[cflsystems]

Well you need to know at least basic css/html/smarty to be able to edit the templates. Unfortunatelly for you the version you are starting with is brand new, just released, and its template system is different from previous version. But css/html/smarty rules still apply. You may have hard time finding what's what and where it is as almost every bit of info here in the forums is for previous versions.
Start with using Firebug plugin for FF which will help you with css styles/classes, Webmaster in xcart will help you with finding out which templates are called from any page and where they are, Webmaster also can edit language variables on the fly.
I guess just start playing with it.