A charming duelist determined to end the darkness of the Sith with a sweep of his saber. A warrior, centered in his body and one with the cockpit, sworn to bring justice to a galaxy bereft of it. A healer determined to master her craft and become one with the Living Force. A guerrilla fighter determined to use her saber, rifle, and skills to bring freedom to the galaxy. Each Meet the Party article gives you an entire group of ready-to-play adventurers (maybe even some heroes) for your gaming needs for a variety of systems and settings. It’s time to complete your Trials and ditch the Padawan braids as we explore Knight Level play in our return to Star Wars: Force and Destiny from Fantasy Flight Games!

Force and Destiny has your characters living as Force-users in the era of the Galactic Empire, hunted just for existing while struggling to learn their way in a galaxy where the organizations that would have taught them are gone or underground. That’s where Inisa, Kale, Dro, and Inaya got started. Force and Destiny also proposes a different level of play, however: Knight Level. Any campaign is considered to have reached Knight Level if the characters have gained at least 150 XP, but it’s possible to create characters that start at Knight Level. In addition to an extra 150 XP received right after character creation, characters receive either a basic lightsaber or an additional 9,000 credits, and can train skills up to Rank 3 before starting play. Let’s see what kind of characters these extra resources can get us.

Nuro Muvunc, Twi’lek Mystic/Makashi Duelist

Bonus: +5 XP, +1,000 Credits

Morality: 50 (Enthusiasm and Arrogance)

Motivation: Ambition (Destroy the Sith) and Faith (Friends and Family)

Characteristics: Brawn 1, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 3,  Willpower 3, Presence 4

Force Rating: 1

Wound Threshold: 11

Strain Threshold: 16

Soak: 2

Defense: 0 Ranged/2 Melee

Abilities: Free Rank in Deception, Remove Setback for Arid/Hot Conditions

Talents: Resist Disarm, Makashi Technique, Duelist’s Training, Parry 5, Feint, Defensive Training, Grit 2

Force Powers: None

Skills: Deception 1, Charm 3, Knowledge (Outer Rim) 1, Perception 1, Vigilance 1, Lightsaber 2, Coercion 1

Equipment: Lightsaber (Ilum Crystal with 1 Vicious, 1 Damage, and One Crit Mod , Curved Hilt with Def. Mod), Heavy Clothing, Comlink (Handheld), Stimpack, 37 Credits

Nuro Muvunc is, by a large margin, the best wielder of a lightsaber in the group. Defensive Training makes him harder to hit, Parry lets him reduce damage, Duelist’s Training improves his accuracy when facing a single opponent, and Feint lets him use his own misses to throw enemies off balance and foul their own attacks. It doesn’t hurt that his basic lightsaber has been modified to be more deadly, as well as Defensive. With Makashi Technique making Lightsaber work off of Presence, it helps that he is also charming to a degree practically beyond belief. He can craft a decent lie and threaten ably enough, but the smile of a dashing swordsman is his expertise.

Bal Socor, Nautolan Warrior/Starfighter Ace

Bonus: +10 XP

Morality: 50 (Justice and Cruelty)

Motivation: Cause (Peace)

Characteristics: Brawn 3, Agility 4, Intellect 2, Cunning 2,  Willpower 1, Presence 2

Force Rating: 2

Wound Threshold: 14

Strain Threshold: 11

Soak: 4

Defense: 1 Ranged/1 Melee

Abilities: Free Rank in Athletics, Amphibious

Talents: Grit, Skilled Jockey, Confidence, Intuitive Evasion, Rapid Reaction, Touch of Fate, Intuitive Strike, Force Rating, Tricky Target, Dedication (Agility), Solid Repairs

Force Powers: None

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 3, Cool 1, Perception 1, Survival 1, Gunnery 2, Piloting (Space) 2, Astrogation 2, Mechanics 1

Equipment: Talisman of Iron Fists, Armored Clothing, Brass Knuckles, Commlink (Handheld), Spacesuit, Toolkit, 38 Credits

Bal Socor has learned to utilize the Force without having to learn any of the traditional Powers. Instead, he uses it through talents and equipment. Intuitive Evasion allows him to commit Force dice to upgrade incoming attacks on his ship, while Intuitive Strike can mean extra damage or advantage. These Force Talents make him a solid threat from the cockpit alone,  but then they’re joined by mundane talents, with Tricky Target making him even more difficult to hit and Skilled Jockey earning its name.  He’s also the best navigator and mechanic the group has, with Touch of Fate adding a pair of boost dice to an important roll of any kind. Outside of the cockpit he’s dangerous with his hands, but the Talisman of Iron Fists makes him more than that. Not only does it grant his body the Cortosis quality, it gives his Brawl attacks a Pierce quality equal to his Force Rating, letting him literally channel the Force to punch through armor.

