Planet Hoppers 1
Planet Hoppers 1
Planet Hoppers 1
I'm not sure if Ralltiir was the place to start, for that. I've seen pictures of places
like Coruscant, where you can see cities from space, and Ralltiir just isn't the
same.
I've done some studying on the architecture of Ralltiir. There's not a lot to do in
hyperspace except read and talk to people, and most of the people on this
shuttle aren't very talkative. Lots of those Falleen folks, including this really
arrogant man that everyone seems to avoid. I say, if people want to be left
alone, leave them alone.
Anyway, Ralltiir's architecture is pretty varied in style. You've got some really old
buildings, with lots of arches and columns and bridges, and some of them are
even made out of stone. Then there are some newer buildings, where you're
seeing lots more angular, geometric designs, like what Dieterschach does with
some of the big corporate plazas, or that horrible set of designs some of the Hutts used for ships a few years back. You remember, the
ones that looked like a child had glued some blocks together and dropped them into orbit?
The neat thing about the old and the new buildings on Ralltiir is that they aren't, as near as I can tell, segregated based on economic
conditions. On some planets, you get all the old classical-style buildings in the more run-down sections of the world, and the more
modern-looking buildings in the newer sections where there's more traffic. That's not the case on Ralltiir. I looked up the "good" and
"bad" parts of Cambriele (that's the capitol), and there are old and new buildings everywhere.
Well, they're telling us that we need to get strapped in, so I'm going to do some more recording on this later. This is Vareesa Enan,
signing off!
Ralltiir is a planet on the border between the Core Worlds and the Colonies. Its population is predominantly Human (though mixed), and
because of its location, it became popular a number of years ago with a variety of criminal organizations. Perhaps the most famous is
the Black Sun, but other organizations have long operated in this area.
The major population centers of Ralltiir are Cambriele, Salisbury (a substantial city-state), and Grallia (renowned for its huge
spaceport). The planet has a number of tourist attractions, including several museums and an open-air market that draws both the best
and the worst of the galaxy to its booths.
While Ralltiir is not a classic "hive of scum and villainy," the many miscreants who frequent the planet have developed an extensive
network of informers who attempt to identify visitors. Some visitors -- Jedi, some private investigators and military personnel, and
representatives of powerful criminal organizations such as the Hutts -- are identified so that they can be avoided or otherwise dealt with
appropriately. Other visitors are identified as potential marks -- targets for one or another gang's unscrupulous plots.
When a player character exits a ship at any of the major spaceports on Ralltiir, there will be 1d3 "watchers" on duty. Each of these
individuals reports to one (or more) of the world's criminal organizations and is present at the spaceport to alert the appropriate
individuals as to who is coming and going.
Once you determine how many watchers are present, roll 1d20 for each; this gives you the total bonus to the watcher's spot check
(alternately, you may choose to construct a full-blown watcher NPC, if that suits the needs of your game better). You should then make
a spot check for each watcher as she sees each character, with a DC equal to 30 minus the character's reputation score. Ad hoc
modifiers can be applied (for instance, a hero wearing Jedi robes and wielding a lightsaber might only require a DC of 23 minus
reputation to identify; if the watcher has access to a passenger manifest, the DC should be adjusted downward by 10, regardless).
If the spot check is successful, the watcher reports that character's identity to her boss(es). Anytime an identified hero interacts with an
individual who works for a group that has marked him, the products offered and the prices requested are bizarrely close to exactly what
the hero was looking for . . .
Fortunately, I met a really nice Ithorian who was waiting for a hovercab outside the terminal. It was so good to see another Ithorian! He
is a little bit pale -- he says it's the atmosphere, we don't get a whole lot of light here and he says staying too long will make any of our
kind a little on the pale side -- and kind of scrawny, but he's very nice. His name is Kikow, and he was just getting back from visiting
Albecus on business. (He says there really isn't much to see there, and I should avoid it.) But the best part is, he knows all of Ralltiir
really well, and he's going to be my tour guide for the next couple of days!
