Combat System

Combat in SWURPG is fast, dangerous, tactical, and cinematic. Players should care about where they stand, whether they have cover, how far away enemies are, whether they move before attacking, which traits or Force powers they spend, and whether to disable, kill, push, grapple, flank, hide, or retreat. The goal is not "stand still and attack" — it's play the scene.

Building an encounter? The Difficulty Rating (DR) system, encounter math, and HP-by-tier guidance for monsters and NPCs lives on the Monsters & NPCs page under GM Resources.

Initiative

At the start of combat, each participant rolls:

d20 + Dexterity Modifier + Proficiency Bonus

The GM determines whether any side is surprised. Surprised creatures cannot act during the first round and cannot take Reactions until their first turn ends.

Round and Turn Structure

Combat happens in rounds. Each round, every participant takes one turn in Initiative order. On each turn, a character may:

• Move up to their Speed before acting
• Take 1 Action
• Take 1 Bonus Action if available
• Use 1 Reaction during the round when triggered

Turn Flow

1. Start of turn
2. Movement
3. Action
4. Bonus Action, if available and conditions are met
5. End of turn

Reactions happen outside the character's turn when triggered.

Object Interaction

Once per turn, you may interact with one object as part of your movement or another action — drawing or sheathing a weapon, opening a door, retrieving a stim, picking up a dropped item, activating a tool, etc. This first interaction is free. Additional object interactions in the same turn require your Action. Some species traits, class features, or talents grant additional free interactions per turn (e.g., four-armed species can draw or swap weapons more freely).

Movement Restriction

By default, a character must complete movement before taking their Action. They cannot continue moving after acting unless a trait, Force power, or special feature allows it. This rule creates more meaningful tactical decisions and gives battlefield positioning real weight.

Core Combat Actions

Area Attacks

Autofire

A character may use a full-auto-capable weapon to spray a 2×2 area (10 ft × 10 ft). The attack roll takes a −5 penalty (−2 if the attacker is braced). Every creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against the attack roll total. Creatures that fail take full damage; creatures that succeed take half damage.

Grenades and Explosives

Grenades do not require an attack roll. Designate a 10-ft radius blast zone. Every creature in the zone must make a Dexterity saving throw against the thrower's DC. Failures take full damage; successes take half. Area effects may reach creatures in Full Cover depending on positioning.

By default, grenades land in the chosen space without a skill check. At GM discretion, an Athletics or Acrobatics check may be required in extreme conditions (throws over 30 ft, high winds, zero gravity, tight openings). On failure, the grenade may scatter.

Area of Effect Shapes

• Cone: Expands outward in a widening triangle from the origin. At 5 ft: ~1 square wide. At 10 ft: ~3 squares wide. At 15 ft: ~5 squares wide.
• Burst (Radius): Spreads from a central point in all directions. A "10-ft radius" burst affects all spaces within 10 ft of the origin.
• Line: Extends in a straight path from the origin. One square wide unless specified otherwise.
• Square / Area: Covers its exact footprint on the grid (e.g., "10 × 10 ft").

Movement

Each character has a Speed in feet. Most Medium species have a Speed of 30 ft.

• Move up to Speed before taking an Action.
• Difficult terrain costs double movement.
• Standing from prone costs half movement.
• Crawling while prone costs double movement.
• Movement after an Action requires a trait, feature, or special rule.

Creature Sizes

Prone

A creature may drop prone as part of movement or instead of moving.

While prone:

• Speed is 0 until the creature crawls or stands.
• Standing costs half movement.
• Melee attacks against the creature gain +5 to hit.
• Ranged attacks against the creature suffer −5 to hit.
• The prone creature suffers −5 on melee attack rolls.

Prone is a tactical tradeoff: useful against blaster fire, dangerous in melee.

Cover

Cover is central to SWURPG combat. Blaster fights should make the environment matter.

Standard examples: low wall (+2), cargo crate (+2 to +4), speeder engine block (+4), rock outcropping (+3 to +5).

