So I'm fairly new to the FFG Star Wars line, but I'm planning to start running a game in the next 2-3 weeks. I've had a few questions for the crowd though.

1) What are the advantages of the Universal career paths (aka Recruit or the Force users from EofE and AoR)?

1a) Can you start the game with a Universal career? If you can, doesn't that make you weaker then standard career as you're unlikely to ever have career signature abilities?

During Character creation you must choose a Career before choosing a Specialisation, since Universals are not part of any Career you may not have one as your first Specialisation.

The benefit is that they don't require the additional XP cost that normal "Out of Career" Specialisations cost. They are designed to offer a certain thematic value to everyone in a way the a normal Specialisation can't offer. Also for non Force and Destiny starting characters the Exile and Emergent are the only way to get a Force Rating during the game

During Character creation you must choose a Career before choosing a Specialisation, since Universals are not part of any Career you may not have one as your first Specialisation.

The benefit is that they don't require the additional XP cost that normal "Out of Career" Specialisations cost. They are designed to offer a certain thematic value to everyone in a way the a normal Specialisation can't offer. Also for non Force and Destiny starting characters the Exile and Emergent are the only way to get a Force Rating during the game

Okay, I see now how the XP charge works for Universal specializations. Must of Missed it on my first read through. However, you mention that Universals can't be taken as your first specializations. I take this to mean: "a PC must choose a proper career and specialization as normal, but could immediately use the starting bonus XP to take the Universal while still in the character creation process". Is this accurate?

Yes absolutely, I should have said that, but see one of the other top threads about spending starting XP on characteristics. The game is intended for starting XP to be spent mostly on Characteristics, and while not necessarily it will help have a more rounded character in the long run.

Isn't it possible to make your first specialization in a career one of the universals?

Isn't it possible to make your first specialization in a career one of the universals?

No. You must start with a career and career specialization. Per the Devs.

Ah ok, thanks for clarifying that.

Okay so a couple more questions have popped up. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide, and have already provided.

1) In EotE Technician has a specialization Mechanic, in AoR the Engineer has a specialization called Mechanic. Both Mechanic specializations have identical skills and talents. My question, is Mechanic technically one specialization that can be accessed by two different careers, or are they two different specializations? I ask because if they are technically two separate specializations, then a character could take each specialization and double up on the skills with rankings!?

2) Since I have both the EotE and AoR core books for the rules, could a PC have both Obligation and Duty? I'm not going to let anyone game the systems, but I'm curious if it's been officially addressed before? It seems possible that EotE characters could develop ties to the Rebellion (ala Han Solo), and Rebel personnel could develop ties to the seedy parts of the galaxy.

3) I've been explaining the system to a few of my potential players, and one of them asked a question I didn't really know how to answer. I was explaining the damage system for combat (personal and vehicle scale) and I was asked why the vehicle's didn't just list their damage in personal scale numbers instead of complicating the system? For instance, why is the X-Wing's Medium Lasers listed as 6 damage on a vehicle scale, when they could be listed as 60 damage and do away with scaling? Granted, I don't find the 10x greater scale complicated, but I didn't have a good answer.

1. yes. and you can only take it once. pick which set of skills you want.

2. yes. they can even have morality from F&D. but you can only benefit from one at char gen. an example Han Solo in Empire.

3. because armor. which personal scale less than 10 dam does nothing. sometimes scaling works better than the other way. Remember the AT ATs were too tough to stop with the snow speeders. It helps in things like that. also helps lightsabers work as they do in the movies as they have breach.

1. Also some Talents that are in-ranked appear in multiple different Talent trees, these only have to be purchased once, the next time they are ticked off straight away and may be skipped as they are already purchased.

Eg. The Bounty Hunter Gadgeteer has the Talents "Stunning Blow" and "Improved Stunning Blow". If a Player purchased these, then later took the Spy Infiltrator as a second Specialisation then they could immediately tick off those 2 talents and not have to buy them again. They still have to work their way down the tree from the top, but it can make some combinations quite 'efficient'.