Kikow is an Ithorian whose people would, in all likelihood, be hesitant to claim him. He left the comfort of the herdships behind at an
early age and set out to make money. He made his way to Ralltiir and set himself up as part of the burgeoning criminal underworld.
When he met Vareesa Enan, he had just returned from Albecus in an attempt to convince a trio of Ithorians who live on that planet to
come and join his organization, the Herd. He is somewhat xenophobic and is attempting to model his own organization after the
Kalmec, an all-Wookiee underworld organization that is headquartered on Ralltiir.
Kikow speaks a number of languages, but he tends toward gutter-speech in any language other than Ithorese and Basic, a sign of
disrespect. His Herd is currently only a half-dozen loyal Ithorians, and most of what they do is small-scale smuggling, but Kikow can be
very persuasive and has a number of contacts throughout the Core Worlds. He has dabbled in the spice trade, but after a few bad
experiences with spicers, decided that less volatile cargo might be preferable for his long-term health. He has since begun smuggling
thermal detonators.
His "legitimate" business involves trafficking in herbs and spices that are popular with topscale culinary specialists -- all legal, of course -- and running a popular restaurant in
Cambriele, the "Dusky Sky Caf." In addition to being a shyster and a criminal of notable
skills, Kikow is a fine cook and can prepare any dish he has ever tasted, whether or not he
has actually seen a recipe for it. His senses of smell and taste are extraordinary by any
standards, and when he's working the kitchens of his tapcaf, the food is never less than
top-notch. He also takes time to interact with his patrons, all smiles and handshakes and
the occasional quick lift of a credstick from an unwatched pocket.
Vareesa Enan was never in any danger from Kikow. He would never, ever harm another
Ithorian. He has deep-seated guilt about leaving his home and his people, and he's
creating the Herd in order to make a place for his kind outside the safe environments so
many of them seem to enjoy. Kikow would have no compunctions about harming nonIthorians, however, and has shown no remorse for the handful of kidnappings and deaths
he's rumored to have been linked to in the past. When he is encountered in potentially
hostile territory, he is rarely without 1d4+1 bodyguards, most of whom will be mercenaries;
he also tries to hire "associates" who are gifted in the ways of the Force.
Kikow: Ithorian Male Scoundrel 6/Noble 6/Crime Lord 1; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Defense 18 (+7
class, +1 Dex); Spd 10 m; VP/WP 82/15; Atk +8/+3 melee (1d6, walking stick) or +9/+4
ranged (3d8+2/19-20, +2 mastercraft heavy blaster pistol); SQ +4 species bonus on
Knowledge (wilderness lore) checks, illicit barter, lucky 2/day, precise attack +1, favor +2,
inspire confidence, resource access, coordinate +1, contact, bonus class skill (Intimidate),
sensitive smell; SV Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +13; SZ M; Face/Reach 2 m by 2 m/2 m; FP 1; DSP 5; Rep +9; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int
10, Wis 14, Cha 20. Challenge Code D.
Equipment: +2 mastercraft heavy blaster pistol, various gadgetry, permit to possess a heavy blaster pistol in the Core Worlds.
Skills: Bluff +26*, Computer Use +2, Diplomacy +19* (+24 when buying or selling illicit or illegal goods), Disable Device +2, Escape
Artist +7, Gamble +9, Gather Information +9*, Intimidate +20*, Knowledge (wilderness lore) +3, Knowledge (streetwise) +2, Listen +10,
Read/Write Basic, Read/Write Ithorese, Search + 5, Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +13, Speak Basic, Speak Falleen, Speak
Huttese, Speak Ithorese, Speak Rodese, Speak Shyriiwook (understand only), Spot +11, Survival +6.
* = this skill will frequently be modified by Kikow's Reputation score, but the bonus is not currently included
Feats: Frightful Presence, Headstrong, Heroic Surge (4/day), Infamy, Influence, Nimble, Persuasive, Skill Emphasis (Bluff), Weapon
Group Proficiency (simple weapons, blaster pistols).
