On the (Ab)Use of Threshold:
Unlike D&D 3.5, where you're at prime fighting spirit even after taking those 30+ d6 in damage, as long as you have at least 1 HP left, the same cannot be said about Star Wars.
In SWSE, when you take damage that exceds your Threshold value, you go down one step on your Condition Track.
Just like in World of Darkness, the more damaged you are, the harder it becomes for you to do things.
A quick look in the core book let us familiarize with the mechanic.
At first glance, it seems a reasonable rule, since, after all, it's kind of hard to remain fighting whilst trying to balance on your guts when that Dire Vibroaxe cut you open.
However, as many enlightened induviduals have stated before me, there are some issues with this system.
Issue one:
At one end, we have the Greater Krayt Dragon.
It slaps you with its tail for an average of 51 damage. That's about a third or a fourth of a normal characters HP, correct me if I'm wrong.
But you still only go down 1 step on the Condition Track.
A litte odd, don't you think?
But ok, it's good thing for the players, so hey let's not complain.
There's a bunch of Feats and Talents to increase damage, but often not compatible with eachother.
There's also a bunch of Talents to add more steps down the condition track. Unlike the damage, these are all compatible with eachother. Hence:
Issue two:
Stacking Condition Track modifiers. As the rulebook shows us, 5 steps down the CT and you're out cold, no matter your HP.
When you're out cold, regardless of your remaining HP, if you take damage exceeding your Threshold value, you're dead meat/scrapped junk/[insert remnants].
With that in mind, I present the following build. I've taken a lot of inspiration from Radical Taoists build compendium and those who posted there, so credit given when credit is due.
[spoiler]Assassin.
Race:Rodian
More for fluff than for mechanical power, though I can't imagine any other race who would be vastly superior to this choice.
Advancement: Scout 7/Bounty Hunter 1/Vanguard 3/Scoundrel 1/Gunslinger 1/Assassin 7
Multi-classing madness.
Stats, given Dawn of Defiance standard 28 pt buy and the Rhodian racial modifiers:
Str:11
Dex:19
Con:14
Int:10
Wis:8
Cha:8
You need to maximize your Dexterity for a simple reason, namely to hit. A good Con-score always helps. The lack of Wisdom is somewhat offset by your re-rolls. Your Will Defense will take a hit, but if you do things the way we're planning, the opposition won't have much time to take advantage of that flaw.
Trained In: Endurance, Initative, Perception, Survival, Stealth
Everything you'll be needing from a camouflaged assassin.
Level Progression:
[spoiler]Talents within the [brackets]
Feats outside.
1 Scout:[Awarness Tree - Accute Senses], WP (pistols, rifles, simple), Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (survival), Shake it Off
2 Scout: Precise Shot
3 Scout:[Awarness Tree - Improved Initative], Quick Draw
4 Scout: Careful Shot
5 Scout:[Camouflage Tree - Improved Stealth]
6 Scout: Sniper, Deadeye
7 Scout:[Camouflage Tree - Hidden Movement]
8 Bounty Hunter:[Bounty Hunter Tree - Hunter's Mark]
9 Vanguard:[Vanguard Tree - Maximize Cover], OPEN FEAT
10 Vanguard: Surprise Attack +1
11 Vanguard:[Vanguard Tree - Invisible Attacker]
12 Scoundrel:[Missfortune Talent - Dastardly Strike], Deadly Sniper
13 Gunslinger:[Gunslinger Tree - Debilitating Shot]
14 Assassin:[Assassin Tree - Sniping Assassin]
15 Assassin: Mark +1, OPEN FEAT
16 Assassin:[Assassin Tree - Sniping Marksman]
17 Assassin: Mark +2
18 Assassin:[Assassin Tree - Sniping Master], OPEN FEAT
19 Assassin: Mark +3
20 Assassin:[Assassin Tree - Ruthless][/spoiler]
Reasonings behind Talents:
[spoiler]
The two Awarness Talents are there for entry into Bounty Hunter.