Improved examples: firing slit (+8), reinforced blast door partially open (+10), fortified barricade (+6 to +10).

Full Cover: if a creature is completely behind solid cover, it cannot be directly targeted. Area effects may still reach it depending on positioning.

Ranged Attacks and Distance

Attacks beyond 250 feet generally require specialized equipment (sniper scopes, targeting systems). Force powers that require ranged attack rolls use the same range categories unless otherwise specified.

Ranged Attack & Damage Formulas

Attack bonus = DEX modifier + Proficiency Bonus + weapon upgrade bonuses + trait bonuses

Damage = weapon dice only + weapon upgrade bonuses + trait bonuses

Ranged weapons always use DEX — never STR. Ranged weapons do not add any ability modifier to damage. (Exception: bowcasters and other kinetic slug-throwers may add DEX if the weapon entry specifies it.)

Melee and Unarmed Attacks

Attack bonus = STR modifier (or DEX if the weapon has the finesse property and DEX > STR) + Proficiency Bonus + weapon upgrade bonuses + trait bonuses

Damage = weapon dice + STR modifier + weapon upgrade bonuses + trait bonuses

Melee weapons always add STR to damage, regardless of whether DEX was used for the attack roll.

Unarmed strikes deal 1 + STR modifier damage (or DEX if the character has a trait that permits it). Natural weapons may replace this damage if granted by species traits.

Dual Wielding

A character may wield a weapon in each hand. Dual wielding applies to both melee and ranged combat — a Smuggler with two blaster pistols, a Jedi with two lightsabers, a four-armed Besalisk with twin vibroaxes.

Action Economy

• Main-hand attack is taken with your Action.
• Off-hand attack is taken with your Bonus Action on the same turn.
• You may dual-wield without making the off-hand attack — wielding two weapons does not, by itself, force a Bonus Action.

Attack Penalty

While dual wielding (an off-hand weapon is also wielded), both attacks take a −5 penalty to the attack roll. This penalty is reduced by the Dual Wielder ASI Alternative Traits:

Four-armed species do not auto-grant Dual Wielder I — they must take it as an ASI like any other character.

Off-Hand Damage

The off-hand attack deals basic weapon damage only — the weapon's listed damage dice, with no ability modifier, no class trait bonuses (e.g., specialization, expertise, Lightsaber Discipline), and no species damage bonuses.

The main-hand attack uses normal damage rules.

Per-weapon upgrade contributions (crystals, lenses, energy cells) do still apply to off-hand damage — they are properties of the weapon, not the wielder. Only ability/class/species mods are suppressed.

Off-Hand Weapon Restrictions

The 1.5 kg threshold reclassifies physically-light Medium-size weapons (lightsabers, vibrorapier, lightweight pistols) as light for off-hand purposes — a 1 kg lightsaber is wieldable one-handed regardless of its Medium size class.

Four-Armed Species Exception

Species whose anatomy provides four functional arms — Besalisk, Codru-Ji, Hysalrian — may wield two two-handed weapons at once if their Strength is 14+. The four-arms anatomy gives the capability; it does not grant Dual Wielder I — the standard −5 dual-wield penalty still applies until the player picks up the ASI feat.

Stacking Bonuses

Bonuses that apply specifically to dual wielding (e.g., the Shoto Grip lightsaber upgrade: "+1 to attack with the off-hand shoto when dual-wielding") apply only to the indicated hand. The dual-wield penalty is computed first; the bonus is added on top.

Damage Types

Resistances and immunities can apply at the broad Kinetic level (covering all three subtypes) or at the subtype level (e.g., resistance to Bludgeoning only). When a trait or species ability specifies a Kinetic subtype, it applies only to that subtype.

Resistance and Vulnerability

• Resistance halves incoming damage of a type.
• Vulnerability doubles incoming damage of a type.
• Immunity negates all damage of a type entirely.

Apply Resistance, Vulnerability, or Immunity after all other modifiers.

