Reviews for Star Wars Roleplaying Game: A Star Wars Core Rulebook

The average rating for Star Wars Roleplaying Game: A Star Wars Core Rulebook based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-08-16 00:00:00 David Ruch The book is a decent adaptation of D&D3.0 rules to Star Wars. It definitely needs more proofreading; there are many charts that directly conflict other charts, typos, and paragraphs that conflict with other rules throughout the book. Feats are referenced by different names in different places throughout the book and character sheet. The way this book handles the Force is interesting, though it doesn't entirely feel as fleshed out as I would like for a Star Wars game. Many of the rules feel dependent on the 3.0 framework, though the deviations are typically welcome. One of those deviations is the use of Force Points, which, aside from being rather limited in use, is one of the most interesting mechanics. It does a wonderful job of making the Dark side of the Force feel more powerful (especially at low levels), while still having drawbacks. The main problem, again, is that Force points are so rarely awarded. The distinction between which Force Powers became Feats vs which became Skills seems a little blurry to me. I think the system would have benefited from having a point-based Force system where abilities cost points, which replenish over time. The cost of those points could vary depending on how they deviate from your alignment. This would be a much more elegant solution than the one presented here. The deviations aren't all good: having Force powers (here skills) cost vitality points is an interesting mechanic that seems more appropriate for a dark magic game than with the Star Wars universe. Spending health to Force Push someone just doesn't quite jive with me. Star War's Reputation system is intriguing, but tying it to class feels restrictive. The idea is that as you become more well-known, you can invoke that to get bonuses on interaction checks like Bluff and Diplomacy. It seems like an attempt to tie a mechanical bonus to something that should be in the realm of roleplay. Certain prestige classes have restrictions on this, like the Bounty Hunter which can only be taken with a high enough Infamy score. The whole thing seems restrictive: sure, a Noble should have more reputation than a Fringer in some contexts. But what about on a slimey space port on Nar Shaddaa? This rulebook claims it supports three Eras of play, but there's no reason it can't support more. The "support" just includes key characters and restrictions on which races can be played (no Ewoks pre episode 6, for example. I also would have loved to see more droid support, including Droids as player characters. I can understand the rationale for not doing it, especially given how heavily the game drew from 3.0. The race section is one of the most transparent areas in terms of D&D origins. Several of the class features seem redundant or unimportant, like bonuses to buying or selling goods, or only if those goods are illegal. Perhaps this was an attempt to make the characters less "heroic" than their d&d counterparts, but it just feels a little lackluster. The opponents section of the book (the "monster manual" of sorts) is rather diverse in role, having options for crime lords, bounty hunters, and administrators, but is lacking for creatures at low levels. The creature section is also the weakest section of the book in terms out layout. There's potential here, and I would love to look at the revised edition that was released 2 years after this one, or the Saga Edition which overthrew that one.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-01-14 00:00:00 Kelly Kaiser This core rulebook has been a wonderful addition to my collection and is now going out into the wild world to, hopefully, get some use by someone who has a use for it.