Can this talent be used outside of combat- EG would it be considered 'initiating combat'?

Or would the recipients view this more like say, a Bill Lumberg-esque "Gonna need you to work this weekend..mmmkay?" that just 'saps them' of willpower?

I think this is a perfect "attack" that is not combat related. I feel that Strain "damage" is really just a a demoralizing commentary by someone. Your Lumberg example is great. Being in the Military, I have been on the side taking damage. I have even had to be the one to use it. TI's use it to the extreme, and even bosses use it a lot. Ever had your ass chewed and afterword you felt tired and run down, felt really bad, your whole day thrown off because of it? I have been in groups and the Commander or the Shirt has to chew everyone out because one person eff'ed up, so we all get ripped. Perfect example of this effecting more people at once.

In the show Firefly, Kaylee saw this really pretty dress and was dying to get it, well she and Mal had to go to this fancy ball to meet a contact, and she got to wear the dress. She felt great, but then ran into these mean girls who told her it was ugly and looked like it came from a store, not hand made like theirs. Bam, scathing tirade for 1 strain! Along comes this older gentleman, talks to the girls, and makes a polite comment insinuating that many have boys seen her out of the dress! Bam!!! The whole groups takes 4 strain damage, and some setback dice for the next three rounds!! Master tirade in action. (I am making up the values totally off my ass right now.) During the whole screen, not one mention of violence, or anything overly rude, malicious, or threatening, just very polite but rude comments to hurt others feelings. Social politics, got to love 'em!

Hope this helps some. This is a great talent in combat, and great out of combat, to whittle down a social opponent before negotiating or other dealings.

In my bounty hunter campaign, one of out characters uses Scathing Tirade to recite the crimes of their target - often along with graphic descriptions of what the penalties for such crimes is likely to be. Most people trying this trick would just annoy the target and not get the reaction they want, but when she does it (with Improved Scathing Tirade) it really unnerves them (Strain and Setback dice).

I'd say yes, its fine for out of combat stuff of terrorising minions and making people feel bad, depending on the circumstances and the subject its also probably also a good way of getting a punch in the face as well.

Some people, don't take kindly to criticism

Sure. It may provoke combat, though.

Which may be useful if you want it to look like (although you were provoking him) he was the one who actually started the fight.

Sure. It may provoke combat, though.

Which may be useful if you want it to look like (although you were provoking him) he was the one who actually started the fight.

That can vary a lot depending on local laws. Be careful not to assume that laws are too much like contemporary Earth. There are planets where it's going to be perfectly acceptable to shoot someone in the mouth when they start shooting off their mouth, especially in some of the rougher parts of the Galaxy that EotE often sets itself.

I was just thinking about the expanded gunfighter rules in Deadlands (Player's Guide, I think). When the locals wanted such laws enforced (and were able to do so), it really mattered who was seen to be the first person to reach for a gun.

Just reposting what I said in the other Scathing Tirade thread, adding a couple notes for relevancy. (New stuff in this color.)

scath·ing [skey-thing]
adjective

• bitterly severe, as a remark: a scathing review of the play.
• harmful, injurious, or searing.

ti·rade [tahy-reyd]
noun

• a prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation: a tirade against smoking.
• a long, vehement speech: a tirade in the Senate.
• a passage dealing with a single theme or idea, as in poetry: the stately tirades of Corneille.

A Scathing Tirade has little to do with "my crew is going to kick your backside" and everything to do with showing your dominance through a severe outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation. I'm not sure Lumburg's "requests" count as either scathing or a tirade. If I were to name them anything, I'd call them a Will-Sucking Obligation. But movies and books are filled with other good examples. Gandalf's "You shall not pass" speech directed at the Balrog in Fellowship of the Ring was a scathing tirade, or Hitler's rantings toward his advisors in the movie Downfall. Or maybe Jack Nicholson's outburst in A Few Good Men.

You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives! You don't want the truth, because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like "honor", "code", "loyalty". We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said "thank you", and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a **** what you think you are entitled to!

See?

A Scathing Tirade here in Kansas would have been called a "tongue lashing". It's where you put someone in place not by the power of force, but by your sheer presence. Under normal circumstances, I would say a Scathing Tirade has one of four effects.

1. It starts a fight.
2. It ends a fight.
3. It scares the target off.
   -or-
4. It cows the target into submission.

Probably the example I like the best is Hub McCann's introduction to the punks at the watering hole in Secondhand Lions.

I'm Hub McCann. I've fought in two World Wars and countless smaller ones on three continents. I led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I've seen the headwaters of the Nile, and tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I've won and lost a dozen fortunes, KILLED MANY MEN and loved only one woman with a passion a FLEA like you could never begin to understand. That's who I am. NOW, GO HOME, BOY!

If #4 is what happens, when would you allow them to roll to recover Strain? Usually this is at the end of combat, but in the absence of combat, would they be allowed to roll to recover (I sorta view this roll as adrenaline or the droid equivalent) or would they need to wait to rest?

Still can't help myself...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYwqtylZjKQ is my iconic scathing tirade moment. Since most of my group actually likes the show, it's far easier for me to use as an example than Full Metal Jacket or something similar.

