In the spirit of the old West End Games, 2nd edition revised and expanded, I have been considering about whether or not I should introduce some form of weapon specialization. Has this crossed anyone else's minds especially considering the more militaristic style of Age of Rebellion? If so, what have you considered? Many thanks in advance.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

I dunno, a Signature Ability for Hired Guns that lets you wipe every minion in an encounter and some rivals is pretty darn specialized I think.

If your player doesn't already have it. Having an NPC give the superior quality to that character's weapon of choice seems like a simple implementation to me. Allow that PC to change it to different weapons if he or she wants to get rid of their old weapon and acquire a new one.

Deadly Accuracy does a pretty devastating job of providing a form of specialization as well.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

I like this one. Perhaps add it to an existing tree starting at the top tier and allowing it to be chosen more than once, or ranked.

Thanks.

I let players a specialization weapon types to ranged, melee, brawl. They receive one boost die when using this type of weapon. So a melee skill with a light blades specialization receives a boost die with knives. A brawl skill with a wrestling specialization receives a boost when grappling the opponent. It gives players a little flavor with a little mechanical boost.

I am considering now a separate weapon specialization tree open to all players.

With chosen weapon,

1st rank: +1 adv

2nd rank: +2 adv

3rd rank: +1 Success +2 adv

4th rank: +2 Success +2 adv

5th rank: +1 Triumph, +2 Success, +2 adv

What say you?

I am considering now a separate weapon specialization tree open to all players.

With chosen weapon,

1st rank: +1 adv

2nd rank: +2 adv

3rd rank: +1 Success +2 adv

4th rank: +2 Success +2 adv

5th rank: +1 Triumph, +2 Success, +2 adv

What say you?

That sounds really powerful. If you're OK with letting a player eventually have an automatic triumph, 2 successes, and 2 advantages every time they fire their blaster, that's fine, but I am not so certain about this. Every time the player hits his or her target and if their weapon was good enough, that could potentially be a +10 or +20 critical hit.

Artteach had a really simple and elegant suggestion. A free boost die to attack rolls made by when using a weapon of the the chosen weapon type. It's not game breaking, but it could be the advantage that would turn an unlucky shot into a success.

My suggestion is to check out the various weapon attachments in the CRB and try and mimic something along those lines, but maybe have it not take up a hard point. It's just something a player could get anytime they handle a particular weapon type.

I am considering now a separate weapon specialization tree open to all players.

With chosen weapon,

1st rank: +1 adv

2nd rank: +2 adv

3rd rank: +1 Success +2 adv

4th rank: +2 Success +2 adv

5th rank: +1 Triumph, +2 Success, +2 adv

What say you?

Why buy anything from any other combat tree with that available? Automatic successes? Way too powerful.

IMO the ranked structure you have is a bit much. Also, different things happening at different talent ranks are not how this system does things. For that, you'd need "Improved Weapon Specialization" and "Supreme Weapon Specialization," stuff like that.

I wouldn't go any further than rank 3 in terms of benefits. Maybe also instead of auto Success, it could be +1 damage? Like the Superior quality.

I like the idea of a universal tree to handle this, but I think that just giving out free successes (especially multiple successes) is a little bit too much oomph.

If I were doing this in my game, I'd prefer smaller trees that were specific to each weapon group/type (Brawl/Melee/Light Ranged/Heavy Ranged/Gunnery) that are costed similar to Force powers.

I am considering now a separate weapon specialization tree open to all players.

With chosen weapon,

1st rank: +1 adv

2nd rank: +2 adv

3rd rank: +1 Success +2 adv

4th rank: +2 Success +2 adv

5th rank: +1 Triumph, +2 Success, +2 adv

What say you?

This is extremely OP. Ending with 3 sux, 2 adv, and a Triumph result? Look at ANY other ranked Talent and find ONE that approaches this power level at any Rank. Even 1 sux at Rank 1 is too good.

Even 1 free sux >>> free dice, everytime. It's a guarantee; dice are a risk.

Hmm...so I broke it, eh? I was thinking that the costs associated with purchasing the ranks would be balance enough. The character would also have to consider whether or not to abstain from other valuable choices from a plethora of options offered by an increasing number of other specialization talent trees. Perhaps I can reel it back in a bit then.

I am not too much a fan of weapon mods, though. That feels too much like AD&D for my tastes where the item is more important than innate character talent.

Thanks all for your valuable input!

The dice are all skewed to the positive already, so when you add auto Advantages and particularly Successes, depending on the Difficulty level you are nearly completely eliminating any risk of failure.

Hmm...so I broke it, eh? I was thinking that the costs associated with purchasing the ranks would be balance enough. The character would also have to consider whether or not to abstain from other valuable choices from a plethora of options offered by an increasing number of other specialization talent trees.

