Who Should Make The Next Star Wars TTRPG, And What Should It Look Like?

[Fenris-77]

I've got Scum & Villainy for myself, so I am voting for the rules-lite, mass appeal category to get more people to funnel into the hobby outside of D&D (which can be clunky and slow around combat). And by rules-lite, I don't mean your typical incredibly light,. all vibes and barely any GM support. It should be able to run adventures or handle more improv style.

I think FFG Star Wars was actually pretty damn close. Streamlining the narrative positive and negative consequences like how Daggerheart would go a long way - there's no reason a table should ever look at Crit + 3xSuccess + 3x Threat and have to BS their way into making those meaningful. Streamlining the skill list to be simpler to understand and specialize (like how Swords of the Serpentine made Gumshoe fun for me to run!). Streamlining combat and gear a bit more would help. And of course, getting rid of the unique dice. Also, PDFs need to be a must, it's 2026.

But it gave some great basic 101 advice that many RPG books don't bother with - table management. How to actually herd those cats that we call players. It separating campaign premises into different books with a different core mechanic is actually pretty smart - I think it makes a ton of sense to have the Scoundrels, Rebellion and Jedi be uniquely separate games. I'd go further and make the skill list and combat systems match these better too. Obligations are still one of the coolest takes on that mechanic I've seen but it doesn't have as much GM Support as I would like around it.

Interestingly, I think that the SotS version of Gumshoe could probably do a pretty good job at Star Wars.

 

[Dalekdad]

Growing up, Star Wars D6 was my absolute favorite system to run.

Personally, I think Savage Worlds is its spiritual successor and captures the same pulp action vibe I want in a Star Wars system.

That said, I think dealing with major licenses is a huge pain and can be the kiss of death for companies, so I'm not in a hurry to see Pinnacle get a Star Wars license.

 

[Reynard]

Growing up, Star Wars D6 was my absolute favorite system to run.

Personally, I think Savage Worlds is its spiritual successor and captures the same pulp action vibe I want in a Star Wars system.

That said, I think dealing with major licenses is a huge pain and can be the kiss of death for companies, so I'm not in a hurry to see Pinnacle get a Star Wars license.

Has getting the Star Wars license ever killed a company?

 

[Fenris-77]

Growing up, Star Wars D6 was my absolute favorite system to run.

Personally, I think Savage Worlds is its spiritual successor and captures the same pulp action vibe I want in a Star Wars system.

That said, I think dealing with major licenses is a huge pain and can be the kiss of death for companies, so I'm not in a hurry to see Pinnacle get a Star Wars license.

Scum and Villainy is excellent proof that you can do a Star Wars capable game without having the IP. Obviously you do want the IP of course, and I agree that it's probably a massive pain. Plus in this case Disney is involved, so pain+.

 

[Dalekdad]

Scum and Villainy is excellent proof that you can do a Star Wars capable game without having the IP. Obviously you do want the IP of course, and I agree that it's probably a massive pain. Plus in this case Disney is involved, so pain+.

Honestly, you can run Star Wars out of the box with Savage World and the Sci-Fi Companion. That said, there are some great fan supplements that make it even easier.

 

[Reynard]

Honestly, you can run Star Wars out of the box with Savage World and the Sci-Fi Companion. That said, there are some great fan supplements that make it even easier.

You don't even really need the sci-fi companion if you don't mind just reskinning stuff. The extra vehicle rules are useful, tho.

 

[payn]

Has getting the Star Wars license ever killed a company?

No, but there is a certain math im sure where it stops making sense. Depends on what the license deal contains. There is also the time clock where you could have the IP pulled from you. I think companies are thinking twice before engaging in these kind of deals these days.

 

[Reynard]

No, but there is a certain math im sure where it stops making sense. Depends on what the license deal contains. There is also the time clock where you could have the IP pulled from you. I think companies are thinking twice before engaging in these kind of deals these days.

Really? I think we have seen more licensed RPGs in the last few years than ever before.

 

[payn]

Really? I think we have seen more licensed RPGs in the last few years than ever before.

Im sure they thought twice about it too. Free League is the biggest one and im sure they have an entire division to working out the deals. Deals that are likely better than SW as far as IPs with legs go.

 

[Celebrim]

You are correct in that EnPublishing would be an excellent choice to make the next Star Wars TTRPG! I'm sure "What's Old is New" could also be used to run Star Wars but I bet Morrus could assemble a team that would make a great Star Wars game from the ground up!

I have long claimed that the RPG landscape has too many systems as it is, and people should pick a "good enough" system and focus on producing good IP for that system. Unique systems are I think a waste of time now for a designer, and represent a creative impulse that while I perfectly understand (having the same impulse myself) doesn't actually contribute to getting the games played or the widespread consumption of your work.

I look at the history of gaming as largely a history of games successfully communicated to a wide audience. D&D not only is first, but does the best job of communicating to its target audience games that they can play. It's adventure modules are still highly admired to this day.

Paizos success relative to 4e is not just that they retained a comfortable system people were familiar with, but they successfully communicated a large number of play experiences other people could have. Paizo already was dominating the IP high ground before the breakup.

5e didn't succeed just because it was a simple, elegant, easy to pick up system with the best art since 2e, but also because it was the first edition since 1e IMO that successfully communicated a large number of games you could play with the game. I think too much emphasis is placed on what I consider commercially very marginal play styles like my own, where I take a game system and make my own games in it. The average table is made up of participants that don't have the time or initiative or skill for that. You want your game to be successful, successfully communicate the game you want other people to have.

The module or the adventure or the campaign is vastly more important than the rule set.