SWURPG

Rules

The complete rules for the Star Wars Universe Roleplaying Game. SWURPG blends the depth of Saga Edition with the streamlined feel of D&D 5E. Read sections in any order — each page stands on its own.

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⬇ PDF

SWURPG Core Rulebook

Print-ready · ~68 pages · Letter format · free · v1.7

Welcome. SWURPG is a fan-made tabletop roleplaying game in the Star Wars universe. It blends the depth of Saga Edition with the streamlined feel of D&D 5E — if you've played either, you'll have a character built in about 5 minutes and the system mostly onboarded in about 15. If you've never played a TTRPG before, this page tells you exactly what to read and in what order.

Quick Start: a 90-second SWURPG primer

Whatever else you read, here's the entire rule system in 5 bullets:

  1. Resolution roll. When the outcome is uncertain, you roll a d20, add your relevant ability modifier, add your Proficiency Bonus (if you're trained in the skill / weapon / save), and compare to a Difficulty Class (DC). Equal or higher = success.
  2. Combat goes in rounds. When initiative is rolled, each round on your turn you get 1 Action, 1 Bonus Action (if you have a class trait that uses it), and 1 Reaction (off-turn, in response to a trigger). You can also move up to your Speed.
  3. Attacks vs. AC. Attack rolls are d20 + ability mod + PB vs the target's Armor Class. On a hit, you roll the weapon's damage dice + ability mod.
  4. Force users spend Force Points. If your class is a Jedi or Force Adept (or one of their subclasses), you have a pool of Force Points that fuel Force powers — push enemies, sense intentions, heal allies, and so on. FP refresh on a long rest.
  5. At 0 HP you start dying. Drop to 0 HP and you make death saves (d20 ≥ 10) at the start of each of your turns. Three failures = dead. Three successes = stable. Your party can also revive you with healing or medpacs.

That's the entire engine. Everything else is detail.

If you're a new player

  1. Character Creation — abilities, dice, proficiency, skills. The page that gets you from "blank sheet" to "I have a character."
  2. Combat System — initiative, actions, attacks, damage, conditions. The most-referenced page in actual play.
  3. Your class page under /classes — covers your specific class abilities. Each class also has a "How to play it at the table" section for newcomers.
  4. Your species page — much shorter; just check your stat bonuses and special traits.
  5. (If you're playing a Jedi or Force Adept) The Force — Force Points, Force Training, Force DCs.

If you're a new GM

Read everything above, plus:

  • Monsters & NPCs — the GM Resources hub with the Threat Rating (TR) system, encounter math, "How to read a stat block," 86 pre-built enemies, and per-faction running guides (Imperial, Black Sun, Pyke Syndicate, Hutt Cartel, Underworld, Battle Droids, Creatures & Wildlife, Nihil Forces).
  • LEGO Play Guide — practical advice on running combat with bricks if you don't have a battle map.

What's core vs. optional

Not every rule applies to every campaign. Here's the quick split:

  • Core (everyone reads): Character Creation, Combat, The Force (if your class uses it), Rests and Medpacs, Conditions.
  • Specialized (read when relevant): Droid rules (if anyone at the table is playing a droid), Heroic Surge Points (an optional metacurrency some tables use), Starship Combat (only when ships are flying), Equipment Rules (rarity, encumbrance — usually GM reference).

Plain-English glossary

Terms you'll see scattered throughout the rules. Click any to jump to its full explanation.

  • AC (Armor Class) — how hard you are to hit. Higher = harder. See Combat → Armor Class.
  • ASI (Ability Score Improvement) — the level-up bonus that lets you bump abilities or pick a special trait. Available at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20. See Leveling for ability score improvements and the full ASI Alternative Trait catalog.
  • Bonus Action — a separate action slot some class traits unlock. Most characters don't have one most turns.
  • DC (Difficulty Class) — the number your roll has to meet or beat. Easy DC 10, Moderate 15, Hard 20.
  • TR (Threat Rating) — how dangerous a single enemy is. Used for building encounters; see Monsters & NPCs → TR system.
  • Death Saves — d20 rolls you make when you're at 0 HP. ≥ 10 = success; 3 successes stabilize you, 3 failures kill you.
  • FP (Force Points) — the resource Jedi and Force Adepts spend on Force powers. See The Force.
  • HP (Hit Points) — how much damage you can take before going down. Starts at hit-die-max + CON mod at level 1; grows on level-up.
  • Initiative — d20 + DEX mod (+ class bonuses) at the start of combat. Highest goes first; play descends from there.
  • PB (Proficiency Bonus) — +2 at levels 1–4, +3 at 5–8, +4 at 9–12, +5 at 13–16, +6 at 17–20. Added to anything you're proficient in.
  • Reaction — an off-turn action you can take once per round in response to a trigger (e.g. opportunity attacks, Lightsaber Defense).

