Star Wars Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Saga Edition
by Owen K.C. Stephens, Rodney Thompson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Owen K.C. Stephens, Rodney ThompsonEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-05
ISBN: 0786943564
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Book Reviews of Star Wars Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Saga Edition
Book Review: A simpler system which is good for newcomers, but it will disappoint others.
Summary: 3 Stars
I have to admit that I wasn't happy when Wizards of the Coast announced they were, once again, revising their Star Wars RPG. I find it an insult to dedicated gamers to keep asking them to upgrade, and confusing to newer and more casual players. This, at first glance, seems like just another ploy to plumb my pockets; as a veteran of the old West End Games version of Star Wars I remember a day when the game was fast and furious and not so formulaic. Its adaptation into the d20 RPG machine, I felt, deadened some of its spirit. While I felt there were some features that the d20 system brought that made it worth the effort, the game often became too cumbersome and too sluggish for me to enjoy. I longed for the old days.
Well, the old days have to a great extent returned with the Saga Edition of the Star Wars RPG. They've shed many of the trappings of the d20 system that held it down for so many years, and even freed themselves from many problems that have continually plagued the RPG since the d6 days. They started with a fresh new take on core concepts like the Force, starships and character creation. The rules have been streamlined while still adding more flexibility for character creation. But most importantly - and I can't stress this enough - after 20 years of the Star Wars RPG, this may be the first time they've truly nailed it in regards to the spirit of the films. May be, but it will take a lot more playing to explore the game more thoroughly. That said, however, the streamlining is something I support, regardless of it feeling a little bit like Diet RPG.
From a design/layout standpoint it's the simplest Star Wars RPG book since the pre-revised second edition d6 book. They finally moved away from cramming the book full of images from the movies, which to me always felt like filler, and went back to using artwork that shows the Star Wars universe is more than what you see on the screen. The major gripe here, however, is that I didn't see one single piece of original artwork. It's all recycled, but if you're new to the game, that won't be a problem. The dimensions of the book are a bit strange (about 9" x 9"), but it at least serves to separate it more from the previous versions (though copying the character sheet will be a bit tricky). And therein lies my dilemma; for old gamers, this book will seem light, simpler, yet lacking anything new, whereas new gamers will find it accessible and well presented.
One of the down sides - and this is where Wizards of the Coast have really aliennated a lot of their gamers over the years - is that it's a little thin on "stuff". There aren't a lot of starships, Force powers, NPCs, and so on. This version begs for a number of good quality supplements. That alone, I don't think, is such a bad thing; dividing the rules (in this core rulebook) from the "stuff" (in various inevitable supplements) is a good design philosophy, and helps free up the game for people who want to come to it fresh. There isn't so much crammed in to make anyone feel bogged down or intimidated by it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Wizards' appalling milking of RPGs through their incessant supplement release schedule - D&D fans know where I'm coming from - but within reason it is perhaps the best way to present the game. The problem, and I speak to the older gamers like myself in this, has always been that Wizards don't seem to like presenting supplementary information cleanly, instead subdividing it into endless accessories and sourcebooks. I want to see it done better, but experience tells me it will just happen all over again.
Here's the chapter list for you to see the basic breakdown:
Chapter 1: Abilities
Chapter 2: Species
Chapter 3: Heroic Classes
Chapter 4: Skills
Chapter 5: Feats
Chapter 6: The Force
Chapter 7: Heroic Traits
Chapter 8: Equipment
Chapter 9: Combat
Chapter 10: Vehicles
Chapter 11: Droids
Chapter 12: Prestige Classes
Chapter 13: Galactic Gazetteer
Chapter 14: Game-Mastering
Chapter 15: Eras of Play
Chapter 16: Allies and Opponents
The bottom line is this: if you're a Star Wars RPG veteran who lost faith after it was taken in to d20, you might like this. It does feel newer, if a lot lighter at the same time, so there might be the breathing room that got squeezed out when it was converted. If you're a veteran of the d20 version, and have enjoyed the heavier rules of the Revised Core Rulebook (or D&D 3.5), or you're simply sick of Wizards, you may want to steer clear of this one.
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