1. yes. and you can only take it once. pick which set of skills you want.

2. yes. they can even have morality from F&D. but you can only benefit from one at char gen. an example Han Solo in Empire.

3. because armor. which personal scale less than 10 dam does nothing. sometimes scaling works better than the other way. Remember the AT ATs were too tough to stop with the snow speeders. It helps in things like that. also helps lightsabers work as they do in the movies as they have breach.

1. You didn't really answer my question here. Is Mechanic a single specialization accessed by 2 career's, or is it 2 entirely separate specializations allowing double-dipping on ranked talents?

2. Thanks, that's what I thought. I'd never allow someone to game it at character gen, but it makes sense that they could develop the connections later.

3. I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. If you descale the AT-AT, it would have 50 Armor and 400 Hull Trauma. Personal scale weapons aren't going to harm it whether whether it's scaled up or down. I'm sure I've missed something obvious here, and I apologize for that. For now, I'll tell my player's "because that's the way the system was designed to work".

1. Also some Talents that are in-ranked appear in multiple different Talent trees, these only have to be purchased once, the next time they are ticked off straight away and may be skipped as they are already purchased.

Eg. The Bounty Hunter Gadgeteer has the Talents "Stunning Blow" and "Improved Stunning Blow". If a Player purchased these, then later took the Spy Infiltrator as a second Specialisation then they could immediately tick off those 2 talents and not have to buy them again. They still have to work their way down the tree from the top, but it can make some combinations quite 'efficient'.

Roger, this I remember reading. Talent's that are non-ranked are considered auto-purchased so you don't have to spend XP on stuff you already have access too.

1. Yes there is only 1 Mechanic Specialisation, but it can be tired to 1 of 2 Careers.

1. Yes there is only 1 Mechanic Specialisation, but it can be tired to 1 of 2 Careers.

Ah okay. That was my line of thinking, but I wanted to make sure if/when it comes up.

About 3...

The rules give you 1 added point of damage for each success rolled no matter what scale you use. I suppose you could just multiply that by 10 when you use vehicle scale if you wanted to use one scale only. That would mean you're doing math for each time one vehicle shoots at another vehicle which is, by far, more common than vehicles shooting at personal scale targets.

Either way would work. It's just a design choice and I guess they chose to use the system where the rules stay consistent for combat where he weapons and targets are the same scale.

1. yes. and you can only take it once. pick which set of skills you want.

2. yes. they can even have morality from F&D. but you can only benefit from one at char gen. an example Han Solo in Empire.

3. because armor. which personal scale less than 10 dam does nothing. sometimes scaling works better than the other way. Remember the AT ATs were too tough to stop with the snow speeders. It helps in things like that. also helps lightsabers work as they do in the movies as they have breach.

1. You didn't really answer my question here. Is Mechanic a single specialization accessed by 2 career's, or is it 2 entirely separate specializations allowing double-dipping on ranked talents?

2. Thanks, that's what I thought. I'd never allow someone to game it at character gen, but it makes sense that they could develop the connections later.

3. I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. If you descale the AT-AT, it would have 50 Armor and 400 Hull Trauma. Personal scale weapons aren't going to harm it whether whether it's scaled up or down. I'm sure I've missed something obvious here, and I apologize for that. For now, I'll tell my player's "because that's the way the system was designed to work".

you can only purchase a specialization of a given name once. So no you cannot buy the pilot specialization twice.

You can have both obligation and duty at char gen. You just only benefit from one or the other.

As to 3. keeps the numbers smaller could be one part of the design choice.

1. yes. and you can only take it once. pick which set of skills you want.

Also, its not relevant now - but other important factors is the Advanced Specialization attached to both careers. One might appeal more over the other. At least when the two sourcebooks come out.

The other thing? What else is in your career. Do you favor Mechanic and the Outlaw Tech and/or the Slicer trees? Or do see your character expanding into the Saboteur or scientist trees? The price break you get staying in your career set could color your decision which one to go with.

