example....there is a huge emphasis on Black Sun in the game yet there are no stats for Guri and Xisor. I love the characters from the shadows of the empire book but I would love to see some stats that are offical at least.

Just my 2 cents

I wouldn't bet on seeing it. The second that you have stats for Darth Vader, you've moved him from the narrative to the concrete. Once I know Palpatine's Strain Threshold, I realize that on a good day, I can take him.

They seem to be straying away from that kind of thing. Having said that, stat out whoever you like! Might be fun. I have a tendency of messing with canonical characters pretty much regardless of the setting, so I'd do this if it ever came up.

But I wouldn't hold my breath for official support.

I want to review some EU first, but I've considered grabbing some sideline characters like IG-88 and seeing if I could work that in. Staying clear of anything real big though. Also, after a year of throwing nemesis characters at our players could one not simply make the npc they want in mere minutes? Do we need a book to tell us exactly how Lando Calrissian should be setup? I suppose from a practical prep point of view I don't get the big draw there. From a collector, fluff, artwork standpoint I guess it's intriguing.

I'd be okay if FFG never did official stats for any of the movie characters.

I know that WotC and WEG did it, but there was often a lot of complaints of how "Character X couldn't do Cool Thing Y that I read about in Book Z because they don't have these skills/talents/feats."

While FFG's system is a lot friendlier towards "official" builds than the d20 systems, there's also the fact that in a lot of cases... those stat blocks just eat up space as a lot of GMs make it a point to not use those iconic characters.

If all of the canon characters were in a product of their own then it wouldn't be an issue. Buy it if you want them, otherwise don't.

I'd be okay if FFG never did official stats for any of the movie characters.

I know that WotC and WEG did it, but there was often a lot of complaints of how "Character X couldn't do Cool Thing Y that I read about in Book Z because they don't have these skills/talents/feats."

Not to mention the fact that they'd often write in complete suppositions in both the mechanics and fluff. See also the writeup of Dooku in the Revised Core Rulebook.

I wouldn't bet on seeing it. The second that you have stats for Darth Vader, you've moved him from the narrative to the concrete. Once I know Palpatine's Strain Threshold, I realize that on a good day, I can take him.

^^ This.

There is the old saying of "If it has Stats, the players will want to fight and kill it" If it doesn't have stats, they won't attempt it.

If all of the canon characters were in a product of their own then it wouldn't be an issue. Buy it if you want them, otherwise don't.

My thought, as well. I'd buy an OT sourcebook just for the fun of seeing how everybody's statted. And if "I basically want to send Bossk after the players", I can toss him in as-is and just call him Schmossk.

Can't really see an OT sourcebook happening until after F&D, though...

Actually, I think they eventually WILL add iconic character stats and we will likely see them once Age of Rebellion hits. If they never did this myself and people I know would be incredibly disappointed.

It'd be fun for convention games, if nothing else.

Here's your 300xp, and your stack of gear. Build me gods of war, because now you come for Vader. And there's only one thing you say to Vader:

"Today."

I think they should create the canon characters at some point. This way a player can play a canon if they want, its your universe and story so why shouldnt they be realistically involved? If Darth Vader has a fear check of 8 purple dice, i want to see why!

Cannon characters? You mean like D'Haran?

Seriously, though, I can see both sides of the argument for statting key canon characters.

If stats are introduced, I don't mind a model like the one that WotC used with their minis: "Here's one POSSIBLE version of Luke. This is what he was like on Dagobah, this is what he was like on Hoth..." "Here's a Vader build if he's dueling. Here's one if he's leading hordes of troopers. Here's one if he's hunting Jedi..."

If full stats aren't used but some sort of mechanic is used, I think enworld.org linked to a great article a few months back about dealing with "giant" enemies. They were talking about the PCs basically fighting Godzilla or Tolkien's Balrog, but I could see the same principles applying to an iconic character like Vader. The article talked about how you shouldn't bother to track hit points (or the equivalent thereof). There was a lot of good stuff in the article. I should probably have saved the link...

I'd like Han and Leia and Chewie because it's fun to fight alongside these film friends in cameo scenes.

Garrett

I would love to see the established characters statted up. I hope for my players to defeat Vader and Palps some day.

What is everybody talking about?

There are plenty of stats listed for cannons, although I don't know why you'd want to make a character out of it.

What is everybody talking about?

There are plenty of stats listed for cannons, although I don't know why you'd want to make a character out of it.

You are clearly thinking too small.

Meet C4-N0N.

Droid. Merc Soldier.

5 Brawn. Heavy Repeating Blaster.

Spoiler alert: The droid is actually just a Heavy Repeating Blaster with legs and a verbobrain.

This system just really isn't about that. They aren't trying to quantify the characters. Hell the NPCs don't even follow PC build rules. So if you are asking them to build NPCs what rules do they even use? No. This is the domain of fan material only. Which is great, because it gives a great area for fans to explore, but for the purposes of the FFG line, there just isn't really any need to explore this sort of thing to fulfill what the game needs to. Good question, though.

I do not care if they put them out, I will not use them. The canon characters in my campaign do whatever they need to for story narration while trying to not allow them to steal the player's thunder.

The characters might be fun for a side game of playing them I guess... other than that, I would not use them anyway.

Then again I know in my group, I can't just have "character wins against you" or "you miss"

"But you didn't roll"

"You still missed"

That would never fly in my group. I'd love to see canon stats of characters so we can get a general idea of their level of skill, to measure pcs against but I suppose this can be accomplished with skill guidelines (If you have X amount of skill you are considered a X level of person) Though I am very sure the fan community can come up with some decent stats if it is a large group effort.

I'd be opposed to this. If you want to use them as a cameo role, or a support in a story, let them be GM controlled and you don't need stats. I prefer the leads from the movies to be so concrete, they are beyond reach from a PC standpoint. Making your own for your group is fine, but we don't need FFG to make something and it suddenly becomes "the official Darth Vader stats". Just isn't necessary.

I'd think stats for characters like Darth Vader may become more relevant as of the publishing of Force & Destiny - after all, the defeat of the Sith should be a concern for a Jedi, especially one who considers himself a Knight or more.

I can completely understand the attraction of NOT having stats for them, but the truth is that a lot of players WANT to be able to pit their heroes and beloved characters against the big bad guys that they grew up hissing at - stats can allow them to do that; and, if you don't intend on ever letting them have a face-off, then simply don't use the stats at all, or write-up your own variation - or keep them stat-less - as best fits your campaign.

I'd be opposed to this. If you want to use them as a cameo role, or a support in a story, let them be GM controlled and you don't need stats. I prefer the leads from the movies to be so concrete, they are beyond reach from a PC standpoint. Making your own for your group is fine, but we don't need FFG to make something and it suddenly becomes "the official Darth Vader stats". Just isn't necessary.

I feel that the two points I bolded above are in conflict.

I feel that the two points I bolded above are in conflict.

Only if you're being excessively literal.

I took kelann08's remark about "so concrete" to mean "be really, really, really frakkin' tough."

I feel that the two points I bolded above are in conflict.

Only if you're being excessively literal.

I took kelann08's remark about "so concrete" to mean "be really, really, really frakkin' tough."