In one paragraph: Both SWURPG and SW5e are free Star Wars adaptations built on D&D 5e's action economy, with free online character builders. The fork is lineage: SW5e is 5e-first with direct class reskins (Berserker = Barbarian, Operative = Rogue, Engineer = Artificer-extrapolated full caster). SWURPG is Saga-Edition-first— Saga's equipment depth, 105species, granular damage taxonomy (kinetic splits three ways) — wrapped in 5e's action economy. Both are alive and free; pick by what design center fits your group.
Quick comparison
| Dimension | SWURPG | SW5e |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active, free, online | Active, free, online |
| Core dice | d20 + modifiers | d20 + modifiers |
| Action economy | 1 Action / 1 Bonus Action / 1 Reaction | 1 Action / 1 Bonus Action / 1 Reaction |
| Lineage / design center | Saga Edition depth + 5e action economy | D&D 5e + Star Wars reskins |
| Class structure | 6 base + 15 advanced subclasses (Saga-shape) | 10 classes ≈ 1:1 with 5e classes |
| Force casting | Force Points pool; fixed per-power costs; no metamagic | Force Points + Force Empowered Castings (metamagic-style modifiers) |
| Tech casting | None — Tech Specialist is a non-caster class | Tech Points pool (Int); Engineer is a full Tech-caster |
| Damage taxonomy | Kinetic (subtypes: bludgeoning / piercing / slashing) + energy / ion / sonic / stun / electric / fire / cold / chemical-toxic / Force | Kinetic (collapses melee subtypes) + energy / sonic / ion / acid / cold / fire / lightning / necrotic / poison / psychic / Force |
| Species | 105 | ~30 |
| Force powers | 83, available to all Force users | ~50+ Force powers + ~50+ Tech powers, organized by spell-level slot equivalents |
| Character builder | Free official online tool at swurpg.com | Free official online tool at sw5e.com |
| Tactical map builder | Free, browser-native; LEGO-scale tile PDFs | None (use Roll20 / Foundry) |
| Core rulebook PDF | Free print-ready PDF | Free PDF (Player's Handbook) |
| Era | Era-agnostic by design | Era-agnostic by design |
| Multiclassing | Rule exists; not yet in the Character Builder | Fully supported (5e rule) |
How SWURPG differs from SW5e at the table
Both systems use the same dice and the same action economy, so the round-by-round play feels similar. The differences live in what each project inherited — class shapes, Force/Tech mechanics, damage granularity, species breadth. Each row below is a place you'll feel the divergence during play.
Class identities
| SW5e | SWURPG | Why it matters at the table |
|---|---|---|
| 10 classes that map ≈ 1:1 to 5e classes — Berserker (Barbarian), Operative (Rogue), Engineer (Artificer-extrapolated full caster), Warrior (Paladin), Consular (Sorcerer), Sentinel (monk/caster hybrid), Scout (Ranger), Monk, Scholar (new), Guardian | 6 base classes (Jedi Padawan, Force Adept, Soldier, Scoundrel, Tech Specialist, Leader) + 15 advanced subclasses (Jedi Guardian / Sentinel / Consular / Pathfinder; Force Warrior / Mystic; Vanguard / Commando / Marksman; Smuggler / Assassin / Bounty Hunter / Pirate; Officer / Diplomat) | Star Wars-native class shapes vs 5e classes wearing Star Wars clothing — you pick 'Force Adept → Force Mystic,' not 'Sorcerer → Divine Soul' |
| Multiclassing fully supported (standard 5e rules) | Multiclassing rule exists in the rulebook; Character Builder doesn't enforce it yet | SW5e is more flexible at this exact moment for multiclass concepts; SWURPG single-class builds remain the canonical path until the builder catches up |
| Subclasses follow 5e timing (typically L1, L2, or L3 depending on class) | Single subclass-pick at L3 across all classes | Uniform subclass cadence; the L1–L2 character is 'base class only,' identity locks in at L3 |
Force & Tech casting
| SW5e | SWURPG | Why it matters at the table |
|---|---|---|
| Force Points (Wis/Cha, Long Rest refresh) + Tech Points (Int, Short Rest refresh) as parallel spell-slot equivalents | One Force Point pool (Wis, Long Rest refresh). No Tech-casting tradition. | One resource model, one tracker per character. Tech-savvy characters in SWURPG do tech things via skills + equipment + droid upgrades, not via a spell-slot equivalent |