Sensitive Smell -- Kikow has a particular gift for identifying odors. It allows him, when in the presence of another living creature, to study
the creature's smell (usually covertly) in order to better comprehend any subtext in the conversation. This translates into a +5
competence bonus on Sense Motive, Gather Information, and Spot checks to notice hidden cues in the actions of those being
interrogated. If Kikow is searching for a specific object or person he has interacted with before, he also receives this +5 competence
bonus on his Search checks if the object or person is nearby.
Details on all of Kikow's other abilities can be found in the revised core rulebook for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game.
Part 3: Exhibition
Kikow took me to the most amazing museum that I've ever seen today. It's called the Cambriele Exploration Auditorium, and it's all
about the exploration of the galaxy. Right now, they have an amazing exhibition called "Children of the Galaxy," and that's where we
spent most of our time.
I think Kikow was a little disappointed that there weren't more Ithorian children in the exhibition, but I told him that most of us stay at
home while we're young, and we don't go out exploring. I told him that most of the children featured in the exhibition probably ran away
from home and weren't very good children anyway, so it shouldn't surprise us that there weren't any Ithorians among them. He got a
little grumpy then and wandered off to make some comlink calls. I don't think he understands children very well, but he's a nice person
all the same.
The exhibit was wonderful, though! There were children of dozens of different species who had all done exploration or helped to
discover important things. Some of them did it on purpose, but some of it was accidental. There was this one Rodian girl who liked to
play with hyperspace charts when she was young, and she was looking at them and figured out that something wasn't quite right. The
best time you could make going from one planet to another (I can't remember which two) was too long, which meant that the route
wasn't straight. She discovered a whole new star system that had just started forming, just like that!
I had to look around to find Kikow. He was talking to a Wookiee in one of the botanical areas. They were standing under a holo of a
really nice, healthy-looking tree. The Wookiee didn't look happy, but then, a lot of Wookiees don't look happy. I think this one was mad
because someone played a practical joke on it and shaved the fur off its shoulders. At least, I think that's what happened. I can't
actually understand Wookiees when they talk.
When he saw me coming, Kikow waved, and the Wookiee kind of growled, then it pulled the cutest little droid out of its bag and let it
hover so the droid could translate for me to be able to understand her. Her name was Furellas, and she had pretty, light-brown fur. I told
her so, and she smiled, and I guess all Wookiee smiles are kind of scary. Hers was, at least. But at least she had pretty fur.
The Cambriele Exploration Auditorium is an ideal "neutral ground" for meetings like the one described between Kikow and Furellas. It's
public, heavily trafficked, and has a great deal of security to prevent the theft of the various pieces of history on display.
The ground floor of the Auditorium changes every few months as a new exhibit is opened. "Children of the Galaxy" is one such exhibit,
but others have focused on the progression of ship-building, the role of hyperspace travel in history, the Force as a guide to the
exploration of the galaxy, and dozens more ranging from the esoteric to the mundane. If you're looking for information about the galaxy
and its exploration, perhaps the only more complete repository of information is the Jedi Archive on Coruscant.
Given that the Jedi Archives are not easy to access for the common citizen, many individuals in search of information on strange star
systems or planets make the journey to Ralltiir in the hopes of accessing the Auditorium's records. This can be done in a number of
ways, some of which are less painful than others.
Of the nearly 40 security personnel employed by the Auditorium, only one -- a Quarren named
Fohlg -- has the slightest inclination to "provide" access to the archives. Learning of Fohlg's
existence requires a Gather Information check (DC 25), and once he is located, Fohlg generally
charges around 3,000 credits per minute of access to the Auditorium's computer systems. He
has a Diplomacy skill of +16, so he can be bartered down, but he will never go below 1,000
credits per minute. It's just not worth risking his job.
Another option for obtaining information from the Auditorium's archives is the information
terminals scattered around the museum. The connection between each of these terminals and
the central information archive is indirect at best; each terminal is designed to provide
information on one topic and one topic only. Slicing through the various firewalls to get to the
central information archive requires a Computer Use check (DC 30 but adjustable in either
direction, based on GM discretion and previous attempts that might have resulted in the
Auditorium increasing its security measures).
