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Title: Ultimate Alien Anthology (Star Wars Roleplaying Game) by Eric Cage, Michael Mikaelian, Steve Miller, Owen K. C. Stephens ISBN: 0-7869-2888-3 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 19 April, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (6 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Kel Dors, Kushibans, and Falleens...Oh, my!
Comment: So far I have just about every release of the new D20 based Star Wars role playing game from Wizards of the Coast (with the exception of the GM screen and character sheets, that is.)- I figured since it was such a welcome departure from the lousy and unheroic WEG game engine that it deserved my attention. And being a complete salivating Star Wars fanatic didn't hurt either. Now, Wizards obviously has a different publishing philosophy than West End Games does, and that's a shame. WEG had excellent source material- I always use it when designing the current campaign that I'm working on, because for the most part Wizards doesn't publish all that many books on places (Core Worlds book nothwithstanding) and things (planets, people, weapons, source books from the novels, etc.), instead the focus on guides for making characters and places, rather than provide them directly in published works.
This is a double edged sword, because given that Wizards now owns (as far as I know), all of the WEG material, it would be nice if they started releasing it after converting it to the D20 rules. Enter the Ultimate Alien Anthology- a send up to the Alien Anthology published in 2001 and gave only a handful of aliens. The Ultimate book provides almost 200 different species that PCs and GMs can use for characters. I have seen many science fiction RPGs where they only provide you have a half-dozen races to play, providing 200 seemed like a gift from the Force, and the authors really did their homework by providing aliens from not only the movies, but also the books and previous WEG publications. Each entry is laid out clearly and includes notes on personality types, physical description, homeworld, sample names, life span, favored classes, special abilities- like darkvision, species traits pluses or minuses to Strength, Dexterity, etc. and a sample species commoner type. Each grouping of races also has a height chart with very well done illustrations of each alien. The book offers such a diverse selection of aliens that it should provide even the finickiest role player enough of a choice to find something he or she likes.
There are some powers and abilities that should be examined carefully before handing them over to a PC, but for the most part the book is quite well balanced between the races. Star Wars has such a massive amount of creatures in it that a book like this was needed and my only complaint is that they left out non-sentient creatures. That is, all the monsters present in the first anthology are gone, more importantly, they got rid of the Hoojibs! Star Wars without Hoojibs is like a day without air! Seriously, I suspect Wizards will publish a Star Wars bestiary or monster manual that will include rancors, Corelian sand panthers, mynocks, gundarks and space slugs. For now the older Anthology will have to do for 'monsters'. For the most part, though, the Ultimate Alien Anthology is probably the best source book Wizards has done for Star Wars to date- but I do want more books with a lot more substance than we have been getting.
Rating: 4
Summary: The Name Says It All!
Comment: When one hears the words "Ultimate Alien Anthology", one expects a lot. You expect to see every alien ever seen in the movies, or read about in the books and games.
Ultimate Alien Anthology delivers. Within the pages of this book are a total of 180 alien species. This gives players plenty of options for generating a character, and it gives the GM tons of options for NPCs.
Also included in this book is a section on prestige classes. Some are left generic enough to fit several races (i.e. the Aerobat), although I felt that there should be more race-specific ones. The Findsman prestige class would have been a good example of a race-specific prestige class, but the GM can allow non-Gand characters for this class as well.
UAA also has two appendices - one for new feats, and the second for Yuuzhan Vong characters. Most of the feats are fairly unremarkable, mainly adding in some D&D feats, or improving on natural abilities.
The second appendix details how to play Yuuzhan Vong characters, including how the Vong work for each class. Add into tht a sidebar on Yuuzhan Vong gear, as well as notes on skills and feats.
Overall, the rules look adequate, although I have to wonder why Gamorreans don't have a Charisma penalty.
This book's primary weakness is its art. The quality varies throughout, and some art does not portray some races adequately, mainly due to the scale in comparison with other races. The Gand looks like he's as tall as an Ewok, and the Hutt's size appears smaller than what it actually is.
Overall, this is a good quality book. It has something for everyone, from players to GMs to non-gamer Star Wars fans who just want some info on the aliens of Star Wars.
Rating: 5
Summary: Another quality book for the Star Wars line
Comment: Comparing the Ultimate Alien Anthology to the original Alien Anthology is much like comparing a Cadillac to a LeCar. Where the original book evoked yawns with its bland artwork, uninspired layout, and strange, bipolar mix of artistic renderings and photos, the Ultimate book is eye-catching, tasteful, and most importantly, chock full of content.
Starting from the outside, this attractive book gets a BIG mark in the plus column because it's hardcover. Softcover books may be cheaper, but they get damaged too easily. And of course, like most of the recent Star Wars books, it's full-color throughout.
The book begins with a thoughtfully designed table of contents that breaks all of the topic areas into alphabetical lists. As one reads on, it becomes evident that most of the races from the Alien Anthology and the Revised Core Rulebook make a return- a few, most notably the Yuuzhan Vong, have been tweaked- and there are many new races as well. Every single race has a labeled picture, so there will be no doubt what a Chev looks like, or if the picture you're looking at is actually a Chevin. As always, the race profiles and descriptions are informative yet concise.
If this book was simply a list of races it would still be a good product, but it's the extras that really push it over the top. There are literally dozens of items of new gear (look for the Gamorrean Battle Plate!), sixteen new feats, and six new prestige classes: Aerobat, Beastwarden, Bodyguard, Changeling, Mystic Agent, and Telepath. The Big Game Hunter and Findsman are also back in revised form, for a total of eight prestige classes.
The Prestige Classes aren't truly race-specific. For example, you no longer have to be a Gand to be a Findsman (although it certainly helps)- and while an Aerobat is usually a flying character like a Geonosian, it could also work for a character wearing a jump pack. This open-ended approach is a nice touch.
Ironically, the Ultimate Alien Anthology fails to deliver in the one area that the original Alien Anthology shined: non-sentient creatures and animals. Other than a small sidebar for the Beastwarden, there is not a single creature to be found. However, I wouldn't call this a liability because it seems to be a deliberate decision on the part of the authors to keep the book focused on its topic, rather than a careless omission. Hopefully, we'll see a "Creature Anthology" at some point in the future. If you can't wait that long, then you may still find the original Alien Anthology to be useful for that purpose, but in every other way the Ultimate book is clearly superior.
In short, it's my opinion that the Ultimate Alien Anthology is everything that the original book should have been. It's a standout performer with all the style, flair, and depth of information that has been a feature of the last several Star Wars roleplaying books. Whether you are a brand new player or the most discerning GM, I'd recommend it as a solid investment for anyone playing the game.
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Title: Hero's Guide (Star Wars Roleplaying Game) by J. D. Wiker, Rodney Thompson ISBN: 0786928832 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 28 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Arms and Equipment Guide (Star Wars Roleplaying Game) by Jeff Grubb, Owen K. C. Stephens ISBN: 0786927828 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 09 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Revised Core Rulebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game) by Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, J.D. Wiker, Steve Sansweet ISBN: 078692876X Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 01 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Coruscant and the Core Worlds (Star Wars Roleplaying Game) by Craig Robert Carey, Paul Sudlow, Jason Fry, Daniel Wallace ISBN: 0786928794 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 03 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Power of the Jedi Sourcebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game) by J.D. Wiker, Michael Mikaelian, Jeff Grubb, Owen K. C. Stephens, James Maliszewski ISBN: 078692781X Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 07 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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