By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack
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Sizing Up the Target
The Star Wars d20 Revised Edition Core Rulebook is a Wizards of the Coast production written by Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins and Jo Wiker. It is 384 pages in length and is sprinkled with full-color photographs and artwork throughout, some of which have never before seen print. It retails for $34.95.
First Blood
Like many fans of STAR WARS, I was less-than-thrilled with the first release of the d20 version of this game. Accordingly, I have chosen, rather than focusing on the changes between the two, to treat the first as though it never existed. Thus, this review will examine the revised edition from the standpoint of a new product, rather than as a reprint of an older one.
I like full-color products. When I get a full-color RPG manual, I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth. So let’s get that out of the way right up front. You get your money’s worth. Every single page of this massive tome is in glorious full-color! Okay, ‘nuff said about that.
For the longest time, West End Games had the STAR WARS market cornered, and they did a fine job. Many die-hard fans were, to say the least, alarmed when they heard that Wizards of the Coast would be acquiring STAR WARS and converting it to the d20 System. How could STAR WARS possibly work with the class-and-level system of D&D? Well, the answer is, quite well, thank you.
The first thing you have to understand is that STAR WARS can be played in any of three (well, okay, four) eras; The Rise of the Empire is the time period of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (about 50 years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), The Rebellion era is set within the five year period following Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (between that film and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), and The New Jedi Order, which is set some 20 or so years after Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Technically, you could set a campaign during the Tales of the Jedi Knights series from Dark Horse comics, but that isn’t officially supported by these rules.
The STAR WARS core rules detail a total of 17 species suitable for use as player characters. Each is described in detail, including personality, languages spoken, and homeworld, and is accompanied by a painting of a typical member of the species. Humans are, of course, available, as are Bothans (the spies who delivered the plans for the new Death Star in Return of the Jedi), Cereans (an example would be the large-headed Ki-Adi, who sits on the Jedi Council in The Phantom Menace and Attacks of the Clones), Duros (related to the Nemodian villains of The Phantom Menace), Ewoks (the painfully cute “teddy-bears” of Return of the Jedi), Gamorreans (the pig-like guards of Jabba the Hutt’s palace in Return of the Jedi), Gungans (thankfully not all are as idiotic as Jar-Jar), Ithorians (the hammer-headed brown-skinned creature in the cantina in A New Hope is an example), Kel Dor (a truly frightening visage illustrated by Plo Koon of the Jedi Council in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones), Mon Calamari (of whom Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi serves as an example), Quarren (squid-headed neighbors of the Mon Calamari), Rodians (everyone’s favorite underpaid bounty hunter Greedo from A New Hope was a Rodian, as was one of Anakin’s friends from The Phantom Menace), Sullustans (such as Nien Numb, who flew the Millennium Falcon alongside Lando Calrissian in Return of the Jedi), Trandoshans (represented by Bossk, the reptilian humanoid bounty hunter from The Empire Strikes Back), Twi’leks (such as Bib Fortuna, Jabba the Hutt’s advisor in Return of the Jedi), Wookies (c’mon, do I really need to explain this one?), and Zabrak (the species of which Darth Maul of The Phantom Menace was one).
Of course, Star Wars fans know that this constitutes only a tiny smattering of the array of aliens in the galaxy, but they had to draw the lines somewhere, and I think that 17 species to choose from is a fair assortment. Besides, if you absolutely must play that Jawa Jedi (and you can convince your GM), then it’s easy enough to design one from the Jawa Commoner stats given in the Allies and Opponents chapter. Or, you could just pick up a copy of Alien Anthology from Wizards of the Coast, which provides a bunch of new alien species suitable for use as player characters.
The nine base classes (known as heroic classes) have a vaguely familiar ring to them, but that’s where the similarity stops. The fringer hails from outside society, with expertise replacing book learning, where the noble may represent a true noble (such as a prince), a celebrity, or even a crime lord. They rely on natural intelligence and charisma to make their way in the galaxy. Scoundrels are rogues who either skirt the law, or blatantly violate it in order to meet their needs. The scout is the consummate explorer, full of curiosity and trained in survival, where the soldier, whether professional or mercenary, is trained for combat. Tech specialists hold a special place, combining expert training with natural genius. They may be found in the role of medics, repairmen, scientists, or computer geniuses.
Then there are the Force users, the classes that have learned to harness the awesome power that is The Force. The Force adept is an individual with no formal training that had learned to utilize the Force, seeing it as a supernatural or magical ability, rather than a devotion. The remaining two Force-using classes are the Jedi classes. Jedi consulars use the Force for knowledge and negotiation, seeking peaceful resolution to conflicts. Jedi guardians are defenders, combining physical training with mastery of the Force. Jedi characters begin play with a lightsaber, but their path is a very structured one and does not permit deviation.
