This chapter collects specific notes and suggestions regarding how to effectively roleplay within the Star Wars universe.

“Session Zero”
-Ardrikk

It's highly suggested that you have the following discussion with your players before starting a campaign:

“What has everyone seen? Is there anything anyone hasn't seen that they want to stay unspoiled on? How much of what takes place in the era we're playing in will be canon in this game? And is canon sacred or can it be broken?”

Use the Star Wars Setting
West End Games Star Wars Style Guide, Version 2.0 (August 1994)

The Star Wars universe is a lot more than the Rebels versus the Empire. There are independent companies, hostile bounty hunters, intelligent aliens, and so forth. When creating plots, villains and settings, use this setting to the utmost. Remember, it’s a big galaxy out there, and you can help fill it — if what you create fits existing material and has that Star Wars feel to it.

Be exciting! Star Wars should be chaotic, fast-moving action adventure. The worlds and characters should be interesting. [...]

However, the largeness of scale must have context. You may not create something that’s too big, powerful, destructive, or valuable, or else the Empire would have taken control of it. Before the death of the Emperor, if it was really important to the Empire, it would crack down and assert control. On the other hand, if it would be cheaper and easier to intimidate others into doing their bidding, the Empire would use that tactic.

For example, most large businesses stayed independent by swearing allegiance to the Empire and keeping any illegal activities very quiet.

Star Wars is a “Real” Universe
West End Games Star Wars Style Guide, Version 2.0 (August 1994)

Star Wars is more than good guys versus bad guys. People in the Star Wars universe are real people, with real motivations, goals, faults and weaknesses. Create three dimensional, interesting, complex characters with depth. People have real motivations, just like people in our world: to get a good job, to get rich, to find a date. They don’t do things without reason. People are good and evil, and many have high and lofty ideals, but many also have realistic motives.

Granted the Empire is evil, but let’s see some realistic evil: the Empire is trying to control people and maintain power. They’re not going to execute people unless they think it will get them something — obedience from those who are around, for instance. The citizens of the Empire are, more often than not, just folks who don’t realize how evil the Empire can be because it never affects them personally.

The Empire has a great deal of control of information, so most of the time people don’t hear about atrocities on backwater worlds. In the Empire proper no one is going to think about revolting against what they perceive as a “not perfect but could be worse” government. Besides, if someone does hear about an atrocity, they figure the victims were criminals and rabble-rousers who deserved what they got. It’s not that people don’t care, but they, like lots of Americans, choose not to get involved.

Stormtroopers Are Loyal!
West End Games Star Wars Style Guide, Version 2.0 (August 1994)

Real stormtroopers are fanatically loyal to the Emperor. After the death of the Emperor, some Imperials might dress up normal soldiers in stormtrooper uniforms, but “real” stormtroopers still loyal to the remnants of the Empire are unswayable.

Use the Major Players Sparingly
West End Games Star Wars Style Guide, Version 2.0 (August 1994)

Don’t [use] plots in which the major movie characters play a significant part. Maybe they guest star or have a short cameo for a scene or two. Think of Sean Connery’s role in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Don’t use Darth Vader, the Emperor, or other heavy adversaries.

Character Archetypes

In the realm of Star Wars storytelling, many licensed authors have repeatedly aimed to craft instantly recognizable heroes and villains, often by replicating established figures. However, this approach rarely succeeds because characters can't be engineered through calculated replication or audience testing—efforts to produce a second Han Solo, for instance, tend to fall flat, as seen with Dash Rendar in Shadows of the Empire.

Instead, the more effective writers recognize that enduring Star Wars characters draw from broad archetypes, and they succeed by identifying and adapting archetypes that haven't been fully explored in the galaxy far, far away.

Timothy Zahn observed that Darth Vader embodied the archetype of the Dark Knight, armored and imposing, while Emperor Palpatine fit the role of the Dark Wizard, manipulating events from afar with cunning and dark powers. Rather than introducing yet another dark wizard as the primary antagonist —Zahn drew from an untapped source – the Professor Moriarty archetype – which emphasized problem solving and creativity over brute force. Because this archetype hadn't yet been seen in the Star Wars universe, Thrawn became a favorite.

