HOW TO PLAY STAR WARS: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE 4: 10 out of 10, Would Play Again
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Show Notes In this final installment of the RPGBOT.Podcast How to Play Fantasy Flight Star Wars: Edge of the Empire series, the crew wraps things up with a deep dive into questions, answers, and overall system impressions after completing their multi-part Star Wars RPG actual play. After surviving pirate stations, clone cults, and barely escaping Imperial pursuit, the hosts analyze what worked, what didn’t, and what makes the Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars RPG system stand out compared to other tabletop RPGs. The discussion opens with discusson of the system’s signature narrative dice...
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HOW TO PLAY STAR WARS: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE 3: Pt 3 - "In a galaxy where everything is broken..."
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Show Notes In Part 3 of this Star Wars Edge of the Empire actual play, the RPGBOT crew finally delivers on the promise teased since Episode 1: full-on Star Wars space combat! And it is every bit as chaotic, cinematic, and barely-survivable as you’d hope. Picking up immediately after their explosive escape from the pirate station, the crew aboard the Malarkey finds themselves pursued by TIE fighters. What follows is a crash course in Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars starship combat mechanics, including initiative slots, range bands, shield management, and the ever-chaotic narrative dice system....
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UNDERWATER COMBAT (Remastered); Randall Sinks to the Bottom; Hilarity Ensues!
The RPGBOT.Podcast
The party stands heroically on the docks. The bard composes a sea shanty. The fighter sharpens his sword. The wizard prepares a speech about buoyancy physics he read on a forum at 3:00 AM. The rogue realizes sneak attack requires not drowning. The cleric discovers healing word does not cure lack of oxygen (or does it?). The DM Googles drowing rules mid-initiative because everyone forgot how breathing works. Welcome to underwater combat, where your character sheet becomes a flotation device and the real boss monster is physics. Show Notes In this episode the RPGBOT crew dives into underwater...
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HOW TO PLAY STAR WARS: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE 3: Pt 2 - We accidentally started a Robot Cult.
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Last time on RPGBOT.Podcast: we attempted a stealth infiltration of a pirate space station and immediately turned it into a full-blown crisis involving the Empire. This time? It gets worse. Show Notes In Part 2 of this Star Wars Edge of the Empire actual play, the RPGBOT crew continues their mission to infiltrate a hidden pirate station and hack its central maintenance terminal, but things escalate in the most RPGBOT way possible. After escaping the chaos of an iconic Star Wars-style cantina and evading Imperial forces, the crew descends into the station’s maintenance tunnels. What should...
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HOW TO PLAY STAR WARS: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE 3: Pt 1 - Hack the Terminal, They Said. It’ll Be Easy, They Said.
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Welcome back to the RPGBOT.Podcast, where we’re teaching you how to play the Star Wars tabletop RPG the best possible way: by immediately committing crimes in space. In this episode, Randall introduces a Wookie slicer with Force powers on the run from the law, while Ash debuts a former Imperial smuggler who solves problems the traditional way: shooting first and then leaving without askin questions. Tyler GMs a Star Wars RPG actual play session which quickly becomes a chaotic adventure featuring pirate stations, suspicious hookahs, questionable dice math, and a cantina band legally...
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THE ETHEREAL PLANE (Remastered): Exploring the Enigmatic Realm and What Lies Beyond
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Randall, Tyler, and Ash explore the Ethereal Plane: the ghostly plane of existence where your barbarian can’t punch anything, your wizard can’t read the signage, and your rogue is absolutely certain there’s loot “just on the other side” of a wall they can’t quite touch. Welcome to the Ethereal Plane, where (almost) everything is fog and spooky vibes. Show notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive into The Ethereal Plane, the enigmatic realm that sits alongside the Material like a paranormal overlay, perfect for interplanar travel, spooky...
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THE PLANE OF FIRE - The Worst Vacation in the Multiverse
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Welcome back to the RPGBOT.Podcast, where today’s travel brochure reads: “The Elemental Plane of Fire: Come for the lava rivers, stay because you physically cannot leave.” Congratulations. You’re about to plan a vacation to a place where the weather forecast is “burning with a chance of more burning.” Let’s talk about the Elemental Plane of Fire. Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, hosts Randall James, Tyler Kamstra, and Ash Ely explore the Elemental Plane of Fire in Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, diving into the lore, cosmology, monsters, and adventure...
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HOW TO PLAY STAR WARS: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE 2: The Galaxy Needs Heroes… We Built These Instead
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Every RPG player knows the real game doesn’t start when the dice hit the table. No, the real adventure begins when some nerds open a rulebook, stare at a character sheet, and argue about whether a Wookiee hacker with a moral crusade for droid rights is mechanically viable. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Quickstart series, the crew tackles FFG Star Wars RPG character creation in Fantasy Flight’s Edge of the Empire. Randall decides the galaxy clearly needs a Force-sensitive Wookie slicer, Ash plans to become the smooth-talking Twi’lek pilot with questionable ethics, and Tyler guides them...
