How Do You Play Star Wars FFG?

Players typically create characters around a specific era of the Star Wars saga. These time periods can be during the Clone Wars, right after the fall of the Republic, during the Original Trilogy, and right before the Sequel Trilogy. These eras are then broken down even further based on what type of characters everyone wants to play. For instance, the Edge of the Empire line is set right after the first Death Star explodes and follows criminal activity. Players can be bounty hunters, smugglers, and other unsavory types who carve out a living on the fringes of the galaxy. Meanwhile, Age of Rebellion is set around Empire Strikes Back and casts players as Rebel soldiers. Both are set during the Original Trilogy but tell two very different stories. 

Despite the different eras of origin, characters are all built using a unified set of stats. Everyone gets six core stats to define their physical and mental characteristics, as well as a Career. The Career gives access to Specializations and Talents, which is where you can get things like Force powers or piloting skills. 

Once everyone has decided the era and made their characters, it’s time to play! The GM takes over from here, setting the scene in a Galaxy Far, Far Away. As the players try to overthrow the Empire, bring in a tough bounty, storm a Separatist base, or otherwise adventure, the GM puts obstacles in their way. To overcome these trials, players roll a set of colorful dice. These dice represent a number of things, from character skill to opposing enemy skill to the Force. Rolling more success symbols than failure means a good outcome, while the reverse is bad. Other symbols like Luck and Unluck add side-effects that complicate the situation. The result is a fast-paced story full of excitement and too many close calls, pure Star Wars. 

How to Play Star Wars FFG Online

You don’t actually need a table to play tabletop roleplaying games! Thanks to ever-evolving digital tools, you can play from the comfort of your own home. With video call software like Zoom and Discord, you can create that feeling of sitting around a table with friends. And thankfully, most TTRPGs can be played purely with imagination, a style called “theater of the mind.” 

However, if you want to map out ship combat and see your character standing on the battlefield, you can use a virtual tabletop, or VTT. These platforms provide a shared space to display maps, character artwork, and battlefields for strategic combat encounters. Star Wars FFG can be played on many of the most popular VTTs including Roll20 and Foundry. Community tools, digital aids, and the help of a professional GM can make learning the game intuitive and fun! 

How to Find a Star Wars FFG Group

The TTRPG hobby is growing faster than ever, and the Star Wars fandom is massive. If you look in the right place, you’ll find plenty of groups who eagerly welcome new players. Your local game store is a great place to start, and might even have a dedicated night for learning Star Wars games. Many online RPG communities like SWRPG have a “Looking for Group” (LFG) forum where people post open games. Social hubs like Reddit and Discord are common places to look, as are the forums for VTTs. Here at StartPlaying, we’ve created a powerful, user-friendly tool for browsing open games that fit your schedule and experience level! Finally, if you have a group of friends who are interested and willing to learn, it’s completely feasible to start your training together, learning the game as you go. In that case, though, someone will accept the rank of Game Master.

Why Hire A Professional Game Master for Star Wars Fantasy Flight Games?

Learning a new game can be an imposing task. And even if you already know the rules, finding a group can be just as difficult! There’s also a unique challenge with Star Wars in that it’s a vast universe with decades of lore and fans with very strong opinions about which of that lore is valid. A professional GM who runs Star Wars FFG is a superfan. As they’ve dedicated a sizable portion of their career to this franchise, you can rest assured that they understand the lore and can craft engaging stories within it. They’ll also often provide engaging music and visuals to set the scene. Not that just, but a professional GM is an expert in the game aspect. They know that players want the full fantasy– daring ship chases, lightsaber duels, and blaster shootouts. They’ll deliver all the highlights of a Star Wars saga while also taking care of pesky things like scheduling, setup, and teaching the rules.