Burn

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

I'm terribly confused about the Burn quality. I wasn't able to find clarification on the forums (admittedly only 10 min long scroll, CTRL-F)

It is an ACTIVE quality which looks to me like it requires 2 Advantage to pull off. However, it says "if the attack is successful" the target continues to suffer the weapon's base damage each round for a number of rounds equal to the weapons Burn rating.

I read this to mean that a Burn 3, 8 dmg base weapon would hit for 9+damage (adding at least one success) and then for the next 3 rounds auto deal 8 points of damage. Am I right? Is there no expenditure of Advantage to activate this rather horrifying quality?

Thank you in advance. Sorry if this has been brought up before or if I am simply blind.

You spend the Advantages to get the effect to go off but once it does, yes, it Burns.

The line means that you can only spend the 2 Advantages to activate it if the attack is successful. Burn is Active, which means it doesn't activate even with a successful attack unless the Advantages are spent to do so.

Ok! Thank you both. So Burn itself costs 2 advantage to activate but then it burns for it's Burn rating in rounds. So in the above example it would require 2 advantage but then burn for 3 rounds after the initial hit?

Edited by Gigerstreak

Ok! Thank you both. So Burn itself costs 2 advantage to activate but then it burns for it's Burn rating in rounds. So in the above example it would require 2 advantage but then burn for 3 rounds after the initial hit?

:)

Are you guys sure on that? My interpretation of 'if the attack is successful' was the same as Gigerstreak. I believe the gear section says the default to activate a quality is 2 advantage, unless specified otherwise. Here, otherwise is specified - the otherwise is if the attack is successful. So if the attack gets at least one success, Burn applies. That's how I'd read it.

I figured the balance was it's a Difficulty 1 or 2 (depending on environment) to pat out the flames. Not very hard. Combined with suitable RP drawbacks. In my game one of the players flame projected some baddies - in a wooden building. The next round of combat was getting out of the building before the flames spread to block the door.

If that line just means the attack has to hit to be activate-able, is that not true anyway? Blast specifically allows spending 3 advantage to hit even if you miss, so I took it for granted that you had to hit to activate properties.

Edited by NorrecV

It means the same as for all weapon effects. If the attack roll is successful it activates with a pair of Advantages.

Burn is dangerous, but it's not quite as bad as it sounds. An Average: Coordination (Easy on soft ground or snow, and automatic in water) will extinguish it. The most important effect it has, apart from the one does of burn damage you get before you can put it out, is that it forces the target to spend an action putting out flames instead of, for example, shooting someone in the face.

So... Which is it? Doe it set you on fire indefinitely, dealing Burn rating of damage, or does it deal base damage for Burn rating of turn?

I'd say Burn rating of damage indefinitely until put out, since that insinuates that you made a certain sized fire. However, I could also see base damage for Burn rating of turns, to be extra horrific and show that it lasts for only so long depending on the type of fuel you use (hairspray & a match or napalm).

If Burn is activated, it does the weapon's base Damage for a number of turns equal to the Burn rating. The target (and presumably those that wish to help) can try to put the fire out sooner with a successful test.

So... Which is it? Doe it set you on fire indefinitely, dealing Burn rating of damage, or does it deal base damage for Burn rating of turn?

I'd say Burn rating of damage indefinitely until put out, since that insinuates that you made a certain sized fire. However, I could also see base damage for Burn rating of turns, to be extra horrific and show that it lasts for only so long depending on the type of fuel you use (hairspray & a match or napalm).

When you read the description of the quality, is this the conclusion you come to?

It says "the target continues to suffer the weapon’s base damage each round for a number of rounds equal to the weapon’s Burn rating."

That, to me, implies more that it does the weapon's base damage each round for a number of rounds equal to the weapon's Burn rating, and less that it does damage equal to the Burn rating.

Oddly enough, I couldn't find a more recent topic on this, and I couldn't find an answer. (Maybe I'm not quite searching for the right thing using the forum search.)

Does the damage over time from the Burn quality ignore Soak? If so, what about if the weapon also has the Breach quality? Does the Breach get applied to the DOT too, or just the initial attack?

