Well, my WEG Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary edition arrived yesterday. I have to say, the rule book and sourcebook are both nicely printed, hardback books with a sturdy slip case. They look like they'll hold up to some heavy flipping back and forth.
I was busy yesterday, and had my D&D game this afternoon, so I'm only now starting to flip through the rule book. But already, I can tell that the easy reference charts at the back are going to speed up my games immensely. The pdf I've been using will still be useful for stuff like aliens, gear, and ships from the prequels and expanded universe (I don't think there's anything from the sequel series in there, but if I want anything, I can easily improvise it). But the books are going to be my go-to references from now on.
And yes, this is the first edition of the game, so there will be some differences from what we've been playing, but if it's a rule we've had to deal with already (like increasing attributes) we'll go with what's in the REUP pdf.
Recently, watching Season 2 of the Mandalorian, and having watched episodes 2 through 7 with my boys (1, 8 and 9, plus Rogue One and Solo, and episodes of Clone Wars, will be coming soon), the boys want to change from Mandalorian characters to Jedi characters. I've already got one Alien Student of the Force, one Minor Jedi, and one Young Jedi (who doesn't always show). I think that's enough Force users for a game set during the Rebellion. Before the battle of Hoth even! My older boy suggested I run a separate game just for them so that they could play Jedi. I may just have to do that.
They've also been playing Star Wars games on Roblox, and want me to play with them. They spent some of their Christmas money on Robux so they could purchase Jedi/Sith characters in the Roblox version of Battlefront, and I think that influenced their desires to ditch their Mando characters.
They also were asking why they couldn't play as Sith/Dark Jedi. I explained that the rules said you had to give up your PC if you got too many Dark Side points, but they've played enough D&D now to not buy that. "Couldn't you run that kind of game if you wanted to?" Well, yes, yes I could. So, we may be in for an interesting ride with this.
Ah, the lure of the Dark Side...how well I know its siren call!
ReplyDeleteThe SW RPG models a very particular type of space opera, with a very stark morality. 'Course a LOT of different SW media has dropped since then (like Rogue One) but IN GENERAL being a bad guy always results in getting your comeuppance and being good always results in being rewarded (or, at least, choosing when it is your time to die).
Even the Mandalorian, who represents a rather shady individual, is wholly "good" over the course of the series (the first two seasons). You can say this is due to the presence of "the child" in his life (children tend to have a perspective-changing effect on new parents), but we the viewers are unconcerned with Mando's "grey" past, and the showrunners are largely unconcerned with displaying the sins that made him who he is. He is a hard, hard man...but now he has a heart. He's a "good guy," and the show exhibits his personal journey of redemption.
What would a dark Jedi campaign be about? Just an excuse to use force powers to harm and cut down enemies with a lightsaber? Seems like the good Jedi do plenty of that kind of thing themselves (Luke sure does). Vader is just rage personified, a seething pit of anger barely contained in his black armor encasement, a weapon to be wielded and directed by the emperor. Or do they fancy themselves more the Palpatine/Snoke archetype, the "ancient wizard," bitter and physically corrupted by his thirst for power. Haven't they seen A Christmas Carol?
As I said, I understand the draw. Whenever I've played a computer RPG like KotOR, I've always gone "dark" my first time through. The cut scenes and dialogue choices tend to be more amusing, the powers and game play more straightforward in application, and it's fun to get to the finale and see yourself lording it over the galaxy. But then the game ends. And it's meant to be played by one player only...do your kids plan on "sharing power?" That's not exactly the way of the Sith. Who'll be the Number One and who'll be the (completely untrustworthy) Number Two looking for an opportunity to off the Number One?
My advice would be to loosen the stringent requirements for force users in the game (with certain powers ALWAYS earning DS points, for example) rather than run an actual Sith game; at least, with WEG's version, I don't really see the game designed to support a different agenda of play.
Oh, I fully plan to show them the consequences of playing evil characters, if we do this. I think they just find the "dark side" characters cool. I get it. I enjoyed playing the Empire the most years and years ago when I played SW: Galactic Battlegrounds (an RTS game).
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't run this as a long campaign. Maybe two or three sessions, let them get it out of their systems, and hit them with the down sides of the Dark Side to encourage them to play heroic characters next time.