If I have a previous character, who is NOT Force Sensitive, I know I can take a Universal Specialty (like Force Sensitive Exile) for my 2nd specialization at 20xp and gain Force rating 1, but if I want to take a specialization from the F&D book, such as the Mystic's Makashi Duelist (costing 30xp as a 2nd specialty since it is an outside my career, non-Universal speciality) would I also gain a Force rating of 1?

I understand the way F&D is written, gaining a Force rating of 1 comes with the career, not the specialties. However I find it odd to spend more xp but not get the Force rating too. I feel this is a bit of an omission in the system rather than a direct intent, but what do I know.

It does seem to me that anyone gaining a specialty from F&D should also gain a Force rating of 1. It doesn't make sense to me that players could spend less xp to gain the rating through the Universal but not be allowed to spend more xp but not gain it in F&D. What are your opinions?

You would not. You only get the free Force Rating from FaD stuff if you start in one of those careers.

The balance cost for this is that people starting in FaD start with less career skills and get less free ranks. And going into a FaD specialization nets you career skills right from the get-go, as opposed to the Universal Specializations, where you can get some skills as career skills after buying a talent. So in a way, it balances out.

My opinion is, play it by the rules. They are intentionally designed that way, and for a good reason.

If it helps, you could look at it this way: a character that wants to start as a non-Force sensitive needs to go through "awakening" before he can touch the Force. The Exile or Emergent path will get you there for 20 XP, and then you may proceed as you wish.

Otherwise, you can start as a Force Sensitive, and since you have already been steeped in the ways of the Force (to some degree or another), it is easier for you to branch out into Force-using specializations. This comes at the cost of smaller career skill list and less skill ranks.

Either way, there is a cost involved. And therein lies the balance, which has been carefully crafted.

If you want to move an existing character into F&D I'd talk to your GM about recreating the character and starting out in F&D, if that fits the concept better.

One nice thing about FSE/FSX is that it's one of the easiest ways to get to Force Rating and you pick up some nice talents on the way.

But if you really want to be playing a Makashi duelist I'd ask your GM about recreating the character.

As a GM I would allow a characer to recreate the pc, but roleplay it as us without saying you started as a Makashi. It means you would lose the bonus skill ranks, but roleplay you were always Force sensitive and you just didn't realize it.

You could also just purchase the Tree you want, and wait until you get to the bottom and the +1 Force Rating talent (which will give you your first point). I would not say this is _wise_ by any stretch, and definitely not efficient, and would probably end up with lots of experience that would not be useful until you get that talent; but it would do the trick.

You could also just purchase the Tree you want, and wait until you get to the bottom and the +1 Force Rating talent (which will give you your first point). I would not say this is _wise_ by any stretch, and definitely not efficient, and would probably end up with lots of experience that would not be useful until you get that talent; but it would do the trick.

I don't think so. My understanding is that the +1 Force Rating talent is a Force talent which requires you to be Force sensitive in order to utilize that talent. So a non-Force sensitive could buy the +1 Force Rating talent, but could not actually use it to gain a Force rating until they became Force Sensitive and already had a Force rating. See page 282.

Plus, the Makashi speciality doesn't have a +1 Force rating talent in its tree.

Thank you for all your thoughts on this. My GM and I both agreed that taking the Makashi specialty (or any F&D specialty) does not confer Force sensitive/Force Rating 1 on characters.

Luckily, due to other players advocating for more powerful characters for what will likely be our initial, short "campaign" (4-6 adventures), the GM has decided to start us with Knight level.

So the character I'm building will start as a Gran (AoR:56) Smuggler (EE:60)/Charmer (Fly Casual:26) who becomes Force Sensitive Emergent (AoR:292 for 20XP) with Force rating 1 and then learns the Makashi Duelist specialty (F&D:82 for 30XP).

For 50XP, I get the sort of deep background character I wanted to create story-wise (a Gran trader, very social charmer and pilot) who is Force sensitive and focuses on mystical Force use as a Makashi Duelist when necessary.

I actually enjoyed using four different books to pull him together from. Ours is a story-based group, not power players, so developing a reasonable history of his development is more important than finding the cheapest way to power.

Thanks again for confirming this is the best (only) way to really go. I learned a lot about the new specialties and Force talents and Force powers in the process.

Thank you for all your thoughts on this. My GM and I both agreed that taking the Makashi specialty (or any F&D specialty) does not confer Force sensitive/Force Rating 1 on characters.

Luckily, due to other players advocating for more powerful characters for what will likely be our initial, short "campaign" (4-6 adventures), the GM has decided to start us with Knight level.

So the character I'm building will start as a Gran (AoR:56) Smuggler (EE:60)/Charmer (Fly Casual:26) who becomes Force Sensitive Emergent (AoR:292 for 20XP) with Force rating 1 and then learns the Makashi Duelist specialty (F&D:82 for 30XP).

For 50XP, I get the sort of deep background character I wanted to create story-wise (a Gran trader, very social charmer and pilot) who is Force sensitive and focuses on mystical Force use as a Makashi Duelist when necessary.

I actually enjoyed using four different books to pull him together from. Ours is a story-based group, not power players, so developing a reasonable history of his development is more important than finding the cheapest way to power.

Thanks again for confirming this is the best (only) way to really go. I learned a lot about the new specialties and Force talents and Force powers in the process.

That Makashi Duelist specialization will actually cost you 40 XP, since it is your third specialization (30 XP) and it's also out of career (+10XP).