Talking about Talent strength in a white-room scenario, XP is not an object of consideration.

The boost for specialization also works well for other skills. If you take the medicine skill you choose one area you a little better at (pathology, forensics, pediatric, neurology, gynecology, alternative medicine, whatever) is the time when you get a boost. Survival can specialize in a particular environment. Again the boost is more to reinforce that one doctor or scout is a little different than another but not break the system.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

With many of the talents already available, it is pretty easy to become fairly deadly with weapons.

At best maybe a talent like:

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Superior quality hen you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon type may be chosen.

But I really don't see much of a need for weapon specialization.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

With many of the talents already available, it is pretty easy to become fairly deadly with weapons.

At best maybe a talent like:

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Superior quality hen you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon may be chosen.

But I really don't see much of a need for weapon specialization.

Fascinating. This looks appealing as well.

I not really in favor of Weapon Specialization. There are already far more ways to increase the damage that you can inflict than ways to avoid taking damage, and i don't want to see that gulf get wider.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

With many of the talents already available, it is pretty easy to become fairly deadly with weapons.

At best maybe a talent like:

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Superior quality hen you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon type may be chosen.

But I really don't see much of a need for weapon specialization.

While nowhere near the level of utter brokeness that angelicdoctor's suggested talent tree was, I still think this borders on being too good. After all, it's not only a free boost to damage, but a free advantage, making it far more potent than a boost die, which has been noted is fairly random in the benefit provided.

I think Deadly Accuracy covers the 'weapon specialization' angle quite sufficiently. And much like Weapon Specialization wasn't available to everyone in the d20 versions of Star Wars RPGs, so too is Deadly Accuracy not a commonly available talent, instead being limited to those specializations that one would expect to specialization in a particularly category of weapon.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

With many of the talents already available, it is pretty easy to become fairly deadly with weapons.

At best maybe a talent like:

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Superior quality hen you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon type may be chosen.

But I really don't see much of a need for weapon specialization.

While nowhere near the level of utter brokeness that angelicdoctor's suggested talent tree was, I still think this borders on being too good. After all, it's not only a free boost to damage, but a free advantage, making it far more potent than a boost die, which has been noted is fairly random in the benefit provided.

I think Deadly Accuracy covers the 'weapon specialization' angle quite sufficiently. And much like Weapon Specialization wasn't available to everyone in the d20 versions of Star Wars RPGs, so too is Deadly Accuracy not a commonly available talent, instead being limited to those specializations that one would expect to specialization in a particularly category of weapon.

Hmmm...I shall have to give this Deadly Accuracy talent a closer look.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

With many of the talents already available, it is pretty easy to become fairly deadly with weapons.

At best maybe a talent like:

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Superior quality hen you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon type may be chosen.

But I really don't see much of a need for weapon specialization.

While nowhere near the level of utter brokeness that angelicdoctor's suggested talent tree was, I still think this borders on being too good. After all, it's not only a free boost to damage, but a free advantage, making it far more potent than a boost die, which has been noted is fairly random in the benefit provided.

I think Deadly Accuracy covers the 'weapon specialization' angle quite sufficiently. And much like Weapon Specialization wasn't available to everyone in the d20 versions of Star Wars RPGs, so too is Deadly Accuracy not a commonly available talent, instead being limited to those specializations that one would expect to specialization in a particularly category of weapon.

So swap Superior with Accurate.

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Accurate quality when you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon type may be chosen.

Like...could be a talent that lets you pick a type of weapon, and add +1 Advantage/Success to all rolls with that weapon? Perhaps?

With many of the talents already available, it is pretty easy to become fairly deadly with weapons.

At best maybe a talent like:

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Superior quality hen you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon type may be chosen.

But I really don't see much of a need for weapon specialization.

While nowhere near the level of utter brokeness that angelicdoctor's suggested talent tree was, I still think this borders on being too good. After all, it's not only a free boost to damage, but a free advantage, making it far more potent than a boost die, which has been noted is fairly random in the benefit provided.

I think Deadly Accuracy covers the 'weapon specialization' angle quite sufficiently. And much like Weapon Specialization wasn't available to everyone in the d20 versions of Star Wars RPGs, so too is Deadly Accuracy not a commonly available talent, instead being limited to those specializations that one would expect to specialization in a particularly category of weapon.

So swap Superior with Accurate.

Weapon Specialization

Activation: Passive

Ranked: No

Trees: Whichever

When this talent is taken, choose a weapon type used to become specialized in. This weapon is considered to have the Accurate quality when you use it. Each time this talent is taken a new weapon type may be chosen.

An Accuracy die would probably be ok.

Beauty! Thanks, all. You have been most helpful.