Star Wars 5e
DnD has been around for years and provides an excellent framework for creating fantasy role-playing games. With this guide, you can convert your DnD campaign into the Star Wars realm.
The Star Wars universe is vast and full of possibilities, and it can be daunting to recreate it in a DnD-style campaign. However, you can create a unique and exciting Star Wars tabletop experience with the right tools and knowledge.
Using Star Wars and DnD 5e as a scaffold, you can begin to create a unique world with intriguing characters, creatures, and equipment.
What is Star Wars 5e?
Star Wars 5e is the game mechanics of the DnD 5e system but with a few tweaks. For example, players could manipulate the Force through feats and abilities. Additionally, the game also includes a variety of weapons, armor, and other items that are unique to the Star Wars universe.
The DM should take time with world creation in adapting the Star Wars universe to 5e. To make their job easier, they should ask their players what kind of game they want. The DM can build a world their players will enjoy while having creative control.
Once the DM knows what they want from the adventure, they can begin converting races, classes, and equipment from 5e into the Star Wars universe.
What Races are in Star Wars 5e?
The DM ultimately gets to decide what races they want in their campaign. They can eventually build each race in Star Wars 5e from the ground up. It might be easier to take a different approach.
One way to start is by looking at the existing races in 5e and trying to find something similar. If you are more familiar with Star Wars, you can start there and convert the races to 5e.
Ultimately the DM has all the power. This guide will give some examples, but these ideas are just suggestions open to interpretation.
Combat Droid (Dragonborn)
Both Dragonborn and Combat Droids are battle ready. They both are armored attack machines that tend to tower over their enemies. They are battle-hardened and ready to mount a tactical defense or aggressive assault.
The main difference between Combat Droids and Dragonborn is the devotion that a Dragonborn has to their clan. This devotion can be adjusted to fit Combat Droids. Players can choose the type or model of their Droid.
Each Droid model can have a special attack that reflects the Dragonborn drive to hone a particular skill.
It is also easy to adapt the Dragonborn ability scores. The +2 to Strength and +1 to Charisma fit an intimidating battle-ready Combat Droid.
Devaronian (Dwarf)
Devaronians are humanoid aliens with a distinctive red-skinned, horned appearance. They are known for their strong sense of honor, loyalty, and love of adventure. These characteristics sound very similar to a Hill Dwarf.
Hill Dwarves and Devaronians are known for their hardiness, strength, and resilience. They are also known for their love of gold and gems as well as their crafting and engineering skills.
Start by emphasizing the traits that the Dwarfs and Devaronians have in common. Both races are known for their strength and resilience, so we can give the Devaronian character the same +2 to Consitution and +1 to Wisdom that Dwarves have in 5e.
We can also provide them with proficiency in crafting and engineering.
Next, we can give the Devaronian character some of the traits that are unique to their race. We can give them a strong sense of honor and loyalty and a love of adventure. We can also provide them with proficiency in perception, as Devaronians are known for their keen senses.
Gungan (Elf)
Elves are a race of long-lived, magical creatures in DnD, and Gungans are a race of amphibious humanoids in Star Wars. Both races have a solid connection to nature and the natural world, so it’s easy to see how they could be related.
The similarities in build between Elves and Gungans make the physical part of conversion easy. Both are tall humanoids with willowy flexible limbs.
The gameplay between Elves and Gungan is similar. The Gungan have a close connection to their environment, similar to Wood Elves. They could use knowledge of the natural world to track and hunt their enemies. The DM can adapt Elven combat skills to fit the Gungan’s use of blasters and other weapons.
Gungan would also have an increased perception and darkvision from navigating their amphibious homeworld. DMs can also adapt the Wood Elf racial trait Mask of the Wild to a “mask of water” racial trait for the Gungan. Gungan would then have the ability to blend into specific natural environments.
Ewok (Gnome)
Gnomes are a small, curious race of humanoids known for their inventiveness and love of tinkering. They are also known for their mischievous nature and ability to use illusions to their advantage, a natural parallel to the Ewoks.
The Ewoks are a small, furry race of humanoids from the planet Endor in the Star Wars universe. They are known for their primitive technology, love of nature, and fierce loyalty to their tribe.
Ewoks and Gnomes are known for their inventiveness and love of tinkering. The Ewoks could have proficiency in the Tinker’s Tools, allowing them to craft primitive tools and weapons from the materials they find in the forest.
Ewoks could also have a natural affinity for navigating the woods and tricking their enemies. This affinity could be translated as Ewok Cunning, taken from Gnome, cunning. Ewoks would have advantages in Wisdom, Intelligence, and Stealth checks.
Wookie (Half-Orc)
The physical attributes of a half-orc are similar to a Wookie. Wookies are tall and muscular, like Half-Orcs.
Both races have a natural aptitude for physical activities. The Wookie has a natural knack for physical activities such as climbing and running. They would have +2 Strength and Consitution.
