In one paragraph:FFG's Star Wars RPG uses custom narrative dice (Ability, Difficulty, Boost, Setback, plus the Force die) that resolve success and side-effects in a single roll. SWURPG uses standard d20 mechanics — no special dice, no symbol-counting, faster combat. FFG runs on three interlocking career books (Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion, Force and Destiny); SWURPG is one free integrated system that covers the same ground. FFG's product line has thinned since 2022; SWURPG is in active development.
Quick comparison
| Dimension | SWURPG | FFG Star Wars |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active, free, online | License moved to Edge Studio 2022; books thinning |
| Core dice | Standard d4/d6/d8/d10/d12/d20 | 7 custom narrative dice (Ability, Difficulty, Boost, etc.) |
| Roll resolution | d20 + modifiers vs. DC | Symbol-counting (success/threat/advantage/triumph) |
| Character progression | Levels 1-20 with class features | XP-purchased talents on career trees (no levels) |
| Force system | Force Points (FP) per power activation | Force die rolls + dark/light pip generation |
| Combat pace | Hit/miss + damage; clean per-round resolution | Hit + symbol layer; GM adjudicates side effects per roll |
| Vehicle / starship combat | Built-in starship module | Built-in (more detailed silhouette / encumbrance rules) |
| Era support | Era-agnostic, any period | Originals: Edge (fringe), Rebellion (Civil War), F&D (Jedi) |
| Species count | 90+ | ~50 across the three core books + supplements |
| Character builder | Free official online tool | OggDude's (community, free) — official tools discontinued |
| Cost to play | $0 (free) | ~$60 per career book; $180+ for full three-book set |
| Learning curve | Easy for d20 / 5e players | Moderate — narrative dice take a session to internalize |
The dice difference, in one example
FFG: A smuggler tries to slice an Imperial terminal. The GM builds a dice pool — 2 Ability + 1 Proficiency + 2 Difficulty + 1 Setback. The smuggler rolls, totals 2 successes and 3 threats. They hack the terminal but trigger an alarm in 6 rounds.
SWURPG: A smuggler rolls Mechanics +6 against DC 17 to slice the same terminal. They roll a 14 → 20, they succeed. The GM may layer narrative complications by their own judgment, but the mechanical resolution is one number against one DC.
Both work. FFG's system bakes "yes but / no but" into every roll; SWURPG asks the GM to layer that on top when they want it. Whether that's a feature or a tax depends on your GM's improv comfort.
Where the systems align
- Star Wars setting depth. Both systems cover species, factions, vehicles, gear, and Force philosophy comprehensively. FFG is slightly deeper on Edge-era fringe lore; SWURPG is era-agnostic.
- Granular weapon and armor properties. Damage types, ranges, special qualities — both treat equipment as meaningful tactical decisions, not just damage-dice deltas.
- First-class starship combat. Pilot, gunner, engineer roles. System damage. Ship-scale weapons and shields.
- Force users feel distinct. In FFG via Force-die generation and force-talent trees; in SWURPG via Force Points + lightsaber forms + class-specific Force features.
Which one is right for your table?
Stay with FFG if…
- You already own the books and dice.
- You love narrative-dice resolution and emergent storytelling.
- Your GM enjoys improvising consequence layers every roll.
- You want the deepest Edge-of-the-Empire fringe-life setting.
Try SWURPG if…
- You want d20 mechanics without buying custom dice.
- You want one free integrated system instead of three career books.
- Your group includes 5e / d20-native players.
- You want a system actively maintained with regular updates.
- You want a free official character builder.
Frequently asked questions
- Is FFG Star Wars (Edge of the Empire / Age of Rebellion / Force and Destiny) still in print?
- Sort of. Fantasy Flight Games lost the Star Wars license in 2022 when Asmodee restructured. The line continues under Edge Studio (a different company), but new releases have slowed significantly. Most physical core books are out of print and only available through secondhand markets; PDFs remain available on DriveThruRPG. The community is still active but the publisher pipeline has thinned.
- Do I need the custom FFG dice to play SWURPG?
- No. SWURPG uses the standard polyhedral set (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20). FFG Star Wars and Genesys use custom narrative dice (Ability, Proficiency, Difficulty, Challenge, Boost, Setback, Force) marked with success/failure/advantage/threat symbols rather than numbers. Those special dice aren't needed for SWURPG.
- What is the FFG narrative dice system?
- Each roll uses a pool of custom dice that resolve on two axes simultaneously: success/failure (did you accomplish the task?) and advantage/threat (with what side effects?). A character can fail but generate advantage (you missed the shot but spotted an exit), or succeed at a cost (you hit but your blaster overheats). It's elegant but adds GM-improvisation overhead — every roll generates side narrative the GM must adjudicate.
- How is SWURPG's combat different from FFG's?
- FFG combat resolves with narrative dice — every attack roll generates a layer of side effects (advantage, threat, triumph, despair) that the GM and players spend on improvised consequences. SWURPG combat uses d20 + modifiers vs. AC, with cleanly defined effects: hit or miss, damage dice rolled, conditions applied per spell/feature. Faster, more predictable, less GM-creative-load per round.
- Can I convert characters from FFG Star Wars to SWURPG?
- Conceptually yes, mechanically no — the character math is completely different. FFG characters use Career + Specialization + Talents purchased with XP, with no levels. SWURPG uses standard d20 class levels and ASI/feat progression. The fastest path is to rebuild the character from scratch using the SWURPG Character Builder, matching species and concept (Bounty Hunter / Soldier / Smuggler etc. exist as classes in SWURPG).
- Does SWURPG have anything like FFG's Obligation, Duty, or Morality?
- Not as mechanical systems. FFG used Obligation (Edge), Duty (Rebellion), and Morality (F&D) as per-campaign motivation trackers that fed into XP and dramatic moments. SWURPG handles motivation through Heroic Surge Points — a metacurrency you spend for clutch rerolls and defensive boosts. It's lighter-touch than FFG's tri-system but serves the same dramatic-stakes purpose.
- Is Genesys the same as FFG Star Wars?
- Same dice system, no Star Wars IP. Genesys (2017) is the generic version of FFG's narrative-dice engine — you can play any genre with it (fantasy, cyberpunk, modern, etc.), but you have to bring your own setting content. If you loved FFG's dice but want to play in another universe, Genesys is the path. SWURPG uses a completely different (d20) engine and is purpose-built for Star Wars.
Try SWURPG
The Character Builder produces a playable Lv 1 character in about 5 minutes — pick species, class, ability scores, and starting gear, then export to PDF. No narrative dice required; standard polyhedral set only.