To be completely honest with you, I was wary when D&D Star Wars got announced. Dungeons & Dragons isn’t a natural fit for many reasons (its class and magic systems need gutting to work with a galaxy far, far away), and I was worried its existence meant a beloved RPG is dead. But then we got our first glimpse of the project, and it’s giving big Andor energy. That took me by surprise, and it’s enough to make me a believer. OK, not to the degree Han was in Force Awakens (“It’s true, all of it”), but you can consider my interest piqued.
It all boils down to that grounded approach hinted by teaser artwork. Developer Wizards of the Coast seems to be approaching this with admirable restraint; rather than lightsabers and Force-powered badassery (which is the superheroic world D&D usually operates in), it focuses on scoundrels and gunfights. Yes, this still looks like a swashbuckling adventure. It isn’t – and shouldn’t be – a gritty slog a la Mork Borg, where every step through the mud is a victory. But there’s something down-to-earth about D&D Star Wars which reminds me of Rogue One. And that makes me very excited.
This isn’t the first major crossover Wizards of the Coast has attempted; D&D World of Warcraft is due in November, and you can pre-order the core book from Amazon now. From what we’ve seen so far, it really seems to do the idea justice. Indeed, its principal designer promises that “this is your chance to explore Azeroth as you never have before.”
For starters, everything we’ve seen so far feels suitably ‘ground-level’ with its focus on a rag-tag group of freedom fighters. (We’ll apparently “take the fight to the Empire as part of a secret Rebel crew.”) Yes, space magic is a central pillar of the franchise. But I think Star Wars is at its best when it slows down to focus on the people in those conflicts. Andor worked so well because it tapped into grassroots stories, while Clone Wars excelled due to humanizing average clone troopers as well as god-like Jedi. Personally, not playing a fated chosen one is so much more interesting.
Moving away from Jedi also opens up a world of possibility. While it’s fun to swing a laser sword around or hurl Stormtroopers across the room with a flick of our wrist (and I’d be surprised if there wasn’t an option to do so in some way or another), it can be limiting in an Original Trilogy setting. The Empire is meant to have hunted down most Jedi by this point, so a party of lightsaber-wielding warriors would feel out of place. You’d also struggle not to box yourself into a corner. If a Force-sensitive individual openly uses their power, they’ll get the full might of the Empire raining down on them – including Darth Vader’s Jedi-hunting Inquisitors. That’s all good and well as a one-off or if your adventure is built around the idea, but otherwise? It could totally derail your campaign. Want to stop an Imperial tyrant oppressing your world with an iron first, or save a beloved NPC from the Hutt Cartel? Sorry, Dave Force-pushed a Stormtrooper off a building and now we’re on the run. It’s a narrative cul de sac. No, better to sidestep the issue entirely.
I still have concerns, of course. As I mentioned earlier, D&D and Star Wars aren’t obvious companions – the crossover will require bespoke classes that swap magic with technology, for instance, and I think spinning it off as a separate system might be better than Frankensteining Dungeons & Dragons into something it wasn’t intended to be. But everything Wizards has shown off so far is promising, which gives me hope. A New Hope, I suppose you could say…
Speaking of cool tabletop games, a terrifying campaign version of our favorite horror board game got fully funded in just 54 seconds. Elsewhere, MTG Marvel Darkhold Destiny has a wild pitch featuring the supernatural and teamups with a “pantheon of gods.” Want recommendations, on the other hand? Be sure not miss the best tabletop RPGs.
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