I have bee GMing a long running EotE campaign, and now finally get to play a character in a new group that is starting up. Takes place in a megacity in the Outer rim before the battle of Yavin.

Playing a sort of Street Urchin who has used his "Intution" and "Insticts" to help him pilfer, break in, and sneak as a way to earn income and be free from his overbearing credit pinching parents.

My GM has allowed me to use the F&D book... without a lightsaber. and limited force powers. Like move, sense, or influence.

At first I was thinking a more well rounded character Taking force sensitive Exile, and Thief specilization.

Then I looked into the Sentinel Shadow Specialization and it looked a lot more powerful, and a bit cheaper XP wise.

any thoughts on Benifits and limitations of either?

Honestly they are both great. Going Thief will be more expensive XP wise obviously, especially once you factor in Force a Powers, but it's also very broad and capable of a lot of different skills , Shadow is the better option if you want a lot of Force Powers.

Honestly if it's a shorter campaign and your set on being a Force User then I would go with Shadow. If on the other hand this is going to be a 400+ XP game then go the Thief route.

Then for a third option what about starting in Shadow then getting Thief for all those broad Talents later on.

Dont forget you have 2 fewer skills as a sentinel. Also look at dorce sensitive emergent as well.

Take a look at the Force Sensitive Exile. I ended up using that + Spy (Infiltrator) to represent a young street urchin type character in our Force and Destiny game.

In my case, the character didn't need things like Knowledge (Underworld) and Streetwise, so Thief or Shadow may be better suited if those skills are important.

If you know you definitely want to be force sensitive, I'd go for shadow. It does most of the same things as going thief, exile, but is a lot more efficient xp-wise. As Richard said, you can even go into thief later, if you really want to specialise, or branch out into something else entirely, if your character develops in a different direction

Don't forget to review the Thief's signature abilities. We don't have the Shadow's signature yet, but if Smuggler doesn't fit, you might want to wait.

Shadow's signature abilities are:

I'm Batman

Unmatched Foresight

Personally I think I'm Batman beats Narrow Escape by a landslide.

Not sure anything really beats the second Smuggler signature ability..

I guess it depends on if you actually want to use the Shadow related skills specifically, or just want to be a sneaky person who has access to the Force.

If the stuff you want to do regarding stealth and deception are covered by Thief, better than by Shadow, then I would go Thief/Force-Sensitive (Exile or Emergent). If however, the abilities in Shadow are more to your liking for your sneaky concept, go with that. I would point out that being able to meld both the "sneaky b@stard" concept, and the Force usage into one Career spec would be cheaper at creation. So if XP is a factor for your build, you might go that route, just for efficiency of points. Though as others have pointed out above, you are short 2 spec skills in comparison, which would mean you might end up spending more xp on the skill side of things. But, eh, pros and cons either way.

Shadow's signature abilities are:

I'm Batman

Unmatched Foresight

I cannot like this enough. I'll be laughing about it all weekend!

Shadow + Concealing Robes + Ascention Pistol = Batman

Shadow + Concealing Robes + Corellian Bow = Green Arrow

Shadow + Concealing Robes + Data Pad + Female = Bat Girl

Seriously can't wait for that Sith Disc thrower so I can have batarangs...

Shadow + Concealing Robes + Data Pad + Female = Bat Girl.

Don't forget the crippled critical injury..

....

I'll let myself out.

it was a crazy suggestion by my GM, but i was able to do it. The GM is expecting to be handing out the XP like crazy.... so it might work

Took Smuggler: Thief for well rounded skills

then took Sentinal: Shadow to start my force user path

Had to take the XP bonus for Obligation, and the XP bonus for Morality to do it. But then my character is suppose to be "young" and it will work out

Shadow + Concealing Robes + Data Pad + Female = Bat Girl.

Don't forget the crippled critical injury..

....

I'll let myself out.

That is oracle...

Technically that combination doesn't work: the only way to get Force Rating 1 is to have a Force-Sensitive career (meaning accepting fewer starting skills) or to take one of the Force-Sensitive Universal specializations.

Nothing stops you from taking Smuggler as your career, Thief as your starting spec, and then spending 30 xp to take Shadow as an out-of-career spec, but you wouldn't have a Force Rating and Force talents would be useless to you until you took either the Force-Sensitive Exile or Emergent.

Now of course, if your GM wants to allow it, there's obviously no issue . I just wanted to make sure you understood how it was supposed to work so you can bend the rules on purpose rather than on accident!

it was a crazy suggestion by my GM, but i was able to do it. The GM is expecting to be handing out the XP like crazy.... so it might work

Took Smuggler: Thief for well rounded skills

then took Sentinal: Shadow to start my force user path

Had to take the XP bonus for Obligation, and the XP bonus for Morality to do it. But then my character is suppose to be "young" and it will work out

Technically that combination doesn't work: the only way to get Force Rating 1 is to have a Force-Sensitive career (meaning accepting fewer starting skills) or to take one of the Force-Sensitive Universal specializations.

Nothing stops you from taking Smuggler as your career, Thief as your starting spec, and then spending 30 xp to take Shadow as an out-of-career spec, but you wouldn't have a Force Rating and Force talents would be useless to you until you took either the Force-Sensitive Exile or Emergent.

Now of course, if your GM wants to allow it, there's obviously no issue . I just wanted to make sure you understood how it was supposed to work so you can bend the rules on purpose rather than on accident!

Absol is correct. You'd be better off starting with the Sentinel Shadow and adding Thief as an out of Career Spec.

Taking shadow will eventually get him a force rating of 1 after 90 some odd xp.

Taking shadow will eventually get him a force rating of 1 after 90 some odd xp.

Nope. In order to get any of the FR increases from the Force User Career specs, you still need to start with a Force User Career or one of the two Universal Spec's Exile or Emergent. All of the Force talents in the Force User careers' Specializations, including the FR increases, require you to have a base FR of 1 already. Thus, if you're starting from a non-Force User career, you need Exile of Emergent first before you can take the Force User Career Specializations and get the increases from them.

Tramp's right on this one. Although it is a reasonable houserule that ranks of Force Rating are the exception to the rule that Force talents have no effect if you have no Force Rating.

Although you're still shooting yourself in the got that way, as one you have Force Rating 1 from Shadow, you can't ever get the free Force Rating from the Universal specs.

BATMAN WAS A BADASS WITHOUT SUPERPOWERS, GO ASSASSIN AND KNOCK PEOPLE OUT WITH STUNGLOVES, WHILE LETTING THE WORLD KNOW, THAT YOU, ARE, BATMANNNNNN

THEN TAKE GADGETTEER, BECAUSE IT HAS CORC, SET YOUR STUN TO 1 ADVANTAGE AND KNOCK PEOPLE OUT HARDER, BECAUSE YOU'RE THE GODDAMN BATMANNNNNNN