So in my current game I play a Smuggler Scoundrel who is basically the face of the group. I'm currently running around with mostly fighters and am the lone character with social abilities. I have a small stock pile of credits (13000), but I'm not sure how to enhance my face abilities using said credits. About the only thing I can find is the tailored jacket (free advantage on Charm, Deception, and Negotiation), but this would mean sacrificing my modified armored clothing. The DM likes to do combat but also appreciates it when we find "alternative" solutions.

Stat wise I'm sitting at B 1 A 3 I 2 C 4 W 2 P 3. I'm almost to dedication which I haven't decided if I want to put into Agility or Cunning. If I can't improve my social skills I'm hoping to also see if there is a way to improve either a) Ranged Light or b) Piloting that does not involve cyberware. Input would be very much appreciated. Official gear is appreciated, unofficial please include source.

If you're working towards face skills you might consider putting your dedication into presence. Increasing your cunning will give you a small advantage on streetwise, deception and a few other nice skills. Adding this dedication to presence will increase skills such as charm, negotiation, ect . . .

Adding one green dice to 4 other positive dice is a help but not as big of a help as adding one green dice to 3 positive dice. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any ways to use credits to enhance your characters social skills other than what you have mentioned.

Depending on how often you play, you may want to consider sitting on your credits for the Lord of Nal Hutta and Fly Casual books. Those may have equipment selections in them that give you more options for boosting social situations.

Along with Satchmo72's I see the same thing as a benefit.

If you want a method to enhance those skills that is non conventional, maybe commission a mechanic to built a pendant that can release pheromones or a broach. This isn't too game breaking and you can talk to your GM about this device maybe giving a automatic advantage on charm/coercion/negotiation checks? Then decide between you and your GM the cost to hire the mechanic and for the parts. Based on other items that add similar usefulness to other checks I would think around 800-1000 credits and it would have to do some sort of roll to find the mechanic (maybe a similar to what it takes to find a rare item?)

Just throwing random ideas out there.

I'd put the points into Charm skills and attributes, you can always mod up a gun to make you better in combat.

I concur with a few of the points above:

• Put your next dedication into Presence characteristic to get another die on Charm, Cool, Leadership, and Negotiation.
• Wait for the options in Lords of Nal Hutta and Fly Casual before you spend too many credits.

If you want to spend a few credits, here are some interesting but not great things to buy:

• Mercantiler Datapad (Far Horizons p. 48, 250 credits) grants a boost on Negotiation checks to buy/sell goods (the legal kind at least).
• While it doesn't increase the skills in use, depending on how your GM rules on langauges, the Audio/Visual Translator (Enter the Unknown p. 54, 750 credits) could useful in talking to new species.
• For improving piloting (or at least creating options), the Remote Activation Controller (Suns of Fortune p.100, 300-1500 credits) would allow you to power up your ship, summon it on autopilot, or maybe even control it with a daunting pilot check from a parsec away.

For improving piloting (or at least creating options), the Remote Activation Controller (Suns of Fortune p.100, 300-1500 credits) would allow you to power up your ship, summon it on autopilot, or maybe even control it with a daunting pilot check from a parsec away.

It’s also possible to buy an Astromech (E-CRB:410) or Industrial Automation JC Series Pilot Droid (EtU:56), and have them help out.

Various expensive consumables could help improve your chances of negotiation, and if you had an Immune Implant, that might help you handle alcohol or drugs better than the people on the other side of the table.

Was the Kamperdine Custom Tailored Armored Jacket from Far Horizons already mentioned?

Was the Kamperdine Custom Tailored Armored Jacket from Far Horizons already mentioned?

In the OP, but not by full name.

I concur with a few of the points above:

• Put your next dedication into Presence characteristic to get another die on Charm, Cool, Leadership, and Negotiation.
• Wait for the options in Lords of Nal Hutta and Fly Casual before you spend too many credits.

If you want to spend a few credits, here are some interesting but not great things to buy:

• Mercantiler Datapad (Far Horizons p. 48, 250 credits) grants a boost on Negotiation checks to buy/sell goods (the legal kind at least).
• While it doesn't increase the skills in use, depending on how your GM rules on langauges, the Audio/Visual Translator (Enter the Unknown p. 54, 750 credits) could useful in talking to new species.
• For improving piloting (or at least creating options), the Remote Activation Controller (Suns of Fortune p.100, 300-1500 credits) would allow you to power up your ship, summon it on autopilot, or maybe even control it with a daunting pilot check from a parsec away.

Read about slave circuits in stay on target, the remote activation control is now supposed to do almost nothing but issue commands to the slave circuits which decides how to execute those commands... thship flies itself, it's not a remote control per se.

Well, you could go with the Rigger from the new book - gives you a boost to your talking skills when standing next to your Awesome Ship and its custom paint job.

I concur with a few of the points above:

• Put your next dedication into Presence characteristic to get another die on Charm, Cool, Leadership, and Negotiation.
• Wait for the options in Lords of Nal Hutta and Fly Casual before you spend too many credits.

If you want to spend a few credits, here are some interesting but not great things to buy:

• Mercantiler Datapad (Far Horizons p. 48, 250 credits) grants a boost on Negotiation checks to buy/sell goods (the legal kind at least).
• While it doesn't increase the skills in use, depending on how your GM rules on langauges, the Audio/Visual Translator (Enter the Unknown p. 54, 750 credits) could useful in talking to new species.
• For improving piloting (or at least creating options), the Remote Activation Controller (Suns of Fortune p.100, 300-1500 credits) would allow you to power up your ship, summon it on autopilot, or maybe even control it with a daunting pilot check from a parsec away.

Read about slave circuits in stay on target, the remote activation control is now supposed to do almost nothing but issue commands to the slave circuits which decides how to execute those commands... thship flies itself, it's not a remote control per se.

Don't have the book. No plans on buying it. The group is EotE focused, so we will most likely use them in the way they're described (albeit briefly) in Suns of Fortune. I expect these slave circuits will be mentioned in Fly Casual, and the group will adapt then.

Edit: Removed.

Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along.

As far as buying Ranged(Light), other than the couple attachments that give automatic Advantages, you could go for the accurate quality which adds a Boost to your attack. Suns of Fortune has a couple pistols with that quality.

Thanks to everyone who responded, I was planning on saving my credits for both Nal Hutta and Fly Casual but wanted to do something now, but looks like I have to wait. I'm discussing with my DM to let me invest some credits so that I will have a few more later, or allow me to purchase training (mainly knowledge skills). We are still talking options.

I honestly hadn't thought about putting my Dedication into Presence before reading these opinions. I actually might do that but it will also depend on what comes out in the future books. Right now I have high Deception and Skulduggery and Convincing Demeanor, so I only use Cool and Charm for Presence but maybe I will invest in these useful skills.