Star Wars RPG questions

[MesiDoomstalker]

My group may or may not want to run a Star Wars game in the near or far future (we're an indecisive bunch). I stumbled across Fantasy Flight Games newest set of Star War RPGs and they look interesting and fun. They have 3, Age of Rebellion (your part of the Rebel Alliance), Edge of the Empire (outer rim outlaws and thugs) and Force and Destiny (Force users, essentially). They claim the 3 systems are completely cross compatible. I'm wondering if anyone has experience crossing the 3? I know not all my players will want to play a Force Sensitive (he loaths casters). What does the playground think of the system(s)?

Also, the systems seem to assume a pre-Episode IV time period. I assume that's just out of convience and one could adapt it to other time periods, say, a few hours after the conclusion of Episode VII, with little difficulty? I'm trying to determine if the $180 (plus shipping) price tag would be worth it.

[Mutazoia]

My group may or may not want to run a Star Wars game in the near or far future (we're an indecisive bunch). I stumbled across Fantasy Flight Games newest set of Star War RPGs and they look interesting and fun. They have 3, Age of Rebellion (your part of the Rebel Alliance), Edge of the Empire (outer rim outlaws and thugs) and Force and Destiny (Force users, essentially). They claim the 3 systems are completely cross compatible. I'm wondering if anyone has experience crossing the 3? I know not all my players will want to play a Force Sensitive (he loaths casters). What does the playground think of the system(s)?

Also, the systems seem to assume a pre-Episode IV time period. I assume that's just out of convience and one could adapt it to other time periods, say, a few hours after the conclusion of Episode VII, with little difficulty? I'm trying to determine if the $180 (plus shipping) price tag would be worth it.

You should be able to get away with just getting Age of Rebellion to start with, unless you have players that really want to be a Jedi. I've looked through the FFG books, but haven't played them myself as I don't have a current group to game with, so I can't give you more than a superficial review of the system at the moment.

Apart from needing to buy $180 worth of books to have access to all the classes and information, I'm not too sure how I feel about having to buy a set of specialized dice and learn a whole new die mechanic, just to play one game. I'd probably give it a go, as long as I didn't have to invest any cash in the game ahead of time...nothing like shelling out a ton of cash and then finding out you don't like the system.

As usual, when one of these Star Wars threads pop up, I recommend giving the D6 version a go. It's a pretty fast system to learn, doesn't require specialized dice (just a bunch of D6's that most gamers will have a ton of anyway), and, IMHO, best captures the general fast paced, Space Opera feel of the movies better than the other systems I have tried so far. Plus you don't have to spend $180 on books when nearly all the SWD6 material is archived and available on D6holocron.com for the low low price of a mouse click.

[Water Bob]

Apart from needing to buy $180 worth of books to have access to all the classes and information, I'm not too sure how I feel about having to buy a set of specialized dice and learn a whole new die mechanic, just to play one game. I'd probably give it a go, as long as I didn't have to invest any cash in the game ahead of time...nothing like shelling out a ton of cash and then finding out you don't like the system.

My thoughts exactly, especially when WEG's D6 Star Wars was such a fantastic game. You could probably buy everything you wanted for that game on eBay and still save a lot of money--with a guaranteed excellent game system that perfectly fits the Star Wars universe.

The FFG stuff looks nice, but they're proud of it. And, those gimmicky dice. They can keep it.

[Mark Hall]

d6 Space, using the system that came from Star Wars d6, is free on drivethrurpg.

[cougon]

I just picked up Edge of the Empire, and it looks good so far. I want to clear up a minor error in the op. It's not set pre-episode IV. It's designed to play just after the Death Star in Episode IV was destroyed, so mainly episodes V-VI. I don't see why it couldn't be modified for just after episode VII with a little work. The dice system doesn't look very hard to learn, and there's a chart in the book that allows use of standard dice to avoid having to buy the ones with the new symbols. I also don't think you need to get all three of the books at first, as each focuses on something different. The force one would only be needed if your entire group wants to focus on a lot of force stuff. Between the other two, one focuses on being part of the Rebellion with a more military focus while the other focuses on those on the edge of society. There is a section in Edge of the Empire (and I would presume the Rebellion one as well), there is a section that deals with the force, so you can still play a force sensitive (including abilities) without buying the force book. You should see which type of game appeals to the group and buy just the book that covers that type of game to see if you like it, or maybe buy one of the beginner games (which comes with a set of the new dice.)

[Rakaydos]

In my experience, the FFG Star Wars games are indeed fully compatable- if anything, force users (not just jedi- you can build a nightsister witch or tribal shaman with animals and drugs, or Gand Finsman, or General Grevus, or more) are actually spread too thin, too many options to be a competent "movie jedi" (they were competent? ) at a reasonable points level.

[MesiDoomstalker]

In my experience, the FFG Star Wars games are indeed fully compatable- if anything, force users (not just jedi- you can build a nightsister witch or tribal shaman with animals and drugs, or Gand Finsman, or General Grevus, or more) are actually spread too thin, too many options to be a competent "movie jedi" (they were competent? ) at a reasonable points level.

So your saying that movie Jedi are incredibly powerful characters and having one of those in a party of mundanes would be unbalancing and sap the fun for the mundanes? That sounds like a pro, not a con.

So the consens I'm seeing is the system is good, but the special dice are annoying and the d6 Star Wars system is free and works just as well. That about sum it up?

[Rakaydos]

So your saying that movie Jedi are incredibly powerful characters and having one of those in a party of mundanes would be unbalancing and sap the fun for the mundanes? That sounds like a pro, not a con.

So the consens I'm seeing is the system is good, but the special dice are annoying and the d6 Star Wars system is free and works just as well. That about sum it up?

The special dice are amazing, but people dont like the idea of buying dice they only use for 1 game.

And you can have movie jedi if you're willing to have Legends Wedge, or legends Bobavfett.

[Mando Knight]

force users (not just jedi- you can build a nightsister witch or tribal shaman with animals and drugs, or Gand Finsman, or General Grevus, or more)

Nitpick: Grievous is not a Force User, he's a twinked-out cybernetic melee monster who happens to collect and use lightsabers.

[Rakaydos]

Nitpick: Grievous is not a Force User, he's a twinked-out cybernetic melee monster who happens to collect and use lightsabers.

Lorewise, true, but mechanically his practicallt the posterchild for the Warrior/Aggressor Specialization. Fr1 lets him pick up certian intimidation talents, without letting him throw things around with his mind.

[Mutazoia]

So your saying that movie Jedi are incredibly powerful characters and having one of those in a party of mundanes would be unbalancing and sap the fun for the mundanes? That sounds like a pro, not a con.

So the consens I'm seeing is the system is good, but the special dice are annoying and the d6 Star Wars system is free and works just as well. That about sum it up?

Pretty much

[neonchameleon]

So your saying that movie Jedi are incredibly powerful characters and having one of those in a party of mundanes would be unbalancing and sap the fun for the mundanes? That sounds like a pro, not a con.

So the consens I'm seeing is the system is good, but the special dice are annoying and the d6 Star Wars system is free and works just as well. That about sum it up?

Good summary other than that the special dice are really good - just expensive and people don't like the cost of them or buying dice that only work for one system. (Of course RPGs are amazingly cheap compared to time on almost any other hobby even with such things).

Also Age of Rebellion does have a Jedi option - the "Force Sensitive Exile". If you only want to display the abilities Obi Wan did in Star Wars then it's fine. You just aren't a prequel/EU Jedi.