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General Obligations (Edge of the Empire)

Addiction

The character has a strong addiction he must keep feeding. Whether it's a physical addiction to stims. dust, or alcohol, or a mental addiction such as gambling, law-breaking, or priceless antiques, the character devotes a lot of time, energy, and resources to pursuing or obtaining the object of his addiction. Avoiding this Obligation has an almost immediate result—withdrawal. The exact nature depends on the addiction, but the character finds it increasingly difficult to concentrate on even mundane tasks, often reflected in the GM adding anywhere from ■ to ■ ■ ■ to skill checks.

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Betrayal

This Obligation can work in one of two ways: either the character is the target of a deep and personal betrayal, or the character is the one who betrayed others. Whether it's as simple as a betrayed confidence or broken promise or as serious as treason or mutiny, the betrayal eats away at the character and affects his everyday life. The target of the betrayal may seek answers, compensation, or simply revenge.

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Blackmail

Someone has discovered one of the PC's dirty secrets and is using that knowledge for some sort of gain. To make matters worse, the blackmailer possesses evidence that could possibly leak out—a holovid, bank records, a weapon used during a crime, and so on. In order to keep the secret safe, the character must do what he is told, although the blackmailer is savvy enough to keep the demand simple enough to maintain the blackmail for as long as possible, generally demanding money or favors.

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Bounty

For some reason, the character has a price on his head. This may be in the form of a legal warrant or a contract by criminals, collection agencies, or even someone who felt his honor violated in some way. What he did to earn this mark is up to his background, and the severity of his actions can be based on the size of his Obligation.

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Criminal

The character has a criminal record, or was accused of a crime (perhaps one he didn't even commit), and is somehow embroiled in the legal system. Obligation may be settled by paying ongoing legal costs, making attempts to bury evidence, or efforts to prove his innocence.

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Debt

The character owes someone a great deal, whether that debt consists of money or something else. Perhaps the PC has a huge gambling debt to a Hutt, is indebted to the Czerka Corporation for his starship, owes a wealthy family for patronage, or has some other serious financial obligation. To make matters worse, depending on who owns the debt, even fully paying it off might not get the character completely off the hook—if the character can get that money, he can surely get more.

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Dutybound

The PC has a deep sense of duty that he feels compelled to fulfill, such as military service, making good on a contract, or following some sort of thieves' code. Unlike the Oath Obligation (see below), a Dutybound character has some legal or ritualistic bind to an organization or cause making it extremely difficult or detrimental if he fails to live up to that commitment.

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Family

The character has deep ties with his family that require a great deal of time and attention. This could include providing care for or assistance to siblings or parents, the management of an inheritance, trust, or family business, or simply mediating between squabbling family members.

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Favor

The PC owes a big favor. Perhaps officials looked the other way when he smuggled in goods, or a friend got him out of prison. Regardless, the favors are stacking up, and soon he's going to be asked to pay them back or return the favor. This favor may be called in a little at a time, prolonging the Obligation.

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Oath

The character has sworn some sort of oath that dictates his thoughts and actions, shaping his moral view of the world. This could be an oath to a deity, a way of living (such as the Jedi Code), or a willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of some group or cause. Whatever the case, the Oath should be both serious and make life difficult in some ways for the character. It is a personal and deep undertaking, possibly without a truly obtainable end goal in sight. Characters who do not live up to this oath face an internal and moral struggle.

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Obsession

The PC has some unhealthy obsession that tends to interfere in his life, whether with a celebrity, a region, a political movement, a cultural icon, or some other facet of society or life. He must pursue this, possibly to the detriment of his health, finances, or well-being. A character with this Obligation tends to get along well with others that share his interest, but is looked at with pity, amusement, or even a bit of fear from others who don't understand.

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Responsibility

A character with the Responsibility Obligation feels a strong sense of accountability or relationship to a person, place, or thing (a responsibility to kin falls under the Family Obligation described above). This could include a strong connection to a mentor, a strong desire to care for orphans in a given location, or taking on the needs of an under-represented minority.

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