Ran a real basic Star Wars Saga Edition scenario tonight for my son.

Anakin Blade, determined for the Jedi Sentinel path as determined by his Wookie master Goodloki, was called into his master's chambers.  Goodloki told him that some children had disappeared, and he tasked Anakin with finding them.  Anakin eagerly agreed, and set out to find the children.

He tracked their trail out to some nearby woods, where he saw a child's doll.  Anakin used Force Track to try to pinpoint the kids, but found something dark and sinister instead.  He followed it into the woods, where he stumbled onto an old, rundown installation guarded by a pair of battle droids!  Anakin couldn't appease the droids, so he lashed out at them, using Surge to rush one of them and destroy it before it could react!  The other took a shot at him, but Anakin slipped in and slashed him apart.

Anakin sized up the entryway, which was locked down.  He tried to use the computer panel and failed, so he took his lightsaber to it...with little effect.  Growing frustrated, he looked around the front of the base, finding a broken hole high up on the wall, and used Surge to leap all the way up the wall and into the building!  He came to a rest down the hall from another battle droid!  Anakin quickly used Draw Closer to suck it in, but he missed with his attack.  The droid cried for help and another showed up!  Anakin missed again, but the second droid accidentally shot the first one.  Anakin charged the remaining droid and cut him down.

Anakin used Force Track again, and picked up a faint trail that he followed into the base's commander center, where he found a young man speaking with a hologram of Count Dooku!  The man confirmed to Dooku that he was responsible for the kids' capture, and that one of them, a young girl, was very strong in the force.  As Dooku signed off, the man turned, sensing Anakin behind him!  Anakin, despite his Sentinel teachings, tried to parley, but the young man ignited a red lightsaber and said he would destroy the foolish little padawan...to which Anakin corrected him, that he was a big padawan!  Anakin took his first wound here, strong enough to knock him down the damage track.  He fought back, but the fallen Jedi was too good.  Anakin took a glancing blow to the arm, then lashed out with a fierce attack.  A second one led to the fallen Jedi deciding that he would retreat, and deal with Anakin when his superiors returned.

Fighting defensively, with a full +10 to his Reflex...was for nothing as Anakin rolled a natural 20 and struck the retreating Jedi down!  As the Jedi died, Anakin felt hollow about the whole thing...deciding that he would much rather have taken the Jedi in than killed him.  And that trying to bring him back from the Dark Side would have been a MUCH better idea.

Anakin searched the facility, finding the kids, and freed them from their prison.  He put their fears at rest and returned them home, to the approval of Goodloki, who was very thoughtful about how he had nudged Anakin down the path of the Sentinel and the clear impact that his first encounter with a Dark Jedi had on him.

Notes:  The "kid Jedi" game got nixed, as Angelus really wanted to play an older Jedi, so he wound up as a 16 year old.  I'm still probably going to bring in the other two Jedi I had previously talked about.  This whole thing was on the fly, as we literally made his character and launched into the game.  My first time running Saga, so it had some bumps, but he was very enthusiastic, and I was stunned at his reaction when I told him the Dark Jedi was dead, from him being sad about it, to deciding that he doesn't really want to kill anything...but save them when he can, and imprison them when he can't.  I was terribly proud of my boy.  I thought it was a very good start.

That's awesome, Tommy.  How old is your boy?

Quote from: VectorSigma;354302That's awesome, Tommy.  How old is your boy?

He's six, which is why I went with the "kid Jedi" angle at the beginning.

He says something about wanting to play pretty much every time we get together to play, but I didn't feel right trying to teach my son about RPGs while my friends were trying to get THEIR gaming in...so, simplified solo game (it helps that he's BIG into Star Wars right now).

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;354270I was stunned at his reaction when I told him the Dark Jedi was dead, from him being sad about it, to deciding that he doesn't really want to kill anything...but save them when he can, and imprison them when he can't.  I was terribly proud of my boy.  I thought it was a very good start.

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;354333He's six, which is why I went with the "kid Jedi" angle at the beginning.

6 years old and more moral fiber than most adult gamers who can't see what's the issue with killing the baddies anymore? You can be proud!

Yeah, this is the kind of thread that makes me feel that what we do is not just a cultural blip, but possibly a little more.  
I was reading about a year ago about one of the kids who was sent to the old D&D summer camp, and he was describing why his mother sent him.  She was terribly pleased that he was involved in an imaginative, pro-social hobby.  
Fantastic read.  Thank you.