Can this talent be used outside of combat- EG would it be considered 'initiating combat'?

Or would the recipients view this more like say, a Bill Lumberg-esque "Gonna need you to work this weekend..mmmkay?" that just 'saps them' of willpower?

I think of this as the crazy transient outside the quickstop yelling about the voices talent.

Scathing Tirade 101:

Still can't help myself...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYwqtylZjKQ is my iconic scathing tirade moment. Since most of my group actually likes the show, it's far easier for me to use as an example than Full Metal Jacket or something similar.

That was... that was amazing. Oh god, I'm not a ponies fan now, am I?

Eh, that show is ok, but for true outer-rim entertainment:

Still can't help myself...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYwqtylZjKQ is my iconic scathing tirade moment. Since most of my group actually likes the show, it's far easier for me to use as an example than Full Metal Jacket or something similar.

That was... that was amazing. Oh god, I'm not a ponies fan now, am I?

haha. Only if you want to be

That being said, there are a couple of politicos with Scathing Tirade in that series, and the scenes are always epic.

Eh, that show is ok, but for true outer-rim entertainment:

Totally stealing this. It's going to be playing in the background somewhere in universe.

Here is a little blurb I made up for it. I posted this on my Obsidian Portal page.

My Little Bantha is a Holovid series that was first broadcast in the Outer Rim targeted towards little girls. This Holovid series has since grown in popularity across the Galaxy and is now very popular in the Core Worlds. This popularity has even spread from the original targeted audience and has a huge male cult following. While this series shows the importance of friendship and goodwill, many supporters of the series say that is has very strong undercurrents of Anti New Order propaganda, and has led some Imperial Governors to cease broadcasting of this Holovid in their systems. This series also has a huge toy collector fan base as well.

​This is not very good quality. I would love to see this made in a more "professional" way.

And this one make me laugh out loud!

I'd say yes, its fine for out of combat stuff of terrorising minions and making people feel bad, depending on the circumstances and the subject its also probably also a good way of getting a punch in the face as well.

Some people, don't take kindly to criticism

Heh. Can Scathing Tirade be used out of combat? Absolutely. Will Scathing Tirade initiate combat? Almost certainly.

Scathing Tirade 101:

Scathing Tirade 301:

"I hope you like s******* toenails because that's what you'll be doing all next week. Don't worry, I've painted them yellow so they look like f****** sweet corn."

"If this gets out, I will know it came from you. And I will rain down upon you so hard, you will have to be reassembled by f****** air crash investigators. Get this into your noggin - breath a word of this to anyone and I will tear your f****** skin off. I will wear it to your mothers birthday party and I will rub your nut up and down her leg while whistling bohemian rhapsody!"

I mentioned Malcolm Tucker last time Scathing Tirade came up, but he's still a brilliant example of destroying people verbally.

It seems this takent should be an opposed check vs Discipline. I just feel not everybody should be equally sensitive to verbal attacks.

I agree with you to a point. It does seem wierd that this is just a roll, take damage thing. But while not an opposed roll, the Politico still does roll against difficulty dice. And Tirade is not a high damage thing. I think our politico had one roll that did maybe 4-5 strain. That was like a mega roll for him. Also, in "traditional" combat, the rolls are not opposed either. You don't roll for a dodge or even a "defense" number, just against the difficulty for range, or two purple for melee combat.

So with the system setup here, I think brining in an opposed roll would really just break this talent. Different types of characters don't take blaster damage differently. Those who can withstand attacks better have a higher Wound Threshold, those that can take a verbal beating better than others have a high Strain Theshold. While the "damage" inflicted is not different, the amount that be taken can be quite different.

I have seen huge tough dudes brought to tears when they have taken a good ass chewing before...

If you do feel that a particular type of character may have an inherent bonus to resist Scathing Tirade, throw in some setback dice. The Politico should be able to negate those pretty easy, becuase they are the master of words. I like to make sure I add setback dice to the Scathing Tirades on the politico. Things like well, your out numbered, take a setback die, also, these guys are huge compared to you, take another one for a total of two setback. He is always thrilled when I do that then he can tell me, well, I can ignore the two setback dice becuase of Plausible Deniability. Those talents don't feel wasted then.

Another non-combat Scathing Tirade use - one that could be **** handy? Gambling. The politico is not ranting and raving, but very quietly talking trash about everyone else at the sabbacc table, blowing their concentration, keeping the tension high and throwing everyone off their game.

It seems this takent should be an opposed check vs Discipline. I just feel not everybody should be equally sensitive to verbal attacks.

And I think that someone who is nimble should be harder to hit with a blaster. Jackie Chan should be harder to shoot than Stephen Hawking. But the gunner only has to beat range (usually).

And I think that someone who is nimble should be harder to hit with a blaster. Jackie Chan should be harder to shoot than Stephen Hawking. But the gunner only has to beat range (usually).

Wouldn't that be where talents like Dodge or Side Step come into play?

Just go watch the first part of the movie "Full Metal Jacket" and you will see the definition of "scathing tirade" over and over.. :-)