Coruscant and the Core Worlds (Star Wars Roleplaying Game)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent GM Resource, So-So for Players
Review: Courscant and the Core Worlds is an indispensable reference book for any GM or player adventuring near the core worlds of the galaxy. The sourcebook contains descriptions of the 28 planets that comprise the core worlds of the galaxy, historical information on each, and descriptions that will aid both players and GMs alike.

The entry for each planet contains the basic information about that world in statistical form: type, climate, terrain, gravity, population, etc. If the player characters will need gas masks on the surface, this brief snapshot will let them know. Following the statshot of the planet, a basic description is followed by a brief historical overview of the planet from pre-interstellar time up to the period of the New Republic. An entry on the people with details on the major races and cultures is followed by a discussion of the major locations and geographical features.

In addition, each entry features a "For the GM" section, with adventure hooks, and "Allies and Antagonists" entry for the planet. New equipment, species, feats, starships, creatures and prestige classes are included with the entries for each planet, as appropriate, and are included in the index at the front of the book for easy reference.

Entries for each planet vary in length from the nearly 30 pages devoted to Courscant to three or four pages for the smaller worlds. Most world descriptions are five pages in length, and provide ample information about the world, its inhabitants, history and adventure possibilities for the party.

Most planetary entries contain a map of one of the significant areas mentioned in the description, though pictures of the new characters and creatures in the books are conspicuously missing in many cases.

On the whole, the book will be an invaluable resource for those GMs who wish to campaign in and around the core worlds of the galaxy. While it may be useful to the average player in a Star Wars game, it is tailored for the GM: roughly half of the material in the book is devoted to the adventure hooks, new creatures, and NPCs for the GM. Still, the book provides good background information and will serve as an excellent springboard for a new GM looking to start a campaign in the core worlds, or for experienced GMs to add more depth and detail to a campaign that takes place near Courscant and the planets near it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent GM Resource, So-So for Players
Review: Courscant and the Core Worlds is an indispensable reference book for any GM or player adventuring near the core worlds of the galaxy. The sourcebook contains descriptions of the 28 planets that comprise the core worlds of the galaxy, historical information on each, and descriptions that will aid both players and GMs alike.

The entry for each planet contains the basic information about that world in statistical form: type, climate, terrain, gravity, population, etc. If the player characters will need gas masks on the surface, this brief snapshot will let them know. Following the statshot of the planet, a basic description is followed by a brief historical overview of the planet from pre-interstellar time up to the period of the New Republic. An entry on the people with details on the major races and cultures is followed by a discussion of the major locations and geographical features.

In addition, each entry features a "For the GM" section, with adventure hooks, and "Allies and Antagonists" entry for the planet. New equipment, species, feats, starships, creatures and prestige classes are included with the entries for each planet, as appropriate, and are included in the index at the front of the book for easy reference.

Entries for each planet vary in length from the nearly 30 pages devoted to Courscant to three or four pages for the smaller worlds. Most world descriptions are five pages in length, and provide ample information about the world, its inhabitants, history and adventure possibilities for the party.

Most planetary entries contain a map of one of the significant areas mentioned in the description, though pictures of the new characters and creatures in the books are conspicuously missing in many cases.

On the whole, the book will be an invaluable resource for those GMs who wish to campaign in and around the core worlds of the galaxy. While it may be useful to the average player in a Star Wars game, it is tailored for the GM: roughly half of the material in the book is devoted to the adventure hooks, new creatures, and NPCs for the GM. Still, the book provides good background information and will serve as an excellent springboard for a new GM looking to start a campaign in the core worlds, or for experienced GMs to add more depth and detail to a campaign that takes place near Courscant and the planets near it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent stuff, but a little lean.
Review: First of all, what this book contains will not disappoint if you spent time on the core worlds. Most parties will eventually go there, and this book will help you as the GM make them come to life like you wouldn't believe.

Each planet is divided up into a player's and GM's section. The players section lists history, locations, and things of that ilk. The GM's section includes plot hooks and major NPCs. I think that more WotC books should implement this sort of organization, where a player can read through the book and not worry about accidentally spoiling something for him- or herself. The plots are interesting, and tend to involve whatever makes that planet unique (the shipyards of Corellia, for example). They are also divided along era lines, which is a worthwhile practice that should be continued in future WotC projects.

