As the Gamemaster, you are free to set your Star Wars campaign in any time period. However, the core rulebook focuses on three eras in particular: the Rise of the Empire Era, the Rebellion Era, and the New Jedi Order Era. The information presented in this chapter is intended to give you enough of a backdrop to comfortably set adventures in any of these Eras.
The Rise of the Empire Era represents a time of political unrest; the slow dissolution and ultimate demise of The Old Republic, the rise to power of Chancellor Palpatine, and the Clone Wars. Specifically, it’s the years around Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
The Rebellion Era covers the time of the Galactic Civil War, as depicted in Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
Finally, The New Jedi Order Era is set twenty-five years after A New Hope. The New Republic has been reestablished, and Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Knights are growing stronger. This Era begins with the costly Yuuzhan Vong War, which reshapes much of the politics of the galaxy. This is the time period detailed in the Del Rey novel series.
Other Star Wars Ears have achieved popularity in both comic books and video games, and these will be covered here in the future.
The Rise of the Empire Era
aka The Dark Times
22 to 32 years before A New Hope
A campaign set in this era focuses on the slow decline and corruption of the Republic. As The Phantom Menace comes to and end, the future for the galaxy looks bright. The charismatic and popular Palpatine has been elected as Supreme Chancellor, the Trade Federation has seemingly been dismantled, and the Jedi Knights are at their peak of power and influence. However, there’s a sinister shadow creeping across the galaxy. The vile Sith have returned. Crime is on the rise. Politicians continue to bicker and look after their own petty interests. Nothing is what it seems.
The Phantom Menace unfolds with a galaxy torn asunder by strife, hatred, and greed. Led by a charismatic Separatist named Count Dooku, thousands of worlds have broken away from the Republic. This “confederacy of independent systems” wants to free itself from the yoke of the corrupt Senate, unaware that their galactic insurrection could spell the rise of an even greater evil.
As war foments and erupts between the Republic and the Separatists, plenty of opportunities for adventure present themselves. Heroes working for the Supreme Chancellor, the Jedi council, or Count Dooku might undertake assignments to stem the tide of decay that grows stronger with every passing year. Remember that no matter what you or your players might think they know about Chancellor Palpatine, most people living in this era consider Palpatine a good, fair leader and the best hope of the Republic. His true machinations have yet to reveal themselves. Similarly, Count Dooku seems to have the best interests of the galaxy at heart. Under his august leadership, he seeks a galaxy restored to order and prosperity. No one suspects that this former Jedi Master has fallen to the dark side of the Force.
During the era, all species are equal. For every Human senator, there are many more alien species on the Senate. Some species from the later eras haven’t been encountered yet (such as Ewoks), and some have made only cursory visits to the galaxy (such as the advance scouts from the Yuuzhan Vong). The order of the Jedi Knights is held together by the Jedi Council, and some ten thousand Knights roam the galaxy as the defenders of the Republic, each hoping to be selected as a Padawan learner. Those who aren’t selected for advanced training use the skills they have acquired to help the Republic in some other way. Some, for example, become farmers in the Agri-Corps or healers in the Medi-Corps.
Corrupt officials, various criminals, evil corporations, assassins, petty warlords, and dark Jedi abound in this time frame. New worlds still await discovery, and new alien species are encountered all the time. Any of these topics can become the seeds for great adventures. Remember also that the Jedi Council wants to learn more about the new Sith menace. From its chamber high atop the Jedi Temple in Coruscant, the capital world of the Republic, the Jedi Council quietly directs key members of the Jedi order to investigate incidents that might somehow be tied to the Sith. Although the Sith started as an empire controlled by corrupt Jedi, eventually Darth Bane altered the nature of the Sith forever. He dictated the rule of the new Sith order: There could be only two Sith at any time, a master and an apprentice. This doesn’t limit the number of followers and lackeys the Sith could utilize, just the number of actual Sith.
In Revenge of the the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine reveals to Anakin Skywalker that he is, in fact, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. By this time, he has already lost two apprentices (Darth Maul and Darth Tyranus) battling the Jedi. However, he creates an apparent crisis that encourages the senators of the Republic to vote him permanent powers, making him emperor of the galaxy. Darth Sidious strikes down the Jedi with his new clone trooper army and takes Anakin Skywalker as his new Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. His victory nearly complete, Darth Sidious sets Darth Vader on a path to hunt down the remaining Jedi while he sweeps away the last vestiges of the Old Republic. Heroes of this time might be Jedi on the run or fledgling members of what will eventually become the Rebel Alliance.
The Rebellion Era
0 to 5 years after A New Hope
The Emperor rules with an iron will. His key supporters include Dark Lord Darth Vader, Moffs and Grand Moffs of varying degrees of power and influence, military commanders, and a variety of secret police, spies, and assassins. The feared agents of the Imperial Security Bureau (the ISB) scour the galaxy for traitors and Rebels. The once-great Jedi Order has been eliminated, and only a handful of Force-sensitive individuals remain in hiding on out-of-the-way planets—other than those darksiders working for the Emperor’s New Order.
