In SWURPG, your class is the backbone of your character. It defines how you fight, how you contribute to the team, and how you grow from level 1 onward. Your class determines your hit points, your weapon and armor proficiencies, your signature traits, and the role you'll play in encounters.
Each class captures a classic Star Wars fantasy: lightsaber-wielding guardians, grizzled front-line troopers, fast-talking smugglers, droid-savvy tinkerers, unaligned Force users, and charismatic commanders.
New to tabletop RPGs? Read the Character Creation rules for the basics of how dice, abilities, and proficiency work. Then come back here — this page assumes you understand "I roll a d20 and add my modifier" but explains everything else in plain language.
Class vs. Species — what's the difference?
- Your species is who you are biologically — Wookiee, Twi'lek, droid, Human. It gives you ability score bonuses, size, speed, and a few innate traits (a Wookiee is naturally strong; a Bothan can sense danger; a droid can't be Force-pushed).
- Your class is what you've trained to do — soldier, smuggler, Jedi. It gives you class features that grow more powerful as you level up.
A Wookiee Soldier and a Human Soldier play almost identically in combat. A Wookiee Soldier and a Wookiee Scoundrel play very differently. Class is the bigger gameplay choice.
How class progression works
SWURPG uses a two-stage class system:
- Level 1: Pick a Base Class. You choose from six foundational archetypes — Jedi Padawan, Force Adept, Soldier, Scoundrel, Tech Specialist, or Leader. From level 1 to 2, you train in the basics of that class.
- Level 3: Specialize into a Subclass. Most base classes branch into 2–4 subclasses that sharpen your role. A Soldier specializes into Vanguard (front-line tank), Commando (mobile striker), or Marksman (sniper). A Jedi Padawan picks Guardian, Sentinel, Consular, or Pathfinder. Tech Specialist is the exception — it has a single progression path with no subclass split.
You keep gaining new class features all the way to level 20, with bigger spikes at the levels your class is famous for (a Jedi gets their second lightsaber form unlocked, a Soldier gets Extra Attack, a Tech Specialist gets a new gadget tier).
Plain-English glossary
A few terms you'll see on every class page:
- Hit Die (e.g. d8) — how big a die you roll for hit points each level. Higher = tougher. Soldiers and Vanguards roll d10; Jedi and Force Adepts roll d8; Scoundrels and Leaders roll d8; Tech Specialists roll d6.
- Hit Points (HP) — how much damage you can take before you go down. Higher Constitution and a bigger hit die both push HP up.
- Proficiency Bonus (PB) — a number that scales from +2 (level 1–4) to +6 (level 17–20), added to attack rolls / saves / skill checks you're "proficient" in. It represents the consistency that comes from training.
- Primary Ability — the ability score your class is built around. Soldiers want STR or DEX; Jedi want WIS; Tech Specialists want INT; Leaders want CHA. Pick a high score here and the rest of your character clicks into place.
- Saving Throw Proficiency — your class is naturally good at some saves (e.g. Soldiers excel at Constitution and Strength saves). You add your PB on those, but not on the others.
- Ability Score Improvement (ASI) — at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, you can either bump an ability score by +2 (or two scores by +1 each), OR pick an "ASI Alternative Trait" (Toughness, Martial Arts, Weapon Specialization, Improved Initiative, and many more) for a unique passive boost. ASIs are how you customize a high-level character's edge. See Leveling for the full trait catalog.
- Class Features / Traits — the named abilities your class unlocks at specific levels. Some are passive ("you have advantage on stealth checks in dim light"), some are active ("once per short rest, you can Inspire an ally").
How to pick your first class
The fastest filter is the fantasy you want to live:
- I want to swing a lightsaber and use the Force. → Jedi Padawan at level 1, then pick Guardian (tank/melee), Sentinel (stealth strike), Consular (healer/diplomat), or Pathfinder (wilderness explorer) at level 3.
- I want to be a wandering, untrained Force user who isn't a Jedi. → Force Adept → Force Warrior (kinetic melee) or Force Mystic (visionary support).
- I want to shoot blasters, use cover, and feel like a professional warrior. → Soldier → Vanguard, Commando, or Marksman.
- I want to be a smooth-talking opportunist with a fast blaster. → Scoundrel → Smuggler, Assassin, Bounty Hunter, or Pirate.
- I want to be the brain — fix droids, slice computers, design traps. → Tech Specialist (single track, no subclass).
- I want to lead the team, inspire allies, and resolve fights with words. → Leader → Officer (tactical commander) or Diplomat (negotiator).
If you're stuck between two, lean toward whichever one the rest of your party doesn't already cover. A second Jedi makes the party redundant; a Tech Specialist on a team of all warriors fills a gap that pays off in every session.
Build with the character builder
Once you've picked a class, the Character Builder walks you through every choice — species, ability scores, skill picks, ASI selections, force powers, gear — and shows you the resulting stat block as you go. Save your build to your account and load it on any device.