Zakay Koslar, Zabrak Consular/Healer

Bonus: +21 Morality

Morality: 71 (Discipline and Fear)

Motivation: Faith (Religious Code) and Ambition (Enlightenment)

Characteristics: Brawn 2, Agility 2, Intellect 3, Cunning 2,  Willpower 3, Presence 1

Force Rating: 2

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 16

Soak: 4

Defense: 1 Ranged/1 Melee

Abilities: Free Rank in Survival, Fearsome Countenance

Talents: Surgeon, Healing Trance, Physician, Grit, Knowledgeable Healing, Calming Aura, Force Rating

Force Powers: Heal/Harm (Range 1, Magnitude 2, Control 1), Bind (Strength 1, Control 1)

Skills: Survival 1, Cool 1, Discipline 2, Knowledge (Education) 1, Knowledge (Lore) 1, Knowledge (Xenology) 1, Medicine 3

Equipment: Meditation Focus, Armored Robes, Physician’s Kit, Wilderness Survival Kit, Commlink (Handheld), Backpack, Stimpack x7,  64 Credits

Zakay Koslar is a literal Paragon of the Light Side of the Force, and it shows. She is greatly skilled at using the Heal power to make wounds fade away, and can use the Bind power to restrain enemies so that they cannot harm anyone – including themselves, if need be. Even without the Force, her ranks in Medicine make her a great healer, backed up by Surgeon and Physician. Healing Trance lets her heal herself faster so that she can get back to helping others. She has the broadest selection of Knowledge skills in the group, with Xenology feeding into Knowledge Healing so that she can use Destiny Points for even more healing. Calming Aura lets her hamper hostile Force powers, which will cover her allies as well when it is Improved. With her Meditation Focus her status as a Paragon increases her Strain Threshold, while being a Paragon also adds a Light Side point to the Destiny Pool every time the pool is generated. Avoid Conflict!

Cessa Sy, Togruta Sentinel/Shadow/Shien Expert

Bonus: + 2500 Credits

Morality: 50 (Curiousity and Obsession)

Motivation: Cause (Freedom)

Characteristics: Brawn 1, Agility 3, Intellect 3, Cunning 3,  Willpower 2, Presence 2

Force Rating: 2

Wound Threshold: 11

Strain Threshold: 12

Soak: 2

Defense: 1 Ranged/1 Melee

Abilities: Free Rank in Perception, Pack Instincts

Talents: Sleight of Mind, Well Rounded (Ranged (Heavy), Vigilance), Street Smarts, Mental Fortress, Dodge, Codebreaker, Anatomy Lessons, Force Rating, Street Smarts, Shien Technique

Force Powers: Misdirect ( Duration 1, Control 1)

Skills: Perception 1, Computers 1, Deception 1, Skullduggery 1, Stealth 2, Streetwise 1, Lightsaber 1, Ranged (Heavy) 1

Equipment: Lightsaber (Ilum Crystal), Blaster Rifle, Armored Clothing, Comlink (Handheld), Electrobinoculars,  Datapad, Backpack, Utility Belt, Climbing Gear, Scanner Goggles, 10 Stimpacks, 1 Extra Reload, Disguise Kit, Hand Scanner, 73 Credits

Cessa Sy is as slippery and skilled as she is deadly. Her natural talent at Stealth is boosted by Sleight of Mind, and Mental Fortress allows her to ignore Intellect and Cunning-based Critical Effects when needed. She’s the most perceptive member of the group, and between her ranks in Streetwise and Street Smarts she’s more than capable of finding what she needs in the big cities. She’s equally skilled at slicing into computers and various shady activites, and there’s few combat situations she’s uncomfortable in. Whether sending blaster fire down range or wielding her lightsaber using her Shien Technique, she’s an able combatant to be sure. Anatomy Lessons lets her pick out an enemy’s weak spot, while Dodge keeps others from finding hers. Finally, her Misdirect power lets her hide things in plain sight, with Control letting her wrap things in illusion and Duration making the power’s effects sustainable.

Who They Are

Nuro Muvunc was a Padawan when Order 66 was given, on the front lines of the Outer Rim Sieges. With the clone troopers having turned on them Nuro and his Master fought their way to safety and went into hiding. For several years they managed to elude the Empire, until an Inquisitor was dispatched to deal with them. With Nuro’s saber destroyed, his Master sacrificed his life to strike down the Inquisitor. This left young Nuro with little more than his Master’s lightsaber and a vow: that no matter what the Sith and their minions did and no matter how long it took., Nuro would stand strong and vanquish them. Rather than become bitter or vengeful, Nuro has cultivated the persona of a charming folk hero, improving his skills at swordplay all the while. He truly believes that the bonds between himself and his allies can foil the plans of the Sith, no matter how dire the situation may seem.

Bal Socor is unique among the group in that he does not have any claim to the legacy of the Jedi. A member of a small sect of Force users, he was trained to focus the Force on his own body and his senses, making him a dangerous warrior in person and one with his ship in space. The Empire doesn’t just hunt Jedi, however, and soon they came for Bal and his fellows. Things did not proceed as the Imperials might have wished, as Stormtrooper armor was shattered by bare hands and TIEs sent tumbling into wreckage. Despite having won the Force users knew their victory would only draw ever more dangerous attacks from the Empire, and they decided to scatter. Bal, missing the peaceful days of meditation and personal betterment, decided that he would not merely skulk in the shadows and wait for evil to find him. Wherever injustice raised its head, Imperial or otherwise, he would be there to destroy it. He would restore peace to the galaxy with the guns of the ship, his bare hands, and the Force behind them both.

