Fantasy Star Wars.

[Alibear]

Jedi powers but swords instead of Lightsabres - Could it work?

[Kraven Kor]

Sure, seeing as in Fantasy they'll be deflecting arrows and bolts and whatnot instead of blasters.

If anything, Star Wars is Fantasy with blasters and space ships. So why not.

Me, I prefer Steampunk Star Wars (http://www.google.com/search?q=star+wars+steampunk&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a)

[Manic Typist]

Magic swords. Elemental swords.

Star Wars is Fantasy....IN SPACE!!!!!!!!!!

[Hugh Neilson]

Star Wars is fantasy, as noted above. We have princesses, pirates, a Dark Lord serving his Evil Emperor, an old wizard passing his knowledge down to his young farmboy apprentice, a heroic Beast, magic swords.

It has more fantasy tropes than a lot of fantasy does!

[Shadowsoul]

The danger here is that it would be almost impossible to prevent the eventual creation of a Jedi Dragon. At which point the universe would implode due to an impossibly high concentration of Geek Badass in a single point in space and time.

[Nolgroth]

The danger here is that it would be almost impossible to prevent the eventual creation of a Jedi Dragon. At which point the universe would implode due to an impossibly high concentration of Geek Badass in a single point in space and time.Repped. There is no other response needed.

[Lucius]

Repped. There is no other response needed.

http://www.herogames.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31994&stc=1&d=1247024255


Oh question not the need!Our merest beggar
Is in the poorest thing superfluous.

Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary credits Dave Mattingly for originally posting the poster, and Shakespeare's King Lear for Lucius Alexander's pretentious quote.

[Manic Typist]

Lucius just officially blew my mind. I'm not sure that's happened on these boards yet.


THAT IS SO REPPED. If I can't get him, everyone else needs to!

[Curufea]

Hmm, I'm wondering how you would write up the characters in a fantasy setting now...

[Alibear]

I had more thoughts. It would only work if The Force and the dark side were the only kind of 'magic' available in the campaign.

Martial Arts & Psionics would be a potent mix in a fantasy setting.

The Dark Side could be what creates monsters and other nastiness ... it might just work.

[Markdoc]

I had more thoughts. It would only work if The Force and the dark side were the only kind of 'magic' available in the campaign.

Martial Arts & Psionics would be a potent mix in a fantasy setting.

The Dark Side could be what creates monsters and other nastiness ... it might just work.

I'm sure it'd work fine. We've actually played games where martial arts and psionics were in play, along side traditional magic. Traditional magic required gestures, incantations, etc so it was flashier and less flexible than "the Force".

However, if I were going to run a game like this, myself, I'd go for your "force is the only magic" approach.

Side note: in the fantasy game above, a friend's character who was playing the party's "Jedi master" (a paladin-type) had put side effect (migraine) and "requires a Force skills roll" as a limit on his powers to bring the cost down. He had horrible luck with his "Force skills" roll, so my primary memory of that game (apart from the horrid combat efficiency of my own less force-gifted character, Flanghall of Ferlect :)) is of him going "I sense a disturbance .... accck! Migraine!" all the time :D

cheers, Mark

[Alibear]

Another thought - you wouldn't really need to use swords any weapon or even unarmed specialistaion is gonna work.

Zen Archery types firing 'Force' enhanced arrows would be cool too.

[Vondy]

I always considered Star Wars fantasy with weird pseudo-tech trappings.

There's no reason you couldn't replace those trappings with medieval equivalents end up with the exact same thing.

[Vondy]

However, if I were going to run a game like this, myself, I'd go for your "force is the only magic" approach.

I agree with this.

[Vondy]

The Dark Side could be what creates monsters and other nastiness ... it might just work.

I thought monsters would just be the local equivalent of aliens. In fact, you might consider having the culture be oddly syncretic in that most humanoid "monsters" have some level of acceptance depending on where you are. Then you can have a "cantina scene..."

[Alibear]

In fact, you might consider having the culture be oddly syncretic in that most humanoid

I might consider it if I had even the vaguest notion to what syncretic was.

I is dumb. :help:

[Kristopher]

I might consider it if I had even the vaguest notion to what syncretic was.

I is dumb. :help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncretism
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/syncretic

[Vondy]

I might consider it if I had even the vaguest notion to what syncretic was.

I is dumb. :help:

Kristopher put up a good link.

