Seduction can also be deception depending pn how your character feels about the other. For example seducing that Twi'lek dancer is going to be charm. Seducing that Hutt is most definitely going to be deception.

Or vice versa if you're a Hutt...

I'm fairly confident even other Hutts don't find Hutts attractive.

Ok, so I think I am leaning towards Charmer, Gunslinger, Marshal, and Propagandist so far. They all have their appeal. I would love to be able to do tech stuff too (specifically slicing) but I don't want to water myself down too much and I do still want to be a deadly combatant. Any suggestions for things that would synergize with these ideas?

The Diplomat Analyst covers the Intellect end of things really well, lots of knowledge talents, some computers stuff. its also in the same Career as Propagandist, which is a nice broad social career. pick up the Recruit Universal spec and you have access to lots of combat orientated stuff, it also gives more Knowledge skills as career skills. this is actualy a realy broad combination, and only costs 50xp to get the other 2 Careers (cheap!)

Edit: you can dodge all the Positive Spin talents in the Propagandist tree if your not using the Duty mechanic as well, so no need to worry about wasted XP. then if your party ever shift in an AoR campaign (Happens a lot) you can quickly pick them up

Pardon, I don't really understand how Recruit helps with combat other than allowing you to pick up some combat skills as class skills. Am I missing something? Is just getting the skills as class that good?

I'm fairly confident even other Hutts don't find Hutts attractive.

I don't know. I hear they care for their punky mufkins.

Second Wind, Quick Draw, Dynamic Fire, Jump Up, Spare Clip, Creative Killer, plus all the Toughened, Grit and a rank of Enduring make for one hell of a survivable character, versatile in many forms of combat. its all the basic useful Talents in 1 place. plus you end up with every combat skill as a career skill and there is the dedication if you want it. it is entirely possible to make a combat monster of a character just with that tree.

Second Wind, Quick Draw, Dynamic Fire, Jump Up, Spare Clip, Creative Killer, plus all the Toughened, Grit and a rank of Enduring make for one hell of a survivable character, versatile in many forms of combat. its all the basic useful Talents in 1 place. plus you end up with every combat skill as a career skill and there is the dedication if you want it. it is entirely possible to make a combat monster of a character just with that tree.

Thank you for explaining it. It is hard to picture things when you have never played the game yet.

Ok, So Propagandist, Analyst, and Recruit is one strong combination.

I originally looked hard at Marshal because it had some social stuff, some combat stuff, some toughness stuff, and even some protection against deception. Do you think it is a strong alternative to any of the above in particular? Or is it not as good or is it a wash and a simple preference?

I'll look at it later and get back to you but probably swap out propagandist and recruit for marshal

Well, just had things complicated a bit... It appears my group might be going with a theme that is similar to Wraith Squadron so that even if I am not a master starfighter pilot, I am going to need to be competent at it. What would anyone suggest to change to keep as much of my concept as possible while not being able to make myself useful in space combat? Not sure if we will all have our own single seat fighter or if we might be in other things. Not for sure this is going to happen but it came up so I wanted to ask.

Both the smuggler and explorer careers still get you Piloting(Space) as a career skill. If you have a decent Agility or enough skill ranks you can fake it pretty well. It doesn't make you an awesome pilot like the Ace, but you won't suck at it and it won't cost you extra to take ranks.

Both the smuggler and explorer careers still get you Piloting(Space) as a career skill. If you have a decent Agility or enough skill ranks you can fake it pretty well. It doesn't make you an awesome pilot like the Ace, but you won't suck at it and it won't cost you extra to take ranks.

Ok, So can't so that with the Propagandist/Analyst/Recruit idea... hmmm...

Could always just go Gambler, you're great at everything..........maybe............

And remember that this system is more forgiving then most when it comes to skill checks. You don't have to min/max to end up with a character that can do a lot.

The left side Squadron Leader and Propagandist could work very well for you. Both rely heavily on Presence, then up your Agility for comba. Your so dam talky that no one ever knows when your charming them, telling them what to do or pulling the wool over their eyes. Pick up Entrepreneur much later on to get some ranks in sound investments to represent getting some money back from your little network.

I hope one day either the Spy or Commander career books come out with an actual Spy Master career...

On a side note I just realised combining the Squadron Leader and Analysts Specs would make for a hilarious "Coach" character always planing new and more complex formations. Or the crazy captain of the football team with their motivation talks and on field "suggestions ", think "Oliver Wood" from Harry Potter.

Both the smuggler and explorer careers still get you Piloting(Space) as a career skill. If you have a decent Agility or enough skill ranks you can fake it pretty well. It doesn't make you an awesome pilot like the Ace, but you won't suck at it and it won't cost you extra to take ranks.

Ok, So can't so that with the Propagandist/Analyst/Recruit idea... hmmm...

