My thoughts on a "Mandalorian Sourcebook"

By TheMOELANDER, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

The correllian (and likely) mandalorian human entries are for a defined culture. It is more sociological than biological.

Think of it this way; the default human is meant to represent any human from anywhere in the galaxies multitude of human cultures. As a default option in every game, you can easily use the human to make a character from Alderaan or Chandrilla, to Kuat or Kanjiklub. The free non-career skills are meant, as I see it, to make sure your characters culture - whatever that may be, is represented. The Corellian and likely Mandalorian variants are meant to be a defined culture and taking to heart the common traits of that culture.

Basically, if you want to play a stereotypical Corellian or Mandalorian play the sub-species. If you don't, play default. The three ranks at construction is nice, especially if you like to spend more xp on talents and skills than the oft touted best way to play; boost your attributes.

I know what I'm gonna say is gonna be akin to wading in here and chucking a thermal detonator, but I just want to say that regardless of whether they make a book on Mandalorians or just include them in a side bar in the Bounty Hunter book or any other reason, I do NOT want a 'Mandalorian Human' race. I do not agree with making Corellian Humans a separate race (and don't allow them in my games, if you want to play a Corellian then select Human and use the bonus skill slots to select appropriate skills for your culture), and I would not allow Mandalores as a separate race either. They are humans with a specific culture, that is all.

*Drops thermal detonator and runs*

I'll go farther and remind FFG (I know they don't read this) and Disney.

Mandalorians come from a variety of different alien species. There is no more need for a Mandalorian 'Human', than there is for a Mandalorian 'Wookie'.

I know what I'm gonna say is gonna be akin to wading in here and chucking a thermal detonator, but I just want to say that regardless of whether they make a book on Mandalorians or just include them in a side bar in the Bounty Hunter book or any other reason, I do NOT want a 'Mandalorian Human' race. I do not agree with making Corellian Humans a separate race (and don't allow them in my games, if you want to play a Corellian then select Human and use the bonus skill slots to select appropriate skills for your culture), and I would not allow Mandalores as a separate race either. They are humans with a specific culture, that is all.

*Drops thermal detonator and runs*

I'll go farther and remind FFG (I know they don't read this) and Disney.

Mandalorians come from a variety of different alien species. There is no more need for a Mandalorian 'Human', than there is for a Mandalorian 'Wookie'.

That part of Mandalorian lore has been relegated to Legends. In canon, they are strictly human, and it's likely the LFSG is basing their approvals to FFG on that information, thus why we are getting Mandalorian Human.

Yes, by canon Mandaloria is a planet inhabited by a human population called the Mandalorians.

Mandalorian culture has a distant history of being warlike, though in the more recent past they've moderated that immensely.

Some Mandalorians, like Death Watch, try to maintain the old warlike culture and traditions. Those traditions respect strength above all else and will accept outsiders who prove themselves. See what happened during the Clone Wars when Darth Maul challenged the leader of that group to single combat and won. Half of that group accepted him as their leader, the other half would not follow an outsider, which caused the group to split up into two separate groups.

So to summarize, Mandalorians are a race of humans who inhabit the planet Mandaloria. Some Mandalorian traditions accept non-Mandalorians who prove themselves. But while they become an accepted member of that organization they are not "Mandalorian".

Only correction: the planet is called "Mandalore," not "Mandaloria."

Otherwise, as far as I know the current canon, you are correct :) .

You know, I've always called it Mandalore but I swear they called it Mandaloria in Clone Wars (I remember because it always sounded wrong to me).

But looking it up, I was right initially. It's Mandalore.

What I don't quite understand is whether or not the Protectors of Concord Dawn (where supposedly Jango Fett came from) are genetically Mandalorians or if they just follow a Mandalorian martial tradition. That would settle for me whether Boba and the other clones are also Mandalorians.

Yeah, well the new canon sucks.

Yeah, well the new canon sucks.

Yes well ..... it sucks less than some of the insanity that was in the old canon soooooooo

My PC is Corellian. When I made him, Suns of Fortune wasn't even out yet. When the book came out, my GM gave me the option to retcon my character and I said heck no. The only reason to make a Corellian out of that book is if you really really want to start out as a good pilot. Otherwise the two free skills are much better.

Our player with a Pilot character though...

I hope the Mandos are not as lame as the Corellians, but aren't Karen Traviss-level ubermensch either.

I think that reskining klantooinians as humans makes for good Mandalorians

Also in regard to old canon Mando's vs new canon Mando's ..... old canon established them as humans when Clone Wars established them as humans. So technically even old canon made the move to making Mandolorains all human.

This does not, however, prevent an alien to be Mandalorian by living up to the standards of the mandalorian codex.

Though they would have to be indoctrinated by a Mandalorian proper, to learn the language and such.

At least as far as I know, and that's also how we handle it in my current game.