He really enjoyed it, as well...so we'll definitely give it a go again...I'm sure we'll play around with other games in the future as well, with Cartoon Action Hour 2, Marvel FASERIP, Savage Worlds and Grimm all on my "radar" as games that would be simple enough for me to run for him right now.

Glad you guys enjoyed the read!

Session began with Goodloki introducing Anakin to Delane, a Gran padawan and Jayden Keroff, a Miraluka padawan.  Goodloki explained that they were also being placed under his charge (due to the number of Jedi masters being forced into frontline roles and so forth.)

Goodloki took their lightsabers and gave them training sabers, and ordered them to spar...starting with Delane and Anakin.  Delane's not a better fighter than Anakin, but was getting the better of him...so Anakin drew his blaster pistol and shot Delane in the face!  I decided he had the foresight to put it on stun first.

Goodloki blew his top at this one and was in the process of dressing Anakin down when a droid summoned him to speak with Master Yoda.  Jayden was laughing at Anakin being in trouble, and  Goodloki told the students to not get in trouble while he was gone.

Jayden ignited his training saber and told Anakin he wanted to fight, that he figured he could beat Anakin.  He rushed Anakin but was blocked, and Anakin tried to kick him, so Jayden headbutted him!  Anakin reached in and snapped the lightsaber away, then withdrew!  Jayden was furious at the humiliation and used the Force to steal Delane's lightsaber!  Anakin used Draw Closer on Jayden but missed his attack, and when Jayden tried to bring the lightsaber down on Anakin, Goodloki's blade blocked it!

The Jedi Master was, once more, quite angry.

Goodloki unloaded on Jayden and Anakin, and told them that they had been requested to venture to Tattoine...a ship carrying a Clone Trooper unit had crashed, and they were to seek out any survivors.  Goodloki rounded the students up and they departed for Tattoine, setting course for Anchorhead.  During the flight, he made sure to warn them to keep their heads down so as not to run afoul of Hutts.

As they arrived in Anchorhead, Goodloki sensed a dark disturbance.  He told Anakin, Jayden and Delane that he wouldn't be going with them, but that their mission should be simple.  He stressed to Anakin that if he didn't see him again, that he was very proud of the man Anakin is becoming.

Anakin couldn't sense the trail to the ship, so he Searched His Feelings and the group headed South.  As they walked a ways, they caught a Tusken scout stalking them in the hills!  Jayden used the Force to steal Anakin's blaster and opened fire on the Tusken Raider, so Anakin said "That's okay," asked if he could borrow Jayden's lightsaber, snatched it with the Force and lunged up onto the cliffs (after activating Surge).  He planted a boot into the Tusken Raider as Jayden blasted him, but when the raider ran off, he decided not to follow, figuring separating the Jedi was a bad idea.

He returned to the others and gave Jayden (who was kind of miffed) back his lightsaber and took his blaster back...then they headed on, finding the downed ship.  Anakin had Jayden and Delane go around the outside while he ventured in.  Seeing dead Clone Troopers strewn about, Anakin was disappointed...until he noticed that something had been chewing on them!  Looking around, Anakin was surrounded by three womp rats!  Anakin telepathically called to Jayden who shouted out to Delane.

Delane moved to the door and hurled debris at one womp rat, while Jayden moved in.  Two of the womp rats went at Anakin, one of them biting him badly.  They were trying to tear him apart, as Jayden moved in and attacked the third.  Anakin fought back hard at the two attacking him, while Jayden killed the third.  Anakin finally killed one of his, then whipped the final one across the room at Jayden.  Jayden struck it, and Delane ran in and finished it.

Looking around the room (after Anakin caught a Second Wind), they noticed a bloody trail leading out of the ship.  With a little concentration, Anakin was able to Force Track the presence he sensed, and led the Jedi out of the ship and toward the cliffs.