Accute Senses helps us spot our target better.
Improved Initative was included simply because the other option, Keen Shot, wouldn't add something usefull since we'll be spending actions Aiming anyway.
The two Camouflage Talents are there for enty into Vanugard, aswell as improving your ability to hide.
Since the entire point is to attack your enemy when he's unprepared, these help.
The level in Bounty Hunter gives us trackers mark, the first Talent to improve your gimmick, CT reduction.
Vanguard is a PrC found in the Clone Wars Campaign Guide.
It centers around forward scouting and information gathering.
The first Talent is more or less there just to qualify for the second one, which will add an extra die to damage when the target is unaware of your attack. Since the easiest way to knock down the CT one step is to infict damage, this helps in that regard.
The scoundrel Talent works like Hunter's Mark, you just need to attack something flat-footed. That's another step down the CT.
The gunslinger Talent works like Hunter's Mark, you just need to aim first. One more step down.
Assassin is in Scum and Villany.
It is just what is sounds like.
Sniping Assassion adds damage.
Marksman is for the situations where you just need the opponent to be flat-footed, aware or not. Since the only thing you're missing out then is that one die from Unseen Attacker, it's good to have in a pinch.
Master is for only having to spend a single swift action to aim.
Just make sure you're not withing point blank range.
And Ruthless is the nail in the coffin. The first shot knocks the taget out cold. The second standard action translates into another shot, which quite probably go over the targets threshold value.
Now, the target is dead.
[/spoiler]
On selection of Feats:
[spoiler]
First level is all the starting feats, the conditional skill focus Rhodian gives you, and the essential Rifle prof. you'll be needing.
Precise shot is not a bad feat, and we'll be needing it later.
Quick Draw is for Gunslinger entry, nothing else.
Careful Shot give a +1 bonus to hit when you aim. Every little ounce of hitting power is welcome, since we don't have a good BAB progression straight through. Also a stepping-stone feat.
Deadeye is there for the same reason as Invisible attacker.
Sniper is there as a stepping stone, as the situation is the same as with Keen Shot. But we need it for the next feat, aswell as entry into Assassin.
Deadly Sniper is in Scum and Villany.
More damage, more attack roll modifiers.
[/spoiler]
We are going to use a Blaster Rifle, Sniper.
Highest damage die for a ranged weapon and it fits thematicly.
So, let's summary:
Attack Bonus:
17(base)+7 (dex)+3 (feats) +1 (suprise shot)
Total: 28
Damage:
2d10 +d10 (deadye)+d10 (invisible attacker) +d10 (deadly sniper) +3 (assassin's mark)+3 (sniping assassin) + 10 (heroic level).
Average: 44
I'm sure this can be pimped higher.
There's weapon modifications to increase damage, and with those open feats one could snag that feat that lets you add full heroic level to damage against targets that haven't acted yet in combat.
With Double Triggers, Bipod and Beam-splitter, this gets even worse.
CT status.
-1 for damage over threshold.
-1 for Hunter's Mark.
-1 for Dastardly Strike.
-1 for Debilitating Shot.
This is where I see a problem in my plan. These are only 4 steps. Not 5.
Originally, I planned to use a stun setting to make it 2 steps down due to damage.
But sniper blasters have no stun setting, and the max range for a stun weapon is 6 squares.
Ah well, 4 steps down the track still proves my point that it's somewhat easy to abuse.
I mean, skipping the hiding angle and going for stunning weapons would make that -5 steps in one shot.
Cerean template and whatnots.
[/spoiler]
Aditions to the X to Y:
Melee Duelist, Melee Duelist Talent Tree, Master of Elegance.
KOTOR, page 47.
Dex to damage instead of Str, functions just like Ataru does for lightsabers, but for other melee weapons.
Mighty Throw, Feat.
Force Unleased, page 33.
Str to attack with thrown weapons and increase to range catergories equal to Str mod.