Syncretism is a blending of disparate elements aimed at inclusiveness. One fantasy example is the old Al Qadim game. In star wars I was thinking of it on a social plane. The Empire was a humans olnly club, but the Old and New Republics were racially syncretic. Its possible orcs, trolls, goblins, minataurs, and the like are civilized and operate as normal members of society.

Ogre's in tuxedos working as bouncers in 1920's America!

[Alibear]

Thanks, guys. Yes that would really enhance the diverse universe feel of Star Wars. I hadn't considered that but will now.

Some questions arise with that.

Is the force stronger in some races than others? Dragons certainly, elves perhaps? Are there psionic free creatures like Huts? Hobbits maybe?

How tough would a Force Dragon be ... especially in SIX when we can combine Force, Breath and HTH attacks in one big mutha of an attack. :eek:

[Sepia]

A Force Dragon would be VERY scary. :jawdrop:
Something a player should never get to be...

[Konan]

In any of my games a Force Dragon well only ever be the BBEG, to be allowed to be anything else is simply an offense to Force Dragons everywhere.

(Except the maybe GMPC, guest-star, you know the guy who comes in saves the day and the players grumble about GM powers ;) )

[LordGhee]

Just watch the Hidden Fortress 1958 samuri movie which Lucas gives credit of being one of the insperations of STAR WARS.

the SW universe of one enviroment planets works better as a great continent, hum a ring world with. . . . .

And I repped Lucas, now i must search Flawed charater concepts in self defense.

[Lucius]

I didn't make the poster -

I'll have to track it down and credit it

Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary wants to do The Dark Side of the Force Ten from Navarone

[Tom Carman]

I thought monsters would just be the local equivalent of aliens. In fact, you might consider having the culture be oddly syncretic in that most humanoid "monsters" have some level of acceptance depending on where you are. Then you can have a "cantina scene..."

"You'll have to leave your golems outside. We don't serve their kind here!"

[Curufea]

Fantasifying quotes :)

"Luke: You know, I think that R2 golem we bought may have been stolen.
Uncle Owen: What makes you think that?
Luke: Well, I stumbled across a geas while I was cleaning him. He says that he belongs to someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi. I thought he might have meant old Ben. Do you know what he's talking about?"

"Princess Leia: [in a magic mirror] General Kenobi: Years ago, you served my father in the Demon Wars; now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person; but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I've placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the spells that maintain this R2 golem. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this golem safely delivered to him in Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope. "

"Dr. Evazan: I don't like you either. You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve kingdoms. "

[Lucius]

It's funny how much verbiage doesn't have to change at all.

"Imperial Stormtrooper"

"Rebel Base"

"Knight of the Old Republic."

Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary notes that the Illithid Jedi is now credited to Dave Mattingly.

[Shadowsoul]

One key point that leaps out at me is, how are you going to simulate the spaceship battles?

I would assume either airships or flying mounts. Perhaps a mixture of the two with airships and/or dragons standing in for destroyers and cruisers while gryphons, warhawks etc. stand in for fighters.

If you go for flying beasts then some kind of magical item which allows the rider to steer telepathically might be a good idea. This leaves the rider free to fire projectile weapons and would explain why Jedi make excellent pilots, their telepathy is stronger.

[jtelson]

Ocean battles could also stand in well for Space battles, with the smaller "fighters" being the Gryphons, Eagles etc launched from large ships or island bases.

[Chris Goodwin]

You don't have to make it too literal. The big X-wing and TIE fighter fight in Star Wars is just an epic battle.

[Narf the Mouse]

Well, to go with cliches, the original race of each character...

Chewbacca = Minataur
Luke = Half-elf
Leia = Half-elf (Obviously)
Obi-Wan = High Man (Wisdom and Doom, as is often represented in fiction)
Han Solo = Human
R2-D2, C3PO = Mechanical golems
Anakin = Human
Padme = Elf (Obviously)
Palpatine = Elf
Yoda = Gremlin or Goblin

Anyone I miss?

[lapsedgamer]

Ocean battles could also stand in well for Space battles, with the smaller "fighters" being the Gryphons, Eagles etc launched from large ships or island bases.


You don't have to make it too literal. The big X-wing and TIE fighter fight in Star Wars is just an epic battle.