You can, because Propagandist has Well Rounded, which gives you a career skill (which would be Piloting in this case), which is the same effect as taking Explorer or Smuggler...

Except Smugger also has the Pilot spec, and Explorer has the Driver spec, so you wouldn't have to go outside of career to get your whole concept.

Charmer -> Gunslinger -> Pilot (or any other order)

You can, because Propagandist has Well Rounded, which gives you a career skill (which would be Piloting in this case), which is the same effect as taking Explorer or Smuggler...

Except Smugger also has the Pilot spec, and Explorer has the Driver spec, so you wouldn't have to go outside of career to get your whole concept.

Charmer -> Gunslinger -> Pilot (or any other order)

That would definitely work but we already have two smugglers. That doesn't preclude me from doing it but I wasn't sure if having so much overlap would be a bad or a good thing. It is another possibility though, thanks.

Ok, so an update if anyone cares to reengage this topic. My group has become rather unconventional and we have absolutely no combat at all... Everyone is dead set on their concept and it has been left to me to fill the void. That means I am now a Hired Gun/Heavy and will likely be the only one that can even use Ranged (Heavy) let alone Gunnery. This however has left me with a bad taste in my mouth as I feel like this has sabotaged my concept in ways I can't rectify. Is there anyone that can perhaps see an elegant solution to my specialization quandary?

Ok, so an update if anyone cares to reengage this topic. My group has become rather unconventional and we have absolutely no combat at all... Everyone is dead set on their concept and it has been left to me to fill the void. That means I am now a Hired Gun/Heavy and will likely be the only one that can even use Ranged (Heavy) let alone Gunnery. This however has left me with a bad taste in my mouth as I feel like this has sabotaged my concept in ways I can't rectify. Is there anyone that can perhaps see an elegant solution to my specialization quandary?

Fold your arms in the next fight and let them die....

Noted. That option aside?

Cross into Demolitionist for Computers, Mechanics and Skulduggery. Focus on after action cleanup. You're the big guy in the front with the gun, so it would make sense for you to be the last one standing, especially in a non-combat group. Use Skulduggery to pick up information on the battlefield. Data pads, IDs, etc. Computers can be used to take it back to your base and sell it off later, after you decrypt it. Who'd suspect that the house with the Repeating Blaster would be the one who's analyzing the data, parsing it and selling it to the highest bidder. They'd always think you were just the muscle.

This works best if you can convince the party to let you 'secure the area' before they start looting. Then you get first pick of the intelligence from the field.

Ok, so an update if anyone cares to reengage this topic. My group has become rather unconventional and we have absolutely no combat at all... Everyone is dead set on their concept and it has been left to me to fill the void. That means I am now a Hired Gun/Heavy and will likely be the only one that can even use Ranged (Heavy) let alone Gunnery. This however has left me with a bad taste in my mouth as I feel like this has sabotaged my concept in ways I can't rectify. Is there anyone that can perhaps see an elegant solution to my specialization quandary?

If nobody is a combat monkey, it's up to the GM to scale the encounters accordingly. This isn't like D&D where you need somebody in each niche to survive at a particular "challenge level". The GM should take the group's skill distribution and plan accordingly.

So it seems to me you should still be able to do your concept, I think maybe you're bound by some preconceptions. Why do you have to be a Heavy? A Gunslinger or Marshall can still pump out damage...yes a rifle puts out more damage generally, but two heavy pistols is nothing to sneeze at. Buy a Dragoneye Reaper at the first opportunity

A Gunslinger with Guns Blazing Talent lets you avoid the increased difficulty of wielding two pistols. If you want to be "more combat capable" than the rest, just start with that instead of Charmer...you still get Deception and Knowledge-Underworld (which seems core to your theme), and you get Coercion too. Maybe the character arc is he starts out a gruff no-nonsense kind of guy, and over time learns to use some finesse.

Or you can pick something like Diplomat and dive into the Recruit tree, as others suggested earlier. There are plenty of ways to skin this cat and you shouldn't have to give up your concept to do it.

Edit: for that matter, take one of the Force Sensitive specs (among other things, the Uncanny X talents are invaluable), and build up the Enhance power for the Agility boost, and/or the Sense power for defense.

I would agree there are a lot of ways to come at being the combat heavy that need not be combat-centric at all.

If you make a Gambler with a good agility and put the time into a gun skill, Second Chances and Double or Nothing let you really do some pretty great stuff, while simultaneously giving you a whole spec that isn't necessarily combat focused and allows you to play a character, as opposed to a gun/dice pool with a name.

A Engineer/Saboteur gives you a spec that is made for Blast weapons and grenades and yet allows you to hop within career to technical specs. To say nothing of the fact it's probably the single best Strain recovery/defense spec in the game.

Within Hired Gun if you want good combat talents and another avenue to pursue that would help the whole team, Mercenary Soldier is great with Field Commander.

I'd be building a character around the Commander Tactician if you want a social Heavy