Recommended Books For Starting Out?

[Galahad_Skywalker]

I really hate to start a topic with my first post, but I'm looking to get started in running the game, and while I have the 2nd Edition rulebook coming in the mail, I'm curious as to which sourcebooks and other supplementals I should get, if it's possible to get them. Quite frankly, there's a vast amount of material out there, and it's really daunting to wade through it, so any recommendations any of you can give me for helpful supplementary material would be much appreciated!

[Ray]

The Main Rulebook (Duh, you're already getting it)

The Star Wars Sourcebook (Not a "MUST BUY", but has a lot of good stuff in it)

Imperial Sourcebook (Lots of good info on the Empire and it's organization, equipment, etc. Not so important if you're running a Old Republic-Era Game)

Rebel Alliance Sourcebook (See above)

Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters (MUST BUY, but good luck finding. I'd suggest hunting for a PDF of it instead. But you might luck out.)

Cracken's Rebel Field Guide (1st Edition only, but lots of good stuff that wasn't duplicated!)

Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids (For all your Droid needs! My group swears by it. Well, except for our GM, who swears at it.)

Pirates and Privateers (For all your Tramp Freighter needs! And a few other odds and ends. "MUST BUY"!)

Cracken's Threat Dossier (If you're going to run a game in the New Republic, this has some good stuff)

Platt's Smuggler's Guide (Good for the Smugglers that are so close to all our hearts.)

Gundark's Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear (GUNS GUNS GUNS GUNS GUNS GUNS!!!)

That's what I would suggest as "First Purchases", and get what you need in the order that your group would like (Mine, for example, would have loved to have had Gundark's as one of our first purchases), and those are just my personal choices.

If you have any more questions, don't worry, we don't bite. Well, the Rancor does, but if you get close to him, you deserve to get a cyborg arm.

[RedFox]

To be honest, my order of first purchase would be this:

1. Star Wars 2nd Edition Revised & Expanded (It's simply the most complete version of the rules, IMO. Though YMMV.)
   
2. Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids (The corebook simply doesn't have adequit enough material to use droids as characters. This book fills in the gaps and then some.)
   
3. Imperial Sourcebook (If you're running anything except an Old Republic game, this is a must for antagonists and the like. Beware though, it doesn't have stats on starfighters.)
   
4. Rebel Alliance Sourcebook (Not only good for Rebel Alliance and New Republic stuff, it also has some good information on insurrectionist tactics and stuff. Though not as much as the specforce book.)
   
5. Pirates & Privateers (this book has TONS of stock light freighters for your party to choose from. It's like a shopping list of ships. Plus, it has some nice space combat / boarding / etc. rules that tack-on to the main game very well.)
   
6. Galaxy Guide 06: Tramp Freighters (as Ray said... it's an awesome book but you're probably not going to be able to buy it. It has all the rules for modifying and upgrading tramp freighters, as well as a very cool little campaign setting in the Minos cluster.)
   
7. Rules of Engagement - The Rebel SpecForce Handbook (A personal favorite of mine. I think if you want to run special operations type games... which a lot of PC groups default to, as they want to play rebels! Then you need this book. It has a wealth of gameable information on the subject.)
   
8. Gundark's Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear, Cracken's Rebel Field Guide, Galladinium's Fantastic Technology: GAGFAO (these are the shopping catalog books. Depending on how much your PCs love shopping for stuff, they may have a higher priority. The Field Guide has jury-rigging rules and cyberware as well, stuff that isn't duplicated in later edition books. Gundark's is probably the superior shopping catalog, while Galladinium's will fill in any gaps and should probably be purchased last.)

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Ooo, a droid! Can I fix it?

I have Star Wars stuff!

[Galahad_Skywalker]

[Esjs]

My recommended list (as well as my library) is small. The greatest thing about Star Wars D6 is that for beginners, you can just get away with the core book (2nd Ed. R&E), it really has most of what you'll need for a good game.

Nonetheless, here are my MUST HAVE books, plus some:

Star Wars 2nd Edition Revised & Expanded - Should go without saying.
Heroes & Rogues - More character templates! Also great character development ideas. RARE.
Trilogy Sourcebook: Special Edition - Great info for just about everything seen in the original trilogy special edition.
Tales of the Jedi Companion - I use this book as my single source for Force powers.
Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters - For reasons already mentioned.

Good hunting...

[Galahad_Skywalker]

I'm starting to see a pattern here, I think...

One way or another, I'm going to have to track down Tramp Freighters...

One thing I was wondering about is the material for the Thrawn Trilogy. Is any of it any good? I'm largely wanting it for info on Mara Jade, my favorite EU character, but I don't know whether to track down the harder to find Trilogy Sourcebook, or just buy one of the single versions, which I've been able to find with ease on Amazon.
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"Come down," the gunslinger said. "Answers all around."

[Orgaloth]

I have the Thrawn Trilogy book, and find it more useful the the main rule book. It has a bunch of aliens in it, all the Imperial and Republic ships and vehicles you could need, plus stats for your favouriet EU characters.

This and the main book is all you should need to start with, but definately get Tramp if you can find it (always need more ships).
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"I take orders from just one person: Me!"

"You know, sometimes I amaze even myself."
Du Cass' Dream

[Gry Sarth]

If it's ships you want, then I can send you a personal project of mine, the "Starships Stats" book I made. 255 pages with all the ships with stats, images and sometimes deckplans...
Just hit the PDF-sharing thread.

[garhkal]

My suggestions..
1) main rule book (revised and expanded IMO is better than straight 2nd ed)
2) imperial source book. If for nothing more than the order of battles and the expanded list of imperial ships to use.
3) rebel source book.... same as imperial, plus additional information on rebel cells and such.
4) tales from the jedi sourcebook. This is great, for your jedi and other force users.
5) GG6, Tramp freighters.
6) GG4 aliens #1.
7) GG11, aliens #2
8) Alien encounters. Alien book 3. All these 3 are chockablock full of aliens to play, like the verpine, slustians, Ishi-tib etc. SOme are reprints from the main book, but with expanded information.
9) Rules of engagements. Even if you don't do spec force missions, it is great for information on the other imperials, such as coursucant guard, scouts, zero G troopers etc.
10) Gundarks, for lots of cool new equipment
11) Galadiniums. Same as gundarks, but not so weapon/armor oriented.
12) Cyndabars droids...
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[KageRyu]

I think by now, he is long past having decided what order to buy books in, and which books are needed. After all, the thread is 4 months old. He has probably started purchasing books by now, and possibly has aquired many (maybe he's the one who won that TotJ auction against me last month).
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"There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra