Star Wars Roleplaying Game vs Starfinder
Compare Star Wars Roleplaying Game and Starfinder side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Star Wars Roleplaying Game | Starfinder | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Scifi |
| Play Style | Career-Based, Character Building, Character-Driven, Cinematic, Combat-Heavy, Faction Play, Heroic, Licensed IP, Narrative, Skill-Based, Space Opera, Theater of the Mind | Tactical, Crunchy, Combat-Heavy, Character Building, Grid-Based, Heroic, Ascending AC, Space Opera, Ship-Based, Exploration |
| Core Mechanic | Assemble a pool of custom narrative dice: positive (Boost, Ability, Proficiency) from skills and equipment, negative (Setback, Difficulty, Challenge) from task difficulty. Roll and cancel opposing symbols on three independent axes — Success vs. Failure, Advantage vs. Threat, Triumph vs. Despair — so every check produces both an outcome and narrative texture. Each corebook adds its own character-pressure layer: Edge of the Empire tracks Obligation (debts and burdens that randomly trigger at session start), Age of Rebellion tracks Duty (Rebel mission focus that earns Contribution Rank toward Alliance promotions), and Force and Destiny tracks Morality (a 0–100 light-vs-dark scale that fuels a dedicated Force die powering abilities like Move, Sense, and Influence). | d20 + modifier vs. DC. Three-action economy per turn. Four degrees of success. Cross-compatible with Pathfinder 2e. |
| Dice | Custom dice | d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | High |
| Accessibility | Low | Very High |
| Community | High | High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | ORC |
| Cost | $$$ | Free (ORC) |
| Publisher | Fantasy Flight Games | Paizo |
| Year | 2013 | 2024 |
| Best For | Groups who want a narrative-rich Star Wars campaign where every roll generates story texture beyond pass/fail — and who can pick the corebook (or mix multiple) matching their preferred campaign focus: outer-rim scoundrels, Rebel operatives, or hunted Force users. | Sci-fi fans who want Pathfinder 2e's tactical depth with plasma rifles and starships. Great for PF2e veterans looking for cross-compatible space adventure. |
| Highlights | Three corebooks fully cross-compatible — Edge of the Empire (fringe criminals and scoundrels), Age of Rebellion (Rebel Alliance soldiers and pilots), and Force and Destiny (Force-sensitive characters) play at the same table with characters from any book, six careers per book each with three specialization talent trees, narrative dice produce three independent axes of result on every roll so success-with-complications and failure-with-silver-lining are common outcomes, detailed starship combat and ship-modification rules throughout all three books with Force and Destiny extending the system with lightsaber construction and Force power talent trees | Free rules on Archives of Nethys, deep tactical combat, cross-compatible with PF2e, distinct class identity |
| Considerations | Requires proprietary narrative dice or the Star Wars Dice app — standard polyhedral dice need conversion charts and slow play significantly, no free core rules available — Beginner Games exist for each corebook but require purchase, interpreting multi-symbol dice results adds a learning curve compared to standard d20-style resolution, most groups buy only the corebook matching their campaign focus rather than all three | Steep learning curve, fewer classes and options than PF2e (still growing), tactical starship combat rules deferred to a future supplement with current rules being narrative only |