Prestige classes in STAR WARS take a different turn. The bounty hunter, the crimelord, the dark side devotee, the dark side marauder, the elite trooper, the Jedi ace, the Jedi investigator, the Jedi master, the officer, and the starship ace provide a nice mix of prestige classes for the core rules. Of course, the game master may create new ones (and several new ones have been added in other resources).
Most skills and feats work identically to the way they work in any d20 system product. The exceptions are the Force skills and feats. Force skills may not be used without the proper prerequisite feat and anyone seeking to learn a Force skill must be at least 1st level in a Force-using class. Force feats are divided into four categories which will be familiar to fans of the West End Games Star Wars; alter, control, Force mastery, and sense. To help offset them from the rest of the text, the names of Force skills and feats are printed in maroon text.
STAR WARS also adds a new type of attribute called Reputation. Reputation determines how well-known your character is (and increases as your character level increases, dependent on which classes you belong to). Besides adding to certain skills checks (such as Diplomacy and Entertain), Reputation can also sway the reactions of other characters, for good or for ill. You may be famous or infamous, depending on the circumstances, though both have largely the same effect for game purposes. Furthermore, Reputation may help you gain followers to your cause.
Though the Star Wars galaxy seems pretty clear on issues of morality (typically, you are either with the good guys, or the bad guys), there is no alignment in STAR WARS. While this may seem odd, consider that an Imperial officer, while seemingly the “bad guy,” is merely doing his job and obeying orders. He doesn’t see the Rebellion as freedom fighters, he sees them as insurgents. There’s a much larger issue of perspective here that the lack of moral corrals allows players and GMs to exploit. Unlike a typical D&D campaign, where orcs are almost universally evil, things may not be so clearly divided in a STAR WARS campaign.
Combat runs just as would be expected for a d20 product. The most notable difference is that STAR WARS uses Wound points and Vitality points in place of Hit Points. Vitality represents a character’s energy and ability to avoid blows, where Wound points are representative of physical damage. Vitality increases with level, but Wounds are always equal to the character’s Constitution score. Damage is normally taken to Vitality (unless Vitality is depleted), but when a critical hit is confirmed, the damage goes directly to Wound points. This has the effect of making critical hits particularly deadly. A character that suffers Wound damage becomes fatigued and may also be rendered unconscious. Lose all your Wound points and you are disabled. Beyond that, you are dying.
Armor Class is replaced by Defense, to which all classes receive a bonus (based on class) as they increase in level. Because armor is relatively rare in the Star Wars universe, the Defense bonus serves to balance things out a little bit. Accordingly, armor in STAR WARS does not add to Defense, but instead reduces Wound damage taken in combat.
The Force is a constant presence in the Star Wars universe and characters can draw upon it to serve them. This is represented by Force Points. Every beginning character stars with a single Force Point. For those without the Force Sensitive feat, they may accumulate no more than 5 Force Points at any given time. Those familiar with the Force are not so limited. They may accumulate unlimited Force Points. Force points may be regained through accumulation of experience, or by performing acts of dramatic heroism.
Force Points may be spent to aid a character’s actions. For non-Force sensitive individuals, this simply translates to a bonus to task-resolution rolls for 1 round, based on level. But for those with a connection to the Force, they must decide whether to call on the dark side or the light side. The dark side offers more power at the lower levels, but diminishing returns. It is also more dangerous and can draw a character over.
A character’s connection to the dark side is tracked through Dark Side points. Even non-Force sensitives can be swayed by the power of the dark side. Calling on the dark side of the Force adds Dark Side Points, but so does performing an evil act. Characters that accumulate too many Dark Side points become corrupted by the dark side. Fortunately, there are ways to atone for these vile acts, but it is never easy. Becoming consumed by the dark side has generally debilitating effects (look at Palpatine for an example) and is not considered a Good Thing™.
There are, of course, plenty of new rules on vehicle combat and starship combat. Overall, the rules are detailed enough to give the feel of ship-to-ship combat in Star Wars, but also manageable enough to keep the game flowing smoothly. Tractor beams, maneuvers, piloting stunts, and battle damage are all covered, so you should have no problem recreating the famous chase through the asteroid field from The Empire Strikes Back.