A similar archetype – the discreet operative – appeared with the character of Luthien Rael in Andor.

The Luthiens of the galaxy operate in the shadows, handling issues for high-level figures like Imperial senators or influential corporate leaders. For a steep fee, they quietly extract wayward family members entangled in partisan cells, scrub incriminating records from secure databases, or secure illicit shipments without drawing attention from authorities.

Another archetype you could use comes from the Breaking Bad Universe – the Vacuum Cleaner Repairman. He's a subvariant of the Discreet Operative – he's That Guy That Can Get You Out, But It's Going to Cost You [tm]. He has a set of skills and contacts that enable him to discreetly move almost anyone, but the more notorious you are, the more difficult and expensive it becomes as the Repairman has to burn/use up contacts or favors to get you out. In some cases he may very well have to risk himself being exposed. This is all reflected in the staggering prices he quotes.

Tatooine (and others like it) are a Trap

In holodramas, subsistence worlds are often glamorized as dusty hideouts for outlaws and fugitives—remote backwaters where you can disappear after a high-stakes heist. But the truth is far grimmer: these planets are flytraps, luring in novice smugglers only to ensnare them.

Take Tatooine as a prime example. Situated roughly two thousand light-years from the bustling Corellian Run trade route, with its Standard Class starport and sparse population, it tricks rookies into thinking it's the ideal spot to lie low. Yet this very isolation is what makes it so deadly.

Unlike Coruscant, where millions of ships swarm the skies from countless ports, allowing you to blend into the chaos, Tatooine has just one major hub: Mos Eisley. This single entry point turns surveillance into child's play—especially with Jabba the Hutt and his syndicate keeping a winter palace nearby. They track every arrival and departure through hidden sensor arrays, bribed dockworkers, and cantina informants.

When an "interesting" ship touches down, it's only a matter of time before the Hutts close in, just like they did with Han Solo a few months before the events of A New Hope.

At the time, Solo was limping the Falcon through hyperspace after blasting past an Imperial checkpoint. Desperate to scrub the ship's "hot" transponder code, Chewbacca suggested Ord Mantell, but Solo waved him off with his trademark grin: "Easy, Chewie. Tatooine's perfect—quiet, no Imperial garrison, and I know some guys there who'll wipe our ID for cheap."

Landing at Mos Eisley went off without a hitch, but it wasn't long before a Twi'lek approached them with a message from Jabba:

“The Empire's posted a nice bounty on a ship matching your rustbucket's description. But the most generous Jabba admires your style. Run a few spice hauls for him, and he'll keep quiet. He might even hook you up with that clean ID you need. Refuse? The Imperials are just a holocall away.”

From there, Jabba's “jobs” snowballed, each one riskier than the last, while Han's flair for flashy escapes kept resetting the clock— they'd pull off a daring run, scrape together enough credits to start paying off the “protection” fee, but then boom—another brush with Imperial cruisers, forcing yet another costly ID swap that drained their funds, as well as a penalty fee to Jabba for dumping his cargo.

And that's how a hotshot pilot like Han Solo ended up slumming it in a dive bar on Tatooine, working for a two-bit crimelord when the old man and the farm boy walked in.

Don't let your players fall into the same trap.

The Deadliest Secret in the Galaxy

In the shadow of the Galactic Empire, one truth is more dangerous than any other: Emperor Palpatine is Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord who engineered the Clone Wars and orchestrated the catastrophic downfall of the Jedi Order.

Fewer than a handful of souls know this secret, and fewer still dare whisper it. To uncover this truth is to become an enemy of the galaxy itself, for the Empire’s very existence hinges on the lie that Palpatine is its savior, not its destroyer.

Those who dare to pursue this forbidden knowledge tread a path of utter desolation: no sanctuary will shield them, no ally will stand firm, and no mercy will soften the Emperor’s wrath. The grim fate of the Black Sun crime syndicate during the Clone Wars stands as a chilling testament to this reality.

