One question: you guys said that Minions can have talents. Do you have talents as individuals, or only as a group?

Umm... well they'd all have the talent or special ability, but if grouped they'd apply to the group.

So say you're making some sneaky Ewok minions. They could have something like Stalker, which every one of them would have, but it would only apply once if grouped, they wouldn't get a blue for each member or something.

Usually you wouldn't give Minions talents or abilities, but the option is there for a character type that needs to stand out for whatever reason.

Okay, thanks.

If we're speaking of characters, I have a small question regarding the PC creation. A newly-created PC has to take one of the careers specializations, right? You can't, say, create a Soldier whose only specialization is Recruit?

You can't, say, create a Soldier whose only specialization is Recruit?

Correct. You wouldn't want to start that way anyway, you wouldn't get any of the base career skills, only the bonus four.

Okay, thanks.

If we're speaking of characters, I have a small question regarding the PC creation. A newly-created PC has to take one of the careers specializations, right? You can't, say, create a Soldier whose only specialization is Recruit?

While the rules lawyers will probably give you this answer "no" i would say talk to your GM and get their take on it. Personally I would say yes you can, you would simply go about picking a career and choosing 4 career skills to gain 1 rank in each, and then you get the Recruit Specialization the specialization skills become career skills and since it would be your "initial" specialization you gain 1 rank in two of the four Recruit skills (Athletics, Discipline, Survival, Vigilance)

Always remember that your GM has the final say on any rules made\published so get their ruling

Okay, thanks.

If we're speaking of characters, I have a small question regarding the PC creation. A newly-created PC has to take one of the careers specializations, right? You can't, say, create a Soldier whose only specialization is Recruit?

While the rules lawyers will probably give you this answer "no" i would say talk to your GM and get their take on it. Personally I would say yes you can, you would simply go about picking a career and choosing 4 career skills to gain 1 rank in each, and then you get the Recruit Specialization the specialization skills become career skills and since it would be your "initial" specialization you gain 1 rank in two of the four Recruit skills (Athletics, Discipline, Survival, Vigilance)

Always remember that your GM has the final say on any rules made\published so get their ruling

I'm pretty sure he's the GM. Also it's not being a rules lawyer to inform the guy on how the rules work as they are written. Nor is it being a rules lawyer to clarify for the guy (who is new and asking questions to help understand the system) how the system works.

You first need to understand how this game works before you can make intelligent decisions on how to go about modifying it.

Actually, I'm both the GM (sometime in the future) and the player (as I'm playing in an AOR game right now). And I'm asking, because this bit isn't entirely clear to me - personally, I'd say that one has to take one of the career specializations, but I've seen a PC created as "basic career + universal specialization", with no career specialization. So, I'm wondering...

Actually, I'm both the GM (sometime in the future) and the player (as I'm playing in an AOR game right now). And I'm asking, because this bit isn't entirely clear to me - personally, I'd say that one has to take one of the career specializations, but I've seen a PC created as "basic career + universal specialization", with no career specialization. So, I'm wondering...

You're correct, the purpose of the UniSpecs (at least all the currently available ones) is to add a feature to an existing Spec. Recruit for example, is there to allow "noncombat" characters, be they one of the combat-light specs from AoR, or the "civilians" from EotE/F&D XP economical access to basic combat abilities. That's why a lot of the top level Recruit talents are just "Add the following combat skills to your career skills." Which makes a lot of sense when you consider that AoR campaignsare more likely to be combat heavy.

So the guy who did Career:UniSpec was either house-ruling it, or just did it in error...

Let's look at them in backwards order... and on mechanical use

• Nemesis: Fully equal to a PC mechanically. Skills often better than PC's, talents fewer but frequently deep. Can even gain experience over time. Many are custom builds, but some are archetypes.
• Rival: Reduced handling time for the GM by lacking most of the talents and some of the skills, and the strain threshold and tracking. General level for "real threats". Most are archetypes, some are customs.
• Minion: even more reduced handling time by making them group-only. Group. They're there so you can mow them down, or throw them at problems. A squad or minion level troopers under a PC"s leadership are there as extensions of the PC, not as individual troopers, per se. Generally, if you need to convert them to rivals for mechanical reasons, give them 1 level in each group skill, and maybe 1 level in another skill or two.

In general, it's mechanical reduction more than narrative emulation that drives the three levels. Both result in the same effect...

And remember: minion grouping rules can easily be extended... want a minion group with a flat 3 in some skill? give it to them; it increases your mechanical handling time, but it's not going to break anything.