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Beware! This review contains major spoilers.
Star Wars Living Force Campaign Guide is an accessory describing the campaign setting, the Cularin System, for the RPGA’s Living Force campaign. It costs $14.95.
Production & Presentation: This is a 64-page softcover accessory. The front cover is good colour artwork - in my copy, showing six Jedi knights using their lightsabers to defend blaster attack in a forest (not the art shown on this review site), using the typical artistic style for WotC’s Star Wars game. I don’t happen to like the style myself, but this is a fairly good example of it. The back cover gives a very brief overview of the accessory. The inside covers are both blank. The first page contains credits and contents. The layout is standard two columns of clear text bordered by a strip on the outer edge of each page. There is plenty of black & white internal artwork by Adi Granov showing off the typical Star Wars style art.
Whats Inside:
The Introduction features an introductory fictional commentary by a Jedi Master and a brief overview of the Cularin System and its role in the RPGA’s Living Force campaign.
The Cularin System Overview (4 pages) gives a short history of the Cularin system from its physical creation (a two star system with a gas giant, a rogue planetoid, and planets including one planet rich in life, and one terra-formed by a Sith, all surrounded by an asteroid belt), through discovery (by an explorer (stats included) who meets the only natural sentient species of the system, the lizard-folk called the Tarasin) and colonisation (by gas mining companies and Jedi) to its present situation (Tarasin revolting against logging companies, a rise in crime and trade wars) and hints of the future to come.
The Cularin System Catalog is essentially a gazetteer of the Cularin system and comprises the largest part of the accessory (36 pages). After detailing the problems of entering the system due to gravity reflections and dense clouds of colliding comets surrounding the system, the accessory covers the following areas of interest in the Cularin system:
Acilaris, a small planet close to the twin suns (think Mercury).
Cularin, the system’s namesake planet. This is the main life-supporting planet in the system. The only naturally sentient species of the system, the Tarasin, are detailed in this section as wellas the plants and dinosaur-like creatures of the planet. Also covered are the two land-based cities of the early settlers (one commerce-based, one bureaucratic), the platform cities (developed after the ecologically-minded Tarasin insisted forcibly that no new cities were developed on the planet surface) and the military presence of the Republic. Each section also details relevant NPCs (including stats) and the political and social situation on the planet, with plenty of ideas for possible adventures. Cularin has two moons:
· Rennokk is a molten moon with 20,000km rocky spires and a mysterious lava predator.
· Tilnes is mined for lightsaber crystals, and the section covers politics and NPCs of the mining community.
Genarius is a gas giant, plagued by radiation storms that prohibit the development of gas mining. However, large amounts of money are channelled into the cities that have been built to tap the natural resources of Genarius, and this has led to development of industry, leisure facilities for the rich, and organised crime. The section covers the major cities around the gas giant, the NPCs who are the main players, as well as the politics, science and industry which give adventure seeds. Genarius has four moons:
· Ulbasca’s orbit leaves it in near-permanent light from the twin suns and Genarius
· Ostfrei’s orbit causes it to be in near-permanent darkness
· Uffel has been colonised by rogue droids and this section details some of the interesting ones and the society they have created.
· Eskaron was once half-eaten by giant space worms, lending it to it’s present day use as a starfighter race track through the huge tunnels.
The Asteroid Belt surrounding the system has become the lair of pirates and smugglers, and an odd ex-soldier who lives there.
Almas is a terraformed planet, created by a Sith aeons ago, and now the home of a Jedi training academy. Scientists also study the strange plant life that the Sith introduced to terraform the planet. In addition, the fortress of the Sith still exists on the planet, with the potential of corrupting Jedi to the Dark Side. Relevant NPCs are detailed in this section and the society in which they currently live, dominated by the Jedi Academy.
Dorumaa is another terraformed planet, but this one is a huge water resort. NPCs are detailed here, as well as the financial interests in the planet and an intriguing hint at the potentially nasty lifeforms that have revived beneath the seas of the planet with the recent terraforming.
Morjakar is a rogue planetoid that accidentally entered the Cularin system, about which little is known.
The next section, Power Groups In Cularin (8 pages), covers the trade cartels, organised crime, military might, and pirates of the system. NPCs are detailed, and include two new species involved in the Metatheran Trade Cartel – the ingratiating but ruthless Caarites, and the kangaroo-like Filordi. The descriptions of the different power groups and the relevant NPCs give plenty of ideas for possible adventures.
