SPOILER ALERT! This week's entry includes comments on last week's Clone Wars episode.
With various sources touting the 4 story Clone Wars Kenobi arc that started this past week, I made sure to tune in on time. The episode was provocative, both in the story itself, and some effects it could have in the realm of RPG play. First, the episode continues the Clone Wars trend to blur the lines between good guys and bad. The good guys aren't quite as good as you hope, and some bad guys aren't as bad as you expect. Kenobi, in particular, falls into the first category.
This isn't unfamiliar territory for Kenobi. For audiences, his HERO status began diminishing in Return of the Jedi, when he revealed he had lied to Luke about his father, point of view comment or no. Perhaps Ben wasn't as noble as audiences assumed, based on what they also assumed Jedi Knights to be. With only a few lines if dialog to go on, it was assumed Jedi were noble guardians, ruthlessly hunted down by the Empire. Time, or rather the prequels, showed that the Jedi weren't always as upstanding as expected. The Clone Wars continues to show that they are guardians first, noble leaders second.
Kenobi's (reluctant) willingness to let clone guards be killed during the prison break scene shows how much he is placing the greater mission goal over everything else. While he didn't take out any guards himself, he didn't expose the breakout to save them, either. It will be interesting to see how this develops, especially given that the Jedi acknowledge this entire plan goes down a darker path than usual.
This episode also introduces technological concepts somewhat problematic to the universe as a whole, and challenges in RPG play. The instant face altering injection takes disguises to a whole different level, and seems too easy. I intend to write up some game rules about it, after the story arc concludes. First in universe explanation that came to mind had to do with adapting Clawdite biological shapeshifting for use in other species.
The other tech is the voice changer.
While not as big of a universe issue, it does make hidden voice alterations much easier. I'm not sure how you breathe or eat with that giant marble in your throat (hopefully it flattens itself somehow), but I'll take a shot at in game suggestions as well.