Monday, November 16, 2009

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...




So I've finally decided on what I'm going to run next year.Star Wars. The West End Games D6 Role Playing Game.

Now wait...hear me out...

Yes I do feel a bit like I'm selling out but at the same time I realize that this is really the best compromise for my group and I. We both want Sci-Fi/Space Opera. While I originally wanted to go a bit more gonzo (Hunter Planet), I know now that what I had it mind was a bit too wacky for this crowd. Traveller is the other end of the spectrum and as I discussed with a few members of the group recently, not quite fantastic enough.

Star Wars is a nice middle ground. Its also big and familiar but with easily enough room for me to add practically anything I want to it. While I was always more of a Star Trek fan, I love Star Wars too, though the prequels made me forget that for a while. Thank goodness for Cartoon Network's
Clone Wars series ( both of them).

I started playing RPGs in 1977, the same year and only a few months after Star Wars came out. At the impressionable age of 8 that film did indeed rock my world and shaped how I would GM for years to come. While my love of literature has given me a love of character, my interest in science an attention to detail and my exposure to classic comedy a sense of timing, it is Star Wars that gave me a sense of scale and grandeur.

I've probably run the D6 Star Wars game more than any other RPG save Star Trek. I have no doubt that this will be a fun campaign. In addition, I will be handing the reins of the game over to another GM periodically and have discussed with them the possibility of taking over the campaign at some later point.

So for now the art films are on hold while I put out a blockbuster. Hopefully I won't lose my street cred.


AD
Barking Alien

*The illustration above is by my extremely talented friend
Keith Conroy and depicts the PCs, NPCs and ship from one of our old Star Wars campaigns. Check out more of Keith's RPG awesomeness at his website. Sadly the image above was colored in by me but never really finished. I'll have to get back to it sometime soon.







6 comments:

  1. Will Jaxxon get a cameo in your game? Excellent art by Keith. May the Force be with you.

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  2. Which version? I played the original for a few years back in the day. Recently picked up what the kidz call "Second Edition Revised and Expanded". Haven't sat down yet to go through it to see if it strikes me as significantly different (or better) than the original.

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  3. I would recommend using the Old Republic setting (time of Revan and Malek). It is different enough and removed enough from standard Star Wars to do your own thing and take some liberties (although be warned, hard core SW fans might not appreciate liberties).

    I never wanted to do SW, but I fell in love the other year with the KOTOR video game for XBOX. I got contacted by a local group who wanted a new GM, so I took a stab at it (with mixed results - see my most recent blog entries for the sad tale).

    I still like the KOTOR setting, and might spring it on my D&D group down the line as an alternative game.

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  4. The tricky thing about running Star Wars (as it is with Star Trek, although I usually have the advantage there) is being able to use enough recognizable stuff and still introduce new stuff without stepping on canon. The further back you go in the time line of the Star Wars Universe the harder it is to do the former and the easier it is to do the latter or so it would seem.

    @Jerry- Oh yeah, I have had the great green bunny pop up before but I may not use him this time. I do have a green canine that might appear though...heheh

    @Robert-Second Edition is my prefered edition for Star Wars D6. The first was a bit too simple and the third over complicated the game a little (or at least the look of it was over complicated. I never liked the layout and art direction of the third edition books).

    @Brunomac- I too loved KOTOR, its sequel (although the first one was better) and the upcoming Old Republic MMO looks awesome. At the same time my original statement about familiarity Vs. canon applies.

    There is still much to consider before beginning this game. Updates to follow...

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  5. Just stumbled upon this post!

    I'm tickled to see a mention of (and plans to play!) the WEG Star Wars game. Personally, I prefer the first edition (for quite the same reasons you prefer the second). Like you, I bet I've run more Star Wars sessions than for any other game. In any case, bravo to you!

    If no Jaxxon, maybe Valance the Hunter or some Zeltrons might appear ... :)

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  6. Awesome picture. I recently found the original SW rules, good stuff, wish I had played it more back in the day!

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