Defender Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Let's face it: deep down beneath all the pretension of "interactive storytelling experiences" and "crafting epic stories" that we roleplayers tell ourselves to feel slightly more mature than we actually are, roleplaying games are about having fun. That playing in the backyard feeling, of assigning good guys and bad, putting together a story and then just going at it, running around on the lawn with your friends until the sun set, then everyone has to go home for supper. But you had a blast. That's a feeling I think a lot of we roleplayers never really forgot, and we try to recapture it in the games we play and the connections we make in gaming. I don't know about you, but to me, Star Wars was the greatest backyard game ever. You had cool heroes to play, wicked enemies to fight (Stormtroopers were always the best baddies: looked like robots, couldn't aim for spit, and whenever you needed to spice things up playwise there they were! ) great locales (the woods behind our house became Endor's forest moon in the spring and summer, while the front line would be the blasted surface of Hoth in winter when we young Rebels would scout for wampas.) and a positive message. Of course, as you grow up you leave the toy guns and running around yelling like a banshee to the next generation of young hooligans, and you move on to other ways to bring the Galaxy far, far away to life. Hence the Star Wars Roleplaying game, either the West End Games version or the d20 WotC Revised edition. Which brings me to it's newest sourcebook, one I've been waiting for a long, long time: Power of the Jedi. The definitive Lucasbooks sourcebook and roleplaying resource on playing the guardians of peace and justice in the Republic. To me, the Jedi Knights are the best aspect of George Lucas's creation. Warrior scholars of the Templar ethic mixed with the best aspects of medieval chivalry, monastic drive, and a touch of the samurai for seasoning, they are easily the one character class I think most of us want to play off the bat. I mean, picture Star Wars without the Jedi. Not really the same is it? Like soda without the fizz, or certs without the retcin. The Jedi are the moral barometer of the Star Wars universe, the protectors of the people and paladins of the light side. Does the sourcebook do them justice? Let me break it down into sections and detail my thoughts on each: Presentation: Like it's sister Force tome, The Dark Side Sourcebook, PotJ is a hardback sourcebook. Clocking in at 159 pages I was a bit taken aback by the slimness of the volume, but upon opening it my fears were put to ease; the type of the book is small enough for the authors to have packed a lot of info inside, and the art and photos--of which there's quite a few--are small and unobtrusive while adding to the enjoyment of the reading experience. The lack of a facing page for each chapter kind of startled me, a child of White Wolf sourcebooks I usually expect a piece of art to break the chapters, while here we simply launch from Chapters 1-7 with the simple flip of a page. Overall the book is great. Small, lightweight, the contents page and appendix providing for easy reference, it feels light in your hand. Art: a blend of photos and line art, PotJ's first really jump-out-at-you image is the cover, featuring all your favorite lightsaber-wielding good guys: Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, Luke, and of course the little green badass himself, Master Yoda. The background and rear cover are great too, as we see a line of Jedi in the distance, lightsabers raised in defiance of the Dark side, while hazy images in the sky are those of Old Ben Kenobi and Qui-Gonn Jinn. A distinctive cover design that grabs the eye. The interior art is also pleasant, and I was surprised and delighted to see the art of Dan Brereton included in the work (his Nocturnals graphic novels are a must for anyone wanting an Adventure-esque read beyond Hellboy or Planetary). Some favorite images of mine from the book: The Force Warrior Prestige Class on page 19, Qui-Gonn Jinn addressing the Jedi Council on page 46, the Jedi Battle Armor graphic on page 54 (_very_ samurai. I want some! ), and the portraits of major npcs (who I won't detail here, but if you're astute you'll know them when you see them) on pages 120-122. All of these really made a pleasant contribution to the reading experience, which leads me to. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender Posted September 5, 2002 Author Share Posted September 5, 2002 Writing: The meat of the book. It can look as good as can be, but if a sourcebook like PotJ doesn't have good writing at it's core then you've bought a very pretty paperweight. Suffice to say, Power of the Jedi is a well-written book, detailed enough to give a good grasp of Jedi history, philosophy, playing tips, and GM ideas, while at the same time leaving things sketchy enough for enterprising gamemasters to make the universe their own. Introduction: Is the standard welcome/sketch of the book's contents. Very good, and the facing image is striking enough to give us a taste of things to come. Chapter One: History of the Force details the history of the Jedi Order, from it's earliest days as a loose collection of philosophers, warriors, mystics, and priests to it's rise as the Knights of the Old Republic, from the waning days of it's power during the Rise of the Empire, through the dark times of the Rebellion Era and then finally to the time of the New Jedi Order. Hard to imagine covering 25,000 years worth of history in 5 pages, but it manages to get done, and done well at that. Chapter Two: Playing in the Light is where the player-related goodies are kept. From new Force skills such as Battle Influence and Force Light, to new Force Feats like Cure Disease, Force Pilot, and Guiding Spirit, there are neat toys aplenty for the aspiring Jedi-to-be. Also included are Jedi-related prestige classes, such as the Force Warrior, Jedi Healer, Jedi Instructor, Jedi Scholar, and the Jedi Weapon Master. Very intriguing stuff, sure to balance out the idea of Jedi Knights as mere combat machines in play. . .as well as create a few new headaches for gms. But hey, what're you gonna do?::sly Chapter Three: Gamemastering a Jedi Campaign will be the most useful to the aspiring GM in need of Jedi-related aid, and players who want to get a better grip on their character. Included are Rules for Jedi Behaviour, notes on Playing Jedi, running Jedi GM characters, as well as a look at the transition of a aspiring devotee of the Light from Padawan Learner to Jedi Knight to Master. Also covered are notes on the eras of play (from 4000 to 32 years before the Battle