So my observation is that 2.5 specs, a signature ability, and some force powers seems to be the life expectancy of a character/campaign. The question is what build would you do with that.

I'm playing 2 characters that I've planned out that far.

From my live play game I've got Kelitah Windrider (kotor era ancestor of Elias Windrider)

I've been playing him for about 18 months he's in the neighborhood of 700 xp. Statline is 3 3 2 3 5 2, he's a warrior:steel hand adept/niman disciple that the GM let me respec from a consular:niman-disciple/martial artist (in case you're about to say that knights of fate wasn't out 18 months ago). I've got most of niman disciple missing the 20 xp reflect and the force assault talent. As for steel hand adept, what I still want out of it is the 2 dodge and the improved dodge, the 25 xp dodge is so I can get unmatched ferocity (everything but the brawl skill upgrade) . For force powers I have the sense full defense upgrade, the seek basic power, move with a strength, range, hurl, and maybe pull. I want ebb/flow basic and strain upgrade, enhance force leap down to maneuver and maybe change skill brawl which means I have to buy through another change skill, and then foresee with the initiative upgrade and influence with a magnitude and skills upgrade, the last class is to be ascetic, that'll get me to fr 4, empty soul, iron soul, and the 3rd dedication which I'll probably use to bring agility up to 4.

So you maybe wondering why ascetic and ebb/flow? Well because of the combination of unmatched ferocity with the decrease strain upgrades and take strain instead of conflict, plus draw closer to make hitting more likely so I can chain a lot of hits, and ebb/flow so he doesn't pass out. Here's the ruling I got from sam stewart a few days ago

Rules  Question:
Suppose   a niman disciple with draw closer has ebb/flow Can they be used on the same roll? I know you wouldn't get to add the force dice twice (because it's far to abusable) but could they share dice between the power and   talent, for example if they have a white pip that they don't need to hit the target can they use it to get a strain  (or 2 depending on upgrades) back?

Hello Keith,

You may, but you  would not add the Force dice twice (as you noted).

Hope this helps!  

Um by RAW you can only take signature abilities from your starting Career. So if Windrider started as a Niman Disciple he can't ever learn Unmatched Ferocity, unless the GM is house ruling it.

56 minutes ago, Nihil84 said:

Um by RAW you can only take signature abilities from your starting Career. So if Windrider started as a Niman Disciple he can't ever learn Unmatched Ferocity, unless the GM is house ruling it.

" he's a warrior:steel hand adept/niman disciple that the GM let me respec from a consular:niman-disciple/martial artist "

I may be wrong but for me it means the character changed his Career from consular to Warior and one of his specialisation from Martial artist to Steel Hand Adept. So he can take Unmatched Ferocity as signature abilituy and ties it to Steel Hand adept. Letting a character respec because a specalisation that didn't exist when he was created become available later isn't really houseruling. It's just more intelligent than having the player re-create a new character that will be a identical to the former character except for his career and specialisation.

I miss read that thought he just changed martial artist to steel hand. Missed the part where he changed starting career too.

No worries, the character didn't even originate in ffg star wars but was converted from an rcr d20 game where he was the sentinel archetype (different skill list and bonus feat list) of the consular class mixed with soldier. RCR build plan was on the fastest route to defensive throw because it was the only effective way to mix martial arts with lightsaber combat in rcr d20. It was effective because it could interrupt a full attack... if the attacker missed you they ended up prone. When I was initially planning the build the choice was between warden which gave force rating and overbalance (which was kind of like defensive throw, only it requires the opponent to roll a despair or ?3? threat instead of being automatic on a miss) and martial artist with coordination dodge plus unarmed parry (which is also kind of like defensive throw) but no force rating. I went with martial artist. Then knights of fate came out with steel hand adept and it had unarmed parry with force rating and improved dodge (good way to get free movement), and I got close to the best of both worlds (a jedi character really needs a minimum of 3 force dice to be effective).

But enough about my 2.5 spec builds, what about yours?

Sounds really cool man. I'm new to the system though so no big awesome builds yet. Currently playing a Niman Disciple I plan to take into arbitar soon.

I'm currently running a Chiss Armorer/Force Sensitive Exile/Niman Disciple, Willpower 5, FR 4
Basically a sword and board type with lightsaber and Sith shield (was using a Gungan Energy shield before stumbling upon that item).
Left side of Sense tree; right side of Seek tree.
Planning on Unmatched Heroism signature ability, but haven't quite pulled the trigger on it yet.

1 hour ago, Nihil84 said:

Sounds really cool man. I'm new to the system though so no big awesome builds yet. Currently playing a Niman Disciple I plan to take into arbitar soon.

