Could you recommand my 4th Star Wars supplement?
- Thread starter Wishsong
- Start date
DnDChick
Demon Queen of Templates
Ultimate Adversaries.
Tons of generic NPCs, some named NPCs good for villains and contacts, and lots of bizarre creatures from all across the galaxy. I like the NPCs particularly ... given how time consuming it can be to stat up characters in any d20 game, it's good to just be able to flip open a book and have stats available for some random person the characters might meet or fight on the streets.
Tons of generic NPCs, some named NPCs good for villains and contacts, and lots of bizarre creatures from all across the galaxy. I like the NPCs particularly ... given how time consuming it can be to stat up characters in any d20 game, it's good to just be able to flip open a book and have stats available for some random person the characters might meet or fight on the streets.
Kanegrundar
Explorer
Ultimate Alien Anthology. Star Wars has a huge amount of different species that can be found at any time and place. This book gives you stats for a very large chunk of them. It goes a long way to making SWRPG feel more like SW.
Kane
Kane
Iron_Chef
First Post
You've got the three main books, but I recommend the Arms & Equipment Guide as your next purchase. It's useful for both GMs and Players. It's also $10 cheaper than the hardcovers.
You don't really need Ultimate Alien Anthology or Ultimate Adversaries. The players will never know the difference between an official version from UAA of a Chiss or Ithorian vs. you just using a generic human NPC and calling it an alien. They don't get to look at the stats.
If your players want to play something other than the races found in the core rules, then UAA becomes more important to your game. The problem for the GM with this book is it doesn't cover any critters***, just playable sentients. Critters are included in the 1e Alien Anthology (tweak yourself to RCR). Critters, at least some (like the ysalamiri and hoojib), may be found in Ultimate Adversaries, however...
Ultimate Adversaries is not a book I find particularly useful as GM, but I've never found NPC/villain collections useful regardless of game system. I prefer to make my own. I am irked, however, that UA has a couple things I wanted stats for, such as the Hailfire Droid.
The Rebellion Era Sourcebook was decent, but no great shakes. It's for 1e and OOP, but still cheap. Has a few cool (but way too tiny) maps for Imperial Prisons, Imperial Supply Depots, Asteriod Bases, Echo Base on Hoth, and (yes!) even a Star Destroyer bridge. I prefer the Knights of the Old Republic era so I don't have to worry about tripping over the toes of Uncle George and the characters/plots from the films (plus, there are thousands of Sith vs. thousands of Jedi!). There is a free 118 page 8MB color fan-made sourcebook by Ghenghis Ska you can get for the KOTOR era. Check the Star Wars RPG forums for download link.
The New Jedi Order Sourcebook: The era didn't interest me so I never looked at it and can't speak for it. If you like the Yuuzahn Vong, then this book becomes more important, otherwise, you can skip it.
If you're a GM, then Dark Side Sourcebook is very good (but again, for 1e not RCR and is OOP, though easier/cheaper to find than PotJ). WoTC's site has the RCR revisions to DSSB as a free 15 page download (changes are to PrCs, skills, feats; rest of book is unchanged by RCR).
Power of the Jedi is decent, but not as good as DSSB. It is also very rare, OOP, and usually sells for a minimum of $60-80 used on eBay.
The world guides, Coruscant and the Core Worlds and Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds, are both decent, but not that amazing. I found them more useful for their maps. Most of the planets just did not interest me, and the books didn't cover the planets I wanted to know more about.
Starships of the Galaxy is OOP and pricey on eBay too. It is for 1e not RCR. I haven't given it much of a look because my group dislikes starship combat (not in general, just the way it is handled in SW).
I liked what I've read so far of the super adventure, Tempest Feud. And I normally hate super adventures for D&D, so this was a pleasant surprise. It is for 1e, but again, WoTC has the NPC stats converted to the RCR (you have to go to the Star Wars RPG forum "Mess Hall" and you'll find it as a "sticky" toward the top). It's got a map of a ship like Princess Leia's Tantive IV (better known as the "Rebel Blockade Runner" from Ep. IV).
I'm not sure what your needs are, so I hope this advice helps. Ultimately, you may want to end up owning nearly ALL the books (at least the ones with era-neutral applications depending on what era you want to game in). Each has something usefuyl in it, and while of a generally much higher quality than the D&D line, are still hit or miss. Hey, the galaxy's a big place, so it's even harder to write something that meets everybody's need.
*** Note: You can instantly convert any non-magical/non-psionic D&D critter to SW simply by changing AC to Defense (same number), HP to Vitality Points, and CON to Wound Points.
You don't really need Ultimate Alien Anthology or Ultimate Adversaries. The players will never know the difference between an official version from UAA of a Chiss or Ithorian vs. you just using a generic human NPC and calling it an alien. They don't get to look at the stats.
If your players want to play something other than the races found in the core rules, then UAA becomes more important to your game. The problem for the GM with this book is it doesn't cover any critters***, just playable sentients. Critters are included in the 1e Alien Anthology (tweak yourself to RCR). Critters, at least some (like the ysalamiri and hoojib), may be found in Ultimate Adversaries, however...Ultimate Adversaries is not a book I find particularly useful as GM, but I've never found NPC/villain collections useful regardless of game system. I prefer to make my own. I am irked, however, that UA has a couple things I wanted stats for, such as the Hailfire Droid.