A note on "Star Wars rules vs. SWURPG mechanics"

You might know that lightsabers cut through anything in the films, that Force pushes throw stormtroopers across rooms, that Jedi can sense each other across galaxies. SWURPG abstracts all of that into mechanics that have boundaries — limited Force Points, range increments, finite damage dice. The rules pages explain those abstractions. Stick with the mechanics on the page; the cinematic flavor lives in the roleplay.

When in doubt: rule of cool wins, but the GM has the final call. Talk to your group.

★ Start Here

Character Creation

Build your character — abilities, dice, proficiency, and the skill list.

Coming from another system? Side-by-side comparisons are at SWURPG vs D&D 5e, Saga Edition, and FFG Star Wars — mechanics, tools, cost, and a verdict for each.

All Rules

Frequently asked questions

What dice do I need to play SWURPG?
The standard polyhedral set: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. No custom dice required. The d20 is the most-used die — every attack roll, save, and skill check is d20 + modifiers vs. a Difficulty Class (DC). Damage rolls use the smaller dice (e.g. a blaster rifle deals 2d8 energy damage).
How does the action economy work in SWURPG?
Each turn you get 1 Action, 1 Bonus Action, 1 Reaction, and your Move. Action = your main thing (Attack, Cast a Force power, Dash, etc.). Bonus Action = a smaller follow-up if a feature grants one (off-hand attack, certain Force powers). Reaction = a once-per-round response to something on someone else's turn (opportunity attack, certain defensive features). Same frame as D&D 5e if you've played that.
How does the Force work in SWURPG?
Force users spend Force Points (FP) to activate Force powers. You have an FP pool that refreshes on a Long Rest. Each power costs a specific FP amount per activation (1-6 FP typical). Powers have an Activation type (Action, Bonus Action, Reaction, or Free) and a Range. There are 83 powers across Energy, Kinetic, Mind, Sense, and Lightsaber Forms categories. You learn powers as you level — your class table shows how many.
How do I level up in SWURPG?
Characters gain levels by earning XP from encounters, milestones, and story beats — the GM tracks the threshold. At each new level, you roll (or take the average / max of) your class hit die for HP, gain any class traits at that level, and at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 you take an Ability Score Improvement (ASI): either +2 to one ability, +1 to two abilities, or pick an Alt Trait (Toughness, Long Strider, Martial Arts, etc.).
Can I play a droid in SWURPG?
Yes — droids are a first-class playable species, not a subclass. Droid characters skip Constitution (use Plating instead), don't breathe / eat / sleep, can't be healed by medpacs (they're repaired via Mechanics checks), and have access to chassis upgrades for plating, armament, and utility. The full droid rules live at /rules/droids; species options include 2-1B Surgical Droid, BD-Series Supporter Droid, EV-Series Supervisor Droid, IG-RM Enforcer Droid, and RA-7 Protocol Droid.
How long does a typical SWURPG session last?
Typical: 2-4 hours per session. A combat encounter against 3-5 enemies usually resolves in 20-40 minutes thanks to the streamlined 1 Action / 1 Bonus / 1 Reaction economy and bounded-accuracy math. The beginner adventure 'The Signal from Tellan-7' is designed as a 5-session arc taking a Lv 1 party to Lv 2.
Is SWURPG era-locked, or can I play it in any Star Wars era?
Era-agnostic by design. Every rule, species, class, monster, weapon, armor, and adventure works in the Old Republic, the High Republic, the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, the New Republic, the First Order era, or your own homebrew era. The GM picks the era; the prose stays neutral. A few species have lore-appropriate era restrictions (Republic Clone is Clone Wars-only; certain Imperial-era droids are post-Republic only) but the mechanical rules are era-blind.
How is SWURPG different from D&D 5e, Saga Edition, or FFG Star Wars?
Mechanically: SWURPG uses 5e-style action economy + advantage/disadvantage + d20 mechanics, keeps Saga Edition's granular equipment and Force-power surface, and uses standard polyhedral dice instead of FFG's custom narrative dice. Setting: Star Wars (era-agnostic), unlike 5e's fantasy default. Side-by-side comparisons at /compare/swurpg-vs-dnd-5e, /compare/swurpg-vs-saga-edition, and /compare/swurpg-vs-ffg-star-wars.