of Yavin, to the Rebellion Era and 25 years beyond that). Finally, some notes on the themes of Jedi-related stories are covered, from the traditional (Jedi as Warrior, Lawgiver) to the novel (Jedi as Refugee, Teacher, Historian). Chapter Four: Equipment. Here they are: the toys. Everything from Training Lightsabers (a la the "younglings" of Attack of the Clones) which do no lethal damage (at least not without a great deal of effort), to the Great Lightsaber which has an adjustable blade which can extend to four meters long (that's a bit of a reach), all the main weapons, tools, and equipment of the Jedi Order are here. A neat touch was a brief dissertation on Lightsaber color, and just why was it that most Jedi of the Rise of the Empire period (PM, AotC) had only green and blue blades? And just why do Sith keep those red ones? Answers can be found here. Also covered were teaching aids used by Jedi Master to train their younger padawans, a listing of Jedi-related vehicles (from speeder bikes to the starfighter used by Obi-Wan in AotC). Also included were notes on the most sacred of artifacts amongst the Jedi: the repository of lore known as the Jedi Holocron. Interactive libraries of information about the size of a small box, carved of crystal, they contain vast ammounts of Jedi-related teachings, but can only be accessed by a Force sensitive character, and even then the "Gatekeeper" of the device--the interactive copy of a Jedi Master's personality--can restrict or deny the amount of knowledge a seeker might obtain. Very, very cool. Chapter Five: Creatures and Archetypes contained new species notes for potential player use, as well as new beasties to torment or aid your Jedi Characters. A solid chapter with good writing and illustration. The Nighthunter and Taozin creatures were both quite fearsome looking. Also included are rules for Force Spirits. The semi-transparent essecences of Jedi Masters who resist joining completely with the Force in order to better aid the living, or who have business in the material world they cannot abandon readily. Interesting stuff, indeed showing that while Jedi can indeed be struck down, they can still be potent players in the SW universe even after physical death. Also included are archetypes for GM use or to give player ideas, everything from Workers in the Jedi Agricorps, ExplorCorps, MediCorps (after all, not every Force sensitive becomes a Jedi. Ever wonder what the Order does with them? Here you go.), to sketches of Jedi Guardians, Consulars, Martial Artists, Healers, Explorers, and Spirits. Chapter Six: Jedi Traditions covers the npc descriptions of key figures in the SW saga from all the major eras of play: The Old Republic, the Rise of the Empire, The Rebellion Era, The New Repbublic and the New Jedi Order. All your major favorites are here, though those covered in the Core Rulebook were excluded, probably to conserve space. Chapter Seven: Where the Force is Strong details locations that are key to Jedi-related stories. From the now-famous Jedi Temple on Coruscant to the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, no stone is left unturned in offering intriguing locations for Jedi to tread in search of knowledge and wisdom. Some interesting standouts were the massive cityship Chu'unthor, a mobile Jedi training facility which initiated a great deal of first contacts with new alien civilizations during the height of the Old Republic, the School of Hidden Wisdom, a dueling academy on a backwater Outer Rim world which is far more than the local Imperial garrison might ever suspect, even the Valley of the Jedi from the computer game Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight recieves mention and description. Story hooks and inhabitants are detailed, which sent my little GM wheels a-spinnin'. . . Overall: Power of the Jedi is the best WotC supplement I've seen to date. Intrigued by this volume I'm seriously considering picking up the Dark Side sourcebook. In comparison to West End Games Tales of the Jedi (my favorite Star Wars sourcebook by far) PotJ comes close, very close to dethroning the champ. On a scale of one to ten, power of the Jedi ranks 8.5/10. It's not essential, you can play Jedi characters and run stories without it, but it'll enrich your Star Wars experience. Reccomended. -Defender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Great googly moogly, Defender! That was an outstanding review. I'm halfway considering trying to find the book on my way home tonight after reading that article. You sure packed a lot of detail nd information in there without giving up the juicy bits.I last played Star Wars about five years ago when it was still West End Games. Oddly, we only had one Jedi out of 17 people. (Yeh, we ended shortly after that, as that's a lot of people to ST for.) You're making me miss the old stuff, D. Great review and info. It's good to hear that WotC is doing well by this line.-Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender Posted September 5, 2002 Author Share Posted September 5, 2002 What can I say Joseph? When I review, I _review_. I don't go about it halfway. ::sly Yeah, I miss playing Star Wars too. Was thinking that when I move back to Red Deer of getting some of my friends there together for a few pick-up games with the WotC version. Who knows? Might be a lark. ::bigsmile -Defender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Sounds great, Defender!Though that made me picture Harle and Pax trying to play Jedi. ::cry Dark Side, here we come... ??? -Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender Posted September 5, 2002 Author Share Posted September 5, 2002 ::smiley1 Not that there's anything wrong with that. . . ::devil Heh heh heh. . . -Defender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Ever think about running a StarWars game here in the forums, D? There would likely be lots of interest.-Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHILL Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Great review Def ::thumbs-up ::thumbs-up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender Posted September 5, 2002 Author Share Posted September 5, 2002 Oh no Jo, why do you gotta be goin' and givin' me ideas? *whimpers, a zillion plot ideas whirling through his mind* ??? Thanks Chill. Who knows? Maybe once I get settled and have access to my extensive library of RPGs and supplements, I might make these reviews a more permanent feature. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do. *cracks open The Dark Side Sourcebook with an evil chuckle* . . .oh yeah baby, that's the stuff. . . ::devil -Defender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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