This will be my first time playing FFG's RPG system, my group likes to play a couple campaigns in a system and then jump to a new one. I am really hoping they stick with this system because what I can tell from reading and character generation I will really like this setup. None of us have played in this system before, but we all have extensive RPG experience in may other systems.

Anyway, as the title states I think I bit off a bit too much to chew on making this character. I volunteered to be a combat/commander/face for our group of 4. We have a combat/scout/sense force tree, pilot/gunslinger and tinker/tank/intimidation for the rest of the make up. The setting is right after The Last Jedi where The Resistance scatters and starts to try to capitalize on the death of Snoke. My character is a Mandalorian (still using normal human racial, not Mandalorian template), fresh faced from basic training with The Protectors and sent to The New Republic officer academy when "The Hosnian Incident" happens. With the New Republic military in tatters (according to cannon), he joins The Resistance to fulfill his officer's commission. We are taking some liberties with canon as it concerns Mandalorians, none of us were particularly pleased with their pacifism streak. This game is styling the friendly factions as more "freedom paladin" as opposed to turning totally from their warrior traditions.

So my original concept was to take straight Mercenary with Brawn/Presence 3 for the soak/melee on the Brawn and Presence for face skills and Leadership. Since I only cared about one Agility skill (Ranged Heavy) I would just make it up on skill points and apply True Aim liberally to Stormtroopers. My single spec tree gives me combat abilities and Field Commander, I can then take a few ranks cross class in Deception/Coersion to cover my face skills and be set. The GM is REALLY pushing that I should be a medic as well and proposed that I swap from Mercenary to Instructor. Instructor just seems to neuter my combat ability (lose True Aim, Ranged Heavy and Deadly Accuracy) and not give much in return besides Medicine as a class skill, a few ranks in Stimpack Specialization and a couple abilities that I don't know how useful they will be (Encouraging Words, Master Instructor, That's How It's Done).

In the opinion of the great and wise internet, how important is having a semi-dedicated medic in general? Will a couple ranks in Medicine from someone fulfill the role adequately or is there truly a need to have someone with talents specifically around bringing the healz?

Turn that question on it's head and I am also curious if one needs combat talents to feel effective in combat. Can I feel adequately "Mandalorian" with just ranks in Ranged Heavy or should I invest in a spec that gives me some extra kick? Will I need Brawn 3 to be tanky and not fall over if a thug decides his vibroaxe has my name on it? Half of the issue for me is getting the crunch to bear out my character concept of being a "knight in shining armor" who learns that giving people freedom from tyranny doesn't always mean they use it wisely.

Going to instructor will definitely reduce your combat effectiveness. I would not worry too much about medicine as a class skill. Remember that you do not use medicine for a stimpack. Mostly medicine gets used to remove crits, and some wound/strain recovery. If you want a dedicated medic, take Soldier:Medic or Colonist:Doctor. A couple ranks of Stim Specialization are nice, but not if they interfere with the rest of your concept. Instructor goes into Bodyguarding and buffing others more than direct action.

On the topic of your concept, you state combat/commander/face. With what you have listed for everyone else, it sounds like deception and coercion are or could be covered by them. Mercenary Soldier gives good leadership. But your group will be missing charm and negotiations. If you are OK with waiting on picking them up, you may want to consider what other specs you may pick up, and if they are in or out of career. Also look ahead to Signature abilities.

In short, are you a combat monkey with leadership training? Or are leader first, combat second?

And don't forget that you are picking a starting point. Unless your GM hands out extra XP at the start, you aren't going to be good at more than 1 or 2 things. For example, you won't have your True Aims yet. (Assuming you follow the conventional wisdom to buy as many stats as possible in chargen) So if you start at a different career, you could always pick up the Mercenary Spec later (as out of career) and advance it later.

I agree on the char-gen timing. That was what my question about 3 Brawn was mostly about. Is it worth the 30 xp? General wisdom is also that it's "frowned upon" to take a second spec with your starting XP. I know I can't do it all to start, I am working out a rough roadmap of where I think he will mature.