The Rebellion Era Sourcebook was decent, but no great shakes. It's for 1e and OOP, but still cheap. Has a few cool (but way too tiny) maps for Imperial Prisons, Imperial Supply Depots, Asteriod Bases, Echo Base on Hoth, and (yes!) even a Star Destroyer bridge. I prefer the Knights of the Old Republic era so I don't have to worry about tripping over the toes of Uncle George and the characters/plots from the films (plus, there are thousands of Sith vs. thousands of Jedi!). There is a free 118 page 8MB color fan-made sourcebook by Ghenghis Ska you can get for the KOTOR era. Check the Star Wars RPG forums for download link.
The New Jedi Order Sourcebook: The era didn't interest me so I never looked at it and can't speak for it. If you like the Yuuzahn Vong, then this book becomes more important, otherwise, you can skip it.
If you're a GM, then Dark Side Sourcebook is very good (but again, for 1e not RCR and is OOP, though easier/cheaper to find than PotJ). WoTC's site has the RCR revisions to DSSB as a free 15 page download (changes are to PrCs, skills, feats; rest of book is unchanged by RCR).
Power of the Jedi is decent, but not as good as DSSB. It is also very rare, OOP, and usually sells for a minimum of $60-80 used on eBay.
The world guides, Coruscant and the Core Worlds and Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds, are both decent, but not that amazing. I found them more useful for their maps. Most of the planets just did not interest me, and the books didn't cover the planets I wanted to know more about.
Starships of the Galaxy is OOP and pricey on eBay too. It is for 1e not RCR. I haven't given it much of a look because my group dislikes starship combat (not in general, just the way it is handled in SW).
I liked what I've read so far of the super adventure, Tempest Feud. And I normally hate super adventures for D&D, so this was a pleasant surprise. It is for 1e, but again, WoTC has the NPC stats converted to the RCR (you have to go to the Star Wars RPG forum "Mess Hall" and you'll find it as a "sticky" toward the top). It's got a map of a ship like Princess Leia's Tantive IV (better known as the "Rebel Blockade Runner" from Ep. IV).
I'm not sure what your needs are, so I hope this advice helps. Ultimately, you may want to end up owning nearly ALL the books (at least the ones with era-neutral applications depending on what era you want to game in). Each has something usefuyl in it, and while of a generally much higher quality than the D&D line, are still hit or miss. Hey, the galaxy's a big place, so it's even harder to write something that meets everybody's need.
*** Note: You can instantly convert any non-magical/non-psionic D&D critter to SW simply by changing AC to Defense (same number), HP to Vitality Points, and CON to Wound Points.
Last edited:
Both the Arms and Equipment Guide and Ultimate Alien Anthology are indespensable. While Iron Chief is correct that you do not strictly need racial stats for your alien NPC's you still need alien NPC's and unless you are a mega Star Wars junkie this book is a hand-dandy refrence guide to the wierdness of the SW universe. Besides, sooner or later one of you players is going to want to be some species other than from the core rulebook and then this is a lifesaver.
And the Arms and Equipment guide is essential for any character whose equipment sheet is more complicated than "Jedi Robes (brown); Lightsaber (blue blade)". The equipment chapter from the core rulebook really is kinda bare-bonned.
Why yes, yes I did play an Arkanian Tech Specalist in my last SW campaign. Why do you ask?
And the Arms and Equipment guide is essential for any character whose equipment sheet is more complicated than "Jedi Robes (brown); Lightsaber (blue blade)". The equipment chapter from the core rulebook really is kinda bare-bonned.
Why yes, yes I did play an Arkanian Tech Specalist in my last SW campaign. Why do you ask?
Iron_Chef
First Post
I was a bit disappointed with UAA as I found many of the aliens goofy or uninspired. But I'm "old skool" and view anything that wasn't in Ep. IV-V with a wary eye (no ewoks, gungans, sy snootles or talking green rabbits for my game!). I really disliked UAA at first, but it has grown on me a bit since... However, it still doesn't see much use; I only have one non-human PC in my game (a Duros, and they are listed in the RCR, too).
I can't beliieve the only place they list rules for an ion grenade is under the Jawa entry in UAA. It should have been in the RCR or A&EG, LOL. I found the entry by accident AFTER I needed to know the rules!!!
If we want to use alien NPCs, we just use standard human stats and say they are aliens of such and such a species. Too much trouble to figure out their stat mods, etc., unless the PCs are fighting a bunch of them and I have some extra time on my hands to tweak the stats. Exceptions of course for aliens with special powers who are major NPCs (of which so far there are exactly none in my game), probably because it's extra work for me and I run humanocentric games (whether D&D or Star Wars).
I can't beliieve the only place they list rules for an ion grenade is under the Jawa entry in UAA. It should have been in the RCR or A&EG, LOL. I found the entry by accident AFTER I needed to know the rules!!!
If we want to use alien NPCs, we just use standard human stats and say they are aliens of such and such a species. Too much trouble to figure out their stat mods, etc., unless the PCs are fighting a bunch of them and I have some extra time on my hands to tweak the stats. Exceptions of course for aliens with special powers who are major NPCs (of which so far there are exactly none in my game), probably because it's extra work for me and I run humanocentric games (whether D&D or Star Wars).
Similar Threads