Of course, there's also the option of breaking into the archives manually, sifting through the information late at night, and making a
daring escape with whatever vital piece of knowledge the heroes might need -- but we'll leave the details of such a run up to you!
To find new and exciting ways to challenge your PCs in their attempts to infiltrate the Auditorium, check out the Arms and Equipment
Guide.
Rake: When a maddened Ralltiir tiger hits with both its claws, it latches onto its victim and executes a vicious rake with its hind legs.
This rake automatically hits (but is not a critical hit), dealing 4d4+8 points of damage.
Weakness Sense: A maddened Ralltiir tiger can, as a full-round action, examine its potential victims and determine which one is the
weakest (that is, has the fewest vitality points). It will generally attempt to kill that individual first, regardless of whether that person was
friendly toward the tiger before it entered its maddened state.
Ralltiir tigers first appeared in the Star Wars novel Before the Storm, by Michael P. Kube-McDowell. To learn more about creating your
own monsters for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, give the revised core rulebook or Alien Anthology a try.
Furellas
Furellas: Female Wookiee Kalmec Lieutenant (Soldier 6/Dark Side Marauder 5); Init +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Defense 22
(+8 class, +4 Dex); DR 2; Spd 10 m; VP/WP 110/14; Atk +11/+6/+1 melee (2d4+5/19-20, vibrodagger) and +11/+6 (2d4+3/19-20,
vibrodagger), or +15/+10/+5 melee (2d4+5/19-20, vibrodagger), or +15/+10/+5 ranged (3d8/19-20, blaster rifle); SQ +2 species bonus
on Climb checks, +4 species bonus on Intimidate checks, Wookiee rage, extraordinary recuperation; SV Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +3; SZ
M; FP 1; DSP 7; Rep +4; Str 18, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8; Challenge Code E.
Equipment: +1 mastercraft vibrodaggers (2), Wookiee-sized blast vest.
Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +6, Computer Use +4, Demolitions +6, Intimidate +14, Jump +4, Knowledge (combat tactics) + 5, Read/Write
Basic, Read/Write Shyriiwook, Speak Basic (understand only), Speak Shyriiwook, Tumble +4.
Force Skills: Enhance Ability +13, Heal Self +6, Move Object +4.
Feats: Ambidexterity, Armor Proficiency (light), Combat Reflexes, Force-Sensitive, Improved Critical (vibrodagger), Improved Initiative,
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Persuasive, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (vibrodagger), Weapon Group
Proficiency (blaster pistols, blaster rifles, heavy weapons, primitive weapons, simple weapons, vibro weapons).
Force Feats: Alter, Control, Sense, Rage.
Kalmec Guards
Kalmec Guards: Various Wookiee Soldier 1/Scoundrel 6; Init +2; Defense 17 (+5 class, +2 Dex); DR 2; Spd 10 m; VP/WP 53/15; Atk
+10 melee (2d6+4, vibroblade) or +7 ranged (3d6, blaster pistol); SQ +2 species bonus on Climb checks, +4 species bonus on
Intimidation checks, Wookiee rage, extraordinary recuperation, lucky 2/day, illicit barter, precise attack +1; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +1;
SZ M; FP 1; DSP 3; Rep +1; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 8; Challenge Code C.
Equipment: Vibroblade, 2 medpacs each, Wookiee-sized blast vest.
Skills: Bluff +8, Climb +6, Escape Artist +11, Gather Information +8, Hide +13, Intimidate + 9, Listen +8, Move Silently +16, Search
+10, Spot +8, Tumble +11; Read/Write Basic, Read/Write Shyriiwook, Speak Basic (understand only), Speak Shyriiwook.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Heroic Surge (2/day), Power Attack, Skill Emphasis (Move Silently), Stealthy, Weapon Focus
(vibroblade), Weapon Group Proficiency (blaster pistols, blaster rifles, heavy weapons, simple weapons, vibro weapons).
To learn more about prestige classes available to dark side Force-users, consult the revised core rulebook or The Dark Side
Sourcebook.