No more WotC Star Wars - announcement

[pukunui]

I was once told by a powerful force user that Skill Focus should have some sort of level requirement. 9th level seemed right for a +5 bonus.

Personally I like just limiting Skill Focus to character level only just like Force Training is. Sure, you can still get it at low level but not as easily and with Skill Focus (Use the Force) it comes at the cost of one instance of Force Training. So you can either be really strong in the Force or have lots of Force powers at low level but not both.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

In Ye Olde Days, I used Kenad Broki's excel sheet, and it worked pretty well. I have no doubt I'd hunt down the next big thing if I run it in the future!


Skill Focus is a part of it, but it's overall problematic because the skill system - Focused or not - starts out way more badass than the attack system. So, low-level Jedi are far better off using Force powers offensively than they are using Lightsabers. This is, more or less, exactly the opposite of how I want it. (Skill Focus just exacerbates something that's already a problem.) Ideally, both should be viable through all levels. I'd like to see Force Powers follow a more uniform attack-bonus-style system.

The crippled nature of melee combat makes lightsabers an even worse choice. I'd need to fix that, too - probably by using the 4e action system.

Otherwise, I dig the mechanics. It's my favorite iteration of the d20 system.

Actually, I'd say that JATM gave lightsaber jedi a big boost in power with Lightsaber powers. Jornskyr's can knock you up to 6d10, throw in battle strike and a good strength bonus, and you're doing really good damage, and repeatable. Of course, that's a darksided power until at least level 10...but what's a few DSPs, eh? ;p

I think the issue with Move Object is that it was just so incredibly powerful. Force Lightning, the iconic "holy crap!" move, was depressingly pathetic in comparison. That, I think, was one of the issues - I like to think that, ideally, the really powerful offensive force powers would be Dark Side in order to give a temptation, but the best force wizards in game tended to be heavily telekinetic.

I'll totally agree that most melee was badly off, though. To be fair, non-lightsaber melee isn't something that typically is involved in Star Wars. Weirdly enough, one of the best way to be melee was to be a droid so you could dual wield two handed weapons (One player in a SWSE I'm in accidentally stumbled onto just that).

I'm nitpicking though. Saga was fantastic. Really, this is just WotC saying that they don't want what little spending money I have.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

If the SW-rpg is to continue, who's to say it shouldn't take a new life in an entirely new rules system?

I seriously doubt anyone but WOTC could afford the licensing fees. So I seriously doubt there will be another RPG for Star Wars, that is licensed anyways.

More to the point, as Gareth-Michael Skarka said over on RPGnet, is the fact that Lucasfilm and Hasbro have extended the Star Wars licensing deal until 2018 or 2020 (reports vary), and there is zero chance that the tabletop roleplaying game rights will be carved out of that package for another company outside the Hasbro to use.

I would also suggest that if the biggest and most successful roleplaying game company in the industry finds the Star Wars license too expensive to be worthwhile, chances are that no other company would really be able to afford it.

 

[pukunui]

Yeah, I personally don't think we'll be seeing a new tabletop Star Wars RPG any time soon.

 

[Votan]

So, anyways, thanks again to everyone that had kind words to say. I know Saga Edition has its rough edges, but what system doesn't? We've put out some great books, and I think the last book (Unknown Regions) is going to knock peoples' socks off.

Well, it is because of Star Wars Sage Edition that I bought a copy of 4E, so I'd consider that to be a high compliment (given how anti-4E my home gaming group is).

 

[ggroy]

I would also suggest that if the biggest and most successful roleplaying game company in the industry finds the Star Wars license too expensive to be worthwhile, chances are that no other company would really be able to afford it.

A better question is whether WotC actually made ANY money off of Star Wars SAGA in the first place. In principle, 3.5E and 4E D&D sales could have been subsidizing and soaking up the losses from Star War SAGA titles over 2007 -> 2010.

In the end, we probably will never know whether this was indeed the case.

 

[pukunui]

That's a very good point. Obviously two of the books were popular enough to sell out completely but not all of them were. There are currently 9 people in my SWSE group, although two of them are children. That's still 7 adults and out of that, only the GM and I have spent any money on the game.

 

[Stacie GmrGrl]

Yeah, there are a number of other conversions out there. I was working on converting it to fantasy for a while, but I've had to put that aside.


Gary Sarli, one of the original Saga developers, is working on doing just that with his e20: system evolved system.

I know, I'm helping support his endeavor because I think what he has in mind is going to knock the socks off poeples feet...well, not literally, but you know what I mean

If he gets the support for it, it will be a great, great roleplaying game. And what's really awesome is that he's letting us already involved brainstorm and come up with ideas and letting us examine everything from the ground up, coming together to rebuild the game from a new angle and vision.

This game will most definately do Fantasy...and Space Opera... and Modern Horror... and Multi-Dimensional/Space Opera/Supernatural/Magic/Steampunk settings... and I think you get the drift.

It definately won't be your decade old OGL d20 game, that's for sure. It'll be fun again.

 

[DaveMage]

I would also suggest that if the biggest and most successful roleplaying game company in the industry finds the Star Wars license too expensive to be worthwhile, chances are that no other company would really be able to afford it.

Negotiations can bring down that license fee.

Now, you may be right and it's WotC or nothing.

However, if I recall correctly, the Paizo owners are very, VERY big Star Wars fans....

 

[malkav666]

I like SWSE. I own most of the books. But I don't get to play it that often. I am sad to see it go. But I am glad to complete my collection and hopeful that this will lead to a new version of the game.

We shall see.

love,

malkav