You might want to consider sentry as your second spec instead of arbiter... niman-disciple/sentry in either order is the 2 spec way to get a movie quality jedi, sentry gets you improved reflect, 2 cheap ranks of reflect, constantly vigilance, uncanny reaction, force rating and dedication. For a long time that was my favorite 2 spec build.

In the online game with Aris as the starting/apprentice character, I also have a 1500xp master character (every player has 2 characters, 1 apprentice 1 master for which the minimum requirement was 1500xp). Elias Windrider the character started as an rcr d20 consular, where he got to I forget what level, converted to Saga (where starting class was scout), and converted from there to ffg star wars. His ffg build is warrior:steelhand adept/niman disciple/padawan survivor/sentry. Padawan survivor proceeds sentry because it has constant vigilance for 5 xp and it costs 20 xp in sentry.

Pantoran Sentry/Shadow With stat line of 3 3 3 4 1 3

Get the force powers manipulate, enhance, and protect/unleash

Then call it a day.

Currently playing in a few games but one of my characters is just about there in terms of 2.5 specs (though I have one with like 6 too)

Rasos Dergo is a Zabrak male currently on 475 earned XP started as a Warrior Juyo Berserker and later spec'd into Armorer, with a current statline of 5 2 3 2 3 1 . Given I play in a 5 man game and the GM also rolls Destiny the Destiny Pool can get pretty large and can make for a devastating amount of damage from Embrace Your Hate. I don't actually carry a Lightsaber so I kit myself out with a Cortosis Sword and a Riot Shield that I've gotten the Paired Weapons attachment for some face bashing goodness. Combined with the Improved Armor Master I rock 3 Ranged and 4 melee defense on top of a modest 8 soak in Riot Armor. The Sword also a Mono- Molecular Edge modded to have pierce 1 and currently has a free hardpoint thanks to Tinkerer. I've grabbed Reinforced Gauntlets attachment for the Armor just in case. Rasos has also gone under the knife to have his reflexes cybernetically enhanced for a slightly better initiative roll. I haven't delved too deep into Force Powers yet but I have picked up Seek and a single Magnitude Upgrade.

I've also picked up Endure though I've somehow gone this long without ever taking a critical hit, I can temporarily ignore up to Hard difficulty and can extend this out to my allies at medium range. I only last session got up to 2 Force Rating so I've only now started looking at Force Powers.

I'm about to get my 2nd Dedication point and will probably put it into Willpower as I plan on eventually going into Aggressor and/or picking up Suppress and having a half decent Discipline would be nice. I'll take Deadly Reputation as a Signature ability, I like the flavor and has potential uses outside of battle which Rasos struggles with a little.

You should think to take a specialisation with a FR bonus to raise your FR to 3, if you plan to buy more Force Powers with their upgrades. I think Aggressor is a specialisation without any FR bonus like Juyo and Shi-Cho in the Warior career. Niman Disciple could be a good choice.

Aggressor has Force Rating increase in the tree, they use it in their Terrify ability.

The build I've been toying with recently is a 90 lb Steel Fist Adept/Colossus/Ascetic for maximum Monk-itude. The primary Force abilities would probably be Conjure (to 'cheat' the Ascetic's restrictions) and Enhance, to punch harder. Now, it makes for a very shallow skill pool, but I just can't shake the idea of being a 90 lb unkillable Mirialan Kung Fu master. Plus, I think Athletics and Coordination are both incredibly useful skills that are often forgotten about. They're usually on the combat monkeys, but the combat monkeys are too busy getting better at killing stuff to improve those skills.

The other build I've had in mind is actually a team effort. I think a Sapper and a Trailblazer could make an incredibly potent duo. The Sapper has a bunch of abilities that allow him to create cover, and the Trailblazer has a bunch of abilities that buff everyone when they're in cover. I'm not sure where I'd take them from there.

I might go from Trailblazer into Scout, for extra ranks in Disorient and Stalker, and to pick up Quick Strike. The Trailblazer is essentially the Master Ambusher, so scout enhances both his Stealth and First Strike capabilities. Maybe Tactician for the .5 spec? I think Coordinated Assault would be a good addition to that package.

For Sapper... I feel like Saboteur just makes such a logical extension. Be the master of exploding. Strong Arm + Master Demolitionist + Master Genadier makes for massive explosions that are easy to trigger. Not sure for the last one. Maybe medic, to take advantage of that high intellect for another very useful skill.

Sleeper Agent/Analyst/Imp Cadet

Know everything about your enemy, break into anywhere, because you work there and oh yeah left all your slicing tools just past security right where you need them, and by the way that walker had a bad knee joint.

I'm not exactly clear on what is meant by "2.5 Spec". Could you break it down for me, please?

Enough XP for 2.5 trees worth of talents, a signature ability, a few force powers and essential skills at needed ranks, not enough xp for 3 full trees, a signature ability, a few force powers plus skills. Trying to keep the definition loose rather #xp.