Rogue Squadron- Obligometer Responsibility

We all have obligations. To family, friends, work or even just ourselves. Big or small, we all owe someone something, even if that someone is ourselves or our own desires. Obligation is a part of life…

Our heroes have arrived on a small Mid Rim colony. They came here in order to take delivery of a shipment of medical supplies from a small laboratory. The pay is good and their client, for a change, seems legit. It’s the first time taking delivery hasn’t involved a skulduggery check to bypass a lock in quite awhile.

After loading the medical supplies onto their speeder the party heads back toward the starport. They stop at a cross roads and they hear a *cough* *cough* near by. While waiting for traffic to clear the group’s designated medic, let’s call him Doctor Guy, turns to look toward the cough. There he sees a young Human male sitting on the side of the road. The dark blemish mars his face sends a cold chill down Doc’s spine.

He’ll never fail to recognize the symptoms of space plague. Seeing the poor Human reminds Doc of those tragic events on Myar IV and he begins to feel a strong sense of Responsibility to help the sick man. Unlike many medics, this feeling of Responsibility isn’t based on his oath as a doctor, but what happened in his past.

Many years ago, when Doctor Guy was just a young intern, he worked in a small research clinic on Myar IV. There he took time to study space plague. He made some major breakthroughs in the understanding of the disease. However, the space plague also made some major outbreaks. The virus escaped containment and spread through the colony like wildfire. Soon half the colony had caught the disease. And it was all his fault.

Since then, Doctor Guy has lived with this tragedy hanging over his head. It’s why he works with a less than reputable group of thugs rather than at a cushy clinic; no self-respecting hospital would hire him. When he sees people afflicted with space plague he always feels a strong Obligation to help.

Telling the group to stop, Doctor Guy hops out of the speeder and goes over to the poor man. He opens his medical kit and gets to work trying to treat this horrible disease. The GM calls for a Medical check…

Success You’ve reached the poor man in time! You give him a dose of medicine and can tell right away he’s going to make it.

Advantage! Whether or not you cure him the man is grateful for your help. He blesses your help and demands that you take some of his credits for your service.

Triumph! Your time on the rim has only enhanced your medical skills. A few quick treatments and his pain immediately begins to subside. He honors your efforts and promises to sing your praises as a healer, reducing your Obligation.

Failure- Your medical gear just isn’t adequate for this advanced stage of the disease. But if you “borrow” a few vials of the medicine in those crates your party is carrying…

Threat- You may or may not be able to tend to this man’s sickness but then he tells you about his family, who are also infected…

Despair- No! It’s to late for this poor man. The disease has reached it’s end stage and he’ll die a horrible, painful death no matter what you do. But before he goes, he tells you that half the people in the poor district are also infected. Most aren’t as bad as he is, they would likely easily be cured with a dose from those crates you’re carrying, though it will likely require the entire supply…

Responsibility can be a heavy burden. Some people are responsible to individuals or causes. Other feel responsible to make up for the mistakes in their past. In many ways, it is our Responsibilities that define us.

Thanks to one of the players in my group for the inspiration for this article.