Not so long ago, in a not-so-distant, very distant decade, George Lucas transformed science fiction cinema with the release of Star Wars, a loving tribute to the space operas of the golden age that generated a franchise of films, toys, books, TV shows, video games and even RPG table games. The three main Star Wars RPG systems – published by West End Games, Wizards Of The Coast and Fantasy Flight Games, respectively – did not just provide Star Wars fans a chance to tell their own stories on Star Wars universe; they also added richness and complexity to the Star Wars universe, its tradition and mechanics inspiring books like The Thrawn Trilogy and video games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
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The key to Star Wars the franchise’s enduring popularity is undoubtedly the sense of child admiration that inspires viewers. The universe of Star Wars, in contrast to the sterile and suffocating configurations of dystopian science fiction films, it is a fundamentally interesting place, where strange alien planets can be reached with a quick tour of hyperspace, and the protagonists’ choices can genuinely alter the course of galactic events, to good or bad. In short, the Star Wars scenario is a great sandbox for telling stories of good versus evil, whether on a large scale (the top three Star Warstrilogies) or small ones (TV dramas as The Mandalorian)
The storytelling potential of Star Wars scenario inspired countless creators to try Star Wars media – not just authors like Timothy Zahn or producers of programs like The Mandalorian, but also table players interested in telling stories set in their fascinating universe. The three officers Star Wars RPGs released over the years offer fans different sets of rules and tools to count their Star Wars stories, whether as noble Jedi, astute smugglers or soldiers on the front lines of the rebellion.
Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (1987)
The first Star Wars RPG was published by West End Games in 1987, a few years after the release of Return of the Jedi. Unlike competing table games at the time, such as Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition, the rules for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game they are quite cinematic and abstract. Players roll a number of six-sided dice based on the strength of their Attributes plus Abilities and spend Strength Points to increase their play at dramatically appropriate times. Character models like “Quixotic Jedi“gives players access to reasonably powerful Force skills, but the narrative and abstract focus of the rules allows even low-powered characters to do cool things.
The reference books of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game greatly developed the Star Wars universe, containing incredibly detailed knowledge entries about planets, alien species, spaceships, weapons, factions, tools and droids. For a time, many people affiliated with LucasFilm used these reference books as canonical encyclopedias of Star Wars tradition, with a notable example being Timothy Zahn, the creator of “Thrawn Trilogy“ of Star Wars soap operas.
Star Wars Roleplaying Game (2000)
Right after the launch of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Wizards of the Coast published the Star Wars role-playing game, built around its internal d20 system. To like Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Editionplayers of Star Wars roleplaying game perform skill tests and attack attempts by rolling a 20-sided die and adding bonuses to your skills and attributes. Special character abilities are determined by the combination of race and class that players choose, with class options like Jedi, Scoundrel and Soldier and race options like human, Ewok, Wookiee and Rodian.
Similar to the RPG West End Games, the Star Wars roleplaying game have “Destination Points“players can spend to improve the results of any skill test that brings them closer to fulfilling their destiny. Unlike the West End Games RPG, the Star Wars roleplaying game has a better balance of play between Jedi and non-Force sensitive classes, who have access to worldly skills and talents, but still very useful. BioWare’s acclaimed computer RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, launched in 2003, it was built on a modified version of the d20 system used in the Star Wars role-playing game, literally rolling virtual dice in the background as the game’s turn-based combat progressed.
Star Wars: Edge Of The Empire, Age Of Rebellion and Force And Destiny (2012)
The newest officer Star Wars RPG, published by Fantasy Flight Games, focuses on the timeline of the original Star Wars trilogy, where the Rebel Alliance fights a war of liberation against the repressive Galactic Empire. Appropriately, there are three main rule books that focus on three distinct types of Star Wars narrative: The first book, Edge Of The Empire, contains careers, skill trees and a debt-based karma system to tell stories of smugglers, bounty hunters and scoundrels who survive on the Outer Rim (think The Mandalorian or Solo: a Star Wars story) The second book, Age of Rebellion, focuses on the rules, equipment and skills for spies, pilots, soldiers and diplomats working for the Rebel Alliance, with a duty-based karma system (think Star Wars: Rogue One) The third book, Strength and Destiny, focuses on fugitive Jedi and Force Sensitives newbies trying to escape persecution from the Galactic Empire (as seen in Star Wars: Rebels and Jedi: Fallen Order); unsurprisingly, the rules in this final central book focus on the skills of the Force, martial arts based on the lightsaber and a karma system centered on embracing the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force.
One of the newest features of the FFG Star Wars RPG rule set is its unique data system, distinct from the d6 and d20 systems used by Star Wars RPGs. When a player needs to take a skill test, he and the GM play colorful polyhedral dice sets with futuristic symbols of success and failure instead of numbers or pips. In addition to determining whether a character’s action succeeds or fails, this data system also determines a character’s luck, leading to scenarios where a player’s PC can succeed at horrible cost or fail in a way that work in your favor.
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