I just read through the AoR core rulebook. It said that you could get specs from EotE. Does that mean you can get specs from FaD

Yes. Each game is completely cross-compatible with the other. It's just that AoR was published before FaD existed

Note that the different books only overlap slightly on ships, vehicles, and template foes included.

Everything is entirely compatible, it's really up to each group of players to decide what theme they would like to have for their game. Sometimes a completely Force and Destiny game is what people want, other times they want criminals who got kicked out of the Rebellion and a mix of AoR and EotE is right. Other times it's a Rebel cell with a Force User from FaD.

It's fully intended that if a PC wanted to, they could mix and match specializations from each of the books, provided they don't already have that specialization by name (so no, you can't take Pilot from the Ace career and then buy Pilot again from the Smuggler career, or start with Slicer from Technician career and then take Slicer again from the Spy career).

Bear in mind with FaD specs is that the specialization itself doesn't give you Force Rating 1, so if you started out in an EotE or AoR career, you'll need to grab either FS Exile or FS Emergent in order to get a Force Rating.

So wait, I can't just get FR from seer or one of the other specs

In FaD the Careers are what gives a character Force Rating 1. At character creation if you start with an FaD career you start with FR1. But if you start as an AoR or EotE Career then later purchase an FaD Specialisation you still don't have a Force Rating.

Okay, that makes sense

If you want to become force-sensitive without using a F&D career then you can do so by taking the Force-Sensitive Exile (EotE) or Force-Sensitive Emergent (AoR) universal specializations. These grant Force Rating 1 upon entry, and you can thereafter make use of force talents and obtain force powers. That includes everything from the F&D book (and related splatbooks).

I thought you would the talent inside the talent tree

1 minute ago, Matt Skywalker said:

I thought you would the talent inside the talent tree

The talent inside the talent tree can increase your Force Rating, but since it is itself a Force talent, it cannot confer a Force Rating on someone who has no Force Rating to begin with.

No, because that is a force talent - force talents are denoted by the starburst graphic on the upper left corner - and force talents don't function unless you already have a force rating.

At present the only ways to get an initial force rating are to start with a F&D career or to take one of those two universal specs.

Edit: Keep in mind that you only need to purchase the specialization to get Force Rating 1. You don't need to fill in its talent tree if you don't want any of what it offers. (That said, they're a good foundation for a character in that situation.)

That makes the tree even better

I didn't know that! Good to know!! That's a cheap fr1

Bear in mind those those two specs only give you Force Rating 1 if you don't already have it. They don't increase an existing Force Rating.

16 minutes ago, Garran said:

Bear in mind...

Your statement is correct; but I believe that, in the Star Wars universe, the phrase is "Wookiee in mind."

3 hours ago, Matt Skywalker said:

So wait, I can't just get FR from seer or one of the other specs

Correct. Even though many of the specs do have the Force Rating talent, said talent requires the PC to have a Force Rating of 1 to begin with.

That doesn't mean you can't take FaD specializations, it's just that any Force talents you purchase will be worthless until you are able to obtain a Force Rating.

24 minutes ago, Donovan Morningfire said:

That doesn't mean you can't take FaD specializations, it's just that any Force talents you purchase will be worthless until you are able to obtain a Force Rating.

Or you could just never obtain a Force rating and lump (or avoid) the Force talents in such a talent tree. A version of General Grievous could be created up using Makashi Duelist and Shii-Cho Knight as secondary (or tertiary) specializations; and you could even stat up a droid PC, which isn't even eligible for a Force rating, by purchasing a FaD specialization, and still end up with a unique and effective character.

I need to do that with a character I am making

10 hours ago, Richardbuxton said:

In FaD the Careers are what gives a character Force Rating 1. At character creation if you start with an FaD career you start with FR1. But if you start as an AoR or EotE Career then later purchase an FaD Specialisation you still don't have a Force Rating.

the F&D specialties require a force rating. So you must go Emergent or Exile first, if not starting in an F&D career.

38 minutes ago, AK_Aramis said:

the F&D specialties require a force rating. So you must go Emergent or Exile first, if not starting in an F&D career.

They don't require a Force Rating to purchase, only to make use of the Force Talents. In fact, a lot of melee builds (at least before No Disintegrations brought us the Martial Artist) would add Shii-Cho Knight without any intention of ever getting a Force Rating, because it was a great specialization without too strong a focus on either lightsabers or Force powers.

17 hours ago, awayputurwpn said:

Or you could just never obtain a Force rating and lump (or avoid) the Force talents in such a talent tree. A version of General Grievous could be created up using Makashi Duelist and Shii-Cho Knight as secondary (or tertiary) specializations; and you could even stat up a droid PC, which isn't even eligible for a Force rating, by purchasing a FaD specialization, and still end up with a unique and effective character.

One elephant in the room for this is that lightsaber forms are all force talents, which is a little odd in context to the lore which has plenty of droids trained in those forms.
I honestly am puzzled about this design decision.

While the RAW is as others have stated, many people feel the "you don't get an FR 1 rating buying into an F&D career" rule to be a bit silly, and house rule it away. I happen to be one of those people. I personally don't care for it, and if any of my players wanted to buy into an F&D directly from EOTE or AOR, without going through the Force Sensitive trees, I'd be fine with it. But that's just me. It's most definitely a house rule, and is contrary to the RAW.

On 6/6/2017 at 9:27 AM, KungFuFerret said:

While the RAW is as others have stated, many people feel the "you don't get an FR 1 rating buying into an F&D career" rule to be a bit silly, and house rule it away. I happen to be one of those people. I personally don't care for it, and if any of my players wanted to buy into an F&D directly from EOTE or AOR, without going through the Force Sensitive trees, I'd be fine with it. But that's just me. It's most definitely a house rule, and is contrary to the RAW.

The problem with buying into an F&D career and giving a free FR relates to career skills. The FS Exile and FS Emergent both do not receive any bonus career skills. A F&D Career gives only 6 career skills instead of 8. Each spec still gives 4. By giving the force rating to the F&D spec instead of the career, you completely invalidate the Exile and Emergent.

48 minutes ago, Edgookin said:

The problem with buying into an F&D career and giving a free FR relates to career skills. The FS Exile and FS Emergent both do not receive any bonus career skills. A F&D Career gives only 6 career skills instead of 8. Each spec still gives 4. By giving the force rating to the F&D spec instead of the career, you completely invalidate the Exile and Emergent.

Given that people from EotE and AoR who are wanting to buy into F&D are only buying Exile or Emergent so they can get the F&D spec, and are very likely not going to bother investing in either at all, I don't really see the issue. For a lot of people, the only reason they are getting Exile/Emergent, is they are forced to do so, to get the requisite FR 1. If that's the only reason, then why bother in the first place? Sure not everyone will use it simply as a stepping stone, but for a lot of people, they will, because that's exactly what it is. They aren't required to invest X amount of XP into Exile/Emergent, to reflect them learning some connection to the Force on a deeper level. Nope, just need that FR 1. And for the players who simply have their eyes set on a particular F&D spec for their concept, I don't see the point in essentially sticking an additional +30xp(or more depending on how many specs they have) cost, on top of already buying into the F&D spec.