FYI my books are still in the mail so I don't have a reference.

I have read how folks vary stats from all 2's (emphasis on skills/talents), to starting with a 5 (as human)...

I'm not debating the pros or cons I was just wondering how it is possible.

Humans start with 110 xp right? So do obligations add to that total? I thought they were more of a story/background hook. My only reference is Under a Black Sun and all the extra obligations are spent on talents or gear, not stats. Just wondering...thanks!

Extra xp from taking extra Obligation.

Obligation is a story tool, but since it's something that negatively affects you and your party, you can take on more obligation at character creation to get credits, XP, or both.

I would shake my head if this was done in my game. I'd probably allow it but I feel this approach makes a character that is like a hammer and the player wants to treat everything like a nail.

Most of the characters that start with a characteristic at 5 were one of the non-human species that have a starting characteristic at 3. Rank 4 costs 40 XP, and rank 5 costs 50 XP, for a total of 90 XP. Some species, like humans, get enough XP at chargen (110 XP) to be able to acquire 10 more Obligation to gain 10 more XP, bringing them up to 120 XP. This can be used to raise a characteristic from 2 to 5, for all 120 XP.

That being said, after some of my early games were some players did this, compared to my more recent games where no players did this, I highly encourage you (and your players if you're going to be the GM) to spread the XP around. One super characteristic, no skills, talents or anything else makes a character tend to fail at 90% of the game, give or take, in my experience. Using that same 120 XP human to start with 4 characteristics at 3 and 2 characteristics at 2 is a better example of a character that won't obliterate any specific challenge, but won't fail miserably at most challenges in a game.

I played a Wookiee and spent all 90 XP getting up to Brawn 5.

It sucked.

A rating of 4 is more than adequate for a starting characteristic. Consider that it costs 40 XP to get, whereas the Dedication talent only costs 25 XP. You gotta be smart with your XP: put it where it gives the most bang for your buck.

Honestly I have no problems at all with 3,3,3,3,2,2 - a nice balance of a little of everything and one yellow and two greens is a pretty solid roll.

With humans, I prefer three 3's and a smattering of talents. I tend to stick with my free skill ranks though, and not increase them with starting XP. Helps the PC feel a little defined right out the gate; instead of "I can make lots of skill checks and not suck!" it's "I am a fairly capable character and with some noteworthy abilities."

This depends partly on assuming that Failure is not the worst thing in the world, but is simply more story fodder.

It also gives the rest of your party room to define their abilities, without feeling like they're just duplicating yours.

As a GM, as long as my group can represent with at least a 3 in every characteristic (taken from all PCs), I am a happy camper. I've played in groups where three people had Intellect 4 and no one had a Presence higher than 1...it was lame.

If ever I build a character with a 4 in a characteristic I like it to not be Agility (combat and piloting from 1 characteristic very powerful). I also try to have as few skill ranks in skills associated with that characteristic.

The only time I have made a PC with a 5 was a Load Lifter Droid for a one shot module, he is an enforcer with 1's in everything but Brawn. Skill ranks then make up the difference, lots of skill ranks. But it's a short term character, I don't think it would be fun to play in a long campaign

Most species can make 3,3,3,3,2,2 right out of the gate, and that gives you the most points overall. As ideally you will need all your attributes at some point, it's generally considered that those starting with a 5 are one-trick ponies.

While it's down to individual tastes, and few characters are objectively bad, it's considered better to be decent in lots of areas than maximised in one and deficient in the rest.

Many RPGs - notably D&D 3/4 and Pathfinder - really only reward hyper-specialisation, so it's nice to see a system that leans towards a different mindset.

Just remember, Dedication, the talent that lets you improve a characteristic by 1, only costs 25xp (by itself, and not accounting for having to get the intervening talents).

Paying 50xp to get from 4 to 5, rather than paying 75+XP (50 = 5 + 10 + 15 + 20, first 4 talents in a tree. Its 75+ because it may branch, which would increase cost, but also results in more talents, which is positive) to get the same effect and 4+ talents seems like a poor use of XP. Certainly, get the key characteristics to 3, maybe even 4, but don't eat your ability to expand further by burning XP on just one characteristic.

Point is you're paying 25xp more than you "need" to for the effect.

As a GM, as long as my group can represent with at least a 3 in every characteristic (taken from all PCs), I am a happy camper. I've played in groups where three people had Intellect 4 and no one had a Presence higher than 1...it was lame.

