Campaign Canon

Sidewinder Stories Campaign
Canon

“Hey Swift, is this story canon?” is a question I’ve been asked often over the course of the campaign. When asked during a Q&A Session and with other people in attendance, a ‘round table discussion’ usually ensues about whether a particular story, comic, game, or tv show is considered ‘canon’. Sometimes, this is met with confusion and sometimes with an explanation about rights ownership.

The Expanded Universe of Star Wars, before becoming Legends, had been explored and mapped out over the course of three decades, starting in earnest after Timothy Zahn published the “Heir to the Empire” trilogy in 1991, but still reaching back as far as 1977 with the “Han Solo Adventures”. From there, we’ve come across novels, comics, video/computer games, and even various television shows and VHS specials.

With the franchise being bought by Disney, the Galaxy Far, Far Away was given over to the next generation of Star Wars fans, bringing with it new ideas and stories, but with gentle nods to the hallmarks of our past. On top of that, there are even RPG campaigns that have further expanded on the storyline, from the Doubletalk Series to the Adventures of Singularity Squadron.

For someone who’s never delved into the Galaxy Far, Far Away, it can seem overwhelming. But really, it’s just taking the first step into a larger world.

This is where I step in and make certain decisions. While the Star Wars Universe is vast, there are points in the timeline that create continuity errors. Understandably, really; humanity on Earth has only 5,000-odd years of recorded history and we still argue over what is history and what is not. Taking that mindset and looking at Galactic History spanning 27,000 years?

That would seem… daunting. But in truth, it’s only mildly startling to attempt.

So, what is “Campaign Canon”? It is the accepted canon of Sidewinder Stories as yet another wrinkle in the creative multiverse of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. For the most part, this may seem arbitrary, as I am the one making the judgment call on these proposals, but there will always be a strong reason for why something is not included in the list of canonicity, and there are discussions between myself and my trusted players.

First and foremost: Sidewinder Stories is staying firmly within the Expanded Universe (Legends) timeline as its “Base Canon”. Disney’s Canon had completely restructured numerous points of the timeline, and this could lead to confusion among players.

Novels written within the Expanded Universe are, barring a very select few, Campaign Canon. Some novels were never fully explored or given a series that would have firmly established their settings. This would include novels such as “Into the Void”, as it created continuity errors within the timeline and was not finished. Tython may exist, but it’s considered a myth; official historical records have the Jedi forming on Ossus, and the Sith species were not contacted by anyone until the Exiles arrived, to set two prime examples.

Video and computer games have made for interesting headaches as we consider canonicity. So far, only two game series have been put into the Not Campaign Canon category: The Force Unleashed and Knights of the Old Republic. Star Wars: The Old Republic, the MMORPG that I have enjoyed playing over the years, is also, sadly, Not Campaign Canon. The continuity errors that these stories have created are too troublesome to consider. That said, video game series such as Dark Forces and Jedi Knight are considered Campaign Canon.

Comics are where it can be murky, as comic book series tend to branch out as much as RPG campaigns. I try to take these on a case-by-case basis, though I can say the Tales of the Jedi series is Campaign Canon.

An interesting foible for the Sidewinder Stories and Campaign Canon is when we bring in other campaigns. I’ve ran three other campaigns in the Star Wars Universe: the Shard of Alderaan Epic, the Doubletalk Series, and the Adventures of Singularity Squadron. For me, campaigns we’ve experienced or ran are considered Campaign Canon, though I’d doubt anyone would recognize the Squadron series, as those players have not been in any campaigns in fifteen years as of 2024.