Basic Mechanics
the resolution mechanic
You have a bunch of stats.
Your stats look similar to “Gambling: 3d6+1”.
To see if you gamble well, you roll 3d6+1. Usually that's compared to a difficulty value set by the GM; sometimes it's opposed.
Whenever you roll dice, designate one of them as special (the “wild die”)
Example: if you rolled Gambling as above, you would roll two regular dice and one wild die. If you only roll one die, it is the wild die.
If the wild die result is 2, 3, 4, or 5, add it normally. Nothing weird happens.
If the wild die result is 6, add six to the total and roll it again. Keep rolling until it is not a six.
If the wild die result is 1, something bad happens. In general, remove the hero die and the next highest die result from the result. About 1/6th of the time, the GM is encouraged to introduce a complication instead.
There are two resources you have that affect the dice pool:
combat
Characters
Dice progression goes 1D, 1D+1, 1D+2, 2D, 2D+1, 2D+2, 3D, etc. it improves by a +1 each time, and after +2 it rolls over to the next higher die. You can think of it as thirds. If you somehow add together dice pools like 1D+2 and 2D+2, it becomes 4D+1.
Stats
Most characters have six “Attributes”, each with a score (e.g. Strength: 2D+1).
Dexterity, Knowledge, Mechanical, Perception, Strength, Technical
Each Attribute also has a pile of “Skills” associated with it (e.g. Mechanical has Starship Pilot).
They don't always make intuitive sense (e.g. riding animals is a Mechanical skill), but similar game concepts are grouped together.
Skills also have scores.
Skills are based on your attributes. They can be improved individually, and also improve when the attribute improves.
Force Sensitive characters might have three more Skills with no base attribute: Control, Sense, Alter
Each skill can have specializations (e.g. the Starship Pilot skill might have YT-1300 Pilot)
Characters also have a speed, which is in a range determined by species.
Character Creation
Come up with a concept, etc.
Pick a species. If you are a droid, see below.
Decide whether you are force sensitive. You get a bonus force point, some extra options, and the dark side will eat you if you aren't goody-goody.
Allocate Attributes
Each species has a number of starting dice for attributes. It's usually 12, but not always. Player characters add six to this (so, usually 18). Humans get 12.
Each species has a range for each attribute, which are the starting mins/maxes. Humans are 2D/4D in everything.
Allocate values within this range. You can break dice into +1/+2 (1D is 3 +1's)
Allocate Skills
You get 7D to allocate among skills, and may not allocate more than 2D to any one.
The final skill value is Attribute + however much you allocated.
You can break these dice up too, just like before.
Advanced skills are a little weird, but it's basically only Medicine: you need 5D in First Aid. Medicine adds to your First Aid rolls, but not vice versa. Medicine starts at 1D, not at your attribute.
If you are force sensitive, you can also allocate these dice among Control, Sense, or Alter (no base attribute, so they start from 0; must buy at 1D or higher.)
If not human, check your special abilities first (occasionally they give bonuses during character creation)
Allocate Specializations
Pick 3 at 1D each.
They add to your skill (so, if you have Blaster 6D, you could specialize in holdout blasters and get 7D)
You don't need to have put points in the skill to specialize
The value is fixed. You can improve it later, but improving you attribute/skills won't affect specializations.
Move: write down the lower value from your species. Humans are 10.
Force Points: 1 normally; 2 if you checked “force sensitive”
Character points: 5
Dark Side points: usually zero. Taking any is a really bad idea with no upside, but you can do it.
Special abilities
Copy any over from your species.
Force skills come with 3 abilities for each skill that you put points in.
Character Advancement
Attributes
Trying to improve Attributes costs (die number) x 10 character points. E.g. 1D costs 10CP to improve, 3D+2 costs 30 to improve.
Trying to improve Attributes takes 2 months if at or under 4D; 6 months above 4D. If you don't have a trainer with the attribute higher than you, it's doubled.
At the end of the training time, you roll your current Attribute and the GM rolls your species' max attribute. If your roll is equal or less, the attribute goes up one pip (rolling over to the next die after +2, as normal).
When your attribute increases, all skills tied to that attribute also increase.
Skills
Spend as many character points as you have dice in that skill (the number before the D). Improve the skill one pip (rolling over to the next die after +2, as normal). Each skill can only improve once/adventure.
Training time with a trainer is 3 Days for current skill up to 4D; 1 week for current skill up to 7D; 2 weeks above that. Doubled without a trainer. Can buy time down to a minimum of one day by spending extra character points, one per day.
Advanced skills cost double and take 3x as long.
New skills train directly up from your attribute (e.g. if you have Dexterity 2D, you inherently have Bows 2D, and can improve bows from there). Subject to GM approval; weird/obscure skills might require training.
Specializations
Specializations do not improve when the base skill improves. You can improve them separately like skills, but at half cost.
Move
Pay your current move in CP. Increase your move by 1. Unlike attributes, your species max value is a hard cap on move.
Force Stuff
Becoming Force Sensitive later costs 20 character points. Check “yes”, add a force point, and try not to get eaten by the dark side.
Page 146 has details on improving from there:
To go from zero to 1D in control, sense or alter requires a teacher with at least 3D in that skill, 20 character points, and ten weeks. (Each skill individually)
With a skill trained, you advance it as normal with a trainer, except: the training time is one week. Without a trainer, cost is doubled and time is one month (minimum one week, if you buy the time down).
Whenever you advance a force skill, you also gain a force ability. If your teacher knows it, it's free. If not, it's 5 extra character points.
You can also buy force skills directly: 5 points with a teacher who knows it; 10 without.
Droid Character Creation
Pick a baseline droid.
Add 1D to all attributes.
Ignore all the skills listed; you have 10D to distribute as skills.
You cannot buy force skills, now or ever.
Move is whatever is listed.
No force points (you can never have them).
5 character points.
Copy over any special abilities.
Advancement is similar, but has a few quirks.
Skills
Dexterity
Archaic Guns, Blaster, Blaster Artillery, Bowcasters, Bows, Brawling Parry, Dodge, Firearm, Grenade, Lightsabers, Melee Combat, Melee Parry, Missile Weapon, Pick Pocket, Running, Thrown Weapon, Vehicle Blasters
Knowledge
Alien Species, Bureaucracy, Business, Cultures, Intimidation, Languages, Law Enforcement, Planetary Systems, Scholar, Streetwise, Survival, Tactics, Value, Willpower
Mechanical
Archaic Starship Piloting, Astrogation, Beast Riding, Capital Ship Gunnery, Capital Ship Piloting, Capital Ship Shields, Communications. ,Ground Vehicle Operation, Hover Vehicle Operation, Jet Pack Operation, Powersuit Operation, Repulsorlift Operation, Rocket Pack Operation, Sensors, Space Transports, Starfighter Piloting, Starship Gunnery, Starship shields, Swoop Operation, Walker Operation
Perception
Bargain, Command, Con, Forgery, Gambling, Hide, Investigation, Persuasion, Search, Sneak
Strength
Brawling, Climbing/Jumping, Lifting, Stamina, Swimming
Technical
Armor Repair, Blaster Repair, Capital Ship Repair, Capital Ship Weapon Repair, Computer Programming/Repair, Demolitions, Droid Programming, Droid Repair, First Aid, Ground Vehicle Repair, (A)Medicine, Repulsorlift Repair, Security, Space Transports Repair, Starfighter Repair, Starship Weapon Repair, Walker Repair