| Heir to the Empire Sourcebook | |
|---|---|
 Cover art by Tom Jung. | |
| Designers | Bill Slavicsek |
| Publishers | West End Games |
| Publication | |
| Genres | Space opera |
| Systems | D6 System |
| ISBN | 978-0874311792 |
The New Republic: Heir to the Empire Sourcebook is a supplement published by West End Games (WEG) in 1992 for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game , itself based on the Star Wars franchise.
Heir to the Empire Sourcebook provides gamemasters with resources to create campaigns set in the days immediately following the fall of the Star Wars Empire depicted in the movie Return of the Jedi . The material in the book is based upon the novel Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn, the first book in Zahn's Thrawn trilogy . [1] Information, background and game statistics are provided for all of the characters, alien races, droids and starships mentioned in Zahn's book. [3]
With the fall of the Empire and establishment of the New Republic, player characters are no longer secret operatives, but can now openly operate as "troubleshooters, representatives and soldiers." [4]
In 1987, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Star Wars, Lucasfilm licensed WEG to produce a role-playing game based on the first three Star Wars movies. The result was Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. From 1987–1991, WEG produced 23 supplementary sourcebooks, all based on the original three movies (now known as Episodes IV–VI). In 1991, Lucasfilm hired Timothy Zahn to write novels set after the end of the first three movies, and Zahn subsequently produced Heir to the Empire (1991), the first book of the Thrawn Trilogy. WEG produced Heir to the Empire Sourcebook in 1992, a 144-page hardcover sourcebook (replaced in the second printing by a softcover version) designed by Bill Slavicsek, with interior art by Allen Nunis, Xeno Beck, and Paul Daly, and cover art by Tom Jung. Following its release, WEG published the second edition rules for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, making Heir to the Empire Sourcebook the last book published under the first edition rules. [3]
In Issue 68 of Challenge , Steve Maggi lauded this book, commenting, "There is finally solid information for a running a Star Wars campaign beyond the events in Return of the Jedi ." He admired the production values of the hardcover version, especially the illustrations, calling them "very helpful in establishing the look and mood of the era." However, Maggi was disappointed by the repetition of "information already printed in previous works for the Star Wars RPG", including information on starfighters and primary capital ships, as well as the plot and basics about the Star Wars universe." He was also disappointed that much of the text in the sourcebook was a paraphrase of the Timothy Zahn novel, and also noted the "lack of adventure material. It would have been very helpful {...} if this book came with a sample adventure." He concluded with an ambivalent recommendation, saying, "If you are a Star Wars fan {...] this book is a must [...} For gamers who only collect material that pertains to the game, I would not recommend this book." [4]
In the November 1993 edition of Dragon (Issue #199), Rick Swan liked the production values of the softcover version, calling it "handsome", and thought the opening chapter provided "an excellent overview of the Republic." He called the chapters containing updates on all essential Star Wars characters and the new characters introduced in the Zahn novel "an indispensable base for staging original adventures, even for players intimately familiar with the [Zahn] novel." However, Swan wished that the book had removed information on planets and aliens and instead "used the pages for an adventure or campaign material [...] I would have preferred a collection of original scenarios or more tips on how to design them myself. It’s a frustrating omission in an otherwise superb sourcebook." He concluded by giving this book an above average rating of 4 out of 5, saying, "Heir to the Empire should be considered a core component of the New Republic line." [3]
Mara Jade Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She appears in the now non-canon Legends series as the wife of Luke Skywalker and mother of Ben Skywalker. She has been voiced by Heidi Shannon, Edie Mirman and Kath Soucie in various Star Wars video games.
Grand Admiral Thrawn is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is notable for appearing as the eponymous character in the Thrawn trilogy of novels (1991–1993) by Timothy Zahn. Thrawn is an imperial military leader and member of the Chiss race who returns from the unknown and leads the remnants of the scattered Galactic Empire in a campaign against the New Republic. Thrawn faces off against classic Star Wars characters Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian in the Thrawn trilogy. He is seemingly resurrected in the Hand of Thrawn duology (1997–1998), and his backstory is explored in various other novels, short stories, comics, and video games in the Star Wars expanded universe.
Timothy Zahn is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. He is known best for his prolific collection of Star Wars books, chiefly the Thrawn series, and has published several other series of sci-fi and fantasy novels of his own original creation, in addition to many works of short fiction.