I'm looking at the Fusion Cutter in the AOR CRB, and it has base damage 5, Breach 1, Burn 3, Sunder, and Vicious 3. Which seems pretty darned nasty. But if the Burn counts Soak and doesn't apply the Breach as well, that 5 base damage during the Burn isn't going to do much (if anything) to most targets.

Soak applies, that I know. I don't know about the breach question. In the case off the cutter it's not really meant as a weapon.

Soak applies, that I know. I don't know about the breach question. In the case off the cutter it's not really meant as a weapon.

Thanks. Not meant to be one, but has stats just in case. ;)

Get a flame projector and mod/jury rig that. Then you'll burn the crap outta stuff...

Don't forget that even tho the cutter uses the melee stat it dose not add brawn. So don't let your 3 or 4 brawn beat stick grab it for base 8 or 9 damage. He gets 5 like everyone else!

It means the same as for all weapon effects. If the attack roll is successful it activates with a pair of Advantages.

I believe this was cleared up on a recent developer interview segment on O66 - there must be a successful attack before Advantages can be used to trigger Weapon Qualities. At my table, I'd rule that a miss with such a weapon is likely to start something on fire, just not the intended target. If Advantage is spent, then it's likely beneficial to the PCs somehow. But how I long for some Threat or Despair!

Uhhh, that's what I said.

You can use Jury rig to lower the Advantage cost to 1 as well... Mwaahhahahaha

On the Breach question you kind of need to think about the weapon just a little. The 2,800 °C (5,100 °F) blow torch part is what does the breaching, not the 600 °C (1,100 °F) material that catches on fire when you point the torch at it. So no Breach on the following turns from the burn quality.

Just add Superior for a free Advantage and more damage... :)

Can do both!

So a weapon with a Base Damage of 5 and Burn of 3 would never be able to do any "Burning harm to an enemy with a Soak of five (like our beloved Stromtroopers) ?

sounds crapy for me.

If you use an Rival with a Brawn of 4 and an Armoursoak of 2 you would need an Basedamage of 7 to even inflict one point Damage each round... so you´ll use 2 advantages on a 3 point DoT...

And if your Enemy is one of those rancor like monsters you woundné even be able to set tham a lit (soak 12)

Have never seen any amour save someone from beeing set aflame (except of special anti-fire clothing like the brave fireman uses)

Ok well just saw it in the developers answer section.

was answered by Sam Steward...

still strange but ok if thats the intend, don´t bother my previous post :ph34r:

It means the same as for all weapon effects. If the attack roll is successful it activates with a pair of Advantages.

I believe this was cleared up on a recent developer interview segment on O66 - there must be a successful attack before Advantages can be used to trigger Weapon Qualities. At my table, I'd rule that a miss with such a weapon is likely to start something on fire, just not the intended target. If Advantage is spent, then it's likely beneficial to the PCs somehow. But how I long for some Threat or Despair!

Most of the time there must be a successful attack, in the case of Burn, yes.

But just to be picky... Blast can be triggered with an unsuccessful attack, but requires 3 Advantages instead of the usual two to do so... But I think that's one of the few exceptions (might be a good indicator for the number of Advantages/Threat required with your idea of Burn igniting objects within Engaged range of target).

Hmmm, Blast + Burn (Hee. Hee. Hee. A lot of Advantages required to trigger Blast + Burn. But I love the smell of napalm in the morning, that gasoline smell, it smells like... victory :D). Just thought, I'm assuming with a missed attack, you could trigger Blast as RAW, but I suppose not the Burn (as technically the attack was unsuccessful).

Also I think Blast (and Stun) might cause confusion with Burn damage, as these do damage equal to that Quality's rating. I have to admit before I looked closer at the Burn's description, I initially thought Burn worked the same as Blast and Stun (damage = Quality's rating).

EDIT: Sorry, got carried away with Blast + Burn. Only the Blast Quality would effect those other than the intended target. Although I'm tempted to make exceptions with stuff like Thermal Detonators.

Edited by MDR101

I recently talked with a buddy of mine and we came to the same conclusion. Improvised weapons are not weapons so can not benefit from tinkerer or jury rigged so definitely something to ask your gm about.