Draw Steel vs Star Wars Saga Edition
Compare Draw Steel and Star Wars Saga Edition side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Draw Steel | Star Wars Saga Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Sci-Fi |
| Tags | Tactical, Grid-Based, Combat-Heavy, Character Building, Crunchy, Resource Management, Attacks Always Hit, Cinematic, High-Power, Strong GM Support | Licensed IP, Space Opera, Heroic, Cinematic, Character Building, Tactical, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Grid-Based, Miniatures |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d10 plus a characteristic modifier for a power roll: 11 or less gives tier 1, 12–16 gives tier 2, and 17 or more gives tier 3. Edges and banes modify the roll or its tier. Tests and abilities specify results for each tier. | Roll d20 + modifiers against a target number or a Defense score. Three static defenses (Reflex, Fortitude, and Will) replace saving throws. Trained skills grant a flat +5 bonus. A five-step condition track runs alongside hit points, so a single heavy hit can impose cumulative penalties before a character drops. Force Points and optional Destiny Points provide narrative and mechanical resources for critical moments. |
| Dice | 2d10 | d20 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Free core rules | Out of print |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | Draw Steel Creator License | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Creator license | No verified route found |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | MCDM Productions | Wizards of the Coast |
| Year | 2025 | 2007 |
| Languages | English | English, Italian |
| Best For | Groups who want heroic fantasy campaigns with coordinated grid combat and extensive character customization. | Groups who want a d20-based Star Wars campaign with deep character customization through talent trees and a tactical combat core built for miniatures. |
| Highlights | Each class builds and spends its own heroic resource during combat, opening stronger abilities as the battle develops. Negotiations track an NPC’s interest and patience, giving arguments and motivations mechanical consequences. Encounter budgets and objectives help Directors build battles with goals beyond defeating every enemy. | Talent trees let two characters of the same class develop along different branches, so a Jedi built as a Guardian and one built as a Consular play differently from first level. The condition track turns a single heavy hit into a persistent penalty, making damage threshold matter alongside hit points. The Force subsystem runs on one Use the Force skill, so telekinesis, mind tricks, and combat enhancement all resolve through the same check. |
| Considerations | Combat requires a grid and careful positioning. Each class has its own resource rules to learn and track during battle. Exploration uses tests and cinematic sequences rather than detailed travel supplies or encumbrance. | The game is out of print with no legal PDF, so acquiring the core book means the used market. The d20 chassis carries heavy per-character bookkeeping: talent and feat selections, a Force power suite, and a condition track that changes during combat. Vehicle and starship encounters switch to a second combat scale with its own actions and statistics, which is a lot to learn for a campaign that stays on foot. |