Rating: 
Summary: Chock full of Jedi goodness...
Review: Holy cow!! This is one well done gamebook!! First off, it is graphically splendid, and it really captures the feel of the Star Wars universe. Secondly is the use of the D20 system adapted from D&D 3rd. I am a huge fan of the original West End Games system and had my doubts that a class and level system could be flexible enough to play the diverse types of characters that live in the Star Wars galaxy. But even an old grognard like myself has to admit that it works, and with the multiclassing rules, you can have exactly the kind of character you want. I especially enjoy how Force skills are treated exactly like more everyday skills, making the system more consistent. And you can be the bad guy..Did I mention you can play the bad guys? See what life is like on the other side of the Force for a change.. A minor flaw includes the very clever graphical layout, which looks really cool, but can sometimes make the information within more challenging to read and use. But other than that I really like this product. If you liked the old game, buy this game. If you like gaming but have never tried Star Wars, buy this game. If you like Star Wars but have never gamed, buy this game. It is a little pricey at $34.95, which is nearly twice as much as WOTC's Dungeons and Dragons books, but hey, this book is packed to the gills with information and is the only book you need to play the game. But enough typing. I have characters to make and adventures to cook up for my unsuspecting players!! Bwah ha ha!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Captures That Star Wars Magic
Review: I don't like to review RPG books until I've had a chance to play them a bit. After playing this new incarnation of SWRPG, I have concluded that it captures that Star Wars magic the way an RPG should! Unlike its predecessor, this game is modern and up-to-date with current RPG trends (ala D20 system) that allows a player to play his character without having to roll a barge-load of six-siders to see if his character can jump from one speeder bike to another.The book reads like a combination of the D&D 3rd ed. core rulebooks, even following their format. Players familiar with 3rd ed. will have to trouble jumping into a SW campaign. Combat is smooth and furious, the system finally adding realism to the "hit point" philosophy (showing HP as a hero's ability to barely dodge attacks and threats to her well being). The Gamemaster's section of the rulebook provides hints and tips on how to run a sucessful SW campaign. While helpful, most of this information is taken almost directly from the D&D DM's guide. The challenge-rating system is a watered-down version of that found in Star Wars that uses letter codes as opposed to numerical codes for rating the encounters. The Gamemaster's section also contains information on the Star Wars universe, which is also helpful. It has a number of generic technologies and creatures found in the film series. Finally, the D20 section of the manual contains a generic adventure taking place during the Rise of the Empire campaign setting. The appendix has a fine system for converting characters and creatures from the d6 system to the new system. In conclusion, I have to say that the designers did an excellent job of capturing the feel of the Star Wars universe in the game system. Unfortunately, the book contains only marginal material for providing adventures. I'm sure that Wizards will solve this problem in the future by adding more supplements to map-out the SW galaxy for the fantastic D20 system.
Rating:
Summary: This book converted me from a D20 hater to a D20 advocate
Review: HI there! Having a good day? Well I thought I should share my review with all you RPGers out there. First let me give you my qualifications, I have been a DM for 20 years. In that time I have used every known game system, well minus maybe a few. Anyhow over the years let's just say I have accumulated some ability to judge a games quality. I hated the new d20 game system, never gave it a chance. Bought the books and threw them away! I was that bad folks. Wait a minute now, don't get jumpy I'm coming to my point, I really do have one. This book I bought because my friend peer pressured me into it. I fully expected to never actually play it. OK now this book was so well written and so well done that I am now a true convert to D20. I repent of my former actions and confidently say that this game is great! I can't get enough of playing it. In fact I am on the way to buying every single one of the books for it. This book contains everything you need to play quite successfully in the star wars universe. If you're an old antique like me maybe it will reboot your interest, if you love the movies and wish you could be a dark lord, and I know you do, then maybe you can find some reality diversion inside as well. PS:I just had to respond to all those award winning RPG designers out there who posted their highly critical reviews. First off I would caution you to remember this is a roleplaying game not a textbook from heaven, infallable and perfection incarnate, so don't expect too much. I think that your expectations are too high. The DnD style classes work just fine and provide a necessary framework to create characters in. Sure you don't absolutely need them to play, but for those who aren't up to your own creative genius level, have mercy and let them have classes to work with. It really facilitates character generation.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent game system, well adapted to Star Wars
Review: If you're a veteran of the original West End Games Star Wars RPG, then how much you like this book is going to vary widely. Its a better system overall, but the source material isn't quite as high quality. First off, this is not D&D 3e in space. The mechanics are nearly identical, yes, but the game has a markedly different feel to it. Playing Star Wars with this system, you will not be constantly thinking "I'm surprised that there's no elves around here." Don't worry about it. The book's presentation is excellent, for the most part (kudos to whoever designed the galaxy map on pages 208-209). The art is clean and crisp, and generally high quality. It consists of maybe 80% movie stills and 20% new art, all of which is quite well done. The book has the futuristic "prequel" look to it, but it's much better integrated than in the original core rulebook, with more space dedicated to text instead of graphics. The mechanics are clear and simple, and if you don't like a given rule, it's extremely easy to fudge itaround to get the feel you're looking for. Combat, a hallmark of d20, is extremely well done and feels quick and exciting, with simple, yet verbose rules. If you're into RPGs and like Star Wars at all, you won't go wrong buying this book. It includes both GM and player sections, allowing your group to jump right into the action. So pick this puppy up, and get ready for adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Rating:
Summary: All I had hoped for and more...
