I'm sure there is a niche rule in a rule that I could parse somehow, but someone here might know off the top of their heads. Ganks start with a 5k budget for cybernetics, and cyber techs have a 5xp talent that allows them to halve the cost of cybernetics. I'm assuming they cannot use this to halve the cost of the impants they get WITH the character, but I could be wrong! Just seems slightly OP. Hoping for some clarification if anyone has any.

Pretty sure this was answered on one of the more recent Order 66 Podcast episodes. No, it should only affect the cybernetics you purchase in game, not the Gank stuff you get for free.

I would allow it for cybernetics purchased with Knight Level credits, though.

I believe the unwritten rule is nothing discounts with Starting XP. I'm sure even the Mentor discount for Force Powers is not allowed towards Starting XP expenditures.

Thank you!

I believe the unwritten rule is nothing discounts with Starting XP. I'm sure even the Mentor discount for Force Powers is not allowed towards Starting XP expenditures.

I might allow it, if said mentor plays well into the party background. I mean, we give starting parties a big SHIP to begin play, so a 5xp discount to carry said mentor and become a possible liability may be worth it. I may be wrong- is there any RAW about denying the 5XP discount to begin play? At worst, PCs could end up grabbing the latest Force Power for free (5XP), but would hardly consider it a broken option.

Gank Cyber Techs, though, would seem to abuse this rule and be better suited (sometimes literally?) than other characters who spend XP instead of credits.

Do you also withhold earnings from any Entrepreneur PCs until Game Two? If 5XP is too generous, starting play with +100+ credits just for showing up also seems like a cheap trick. Does the party Executioner or Warden with Conflict talents also begin their first session of play with conflict, or just when they use it for the first (and subsequent) time? This is interesting, and I'd welcome others' thoughts, too!

I might allow it, if said mentor plays well into the party background. I mean, we give starting parties a big SHIP to begin play, so a 5xp discount to carry said mentor and become a possible liability may be worth it. I may be wrong- is there any RAW about denying the 5XP discount to begin play? At worst, PCs could end up grabbing the latest Force Power for free (5XP), but would hardly consider it a broken option.

Gank Cyber Techs, though, would seem to abuse this rule and be better suited (sometimes literally?) than other characters who spend XP instead of credits.

Do you also withhold earnings from any Entrepreneur PCs until Game Two? If 5XP is too generous, starting play with +100+ credits just for showing up also seems like a cheap trick. Does the party Executioner or Warden with Conflict talents also begin their first session of play with conflict, or just when they use it for the first (and subsequent) time? This is interesting, and I'd welcome others' thoughts, too!

1. The mentor discount "only applies after the character has spent their initial XP during character creation." Last sentence, page 109. Just gets added to the (very minimal) rules about certain things PCs can and can't do with their starting XP. If I had to guess, it is probably there to ensure that you start play with a PC that is as playable as possible.*

2. The Farsight power cannot be purchased for free, according to the developers who were on the Order 66 Podcast last week. It should be a minimum 5 XP purchase. Otherwise it's a no-brainer, every-with-a-mentor-automatically-gets-this-power, and that is boring and not so cool.

3. The Sound Investments talent specifies that the character receives credits at the beginning of every session. So, it happens right along with all the other stuff that happens at the beginning of every session (like rolling for Obligation/Morality/Duty, and generating Destiny Points). So yeah, you would start your first session with an extra 100*[ranks in Sound Investments] credits. You can't spend those credits during character creation, of course, but they are available to you as soon as you start your first game session.

RAW works!

*I reserve the right to change this opinion, and any of my opinions, on a whim.

PS: I like your signature.

This was answered in the Special Modifications episode of Order 66 Podcast (I should know since I asked the question!). It all comes down to the very specific order in which choices are made during character creation. The very first step is always obligation/duty/morality and motivation. Then Species is next, including all relevant species special abilities, this is the point at which Ganks choose their 5k worth of enhancements and it happens well before any XP is spent.

I believe the unwritten rule is nothing discounts with Starting XP. I'm sure even the Mentor discount for Force Powers is not allowed towards Starting XP expenditures.

If it is unwritten, it is unenforceable, technically. It is definitely something that should be discussed at a Session Zero, between the GM and ALL the Players. Imposing unwritten rules sets a bad precedent that works against the Players.

It's not exactly unwritten. It's encoded at various places in the rules; AZ is just making a generalized statement about how starting XP works.

The way my group had ruled it is that you can benefit from the discount; but only if you spend your starting EXP to buy it; Knight level characters dipping into cyber specialist wouldn't be able use the first 5000 for a discount. Namely ruled that way because I don't think anyone in my group has listened through a podcast so it's difficult to enforce a rule of word, rather then a rule of written.

The rule is written; a step by step process for creating characters, this isn't some "Pirates Code" guidelines. You start at step 1, finish at 10 with a completed PC. But it's not a big deal if the whole group are fine with it.

^This. Plus, I'm always a fan on erring on the side of the players if a rule is ever unclear.

Sorry but where can I find the RAW for Knight level characters? Or is it a house rule?

Knight Level is a guideline in a side bar in the Force and Destiny core rule book.