PDA

View Full Version : Looking for narrative Star wars RPG system



Madeiner
2015-01-09, 12:01 PM
Hi there :D

I am a long time d&d DM, but recently i'd like to try to play something in the Star wars universe.
I DMed some years ago a campaign using Star wars d20, even if people say its awful now :P

I made my homework and recovered some information about existing systems.
- SAGA is the 3,5 edition of Star wars d20. I read a bit of the manuals and a few threads here, and looks like it is yet another combat-math based system where most things give +2 to something. I want something narrative based, like Numenera, which i tried and found it very good, simple yet immersive.

- EDGE looks like more what i'm looking for, as people say its more narrative based. However it has one glaring flaw i cannot bypass: no Jedis, wrong era for my tastes. I want to play with jedis (and powerful ones, too), preferably in the republic era.
I know a new system will come out eventually as the third book of FFG, but it looks too far ahead in the future.

- D6 space i've looked at threads but havent found anything conclusive about it. People say its also very mechanical.


Is there any hope for a system like i want? With Jedis, narrative based like numenera, and easy to prepare sessions for? I'd also accept something homebrew as long as its complete and functional.
I can make my own adventures (or adapt from other systems. I did that with numenera since you basically only need to think of a few descriptors to make monsters and npcs)


EDIT: I just now noticed that Force and destiny, the force-users manual for EDGE, is now in beta. Anyone knows if its playable or still in early beta? Do you ONLY have to use force sensitive chars in there or can you mix up with other manuals?

Beta Centauri
2015-01-09, 12:37 PM
Fate. You can have Jedi as powerful as you want, directly balanced out by the amount of responsibility and persecution they face. In Fate, powerful Jedi abilities simply don't do the job unless the Jedi is regularly dealing with issues that make life tough for that Jedi. The worse things get, the more powerful they are.

JustIgnoreMe
2015-01-09, 01:34 PM
Force & Destiny is in Beta and is perfectly playable, some shops have copies of the Beta to sell. It is fully compatible with Edge of the Empire and Age of Rebellion: same system, different classes and races.

I would recommmend the FFG Star Wars system. Pick up the Starter Set for EotE or AoR (for the dice and the general feel) then snag a copy of F&D Beta and get playing.

AstralFire
2015-01-09, 04:16 PM
While I can't add anything more on the narrative basis, I will say that while Saga is very familiar to those who are familiar with 3.5, it's much more "casual" friendly than 3.5 was and simpler to play.

Ninjadeadbeard
2015-01-09, 04:33 PM
I've had people recommend Burning Wheel to me as a generic system. Might work?

Madeiner
2015-01-09, 04:50 PM
While I can't add anything more on the narrative basis, I will say that while Saga is very familiar to those who are familiar with 3.5, it's much more "casual" friendly than 3.5 was and simpler to play.

I don't doubt its simpler to play, but its hard to prepare sessions for with my limited time as im already preparing one weekly session.
Plus i really wanted something narrative based, with streamlined and fast combat.
I don't care for a ton of feats that give +2 to something combat-related.
I want broad options that allow for story and narrative, not to simulate every single blaster shot.
We do that in pathfinder already :D


I've had people recommend Burning Wheel to me as a generic system. Might work?

I really wouldn't a generic system with no Star Wars link at all -- i would have to invent everything from scratch and it feels like too big of a job :p

Numenera's simplicity was spot on and that's something i would like to use as a system. But no one published a starwarsy homebrew of that it seems.
Even EDGE (i'm skimming through the manual right now) seems a lot more complicated than that.

AstralFire
2015-01-09, 05:13 PM
There's a FATE conversion for almost everything. I have no idea of its quality, but I found this with a quick google search: http://ryanmdanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Star-Wars-Fate-Edition.pdf

Edit: Unfortunately, it's looking like one of the crunchier takes on FATE, from a quick flip.

JusticeZero
2015-01-09, 05:18 PM
Also going to toss FATE out there. It may or may not be what you are looking for, but you can look at it in free web SRD form and decide.

celtois
2015-01-09, 05:37 PM
Numenera's simplicity was spot on and that's something i would like to use as a system. But no one published a starwarsy homebrew of that it seems.

I present to you google:
http://theninthworld.com/star-wars-numenera/
:smallwink:
If you like numenera you can play in numenera. The link I posted has PDF that converts it for star wars use.

Eisenheim
2015-01-09, 06:14 PM
I'll toss in one more vote for FATE core. It's easy to hack and really fits the feel of the star wars films.

JustIgnoreMe
2015-01-09, 07:18 PM
I can see FATE working, but really, that's the point of a generic system: it'll work for anything. It's good, and it's fun, but there won't be much published for the particular FATE conversion so sooner or later you'll be homebrewing for your game one way or another.

CarpeGuitarrem
2015-01-09, 08:01 PM
I've had people recommend Burning Wheel to me as a generic system. Might work?
I...bwuh?

Don't get me wrong--Burning Wheel may be my favorite game out there. But it's by no means a generic system.

neonchameleon
2015-01-09, 08:06 PM
I can see FATE working, but really, that's the point of a generic system: it'll work for anything. It's good, and it's fun, but there won't be much published for the particular FATE conversion so sooner or later you'll be homebrewing for your game one way or another.

