Hello fellow Star Wars fans and gamers.

Im a new GM to this system but have been GMing for a good while. I took a leap of faith and bought pretty much everything Fantasy Flight has out on this game and am now struggling to weed my way through it all. Our group has played only a few games (well sessions I guess I should say) and I find it hard to look through all the books for ideas on NPC talents, equipment to introduce, weapon variety etc. Not to mention, some of the rules added in the follow up books change established things in previous games. I cant imagine how annoying it would be if I were buying them a few at a time but even with all of them on my shelf its still a chore.

I have a stack of resource material from other systems, published atlases and stuff too but try to consider FFG the primary source of info before going elsewhere. (books, internet etc.)

Ive been looking around for an index of some kind, something to help correlate what FFG has included in its supplements but what Ive found hasn't been very helpful. Some well meaning fans have done a lot of work but its still either incomplete or short on information. (Like giving a few stats but not telling you anything about the item or ship or armor etc.)

Do you guys make your own indexes or something? I cant imagine sifting through all these books when Im preparing. Im tearing the bindings to shreds!

Well FFG sells the card packages of talents (for each tree mind you), critical injuries, and enemies. The GM screens do a good job for referencing things... does this help at all? If you've already bought those things, they are a good place to start and help you navigate.

An index you say....

Well, here's one that's presently being updated as soon as books get into the creator's hands: http://swrpg.viluppo.net/

It's true that it's short on some information, that is by design. Replicating FFG's work with reckless abandon would likely yield a cease and desist.

What I do in your shoes is go to the aforementioned index, narrow it down to a few choices for whatever I'm seeking, then I just go to those books.

Fanggrip has an excellent if outdated index at https://fanggrip.wordpress.com/2015/04/16/consolidated-index-for-ffg-star-wars-roleplaying/as well.

If you think prep is a challenge, wait until you try to lug the whole collection to a buddy's house for game day!

Don't forget OggDude's Character Builder and GM Tools. I was stubborn enough to transfer nearly all the crunchy bits to an Excel workbook. I'm still working on bringing it up-to-date, but all that effort has been well worth it.

For NPC's you could do worse than getting the adversary decks FFG sells.

I'd check out the "compiled resource list" thread that's pinned at the top of the EotE main forum. You might just find something there that is helpful, if the suggestions already here weren't helpful enough.

I have a stack of resource material from other systems, published atlases and stuff too but try to consider FFG the primary source of info before going elsewhere. (books, internet etc.)

Note that FFG can’t really create a complete index until every single book that will be published has been published, at which point they could print a complete index. Otherwise, it would have to change with every single book, and that doesn’t make any sense at all.

So, if it’s an index you want and you want it now, then your only choice is to use one created by someone else, or to create your own. There simply is no other option.

Ive been looking around for an index of some kind, something to help correlate what FFG has included in its supplements but what Ive found hasn't been very helpful. Some well meaning fans have done a lot of work but its still either incomplete or short on information. (Like giving a few stats but not telling you anything about the item or ship or armor etc.)

The two best resources I know of are the Viluppo Networks FFG SWRPG Index (at http://swrpg.viluppo.net/) and OggDude’s Character Generator (see https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/89135-another-character-generator/).

OggDude’s generator is great for creating PCs, NPCs, etc… and making sure that they have the right gear, you’ve spent the points in the right amount, etc….

If you’re looking for things to get for groups or individuals, I like the Viluppo index.

Both tools necessarily have to wait for material to be published before it can be incorporated into them, and both are volunteer efforts, so there’s going to be some time lag. But both principals involved, and their associated groups of assistants, actively work to get as much information into the system as possible, as accurately as possible, and as quickly as possible.

However, in both cases, there are strict limits to the amount of information that can be provided. Providing too much information risks getting a cease-and-desist order from Disney due to copyright infringement, and then it’s “Game over, man!”

Do you guys make your own indexes or something? I cant imagine sifting through all these books when Im preparing. Im tearing the bindings to shreds!

Most of what I need can be provided by the above tools.

I also like some of the cards that FFG has produced, as well as some of the fan-created efforts in this space.