| Force Empowered Castings: metamagic-style modifiers (Quickened Power = 2 FP to drop a power from Action → Bonus Action; Extended Power; Heightened Power; etc.) | No metamagic. Each power has a fixed FP cost and a fixed activation type | Less per-cast decision overhead. The 'tinker your spell' dial that 5e Sorcerers love isn't here |
| Force powers organized by spell-level slots (At Will, Level 1, Level 2…) | Force powers learned directly from a flat catalog; FP costs run 1–6 with level prerequisites | No spell-level mental model. You learn powers, you spend FP, you cast |
| Engineer is a full caster (Artificer-extrapolated) with Tech Points + tech powers | Tech Specialist is a non-caster gadget/skills class — Mechanics-skill focus, weapon/armor upgrades, droid companions, equipment expertise | Different class identity bet: SW5e treats tech as a parallel-magic tradition; SWURPG treats tech as decisively non-magical |
Damage taxonomy
| SW5e | SWURPG | Why it matters at the table |
|---|---|---|
| Kinetic collapses bludgeoning + piercing + slashing into one type | Kinetic is the umbrella; bludgeoning / piercing / slashing remain subtypes | Weapon traits stay distinct — slugthrowers pierce, vibroblades slash, gaffi sticks bludgeon. Armor and species resistances can target subtypes |
| Radiant → Energy; Thunder → Sonic; Ion added (vs constructs/droids/electronics). Otherwise inherits 5e damage types | Energy / kinetic / ion / sonic / stun / electric / fire / cold / chemical-toxic / Force — Saga-inherited taxonomy | Stun damage as a separate type (non-HP-reducing) is a Saga-style mechanic SW5e doesn't carry — letting players non-lethally take down NPCs without homebrew |
Content scale
| SW5e | SWURPG | Why it matters at the table |
|---|---|---|
| ~30 playable species | 105 playable species, including 5 playable droid species | More concept-fit options for player species, at the cost of more balance-tuning surface area |
| Equipment catalog sized to 5e baseline (weapons + armor + gear list) | 235 weapons / 77 armors / 61 gear items / 82 weapon upgrades / 34 armor upgrades / 58 droid chassis upgrades / bio-implant catalog | Saga-style gear depth — every weapon has properties (stun-capable, sonic, ion, blaster vs slugthrower), every armor has Max DEX caps, upgrades stack modularly |
| Standard 5e crafting model + Star Wars equipment list | No crafting subsystem (yet) — gear is purchased / found / awarded; upgrades are installed via Mechanics skill | Trade-off: SW5e is more flexible for fabricator-character concepts; SWURPG is faster to onboard at character creation |
Same scenario, two systems
A Lv 5 Jedi Consular (Wis +4, PB +3) casts Force Push at a Stormtrooper Captain to knock him off a catwalk:
In SW5e
- Spend Force Points equal to the chosen spell level (e.g. 2 FP for Force Push at level 2)
- Optional: spend 2 more FP for Quickened Power to cast as a Bonus Action instead of an Action
- Captain rolls a STR save vs Force DC (8 + PB + Wis)
- On fail: pushed, takes damage
- Engineer-caster ally could prep tech power with Tech Points on same turn
In SWURPG
- Spend 2 FP (Force Push's fixed cost)
- Activates as an Action (fixed; no metamagic modifier to change it)
- Captain rolls a STR save vs Force DC 15 (= 8 + PB 3 + Wis 4)
- On fail: pushed, takes damage
Same outcome, slightly different decision shapes. SW5e gives you more pre-cast levers (which spell-level slot to spend? quicken or not?). SWURPG has one fixed cost per power and trades that flexibility for fewer per-cast decisions.
What both systems share
SWURPG and SW5e are close cousins. If you've played one, you can sit at a table running the other and understand the flow within a session. Shared design choices:
- Standard polyhedral dice. Both use the d4 / d6 / d8 / d10 / d12 / d20 set. No custom dice required.
- 5e action economy. 1 Action / 1 Bonus Action / 1 Reaction + Move. Advantage/disadvantage. Proficiency bonus scales 2 → 6. Levels 1–20.
- Free + online. Both ship free browser-based character builders, free PDFs, and active community development.
- Era-agnostic by design. Both work for Old Republic through First Order without era-locked supplements.
- Force as a craft. Both let Force users choose individual powers (not a generic spell list); lightsaber forms exist as distinct mechanics in both systems.
Which one is right for your table?
Pick SW5e if…
- You want 5e's class structure ported to Star Wars with minimal translation.
- You love spell-slot mechanics and metamagic-style decisions per cast.
