d20 Star Wars Saga Edition news from Gen Con?

[Garet Jax]

Like a nice juicy brisket, I'm going to let this Saga edition cook for a while before checking back on it in early 2007. It's promising to know that the designers were allowed to rework the game from the "ground up", and in the process hopefully showcase some innovative d20 game design that will leave more of its "D&Dism" behind. You have to admit though that ANY SWRPG announcement these days from WOTC is generally a good thing.

 

[Michael Tree]

Without mastercrafting, I dunno if it'll be even close to the same, and like I said above, I'm not even certain CRAFTING, much less mastercrafting will still be in the game.

There has been no indication whatsoever that crafting would be removed from the game, so why are you worried? In fact, Moridin and the seminar people all concurred that the same basic options would be in place, that they weren't "dumbing down" the game. People need to calm down and stop jumping to conclusions.

They also said that you'd still be able to make a fringer-like or tech-like character. The class abilties have just been moved to other classes (or some other option). So you'll probably be able to pick up mastercrafting, it will just be feat, optional class ability, or something else, rather than a class in and of itself.

 

[LostSoul]

Any information on what actions you get "XP" for? (Or character points, or force points, or whatever you use to get better/as a reward.)

Any information on how the Dark Side works?

 

[Twowolves]

There has been no indication whatsoever that crafting would be removed from the game, so why are you worried?

Because they say they consolidated the skill lists, and cut out about 15 skills. In making a swashbuckling, space opera, all-action-all-the-time style game "from the ground up", some designers would strip crafting down to one or two sentences, if not remove it entirely. Without anything more concrete, there is no indication that crafting WON'T be removed from the game either.

 

[Vigilance]

Because they say they consolidated the skill lists, and cut out about 15 skills. In making a swashbuckling, space opera, all-action-all-the-time style game "from the ground up", some designers would strip crafting down to one or two sentences, if not remove it entirely. Without anything more concrete, there is no indication that crafting WON'T be removed from the game either.

Why don't you wait and see what they DID do before getting all in a tizzy about what you surmise they MIGHT have done?

Chuck

 

[Goken100]

Any information on what actions you get "XP" for? (Or character points, or force points, or whatever you use to get better/as a reward.)

Any information on how the Dark Side works?

I was wondering about the Dark Side myself. All of Anikin's key Dark Side moment were purely character and role-playing related:

1. Killing sand people, including whole families, with his lightsaber
2. Betraying his Jedi master and cutting off his hands to save his admittedly evil friend (lightsaber)
3. Killing younglings... again with lightsaber

Any path to the dark side that focuses on uses of arbitrary "evil" force powers does not reflect the movies. It would be nice if there were some way to quantify key decisions and such, yes. But it seems a daunting challenge. It may have to be left to the discretion of the GM.

 

[Henry]

Something to remember -- young Anakin was a pretty hot mechanic -- he built C3PO from parts. I'm pretty sure crafting will still be modeled. Mastercrafting may possibly be even stripped from the game, or reworked. Just glossing over it, it seemed a bit powerful to allow Techs to modify everyone's equipment so easily.

And while someone could play Star Wars as more hardcore Sci-Fi than Space Fantasy, I feel like it would change the scope of the game to no longer be in sync with the movies. I can't fault the game if it didn't go out of its way to facilitate ALL styles of Sci-Fi play, just because it IS Star Wars, and a licensed property.

 

[Twowolves]

Why don't you wait and see what they DID do before getting all in a tizzy about what you surmise they MIGHT have done?

First of all, I'm not quite up to "tizzy" level just yet.

However, after finally getting into a d20 SW game after years of having the books, only to see a new edition only 6 months on the horizon that says up front they are eliminating the class I was about to start playing IS a concern. I don't see how it shouldn't be.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Because they say they consolidated the skill lists, and cut out about 15 skills. In making a swashbuckling, space opera, all-action-all-the-time style game "from the ground up", some designers would strip crafting down to one or two sentences, if not remove it entirely. Without anything more concrete, there is no indication that crafting WON'T be removed from the game either.

Well, the crafting mechanic has generally been one of the worst implemented bits of d20, so I'd be very happy to see a major change there anyway

However, we've already had hints that consolidation of skill lists will be along the lines of combining hide and move silently, probably spot and search (or spot and listen) - you know, the kind of thing where if there is a call for one roll there is normally a call for two.

This is not to mention cutting over a dozen force skills down into one force skill.

I don't see how this would imply that they were going to remove crafting, ESPECIALLY since they have already said that you will still be able to make fringers and tech specialists, even though they are no longer base classes!

Cheers

 

[Henry]

...after finally getting into a d20 SW game after years of having the books, only to see a new edition only 6 months on the horizon that says up front they are eliminating the class I was about to start playing IS a concern. I don't see how it shouldn't be.

I can sympathize. Can't DO anything about it, except maybe help with possible house rules when the time comes, but I can sympathize.