First question: When I buy a universal spec, does it cost xp like an in-career spec, or an out of career?

Second: If it counts as an in-career spec, can you attach a signature talent to it?

Yes and no.

Yes, it costs the same as a in-career tree.

No, you cant attach a Sig Ability to it.

Signature Abilities are based on your Career (although they attach to your Specialization), not your Specialization.

Universal Specs aren't Career Based, which means they are always a secondary (out of Career) spec, even though they cost the same as an in-career spec.

Also, you can't start with one of the Universal Specs (although you could spend starting xp to pick one up)

All clear?

Where are universal specializations? I don't recall seeing that (I just got my books within the past several weeks, and haven't read cover to cover yet) and the index is no help.

In EotE, the Force-Sensitive Exile is found in the Force chapter. In AoR, the Recruit is right after the main careers and specializations in the character creation section, while the Force-Sensitive Emergent is also found in the Force chapter. F&D does not have any universal specs.

wait, you CAN start with a universal specialization!

ed: sorry, reread your post, misread your meaning. A Universal Specialization cannot be the first you choose, but you may add one during character creation.

wait, you CAN start with a universal specialization!

ed: sorry, reread your post, misread your meaning. A Universal Specialization cannot be the first you choose, but you may add one during character creation.

Even assuming you could, it would still be a terrible idea. You'd lose out on any potential future Sig Abilities and you'd lose out on your Starting Skills.

wait, you CAN start with a universal specialization!

ed: sorry, reread your post, misread your meaning. A Universal Specialization cannot be the first you choose, but you may add one during character creation.

Even assuming you could, it would still be a terrible idea. You'd lose out on any potential future Sig Abilities and you'd lose out on your Starting Skills.

How so? buying additional specs does not close previous specs. Unlike the Beta you are not limited to 3, and you always have your starting career/spec skill, you simply add to them when you take other specs.

Anyone wonder why there aren't more Universal Specs?

I had kinda hoped they might introduce some in he splatbooks, but even the F&D Core Book didn't have any.

Probably the main question I'd like to ask the Devs, some day.

I think more universal specs might be something we see after all the career books are out and as something included in follow on books. Whatever those might be.

wait, you CAN start with a universal specialization!

ed: sorry, reread your post, misread your meaning. A Universal Specialization cannot be the first you choose, but you may add one during character creation.

Even assuming you could, it would still be a terrible idea. You'd lose out on any potential future Sig Abilities and you'd lose out on your Starting Skills.

How so? buying additional specs does not close previous specs. Unlike the Beta you are not limited to 3, and you always have your starting career/spec skill, you simply add to them when you take other specs.

No, I mean you don't get the 4 and 2 freebie ranks like you do the other normal careers. The Universals have no provisions for giving those out.

Anyone wonder why there aren't more Universal Specs?

I had kinda hoped they might introduce some in he splatbooks, but even the F&D Core Book didn't have any.

Probably the main question I'd like to ask the Devs, some day.

I've been thinking about this... I had some ideas for a new line of books useful and usable with (and intended for) all the lines, a kind of universal line... no new careers, but new specs, and suggestion/options to add new specs to existing careers (perhaps some alternative takes on the careers too). The only problem is power creep and the eventual prestige class collection book-syndrome... as players we do this anyway, so I'm not sure we need books for it.

Universal career books would have been really interesting to include in the location source books.

I am intrigued by the Universal specs, but i struggle to think of any new ones to fit into the game for any reason other than just to have them.

The ever discussed Padawan could eventually show up, perhaps in a book on the various common Force Traditions a Force Sensitive Student will make an appearance, or even a Spec for each of the traditions presented. If it was a single spec it could be in the same pattern as the Commodore, with 4 seperate columns of related talents; Survival, Discipline, Combat, and Knowledge (Lore).