The Senate has been disbanded. The HoloNet has been restricted. The Core worlds have been effectively cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Alderaan, a world of peace and influence, has been destroyed. The Emperor’s Grand Admirals command the vast Imperial military machine, and hundreds of worlds have been tasked with keeping that machine going—no matter what the cost. New weapons of war appear regularly, from modified stormtroopers to walkers, TIE fighters to Star Destroyers. Interdictor cruisers capable of pulling ships out of hyperspace are seeing wider use. No starship, private or otherwise, is safe from Imperial inspection, and boardings occur on a regular basis.
Heroes in this era probably work for the Rebel Alliance. They can be part of a Rebel cell, attached directly to Alliance High Command, or independents drawn to the Alliance’s cause. In addition to the Empire, opponents in this period include crime lords, smugglers, bounty hunters, and traitors to the Alliance. It’s up to the heroes to help turn the tide of Imperial domination.
The New Jedi Order Era
25 years after A New Hope
In this era the New Republic is in place, although a small Imperial remnant maintains control of a portion of the galaxy. The Jedi, on the rise again thanks to the efforts of Luke Skywalker, are at a crossroads. Some members of the order, which numbers about one hundred individuals, want to take a more direct and deliberate role in galactic affairs. Skywalker, meanwhile, is struggling with whether or not he wants to reestablish the Jedi Council. Rash Jedi have led New Republic officials to be wary of the Knights and suspicious of their true motives. Indeed, this leads to varying degrees of mistrust and even fear in the general populace, many of whom still remember the Emperor’s anti-Jedi rhetoric from years before.
The first galaxy-wide threat in the New Jedi order era is the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. It begins with Nom Anor, a spy who sows additional seeds of discord throughout the galaxy. His efforts give rise to antitechnology cults dedicated to the destruction of innocent droids. Masking his true identity, he recruits agents from the native populations to carry out acts of sabotage and subversion. Nom Anor, however is only the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong threat.
The Yuuzhan Vong are humanoids that follow a religion of pain and nature. They hate machines of all kinds, using instead living technology that they have bioengineered to serve as ships, weapons, and tools. These fierce, holy warriors seek to conquer the galaxy and bring their faith to the infidels who regularly make use of unclean machines. Their invasion begins on far-flung worlds such as Belkadan and Helska, but they quickly widen their hold on key sectors of the Outer Rim and Mid Rim, terraforming worlds to produce the yorik coral and other living materials that serve as their ships and weapons. The Jedi learn, to their horror, that this intractable new enemy cannot be sensed through the Force. The Jedi, former guardians of peace, become the hunted prey of the Yuuzhan Vong. Meanwhile, the extragalactic intruders continue their relentless advance toward the Core, crushing any force that dares stand in their way. A few worlds surrender without a fight, while those that resist are rendered uninhabitable. In time Coruscant itself falls, signaling the death of the New Republic.
Eventually the Yuuzhan Vong discover their history may not be as they thought, when the living planet Zonama Sekot came to Coruscant and fought defensively against the Yuuzhan Vong, “welcoming home it’s true inhabitants.” The new Galactic Federation of Free Alliances (Galactic Alliance) allows the Yuuzhan Vong to surrender and take Zonama Sekot as their homeworld. While not all Yuuzhan Vong accept this, the primary threat of the Yuuzhan Vong ends as Zonama Sekot flies into hyperspace to seek a new home for the Yuuzhan Vong in the Unknown Regions.
Though the war is over, many threats still exist. Some Yuuzhan Vong and their cults still fight against technological civilization. The Galactic Alliance has to rebuild the galaxy. And the New Jedi Order seeks out threats to peace and justice.
During the era of the Old Republic, Jedi battle against Sith Lords, Mandalorian warriors raid Outer Rim Worlds, and the Republic struggles to fight off enemies at every turn. smugglers dodge Sith warships and bluff their way past Republic customs agents, while bounty hunters and mercenaries play both sides of every conflict for the greatest profit. Soldiers fight on distant battlefields and defend planets close to home. Vast empires rise, fall, and are reborn. This is the time of the Knights of the Old Republic campaign, and it is one of the most exciting periods in all Star Wars continuity.
In these years of conflict, your heroes have limitless opportunities to become part of the galaxy’s salvation—or its destruction. It is a time of constant warefare, when peace has become little more than a memory and survival is threatened by armies in all parts of the galaxy. It is a time when the Jedi are in abundance, fighting on fall fronts, only to be whittled down to near extinction over the course of several conflicts. It is a time when civilization is under siege; warlords and Force-users struggle to unmake the Republic and sow the seeds of chaos. It is a time of mysterious enemies and sudden betrayals, when allies turn to foes, and you never see the lightsaber until it is buried in your back. It is a time when new powers are on the rise, and anyone can ascend to greatness.