Along the way, the Jedi found a piece of Clone Trooper armor laying on the rocks.  They picked it up and moved on, coming to a cave opening where five Sand People were, with a Clone Trooper tied up at  the cave entrance!  Anakin Surged and flipped over a rock formation, landing at the cave mouth and cutting the Clone Trooper free!  The lead Sand Person (a Soldier) roared and attacked Anakin, but missed.  The Clone Trooper, though wounded, rushed the Soldier.  The Scout that escaped earlier was on the wall with a slugthrower as the other two Jedi poured out to helped.  Delane cut down one of the Sand People, and the Clone Trooper moved in and snatched up the gaffi stick.  Jayden got shot by the Scout and he grew angry, using Force Grip to begin crushing the life out of the Scout!  The Scout fired again, but missed, and Jayden finished crushing him.  Delane flung the Soldier back against the rock formation, while Anakin kept trying to telepathically contact Goodloki, and only sensed a very dark rage.

The Sand Person Soldier rushed Anakin again, and missed again, only to be struck down hard by a Dark Rage fueled Jayden.  As the Soldier staggered in front of Anakin, Anakin rolled across his back and stabbed him with his lightsaber, dropping him.  The Clone Trooper finished off the last Sand Person with the gaffi stick, and then dropped to one knee.

The Clone Trooper thanked them for coming to his aid and asked their named before introducing himself as "CT-5581".  After some thought, Anakin wound up giving the Clone Trooper something he'd never had before: A name.  Dubbing him "Ben Wizard" (long story), Anakin said they would get Ben – sole survivor of his ship – out of there.

Returning to Anchorhead, they could find no sign of Goodloki...but they did find reports of a lightsaber-wielding Wookie battling a pale woman with two lightsabers.  The battle was fierce...until an unidentified person shot the Wookie from behind and the woman made off with him.  Ben swore to Anakin that, for saving his life, he wouldn't leave Anakin's side until Goodloki was found.

To be continued...

Notes: Introducing an NPC supporting cast proved interesting.  My son caught onto some things I was only hinting at, which was nice.  I momentarily described Jayden's eyes flashing yellow during the Dark Rage, to which my son reminded me that Miralukans don't HAVE eyes (as I pointed out to him earlier)...in Savage Worlds, I would have given him a benny for that...=P  One somewhat disturbing thing is that he had HUGE issues with killing Dark Jedi last time...he had no such compunction about killing Sand People, because they're "stupid" and he doesn't like them.

Anyway...next time, the three Jedi and the Clone Trooper are on the trail of the missing Wookie!

Good update.  I enjoyed your comments about how he viewed the sandpeople vs the dark jedi.  It made me think.

Quote from: LordVreeg;359573Good update.  I enjoyed your comments about how he viewed the sandpeople vs the dark jedi.  It made me think.

Yeah...it made ME stop and think...I was like "Well, he has no problem killing Sand People...is that bad?  But he's not hunting down women and children, he's facing warriors who would gladly kill him..."

I dunno...I never have these thoughts when I'm playing with adults...=)

Session Three

Returning to Goodloki's ship, Anakin noticed that The Jedi Council had been hailing them, or attempting to.  Responding to the calls, he was met with holograms of Yoda and Mace Windu!  Anakin filled the Jedi Masters in on everything, from finding Ben Wizard as the sole survivor to Goodloki missing after the attack.  Recognizing the attacker as Asajj Ventriss, Yoda realized the whole thing had been a trap.  Mace Windu ordered the young Jedi to stand down until some full-fledged Knights could arrived to track Goodloki and his captors.  Anakin reluctantly agreed, and left the ship to tell his friends the news.  Jayden was rather annoyed at being told to stand down, but the group got a distraction as they overhead a Gungan being roughed up by some thugs outside of a cantina.  He was begging for mercy, and so the three Jedi ignited their sabers and Ben Wizard moved in with a gaffi stick!

Jayden caught their attention and that cost him, as one shot and wounded him.  Delane used the Force to rip the vibro-axe away from one, and a blaster pistol from another.  Ben took the blaster pistol and opened fire, as Anakin drew one in with the Force and slashed him down.  The thugs quickly turned to run, and the wounded Jayden savagely cut one down while the rest ran off.  The Gungan introduced himself as Shosho Jobega, and thanked the ground profusely for saving him.  A Twi'lek woman named Reyala thanked them as well, on behalf of the great Jabba the Hutt!  It seems Shosho Jobega is a slave of Jabba's, and Jabba surely appreciates the Jedi protecting his property.  She invited them to attend a party at Jabba's barge, but Anakin resisted, having more important things to do.  When Rey pressed him, he told her about Goodloki, and she said that maybe Jabba could help.  Shosho Jobega convinced him to go, saying that he was a great tracker, and maybe they could get Jabba to let him aid them!  The group agreed, and the five of them boarded Rey's skiff and headed to Jabba's barge.