Circa 20 BBY, as the galaxy burned in the crucible of the Clone Wars, intelligence reached Palpatine that his long-presumed-dead apprentice, Darth Maul, had not only clawed his way back from oblivion but had seized control of the sprawling criminal empire known as Black Sun.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sidious redirected the Republic's formidable military might away from the frontlines against the Separatist forces. Vast fleets were marshaled instead for a singular, devastating purpose: the total eradication of Black Sun and its upstart leader.

At the helm of this relentless purge stood Wilhuff Tarkin, a cold and calculating loyalist whose devotion to the Chancellor was matched only by his appetite for control. Fortified strongholds were reduced to molten slag by orbital barrages and the syndicate's Vigos were systematically hunted down and executed by Republic Commandos.

In the wake of this slaughter, Black Sun’s broken remnants were scavenged by lesser crime lords—the Pykes, the Hutts, and Crimson Dawn—each eager to claim scraps of its former glory. Of Maul himself, he vanished into the mists of history.

For those players who wish to tread dangerously, the following people knew of Palpatine's secrets up to around 0 BBY:

Sith Affiliated

• Darth Plagueis: Palpatine's Master – killed by Palpatine shortly before Phantom Menace.

• Darth Maul – Palpatine's first apprentice. Seemingly killed during Phantom Menace.

• Darth Tyranus / Count Dooku – Palpatine's second apprentice. Decapitated by Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith.

• Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker – Palpatine's third apprentice. Palpatine confided in Skywalker that he was a Sith in Revenge of the Sith; Anakin later intervened to save Palpatine in his duel with the Jedi.

• Sly Moore (Sith Functionary) – Palpatine's force sensitive Umbaran Chief of Staff / Aide.

• Mas Amedda (Sith Functionary) – Palpatine's advisor during the Clone Wars, later Grand Vizier of the Imperial Ruling Council.

• Sate Pestage (Sith Functionary) – One of Palpatine's advisors from Naboo; appears on the Death Star II in the background in Return of the Jedi.

• Select Imperial Royal Guardsmen – Specifically, the ones who guarded his inner living quarters and saw Palpatine using high level Sith powers.

Jedi Affiliated

• Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin – Confronted Palpatine in his office in Revenge of the Sith. Three are confirmed dead, while Windu is unconfirmed (body thrown out window).

• Yoda – Discovered Palpatine’s identity as Sidious through security holograms in the Jedi Temple. He later engaged the Sith Lord in a direct duel within the Galactic Senate chamber.

• Obi-Wan Kenobi – Learned of Palpatine’s Sith identity alongside Yoda via the same Temple security recordings. Subsequently faced Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, on Mustafar.

• Bail Organa (*) – Informed by Yoda and Obi-Wan during Padmé Amidala’s childbirth, as they strategized to protect the soon to be born twins from Imperial influence.

NOTE [*]: Yoda and Obi-Wan, having observed Palpatine’s gradual corruption of Anakin Skywalker, recognized the necessity of informing Bail Organa, who would soon adopt Leia into the Alderaanian Royal Family. As Leia would likely encounter Palpatine in his public guise as the benevolent Emperor, Bail would need to know the truth, in order for him to shield Leia from Palpatine’s subtle manipulations.

Likely Suspected but Unconfirmed Knowledge

• Imperial Inquisitors – They reported directly to Vader during the Imperial Era, and likely knew that Palpatine was connected to the Sith, but it's very unlikely that they made the connection with Darth Sidious.

• Wilhuff Tarkin – The Tarkin novels suggests he had some hints as to Palpatine's secret identity, but wisely did not push further.

• Mitth'raw'nuruodo (Thrawn) – The new Thrawn novels suggest he was able to figure out some of the darker aspects of Palpatine's nature; but stopped there.

• Mon Mothma (*) – Received a coded transmission from Bail Organa around the time of the Rogue One operation, containing veiled hints about Palpatine’s nature.

NOTE [*]: As the Galactic Civil War loomed, Bail Organa faced increasing vulnerability. No longer an Imperial Senator—his role having been assumed by Princess Leia—he lacked the protections afforded to high-ranking officials. Recognizing the need to arm the nascent Rebel Alliance with critical intelligence in case something should happen to him, Organa sought to convey his knowledge of Palpatine’s true identity as Darth Sidious.