The BH PC, a Mandalorian, bought a Twi'lek slave on Tatooine and is currently teaching her the mandalorian ways.

I also lean towards Mandalorians being more of a cultural thing.

Obviously not everyone was a warrior, even back in Mandalores "glory days".

I think the out-of-career skills from the standard human fit well to represent what "cut" of Mandalorian a character is and how they've been trained in their respective clans and families.

I'm still curious to see how they spec Mando-Humans in that upcoming book.

Yeah, well the new canon sucks.

Yeah... Well.. That's just like.. Your opinion man.

I've found that the new characters are a lot less one dimensional than previous. The new canon is more inclusive and that is not a bad thing at all.

Before throwing down the New Cannon in regards to Mandalorians. You have to look at what they are doing with it overall. Thrawn is coming back as Cannon. They have drawn from the Legends Material several times and I would not be surprised if they do it again with the Mandalorians.

Season 3 of Rebels, from the trailers it seems that Sabine will have a big Story Arc dealing with Mandalorians. Specifically Mandalorians who are part of the Empire and her family background.

This must be the only system I have ever played in where its fans constantely say they don't want certain books.

And then when any book is announced everyone is all happy anyway

I don't get this at all, if you don't want a certain book that others do then don't buy it if it does happen. No need to shout down the person interested and enthusiastic. I welcome all books, in fact I bought each and everyone in all three lines, but if something comes along that I don't want then guess what?!

But like I said usually pretty much everyone is enthusiastic when push comes to shove. That's why I like (most of) you guys so much!

The reason some of us do not want a Mandalorian source book is because it would take up a slot that could be used on a sector that is MUCH more interesting and applicable to most games. Mandalorians are kind of boring, whereas a, say, Tatooine sourcebook would be more useful, fleshed out, have better species and a more iconic location.

I myself would be more interested in a Tatooine book. I once brought that up. The same thing happened. Look it up.

You can't speak for a group on this site. Believe me.

Also, what 'slot' would it 'take up'. That is not how FFG seem to work anyway.

I can just see my GM now... "Why is it always Tatooine?! It's a ball of dirt in the middle of nowhere!" :D

I haven't read the old discussions but I can imagine them.

I'm nostalgic about Tatooine since making it my home in SWG but I let my GM rant and never suggest it as a location for our game.

Well, I'm fairly certain that FFG has only a few more EotE books planned and if one of those was a Mandalorian sector book, it seems unlikely that they would do a Tatooine book. There kind of are "slots" in a way.

I can just see my GM now... "Why is it always Tatooine?! It's a ball of dirt in the middle of nowhere!" :D

I haven't read the old discussions but I can imagine them.

I'm nostalgic about Tatooine since making it my home in SWG but I let my GM rant and never suggest it as a location for our game.

I can just see my GM now... "Why is it always Tatooine?! It's a ball of dirt in the middle of nowhere!" :D

I haven't read the old discussions but I can imagine them.

I'm nostalgic about Tatooine since making it my home in SWG but I let my GM rant and never suggest it as a location for our game.

That's exactly why I have a soft spot for Naboo, and have given my group a very good financial reason to operate out of an approximation of my SWG city (which also occasionally gives them reason to actively take on pseudo-Rebel missions).

Well, I'm fairly certain that FFG has only a few more EotE books planned.

No idea what your sources are there.

Also, there are 3 lines that have sourcebooks coming out that can be used in all of them. Plenty of time for a lot of things to come out. Especially seeing how we don't know the timeline.

I can just see my GM now... "Why is it always Tatooine?! It's a ball of dirt in the middle of nowhere!" :D

I haven't read the old discussions but I can imagine them.

I'm nostalgic about Tatooine since making it my home in SWG but I let my GM rant and never suggest it as a location for our game.

As well you shouldn't. Your GM and I should share rants sometime.

I can just see my GM now... "Why is it always Tatooine?! It's a ball of dirt in the middle of nowhere!" :D

I haven't read the old discussions but I can imagine them.

I'm nostalgic about Tatooine since making it my home in SWG but I let my GM rant and never suggest it as a location for our game.

As well you shouldn't. Your GM and I should share rants sometime.

While I wouldn't mind an Arkanis sector book (Which would certainly cover Tatooine and Geonosis in detail) There are many sectors I would prefer to get a book first. Mandalore is one of those sectors but the Corporate sector is at the top of that list.

The reason some of us do not want a Mandalorian source book is because it would take up a slot that could be used on a sector that is MUCH more interesting and applicable to most games. Mandalorians are kind of boring, whereas a, say, Tatooine sourcebook would be more useful, fleshed out, have better species and a more iconic location.

There have been some that have argued that a Tatooine book would also be boring and taking up a slot that another .... more exciting book could. For some .... that more exciting book is a Mandalorian book.