Review: Five stars, hands down, this book had everything my friends and I needed not only to play, but to learn Star Wars RPG. I've played D&D and other Rpg's, but this book had all the tools needed not only for experienced GM's but also ew ones who don't have a clue what their doing, and with Amazon's markdown, it was too good. I reccomend this book to all serious about the game. WELL WORTH IT!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent addition to the SW gamer's bookshelf
Review: With the widespread adoption of the d20 system, this book will open the fun of the Star Wars universe to many who would not have considered a SW game otherwise. This revision improves many sticky elements from the first ed. of this system, mostly in the way Force powers/feats and skills relate to one another. It also gives an excellent balance for force using vs. non-force using characters. It could do with an improved layout. Often times I am forced to turn back and forth between several pages and chapters to get the full or overall view of a rule or situation, but once you gain more familiarity with the book, this becomes less of a problem or issue. The biggest problem by far with this guide (and most of the d20 core rulebooks) is that the character creation layout is *very* sloppy. One does not get a full view of building a PC and find out all sorts of special info only wen getting deeper into the book. I feel somewhat spoiled by White Wolf games, where they almost always include a two-page overview of the character creation process. It takes a good deal of time to sit down with a group of players and make full, fleshed out character. This is true of most any game I suppose, but I feel the system that SW and d20 uses could be made more streamlined and less complicated. The info included in this new book covers source material from all of the currently released movies and several of the "expanded universe" books. The artwork and style in which the info is presented is done very well and slick. In the end, even if you don't end up actually using the book to run a game, it's a heck of a read. The chapers on the Force and the Character from the movies and books could be worth the price of the tome alone.
Rating:
Summary: All I had hoped for and more...
Review: Five stars, hands down, this book had everything my friends and I needed not only to play, but to learn Star Wars RPG. I've played D&D and other Rpg's, but this book had all the tools needed not only for experienced GM's but also ew ones who don't have a clue what their doing, and with Amazon's markdown, it was too good. I reccomend this book to all serious about the game. WELL WORTH IT!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: I am a die hard Star Wars Fan. On the weekends I will watch the a 5 movies in order. I will do this at least twice a month. When my friends started playing D&D, I liked the rpg and looked to get the rulebook. But when I went to get it I saw this and purchasd it instead. It was the best moment of my life. Since then I have been hooked on the game and gotten my friends to join in. The only thing bad about it is there are too few species, and there is not enough starships. These errors were fixed with the alien anthrolagy, and the starships of the galaxy. I mean what are 12 species and 10 starships to a real fan. The answer is squat. This book teaches you how to play, and shows you the basics of GMing. This will start you on your journey, and then when you have saved up enough, you will be able to buy other books. Once you have them all, your path of the Jedi will be complete. But beware of the Dark side. If you do not buy them all, and choose video games of some music or DVD's instead, your campians will forever suffer. You will not notice the difference until you return to the light. So buy this book and may the force be with you always.
Rating:
Summary: Does the job, with some disappointment.
Review: I don't play the Star Wars RPG, but I do use the manuals for research for a Star Wars novel I'm working on. Having played AD&D when I was younger, it seems to me that this manual does a pretty good job. Two things that disappointed me as a reader (and probably would have as an RPG player) are: 1. the poor quality pictures that managed to make it into this book (check out page 249 as a prime example - a blurry mess - and 235 - talk about a poor photograph! and 257 - why bother with that one??), 2. the lack of better images or diagrams of starships (an essential part of SW RPG play, it would seem). On a positive note, the map of the galaxy on pp. 208-209 is excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: If you're looking for an Action Movie RPG--Keep Looking!
Review: Classes and levels--Bah humbug! The same drawback that made D&D boring after awhile. O.K., so the class system is less limiting than D&D, but it still doesn't give players and GMs the flexibility to design the kind of heroes found in really GOOD action movies. An open-ended point-based system can do the job better. And even with the Blood & Fists martial arts supplement, it's impossible to build characters like those found in the Mortal Kombat movies and Big Trouble in Little China. All in all, I'd say it fails to capture the free-wheeling flavor of a true Hollywood action movie. Thumbs Way Down! I would have given it 0 stars if I could.
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