Signal Interruption

"Signal Interruption" is a Star Wars Legends web-exclusive roleplaying game adventure created for use with the Star Wars: Invasion of Theed Adventure Game by Wizards of the Coast and designed to introduce players to concepts found in The Dark Side Sourcebook. The adventure was written by Jesse Decker and published on Wizards.com on August 9, 2001. "Signal Interruption" takes place on the planet Naboo shortly before the events of the 1999 prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. The player characters meet with the covert Trade Federation operative Raymas Daal and agree to attack a Naboo sensor array. The encounter is interrupted by the arrival of operatives of the Royal Naboo Security Forces, which the players have to resolve. Afterwards, they complete the raid on the array. "Signal Interruption" was available on Wizards.com until 2010, when Wizards of the Coast chose not to renew their Star Wars license.

Contents

The opening of "Signal Interruption" establishes that the adventure takes place immediately prior to the Invasion of Naboo featured in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. The adventure portrays one of the Trade Federation's covert operations in the lead-up to the Trade Federation's landing on the planet Naboo. The introduction specifies rules for playing the scenario, the pieces required to do so, and states that certain information should only be viewed by the gamemaster. It also specifies that the scenario descriptions assume that the players are using heroic characters who are sympathetic to the Naboo, while also offering suggestions for characters affiliated with the dark side of the Force.^[1]

The adventure consists of three encounters. In "Encounter 1: This Is Only a Test," the player "heroes," in need of funds, have arranged to meet with small-time criminal Raymas Daal in a restaurant in Kwilaan, a city on Naboo. After arriving there, the heroes find that the usually reliable Daal is not present. Just as they consider leaving, Daal rushes in, asking to resolve their business quickly, as he believes he was followed. He offers the group 8000 credits to temporarily deactivate a sensor array outside the city. Daal claims that he intends to smuggle a shipment of rare spices to Naboo, hiding that his true purpose is to allow the Trade Federation to place jamming satellites without detection. The heroes then have the opportunity to ask questions about the raid and potentially negotiate a higher fee.^[1]

In "Encounter 2: Do Not Attempt to Adjust Your Screen," the conversation ends when three plainclothes operatives from the Royal Naboo Security Forces enter the restaurant and ask Daal to join them for questioning for suspected Trade Federation affiliation. Daal runs to the building's exit, evading blaster-fire from the operatives. One of them then turns his pistol on the heroes, and it is up to the players to resolve the encounter. The adventure gives instructions for how players need to set up the map and pieces for the encounter.^[1]

"Encounter 3: Broadcast Signals" starts as the heroes approach the sensor array the following night and have to decide if they will proceed by force or stealth. Four Naboo Palace Guards protect the sensor array and are knocked out by the players. Inside the array, the heroes have to decide how to deal with the two technicians there before deactivating the array. Afterwards, they need to track down Daal to receive their payment.^[1]

In the middle of Encounter 3, the adventure includes two maps for players to use. The scenario's conclusion suggests that the heroes can extend their adventures by investigating Daal further. It suggests that light side–aligned heroes may seek to undo the damage they have caused to Naboo, while dark side players could continue working for the Trade Federation and come to the attention of the orchestrator of the upcoming invasion,^[1] Darth Sidious.^[3]

Development

"Signal Interuption" is a five-page roleplaying game adventure created for use with Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars: Invasion of Theed Adventure Game,^[1] which had been released on November 22, 2000.^[4] The adventure was written by Jesse Decker and illustrated by Adam Hughes. Other credited personnel include Sue Weinlein Cook for editing and web production, Sean Glenn for art direction, Todd Gamble for cartography, Kyle Hunter for graphic design, Leland Chee for Lucas Licensing, and Thomas M. Reid as the creative director.^[1] The adventure was created to introduce players to concepts found in The Dark Side Sourcebook,^[1] a supplement to the Star Wars Roleplaying Game written by Bill Slavicsek and J.D. Wiker and published on August 2, 2001.^[5]

Release and reception

"Signal Interruption" was published as a PDF file on Wizards.com^[1] on August 9, 2001,^[1] a week after the release of The Dark Side Sourcebook.^[5] The webpage for the adventure included an additional PDF of its maps. The webpage also stated that players do not need a copy of The Dark Side Sourcebook to complete the storyline, while also recommending that having it—alongside content from^[1] the February 2001^[6] sourcebook Secrets of Naboo by Steve Miller—will be helpful.^[1] In 2010, Wizards of the Coast elected to not renew their Star Wars license. All content related to the franchise, including "Signal Interruption," was removed from their website in that year.^[7]

Continuity

"Signal Interruption" is described as taking place during events mentioned at the beginning of the 1999 prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which takes place in 32 BBY.^[2] The adventure specifically reveals how the Trade Federation was able to jam Naboo's offworld transmissions during their invasion of the planet.^[1] The LucasArts video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, released on November 11, 2001,^[8] also portrays the disruption of Naboo's communications through the subjugation of Parrlay, in which the Trade Federation attacks and destroys several transmitters during their landing.^[9] The city of Kwilaan shares its name^[1] with Kwilaan, a Naboo historical figure first mentioned in Secrets of Naboo.^[10]

The adventure uses character tokens included in the Invasion of Theed Adventure Game, which include depictions taken from other Star Wars characters that appeared in the background of scenes from The Phantom Menace. Daal is represented through the generic mercenary token, which uses the image^[1] of Televan Koreyy,^[11] while the RSF characters are represented by thug tokens, two of which^[1] depict Bok Askol^[11] and one of which^[1] depicts Mat Rags.^[11] The first page of "Signal Interruption" also depicts four of the hero characters^[1] from the Invasion of Theed Adventure Game: Rann I-Kanu, Arani Korden, Galak, and Rorworr.^[12] The adventure instructions mention that the players can use these characters and the other heroes from the game,^[1] which include Dané, Deel Surool, Toba, and Sia-Lan Wezz.^[12] However, there is no direct canonical confirmation that these individuals were those responsible for the attack on the sensor array.

The conclusion of the scenario refers to the originator of the Invasion of Naboo,^[1] confirmed to be Darth Sidious in The Phantom Menace,^[3] as a Dark Jedi^[1] rather than a Sith.^[3]

Daal was later mentioned in the 2008 reference book The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. His entry established that after Daal hired freelancers to attack the sensor array, he was eventually captured by the Royal Naboo Security Forces.^[13] As a part of Expanded Universe media at the time of its publication, "Signal Interruption" was categorized as Star Wars Legends media in 2014.^[14]

Appearances

Notes and references

External links

• Signal Interruption on Wizards.com (original site is defunct)