talyseon's Full Review: Owen K. C. Stephens and Rodney Thompson - Star War...
Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition Core Rule Book.
As Dungeons and Dragons prepares to reboot for the sixth time with the release of Fourth edition, they have in point of fact already released an example of the game engine. Star Wars, Saga Edition.
Star Wars has always been a little like a streamlined D&D. Now, it is streamlined until it is SLICK.
Much like D&D, you have the funny shaped dice, but instead of rolling and rolling to determine the effects, there tends to be one role, usually the attacker’s. In the old system, if someone shot at you with a flame thrower, you rolled a saving throw to see if you could dodge it. Now, you have a reflex defense, and they must role over that number to affect you. Gone are the concepts of threat ranges and rolling to confirm a critical. If you roll a natural 20, you do double damage. If you roll a 1, you miss. End of story.
New to the system are Force points. Every one gets some when they go up in level. You can use them to avoid certain situations: for example you can spend a force point to add 1d6 to any roll, doing more damage, or to any defense, to save your hiney.
Jedi and other force users can use these points to activate certain powers. Also new is the concept of “Suites of powers.” A Jedi can use any power, but once used, he needs a minute to rest before he can reuse that power. If he rolls a natural 20 the power automatically pops back into his suite.
Like before, there are a handful of character classes: Jedi, Noble, Scoundrel, Scout and Soldier. There are also prestige classes, specialists with different sorts of powers and skills. These include Ace Pilot, Bounty Hunter, Crime Lord, Elite Trooper, Force Adept, Force Discipline, Gunslinger, Jedi Knight, Jedi Master, Officer, Sith Apprentice, and of course, the ever popular Sith Lord.
As far as races go, you have a choice of Human, Bothan (no Bothan was ever shown in any of the Six movies) Cereans, Duros, Ewoks, Gamorreans, Gungans, Ithorians, Kel Dor, Mon Calimari, Quarren, Rodian, Sullustans, Trandoshans, Twi’leks, Wookies and Zabraks. Here is the non geek translation for those people who have lives. People, no Bothan was ever shown in any of the Six movies, only one reference; Mon Mothma said, “Many Bothans died to bring us this information.”, tall pointy heads, Greys, Wicket and his band of killer teddy bears, Big Pig People at Jabba’s, Jar Jar Binks, Hammerheads, The little Jedi Master with the breathing mask, Fishface, Squidhead, the guy that HAN SHOT FIRST, the little copilot with Lando in the Falcon, the reptile bounty hunter next to Boba Fett, Bib Fortuna, Chewbacca, and Darth Maul.
Most races have a strength and a weakness to make them different. If you want to play a bruiser, try a Gamorrean or a Wookie. If you want something sneaky and underhanded, Twi’leks are a natural. And if you want something completely different, try an Ithorian. Each race has a different feel and makes for a different gaming experience.
There are stats and rules for starships, and weapons, and droids, and a small section of monsters and alien threats. Everything looks familiar, for the most part. It is all just easier to use.
“But is it fun?” Well, from my groups limited experience, yes. We are running a campaign with a Wookie Scout, a Twi’lek Scoundrel, a Twi’lek Noble, and an Ithorian Jedi. It makes for a diverse group, but it has been a lot of fun. There has been some grumbling, mostly about lack of critical fumbles on a natural 1, but all and all, my group seems to have taken to it. I just hope this acceptance spills over into fourth edition D&D. So, if you love Star Wars, and you love gaming, or think you would like to start, I highly recommend this book. It is clear, concise, and very easy to use.
This new saga edition encapsulates all six "Star Wars" feature films while presenting a thorough revision of the rules, making the game easier to lear...More at HotBookSale
This new saga edition encapsulates all six Star Wars feature films while presenting a thorough revision of the rules, making the game easier to learn ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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