With a presence and cool of 1, you bet I'd be making sure that the players acted more like

Subtitle: Scooby Doo and Shaggy being their scared and ineffectual selves

And a LOT less like

subtitle Rowdy Roddy Piper being utterly badassed in They Live

As a GM, as long as my group can represent with at least a 3 in every characteristic (taken from all PCs), I am a happy camper. I've played in groups where three people had Intellect 4 and no one had a Presence higher than 1...it was lame.

With a presence and cool of 1, you bet I'd be making sure that the players acted more like

Subtitle: Scooby Doo and Shaggy being their scared and ineffectual selves

That seems more of a Willpower/Discipline of 1 to me

I would picture a Cool of 1 to be more like

My only reference was Under a Black Sun which shows obligations being used to purchase talents or equipment only. So per the rules the xp from obligations can be used for characteristics then...which explains the 4x3's humans, thanks.

I was not looking for pros or cons or other folks subjective analysis, just wondering how the rules worked thank you.

Extra xp from taking extra Obligation.

Honestly I have no problems at all with 3,3,3,3,2,2 - a nice balance of a little of everything and one yellow and two greens is a pretty solid roll.

I've run a character with these kind of stats, and I have to be honest (actually 2,3,3,2,3,2), and I have to be honest, I found it a little dull. Not because I wasn't GOOD at anything - I was playing a Gadgeteer and had the skills and talents to be able to do most things I wanted to do - but because I wasn't BAD at anything. The Slicer in my party who had 1 Agility seemed like he was having much more fun - every time he actually hit something he was over the moon.

2,3,2,3,3,1 is the way I'm rolling. Average at a couple stats, dismal at one, and pretty good at the rest. Obviously starting as non-human. Spent the rest of my starting XP on opening up another specialization tree (FS Exile) and buying a couple talents. It's been pretty fun.

My only reference was Under a Black Sun which shows obligations being used to purchase talents or equipment only. So per the rules the xp from obligations can be used for characteristics then...which explains the 4x3's humans, thanks.

I was not looking for pros or cons or other folks subjective analysis, just wondering how the rules worked thank you.

Extra xp from taking extra Obligation.

You can take on 10 additional obligation for 10 XP.

You can take on 5 additional obligation for 500 credits.

You can take on 10 additional obligation for 1000 credits.

However you can't take on more obligation than what is equal to the amount you start with, and you can only choose one of the credits options and/or one of the XP options. You cannot choose both credits options or both XP options. Your starting obligation is based on how many PCs are in the party.

The additional XP gained from Obligation can be spent on anything you want.

Under a Black Sun was a promotional one-shot stores could have run. It used obligation a different way to show people it was part of the game. They streamlined it from extra XP (which could be used on talents) and extra credits (which can be used on gear) to specific talents and specific gear.

At character generation will be the only time you will be able to increase your stats outside of getting a minimum of 75 more experience to increase it again.

So it is IMHO to spend all of y I urns starting experience on stats. And I would recommend the 4,3,2,2,2,1 (or 2) array when possible. With the 4 in your key characteristic. The 1 allows for really good RP options and the 4,3 allows you to be really good at your chosen profession. You may start out little bit behind the power curve but when experience starts flowing you catch up and surpass in no time.

Slight correction on the above rundown of Obligtation options...it is:

+5 Obligation for +5 XP

+10 Obligation for +10 XP

+5 Obligation for +1,000 credits

+10 Obligation for +2,500 credits

And a PC cannot gain anything higher than +10 XP and/or +2,500 credits.

Slight correction on the above rundown of Obligtation options...it is:

+5 Obligation for +5 XP

+10 Obligation for +10 XP

+5 Obligation for +1,000 credits

+10 Obligation for +2,500 credits

And a PC cannot gain anything higher than +10 XP and/or +2,500 credits.

I asked this, you can get +15xp in a small enough group.

Wait - really? How does that work?

Rules Question:
In regards to extra starting Obligation for credits and xp. Does "choose each option once" mean that +10, +5 xp, and +1000 and +2500 credits can each be taken once for a max of +15xp and +3500 credits, or does it mean one selection of each, a single selection of extra xp and a single selection of extra credits weighed against whatever the starting Obligation is of the given PC?

Well, I'll be. Now I just have to get rid of two players!

(:

Well, I'll be. Now I just have to get rid of two players!

(:

Hey Bob, why don't you look down the turbo shaft, I'm sure the elevator is down there somewhere.....