- You want tech-savvy characters to have a parallel-casting tradition (Engineer / Tech Points).
- You want the smaller, more tightly-tuned species roster.
- You're leading a group that already plays 5e and wants the most familiar transition.
Pick SWURPG if…
- You loved Saga Edition's depth (granular weapons, species variety, damage subtypes) and want it in a 5e-action shell.
- You want Star Wars-native class shapes (Jedi Padawan / Force Adept / Soldier / Scoundrel / Tech Specialist / Leader) not 5e reskins.
- You prefer one Force Point pool with fixed per-power costs over spell-slot equivalents + metamagic.
- You want the broader species catalog (105vs ~30) and don't mind the trade-off of more balance complexity.
- You want tech-character concepts as gadget/skills builds, not as parallel casters.
Frequently asked questions
- Is SWURPG just another SW5e?
- No — they're closer to each other than to either of their ancestor systems, but the design centers are different. SW5e is 5e-first: classes are direct 5e reskins (Berserker = Barbarian, Operative = Rogue, Engineer = Artificer extrapolated into a full caster), Force casting uses spell-slot equivalents with metamagic-style Force Empowered Castings, damage types collapse to kinetic/energy/sonic/ion. SWURPG is Saga-Edition-first: 21 classes shaped like Saga's careers (Jedi Padawan / Force Adept / Soldier / Scoundrel / Tech Specialist / Leader + 15 advanced subclasses, not 5e reskins), one Force Point pool with fixed per-power costs (no metamagic), Saga-inherited damage taxonomy where kinetic splits into bludgeoning/slashing/piercing and energy/ion/sonic/stun/electric are separate types.
- Can I convert SW5e characters to SWURPG?
- Conceptually yes, mechanically not 1:1 — the class identities don't map cleanly because SWURPG's classes aren't 5e reskins. An SW5e Operative converts loosely to a SWURPG Scoundrel, an SW5e Berserker maps closest to a SWURPG Soldier-with-rage-flavor, an SW5e Consular maps to a SWURPG Jedi Consular subclass. The fastest path is to use the SWURPG Character Builder to rebuild from concept rather than translating sheet to sheet.
- Why no Tech-casting tradition in SWURPG?
- Design choice. SW5e treats tech-savvy classes (Engineer, etc.) as a parallel casting tradition with Tech Points + tech powers that work mechanically like a Force-power equivalent. SWURPG keeps the Tech Specialist class as a non-caster gadget/skills class — the focus is on Mechanics checks, weapon/armor upgrades, droid companions, and equipment expertise, not on a spell-slot-equivalent resource. It's a different identity bet: SW5e treats tech and Force as parallel magic systems; SWURPG treats tech as decisively non-magical.
- Which has the bigger species roster?
- SWURPG: 105 playable species vs SW5e's ~30. Both rosters draw from the same Star Wars canon + Legends sources, but SWURPG's catalog is broader. This is a deliberate trade-off — more options for player concept-fit, with a heavier balance-tuning burden. SW5e's smaller roster is easier to keep tight at the cost of variety.
- How are the damage types different?
- SW5e collapses bludgeoning + piercing + slashing into a single kinetic damage type, renames radiant to energy and thunder to sonic, and adds ion as a new type for effects vs droids/electronics. SWURPG keeps Saga Edition's more granular split — kinetic is the umbrella for three subtypes (bludgeoning / piercing / slashing) that still matter for armor and weapon interactions, plus energy / ion / sonic / stun / electric / fire / cold / chemical-toxic / Force as separate types. The granularity affects weapon trait interaction (slugthrowers pierce, vibroblades cut, blasters do energy damage) — a Saga-style depth that SW5e flattens.
- Is SW5e actively developed?
- Yes — SW5e at sw5e.com is actively maintained by its community. So is SWURPG. Both projects ship fixes and content updates regularly. Neither is in maintenance mode. Different teams, different design philosophies, but both are alive.
- Both are free — what's the actual cost difference?
- Zero in dollars. SW5e and SWURPG both ship free online character builders, free PDF rulebooks, and free content updates. The cost difference, if there is one, is time: SWURPG's catalog breadth (94 species, granular weapon properties, separate damage subtypes) takes longer to internalize than SW5e's tighter scope. If you want minimal mental overhead and you're already 5e-fluent, SW5e onboards faster. If you want Saga-style depth, SWURPG is the bet.
Try SWURPG
The Character Builder produces a playable level-1 character in about 5 minutes — pick species, class, ability scores, and starting gear, then export to PDF.