Built a Star Wars TTRPG that keeps Saga Edition's depth with 5e's action economy — design tradeoffs and an interactive character builder
This is a fan project — non-commercial, unaffiliated with Lucasfilm.
Been working on SWURPG for a few months and wanted to share the design center and the tradeoffs in case anyone here is sitting with similar problems.
The starting problem:
Star Wars Saga Edition is, in my view, the most versatile Star Wars TTRPG ever published — the species roster, the equipment depth, the way it handles Force users, real character math under the hood. But it's also dense enough that I couldn't get groups to commit to learning it. D&D 5e is the opposite: streamlined and approachable, but most Star Wars 5e hacks lose the Star Wars-ness in translation.
The bet I made: granular options don't slow play down if the action system is fast. Keep Saga's depth (94 playable species with real mechanical tradeoffs, 21 classes and subclasses, full Force-user mechanics, granular equipment), strip the resolution layer down to 5e's bones (1 Action / 1 Bonus / 1 Reaction, advantage/disadvantage, d20 + modifier vs DC).
What actually shipped:
- Interactive character builder — web-based, no signup. Builds L1–L20 characters with all derived stats, Force powers, equipment, ASI choices. Export to PDF, JSON, or cloud-save. This was harder to ship than the rulebook and it's the part that most differentiates the project from typical fan TTRPGs.
- 62-page core rulebook PDF — print-ready, free. Also lives as MDX on the site.
- Beginner adventure (3 hours, 6 pre-built characters), 63 Force powers, equipment catalogs, monster bestiary across factions.
Tradeoffs I'm still sitting with:
- Force-power balance. Players gravitate toward the same handful of powers. Not sure yet whether that's "those are obviously good" or my Force-Point cost model is wrong. I went with FP-as-resource (refreshes on long rest) instead of spell slots — simpler to track but harder to balance against martial classes.
- Subclass timing. Subclass picks happen at L3. By L11 players don't always feel attached to the choice, even after seeing the options at L3. Open question whether subclass features should unfold more gradually.
- Starship combat as a separate mode. I've shipped chassis + weapons + a starship-builder, but starship play feels different enough from ground combat that I'm not confident the same action economy scales. Currently shipping it as optional rather than core.
If you want to poke at the actual artifact:
- Character builder — try a Force-user and a non-Force class and see if the math feels right.
- Comparison pages — side-by-side with D&D 5e, Saga Edition, and FFG's narrative-dice line. I've tried to be fair to all three; if I've mischaracterized one, please tell me.
Genuinely interested in design anti-patterns you see, or whether the "Saga depth + 5e action economy" combination actually lands for your groups. Community + feedback in the Discord (footer link).