As a cop-out answer to commander or combat first, yes

I don't see him as a dedicated medic, more a "rub some dirt 'n it" than "hold still why I use a scalpel" when it comes to healing. He shoots, he yells, he wins. Once the war is won, I could easily see him being a Senator representing his people and using his face skills there. I plan on taking Charm/Negotiate as my human skills and then picking up a second spec (figurehead works well here) for more support once I have bottomed out my character. He was trained as a warrior, he learns to lead and talk as he matures. Coersion works thematically and I probably want to pick up a rank or two in it so I can put stats to my intimidating T-visor

Luckily, the Mandalorian "pacifism" streak was short lived. Besides, there were still the "Old Mandalorians" and Death Watch, who each, in their own ways, kept the warrior culture of Mandalore alive, for better (in the case of the former) or worse (in the case of the latter).

@Tramp Graphics: That is why we are being "creative" with the Mandalorians Currently, we are going with the Clan Rau from Clone Wars in an attempt to stay as canon as possible. They joined up with the original rebels and our story goes that they basically integrated into their military structure of the Rebel Alliance.

When the New Republic hit their pacifist streak, Rau gave them the bird and followed Leia into The Resistance (which they refuse to call anything but The Republic since most of them still have commissions with the military). It helps emphasize the New Republic military having "beneficially tolerated" The Resistance. Over the years in The Resistance, they fraught bravely and all but my character are dead now. We are starting with The Resistance being only the people that got off Crate at the end of 8. I hope that doesn't count as too much of a spoiler...

I am still curious about how valuable 3 Brawn would be for me as opposed to bumping my Cunning/Willpower since I am the face. Definitely buying Presence 3 for Field Commander and I want a couple ranks in Ranged(Heavy) since I am not a total noob in The Resistance. Stats>Skills, I know. But how much of a deal is an extra point of soak and green dice to my Brawn skills compared to extra dice to my Cunning/Wilpower?

A high starting Brawn will give you higher starting Wound Threshold. A high starting Willpower will do the same for your Strain Threshold. Thus, it is advantageous, to have both a high starting Brawn and high starting Willpower.

As for the Mandos, their "pacifist" streak pretty much died with the overthrow of Statine's New Mandalorian government by Pre Visla and Darth Maul. By the time of the Rebellion, following the defeat of Maul's forces, the culture of the warrior clans once again controlled Mandalore (as seen in Rebels).

Another option to consider might be a social spec (Colonist Politico?), and combine it with Universal Recruit.

Got a number of counter suggesions with regards to your specialisations but moving out of the AOR line

A good face character with some combat. Marshal can work with both the cunning and presence social skills as well as leveraging coercion/Vigilance and Willpower. Limited to ranged light though, just ignore the spec name. You dont need a boss Agility as again you can boost skill (human allows you to pick up a rank of discipline for hard headed fwiw, maybe even ranged heavy as well its onoy going to cost you an extra 10 xp to get to rank 3 on ranged heavy)

Field Commander also from Edge of the Empire line, is a solid combat spec with great leadership skills, like Marshal doesnt have medicine, but is one of the few specs to have access to every non lightsaber combat skill, Again as human you can pick up medicine as one of your two free ranks.

If you dont mind being a force sensitive (maybe unkowingly and lower in power) the Protector is a half decent medic , but has no real social skills but does allow an easy cross spec into Peacekeeper, which is a good commander spec, Just downplay the force side of things ,

I personally feel though that trying to make you into a medic , outside of just picking up medicine ranks is a bad idea, For combat I think you are correct in boosting brawn, a lot of people over look its benefits. Stimpacs can go a long way in the beginning.

Lastly dont automatically lock into the idea that you need talents to be good at something. Sometime s people overlook the fact that buying skill ranks is often a better idea than talents. Example a talent that removes a setback is nice, but an additional skill rank will actually give you at least a 5% better chance of making a check while keeping the setback in comparison with removing the setback., Additionally, setback removal talents are often situational, whereas skill ranks are not. once you get to skill rank 3 or more in your chosen skills, talents become a lot more cost effective.

Edif lastly if you spend all your starting xp into characteristics as recommended in the books, a human can start with 4 at 3 , so Brawn/Willpower/Presence/Knowledge gives a very good spread.

The game is designed more for a team of specialists supporting each other Imo, rather than generalised characters that ade okay at everything, I would recommend having at least. a 3 in any characteristic that you deem important, or at least aim for a skill of 3 or 4 to compensate.