Talent: Speaks binary

By kinnison, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

So does this actually allow the player with the talent the ability to speak binary?

What about droids that normally speak it? Do they get a default boost die?

If a Droid buys that talent, do they "speak Basic"?

I almost think of it as something similar to impressing someone you actually can SPEAK some words of a language no one actually bothers to learn to speak

I already know how to say 'bleep, bloop, bleep, flarp! flarp!'

I assume it means communicate on some level, but mostly understand it I would think.

Speak Binary is the Charm Droid of Star Wars.

Much like Jury Rigged and Stim Application, do not take the name of the talent so literal. If you want it to mean that your character can speak Binary, then go for it, but it could also mean that you know how droids interpret things so well that it is easy to charm them to do things.

Edited by kaosoe

Yeah, just means they know how to give orders that a droid will respond to best.

So can talk casually to an astromech, use the whole thesaurus with the 3PO unit, but stick to a third grade reading level and Y/N questions when dealing with an ASP.

Or you're this guy...

Edited by Ghostofman

I've viewed this talent as not so much as "able to speak" Binary but more as "fluent in" Binary.

It's part of why the PC is able to more effectively coordinate a bunch of droids; they're not waiting for a more proper translation from that prissy 3PO unit as they already know what the repair and labor droids are bleeping on about.

Hey all, sorry for the thread necro, but I have a serious question.

I read Speaks Binary as giving a Boost die to the task the droid is engaging in, not to Charming the droid. In other words, the character orders an astromech droid to chart a course to Nar Shaddaa. The droid gains a Boost die on his Astrogation check because the instructions were delivered in such a way as to improve his chance of success. More like it's Inspiring Rhetoric for droids than a charm die.

Exact language is "the character grants [boost die] ...to any tasks he directs a droid to perform."

Any thoughts on whether that's accurate?

If my take is accurate how often would you apply said bonus. For example, if the character directs the droid to negotiate for parts, apply bonus or not? What if the droid is assisting the character in a negotiation (droid provides skill, PC provides attribute, protocol droid grants Boost die, does Speaks Binary also grant a boost die)?

Thanks!

I think you're spot on and it will become more useful when Special Modifications is out and PCs are making their own droids I would imagine.

Hey all, sorry for the thread necro, but I have a serious question.

I read Speaks Binary as giving a Boost die to the task the droid is engaging in, not to Charming the droid. In other words, the character orders an astromech droid to chart a course to Nar Shaddaa. The droid gains a Boost die on his Astrogation check because the instructions were delivered in such a way as to improve his chance of success. More like it's Inspiring Rhetoric for droids than a charm die.

Exact language is "the character grants [boost die] ...to any tasks he directs a droid to perform."

Any thoughts on whether that's accurate?

If my take is accurate how often would you apply said bonus. For example, if the character directs the droid to negotiate for parts, apply bonus or not? What if the droid is assisting the character in a negotiation (droid provides skill, PC provides attribute, protocol droid grants Boost die, does Speaks Binary also grant a boost die)?

Thanks!

It's the Lead Droids ability.

In another thread there is talk about giving multiple levels to a Soldier Droid Commander. Suddenly you're little Droid Army gets scary when every Droid Group in the army gets a bunch of bonus die.

Hey all, sorry for the thread necro, but I have a serious question.

I read Speaks Binary as giving a Boost die to the task the droid is engaging in, not to Charming the droid. In other words, the character orders an astromech droid to chart a course to Nar Shaddaa. The droid gains a Boost die on his Astrogation check because the instructions were delivered in such a way as to improve his chance of success. More like it's Inspiring Rhetoric for droids than a charm die.

Exact language is "the character grants [boost die] ...to any tasks he directs a droid to perform."

Any thoughts on whether that's accurate?

If my take is accurate how often would you apply said bonus. For example, if the character directs the droid to negotiate for parts, apply bonus or not? What if the droid is assisting the character in a negotiation (droid provides skill, PC provides attribute, protocol droid grants Boost die, does Speaks Binary also grant a boost die)?

Thanks!

Your take is accurate, and it should apply any time the character is present to direct the droid's actions.

I can understand Chinese. I can't speak it...

I can understand Chinese. I can't speak it...

I don't think that Speaks Binary necessarily means you literally speak or even comprehend the sounds of Binary. It just means you are good at directing droids. It's not much different from learning to interact with specific cultures IRL even if you don't speak the language, you become more familiar with the social norms. In SW, droids effectively form a 'culture' even if it seems odd by our usual standards.

I know what it meaned...

What I tried to imply is that even though many of the characters understand R2's beeps en whizzes that is not sufficient to actually converse with him in his language to such an extend that they can help him out in his tasks as to grant him boosts.