The next section, Mysterious Places (5 pages), details eight locations which might serve as settings for further adventure: mysterious caves beneath Cularin, the sacred grove of the Tarasin, the molten cave city of Rennokk, a deadly nightmare canyon on Tilnes, an abandoned floating city near Genarius, the giant space-worm corpse of Eskaron, a crystal asteroid in the asteroid belt that has caused the disappearance of several ships, and the fortress of the Sith on Almas.
The penultimate section, The Almas Academy (4 pages) details the Jedi Academy, including the curriculum and the NPCs.
The final section, Living Force Campaign Information (3 pages), has information on the RPGA Network, Living Campaigns, Living Force Character Creation, and some rules clarifications for Jedi Training, Force Adept Apprentices, Calling In Exceptional Favours, and Ships And Droids.
High Points: The first and most important thing to say about this accessory is that the Cularin System can be used by any Star Wars Gamemaster, not just for RPGA members. Nearly every entry has some sort of situation, secret or hook that triggered ideas for adventures; this accessory is chock full of creativity. The information within allows a whole range of different types of adventures for different types of players, without overwhelming the Gamemaster with irrelevant information, and the system seems to hold together logically (though I’m no hard-core sci-fi buff). The NPCs are mainly interesting personalities in themselves, and most are fleshed out with motivations that can be used as plot hooks. This focus is also brought to bear in the sections on mysterious locations and power groups.
Low Points: I was so intrigued by some of the ideas in this accessory, I found myself pretty disappointed at the end to find no adventure. OK, I can play in the Living Campaign adventures at conventions, but the Living Force Campaign Guide is so appropriate for a home campaign, I would have really appreciated a short adventure. A couple of weak points – I was not as interested in the Jedi Academy section as I would have hoped (though this is compared to the other excellent sections), and I felt the Caarite and Filordi races were bland and uninspiring.
Conclusion: A Superb accessory for any Star Wars Gamemaster who wants a ready-made creative campaign setting, or even a bunch of great ideas for your own Star Wars campaign setting. Invaluable, of course, if you intend to play or run Living Force adventures, but completely usable outside the parameters under which it was written. Just a final note to the authors - when are you releasing the adventure that should have gone with this?
Star Wars Living Force Campaign Guide is an accessory describing the campaign setting, the Cularin System, for the RPGA’s Living Force campaign. It costs $14.95.
Production & Presentation: This is a 64-page softcover accessory. The front cover is good colour artwork - in my copy, showing six Jedi knights using their lightsabers to defend blaster attack in a forest (not the art shown on this review site), using the typical artistic style for WotC’s Star Wars game. I don’t happen to like the style myself, but this is a fairly good example of it. The back cover gives a very brief overview of the accessory. The inside covers are both blank. The first page contains credits and contents. The layout is standard two columns of clear text bordered by a strip on the outer edge of each page. There is plenty of black & white internal artwork by Adi Granov showing off the typical Star Wars style art.
Whats Inside:
The Introduction features an introductory fictional commentary by a Jedi Master and a brief overview of the Cularin System and its role in the RPGA’s Living Force campaign.
The Cularin System Overview (4 pages) gives a short history of the Cularin system from its physical creation (a two star system with a gas giant, a rogue planetoid, and planets including one planet rich in life, and one terra-formed by a Sith, all surrounded by an asteroid belt), through discovery (by an explorer (stats included) who meets the only natural sentient species of the system, the lizard-folk called the Tarasin) and colonisation (by gas mining companies and Jedi) to its present situation (Tarasin revolting against logging companies, a rise in crime and trade wars) and hints of the future to come.
The Cularin System Catalog is essentially a gazetteer of the Cularin system and comprises the largest part of the accessory (36 pages). After detailing the problems of entering the system due to gravity reflections and dense clouds of colliding comets surrounding the system, the accessory covers the following areas of interest in the Cularin system:
Acilaris, a small planet close to the twin suns (think Mercury).
Cularin, the system’s namesake planet. This is the main life-supporting planet in the system. The only naturally sentient species of the system, the Tarasin, are detailed in this section as wellas the plants and dinosaur-like creatures of the planet. Also covered are the two land-based cities of the early settlers (one commerce-based, one bureaucratic), the platform cities (developed after the ecologically-minded Tarasin insisted forcibly that no new cities were developed on the planet surface) and the military presence of the Republic. Each section also details relevant NPCs (including stats) and the political and social situation on the planet, with plenty of ideas for possible adventures. Cularin has two moons:
· Rennokk is a molten moon with 20,000km rocky spires and a mysterious lava predator.