Stacking Rules

• Multiple sources of Resistance to the same damage type do not stack — you simply have Resistance.
• If you have both Resistance and Vulnerability to the same damage type, they cancel out and you take normal damage.
• Immunity always overrides Resistance and Vulnerability for that type.

Damage Resistance X (Flat)

Some armor upgrades and abilities grant Damage Resistance X vs a specific damage type — for example, "Damage Resistance 2 vs Energy damage." This subtracts X from each incoming hit of that type before applying other modifiers. Minimum damage after reduction is 0. Flat Damage Resistance and halving Resistance are separate mechanics and do not combine — if both apply to the same hit, apply the flat reduction first, then halve the remainder.

Regeneration X

Some armor upgrades and abilities grant Regeneration X. At the start of each of the creature's turns, it regains X HP. Regeneration does not function while the creature is at 0 HP.

Stun Damage

Stun damage does not reduce Hit Points. Instead, it forces the target to resist incapacitation through a Constitution saving throw.

Stun DC = Weapon Base DC + attacker's Proficiency Bonus

At the end of each of its turns, a Stunned target may repeat the Constitution saving throw against the same DC. On a success, the Stunned condition ends. Force Powers that cause stun effects use their own Force DCs and are not affected by this rule.

Armor Class

AC = 10 + Dexterity modifier (limited by armor) + Armor Bonus + Shield Bonus + Size Modifier + other modifiers

Armor has a Maximum Dexterity Bonus. A character wearing armor cannot apply more Dexterity to AC than the armor allows.

Size Modifiers to AC

Size and Stealth

• Diminutive, Tiny, or Small: Advantage on Stealth checks.
• Medium: No modifier.
• Large, Huge, or Gargantuan: Disadvantage on Stealth checks.

If a species trait also grants advantage or disadvantage on Stealth, advantage and disadvantage cancel out as normal.

Armor Categories

• Light Armor: AC bonus +1 to +4. Full Dexterity modifier applies (Max Dex +4 or higher). No speed limit. No inherent Stealth penalty.
• Medium Armor: AC bonus +4 to +8. DEX modifier capped at +1 to +3. Speed may be capped at 20 ft (most medium armor) or unrestricted (lighter medium variants).
• Heavy Armor: AC bonus +6 to +10. DEX modifier capped at +0 to +1. Speed capped at 20 ft. May impose Stealth penalties.

A few rare armors fall outside these bands by design — flagged in their stat block's notes. Examples: legendary biological armor (Vonduun Crabshell — above-band Light AC) and survival gear (Vacuum Pod — below-band Heavy AC, since it's a vehicle, not combat armor). Treat them as the explicit exceptions they are.

Armor Proficiency

A character can only wear armor in a category they are proficient with. Proficiency is granted by your class or subclass; additional categories can be acquired through the Armor Proficiency ASI Alternative Trait. Without the appropriate proficiency, a character cannot effectively wear that armor — it is too unfamiliar to provide its protective benefit.

Unarmored Defense

Unarmored characters use: AC = 10 + Dexterity modifier + Size Modifier + other bonuses.

Certain classes or subclasses grant Defensive Training, which adds a scaling AC bonus to unarmored defense. This stacks with Dexterity and species bonuses but does not stack with replacement AC formulas.

Examples

Hit Points and 0 HP

Hit Points represent vitality, stamina, luck, grit, and survival under fire. Temporary HP absorbs damage before regular HP and is lost first. Temporary HP does not stack — if you receive Temporary HP while already having some, take the higher value.

When damage reduces a creature to 0 HP, it falls Unconscious and begins Death Saving Throws.

Death Saving Throws

At the start of each of its turns, the unconscious creature rolls 1d20:

• 3 Successes: Stabilized. The creature remains Unconscious at 0 HP and no longer makes Death Saving Throws.
• 3 Failures: The creature dies.
• Damage while at 0 HP: Each hit causes 1 automatic failure. A Critical Hit causes 2 failures.

