New to Star Wars RPGs...just bought D6

[Zardnaar]

Its really for the classic era with Jedi. During the dark times (Empire) it costs double the character points to increase your force skills.

 

[aramis erak]

Thanks for the info! I've added it to my amazon list, and yep it's not a bad price at all.

I'm not too worried about long term adventures. We've been playing the Starter for 5e sporadically since it came out and we're only at level 5 (and I'm kind of dreading any more level ups because it'll just be more than they can remember.) I've heard SW d6 does away with levels in the same way dnd does it. And heard it has a quick char-gen, all of which is a big draw for gaming with kids.

I've heard all sorts of praise for playing the game, but how about Gming?

It has no level system at all.

18d6 to attributes and initial force skills; human atts 1D to 4D, force 0d to 1d each.
7d6 to skills. Can't raise force skills.
every die can break into 3x 0d+1
Can use up to 3 +1's as 1d Specialty/subskills.
Advanced skils require being raised from 0D.

Experience directly raises skills or force skills.

As a GM, balance can be tricky, because
(1) the system has no level system
(2) the combat mechanics are rather swingy
(2a) 2e is more so due to the wild die.
(3) a hot damage roll and low resistance roll can result in insta-death. (this was far worse under 1E)...
(4) if things go badly in the first round, it can swing the entire fight.

1E: everyone declares their actions and then rolls their first action. High roll completes first.

2E and 2ER: used an initiative roll.

 

[Rod Staffwand]

I love this system and played the heck out of it back in the day. You can get a TON of great WEG D6 pdf resources online for free. D6 Space, D6 Space Ships, D6 Fantasy, etc. that are generic versions of the rules WEG put out after they lost the Star Wars license. There's also a free open source game called Mini D6 and another Mini D6 lite that are updated and streamlined versions of the rules. All of these might help you figure out how to simplify the rules for kids.

A couple of points on the rules themselves:
1. Dice pools can get out of hand if you don't keep a tight rein on advancement. Things get unwieldy at 8D+ and down right ridiculous at 10D or 12D in skills. The stats for the movie characters Luke, Han, Vader, etc. often have stats this high and throw off expectations. You can have really competent veteran PCs with much less in skill dice and have it all work out okay.
2. The versions listed above use a hit point system instead of resistance rolls and a wound track. I'd go with that for SW. Nothing breaks the SW feel more than shooting a stormtrooper and having him shrug it off. Optionally, you can just ditch resistance rolls for "common" troops to make combat run faster and better. If the PCs are having too easy of a time with it, you can always call in reinforcements.
3. They over-complicated the Force. I'm a Jedi traditionalist and like Jedi to pretty much have lightsaber combat, telekinesis, supernatural movement (leaping and running), and the ability to sense things. Some might have the Jedi mind trick and that's about it. That's a handful of powers which you can focus on (perhaps making each a distinct skill with one roll). Keep in mind that Jedi are not infallible and even though they are powerful they can't do EVERYTHING at once.
4. The wild die is great. Always throw in a complication when someone rolls a 1. ALWAYS. It's the Star Wars way for the situation to spiral out of control.
5. I found Star Wars D6 (and SW in general) works best if you play fast and loose with the rules. You don't always have to ask for a roll to resolve a situation, even attacks. Description, the Rule of Cool, and plain old fun are the order of the day. Keep things moving from one situation to another and you'll be doing great.
6. Put your own stamp on it. Create your own aliens, characters, planets, ships, etc. The SW galaxy is big and beautiful. Throw in anything you think will be fun.

That's about it. Happy gaming.

 

[aramis erak]

I love this system and played the heck out of it back in the day. You can get a TON of great WEG D6 pdf resources online for free.

Note that any of the actual WEG D6 SW books are unlawful pirate scans.

D6 Space, D6 Space Ships, D6 Fantasy, etc. that are generic versions of the rules WEG put out after they lost the Star Wars license. There's also a free open source game called Mini D6 and another Mini D6 lite that are updated and streamlined versions of the rules. All of these might help you figure out how to simplify the rules for kids.

Most kids won't need much simpler than d6 Space without the advantages/disadvantages.

 

[Water Bob]

So I looked around for something more official and kept hearing how the West End d6 system was a great choice. I've heard (mostly not around here) that it is for many their favorite version. One of the draws is that it was very easy to learn (which is beneficial with younger kids) and that it captures the feel of the movies pretty well. So I did some digging and found that there were a few versions out there, and while I know everyone has their opinion, it seemed to me the majority consensus was that the 2nd edition, revised and expanded (with the millennium falcon on the cover) was the best and most complete (not counting the online d6 space stuff) version.

All the versions of D6 Star Wars are great games. Each is a different flavor to fit specific tastes.

First Edition is very different that the later editions, in many ways, yet it also fits with those editions like a hand in a glove. If I picked a favorite, I'd go with First Edition, but I could be easily swayed to play any other version of D6 Star Wars.

What do I like about First Edition?

Well, I wrote that down recently. Click Here To See The Thread.