Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races (Second Edition)

The second iteration of Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races, published in 1994 and revised by Chuck Truett, serves as a supplemental resource for the second edition of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. From an in-universe perspective, the book presents itself as selections from the Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy, a compilation created by Obo Rin, an Imperial sentientologist tasked by Darth Vader with documenting the various intelligent species inhabiting the galaxy. The introduction features Imperial communications exchanged between Rin, Major Vontenn, and Lieutenant Pandur, providing an in-universe glimpse into the Catalog's development.

While a number of these species were featured in the original trilogy, the game introduced other entirely new ones. Furthermore, background details for some of the alien races that appeared on screen were also conceived specifically for the game. Nevertheless, many of the newly introduced species and their histories found their way into subsequent works within the Expanded Universe with minimal alterations. However, some retcons are needed to bring Galaxy Guide 4 in line with the prequel-era Expanded Universe. The most common retcons necessary are those where a species described as having its first contact with the Galactic Empire are shown in later works to have some contact with the Galactic Republic. Given that the text portrays Obo Rin as a source with an Imperial leaning, these retcons often attribute inaccuracies to deliberate Imperial propaganda and disinformation.

In addition to updating the game mechanics to align with the second edition rules, the second edition expanded upon and restructured the descriptions of the various alien species. The introductory material also underwent revision, featuring a different set of Imperial communications. Consequently, the second edition of Galaxy Guide 4 made reference to the Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy, Revised Edition.