Fantasy Flight Games
Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
Designed by: Jay Little with Sam Stewart, Andrew Fischer, and Tim Flanders
Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Besides being a multi-media behemoth and the face of science fiction in many parts of the world, Star Wars gave root to some high quality roleplaying games over the years. The first official RPG for the galaxy far, far away was published by West End Games in 1987. This robust system developed the setting and kept fans engaged with Star Wars in the absence of major motion pictures. The subsequent Star Wars RPG was produced by Dungeons & Dragons publishers Wizards of the Coast. Released in 2000 for a decade long run, it can't be credited with keeping the franchise alive like the D6 system but it was a worthy offering from the biggest player on the RPG scene.
When Fantasy Flight Games released Star Wars: Edge of the Empire in 2013, it had a herculean task before it. Not only did the game have to capture the essence of the Star Wars universe but it was following some of the most influential RPGs ever published. Luckily FFG succeeded, through a mixture of a unique dice system, story driven game mechanics, and a strong grasp of Star Wars' enduring appeal.
Edge of the Empire lets players live out the adventures of scoundrels inhabiting the underbelly of the galaxy. They might exist outside the laws of the oppressive Galactic Empire but that "freedom" comes at a price. And of course, sometimes the law catches up to you. Danger comes from all sides, as between those pressures, there's the constant threat of crime syndicates, feral monsters, bounty hunters, and business partners. Characters seeking fame and fortune in the galaxy's underworld face disaster and tragedy but however things go, it'll make a good story.
We'll Let Fate Decide
Fantasy Flight Games
FFG wisely came up with a way to immediately distinguish Edge of the Empire and its compatible follow ups from the previous editions. It uses a proprietary, narrative dice system. Much like White Wolf's Storyteller System relies on counting up "successes." Many veteran roleplayers cringe away from any proprietary dice. And with good reason.
At times it does feel like the tabletop equivalent of the crude, invasive anti-piracy methods seen in video games. When FFG dissolved its RPG wing a few months ago and their continued ownership of the Star Wars license seemed uncertain, it occurred to me I'd have no easy way of getting more dice if they ever stopped publishing the game. Edge does provide a chart to convert the rolls of regular D6s, D8s, and D12s but its so unwieldy I've never seen anyone do that. I certainly wouldn't.
All that being sad, Edge makes full use of its "narrative dice" and may very well be the only instance where proprietary dice are justified. The results of each roll have a definitive outcome, while still offering plenty of roleplaying opportunities for players and game masters alike. The dice results are far more interesting than comparing raw numbers and the subjectivity offered is a perfect fit for the fast paced, fantastical stories that define Star Wars.
Never Tell Me the Odds
Fantasy Flight Games
To determine the outcome of an action in Edge of the Empire, characters roll "positive dice," which generate successes, advantages, and (in the case of the 12 sided Proficiency die) triumphs. The dice used in a check depend on the character's abilities, skills, and their circumstances. The "negative dice" are then added, representing the difficulty of the task at hand and outside interference. These dice, the three types mirroring the positive dice, generate failures, threats, and (for the Proficiency's die's evil twin, the Challenge die) Despairs.
This sounds daunting but the core mechanics are pretty simple. The results of the negative and positive dice counter each other, so successes cancel out failures, and advantages cancel out threats. A test passes as long as at least one success remains after adding everything up. Otherwise, it fails. Independent of that, advantages and threats determine how well things actually went. That means a character can have a success that backfires in some way or a failure that somehow benefits them.
Triumphs and despairs represent the system's equivalents of critical successes and failures respectively. When one shows up, fate has either saved or doomed the character, regardless of how the actual check went. Overall, there's a lot of different ways a check can go and it's rarely simply a matter of succeeding or failing. Players usually dictate what their advantages and triumphs mean, while GM's handle the threats and despairs. I'll admit some players struggle with being put on the spot like that, so I do find myself taking over the interpreting more often that not.
This sounds like a lot to take in and frankly, it is. In my experience, players have enough trouble with "normal" dice, so narrative dice can pose a unique challenge. It doesn't help that Edge of the Empire doesn't explain the system as well as it could, between the disorganized way information is presented and how vague the examples are. However, once players and the GM get past the learning curve, the narrative dice prove to be worth the trouble.
The complexity and story potential offered by nearly every roll offers more than enough to keep sessions interesting for everyone at all. Honestly, narrative dice has soured me on all but the simplest of dice systems in other RPGs, as I find their complexity can never match the nuance offered by the constant twists and turns of Edge of the Empire. The narrative dice system might be the most challenging aspect of the game but they're also what makes it so exceptional.
Hand of Destiny
Fantasy Flight Games
Even more unique and agency driven than Edge of the Empire's Narrative Dice is the Destiny Point system. At the start of each session, each player rolls the Force Die, a 12 sided die with white and black "pips." Based on their results, they generate either 1-2 Light Side points or 1-2 Dark Side points. The former is used by players and the latter by the GM. When a Light Side point is spent it becomes a dark side point and vice versa.
Destiny points can be spent to upgrade a roll or downgrade its difficulty. This gives character a much needed boost in vital moments and ensures they aren't helpless when forced to use a skill they haven't invested much in.