Fate, like most generic systems, only works within a certain range. Of course Star Wars with its larger than life nature and the ability to call on The Force is squarely within that range.

And yeah, BUrning Wheel isn't generic.

JusticeZero
2015-01-09, 08:15 PM
yeah, Burning Wheel recommendations baffle me too. It's a good game and it has fans, but there seriously is a whole lot of baggage stitched into it that can't be trivially adjusted.

aspekt
2015-01-14, 04:16 AM
I'm a week late but...

Have you checked out West End Games d6 Star Wars? (Not the d6 Space rulebook.) If you do the 2nd edition core rules book is supposed to be the better version.

WEG's game was one of the better narrative systems I've played in.

Also, maybe it's just me but while the fluff is different between Old Republic (KOTOR) and the films I dont see how the mechanics would be that different. Thus making whichever Star Wars system you choose easily adaptable.

It's actually one of my frustrations with so much KOTOR era canon: thousands of years pass between the two eras and yet the only real change is the skins not the technology.

AstralFire
2015-01-14, 10:00 AM
I wouldn't really consider WEG d6 to be a narrative system (save maybe at very low levels), nor do I think it's a very good mechanical system. The rules are light, yes, but it doesn't actually offer that much freedom; the amount of dice you have to throw around to be "movie jedi" is kind of immense.

Better than SW d20 1E and SW d20 RCR, but that's not hard at all.

JusticeZero
2015-01-14, 12:50 PM
It's actually one of my frustrations with so much KOTOR era canon: thousands of years pass between the two eras and yet the only real change is the skins not the technology.
My understanding is that that's because there really isn't any real tech INCREASE in the SW universe; presumably they know how to make everything in an optimal way, so tech development is really just a big Rock/Paper/Scissors game with the fashions of the day. This is also why multi-millenia empires and the such are even a thing - there are no game changers or golden ages anymore.

AstralFire
2015-01-14, 12:54 PM
My understanding is that that's because there really isn't any real tech INCREASE in the SW universe; presumably they know how to make everything in an optimal way, so tech development is really just a big Rock/Paper/Scissors game with the fashions of the day. This is also why multi-millenia empires and the such are even a thing - there are no game changers or golden ages anymore.

This is a common explanation, but it's more just "BioWare basically decided to make an AU of the prequels and call it the Old Republic." The Old Republic era as depicted in the comics prior to BW's mishandling of that era was very different technologically. It's really easiest to just ignore those games from canon (and I really like some of them).

Delwugor
2015-01-14, 01:04 PM
There's a FATE conversion for almost everything. I have no idea of its quality, but I found this with a quick google search: http://ryanmdanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Star-Wars-Fate-Edition.pdf

Edit: Unfortunately, it's looking like one of the crunchier takes on FATE, from a quick flip.

Though I haven't played it, I like what it covers. He provides examples of many aspects (pun) of what often comes up in SW play. Though I think he concentrates a bit too much on Force stunts.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-14, 01:15 PM
My understanding is that that's because there really isn't any real tech INCREASE in the SW universe; presumably they know how to make everything in an optimal way, so tech development is really just a big Rock/Paper/Scissors game with the fashions of the day. This is also why multi-millenia empires and the such are even a thing - there are no game changers or golden ages anymore. My understanding is that Star Wars isn't actually science fiction, but fantasy with technological trappings.

AstralFire
2015-01-14, 01:20 PM
My understanding is that Star Wars isn't actually science fiction, but fantasy with technological trappings.

While this is true, overall it's one of the crunchier space fantasies, as there were a fair amount of moderately hard sci-fi writers who signed on to shape the early EU, many of them specializing in military sci-fi. The Old Republic as a comic era was especially fanciful, but BW's take on the era morphed it into something more modern looking without also bringing the hardness up.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-14, 01:35 PM
While this is true, overall it's one of the crunchier space fantasies, as there were a fair amount of moderately hard sci-fi writers who signed on to shape the early EU, many of them specializing in military sci-fi. Exactly why the EU stopped feeling like Star Wars to me.

AstralFire
2015-01-14, 01:41 PM
Exactly why the EU stopped feeling like Star Wars to me.

Personally, I loved it; I feel like the result is a universe that has some of the most narrative flexibility. As a GM, I feel like I can tell the most kinds of stories without shifting settings in Star Wars, because it has well developed religious philosophies, military technologies, and frontier worlds. Most other space settings can't accommodate at least one of those well enough for me.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-14, 04:16 PM
Personally, I loved it; I feel like the result is a universe that has some of the most narrative flexibility. As a GM, I feel like I can tell the most kinds of stories without shifting settings in Star Wars, because it has well developed religious philosophies, military technologies, and frontier worlds. Most other space settings can't accommodate at least one of those well enough for me. And that's why I can't really play in Star Wars games. "Star Wars game" can mean anything, with few of them having anything to do with my idea of "Star Wars."

JusticeZero
2015-01-14, 04:34 PM
My understanding is that Star Wars isn't actually science fiction, but fantasy with technological trappings.A push for greater technology is typically adverse to the fantasy genre.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-14, 04:56 PM
A push for greater technology is typically adverse to the fantasy genre. Yes, but a push for world-ending superweapons typically is not, and that's more of the point than the technology is.