework and construction platforms. 
  The far western section of the frame has a platform many meters in 
  the air, with a cloakshape fighter docked next to it. A Zabrak male in 
  battle armor stands at the edge of the platform and beckons to you. 
  He holds a datachip in his hand and touches his throat. His voice 
  booms out over the distance. 
   
  “Is this what you’ve caused all this difficulty over? Is this why a 
  request was made to Aldera University about this dustball? Well, 
  then, come and get it from me. Inquisitor Draco will pay me well for 
  bringing him your battered bodies in manacles!” 
  
   
   
  26 
  Features of the Area
   
  Vril Vrakth has a cloakshape fighter with an open cockpit docked 
  on the southern edge of a construction platform. The fighter is 
  datalocked and cannot be used in the battle; even a data slicer 
  would need too much time to crack it. However, in the cockpit is 
  the control system with which Vrakth gives override orders to 
  the crab droids. With a DC 15 Use Computer check, a hero could 
  send an override command, controlling a droid’s action each 
  round (a move action) or resetting which targets it considers 
  hostile (a standard action), thus allowing it to make its own 
  decisions. 
   
  There is a framework all around the construction platform, 
  which requires a DC 10 Climb check to move around in. The 
  framework extends above the platform, starting 6 meters higher, 
  so characters can jump up to it or climb to a higher vantage 
  point (and potentially jump down). However, the area is quite 
  open, and there’s very little cover to allow a Stealth check unless 
  Vrakth is distracted. 
   
  One square of the platform has a loose plate that a 
  character might fall through. Vrakth arranged this as a simple 
  trap if he’s rushed; he and the crab droids avoid that square. Any 
  hero stepping on it must make a DC 15 Acrobatics check or fall 
  at least 9 meters and take 3d6 points of falling damage. In 
  addition, anyone who falls through must make a Climb check to 
  get back up to the platform. 
  Point Gold Encounter Map 
   
   
   
   
  
  RPGA is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. © 2007 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
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  Event Name: _______________________________  Event Code: __________________________ 
  Adventure Title: ______________________________________________   Session Number: ____
  Date of Play: 
   
   
   
  Start Time:  
   
  S E S S i o N  T r A C k i N g
  (This number was given to the senior gM when the event was sanctioned.)
   Month 
  Day 
  Year
   Hour 
  Minute
  A legal rPgA table has no less than four players, and no more than six players.
  give hour in military time standard (p.m. hours 
  = hour +12). Don’t record the exact minute the 
  adventure played. instead list the closest 30-
  minute interval the game was scheduled to start 
  at (30 or 00).
  /
  /
  :
  Player                                                   
                               rPgA 
   
  Name                                                   
                               Number  
   
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  DM Name: _____________________
  D u N g E o N M A S T E r
  rPgA Number: May be less than a 10-digit number.
   The First to Strike (Dawn of Defiance, Part 5)
  DM Name: _____________________
      g A M E M A S T E r
  RPGA is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. © 2007 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  a
  b
  c
  Event Name: _______________________________  Event Code: __________________________ 
  Adventure Title: ______________________________________________   Session Number: ____
  Date of Play: 
   
   
   
  Start Time:  
   
  S E S S i o N  T r A C k i N g
  (This number was given to the senior gM when the event was sanctioned).
   Month 
  Day 
  Year
   Hour 
  Minute
  A legal rPgA table has no less than four players, and no more than six players.
  give hour in military time standard (p.m. hours 
  = hour +12). Don’t record the exact minute the 
  adventure played. instead list the closest 30-
  minute interval the game was scheduled to start 
  at (30 or 00).
  /
  /
  :
  Player                                                 
                              rPgA 
  Name                                                 
                              Number 
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  DM Name: _____________________
  D u N g E o N M A S T E r
  rPgA Number: May be less than a 10-digit number.
  DM Name: _____________________
      g A M E M A S T E r
  (For administrative use only.)
  (For administrative use only.)
    The First to Strike (Dawn of Defiance, Part 5)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Star Wars [multi]/SWD20/Saga/SWD20 (Saga) - Campaign - Dawn of Defiance - Episode 05 - The First to Strike.pdf