Yeah, I would trim some of the real over the top elements out to make it a more playable campaighn in the long run. Space battles and Hyperspace jumps become massive sea or lland battles and long voyages through dangerous waters. The latter changes the time scale a little, but it's nothing you couldn't work around.

Han Solo becomes a smuggler with a fast sloop. Chewbacca is some sort of Wild man from distant shores.

Imperial Star Destroyers are war galleys, and the Death Star is some sort of mobile fortress that should never be able to float. It moves so slowly that you have all kinds of time to attack it with fire ships or boarding parties before it can bring its secret weapon to bear. The weapon? How about a primitive version of a railroad carriage gun. One massive shot, but it takes forever to reload and get it back into position.

Who says Jedi have to use psionics? Aren't they just paladins in robes? I would say that the Force is whatever ultimate force for goodness you want in your universe: God, Law some sort of Lawful Good pantheon, whatever. The Jedi are just D&D style clerics (Yoda) or well trained fighters (Obi Wan) who have "spells" based on innate level of life force or "soul energy" and how well they progress in the training.

Sith are just the flip side of the same coin. Dark paladins, evil priests or Death Knights.

Lightsabers can be magic swords of varying levels of quality, or, more interestingly, the Jedi adepts could actually channel varying levels of their own life force into a weapon to achieve supernatural effects.

Almost everything else is a straight port across.

Enchanters can imbue normally inaminmate constructs with this same type energy to act as servants, hence droids.

Jabba the Hut is a massively obese dragon, no longer capable of flight, that sits on its hoard manipulating others to increase its holdings.

I refuse to acknowledge either the Ewoks or Jar Jar Binks in my campaign.

[lapsedgamer]

Well, to go with cliches...

Chewbacca = Minataur
Luke = Half-elf
Leia = Half-elf (Obviously)
Obi-Wan = High Man (Wisdom and Doom, as is often represented in fiction)
Han Solo = Human
R2-D2, C3PO = Mechanical golems
Anakin = Human
Padme = Elf (Obviously)
Palpatine = Elf
Yoda = Gremlin or Goblin

Anyone I miss?

I had Palpatine down as some kind of lich in my mind.

[Narf the Mouse]

My notations were strictly on their original race - Elven Lich fits Palpatine (I was thinking Necromancer), but wasn't in the scope of what I wrote. I should probably clarify that...

[lapsedgamer]

My notations were strictly on their original race - Elven Lich fits Palpatine (I was thinking Necromancer), but wasn't in the scope of what I wrote. I should probably clarify that...

No worries. I was just riffing.

[Narf the Mouse]

Riff all you want. In fact, I think I will. :)

Chewbacca = Barbarian (Of course!)
Luke = Paladin
Leia = Diplomat with, later, a bit of Cleric
Obi-Wan = Paladin/Cleric
Han Solo = Scoundrel/Rogue
R2-D2 = Rogue/Spy
C3PO = Coward. :D Or, well...Diplomat?
Anakin = Paladin, then Death Knight
Padme = Noble? I only saw the first prequel.
Palpatine = Lich Necromancer
Clone Troopers = Flesh Golems
Yoda = Paladin/Rogue/Cleric (And very high level in each)

[Narf the Mouse]

http://www.herogames.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31994&stc=1&d=1247024255


Oh question not the need!Our merest beggar
Is in the poorest thing superfluous.

Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary credits Dave Mattingly for originally posting the poster, and Shakespeare's King Lear for Lucius Alexander's pretentious quote.
Bah! An illithid that only eats animal brains is in no way necessarily evil.

Hmm...To get into Forgotten Realms details, Illithids are (AFAIK) 'refugees' from the Far Realms. The Far Realms are so strange that, basically, a demon or devil lord has more in common with a mortal than either has with *Anything* from the Far Realms. Basically, stick a Human, an Elf, a Warforged, a Dragon, a Demon, a Devil and even (AFAIK) a *Beholder* next to an Illithid and the 'One of these that does not fit' is the *Illithid*.

Could an Illithid be moral? Well, to answer *that* question (Scientifically and IG), you'd have to understand an Illithid...And FR *Gods of Knowledge* would struggle with *that*.

On the other hand, as a writer, that gives you a wonderful freedom - You're *Not expected* to explain Illithids, because *You can't*. So, if you have a moral Illithid...You *Don't* have to explain it. :D

[Curufea]

There's no real reason to have ships at all - just have land battles.
Each ship type in the movie could be a unit type in war.