That said, the book does have a few flaws. First, the art, while good, is sparse. Each planet (Coruscant has the biggest section and is therefore an exception) has only one or two pieces, and they don't really give a suffient feel for the planet, leaving it up to the descriptions and the GM's knowledge. Second, the section on planetary histories is a little short for most worlds, usually constituting little more than a page. For some of the minor worlds (like Anaxes) this is permissable, but even Corellia and Coruscant are lacking in that regard.

In short, this book is worth getting (almost essential, in fact) if you plan on spending time in the Core, but not really if its a casual thing that you "might do someday." Its limited nature makes it less useful than, say, WotC's upcoming Ultimate Alien Anthology.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent stuff, but a little lean.
Review: First of all, what this book contains will not disappoint if you spent time on the core worlds. Most parties will eventually go there, and this book will help you as the GM make them come to life like you wouldn't believe.

Each planet is divided up into a player's and GM's section. The players section lists history, locations, and things of that ilk. The GM's section includes plot hooks and major NPCs. I think that more WotC books should implement this sort of organization, where a player can read through the book and not worry about accidentally spoiling something for him- or herself. The plots are interesting, and tend to involve whatever makes that planet unique (the shipyards of Corellia, for example). They are also divided along era lines, which is a worthwhile practice that should be continued in future WotC projects.

That said, the book does have a few flaws. First, the art, while good, is sparse. Each planet (Coruscant has the biggest section and is therefore an exception) has only one or two pieces, and they don't really give a suffient feel for the planet, leaving it up to the descriptions and the GM's knowledge. Second, the section on planetary histories is a little short for most worlds, usually constituting little more than a page. For some of the minor worlds (like Anaxes) this is permissable, but even Corellia and Coruscant are lacking in that regard.

In short, this book is worth getting (almost essential, in fact) if you plan on spending time in the Core, but not really if its a casual thing that you "might do someday." Its limited nature makes it less useful than, say, WotC's upcoming Ultimate Alien Anthology.

Rating:
Summary: Top Notch book
Review: I for one can't imagine playing the Star Wars universe without it. I just reciently started playing using the core book and I have to say that world design is the tough part foe me. I don;t lack imagination but I like to have a little consistance from game to game and be able to create a sense of "reality". You know, plot continuity from the movies and all that. Without this book that would be an impossibility for me. I am not a die hard star wars fanatic so I really don't have the info on the entire universe memorized, and even though I don't know tons of facts, I find that usually my players can sense when we're just winging it. Making stuff up and it really doesn't make much fun. This books has what you're looking for. It has all the core worlds and info on each, carefully detailed and well written in a professional way. Weith plenty of NPC and plots tossed in. Just buy it. You won't go wrong.

Rating:
Summary: The Bright Center of Your Campaign
Review: One of the most memorable things about Star Wars is in just how unique the worlds are, and that is definitely the case here. The worlds in this book have one thing in common: they are Core planets. Other than that, they are as different from each other as Hoth is from Tatooine.

This wonderfully illustrated hardcover book details no less than 29 Core worlds. Coruscant gets the most space at nearly 30 pages, and most of the other worlds, including Alderaan and Corellia, get three to five pages each. In general, each world has brief sections on its description, history, people, and important locations. Changes from the time of the Old Republic up to the New Jedi Order are also discussed.

At the end of each planet's profile there is a "GM-only" section for each world with adventure hooks and a selection of important NPCs. There are also several new species, six new feats, about a dozen items of new equipment, over a dozen new vehicles and starships, four new droids, and more new creatures than you can shake a stick at (my favorite was the fearsome Coromon Headhunter). Sadly, there is only one new Prestige Class, the five-level Seyugi Dervish.

While I really would have preferred to see a greater selection of PrCs, the book's other qualities largely make up for this deficiency. I should emphasize that while each planet receives a generous amount of information, it is by no means a complete description. The focus of the book seems to be on providing GM's and players with ideas for their own campaigns and characters, rather than on being an exhaustive resource.

