Is this just spreading things to thin?

Not with enough xp.

2P51 nailed it. IF you have enough XP, then even five or six specs isn't too thin. I recently converted my old WEG D6 character over to F&D and ended up with five different specs from three different careers. It helps that he converted into a 1830 XP character when all was said and done.

How many games really last that long?

Is their any spec that combines stealth and slicing? Besides the shadow which has the codebreaker.

Just now, TheShard said:

How many games really last that long?

I actually played this character in both D6 and D20 RCRB both as a player and GM for over five years, and have had the character for over 20 now. And a campaign can last as long as the players want. I've known of different RPG campaigns that went on for years upon years. OVer on the Cyberpunk forums, I've heard other forum members there talk about campaigns the've been playing for over a decade or more straight.

I had a campaign last from 1992 to 2012, though it was only played for 20 to 25 sessions per year.

My rule of thumb would be: Plan for 250 xp per spec to make it round and sound, this includes paying for the spec. Though there are always options for 150 xp specs just to get dedication, force rating or similars. Though the more specs you have, the more expensive they become and thus you should be motivated to actually spend xp in those tree's too, because else you waist 50 xp or more on just getting the spec itself.

My session has lasted for 4 years and we still have some of the orignal PC's, my character has been there throughout and he has 5 trees + Force powers and is balienced between being an outlaw and force assassin turned rebel fighter.

I believe there comes a point when getting more specs doesn't really add anything new to a character. I'm at the theshold now where pretty much the only things that would add something meaningful would be Seer or armourer, but few things are worth 70 exp up front.

After a half dozen characters I've noticed myself falling into a similar pattern. Get to the top of one tree (~100xp) > Grab the low hanging fruit from a second (~25xp)> Take most of the good stuff from both trees (~200xp) > Low hanging fruit from a 3rd, usually a class with a different focus (~50xp) > Signature Ability or mediocre talents from all three.

By low hanging fruit I mean talents that offer a lot of impact for a small xp investment. Things like Dodge, Grit, Point Blank Shot.

When you factor in skill ranks, that will usually get you to 500xp or so, about the time I usually start to wrap up campaigns. For longer campaigns, between 750-1000xp I could see picking a 4th but not likely before that. At least for me.

3 hours ago, TheShard said:

How many games really last that long?

That really depends on the group. We've had games that ran from 1999 (might have been 2000) through 2006 - we started our Old Republic game when E1 dropped and finished up when E3 came out. Our current game is going on 3 years (I think) now. We've also had games that fell apart in 6 months.

So yeah, hitting 600-800 XP is easy.

6 hours ago, Vorzakk said:

I had a campaign last from 1992 to 2012, though it was only played for 20 to 25 sessions per year.

What do you mean ****only**** 20 to 25 sessions per year, the last time I played that frequently I was still in high school.

Out of Ashes is at around ~225 earned XP and we're still in what I consider the prologue phase. Everything so far has been them working towards getting the holocron they need for the rest of the plot, and the plot is not at all trivial.

If we're not at 1500+ earned XP by the end, I'll be surprised.

Back to the topic of a four spec build, I think that a warden, Niman-disciple, force sensitive emergent, executioner would be a particularly brutal willpower build. I am hoping that arbiter has force of will to provide another Avenue to get Force of Will.

For this purpose of the astronomical heights a PC can reach, and the fact we only game monthly, I will be handing out XP like candy in our next campaign i'm prepping at the moment.

For me the 4 spec build i like most is Hunter/Hermit/Pathfinder/Ataru. FR5, riding a Silhouette 2 bonded animal, Hawkbat swoop, ultra survivalist, its got so much going for it.

I try not to plan beyond 3 specs, since that takes plenty of XP already and I've yet to get that far. I have a Vanguard/Enforcer right now who'll probably pick up Commando eventually, but I don't have any particular inclinations after that. I suppose it's tempting to go into Warleader or Aggressor despite not being Force Sensitive just to stack up more Suppressing Fire or Fearsome. Or I could go Martial Artist to give the GM headaches.

That said, I do sometimes think that far ahead with Techies, just because you can throw so much XP into making them better than you could possibly need. I had a Droid Technician who was going to go Mechanic/Cyber Tech/Droid Tech/Outlaw Tech (or maybe Modder), except the game went on ice. Force Sensitive version would probably be something like Droid Tech/Force Sensitive Exile/Artisan/Armorer.

Vanguard gunslinger sharpshooter is pretty brutal in the go first and then let your whole team go next sort of way

21 hours ago, TheShard said:

How many games really last that long?

My current game is at 1300 xp. Been playing for about a year.

Or group is just over 1400 xp and the feWest specs for a character I think is 6, with a couple more planned by all. And not a single signature ability among the table.

Heck, or 1st 5 in a skill came just a couple sessions ago. Waiting for a thematically and dramatically appropriate time and all that.