[Narf the Mouse]

...Ships don't really translate to land units. Besides, some of the awesome would be missing.

Maybe set in on a world of larger and smaller islands?

[lapsedgamer]

There's no real reason to have ships at all - just have land battles.
Each ship type in the movie could be a unit type in war.

Han Solo has to be the captain of something fast. :D

[Curufea]

He could just be a good commander of a mercenary company that's good at flying wedges.

[Narf the Mouse]

...Er...Except for the whole 'Battle' thing. Han Solo, at the beginning of the movies, isn't exactly a fighter.

[Curufea]

Ah yes, he's more of the running-away kind of mercenary :)

[bigbywolfe]

That's because he wasn't a merc, he was a smuggler...

[Alibear]

I think I'll make the Death Star is a mile wide flying city built by a long dead race. For millennia it's lain undisturbed but recently an evil priest has worked out how to fly one.

Think of the firepower that would bring to bear against a normal city. Walls and other defences would be useless.

Tie Fighters become griffins, pegasi and balloons.


Anyway, high fantasy with the Force as limited magic, that's what I'm thinking right now.

[Kristopher]

Obi-Wan = High Man (Wisdom and Doom, as is often represented in fiction)


As an aside... "High Man"?

[Beast]

the big question is how to represent the Death star
a huge floating castle in the clouds that can rain down fire and lightning from above



One key point that leaps out at me is, how are you going to simulate the spaceship battles?

I would assume either airships or flying mounts. Perhaps a mixture of the two with airships and/or dragons standing in for destroyers and cruisers while gryphons, warhawks etc. stand in for fighters.

If you go for flying beasts then some kind of magical item which allows the rider to steer telepathically might be a good idea. This leaves the rider free to fire projectile weapons and would explain why Jedi make excellent pilots, their telepathy is stronger.

[bigbywolfe]

As an aside... "High Man"?
:joint: Yeah, High Man... ;)

[lapsedgamer]

AT-AT walkers are basically the same thing as oliphaunts from the Return Of The King movie. That's pretty easy. If you kept a rebel base in an icy mountain area to simulate Hoth, you could recreate Hannibal crossing the Alps.

Unfortunately speeders and speeder bikes get nerfed to chariots, carts and horses. :(

[Narf the Mouse]

As an aside... "High Man"?
Think 'Dunadain' - King Aragorn - And all of the history of that race. Rising to great heights, only to come crashing down.

[Curufea]

Unfortunately speeders and speeder bikes get nerfed to chariots, carts and horses. :(

Or brooms...

[Alibear]

Or brooms...

I noticed the similarities between the speeders and harry Potter rip-off to.

[phookz]

Fantasifying quotes :)

"Luke: You know, I think that R2 golem we bought may have been stolen.
Uncle Owen: What makes you think that?
Luke: Well, I stumbled across a geas while I was cleaning him. He says that he belongs to someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi. I thought he might have meant old Ben. Do you know what he's talking about?"

"Princess Leia: [in a magic mirror] General Kenobi: Years ago, you served my father in the Demon Wars; now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person; but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I've placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the spells that maintain this R2 golem. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this golem safely delivered to him in Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope. "

"Dr. Evazan: I don't like you either. You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve kingdoms. "

:thumbup:
Must spread rep around blah blah blah...

[Manic Typist]

Or brooms...

....and magic carpets....

[Curufea]

Magic carpets could work too.

The problem with Brooms and Magic Carpets is that everyone associates them with Disney or Harry Potter.

Strangely enough, people don't realise that this is exactly what you get in the Fantasy genre. It doesn't all have to be realist real-world archetypes.

Or that fantasy elements don't have to be comical or surrealistic.

[Curufea]

I noticed the similarities between the speeders and harry Potter rip-off to.

Except of course that broom stick riding was out well before the starwars speeder rip-offs (by a few hundred years)

[Alibear]

Except of course that broom stick riding was out well before the starwars speeder rip-offs (by a few hundred years)

I'm not sure Harry Potter was though.

[Narf the Mouse]

I'm not sure Harry Potter was though.
...Was what?

[Alibear]

Harry Potter didnae pre-date Star Wars by 200 years.

The original scene on the broomsticks was a cheesy rip off of the speeders.

[Curufea]

Ah, I thought you were talking about broom stick riding, which has been around as long as witches.