He sent a carefully worded, encrypted message to Mon Mothma, then in hiding on Yavin IV. The transmission alluded to the Emperor’s treachery but stopped short of explicitly detailing his Sith lordship or orchestration of the Clone Wars, as such revelations were deemed too dangerous to send electronically. Organa intended to brief Mothma in person about the full extent of Palpatine’s manipulations, but his death during the destruction of Alderaan by the Death Star prevented this meeting.

Wild Card: Surviving Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) Archives

The fate of the Confederacy of Independent Systems’ data archives at the conclusion of the Clone Wars remains a critical wild card. CIS leadership, engaged in clandestine communications with a mysterious figure directing their war efforts, maintained records of these exchanges. Such documentation would have functioned as a protective measure against betrayal, serving as a de facto “burn file” for self-preservation.

During the execution of Operation Knightfall at the Jedi Temple, simultaneous operations targeted CIS data repositories to eliminate evidence of Sidious’ involvement. Palpatine’s intimate knowledge of his interactions with the CIS allowed for precise, surgical destruction of compromising records, supplemented by the erasure of unrelated data to create obfuscation.

The most sensitive records—personal files held by high-ranking CIS leaders—were transported to Mustafar, where they were either destroyed or secured within Palpatine’s private archives following the elimination of the Separatist Council.

As a result, post-war Imperial historians examining captured CIS archives encounter only scattered references to an enigmatic codename for Sidious. Lacking sufficient context due to these purges, these fragments are typically dismissed as inconclusive.

Plot Hook for Players: Stumbling upon a forgotten CIS data cache—perhaps concealed within an abandoned Separatist outpost—offers players a high-stakes opportunity to uncover fragments of truth about Darth Sidious, potentially linking him to Emperor Palpatine. These records might contain cryptic logs of communications or directives, hinting at the Sith’s orchestration of the Clone Wars. However, such a discovery carries grave risks.

Palpatine, ever vigilant of the threat posed by surviving CIS archives, maintains a network of functionaries dedicated to monitoring the holonet and underworld channels for any mention of rediscovered data. Unearthing such a cache would swiftly draw the Empire’s attention, from Imperial Inquisitors to Darth Vader himself.

The Lesser Deadliest Secrets in the Galaxy

For Game Masters seeking to infuse their campaigns with layers of high-stakes intrigue—without plunging straight into the suicidal peril of unmasking Darth Sidious' true identity—consider allowing players to gradually uncover fragments of Palpatine's contingency plans. Which plan your players uncover depend on their party members' alignment.

Non-Force-Sensitive Parties

Throughout the nearly two decades of his reign, Palpatine methodically diverted immense resources—elite manpower, cutting-edge starships, and entire mobile production facilities—into two fortified bastions: the Deep Core and the vast, unmapped voids of the Unknown Regions.

By the waning days of Palpatine's rule, the concealed might in the Unknown Regions had swelled to encompass the equivalent of approximately 250 sectors—a "vest-pocket empire" commanded by the enigmatic Grand Admiral Thrawn. Balancing this was a more compact reserve in the Deep Core, spanning around a hundred sectors under the oversight of Grand Admiral Mils Giel, serving as a counterweight to Thrawn – a failsafe against any hint of disloyalty from the alien.

These redoubts were designed by Palpatine as a contingency against internal betrayal, widespread rebellion, or the improbable downfall of his regime by keeping a hidden force equivalent to over a quarter of the Empire's military in the shadows, waiting to strike.

In the chaotic aftermath of Palpatine's demise at the Battle of Endor, both commanders emerged from seclusion to seize the galactic stage.

Giel struck first but fell swiftly; his forces, though potent, were outflanked and annihilated in a grueling series of clashes during the New Republic's Core Campaign circa 7 ABY. This paved the way for most of the Core Worlds to fall under Republic control.

Thrawn, ever patient, waited. In 9 ABY, he materialized from the Unknown Regions, injecting fresh vigor into the demoralized Imperial Remnants. His campaigns nearly reversed the tide of the Galactic Civil War, only to culminate in his death at the Battle of Bilbringi a year later in 10 ABY.

