While we have a question about the differences between Star Wars d20 Revised and Saga Editions, I'm wondering what the differences are between the original version and the Revised version. Furthermore, do any of these differences prevent content from one being used in the other? They seem pretty similar to me.
[RPG] What are the Differences Between the Original and Revised Versions of Star Wars d20
edition-comparisonstar-wars-d20
Related Solutions
Mechanical
- 1st: Roll Stat+Skill, Keep Trait.
Trait and Ring Cap=5
Insight= 10x∑(Rings) + ∑(skills)
All skills narrow. Purchase of skills with skill points is 1:1. - 2nd: Roll Skill keep Trait.
Trait and Ring Cap=10
Insight= 10x∑(Rings) + ∑(skill level-1)
All skills broad as default. Purchase of skills with skill points is New Level SP for +1 level. Narrow skills optional, add skill level to totals. - 3rd: Roll Trait + Skill keep Trait.
Trait and Ring Cap=10
Insight= 10x∑(Rings) + ∑(skill level-1)
Most skills broad as default. Purchase of skills with skill points is New Level SP for +1 level. Narrow skills optional, add skill level to totals. Most skills grant bonuses at level 5, many at level 2. - 4th: Roll Trait + Skill keep Trait.
Trait and Ring Cap=10
Most skills broad as default. Don't know the rest, since I've not got the book. - 5th Beta: roll ring in ring dice and skill in skill dice, keep a total number of dice equal to ring
Ring dice: d6's, symbolically marked.
Skill Dice: d12, symbolically marked.
Ring cap: 5 (explicit); no traits.
All skills broad, GM option to break out narrow skills.
No insight; spend specified amounts of experience on school abilities to rank up.
Setting
- 1st is pre-Scorpion Coup
- 2nd is post Scorpion Coup; Supplements drag through the Clan War, 4 Winds, and Ancestor war... essentially the end of the Hantei Dynasti
- 3rd is the Toturi Dynasty...
- 4th - again, I don't know for sure.
- 5th Beta is pre-Scorpion Coup.
Dice
- 1st to 4th: standard d10's; if skilled, 10's explode, counting as 10+ another die (and note that the "exploded" die is counted as part of the initial die for number of dice kept, and this recurses).
- 5th Beta customized d6 & d12
- Ring d6:
- Blank
- Success
- Success & Opportunity
- Success & Strife
- Explosive Success & Strife
- Opportunity
- Skill d12
- Blank
- Blank
- Success
- Success
- Success & Opportunity
- Success & Strife
- Success & Strife
- Explosive Success
- Explosive Success & Strife
- Opportunity
- Opportunity
- Opportunity
- Ring d6:
The Wikipedia article has a lot of detail on this subject, but here are some of the highlights (cribbed directly from the article):
- Standard hit points have replaced the former Wounds/Vitality system. Characters also have a Condition Track which measures how much they are currently impaired.
- The number of character classes have been reduced to five — Jedi, Noble, Scoundrel, Scout and Soldier. Each class progresses along "character trees" similar to the d20 Modern system. Prestige Classes are still available, but they each also have one or more talent trees.
- Virtually all attacks and offensive powers now require a roll against one of three defenses — Reflex Defense, Fortitude Defense, or Will Defense.
- Skill points have been eliminated. Characters have a number of "trained" skills they can pick based on their class and Intelligence bonus. Some skills have been combined, integrated, or simplified.
- Force sensitive characters now have a single "Use the Force" skill. Force users can also select Talents related to the Force, and prestige classes grant Force Techniques and Force Secrets which further improve their ability to use the Force.
- The game includes an optional Destiny system. Characters receive "Destiny Points" which are more powerful than Force Points.
- Multiple per-turn attacks are weaker and now require feats to attain.
- Rules and stats for NPCs have been streamlined. There is only one non-heroic class for NPC characters. Non-sentient creatures in the game use the "Beast" class.
- Alien races and classes now rarely grant bonuses to skill checks; instead they often allow a reroll of the check under particular circumstances.
Best Answer
Mechanics-wise, there were a number of changes, mostly small. several new species were added, and a couple were redefined. There was the addition of the Tech Specialist class, very similar to the Artificer class from Eberron. Most of the other changes were altered in some small way, and better balanced. A couple of skills were added, and the Force Skill descriptions were no longer kept separate. The same with feats - several new ones, a couple of small changes to older feats, and the Force feats in with the rest, rather than separate.
One of the larger mechanical changes was that armour changed to DR instead of improving your Defense. However, the DR only applied vs Wound damage, not Vitality. Another large change was that Attacks of Opportunity were added back into the system.
The vehicle and starship combat rules became more like the regular combat rules, using a grid rather than abstract ranges. Maneuvers were added, but the basics stayed the same.
Fluff-wise, there were a ton of changes - this book was published around the time of Attack of the Clones, and adds stills and flavour from that movie. Most of the characters had their stats updated to this episode, although a number of prior versions or older characters were also removed.
The most glaring removal was the sample adventure.
Sadly, I never had the chance to play this version, so can't contrast based on in-game experience.
I would say that material written for the original version would translate quite easily to Revised. Material created specifically for Revised would probably mostly translate, but anything to do with Attacks of Opportunity or grid-based vehicle combat, or armour, would need more attention.