Zakay Koslar was a member of the Jedi Order’s Medical Corps not because she had failed her Trials, but because she had a gift for healing rarely seen even among the Jedi. Training under a Master who also had such a gift, she spent her days in the Jedi Temple’s Halls of Healing, tending to her fellow Jedi and those they rescued. As the Clone Wars began to take their toll she left the Halls more and more to assist wounded clones and refugees. She was fortunate enough to be out of the Temple, deep in the city, when the Purge began. Her Master was not. Zakay was able to eventually slip off of Imperial Center, but for years she let her powers atrophy out of fear, despite using mundane medical knowledge to carry on the Medical Corps’ mission. However, eventually her belief in the Living Force, the interconnectedness of all living things, and her desire to know the mysteries of the Force itself all but forced her to begin to use her powers again.

Cessa Sy was born a curious soul, in a galaxy that much preferred she keep her head down and mind her place. From a young age she began acquiring skills to circumvent those who would hamper her curiosity, and she’s grown up into a sneaky, sharp-eyed, scoundrel of a young woman. Of course, it wasn’t too long before the Empire itself began to track her, but she proved more than capable of throwing them off her trail. Eventually her curiosity led her to information about the Jedi, knowledge of her own burgeoning gifts, and her very own lightsaber. Tired of being hunted, she became determined to use her gifts to give the rest of the galaxy freedom to go wherever their destiny takes them. She’s not yet affiliated with the Alliance to Restore the Republic, but she sympathizes with their efforts and will assist them where and when she can, and strike against the Empire on her own when she can’t.

How They Interact

Nuro doesn’t quite know what to make of Bal, having grown up with the more or less binary philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith. Almost everything about the Nautolan’s beliefs and practices is just . . . different. That being said, his pursuit of justice matches pretty well with the goal of striking down the Sith. Zakay is almost too timid for the Sith-fighting business. Well, timid might not be the right word, but she’s definitely had her issues. Still, she’s much more in tune with the Force than Nuro is, and the entire group would likely be dead without her. Cessa doesn’t focus as much on the Sith at the top of the Empire as Nuro would like, but other than that she’s definitely got the right idea. Her skillset is great for dealing with Imperial minions, and Nuro is working with her on her swordplay.

Bal feels that Nuro is far too focused on being charming, and his flashy duels with his lightsaber stand in stark contrast to Bal’s own utilitarian style of personal combat. It is true, however, that the Sith Nuro hunts have perpetrated much injustice and broken the peace of the Old Republic. In this the two can be allies. Zakay’s ‘bedside manner’ leaves much to be desired, but her strict discipline and devotion to her craft remind Bal of the leaders of his own sect, which he finds oddly reassuring. Cessa is a strange one, sticking to the shadows yet still striking out at the darkness that consumes the galaxy. She is an interesting example that Bal’s way is not the only way, and has given him much to think on.

Zakay‘s discipline is at strict odds with Nuro’s outgoing attitude and flair; as far as she is concerned, he’s one step short of posting notices on the Holonet telling the Inquisitors where to find them and how best to kill them. His skill with a saber is undeniable, and he’s talked the group out of some tough spots, and those are more or less his only saving graces. Bal isn’t much better when it comes to laying low, but at least he’s comparatively quiet. He is also a very focused individual, something Zakay appreciates and admires. They sometimes meditate together. Cessa knows much better than anyone about laying low, yet still refuses to do so all the time. It is a somewhat vexing dichotomy, but the Togruta is working towards a galaxy wherein Zakay would be free to practice her trade and her faith, and Zakay is thankful for that.

Cessa thinks that Nuro can’t see the forest for the trees: the Empire won’t go away just because the Sith are vanquished. Getting rid of them would be a vital step, however, and in the meanwhile he makes a decent (if sometimes smug) sparring partner. Bal is a stodgy sort of sentient, but his quest for justice and piece matches pretty well for Cessa’s for freedom, and his life apart from any trace of the Jedi is fascinating. Zakay is so uptight it’s almost painful to see, but it’s hard to blame her. She is a kindred spirit, though, in that both women have a craft of sorts that makes them more than just fighters. Cessa also believes, perhaps rightly and perhaps wrongly, that Bal and Zakay are ‘a thing’. Since the pair of them obviously can’t be trusted to figure it out on their own, Cessa might have to take things into her own hands.

The Future

Just because you’ve mastered some aspects of the Force or gotten your hands on a lightsaber doesn’t mean that life under the shadow of the Empire gets any easier. If anything, it just might get more dangerous: you’re more likely to attract the attention of the Inquisitors, who will make someone of your talents a high priority target. Will Nuro, Bal, Zakay, and Cessa be able to restore freedom, peace, and justice to the galaxy, letting the Force guide their hands along the way? Or will the Great Purge merely catch them later than originally planned? That’s for you (and your dice) to determine!

Originally posted 10/22/15 on the Mad Adventurers Society!