Note that FFG can’t really create a complete index until every single book that will be published has been published, at which point they could print a complete index. Otherwise, it would have to change with every single book, and that doesn’t make any sense at all.

Good stuff guys, thanks so much!

Note that FFG can’t really create a complete index until every single book that will be published has been published, at which point they could print a complete index. Otherwise, it would have to change with every single book, and that doesn’t make any sense at all.

It's been a while since I've checked in on Shadowrun, but Catalyst (or WizKids?) used to publish a color-coded "master index" PDF with each new release (usually timed with any errata or what-have-you). Not to say it's feasible for every developer/game/product, but it was certainly much appreciated!

To be fair, Shadowrun is Catalyst's Intellectual Property. So, they aren't at the mercy of a licensing agreement from some other company in how they put stuff out.

when looking for inspiration for encounter, episode and campaign creation its sometimes best to just stick to 1 or 2 source books. Then read those books through to jot down some inspiring ideas and start from there. I often create NPC stats freehand or even on the fly if something interesting comes up during play, its only picking thematic talents and equipment that is hard that way. often there is an entire campaign worth of ideas in a single Career source book, let alone the region books!

You are playing the game wrong!...

No, but seriously, don't get caught up in all the crunch, details and extra resources! You don't need to use it all, especially not at the same time! Don't stress and do more than you think is fun! FUN is the keyword here, it should never be chore(unless that is fun to you). Read the GM section in the CRB. And never feel you have to look up everything. You don't even need enemy stats if your pc's run into a conflict with a few unnamed npc's, just simple descriptions and a few skill checks with the narratively dice. The CRB even mentions this, the one skill check combat. The rules and resources are only there to help you, they are tools you choose to use to tell your story or ignore when you don't need them or have better ideas. Play the game, don't let the game play you! Be creative, add planets or make existing ones your own and add your own cities and locations. Reskin species or ships to make other species and ships if you will. Don't be a slave to the rules! Look at premade characters and npc's in published products, they don't seem to Follow the species rules, so you don't have to for your npc's either. Feel free to make it up as you go along. This is your version of the Galaxy, it is unique, just like the Joker is unique in every version and new take on the batman/DC universe.

If you are having fun, you are doing it right!

As a completionist I would say that it's served me better as a GM to know the setting more than the fiddly details of items. I've been doing this long enough to ballpark stats off the cuff when needed, so I can say without a doubt that it does get easier with practice and time. Things I can't remember I keep handy at game time on my trusty GM laptop.

The same problem I had with D&D 3.5. too many books, I could not master or learn them all not the connections. in the end, i stuck with core, and added little tiny bits at a time.

For this new campaign I have I have all three core books in hardback, but pushing mainly from Edge of the Empire. Little things added correctly are easier for me than trying to have a multitude of options, that i tend to forget, have to look up and it delays the game.

Knowing the setting is first and foremost the key. Similarly in other game systems like older top secret and some others if you have a mook NPC you do not need to stat them out, with defense dice points etyc. if they get hit they die. or if they get hit weakly they can take two hits, then they die.

I'm not suggesting that you run an all combt game with faceless NPCs, I am suggesting what is the net effect on the story. That's the real skill of the GM, assessing how does this play out, then play it out,

You can take a game like Traveller hard SF and crunch the numbers and have it be exact to the last decimal, and I love to do that when i am designing a world or a ship or a major NPC but at game time, all of that goes away and it becomes "Best Guess, Mr. Sulu."

In the end you make the call the matter is decided and it plays out. Players don't care if the bad guy NPC had 6 or 6 or 7 hit point left when he got cut in half with the shotgun at the bank heist. Is he dead? yes, move on. No? shoot again, hoping the NPC doesn't hit them.

so encounters become 5 tough bad guys bristling with weapons, not 5 sheets you have to keep track of with little slips of post it notes and how does that special power or piece of gear work for this or that NPC, Just keep the story moving, challenge the players and have fun describing things and making the decisions of the Universe that the players react to.

I love the crunch, when I am designing the setting, so that I know what is likely to happen at game time, but at game time, I trust my calls, and do the best I can, and keep the books put away..