I would love a Universal Spec that was much darker than the ones we have now too, possibly with a Conflict Talent. Perhaps a Dark Disciple or Sith Apprentice tree, a mix of Stealth/Shroud, Intimidation, Discipline, Knowledge(Lore), and Lightsaber.

While on the topic of student a Universal Academic Student tree could work, similar to Recruit, but for Intellect related tasks. the only problem being that there are the Scientist and Scholar trees that already do almost exactly that.

Lots of stuff that might show up as universal specs. I'd say before they are likely to put any out we'll have to wait on all the career books first. I could see some basic things like for an Athlete with things like Physical Conditioning, Blooded, Short Cut, Dodge, etc, all lumped in. No clue where they will go with Engineer but there's always the Chief Science Officer type of thing, with some practical effects for Knowledge skills maybe. Who knows if we'll get something specific for a Detective or not. Then there are the fluff possibilities like one for Mandalorians. Point being, lots of options, but I wouldn't expect any until after the career books are done.

So, because I'm dumb and I've been debating this with a potential new player joining my campaign:

You can't have a starting character with JUST Force Sensitive Exile. Correct?

The wording in the CRB didn't make that entirely clear for me, although I agree that it wouldn't make sense to pass up free career skills.

Nope, have to choose a career and then a spec from the career which are Step 4 & 5, both of which occur before you invest xp at all. Now you can then spend the xp after to buy the FS tree if you like at creation.

Just being a FS though would be foolish as you'd be missing out on several free ranks worth of skills you receive at CHARGEN, and you'd have no skills that were counted as career skills.

Nope, have to choose a career and then a spec from the career which are Step 4 & 5, both of which occur before you invest xp at all. Now you can then spend the xp after to buy the FS tree if you like at creation.

Just being a FS though would be foolish as you'd be missing out on several free ranks worth of skills you receive at CHARGEN, and you'd have no skills that were counted as career skills.

As I thought, thank you very much

Njoy

Anyone wonder why there aren't more Universal Specs?

I had kinda hoped they might introduce some in he splatbooks, but even the F&D Core Book didn't have any.

Probably the main question I'd like to ask the Devs, some day.

Just a guess, but I'd wager that it has to do with a universal spec needing to be "general" enough that it doesn't tie to an existing career but also doesn't tread too heavily into the territory of existing specs, while at the same time not being so "general" in theme that they pretty much become generic.

Recruit in AoR is "general combat training" but doesn't tread too deeply onto any of the Soldier career's specializations, each of which have a focus on a particular type of combat, which we're likely to continue to see when the Soldier book hits the shelves at whatever future point in time it comes out. Force Exile and Force Emergent are two different methods by which a PC learns about the Force without a lot of prior instruction, each with a different flavor.

From Sam's own mouth, he's said that if they feel such a thing would make sense, they're not adverse to coming up with new Universal Specializations, like a Jedi Padawan spec. But they have to feel that such a spec makes sense as being "universal" and that they're not just creating new specs to create new specs.

I think that FFG is walking something of a fine line in not creating too much system bloat too soon. Yes, folks are clamoring for new stuff, but I've head folks mention that they kind of lost interest in FFG Star Wars because there were too many books coming out too close to one another now that there are three lines to support (at least one person I spoke with about it wasn't aware that the California dock strike was a significant contributing factor to that).

Me personally? I'm not the least bit adverse to having more universal specs published. But again the trick (for FFG at least) is a reason for them to exist, for them to not too closely mimic an existing spec, but still have enough of a coherent theme to stand on it's own merits both mechanically and narratively.

Excellent post Donovan.

Thus far I think FFG has done well to avoid power-creep and system-bloat, but still kept up a steady, regular schedule.

That works great for us, a balance between the deluge of monthly books that Paizo puts out for Pathfinder, and the complete lack of support for WotC's 5th edition D&D.

Too much stuff leads to power-creep and hurts the bank balance. Too little and some players will just lose interest without a 'buzz' of the game being supported.

I hope FFG continue at the same steady pace and careful consideration they are using now.