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2024 DnD 5e SORCERER Levels 5 - 20 (Remastered): Mastering Magic, Essential Spells for Characters
The RPGBOT.Podcast
The party had a plan. The Fighter would kick in the door. The Rogue would sneak behind the enemy. The Cleric would prepare a healing spell. And the Sorcerer? The Sorcerer would spend six minutes explaining why Fireball is technically the safest solution to every problem, including diplomacy, stealth, and emotional growth. Because Wizards study magic… Warlocks borrow magic… But a D&D 5e Sorcerer is what happens when magic studies you and decides you’re the group’s primary tactical error. Today on RPGBOT: Sorcerer Levels 5 - 20 optimization, where your spell list gets bigger,...
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HOW TO PLAY STAR WARS: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE 1: Every Roll Tells a Story
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Randall: “So this is a Star Wars RPG where we’re not Jedi, not heroes, and not important… we’re basically the guy who owes Jabba rent.” Tyler: “Correct. You’re the reason bounty hunters have a 401k.” Ash: “Finally! A system that understands my characters are emotionally complicated, morally questionable, and one hyperdrive failure away from eating space ramen.” -The RPGBOT.Podcast cast, probably Show Notes In this Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG How to Play, the RPGBOT crew dives into the core concepts and themes of Fantasy Flight’s narrative dice system, a tabletop RPG...
info_outlineWelcome to the RPGBOT.Podcast, where today’s character creation lesson begins with basic geometry, escalates into psychic powers, and somehow ends with a pacifist circus bear being seriously considered as a build option.
In this episode, we take the gloves off and actually make characters for Pulp Cthulhu—choosing archetypes, rolling stats, hoarding skill points like goblins, and discovering that if you roll too well, you might accidentally invent the world’s first telepathic himbo artist.
If you’ve ever wondered how Call of Cthulhu character creation becomes fast, fun, and dangerously powerful, this is where the pulp really starts to flow.
The D8 goes in the D8 hole.
Show Notes
This episode walks step-by-step through Pulp Cthulhu character creation, showing how investigators are built to be tougher, broader, and far more cinematic than their classic Call of Cthulhu counterparts.
Ash guides Tyler and Randall through the full process—then breaks it down into a Quick & Dirty method that can get players to the table in minutes.
Step 1: Choose an Archetype
Archetypes replace traditional “classes” and are rooted in classic pulp fiction roles:
- Mystic (psychic powers, occult insight, vibes)
- Egghead (engineers, scientists, gadgeteers)
- Two-Fisted, Swashbuckler, Femme Fatale, Bon Vivant, and more
Each archetype:
- Defines a core characteristic
- Grants bonus archetype skills
- Suggests traits, occupations, and story hooks
This approach encourages concept-first design, letting the character idea drive the mechanics instead of the other way around.
Step 2: Generate Characteristics
Attributes are rolled using the familiar D100 roll-under system, but with a key twist:
- Core characteristic = 1d6 + 13 × 5 (expect very high numbers)
- Other stats use 3d6×5 or 2d6+6×5
- High pulp means exceptional competence
The result? Characters who feel powerful immediately—sometimes too powerful, leading to delightful accidents like rolling:
- Incredible Power
- Solid looks
- Questionable intelligence
(Yes, the “himbo build” is real.)
Step 3: Talents (High Pulp Edition)
Because this game is running High Pulp, characters receive four talents instead of two.
Talents are drawn from four categories:
- Physical
- Mental
- Combat
- Miscellaneous
Highlights from the episode include:
- Psychic Powers
- Arcane Insight
- Weird Science
- Animal Companion (responsibly downgraded from “bear” to “bear-adjacent dog”)
Talents dramatically define how characters play and reinforce pulp action over fragile realism.
Step 4: Occupation & Skill Points
Occupations grant massive skill point pools, often hundreds of points:
- Skills start with base percentages
- Occupational skills come first
- Archetype skills add another 100 points
- Personal interest skills add even more
The result is wide, competent characters instead of hyper-specialized glass cannons.
The episode includes practical advice:
- Avoid pushing every skill to 95
- Aim for flexibility, not just peak numbers
- Remember Credit Rating is mandatory and matters in play
Step 5: Backstory (Fast but Meaningful)
Instead of long essays, Pulp Cthulhu uses structured prompts:
- Personal description (biased, first-person)
- Ideology and beliefs
- Significant people
- Treasured possessions
- Traits
Random tables spark instant character hooks, like:
- Idolizing Nikola Tesla
- Carrying calipers as a grounding object
- Shared trauma bonds
- Risk-taking or unreliable personalities
One key backstory element becomes your Sanity anchor, helping characters recover from mental trauma.
Quick & Dirty Character Creation
Ash closes the episode with a streamlined alternative:
- Assign preset stat values
- Pick talents
- Select skills from fixed arrays
- Roll backstory details
- Start playing immediately
- Perfect for one-shots, convention play, or groups eager to punch cultists now, not in two hours.
Key Takeaways
- Pulp Cthulhu character creation is fast, flexible, and cinematic
- Archetypes replace classes with strong narrative identity
- High Pulp characters start powerful and stay relevant
- Talents are the heart of customization
- Skill points are plentiful—breadth is rewarded
- Structured backstory tools create instant roleplay hooks
- The Quick & Dirty method gets you playing in minutes
- Yes, you can accidentally build a psychic himbo—and that’s a feature
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
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Meet the Hosts
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Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.
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Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.
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Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI’s worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.
Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net