As a GM I found the plot hooks and NPC sections to be the most useful. And boy, there are a lot of NPCs, over a hundred of them in fact. Even better is the fact that the plot hooks and NPCs are often connected to each other, which makes for easy adventure creation.

My main complaint regarding this otherwise excellent book is that some of the maps are a bit lacking. Specifically, many of them don't have a scale, which makes it difficult to tell if the map of this or that location covers hundreds of meters or dozens of kilometers. The maps are also far too small for tabletop use, but a trip to the copy shop should solve that problem.

As others have pointed out, a GM would probably get the most use out of this book, especially in a Core-based campaign. Of course, a player could still find this book to be a valuable tool for fleshing out the background of a favorite character. Even so, there is so much variety, information, and so many ideas in this book that I'd recommend it to anyone. Overall I'm giving Coruscant and the Core Worlds a very strong 4 out of 5.

And besides, what campaign could possibly be complete without the main characters visiting Coruscant at least once?

Rating:
Summary: A much-needed resource
Review: Prior to the release of this sourcebook, there were only three decent sources for information on Star Wars worlds. The first was the Star Wars Encyclopedia, which is filled with so much other stuff that unless you know the names of these worlds already, it's unlikely you'll find them. The second is the Guide to the Star Wars Universe, which additionally has no illustrations and little enough description. The third, and the one I used, is the Essential Guide to Planets and Moons, which provides some useful background info but was obviously not written with the RPG in mind (in fact, it predates it by several years). It's therefore a great relief to see that purpose-written hardcovers are being released that detail parts of the galaxy.

The Core Worlds include many of the worlds mentioned in the movies and expanded universe- Corellia, Ralltiir, Duro, Alderaan, Chandrila, Kuat, and other notables. The systems are listed in alphabetical order save for Coruscant, which is first, and each section has the following parts: General stats (general trivia regarding the system), Description (basic description useful for introduction), History (summary of notable events in all SW periods), People (species and how they behave), Locations (some notable spots and cities, with at least one map).

Additionally, there is a 'For the GM' section with adventure hooks, NPC heroes and villains from various eras that can easily be adapted to any of them, and various stat blocks for said NPCs, creatures, and unique vehicles and starships. There is only one new prestige class- the Seyugi Dervish (an unarmed fighter) but this book isn't really meant to detail those in the first place. Several new feats and species are added, most of which are obviously meant for NPC locals (the Brachiation feat, for example, lets you swing through trees at your speed).

Perhaps the best thing about this book are the illustrations, which are numerous, original, and inspiring. Just getting a glimpse of the Core Worlds is often enough to describe them and plan a few nasty surprises for your players, and the sourcebook does a fine job of providing visual cues. The corresponding information is thorough but not long-winded, and ideal for getting your adventure going with minimal fuss. Coruscant and the Core Worlds really sets the standard for ease of use and value. I am looking forward to seeing similar ones that will describe the other parts of the Star Wars galaxy.

Rating:
Summary: Compatible with the Dungeons and Dragons game's d20 system
Review: The collaborative effort of Craig R. Carey, Chris Doyle, Jason Fry, Paul Sudlow, John Terra, and Daniel Wallace, and specifically crafted to be compatible with the Dungeons and Dragons game's d20 system, Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Coruscant And The Core Worlds is an information-packed reference filled from cover to cover with memorable characters, exotic locations, vehicles, alien creatures, story ideas, and much, much more. Configured and organized so that even the most novice Game Master can create a memorable Star Wars-themed role gaming adventure, Coruscant And The Core Worlds is an excellent and faithful guide, and a very welcome addition to the growing library of Star Wars related role-play adventure resources and references.

Rating:
Summary: Planets of the Core
Review: This is a high quality sourcebook from Wizards detailing about 25 worlds near the center of the star wars galaxy. Full color and with sections divided into PC and GM information, it is packed with plot hooks, enemies, allies, and art. Drawbacks include that it is not as useful for PC's other than fun reading and detailing their homeworlds. A personal peeve was that many monsters and locales are described but lack pictures to illustrate them. But that's probably hard to do for every monster and locale as so many are introduced over the book. Overall, a good product especially for new players who don't own any other planet guides from earlier game systems.