A Knights of the Old Republic campaign calls for heroes. A hero might be a Jedi Knight, sworn to protect the Republic but reeling from losses in previous wars. Another hero migth be a Republic soldier on the front lines of battle, fighting with every ounce of effort to hold the line against Mandalorian invaders. One hero might be an arms dealer smuggling weapons to resistance cells on Sith-controlled worlds, while another might be a hyperspace explorer that stumbles across a secret rallying point for the forcves of the Republic. A hero might be a corporate agent overseeing the construction of vital defense systems, or a Jedi Shadow working behind the scenes to bring down a sinister villain. Whatever your hero’s history and speciality, the Knights of the Old Republic campaign is rife with opportunities to send ripples of influence throughout the galaxy.
The Old Republic Era
The Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide focuses on the period between the Great Sith War and the final destruction of the old Sith Empire. During this time, the galaxy is embroiled in one war after another, and the Jedi are all but wiped out. Gamemasters have several choices for when, specifically, they might set a Knights of the Old Republic campaign. The following section describe the major conflicts and eras of this time.
The Great Sith War (4,000-3,996 BBY)
The Great Sith War begins with the fall of two Jedi students to the dark side: Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. The spirit of an ancient Sith Lord, Marka Ragnos, tempts the two Jedi and trains them in ancient teachings of the Sith. Flush with power, the two new Sith Lords lead the forces of the Krath—a dark-side cult founded on the Deep Core world of Empress Teta—in a war against the Republic. As the galaxy becomes embroiled in a conflict between the Sith and the Republic, many Jedi fight on either side of the battle. Some defend the Republic from their former comrades, while others are tempted by the lure of the dark side.
The Great Sith War takes an interesting turn with lasting repercussions when Ulic Qel-Droma vanquishes Lord Mandalore in single combat. This binds the Mandalorian clans to the Sith Lord, and he uses their prowess and numbers to redouble the Sith war effort. With both the Krath and the Mandalorians at their command, the Sith ravage the galaxy and deal the Republic blow after blow, staggering their forces. As more and more Sith train on the planet Korriban, thousands of Jedi die at the hands of Krath and Mandalorian forces.
The tide turns once more in favor of the Republic as the brothers Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma engage in a vicious duel on Ossus. After slaying Cay, a despondent Ulic surrenders to the Jedi Nomi Sunrider. Following his capture, the Republic begins an offensive that drives the forces of the Sith back, eventually shattering the Krath forces, routing the Mandalorians, and scattering the few remaining Sith to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Crippled by the prolonged war effort, the Republic cannot pursue the Sith forces, and Korriban remains under Sith control.
The Restoration Period (3,995-3966 BBY)
The Great Sith War is a devastating event that causes more damage than any co nflict since the Great Hyperspace War a thousand years before. The Jedi Order, greatly depleted, turns inward to heal itself, increasing the responsibilities of a Republic that is barely standing. Piracy is rampant. Trade routes, which had been blazed and developed over centuries at enormous cost, require redevelopment at nearly every stop. Nearly one quarter of the civilized worlds in the Republic have been devastated by the conflict, and most worlds are left on their own to rebuild as the Republic’s resources are depleted.
With the Republic itself on the verge of collapse for over a decade following the war, a group of politicians put into motion a series of events that eventually restores the Republic to its prior strength. By guaranteeing the various corporations throughout the galaxy safe passage and trade along the space lanes in exchange for commercial investment in the Republic’s infrastructure, the Republic is able to rebuild its military and provide much-needed goods to the devastated people of the galaxy. Hyperspace explorers once again began scouting the galaxy in earnest, discovering newer and safer routes. Across the galaxy, planets begin to rebuild, commerce resumes, and the Republic’s military might is reestablished.
The enemies of the Republic are far from inactive during this time, however. The Sith who had fled back to Korriban bide their time and keep a low profile, while those who had fled to the Unknown Regions practice their dark arts in secret. The Mandalorians continue their nomadic existence, rebuilding their ranks and continuing the Mandalorian tradition. Though the Sith would remain silent for a time, the Mandalorians marshal their forces in secret for a return to the galactic stage.
The Mandalorian Wars (3,965-3,960 BBY)
The first battles of the Mandalorian Wars begin nearly a year before the Mandalorians’ major invasion. The nomadic mercenary army begins testing the rebuilt Republic’s defenses by raiding Outer Rim worlds and interrupting trade routes, forcing the Republic to push its resources further than they were prepared for. When the Republic has been stretched thin across the Outer Rim, the Mandalorians launch a major offensive, invading worlds and devastating the Republic military in battle after battle. As the Mandalorians launch focused strikes against the Republic’s poorly defended targets, chaos spreads throughout a Republic that fears the devastation of the Great Sith War.
