A little something on the SIDE?

Hello people,

Another hugely entertaining session of Edge of the Empire this Wednesday following on from the fall-out of last time out. Various real-life factors meant that just three of the group were available in Perit, Tanner and 7-UP-0. Normally we'd cancel with such short number but not so long ago I read an article on J P on Gaming (an excellent roleplaying blog) about running sideplots. As the previous session had been brought to a satisfactory conclusion it gave the option so I took it.

Returning from their sewer run Sindori got a call from Agenai for some assistance elsewhere at which point Perit and Tanner headed back to Sal's Salvage to pick up what turned out to be Kanto's personal data-slate. On their way back out they came across a street urchin trying to cash in on a remarkably well known droid arm, perhaps it was the angle of the wrist....

Negotiating with the cheeky little chap was somewhat challenging but revealed that he and his mates had come across 7s in a dumpster behind The Trough in more pieces than one and that they'd split the spoils between them. Agreeing a price the little lad lead them back to their housing estate and summoned the rest of his street gang and what turned out to be the majority of 7s. It turned out the his head, spine and extra hard drive had been sold to a local Mr Fixit shop so Tanner and Perit headed on to it.

Sneaking up to a rear window Perit got a good look in establishing that it was some form of droid chop-shop with a shadowy robe clad skeletal chap pottering around the place in a rather robotic way with 7s and his bonus hard-drive hooked up to separate test rigs, though 7s had somehow found a new chassis!

 Eventually being admitted to the shop the boys went for the direct approach and simply expressed their interest in recovering 7s. Mr Fixit wasn't giving a lot away, other than a rather interesting odour of oil and manky robes, negotiating in a flat tone that occasionally slipped into a particular metallic twang! In short he required a certain crate recovering form a set of "independent contractors" who had renegotiated a contracted price at the last moment incurring his mono-syllabic displeasure.


Providing the location of a secure storage compound run for the benefit of a variety of local gangs Mr Fixit also provided a set of schematics and 7s head......attached to the chassis of a zero-G maintenance bot with integral remote override control unit. 7s was more put out to find himself without his beloved medipack than finding his left arm ending in a heavy duty multi-tool and his right ending in a ceramite disc saw. Medicine rolls might be a bit interesting!

Heading off for McGregor Storage, for the local crimelord, the boys continued their recent trend of planning based on their available skill set! Tanner hooked into the local power system to slave it to his data-slate whilst also identifying that McGregors has a backup generator. Perit used the high ground to recce the compound identifying three guards, the armoured gatehouse, blockhouse, four camera-posts and the 15 foot link fence. 7s had a play with his new welder attachment :)

The assault was pretty simple as Perit rode 7s through he fence to the back of the target storage box which Perit then hopped onto taking up a covering sniper position. Strangely 7s kind of failed his rather hopeful Stealth checks and the alarm klaxon kicked off while he set himself up for some heavy remodelling of the back of the storage unit.

The guards kept the boys honest while Perit put his newly scoped stun-rat sniper rifle to good use taking out one guard who went route 1 whilst pinning down his mate in the gatehouse allowing Tanner to get in there and hack into the computer establishing a range of heavy assault vehicles and walkers in a secured garage and the safe in the main block-house.

With guard #2 dropped and 7s making slow progress with his circular saw (I was using Destiny points  against him while he failed to return the favour) Perit made a dash for the blockhouse safe while Tanner logged someone using a swipe-card to access the garage.

7s finally pulled out a Triumph, the chaps have been rolling a few more recently, he finally cut his way in.....only for Mr Fixit to activate the remote to scan, locate and pick-up the target crate before doing a 180 and stomping off back through the fence and off into the night. Tanner meanwhile hacked the safe as ominous mechanical stomps came from the garage for Perit ot grab the two lock-boxes inside and beat a hasty retreat with Tanner in tow!

So, yet another successful mission and just not for the players. For me as GM that's another potential NPC  / plot device introduced and a bit more colour to the background.

So other than 7s still being a collection of bits that's a win all round!

As a footnote it does seem that the Obligation system within EotE lends itself well to the use of sideplots. I've used Obligation a few times to cover when players haven't been able to make it but maybe use of sideplots is a more positive and productive way to bring it into play more. We'll see ;)