Force-Sensitive Parties

For Force-sensitive players, there is the possibility of following the threadways of the Force through mysterious visions or the pull of the Dark Side itself to locate the mysterious Byss. This world, a nexus of dark side energy shrouded in secrecy, remains unknown even to Grand Admirals Giel or Thrawn.

Nestled on Byss is the crumbling remnant of Palpatine's grandest delusion: a vast, labyrinthine citadel pulsating with raw dark side energy. Within its echoing halls and laboratories, the Emperor pursued the forbidden rite of essence transfer—a Sith sorcery aimed at anchoring his indomitable spirit to freshly cloned vessels, achieving the true immortality that had evaded generations of Sith.

Palpatine envisioned an eternal reign, his consciousness leaping from body to body like a parasite of pure malevolence. His downfall in this pursuit traces back to the slaying of his master, Darth Plagueis, decades earlier on the eve of his ascent to Chancellor.

The cunning Muun, ever paranoid about his apprentice's ambitions, conducted his midi-chlorian experiments in utmost secrecy, committing little to writing. Plagueis' pivotal breakthrough—that manipulating midi-chlorians to create or sustain life demanded an alignment toward the light side—was thus lost forever in the moment of his murder, along with the knowledge that the dark side's inherent entropy warped any purely Sith-forged vessel.

This fatal oversight culminated dramatically in the aftermath of Palpatine's corporeal demise at the Battle of Endor. As his spirit fled across the void, it sought refuge in a primed clone awaiting activation on Byss—only for the vessel to rebel against the infusion, writhing in agony before erupting in a cataclysmic burst of uncontrolled Force energy that scorched the chamber and left behind a charred husk.

This spectacle, beheld by a shocked assembly of Dark Side Adepts who had long revered their master as invincible, marked Palpatine's “second death” and shattered the fragile hierarchy he had imposed. The adepts, suddenly bereft of his domineering presence, descended into frenzied disarray as they realized their master was truly gone.

What followed was a vortex of annihilation as Byss's denizens devolved into feuding cabals, their conflicts echoing the ruinous schisms that ravaged the ancient Sith a millennium ago. They unleashed horrors from their cloning labs—grotesque, half-formed abominations twisted by failed essence experiments—or summoned raging Force storms that tore across the planet's surface.

By 7 ABY, after three relentless years of internecine warfare, Byss stands as a desolate mausoleum to Sith hubris—a silent graveyard where skeletal remnants of cloned experiments litter dust-choked halls, and faint dark side echoes whisper temptations to the unwary.

Playing Cinematic Heroism in the Galaxy

At its core, cinematic heroism demands a shift in mindset for the Gamemaster (GM): from impartial arbiter of dice to collaborative storyteller. Players pour heart into their scoundrels, Jedi hopefuls, and rebel pilots—why let a single bad roll shatter that?

Instead, treat every Player Character (PC) as Force-Touched, subtly guided by the cosmic will that underpins the galaxy. This isn't about making characters invincible; it's about ensuring their stories endure until they've carved a legend worthy of the holodramas. Like Chirrut Îwe from Rogue One, who walks blind through blaster fire with unshakeable faith, your PCs are shielded—not by plot armor, but by the narrative momentum of the Force itself—until their purpose is gloriously fulfilled.

Mechanically, this manifests as the GM's prerogative to narrate around failure, transforming lethal setbacks into springboards for drama. It's not fudging dice (a cardinal sin in some games), but rolling with them—interpreting results through the lens of Star Wars' high-stakes cinema.

Dramatic Survival: If a roll indicates a PC’s death (e.g., exceeding their wound threshold or failing a critical injury check), reinterpret the result. Instead of death, the PC might suffer a Critical Injury (e.g., a lost limb, a coma, or temporary blindness) that removes them from the immediate scene but leaves room for recovery. These moments should feel perilous but never final unless narratively appropriate. A sample scenario would be:

A PC is caught in a stormtrooper ambush, and the dice indicate a lethal hit. Instead of death, the GM rules the PC is gravely wounded, collapsing behind cover with a critical injury (e.g., “Maimed: Lose an Arm”). The team must now fight to protect their unconscious comrade, dragging him behind cover, and changing immediate post-mission objectives to “locate a bacta tank”

Involve Players in Twists: When reinterpreting a deadly roll, ask players for input on how their PC survives – this keeps players engaged in the narrative.