After a series of military fail ures, the Republic once again turns to the Jedi Order for aid. Having been hit the hardest by the casualties of the Great Sith War, the Jedi Order refuses, at first, to join the military effort. However, among the Jedi are a few who cannot stand by while the Mandalorian invasion batters at the Republic’s defenses, including a powerful Jedi called Revan. Revan leads other like-minded Jedi into battle once more, despite the Order’s directive that they should not be involved. After victories against the Mandalorians, even more Jedi flock to Revan’s call. Over time, the Republic cedes control of many of its military assets to the Jedi, and the Mandalorian Wars begin in full.
As battles rage across the galaxy, Mandalorians win victories against the Republic and the Republic re claims territories lost to the Mandalorians. Quickly, Jedi such as Revan and his apprentice, Malak, become war heroes. After years of violent conflict, the Republic finally manages to repel the Mandalorians with a devastating victory at Malachor V. There, the Mandalorian forces are nearly wiped out. The surviving Mandalorians go into exile, and the Jedi are heralded as saviors of the Republic. Surprisingly, though, Revan and Malak gather the remnants of their fleets and flee into the Unknown Regions. For a short few months, peace reigns in the Republic once more, but questions surround the departure of the Jedi.
The Jedi Civil War (3,959-3,956 BBY)
Celebration of victory over the Mandalorians soon turns bitter when Revan and Malak return from the Unknown Regions at the head of a massive Sith Armada. Darth Revan and Darth Malak, now Dark Lords of the Sith, quickly reclaim the planet Korriban, seize control of a large swath of Republic space and declare themselves the leaders of a new Sith Empire. While in the Unknown Regions, Revan and Malak steep themselves in the teachings of those Sith who had been defeated in the Great Sith War, and empowered by the Jedi victories in the Mandalorian Wars they set out to conquer the galaxy. The Sith military continue their assaults on Republic worlds, conquering one planet after another, embroiling the galaxy in conflict once more.
Even though the Republic military that travel with Revan and Malak have long since been corrupted by the dark side, upon their return they are joined by many other Republic loyalists. Former comrades-in-arms now fight one another in desperate battles. A Republic already damaged by the Mandalorian Wars struggles to fight off a new enemy made up of their former allies. Many worlds voluntarily join the Sith, believing that because Revan and Malak saved them from the Mandalorians they are more fit to lead than the Republic. Revan recruits to his cause those Jedi who will follow him, and he attacks the rest, forcing the Jedi to choose between joining the Sith or death.
A Jedi strike force alters the course of the Jedi Civil War by boarding a starship controlled by Revan and Malak, engaging the two Sith Lords in combat. Malak turns on his master, and Revan is struck down, only to be saved by a young Jedi named Bastila Shan. A captive of the Jedi, Revan's memory is erased and his identity rebuilt as a loyal agent of the Republic. This ruse does not last long, and soon Revan rediscovers who he is and what he has done. Rejecting his former self and embracing the way of the light, Revan retraces his steps and discovers a massive artifact known as the Star Forge, aboard which he duels and vanquishes his former apprentice, Malak, ending the Jedi Civil War.
The Dark Wars (3,955-3,951 BBY)
After Darth Malak’s defeat at the Batt le of Rakata Prime, the forces of the Sith fall into chaos. Retreating from continued attacks by the Republic, the Sith Empire fragments into hundreds of smaller territories ruled over by Sith warlords. The few remaining Dark Lords of the Sith fight with one another over the scraps of their Empire, damaging themselves as much as the Republic. While the Republic rebuilds its forces, the Sith seem content to eradicate themselves, as each Dark Lord of the Sith becomes determined to be the new leader of the Sith Empire.
Though the Sith are at war with themselves, a small number of Sith Lords band together to form new leadership for their crumbling Empire. Three Sith Lords, Darth Nihilus, Darth Sion, and Darth Traya, decide to restore their former power by eliminating, the greatest threat facing the Sith: the Jedi Order. Over the course of several months, these Sith Lords dispatch assassins and strike forces to eliminate the few remaining members of the Jedi Order. In the middle of the Dark Wars, the Jedi order collapses and only a few survivors escape death at the hands of the Sith.
The Sith Triumvirate eliminates the Jedi and seizes control of the failing Sith Empire, planning to reclaim lost territory and launch a united offensive once more. However, these plans are dashed when a Jedi survivor slays all three members of the Sith Triumvirate and helps eliminate the last of the Sith threat. At the end of the Dark Wars, the Jedi survivors begin to rebuild their Order, the Republic solidifies its forces, and the galaxy is once again peaceful and prosperous.