Star Wars RPG: A New Beginning

So as most of you are aware Fantasy Flight Games have announced the newest Star Wars RPG. A hardcopy beta is circulating in many FLGS at a pricey $35. There has been a few pieces of information released about the game now so here's a quick summary.

The new Star Wars RPG will be set in and around the Rebellion era (hurrah!!!!) and will actually consist of three game lines (not unlike the 40K series.)

• Star Wars: Edge of Empire - revolving around smugglers and others who ply their trade on the edge of known space, criminals, explorers and the like
• Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - takes you into the war against the Empire as part of the Rebellion
• Star Wars: Force and Destiny - becoming one of the last of the force users in the galaxy

 FFG have said these are independent game lines that will share a unified system, which must be good news to those of us who bought into the 40K lines with the slightly different rule systems.

 To date only the beta book is available, and only in hardcopy from your FLGS. FFG did give it out and sell it at GenCon this year but they are now out of stock.

 The Beginner Game for Edge of Empire has been announced as coming in Q4 this year. Exact release date to be determined. This is like the old classic beginner box sets we used to love (or perhaps hate) and will contain:

• 32 page adventure
• 48 page rulebook
• introduction sheet
• 4 full colour character sheets (they refer to them as folios)
• a colour double sided map (looking at the images they've provided at least one of the sides is of a YT1300 Stock Light Freighter in a landing bay)
• 14 custom dice (more on these later)
• 8 destiny tokens
• 35 character tokens
• 5 vehicle tokens

 Custom dice. Oh how many of us hate custom dice. Yes the new Star Wars line will be using custom dice meaning ans you either have to buy more dice for the game in some manner, or obtain stickers for your existing dice (or assign a number to each custom effect, but who wants to do that?) FFG have already released an app to be used as a dice roller for both Android and iOS ($4.99 each) so the dice aren't really necessary.

Custom dice. Image from Fantasy Flight Games site, all copyright remains that of FFG

 It seems that the tokens are just placeholder tokens to represent characters and vehicles on maps.

 Beginner Game is to retail for $29.95.

 The core rulebook has also been announced but no word on a street date, size or price.