Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

4 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

Very high production standards, as you might expect from a license this big, Star Wars has always had the advantage of pre-knowledge from any gamer who might pick it up. This edition uses a colourful dice-pool mechanic, inherited from WFRP 3rd edition, and gives a fair variety of character types to play. The fine focus on low level fringer play, to go alongside other themed corebook releases, is really more of a marketing gimmick to get gamers to buy more books truth be told. Honestly, is there really any reason why a smuggler can’t end up commanding a Rebel force or a farmer-boy becoming a Jedi within the same narrative….? Nevertheless, it’s an excellently produced book with only the old WEG fan favourite d6 system still able to shine a light to it.
 

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Morrus

Well, that was fun
Staff member
3 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

A lovely book with very high production values and wonderful writing. The rules themselves, though, are just a little too fiddly for my personal taste, especially those dice mechanics. If you love Star Wars, it's probably a must-buy; otherwise, try to play a sample game first.
 

Argyle King

Legend
4 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

At the risk of coming across lazy, I'm going to copy & paste a lot of my review for the Beginner Game. Why? Because most of the review I had for that also applies to this product. There are differences though; see below:[The Beginner Game review]Typically, I'm someone who likes crunchy games and a bit of realism, so I went into the idea of a game built around being story and drama driven with some reservations. To my surprise, I was blown away. Edge of The Empire is currently my 2nd favorite rpg. I love that there's never a 'dead roll of the dice.' Even if you fail, most likely, the dice will produce some sort of result. I very easily went from someone who had reservations about the game to someone who has purchased a few books for the system. The artwork was top notch, I like the rules, and I feel the Beginner Game does a good job of explaining how the game works. I also love that Edge of The Empire focuses on parts of the SWs Universe that aren't given a lot of attention in the movies. I love that because there's enough SWs feel there to capture the imagination of the most hardened SWs fanboy while keeping things loose enough and open enough that someone who knows nothing at all about the SWs Universe could sit at the same table and still have fun without feeling as though they're missing out. However, there are a few almost-negatives to note.One thing to point out is that there are a few very minor differences in the rules when you compare the Beginner Game to the later books. Honestly, you're unlikely to notice without close scrutiny, but there are some differences. It's understandable given that the beginner game is an earlier version of the game and a more stripped down version, but it's still something to mention.The spaceship combat could be a little more clear. I understood most of how it worked, but a lot of the people in my group had trouble grasping some of it. I think the game could use more examples of how spaceship combat is supposed to work. I didnt mind the lack of Jedi and Sith at all, but I'm aware that some people may be bothered by that. Personally, I loved having a different focus; it felt a lot like Firefly set in the SWs Universe. However, there was one member of my primary gaming group who was upset about not having access to more force powers. Whether or not this is bothersome to you will depend on what you're looking for.Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Edge of The Empire. I highly enjoy it. I've even stolen a few of the mechanics for use in other games that I run. For example, I use the force die and the fate token system in the GURPS game that I currently run. There are a lot of ideas in Edge of The Empire which are (in my opinion) cool and easy to port into other systems.Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-the-Empire-Beginner-Game/page2#ixzz3Kart9rGo[end of copy and paste]So, what changes between that and my review of the full game? What didn't?As a more complete version of a game I already enjoyed, I felt very positive about this book. I love that the character building process brings in ideas like motivations, ideals, and etc. It's nice to have a creation process which encourages building a character more than just a bag of numbers and abilities. I still find the artwork to be incredible.I like how there's kind of a class system, but it's flexible enough that two characters with the same profession can potentially be completely different. I typically prefer classless systems; Edge of The Empire hit a nice middle ground for me. The classes give enough guidance to create niche protection and a solid in-game identity for who your character is and their role in the group while having enough flexibility to not get in the way of what I want to do as a player.I still think ship-to-ship combat could use more examples. While it's largely based on the same concepts of combat between characters, there are some small nuances of ship combat which differ and could be explained better. I had a lot of experiences in which members of a gaming group would essentially choose to do nothing if they were not involved in flying the ship or firing a mounted weapon.A few portions of the book could likely be edited better. Overall, I still highly enjoy the game, and it still currently (at the time of me writing this review) is my 2nd favorite rpg.
 

io9

First Post
4 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

I’m not sure the world needs a new Star Wars RPG every six years, but that’s the way the tabletop industry works sometimes. I’m intrigued to see how the basic system here is adapted to other parts of the Star Wars story, particularly powerful Jedi and Sith masters. Age of Rebellion is set for a 2014 release, with Force and Destiny tentatively slated for 2015. And if you just want to form a group of smugglers out to get the job done and avoid any Imperial entanglements, Edge of Empire provides the perfect place to start.
 
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JLant

First Post
4 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

Innovative dice mechanic, top notch production values. Didn't like the higher level of interpretation and lethality (prefer more heroic style than 40K) in combat but YMMV.
 

Rhenny

Adventurer
5 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

My gaming group and I just started playing an Edge of The Empire campaign on Fantasy Grounds. Yes, someone has actually made a rules module that works for Fantasy Grounds.We are having a blast. The game itself promotes fast action and story telling, it has enough crunch to satisfy our need for that too. At first it looked complicated and seemed like a lot to learn (especially the dice mechanic). But, quickly our GM and we the players started to get used to it pretty quickly. Using Fantasy Grounds and the fan made rule set has actually enhanced the experience because the die mechanic is translated on the table top so there is no need to figure out which dice cancel other dice, etc. It is the dice pool mechanic that adds excitement to the game. We don't try to figure out the odds of doing things (since it is pretty nearly impossible). We just play and do what our characters would do. Sometimes we pull off incredible stunts/actions/maneuvers and amazing successes; many times we have to deal with complications and even horrible failures. The game encourages the story to roll on so all of the success, complications, failures add to the game.If I had to rate the rule book alone, I'd probably give it a 4 out of 5 because it is a little difficult to navigate, but the way the game plays using the rules is awesome and the book itself is beautiful.I used to love West End Games' Star Wars d6. Fantasy Flight has done a great job building on what I loved about d6. If you like Star Wars (or any space opera type setting) you should try this game out.
 

El_Fez

First Post
5 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

After years of playing the D6 system, long after WEG folded, I never thought that another Star Wars system would turn my head. But here it is - and I can't imagine going back. Brilliant stuff, perfect for the genre!
 

alfarobl

Explorer
5 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

The quality of this book is amazing, love the art and Star Wars feel of the system. Very quick and many options to really feel like a character at the Edge of the Empire. I would recommend to start with the Beginner Box if you have never played this system as this book has many options that are not really needed to start playing (it will look more complex than it really is). But this is really all you need to play with many books to expand if you feel like it. It is expensive but quality is also high. You will need a couple of dice sets or the Dice App for it to be able to play.
 

agentc13

First Post
5 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

While initially apprehensive because of the dice system, once I learned how that works (after about 1 session) I have enjoyed the system immensely.
 

Talmek

Explorer
4 out of 5 rating for Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook

Star Wars Edge of the Empire RPG from Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) has turned out to be my regular group's favorite futuristic setting, but be warned that it will take some getting used to, especially if you're switching gears from a D20 or D6 ruleset. The options presented within the core rulebook alone could allow one to come up with quite a number of unique combinations, and having an "all-in-one" book makes it easier than some of the competitors.
 

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