Star Wars games in the wake of RotS

[cignus_pfaccari]

In the game we completed last year, it was set a bit before ESB, and went a bit after.

The end of the campaign involved the PCs (cryptoJedi bounty hunters) spearheading the Imperial response to Separatist holdouts who'd just now come out of hiding. Amusingly enough, RotS in no way invalidated that storyline, either.

Brad

 

[C. Baize]

Yeah. I think I saw where you were thinking.

 

[Henry]

If I ran one again, I'd probably run a New Republic-era setting, because most of the main plot-threats are dormant, and it gives me the most freedom for a "non-epic" Star Wars game, what with the fractured post-empire galaxy.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

We started my long-awaited Tales of the Jedi era game last night, since we all live rather far away from decent theaters and weren't going to see RotS until the weekend anyway.

Blah, I sah. Blah. I'm just not horribly digging "all Jedi" in the d20 system.

Guardians own the day. I was afraid of it, but it just happened to be true. It's partially a function of the skill system, where Guardians can pump all of their Only Slightly Fewer skill points into the one or two Force Skills they need and run rampant with them. The Consulars fared well in situations that DIDN'T involve pumping up to 24 Dex, +4 BAB and chopping the booger out of everything, and indeed the Force Strikage against my practice droids was well recieved, but in the end the Consulars still felt like a support structure for three Guardian Death Machines. Even by 4th level, there's just not enough distinction between the classes to let the Consulars shine in their own way very effectively. I gave the Consulars their own things to do ... skill checks, investigation, personal interaction, but they weren't ENOUGH different in that way to make them feel special. There's just not a big enough difference in skill points and base (non-Force) skills.

It doesn't help that the Consulars all wanted to play Alien species, and so the effective Skill Point Difference between the classes was about 1, as the Guardians were all Human.

I'm left wanting to do 3 things:

Scrap it and restart under the WEG d6 system.
There, at least, the PCs would be more able to totally customize their PCs. One of the characters wanted to be stealthy and tinkery and the Class Skills lists just didn't allow for him to do so effectively. He ended up taking some cross-class ranks in skills he wanted to use, and was just that much further behind the Human Guardians in the end tabulation.

House Rule To Heaven And Back
Today's Jedi Counseling offers up an alternate rule I was thinking of before we started; sort of a return to WEG's system. Four Force Skills (Alter, Control, Sense, Force-Sensitive) with the ranks applying to all known "Force Powers" under them, gaining a new power each rank. Unfortunately, this just FURTHER pumps up the Guardians, as it lets them use their only-slightly-fewer ranks to even BETTER effect. If I did this, I'd need to do something like give the Consulars a "Power Focus" every 3-4 levels giving a +3 bonus to checks with _______ power. I'd still need to personal-house-rule for the one PC who wanted to take Hide and Move Silently with his little Jawa Jedi.

Turn It Into Grim Tales
This was my first instinct, and after the player response from last night, I should have followed my instincts. Strip ALL of the Jedi Powers out, turn them into Talent Trees and let them work it themselves. Unfortunately this is a whole whole lot of work to get right, so while it's my first instinct I just don't have time for it and so its my last choice.

The characterization was fun, though. Everybody started work on their lightsabers, got to meet new instructors, learned how to use various Force Skills and tactics in unexpected ways.

--fje

 

[Breakdaddy]

If I ran one again, I'd probably run a New Republic-era setting, because most of the main plot-threats are dormant, and it gives me the most freedom for a "non-epic" Star Wars game, what with the fractured post-empire galaxy.

The one I'm running right now is New Republic era (sans Yuuzhon Vong(for now!)) for similar reasons. If I want to go epic with it, I can. If not, then I can keep it fun and interesting without feeling like I absolutely MUST give it an epic feel. Right now the PCs are content to run Jedi Academy missions for Luke and Kyle as low level Jedi functionaries.

 

[GlassJaw]

I'm left wanting to do 3 things:

Well the house rule and Grim Tales options both would require a sizable investment in time. The WEG d6 system has some issues of its own but not really until the PC's start getting skills in the 10d6 range. Other than that, the d6 system is great right out of the box. It's easy to pick up and very fast in play. That would be my vote. Spend your time making cool adventures, not house ruling to high-heaven.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

SPOILERS

Spoiler

The Temple's signal calling back the Jedi (and then reprogrammed by Obi-Wan) makes me believe that there are still Jedi hiding out in Space, which I really like, and leaves a lot more wiggle room in the Rebellion area.

I've also really wanted to run a game well after Luke's death, with an all new generation of Jedi. I think the Order changed a lot since its destruction, moving away from the kind of detached, pseudo-Buddhism thing to a much more personal and compassionate Order. This kind of change could be both good and bad, and I think makes for an interesting story among the Jedi.

 

[teitan]

I love the Star Wars genre and I think the d20 revised system looks pretty clean. IMO trying to run campaigns that mirror a movie don't pan out very well. Most movies (Star Wars included) have huge plot holes in them that a thinking PC will drive an X-wing through. Plus, I just wouldn't want to try to alter the existing epic. Just me.

I would play out scenarios on the side lines to the movies--probably different Rebellion missions designed around the movies. Like get a shipment of necessary stardrives to the Rebellion staging area prior to the Death Star attack. Alderran rescue missions. The unknown Jedi (besides Obi-Wan) that fled and found exile somewhere.

Or I would place all the action after the movies and create new Sith threats--perhaps even a return of the Sith race. The whole "there's always 2" is bit too limited.

There is a whole in the Sith rule... Assaj Ventress was trained by Dooku and at the end of Obsession *SPOILERS*

























She is revealed to have survived her injuries at the hands of Obi Wan Kenobi and gone off into exile. She could, while in exile, continue to master the dark side and in disguise travel the galaxy hunt down Sith artifacts etc. and become a true Sith Lord (Queen) by default when Palpy kicks it in ROTJ. It has already been determined that force users can exend their lives with the Force, so why not?

Jason

 

[teitan]

[sblock] yes but the clones would all be dead or retired of old age by then... Stormtroopers seem to be more of a normal citizen of the Empire and not clones. To expensive and Palpatine isn’t going to fit that bill. [/sblock]

Ummm, the Stormies are clones dude... watch the special edition DVDs. All the voices were redubbed with the guy who plays the Clones and Jango Fett. LUcas says in the commentary that they are clones. He even put easter eggs to imply it in Episode II when Jango hits his head when he gets into the Slave I which compared to the Stormy who did the same thing in ANH.

Jason

 

[Captain Needles]

While I don't know when I'll get a chance to run for one of my two groups, I've had a game ready to go for a while. Traditionally I've used an Infinities option for the timeline, where Vader and Luke control the empire, and The Emperor controls an insurgency from the deep core worlds. The rebels and the jedi (led by Leia, Corran Horn and Kyle katarn) keep out of sight until they are strong enough to accomplish anything.

The game will start with all of the characters on a sky hook station over one of the core planets. The station is a starship R&D facility, a small company on it's way up. The players have to give me a reason why they are on the station, any reason at all why they live or work there. And at some point the Empire will forcibly move in to "nationalize" the private company and all of it's work. Whatever happens then is up to the players. I will ad-lib and improv the story as needed until it is clear where they are heading (which could take quite a few sessions). I know more about Star Wars than any of my players, and have sufficient improv skills to handle a group of guys who can and will jump anywhere in the galaxy at a moments notice. So now I'm just waiting for my turn to run.