In D&D, characters gain experience by defeating foes. In STAR WARS, where that kind of thing may be frowned on (particularly for Jedi), experience is earned through the completion of goals. While defeating creatures may be a part of that goal, it may also include solving a mystery, overcoming a problem, avoiding hazards, or negotiating a solution to a problem. To this end, the familiar CR and EL of D&D have been replaced with a letter code (A through I) representing the level of challenge an encounter offers. Of course, there are plenty of other types of rewards as well. Money, accolades, titles or rank, equipment, and Force Points are all possible motivators.
There are also the usual things, such as game mastering tips, designing adventures, and building communities. Each era of play is given a brief overview (although it is assumed that GMs and players will have at least a passing familiarity with the setting), and major characters and supporting cast from all three eras are given complete write-ups, including statistics. This is an example of the “extra-mile” that Wizards went to with this volume. They could have said, “If you want to know what Luke Skywalker’s stats are, buy The Rebellion Era Sourcebook,” but they didn’t.
A small bestiary and examples of other alien species are provided, and some “quick” gamemaster characters are also written up for easy reference during play (for when the GM need a couple of thugs on the spot). The book rounds out with a chapter on droids, including the design of such and rules for playing droids as characters. This is a welcome addition, and not merely for those who think playing a walking computer would be fun. Consider that the bounty hunter IG-88 is a renegade assassin droid, or maybe you’d enjoy playing a free-willed droideka (the rolling droids) from The Phantom Menace. It also provides GMs with the opportunity to make a droid that differs from the expected norm, which is sure to keep the players on their toes. The thought of a blaster-toting protocol droid who’s decided that he “isn’t going to take it anymore” is deliciously fiendish.
Critical Hits
I feel that the design team has gone a long way in keeping the “feel” of the Star Wars universe. Instead of redesigning everything from scratch, they built on a lot of the work that West End Games had already done (and done well), which results in a system that is both familiar and elegant. In addition, the book itself is very attractive, designed in full-color and sprinkled with hundreds of stills from the films. This is not just a book that you stick on your gaming shelf; it’s also a coffee-table book that you leave out to share with company!
I’ve heard many people say that the application of the class-and-level system ruins the game, but I don’t think this is so. After all, West End Games’ “templates” system was basically a class system under a different name. And where a wookie Jedi might have been difficult, to say the least, under the West End Games system, it’s easy to do it in d20. I say try it before you knock it!
There’s also a lot of the expanded universe here. For those who aren’t familiar with that term, it’s the universe that has been created beyond the movies; in comic books, novels, and other sources. It’s good to see that they didn’t limit themselves to the films. The Star Wars universe is huge and it seems that Wizards (like West End Game before them) is going to give it the coverage it deserves.
Now, I’m going to break my word and write something about the differences between this volume and the first release, so if you don’t own the first one, just go ahead and skip over this paragraph. In general, there is a significant bit of new stuff in here, and that makes it well-worth upgrading. Besides new alien races, they have integrated the rules for Attacks of Opportunity into the game, greatly expanded the section on starship combat, and added in the rules for droids as hero characters. Consider also that much of the material from Attack of the Clones was not available with the first volume. Each chapter is headed up by a section explaining exactly what is new, so you don’t have to go through it line-by-line to pick out the new stuff. I’d say that about 35% of the book is new material. You’ll have to decide for yourself if that makes it worth buying the revised edition, but I think so.
Critical Misses
I have to say, they didn’t miss much here. Unlike the first effort, this work is complete and very comprehensive. However, I did find two points that left me wondering. First, where are the rules for removal of extremities? I mean, lightsabers can cut through anything and we’ve seen Luke and Vader lose hands, Jango Fett lose his head, and Anakin lose his arm. We’ve even seen Darth Maul cut in half. How is this handled in game mechanics?
The second thing I felt was missing was a timeline. Okay, yes, most of the people who pick up this book are going to be familiar with the Star Wars universe, but in a game which takes not only the films into account, but the novels and comic books as well, a timeline would seem to me to have been an essential inclusion, even a greatly simplified one.
Coup de Grace
In short, if you’re a Star Wars fan and a role-player, you’ll want this book. It has everything you need to create your own exciting Star Wars adventures (and how many of us didn’t do that with our action figures as kids?). The design, graphics, and layout are all superior and it’s well-worth the price.
This being Wizards of the Coast, there is no Open Gaming Content, but the d20 compliance is right on target (duh!). As a derivative work, I don’t think it’s fair to say that is it unoriginal, but I’ll say instead that it is very true to the source material, capturing the look and feel of the Star Wars universe beautifully. As for the price, I’ve paid more for books that have less information and are not as attractively designed.
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