Stabilization

A dying character can be stabilized in the following ways:

• Medpac: Applying a Medpac restores Hit Points and immediately ends the dying state.
• Treat Injury (DC 25): A successful DC 25 Treat Injury check stabilizes the target without a Medpac.
• Any healing: Any effect that restores at least 1 HP ends the dying state and returns the character to consciousness.

Unconscious Effects

• Incapacitated.
• Falls Prone.
• Drops held items.
• Speed becomes 0.
• Automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
• Attacks against the creature have Advantage.
• Any melee hit from within 5 feet is a Critical Hit.

Conditions

Stunned

• Cannot move or take Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions.
• Automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
• Attackers have Advantage against the creature.
• At the end of each of its turns, the creature may repeat the Constitution saving throw (same DC) — on a success, the condition ends.

Dazed

• Disadvantage on attack rolls.
• Duration: until end of the creature's next turn.

Grappled

• Speed becomes 0.
• Disadvantage on attacks not targeting the grappler.
• Escape using an Action: contested Athletics or Acrobatics vs. grappler's Athletics.
• If the grappler becomes Incapacitated or is moved out of reach, the grapple ends.

Prone

• Melee attacks against the creature gain +5 to hit.
• Ranged attacks against the creature suffer −5 to hit.
• The creature suffers −5 on its own melee attack rolls.
• Standing from prone costs half movement.

Bleeding

• Takes 1d8 kinetic damage at the end of each of its turns.
• Cured by a Medpac, Force healing, or a DC 12 Treat Injury check.
• Does not stack — applying Bleeding again does not increase the damage.

Burning

• Takes 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns.
• May have Disadvantage on delicate Dexterity checks at GM discretion.
• The creature or an adjacent ally can use an Action to extinguish the flames.
• Entering water or being fully doused ends the condition immediately.

Frightened

• Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks while the source of fear is visible.
• Cannot willingly move closer to the source of fear.
• Must use movement to move away from the source if within 20 feet.
• If moving away would provoke opportunity attacks, the creature may Disengage as a Bonus Action.
• At the end of each of its turns, the creature may repeat the Wisdom saving throw to end the condition.

Poisoned

• Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
• Some poisons inflict ongoing damage or additional effects.
• Many poisons allow a Constitution saving throw at the end of each turn to end the condition.

Unconscious

• Incapacitated and unaware of surroundings.
• Falls Prone.
• Drops held items.
• Speed becomes 0.
• Automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
• Attacks against the creature have Advantage.
• Any melee hit from within 5 feet is a Critical Hit.

Surprised

• On the first round of combat only, cannot take Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions.
• Still rolls Initiative normally.
• The condition ends at the end of the first round.

Blinded

• Cannot see; automatically fails sight-based checks.
• Attack rolls against the creature have Advantage.
• The creature's attack rolls have Disadvantage unless it has special senses.

Charmed

• Cannot intentionally harm the creature that Charmed it.
• The charmer has Advantage on social checks against the creature.
• If the charmer or their allies harm the creature, it usually gets an immediate saving throw or the condition ends.

Confused

• Cannot take Reactions.
• At the start of each of its turns, roll 1d6: 1–2 the creature attacks the nearest creature; 3–4 it moves in a random direction and takes no Action; 5–6 it acts normally.
• At the end of each of its turns, the creature may repeat the saving throw to end the condition.

Shaken

• Cannot take Reactions.
• −1 penalty to attack rolls and saving throws.
• Disadvantage on saving throws against fear or Intimidation effects.
• At the end of each of its turns, the creature may repeat the saving throw (if one was allowed) to end the condition.

Freezing

• Speed is halved.
• Disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.
• May take cold damage each round as specified by the effect.
• Heat sources or a successful saving throw can end the condition.

Paralyzed

• Incapacitated; cannot move or speak.
• Automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
• Attack rolls against the creature have Advantage.
• Any melee hit from within 5 feet is a Critical Hit.