Narrative Escapes: When PCs face capture or entrapment, introduce a twist within 1–2 sessions. A prison break might involve a fellow inmate with crucial intel but a shady agenda. Their prison transport might be ambushed by opportunistic pirates, freeing the PCs but landing them in debt to a dangerous new ally. These escapes should always introduce new challenges to maintain tension.

Killing a PC: To kill a PC using standard RPG mechanics, the circumstances must be extraordinary. A PC’s death should require multiple failed rolls or a deliberate player choice to embrace a heroic sacrifice. Even then, the GM should ensure the death feels like a triumphant capstone, not a random misfortune. For example, a PC might choose to detonate a thermal detonator to collapse a tunnel on pursuing enemies, knowing it will cost their life but save the team.

Prevalence of the Force in the Galaxy

West End Games in Star Wars The Role-Playing Game (2E) (page 140) defined the quantity of beings in the Galaxy who are Force-Sensitive as “numbering in the millions at most”; with a further proviso that active force users are perhaps a tenth (10%) or a hundredth (1%) of the total number of Force Sensitives.

A more accurate assessment might be this tiered list:

Force Touched – 0.1% of Galactic Population (100 Trillion). This represents characters like Han Solo, Wedge Antilles, or Cassian Andor. They don't knowingly use the Force, and can't direct it; but it manifests in insane feats of flying against the odds (Solo), survival against all odds (Wedge / Andor) as well as the capability for the Force to give them “hints”, manifesting as “I got a bad feeling about this.”

Force-Sensitive – 0.1% of Force-Touched (100 Billion). At this scale, characters unwittingly cause the Force to assist them. The prime example would be a gambler with excellent luck.

Force-Users – 0.1% of Force-Sensitive (100 Million). At this scale, characters know how to actively manipulate the force to get their desired outcome. Best example is Temiri Blagg, the “Broom Boy” from the ending of The Last Jedi.

The Jedi Order, prior to its dissolution in 19 BBY, actively recruited from all three tiers of Force Affinity to sustain its operations across the galaxy. While the Jedi Knights—fully trained Force-Users—served as the public face of the Order, the logistical demands of maintaining the Grand Jedi Temple on Coruscant and numerous regional temples and outposts necessitated the inclusion of Force-Touched and Force-Sensitive individuals in order to free up Jedi Knights for peacekeeping.

Following the catastrophic collapse of the Jedi Order in 19 BBY, precipitated by Order 66 and the subsequent rise of the Galactic Empire, the majority of surviving Jedi and their affiliates were driven into obscurity. The Imperial Inquisition, tasked with eradicating all remnants of the Jedi, instilled widespread fear among Force-affiliated individuals, compelling them to conceal their identities and abilities.

Despite this suppression, many of these survivors retained fragments of Jedi knowledge, artifacts, and traditions, safeguarding them in secrecy. These individuals, often detectable only by those with heightened Force sensitivity, represent a latent reservoir of Jedi heritage scattered across the galaxy. Examples include:

• Texts and Holocrons: Force-Sensitive archivists or librarians, such as those who served in the Jedi Temple’s Archives, may have secreted away datacrons, scrolls, or texts.

• Artifacts and Relics: Former Jedi or temple staff might possess physical items, such as training sabers, meditation tools, or fragments of ceremonial armor, often hidden in secure locations or disguised as mundane objects.

• Oral Traditions: In the absence of written records, some survivors memorized Jedi teachings, including philosophical tenets, meditation techniques, or basic Force exercises, passing them on in hushed conversations to trusted confidants.

These fragments, while incomplete, collectively represent a distributed archive of Jedi lore, preserved against the day when the Order might be restored.