On the barge, the group gained audience with Jabba after about half an hour.  Jabba told them that the Separatists had set up a mining operation not far from Anchorhead, and Mott Jamboo of the Techno Union was overseeing it.  Jabba suggested that Goodloki may be held up there, and if not, then Mott Jamboo may well know where he is, and may be made to talk.  Jabba told them that if Goodloki wasn't there, then if they brought Mott back, he could extract the information from Jamboo for them.  Anakin agreed, and Shosho nudged him about asking Jabba if Shosho could go.  Jabba agreed...but only if one of the party stayed behind as collateral!  After a little debate, the wounded Jayden was left behind, while Rey took the rest back to Anchorhead.  Rey also noted, before they left, that if Shosho Jobega didn't come back alive...Jabba would keep Jayden!

Shosho Jobega quickly picked up the tracks and set off, leading the team out of Anchorhead and (hopefully) toward Goodloki!  The quartet made their way through the mountains, following the trail...when Anakin sensed a dark disturbance!  Sand People emerged from the cliffs, and a chieftain or shaman of some sort appeared over a ridge!  He let out a screech, but Anakin ignited his saber and leaped up on the ridge!  Shosho Jobega said he really didn't like to fight, as Delane and Ben got to work fighting off the Raiders around them.  Shosho Jobega drew a pistol and opened fire, while Ben did bring one down.  Anakin and the Chieftain brawled on the ridge, while Delane cut down a second raider.  Suddenly, laser fire erupted in the canyon, and our heroes hit the dirt!  The two remaining raiders fell, and the chieftain ran off...as the group was surrounded by battle droids!  They ordered the group to surrender, but Anakin lunged into action!  Delane followed him, the two Jedi cutting down droids...while Ben and Shosho Jobega covered them with blaster pistols!  They dropped about half a dozen of the droids, when reinforcements surrounded Ben and the Gungan, convincing the Jedi (after a bit of telepathic communication) to surrender!

The droids marched the squad to the mining camp, where they met Mott Jamboo of the Techno Union!  Anakin confronted him about Goodloki, but Jamboo played dumb.  He said that they would destroy the Jedi unless they joined Dooku and the CIS...but Anakin refused.  Suddenly, every battle droid, droideka and crab droid in the mining camp fell quiet!  Jamboo began to look around in a panic!  The Jedi retrieved their lightsabers, and Delane offered Jamboo the opportunity to surrender!  Mott Jamboo, reluctantly, gave in!  A woman's voice spoke to Anakin telepathically, telling him that they needed to leave and FAST.  Ben slapped restraints on Mott and held a blaster to him...when the mining pit became overran with Sand People!  What's worse, the chieftain Anakin fought earlier was back...and clearly consumed with dark energy!

Ben handed off Jamboo to Shosho Jobega, and he opened fire on the raiders!  Delane threw one into the other as Anakin lunged at the rage-filled chieftain!  Ben and Jobega shot down several raiders while Anakin took a beating from the chieftain.  As soon as he could break free, Delane joined him and the two friends did battle against the Dark Side-fueled Tusken Raider.  Anakin slashed down when the chieftain missed an attack and nearly severed his arm, which prevented him from finding the concentration needed to unleash his full Hatred.  Jobega and Ben pinned the Chieftain in with blaster bolts and Delane helped guide him right to Anakin's blade...which severed the dark sider's head.  Anakin contacted Jayden and told them they were clear.

Rey arrived in her skiff and took the four heroes and their hostage back to Jabba.  Jabba told them to leave Jamboo and return to Anchorhead (with Jayden and without Jobega), and he wound send word of Goodloki's whereabouts once he had learned all he could from Jamboo.

Back at the ship, the four were relaxing when they had an intruder...who walked through their walls!  Jayden leapt to his feet but she ignited her purple lightsaber and told him to back down.  Anakin moved to confront her, and she introduced herself as The Dark Woman...a Jedi and friend of Goodloki!  She told Anakin that Jabba would not be able to help him find his master, but that she could...and that in order to get to the Wookie, Anakin would have to be able to walk through walls...which should could teach him, if he truly wanted to learn...

Notes: I celebrated GM's Day with the third session with my son.  This is the recap, I'll provide more detailed thoughts this weekend.