So I was just wondering is the force sensitive a class you can start as or do you need to buy it later?

There are no careers in EotE that start as Force Sensitive, but you can buy the Force Sensitive Exile specialization at chargen if you want. I'd advise waiting until you earn your first 20XP though, so that you can spend as much as possible in characteristics.

The only careers that are Force Sensitive in the game are in the Force and Destiny book.

There are no careers in EotE that start as Force Sensitive, but you can buy the Force Sensitive Exile specialization at chargen if you want. I'd advise waiting until you earn your first 20XP though, so that you can spend as much as possible in characteristics.

The only careers that are Force Sensitive in the game are in the Force and Destiny book.

I'd say character concept matters more. It's only 30XP to get the Force Sensitive Exile specialization (iirc, it's a non-career specialization for everyone?). I honestly hate this dogma that one must put all starting Experience points into characteristics. It makes you significantly weaker to start off, doesn't even start to pay off for twenty-plus adventures which is around when you'd be getting your first Dedication ability (to the OP, this gets you a +1 to a characteristic). Yes, it costs you more to raise characteristics later via buying Dedications later, but it's not as if all those points you spend getting to a Dedication are just flung into the void. You're buying lots of really good Talents in the tree on your way to the Dedication talent (which is only 25XP for +1 to any Characteristic, btw which is a lot cheaper than spending 50XP to get from 4 to 5 at creation).

None of my players ploughed many points into Characteristic boosts at creation and they've got well-rounded and capable characters. Maybe EotE is a popular game with accountants, I don't know, but I honestly do not see why this is repeated like a mantra on these forums.

Could be the rule book recommends increasing your attributes. Page 15: Players need to think carefully about their characteristic ratings, and should consider investing a significant portion of their starting experience points in improving their characteristics (more on character creation is covered on page 33).

Its a Universal specialty so it costs only 20xp unless you bought other career specialties before this.(Don't have the book on me but hope I remembering that correctly! )

I've always been of the mind that unless you start off force sensitive it should take some unusual event for that to change and not, now you can afford to so you decide to buy it whether its because another player starts off buying that specialty and you thinks its useful now.

I believe that unless your character's starting career is one from the Force & Destiny book then you will need this before looking at buying any of the career specialties in the F&D book.

I agree with the reply above where you may find better characteristics more useful now as thats even harder to raise later on.

Could be the rule book recommends increasing your attributes. Page 15: Players need to think carefully about their characteristic ratings, and should consider investing a significant portion of their starting experience points in improving their characteristics (more on character creation is covered on page 33).

I'm aware of it. I still disagree.

It's only a "dogma" because I'm not going to change my opinion every time someone new comes along. You might be bored with it, but they haven't heard it before. IMHO most people most of the time will be happier with it in the long run. For 30XP at chargen you could take one rank in 6 skills, or you could boost a characteristic from 2 to 3 and get an extra die in probably at least 6 skills, and in the first couple of sessions boost those same skills. So your assertion about "significantly weaker" and "20 sessions" is simply false.

I do agree that character concept matters more, and more power to those who play it that way. I just don't think maxing characteristics prohibits good character concepts. I also think there is a certain responsibility to the group to be at least decent in your area of expertise...being a pilot with Agility 2 and two skill ranks is pretty poor, especially when someone with Agility 3 and no ranks can usually get as good a result.

So your assertion about "significantly weaker" and "20 sessions" is simply false.

I completely agree that character concept is more important than mechanical stats. I don't think that just because you're a Mechanic (or a Doctor, or an Archaeologist, etc) that you should automatically raise your Intellect to 4 just because that's how you'll get the best mechanical advantage on your skill checks.

But it's definitely something to consider specifically at character creation because that's when you have the chance to do it.

I don't encourage or discourage buying Attributes at CharGen but I do tell my Players that they should build the PC they want to play right now and worry about advancement when it comes up. A Character's path will change over time and sometimes follow a plan very different then expected, so I advise that they have an idea of where you want to go but don't get caught up in the minutia, or EXP costs, just enjoy the ride not focus too much on the destination. Also this system is pretty forgiving and you don't need to max sh*t out to be very effective whichever way you go.

I completely agree that character concept is more important than mechanical stats. I don't think that just because you're a Mechanic (or a Doctor, or an Archaeologist, etc) that you should automatically raise your Intellect to 4 just because that's how you'll get the best mechanical advantage on your skill checks.

Could be the rule book recommends increasing your attributes. Page 15: Players need to think carefully about their characteristic ratings, and should consider investing a significant portion of their starting experience points in improving their characteristics (more on character creation is covered on page 33).

I'm aware of it. I still disagree.

How about the fact that you gain nothing from being Force Sensitive at character creation? I get character concepts, but you are p**ing away XP on things you cannot use, since having a Force Rating of 1 does exactly nothing for you on it's own. You don't gain any powers by default, you can't use the Force, and you don't get anything else from the Specialization for buying it right now. It's often more important that a character be able to survive and make the skill checks necessary to their character concept than it is to blow a quarter of their starting XP on something they can't use for a few sessions anyways. Or, you can spend your XP on characteristics, skills, and maybe a talent or two and pick up FSx and a power or talent after a few sessions and actually gain something from your investment. Same timeframe. Same XP. Same functionality. But if you by FSx at creation, you either can't use the Force for those first few sessions until you have more XP to spend or you waste all of your starting XP trying to gain Force abilities. Such a waste.

There's a reason why the book tells you to buy mostly characteristics at creation, and it isn't to be a munchkin or power gamer. There are no artificial, d20 restrictions on becoming Force Sensitive, so there is no reason why players should be crippling themselves because "concept." That's all baggage people are bringing to the table, and that's just not how this game is written.

Keep in mind that you can always opt into Force sensitivity later. The character begins to "discover his connection to the Force" after he's been around the galaxy a few times. That way the player can get his/her character set up to match what they are picturing.

Luke Skywalker at CharGen would probably be... a mix of Force Sensitive exile and Technician, I think. And eventually he would transform into a completely different class, but I can see how just a little bit of Force Sensitivity can go a long way towards crafting a hero in the universe. Luke would have it and not realize it, I think, not be able to actively use it, but sometimes it would affect things -- probably part of the reason he was such a skilled pilot and why he could snipe a womp rat from a T-16