Technology Policy
Galladinium's Fantastic Technology (Pages 2-3)

Technology is an integral part of the Star Wars universe, but uncontrolled technological advancement is dangerous to game balance and may hamper the "Star Wars feel" you’ll want to convey in your adventures. The following suggestions are guidelines for a reasonable “technology policy” in your Star Wars adventures.

First off, Star Wars is not a “technologically-oriented" game where new devices are the only way to save the day. Rather than having each adventure solved by some new technological trinket (with accompanying pseudo-scientific-techno-babble), characters rely on their wits. They use technology as "taken for granted" tools. Star Wars is a universe where technology is common, well- known and well-used — innovations are the exception rather than the rule.

This is essential to the spirit of the game. Introducing newer, more advanced items has a tendency to trigger a "galactic arms race." The characters become unimportant because the game revolves around newer and newer devices. The game will barely be recognizable as Star Wars.

AVOIDING TECHNOLOGY OVERKILL

Simply put: once an item is introduced, it can never be taken back. While not every group of characters will abuse technology, it is best to assume the worst and let the characters prove that they will use devices responsibly. Assume that once characters learn that a device — any device, from Death Stars to force shields — may exist in the Star Wars universe, they will get their hands on such a device and abuse it to such an extent that no one can stand against them.

The result is called “power gaming” and it’s not at all desirable. Such devices if they exist at all (and some things just shouldn't exist in Star Wars) must be so controlled; so rare and probably so fundamentally flawed or dangerous as to be useful only for a very specific, onetime only use.

Keep in mind that just because a person can possibly obtain a particularly powerful piece of technology, it does not necessarily follow that he or she must automatically be provided with it. For this reason, gamemasters should again feel free to adjust availability and prices.

This is not to suggest that Star Wars technology should stand still. Rather. Star Wars technology, just like in the real world, evolves. Technological breakthroughs that fundamentally alter the nature of the Star Wars universe are rare; new products with incremental improvements are commonplace.

Consider Luke’s comment that his landspeeder hasn't been in demand ever since the new XP-38 landspeeders came out. Or, consider the introduction of the new A-wing, B-wing and TIE interceptor fighters in Return of the Jedi. Each of these new devices is slightly better than the devices that came before it: A-wings are faster than X-wings. but they have weak hulls so they can’t take the punishment that an X-wing can. TIE interceptors are faster and have better weapons, but “common” TIE/lns still have a role in the Imperial Navy. New ships may be faster, but they are also considerably more expensive, temperamental (especially if they use experimental technology) and the demand for them probably far outstrips the supply (keeping the price high).

In your adventures, it is fine to introduce incremental changes in technology over time. Two or three years (game time) into a campaign, the characters may be able to get their hands on blasters that have better range or more ammo capacity ... but don’t give them blaster pistols that do 6D damage!

(Optional) Era Modifier Rule
Galaxy Guide 16 – The Old Republic (unofficial sourcebook)

Technology advances a lot over a thousand years. While a blaster has been a blaster as far back as anyone can remember, the shields used to deflect it and the armor used to absorb it have advanced considerably over the 25,000 years of known galactic history.

For this reason, an optional rule exists to reflect the difference in build strength and technological development between different time periods. When comparing two technological values from items of differing eras - say, a starfighter's blaster and a ship's hull, or a lightsaber blade and a suit of armor - refer to the following chart and subtract the difference between the two eras' die codes from the older item's roll.

For example, Eran is flying a Rebellion era YT-850 freighter (0D) against a vintage Clone War era ARC-170 fighter (-1D). If the ARC-170 were to fire its laser cannon at the YT-850, the older ship would subtract 1D from its laser's damage roll against the YT's newer hull, to represent the relative difference in armor strength. Consequently, were the YT to return fire, the ARC-170 would be at a -1D penalty for its Hull strength roll against the newer ship's lasers. However, neither ship would be at a penalty when rolling their piloting skill and adding their ship's Maneuver dice, as the rolls are not directly against one another.

Note that Era Modifiers are NOT applied when a living being's Strength rolls are involved. As there is little to no advancement in the biology of a being from era to era, a blaster bolt is just as damaging to living tissue regardless of which era it was made in. Era Modifiers are used only to represent differences in manufacturing and technology relative to each other.