In order to have a great climax in any epic tale the hero of the story needs to have an arch nemesis. Batman has the Joker (among many others), Hercules had Hades (in the movie, people), and Luke had Darth Vader. Speaking of that last matchup, when it comes to finding places with amazing heroes and their equally awesome villains, there’s no better place to look than the Star Wars universe.
From the first moment that Darth Vader steps into the halls of the Tantive V until that gut-wrenching moment Luke faces a doubled over Emperor, the original Star Wars trilogy has fans on the edge of their seats for a wild and dramatic ride. It’s characters like those found in the Star Wars universe that keep fans alive with excitement about the rich world it created. Accordingly, the Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook and the Edge of the Empire Game Master’s Kit offer plenty of fine-tuned advice for creating epic villains to challenge the strong will and courage of your story’s heroes.
In the last preview of the upcoming RPG Fantasy Flight showed the ways that the GM can use the game’s unique dice system, its Obligation and Motivation mechanics, and the Destiny pool to create a truly player-focused experience. In the latest preview our attention is turned toward the structure of adventures, developing those huge campaigns players love, and inventing the epic nemesis who will bring your campaign to its epic climax.
When it comes to enemies in Edge of the Empire, there are many different categories that you’ll come up against:
| Minion | Minions are the most common adversaries encountered in the Star Wars universe. These are nameless individuals who provide muscle to flesh out encounters. Their only real threat is in numbers, and a minion is not expected to stand toe-to-toe with a Player Character. | Example: Pirate Crew |
| Rival | Rivals are more dangerous than minions but still inferior to most Player Characters. Rivals are very similar to Player Characters in many respects, being generally more innately gifted and well trained than minions. They operate individually rather than in groups, but they are generally less skilled than the PCs, seldom possessing more than two ranks in any one skill. | Example: Imperial Stormtrooper Sergeant |
| Nemesis | The nemesis is the opposite of the Player Character. They are identical to them in virtually every respect and frequently possess a number of talents, high characteristics, and skills. Additionally, their equipment can often rival that of even the most well supplied parties. | Example: Forsaken Jedi |
In the preview posted today by Fantasy Flight, we learn a little bit more about what the nemesis is in a campaign and get some tips on how to develop them throughout your story. There’s more information posted there, so make sure you take a look. Edge of the Empire is on its way and both the Game Master’s Kit and Core Rulebook will be releasing right alongside each other. With this information under your belt, what sort of nemesis will you build to battle your players?