Coruscant is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional Star Wars universe. Its first appearance was on screen in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi, but was first depicted and mentioned by name in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire. Coruscant is a prominent location in both canon and Legends media that has been produced. Within the narrative of the films, Coruscant-based locations such as the Jedi Temple and Jedi Archives act as the home for the Jedi and in plot terms are frequently used for exposition or to drive other elements of the plot.
The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the Star Wars franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes lightsaber skills. Luke Skywalker, his twin sister Princess Leia Organa, and their father Darth Vader are central characters in the original Star Wars film trilogy. Darth Vader, in his previous identity as Anakin Skywalker, is a lead character in the prequel film trilogy and so is his wife and the twins' mother Padmé Amidala; while his mother Shmi is a minor character in the first and second films respectively. Leia and Han Solo's son, Ben Solo, renamed himself Kylo Ren and is the main antagonist in the sequel film trilogy. Shmi, Padmé, and Han are the only members who are not Force-sensitive. The Skywalker bloodline, alongside the Palpatine bloodline, are the two bloodlines that are the strongest with the Force.
West End Games (WEG) was a company that made board, role-playing, and war games. It was founded by Daniel Scott Palter in 1974 in New York City, but later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Its product lines included Star Wars, Paranoia, Torg, DC Universe, and Junta.
The Thrawn trilogy, also known as the Heir to the Empire trilogy, is a trilogy of novels set in the Star Wars universe, written by Timothy Zahn between 1991 and 1993. The first book marked the end of what Star Wars fandom calls "The Dark Times", a notable drought of new Star Wars material during a four-year period from the tenth anniversary of the original 1977 Star Wars film's release in 1987 to the release of Heir to the Empire in 1991.
Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game is a role-playing game set in the Star Wars universe, written and published by West End Games (WEG) between 1987 and 1999. The game system was slightly modified and rereleased in 2004 as D6 Space, which used a generic space opera setting. An unrelated Star Wars RPG was published by Wizards of the Coast from 2000 to 2010. Since 2012 the official Star Wars role-playing game is another unrelated game, published by Fantasy Flight Games.
Star Wars has been expanded to media other than the original films. This spin-off material is licensed and moderated by Lucasfilm, though during his involvement with the franchise Star Wars creator George Lucas reserved the right to both draw from and contradict it in his own works. Such derivative works have been produced concurrently with, between, and after the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies, as well as the spin-off films and television series. Commonly explored media include books, comic books, and video games, though other forms such as audio dramas have also been produced.
Star Wars: Thrawn is a Star Wars novel by Timothy Zahn, published on April 11, 2017 by Del Rey Books. It chronicles the origins of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a popular character originating from the Star Wars Legends line of works, which were declared non-canon to the franchise after Disney redefined Star Wars continuity in April 2014. The novel was announced in July 2016 alongside news that the character Thrawn would be reintroduced into the Star Wars franchise on the 3D CGI animated television series Star Wars Rebels.
Thrawn: Alliances is a 2018 Star Wars novel by Timothy Zahn, published on July 24, 2018 by Del Rey Books. It continues the chronicles of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a character that Zahn originated in his Heir to the Empire trilogy published in 1991–1993. It is the sequel to Zahn's Star Wars: Thrawn novel, the second installment of the newer Thrawn trilogy, and the ninth Thrawn novel overall.
Thrawn: Treason is a 2019 Star Wars novel by Timothy Zahn, published on July 23, 2019 by Del Rey Books. It continues the chronicles of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a character that Zahn originated in his Heir to the Empire trilogy published in 1991–1993. It is the sequel to Zahn's Thrawn: Alliances novel, the third installment of the newer Thrawn trilogy, and the tenth Thrawn novel overall.
Dark Empire Sourcebook is a supplement published by West End Games in 1993 for the science fiction role-playing Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.
The New Republic: Dark Force Rising Sourcebook is a supplement published by West End Games in 1992 for the science fiction role-playing Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.
The Darkstryder Campaign is an adventure published by West End Games in 1996 for the science fiction role-playing game Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.
Instant Adventures is an anthology of short adventures published by West End Games (WEG) in 1997 for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, itself based on the Star Wars franchise.
The New Republic: The Last Command Sourcebook is a 1994 role-playing game supplement published by West End Games for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.