Wookies would also adopt the menacing feature from Half-Orcs. Wookies would gain proficiency in intimidation. With one classic Wookie cry, they would send enemies running.
Class Conversion for Star Wars 5e
There are many options for creating classes for Star Wars 5e. For a martial class, you can create features that reflect the abilities of a Jedi Knight or Sith Lord. These features could include bonuses to attack and damage rolls and unique skills that allow the character to use the Force in combat.
For a spellcasting class, you can create features that reflect the abilities of a Force user or a Sith Sorcerer. These features could include bonuses to spellcasting ability and special abilities that allow the character to use the Force to cast spells.
You could also create features that will enable the character to use the Force to enhance their spellcasting, such as increased range or duration.
Here are some examples of the possibilities.
Jedi (Paladin)
The Jedi are a powerful force in the Star Wars universe and have many abilities and powers. They’re most similar to the Paladin of the 5e world. Like the Paladin, Jedi are a religious order of warriors.
Both groups have a kind of Divine Sense. The Divine Sense Paladin feature allows them to detect evil, similar to noticing disturbances in the force.
The Oath of Devotion is the most common subclass for Paladins, and it is a good fit for Jedi in a Star Wars 5e adaptation. This subclass focuses on protecting the innocent and upholding justice, both core tenets of the Jedi Order.
As the Paladins of the Star Wars universe, Jedi would be able to cast “spells” using the Force. Jedi characters might have access to spells such as Cure Wounds, Protection from Evil and Good, and Detect Evil and Good.
Additionally, Paladins and Jedi are martial characters and should have access to various martial weapons like the lightsaber.
You could also create special Force-enhanced items, such as Force-imbued armor or Force-enhanced weapons.
Mandalorian (Fighter)
The Mandalorian Fighter class would be powerful and versatile, capable of taking on various roles in combat. They would be able to use a variety of weapons, from blasters to vibroblades.
Mandalorians would be able to use their signature Beskar armor. This armor would increase their AC and resistance to certain types of damage, such as energy weapons. They would also utilize advanced technology in combat, such as jetpacks.
Mandalorian characters could also choose from a wide range of fighting styles like Blind Fighting, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, or Close Quarters Shooter.
Their extensive training would give the Mandalorian increased stamina. It would be logical to adapt the Action Surge to a Mandalorian character. They would be able to take an additional action per turn.
Smuggler (Rogue)
Like the Rogue class, the Smuggler class would have a minimum dexterity ability score. They would also have the same skills and abilities as the Rogue.
The Smuggler would have proficiency in Deception, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand. The Smuggler would also have access to something similar to Thieves’ Tools. These tools could be physical, like a pick, or tech, like a program, that smugglers use to pick locks, disable traps, and more.
The Smuggler class also introduces some new abilities that the Rogue doesn’t have. The Smuggler could have access to the Starship Piloting skill, which allows them to pilot starships and other vehicles.
Smugglers could also have access to the Mechanics skill, which allows them to repair and maintain starships and other vehicles. The Smuggler also has access to a Contacts and Streetwise ability, enabling them to make contacts in the underworld and gain information.
Starships in Star Wars 5e
The Dungeon Master’s Guide for 5e has some advice for grading the use of ships on the sea and in the sky. We can use that advice to create starships in a Star Wars universe.
Visibility is something ships on sea and ships in space may have to consider. Though there is no weather in space and many elements can obstruct visuals. For example, gas clouds or asteroids may have the same effect as bad weather, reducing visibility by half.
Similarly, passengers, cargo, and ship repair may also affect gameplay for Star Wars 5e characters.
Spacewrecks may also be a useful plot device for DMs. The party could be stranded on a mysterious planet when their spaceship crashes. Or they may encounter a spaceship abandoned in open space and need to navigate a rescue or a scavenge operation.
The party’s use of starships will be important in the development of the campaign. If the party intends to navigate space between worlds successfully, they will need to have an experienced crew with specific skill sets.
The party will need a pilot. This character should have equal parts agility and intelligence. In scenarios with low visibility, the DM should have players roll for checks in these skills. A failed check might lead the party into danger.
If the party enters into a battle with enemies in space, they will need to have guns and turret operators. These players may be proficient in ranged weaponry and have a keen battle sense. These will probably be the Dex-based members of the party.
After the battle, the party will likely need to perform repairs. Here is where the tech-savvy member of the party will play their part. These characters will likely need points in intelligence and wisdom. For example, a scrappy tinkerer can add to the ship’s max speed or increase weapons output.
Converting DnD to Star Wars 5e
Star Wars is an interesting and exciting new way to experience tabletop gaming.
In the Star Wars universe, players can play various iconic characters from the franchise, such as Jedi, Sith, smugglers, bounty hunters, and more. Players can also create their characters, allowing them to explore a galaxy far, far away in a way that is unique to them.
