Hello,

I am disillusioned with d20/saga/weg for running an upcoming Star Wars game I am going to be running for some friends.  I am wondering if anyone has an resources/suggestions for systems I could use.

I know I could always use Fate, but after running 2 games straight for over 2 years I'm tired of that system.

Anyone have any ideas?
This message was lightly edited by a moderator, as it was the wrong forum, at 20:38, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

<broken record>Savage Worlds is good for the kind of cinematic feel Star Wars can have.</broken record>

The FFG Star Wars is also pretty fun, but the way the dice can drive the narrative can be a challenge to get used to.

I'm always a fan of the Cypher System, which has enough rules for structure, not enough to get in the way, and the "cypher" part of the system (randomized items characters get for wild-card abilities) actually have rules for being done as powers, disciplines, or luck.

You could try Star Wars World, an Apocalypse Engine hack of Star Wars.  I've heard very good things about it, but haven't looked at it myself.  If you like Powered by the Apocalypse games, this should be a no-brainer.

Unless you are looking for a video/board-gamey "balance required" type of game, you could always just create your own, or cherry pick bits and pieces from other systems you like.

You could also strip d20 down to ab scores and skill list with the 3d6 replacing the d20, for an easy to use system that doesn't feel like d20 but has a lot of cherry-pick-able content available.

I suggest having a look at Stellar Adventures by Arion Games. It is not formally a Star Wars game, but in it there are all the options that you need. Just select the options that you need, do not selct what you don't need and rename "Psyonics" as "Force".

In reply to Seanberry (msg # 1):

Not knowing what about d20/weg/etc. disappoints you, I'd recommend you take a look at Tri-Stat dX, BESM, or d6 Epic.

One of the things that may work well in d6 Epic is the idea of character templates.  These are pre-created characters that are kind of like a Jim Walter home:  they are about 90% completed on delivery, and you get the rest of the materials (build points) to customize and make them completely yours.  They can make character creation go very quickly, which is a plus in the PbP environment.

I hope you find something worth using for the game you want.

You can always use Mutants & Masterminds.  A group I played with ran that successfully for a long time.  It is open enough to give you the ability to create any race or class.  And it is balanced enough to where a player who has a Blaster and a player that builds a Jedi can actually be on even footing.  I find that Jedi being overpowered is often the flaw in many Star Wars systems to the point where you usually have to make the party all Jedi or no Jedi.  Mutants and Masterminds is also extremely cinematic and avoids getting bogged down in unnecessary rules.  The most that you would have to do is make rulings about what powers can and cannot be used if it comes up, but it should be pretty obvious to most players.

Many years agony group used traveller it worked really well

Mutants and Masterminds or any superhero system works well. Another rules-heavy option is Mythras (former RuneQuest 6) of all systems; It has a couple of sci-fi adaptations you can crib modifications from.

M&M would be perfectly serviceable for this, though I've also heard good things about re-skinning Traveller for Star Wars.  You could also do it in GURPS without a lot of trouble (though trained Jedi would end up with huge point totals due to their Force powers).

However...


That's not a system issue.  That's a setting issue.  In-setting, any trained Force using character is vastly more powerful than a character that isn't using the Force because that's how the setting is constructed.  If you somehow turn a fully trained Jedi into a combat equal with guy-with-a-blaster, your system isn't really mimicking Star Wars (and is one of the many issues with the various d20 version of the game).

The best choices for a game are either leaving out the Jedi or constructing your overall game such that the Jedi being more a combat monster doesn't detract from the story.  For all of that combat power, Jedi do have glaring non-combat weaknesses.  That's just the kind of thing that TTRPGs suck at representing fairly.

Especially if you crib from Mailanka's Psi-Wars setting...

http://mailanka.blogspot.nl/search/label/Psi-Wars

GURPS is my 2 cents worth.

HERO System, but you might need a 4-year course to figure out how to properly build Star Wars stuff in it :D

That said, there are TONS of resources for Star Wars in HERO via the HEROGames.com forums.

White Star is another option.  It's Star Wars with the serial numbers filed off (star swords instead of light sabers, for example).  The game engine is built of Swords & Wizardry which in turn is based on original D&D.  It is vastly rules lighter than d20.

the best thing is either  make your own system ( like I did) simple  to use and understand , and  effective... this isn't table top in here.

 the next best thing , is to  use a system and take the parts you want, and  Mod them to fit your style of GM..i did that with  my D&Dish game