Pyramid Review: Star Wars Roleplaying Game

Pyramid Review

Star Wars Roleplaying Game

Published by Wizards of the Coast

Written by Andy Collins, Bill Slavicsek, and JD Wiker

320 pages; $34.95

Following in the footsteps of a phenomenally successful predecessor is never easy. Not only to do you have to contend with the inevitable comparisons to your illustrious forebear, but there will always be die-hard partisans of "the original" who are not only unwilling to accept your mere existence -- they go out of their way to slander you and work to bring about your failure. You can see this kind of behavior all time, whether it be in entertainment, literature, or politics.

Consequently, I don't envy the position of the designers of WotC's new Star Wars Roleplaying Game. Even had their game been perfect in its design and presentation, there still would have been a chorus of naysayers and hardcore West End enthusiasts who wished them ill will. Fortunately, Star Wars is a solid enough design that its critics may be drowned out by the din of its supporters -- many of them newcomers -- attracted by the game's high production values and ease of play. Of course, this won't deter the critics, particularly since at least some of their criticisms are dead-on.

As most people know, WotC's Star Wars Roleplaying Game is the first non-D&D game to use the much-vaunted "D20 system." At its heart, this system consists of a collection of core characters stats (the familiar Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, . . .

This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.



Article publication date: November 24, 2000

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