· Tilnes is mined for lightsaber crystals, and the section covers politics and NPCs of the mining community.
Genarius is a gas giant, plagued by radiation storms that prohibit the development of gas mining. However, large amounts of money are channelled into the cities that have been built to tap the natural resources of Genarius, and this has led to development of industry, leisure facilities for the rich, and organised crime. The section covers the major cities around the gas giant, the NPCs who are the main players, as well as the politics, science and industry which give adventure seeds. Genarius has four moons:
· Ulbasca’s orbit leaves it in near-permanent light from the twin suns and Genarius
· Ostfrei’s orbit causes it to be in near-permanent darkness
· Uffel has been colonised by rogue droids and this section details some of the interesting ones and the society they have created.
· Eskaron was once half-eaten by giant space worms, lending it to it’s present day use as a starfighter race track through the huge tunnels.
The Asteroid Belt surrounding the system has become the lair of pirates and smugglers, and an odd ex-soldier who lives there.
Almas is a terraformed planet, created by a Sith aeons ago, and now the home of a Jedi training academy. Scientists also study the strange plant life that the Sith introduced to terraform the planet. In addition, the fortress of the Sith still exists on the planet, with the potential of corrupting Jedi to the Dark Side. Relevant NPCs are detailed in this section and the society in which they currently live, dominated by the Jedi Academy.
Dorumaa is another terraformed planet, but this one is a huge water resort. NPCs are detailed here, as well as the financial interests in the planet and an intriguing hint at the potentially nasty lifeforms that have revived beneath the seas of the planet with the recent terraforming.
Morjakar is a rogue planetoid that accidentally entered the Cularin system, about which little is known.
The next section, Power Groups In Cularin (8 pages), covers the trade cartels, organised crime, military might, and pirates of the system. NPCs are detailed, and include two new species involved in the Metatheran Trade Cartel – the ingratiating but ruthless Caarites, and the kangaroo-like Filordi. The descriptions of the different power groups and the relevant NPCs give plenty of ideas for possible adventures.
The next section, Mysterious Places (5 pages), details eight locations which might serve as settings for further adventure: mysterious caves beneath Cularin, the sacred grove of the Tarasin, the molten cave city of Rennokk, a deadly nightmare canyon on Tilnes, an abandoned floating city near Genarius, the giant space-worm corpse of Eskaron, a crystal asteroid in the asteroid belt that has caused the disappearance of several ships, and the fortress of the Sith on Almas.
The penultimate section, The Almas Academy (4 pages) details the Jedi Academy, including the curriculum and the NPCs.
The final section, Living Force Campaign Information (3 pages), has information on the RPGA Network, Living Campaigns, Living Force Character Creation, and some rules clarifications for Jedi Training, Force Adept Apprentices, Calling In Exceptional Favours, and Ships And Droids.
High Points: The first and most important thing to say about this accessory is that the Cularin System can be used by any Star Wars Gamemaster, not just for RPGA members. Nearly every entry has some sort of situation, secret or hook that triggered ideas for adventures; this accessory is chock full of creativity. The information within allows a whole range of different types of adventures for different types of players, without overwhelming the Gamemaster with irrelevant information, and the system seems to hold together logically (though I’m no hard-core sci-fi buff). The NPCs are mainly interesting personalities in themselves, and most are fleshed out with motivations that can be used as plot hooks. This focus is also brought to bear in the sections on mysterious locations and power groups.
Low Points: I was so intrigued by some of the ideas in this accessory, I found myself pretty disappointed at the end to find no adventure. OK, I can play in the Living Campaign adventures at conventions, but the Living Force Campaign Guide is so appropriate for a home campaign, I would have really appreciated a short adventure. A couple of weak points – I was not as interested in the Jedi Academy section as I would have hoped (though this is compared to the other excellent sections), and I felt the Caarite and Filordi races were bland and uninspiring.
Conclusion: A Superb accessory for any Star Wars Gamemaster who wants a ready-made creative campaign setting, or even a bunch of great ideas for your own Star Wars campaign setting. Invaluable, of course, if you intend to play or run Living Force adventures, but completely usable outside the parameters under which it was written. Just a final note to the authors - when are you releasing the adventure that should have gone with this?