1. yes. and you can only take it once. pick which set of skills you want.

Also, its not relevant now - but other important factors is the Advanced Specialization attached to both careers. One might appeal more over the other. At least when the two sourcebooks come out.

The other thing? What else is in your career. Do you favor Mechanic and the Outlaw Tech and/or the Slicer trees? Or do see your character expanding into the Saboteur or scientist trees? The price break you get staying in your career set could color your decision which one to go with.

Great point! If Rigger came out in the Tech book it would have very different Signature Abilities, and the Slicer Spy will have different again.

Hmm 18 splat books, 12 Signature abilities per line (if FaD have them and not Force Powers instead) that's 36 signature abilities, a lot of variety there.

3. I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. If you descale the AT-AT, it would have 50 Armor and 400 Hull Trauma. Personal scale weapons aren't going to harm it whether whether it's scaled up or down. I'm sure I've missed something obvious here, and I apologize for that. For now, I'll tell my player's "because that's the way the system was designed to work".

It might have been simpler to just use the descaled numbers, but there's a reason to be glad it's not: if you don't like the scale you can easily change it. Some people think smaller Silhouette vehicles shouldn't have a 10x multiplier, but maybe only a 5x multiplier. I've seen others suggest a 5x multiplier for +/-1 Silhouette difference, and 10x for the rest. So having a different set of numbers allows you to tweak the scale.

Another question, EotE mentions that the ship provided to the group is part of an Obligation. Yet it makes no mention of how to rule this anywhere else that I've been able to find. So I told my players that the starting Obligation that they're required to take, is for a favor to the Hutt who's set them up with their ship. Is this how others have handled the ship, or am I missing something in the book somewhere?

You did the right thing, tying it to the starting obligation is great. You need to be careful tying it to a single player as it can lead to the "why are we together?" Question. But it could be that the ship belongs to a PC's family, or was won by cheating at gambling. Any method will work.

You did the right thing, tying it to the starting obligation is great. You need to be careful tying it to a single player as it can lead to the "why are we together?" Question. But it could be that the ship belongs to a PC's family, or was won by cheating at gambling. Any method will work.

Okay, I just wanted to make sure. How I handled the Obligation, is I gave all 5 characters 10 Obligation in Favor to the Hutt who provided their ship. So in essence, they each own 20% of the ship.

Cool idea, I normally just let the players come up with a story behind their Obligations but I like the idea of a 20% share in a debt to a Hutt. Sounds fun.

You might also consider giving out group obligation for the ship. This is obligation that is owed by the entire group. It's not really mentioned in the CRBs as far as I can recall (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but Far Horizons, I believe, introduces the concept when creating a base of operations.

This will also have a mechanical effect as well. If every character has 10 obligation for the ship, then there's a 50% chance (with 5 PCs) that the obligation will come up. And when it does, it'll be for a single PC, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. With a 10 point group obligation (say, debt), it'll only show up once in the chart for 10%, but will effect all PCs as if their own obligation was rolled.

You might also consider giving out group obligation for the ship. This is obligation that is owed by the entire group. It's not really mentioned in the CRBs as far as I can recall (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but Far Horizons, I believe, introduces the concept when creating a base of operations.

This will also have a mechanical effect as well. If every character has 10 obligation for the ship, then there's a 50% chance (with 5 PCs) that the obligation will come up. And when it does, it'll be for a single PC, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. With a 10 point group obligation (say, debt), it'll only show up once in the chart for 10%, but will effect all PCs as if their own obligation was rolled.

That's an interesting way to handle things. I'll consider it going forward from now on. As for why it's odd for 1 PCs obligation to be called in, the Hutt who gave them the ship likes it split up so he can call on each Favor individually... but knows it'll likely pull the whole group into helping that single Favor. He's planning to keep the group indebted to him for a while! Hutt's are devious.