I'm looking at buying the begginer game of this but have never played an rpg, is it easy to pick up? just the sheer size of the rule book looks daunting

Huge chunks of the rulebook are actually Adventure/Weapon and Item Descriptions/Universe Description and lists and lists of stats for enemies.

It might be abit confusing to learn the system if you have never played an RPG before.

The Beginner box slims everything down ALOT, for people to get the basics before being thrown in at the deep end, and will give you everything you need to start.

Its the best place to start if you have never played an RPG

If you're going to get into Roleplaying for the first time, I'd actually recommend the Age of Rebellion Beginner Game instead of EotE. I've had a lot more success introducing new players to AoR than to EotE.

Just my two cents.

Er, I mean, Imperial Credits.

If you're going to get into Roleplaying for the first time, I'd actually recommend the Age of Rebellion Beginner Game instead of EotE. I've had a lot more success introducing new players to AoR than to EotE.

Just my two cents.

Er, I mean, Imperial Credits.

Second you there.

honestly the books are so full of fluff that you use them for mining ideas most of all, even the artwork tells a thousand stories. i have read Zero Extended universe stuff and this game is all i need. the rules at the table are quite simple too, GM screen is a great reference BTW

I'd highly recommend either Beginner Box as a great place to start, and a much better investment than just buying the core rulebook sight unseen. Especially if you are new to roleplaying games in general.

Just get one of the Beginner Boxes and it'll guide you through learning the system and learning how to run a game.

Once you feel confident with it, the Core Rulebooks are always waiting

i feel the opposite of these two. I have both the beginners game for edge, and the core rule book. If you have never played a RPG before, this will be a very easy system to learn. While the begginers box is a great value, you get the dice, a condensed rule book, a published adventure and some pre generated characters and maps, I felt that the condensed rules were too condensed. I am a long time gamer, so this may sway me more to an actual rule book instead of a condensed version.

The main I reason I feel this way about the box set versus the core book is after you get the core book, you will never have a need for the box set again, so in essence, it can be a kind of a watse of money. It does have the maps and tokens you use during the adventure, but I feel those were put in to help "sell" the game to people that were used to playing the last system where you pretty much had to have maps and minis/tokens to play the game.

The core book also has an adventure it to help get you stated and both the Edge and Age GM kits have adventures, and FFG has one or two free ones you can download.

So in short, the box set is great to help you learn the game, but after that, you will never need it again.
My advice would be forgo the box set, get a set of dice or the app, the core book, and you and a friend go through the books adventure. Don't worry about the character(s) dying or anything, just run through it and get a feel for the game. I had read the book for a couple of weeks, and still did not understand it until I started running the game for my groups first adventure. Sure I knew the "lingo" of the game, but that was about it. Like most things in life, you don't really know how it works until you just do it. Also, don't let the size of the book overwhelm you, it has tons of info on the Star Wars universe that really help out with the game, but is there just for fluff.

Last thought. The box set did come out about. 2-6 months before the core rule book was released, so it was more of an introductory thing from FFG to get people ready for the core book release. I'm not even sure if FFG is still making the box sets for either Edge or Age. The box set for FaD is due out soon, then a little while later the FaD core book will be out.

Either way you go, you can't really go wrong, and best of luck to you and your group. The Force will be with you...always.

At least in my experience, I felt the Beginner Box for each was a great investment, because I've used each adventure/pregen set several times *and* I've gotten a lot of value out of the dice and the tokens you get in the box.

i feel the opposite of these two. I have both the beginners game for edge, and the core rule book. If you have never played a RPG before, this will be a very easy system to learn. While the begginers box is a great value, you get the dice, a condensed rule book, a published adventure and some pre generated characters and maps, I felt that the condensed rules were too condensed. I am a long time gamer, so this may sway me more to an actual rule book instead of a condensed version.

The main I reason I feel this way about the box set versus the core book is after you get the core book, you will never have a need for the box set again, so in essence, it can be a kind of a watse of money. It does have the maps and tokens you use during the adventure, but I feel those were put in to help "sell" the game to people that were used to playing the last system where you pretty much had to have maps and minis/tokens to play the game.

The core book also has an adventure it to help get you stated and both the Edge and Age GM kits have adventures, and FFG has one or two free ones you can download.

So in short, the box set is great to help you learn the game, but after that, you will never need it again.

My advice would be forgo the box set, get a set of dice or the app, the core book, and you and a friend go through the books adventure. Don't worry about the character(s) dying or anything, just run through it and get a feel for the game. I had read the book for a couple of weeks, and still did not understand it until I started running the game for my groups first adventure. Sure I knew the "lingo" of the game, but that was about it. Like most things in life, you don't really know how it works until you just do it. Also, don't let the size of the book overwhelm you, it has tons of info on the Star Wars universe that really help out with the game, but is there just for fluff.

Last thought. The box set did come out about. 2-6 months before the core rule book was released, so it was more of an introductory thing from FFG to get people ready for the core book release. I'm not even sure if FFG is still making the box sets for either Edge or Age. The box set for FaD is due out soon, then a little while later the FaD core book will be out.

Either way you go, you can't really go wrong, and best of luck to you and your group. The Force will be with you...always.

The beginner boxes are the best deal for getting the dice.

Hmm... Best deal?

