Help with a Star Wars-style Zen Archer

[Elric VIII]

I'm just starting a Star Wars d20 game and I need some help putting together a workable character. I'm very experienced with D&D 3.x, so I know that lack of system mastery can turn a cool concept into a pile of garbage.

My idea for the character is a spec-ops agent that uses the force to enhance his stealth and sharpshooting ability. I think that the best way to achieve this is with Force Adept/[something else] into the Mystic Agent PrC and focus on Battlemind/Enhance ability/Enhance Senses. I have some questions regarding this:

1) Is losing force-user levels as debilitating as losing caster levels in 3.x?

2) What is a good martial class to enhance my ranged attack abilities?

3) Is the Mystic Agent the best PrC to do this or would just sticking to Force Adept be the better option?

4) Is Bowcaster as bad as it looks or is there a way to get full attacks/Rapid Shot with it?


And any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

[BWR]

1) Is losing force-user levels as debilitating as losing caster levels in 3.x?


Not quite. Force powers are skill and feat based, and you won't get nearly enough skill points to make you good at more than two or three abilities in any case, unless you max Intelligence, play Consular and don't care about all the non-Force skills you want. However, if you only want to pump up one or two skills, you can splash with other classes easily enough and just throw all your Force-user skill points at the important skills.



2) What is a good martial class to enhance my ranged attack abilities?

Soldier. Lots of feats, full BAB, good VP. Scout and Scoundrel can work, but are less dip-friendly than Soldier. The Sharpshooter PrC works if you want to do stuff from a distance, but it doesn't do much for Force abilities.



3) Is the Mystic Agent the best PrC to do this or would just sticking to Force Adept be the better option?

I don't really see what Mystic Agent gives you if you want to focus on shooting things. Especially since Sense skills are cross-class and Sense is closest skill to zen archery that you have. As already mentioned, the Sharpshooter PrC is the best long distance shooting class (3/4 BAB notwithstanding), but that's what the Force skills are there for, I assume.



4) Is Bowcaster as bad as it looks or is there a way to get full attacks/Rapid Shot with it?


It's bad. Don't take it unless you are really strong and don't care about it being mostly useless.

[Elric VIII]

Not quite. Force powers are skill and feat based, and you won't get nearly enough skill points to make you good at more than two or three abilities in any case, unless you max Intelligence, play Consular and don't care about all the non-Force skills you want. However, if you only want to pump up one or two skills, you can splash with other classes easily enough and just throw all your Force-user skill points at the important skills.


Soldier. Lots of feats, full BAB, good VP. Scout and Scoundrel can work, but are less dip-friendly than Soldier. The Sharpshooter PrC works if you want to do stuff from a distance, but it doesn't do much for Force abilities.

Thanks for the advice. Sharpshooter does look good here.



NotI don't really see what Mystic Agent gives you if you want to focus on shooting things. Especially since Sense skills are cross-class and Sense is closest skill to zen archery that you have. As already mentioned, the Sharpshooter PrC is the best long distance shooting class (3/4 BAB notwithstanding), but that's what the Force skills are there for, I assume.

I was thinking Battlemind primarily with Enhance Ability, and Move Object would be the most useful. Mystic Agent also lets me turn vitality into skill bonuses as well as giving some bonus feats.



NotIt's bad. Don't take it unless you are really strong and don't care about it being mostly useless.

That's too bad.