Pyramid Review
The Dark Side Sourcebook (for the Star Wars RPG)
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Designed by Bill Slavicsek, J.D. Wiker, and Cory Herndon
Illustrated by Jon Foster, Lee Bermejo, Dan Brereton, Tommy Lee Edwards, Doug Alexander Gregory, Ashley Wood, and Lucasfilm Ltd.
Edited by Brian Campbell and Michelle Carter
160 color page hardcover; $29.95
Bad guys have more fun. You know it, I know it, and both Lucasfilm and Wizards of the Coast know it too. They're obviously a little nervous about this fact, and that means the Dark Side Sourcebook for the Star Wars RPG isn't everything it could have been. However, there's enough in this book to please all but the most demanding Sith Lords.
Like most of WotC's supplements, this book gives center stage to new abilities. After sketching out the history of the Dark Side in a couple of pages, Chapter Two devotes 25 pages to new skills, powers, and prestige classes. Most of these are Force-based skills -- characters can use alchemical concoctions to enhance equipment or mutate creatures, turn hordes of minions into their personal puppet show, drain Force and knowledge from others, and transfer their life essence to other bodies. New Feats include the ability to blast everyone around you with pure hatred, a Rage that makes Wookiees look even-tempered, and proficiencies in the deadly Sith Sword.
One of the nice features of the Star Wars system is that these abilities are theoretically accessible to almost any Force-sensitive character. An . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: August 10, 2001
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