I don't agree. The box set is going for $17 and the Dice sets are $7 on Amazon right now. I don't see how the box set is a better deal to get dice by being $10 more.

I found zero value in the box set for me. The condensed ruleset, the pre-generated characters, even the map and tokens were never used by me or my group. We only used the dice. I have since bought three more dice sets, not three more box sets.

I am not saying the box set is a bad deal or anything, or even bad. I am just providing someone new here a little point of view from the other side.

If someone is debating on whether they will even like the game to begin with, yes the box set is a better value over all. Spending the $17 is a lot better than the $38 and the $7 to find out this is not really for you.

For someone who already likes RPGs and is pretty sure they will end playing the game for a long time, I feel the box is a waste of money like it was for me. You spend ten dollars more for the dice, and that is it. Most people will never use the maps and tokens again, and the condensed rule book is pretty worthless after you get the CRB. I don't now if FFG has changed it or not, but the one I have is still more in line with the Beta book then the CRB, as it came out between the two.

I am not here to argue with anyone that loved the box set, or find they still use the cardboard tokens, maps and little rules sheet. I was simply letting the OP know that after you do get the CRB, the box set is pretty much put away and never touched again.

The three other people that I have personally known (not just internet) who had the box set also feel the same way, that is was ok to start with, but after getting the CRB, you just spent about 10 dollars more for really nothing.

I actually found the FREE PDF "The Basics" made by Torquemadaza did a far better job at explaining the basics of the dice mechanics better than any other printed resource did. I have shown this all my new players, and it helps them get the game very quickly.

So, if the cardboard tokes and a map of a ship and a town that you will probably never use again are worth to you, then that is exactly what it is. It is worth to you. It was not worth it to me.

aaronscho, a good rule of thumb, if you do get the beginner box and decide to later get the core rule book, be sure to give the core rule book a good read through before you start using it and note the core rule additions to what is in the beginner box. Many of the rules in the beginner box are expanded to include minor additions in the core rules. If you don't read the core rulebook carefully you might not catch some of the rules and continue to use the simplified rules you learned in the beginner box. Speaking from experience here.

Naleax

One more vote for the beginner game being the way to go. However, I much prefer the Edge of the Empire Beginner game over Age of Rebellion. I've run Escape from Mos Shuuta five or six times, both at home and at conventions, and I've never seen people grow so attached to pre-generated characters before in my life!

One member of my group was introduced to the game with a convention run of Escape from Mos Shuuta I did a year ago. He loved Oskara so much that he created a female twi'lek for his main character. My nephew has a total bro-mance still with Mathus and all of his characters since have been technicians. And... get this... at the convention two weeks ago, I saw a guy who was in our Escape from Mos Shuuta group last year. It was his first time playing the game, and he didn't even stay for the entire session. But a year later, not only is he regularly playing in SW games, he was carrying around a picture of Sasha with his stuff! When he recognized me, he asked if I still had Sasha from last year. I showed him his old notebook and he reminisced fondly over it

I don't know exactly what it is, but the Edge beginner game, adventure, and pre-gen characters, are just... special somehow. I haven't gotten near that same reaction with the Age of Rebellion beginner game.

I bit the bullet and got the beginners game as it's going to be my first rpg and I thought it would be best for learninghope my group enjoys it !( also got an EOTE gm screen for a good price)

I bit the bullet and got the beginners game as it's going to be my first rpg and I thought it would be best for learninghope my group enjoys it !( also got an EOTE gm screen for a good price)

Good luck and enjoy the experience.

Don't worry about the small stuff. Everyone is going to get rules wrong at first and it is okay. Just enjoy it.

I think it's great for beginners. I'm not new to RPGs but I am to this system and SW RPGs in general. The beginner adventure helps guide you through each scenario you may run into; combat, talking, buying, sneaking, running, starship combat etc. though I didn't need it-- I have one player who has never touched an RPG and I know she'll enjoy it. The beginner adventure has a nice flow and we'll give you an idea of how an adventure may play out. It comes with a mini rule book so that will be less daunting than the core book. Flip through that and run the adventure-- if you and your group enjoy it-- get the core for expanded stuff

Money value vs other separate dice or cores? I won't go there-- don't think money think about easing into the system. Beginner box will do that. Plus it has the pregen characters already made and set so rolls are easy out the gate as it shows you what each character rolls for skills and what not. Cool little map for the starter ship which is nice if the group keeps the ship. Tokens are neat too if you guys like tokens that represent baddies and goodies.

R2BUILDER had a neat idea with a dry erase board -- drawing out the map as we walked and moved; revealing the fog of war. Magnets are good idea too on the dry erase board so you can shuffle your main characters around easier-- I'm making small round magnets and printing the players character face - glueing them to the magnets.

Again-- good investment I think for new players. don't think money wise think experience wise. Because if you play and say "this is terrible". You didn't waste that much money.

Welcome to this fantastic game!

As with all of the above, I'd recommend the Beginner Game too, though I'll add that it won't give you a sense of how lethal the system can be - the full rules for critical hits can leave PCs hideously mangled if the NPCs are toting the tastier weapons.

When I played with R2 BUILDER I got "whompa'd" for 9 damage outta my 12 health first attack...ouch. My maneuver was to run away. Lol!!!!

Played a quick session with my group, we love it I thought being gm wouldn't be that fun, but its such a good game, were up to the junk shop from the beginner game , buying the core book now