Using LEGO for SWURPG Gameplay

LEGO is one of the easiest and most fun ways to bring SWURPG sessions to life. You don’t need custom miniatures, expensive terrain, or a dedicated crafting workshop — just the bricks you already have. With a small collection of minifigs, plates, and vehicles, you can instantly transform any SWURPG encounter into a cinematic, tactile, and incredibly dynamic experience.

LEGO naturally supports improvisation: want a speeder? Build one. Need a cliff, bunker, or starship corridor? Snap something together in five minutes. It’s visual storytelling at its best, and it makes battles clearer, movement more intuitive, and roleplay moments more vivid.

On this page, you’ll learn how to use LEGO for character representation, scale, terrain, vehicles, and multi-level environments.

How LEGO Enhances SWURPG

Instant visualization: Players see exactly where everyone stands, who’s in cover, who’s flanking, and what the environment looks like.
Better tactical clarity: Obstacles, line of sight, elevation, and movement become obvious at a glance.
Cinematic storytelling: Scenes feel alive — blasters firing between crates, Force pushes sending enemies off walkways, speeders swooshing through alleyways.
Creative flexibility: Need to change the battlefield? Just move or rebuild a few bricks.
Family-friendly accessibility: Kids, new players, and veteran GMs all “get it” instantly. It’s intuitive and fun.

LEGO Scale & Setup Guide

This section explains the practical side of using LEGO for SWURPG — how big things should be, how minifigs map to characters, and how to design environments that feel like Star Wars.

Minifigs as Characters

LEGO minifigures work perfectly as SWURPG character stand-ins. Each minifig represents one character or creature. You can modify them with custom parts, different heads, armor, weapons, or even simple markings to differentiate roles.

Duros Commando: Equipped with a tactical combat vest and helmet, this Duros Commando is armed with a commando special rifle and a vibro-knife for close-quarters work.

Side profile of the Duros Commando, showcasing the gear loadout and helmet design.

Trandoshan Vanguard: A frontline bruiser carrying a heavy vibro-axe and a blaster pistol. Built for close-quarters dominance and raw physical power.

Front view of the Trandoshan Vanguard, highlighting the distinctive armor plating and brutal melee weapon.

Scale & Distance

To keep SWURPG movement simple and consistent when using LEGO, each game “square” (5 feet of distance) maps to a 3×3 stud area on a LEGO baseplate. This gives characters enough room to stand, move, and interact without overcrowding.

1 game square (5 ft) = 3×3 studs
Movement is counted by "jumping" from one 3×3 square to the next
Stud groupings naturally form a grid — no drawing required
This scale works smoothly with minifigs, vehicles, and terrain builds

The image below shows a baseplate marked in 3×3 stud squares (I used a pencil to create the markings), making the grid easy to visualize during play:

LEGO Baseplate Showing 3x3 Stud Grid for SWURPG Scale

Vehicles

LEGO vehicles are ideal for chases, mounted combat, speeder fights, or dramatic escapes. They line up easily with movement rules — simply move the speeder or starfighter the required number of studs along your plate or table.

Terrain & Multi-Level Builds

Want a firefight on a second-floor balcony? A canyon? A starship control room? LEGO shines here. Multi-level builds make verticality intuitive, and characters can climb, jump, and move along platforms you physically create.

Environmental Interaction

Doors, consoles, crates, energy barriers, pipes, cover objects — LEGO pieces give you instant tactile props for environmental actions. If a player wants to interact with something, they can simply point to it.

Example Encounter Setups

Once you have a few baseplates and terrain pieces built, you can start turning simple layouts into memorable encounters. Below are two examples that show how LEGO terrain naturally supports SWURPG skill checks, ambushes, and dynamic movement.

Cliffside Approach & Hazardous Terrain

This cliff area build demonstrates how vertical terrain creates tension and interesting choices. Characters may climb unstable rock formations, look for safer paths, or scout ahead for danger. This setup naturally encourages:

Survival – finding safe footing, identifying threats in the terrain.
Athletics – climbing uneven slopes and cliffs, helping allies ascend, and swimming.
Acrobatics – jumping gaps, balancing along narrow edges.
Perception – spotting hidden routes, enemies, or movement above.
Knowledge: Galactic – Identify certain animal or plant species.
Dexterity Saving Throws - Dodging falling rocks, or wild plants projecting poisonous spores.
Constitution Saving Throws - Venomous animals and plants, Toxic fumes.

A rocky cliff with vegetation creates natural choke points, difficult terrain, and plenty of opportunities for Survival, Athletics, Acrobatics, and Perception checks.

Imperial Ambush in Rough Terrain

In this example, the party climbs over rocky terrain — a perfect moment for Athletics or Acrobatics checks. As they descend the far side, hidden Imperial troops spring an ambush from prepared firing positions.

Use this to highlight the importance of Perception (spotting danger early), positioning, and the value of elevation and cover when combat begins.

The group climbs over uneven rocks, focused on footing and balance — making this an ideal moment for skill checks and subtle foreshadowing.

On the far side, Imperial forces spring their trap. Use this layout to demonstrate cover, line of sight, and how positioning affects the ambushers' opening volley.

Star Wars Universe Roleplaying Game