Hey. Just a quick question about inspiring rhetoric. The rules say this ability is short range. I have a player with a comlink that makes his voice easy to hear over long distances that argues this should increase the range of his ability.

What would you guys think?

Black dice! Heaps of'em!

No seriuosly, I believe there was an Order 66 Podcast Episode where they discussed Scathing Tirade over PA on a Ship. I could imagine them talking about heavy situational difficulties, i.e. black dice. Unfortunately, I never listen to them, so I can hardly recollect.

The Far Horizons book has several pages of guidelines for using these kinds of talents. Otherwise, I agree, add setback. Though it does kind of depend on the type of speech being made: if it's just "Go team, go!" then I think the comlink would be a detriment; if it's the King's Speech, then it's more about the choice of words and pacing.

Hey. Just a quick question about inspiring rhetoric. The rules say this ability is short range. I have a player with a comlink that makes his voice easy to hear over long distances that argues this should increase the range of his ability.

What would you guys think?

I'd disagree on allowing him to use the comlink, since that also requires the person on the other end to be actively listening.

However, from playing one of GM Chris' modules, where a PC had both Scathing Tirade and Inspiring Rhetoric, he did allow that character to use the collar-amp from Far Horizons to boost the range of both talents quite a bit (out to long range if I remember right), as the collar-amp is specifically designed to do what your PC wants to use his comlink for. Of course, any threat the PC generated got applied as strain due to the character stressing their vocal chords to ensure they were clearly heard.

After talking to him, it was the collar amp he was wearing. Guess he just forgot the name or something. But I think the question still remains, the ability lists the talmet lists the effect at short range, not at bearable range.

hear-able range. And the collars text doesn't mention extending the ability, just the sound of the voice. Thematically I kind if think that the actual presence of the inspiring character is important. Its not just the words, but the character looking the effected in the eye, standing tall, ECT. I think the set backs are a good idea, as the lack of physical presence would make the job of inspiring harder.

I think that the collar amp is clearly meant to be used with Inspiring Rhetoric and Scathing Tirade, considering that it's listed in FH which is the Colonist splatbook. I'd let it extend to medium range but add two setback dice. Long range is a bit too much in my opinion.

I think that the collar amp is clearly meant to be used with Inspiring Rhetoric and Scathing Tirade, considering that it's listed in FH which is the Colonist splatbook. I'd let it extend to medium range but add two setback dice. Long range is a bit too much in my opinion.

Personally, I'd probably let the collar-amp extend the effects to Medium Range with no setback, Long Range with one setback, and Extreme with two setback dice.

Of course, odds are good the character's going to have talents to remove those setback dice, particularly where Scathing Tirade is concerned. But hey, at least they're getting some use out of those particularly talents.

I half expect the Propagandist spec in the Diplomat sourcebook for AoR will have talents for just this sort of thing. Maybe "Hologenic," a ranked talent that removes setback dice for using social skills and talents over a com, holo, or even via writing? Or maybe Hologenic removes setbacks and Improved Hologenic actually grants boost dice, to allow for your Star Wars equivalent of Rush Limbaugh.

This is mechanical talent based on role playing. Here is where I don't go by the book so much. First, to answer your question, I agree many other here and say SETBACK DICE for using it over a comilink, if not a full upgrade. So, now it boils down to what is the player doing with this talent. Does the player just say to the table, my dude says some really cool stuff and I roll my inspiring rhetoric. Per the rules that is fine. And with these talents it can be hard to be that awesome, witty, and inspiring as the character you are playing. (I love the TV shows were the characters always have the greatest lines and comebacks, we have to remember they have teams of writers and weeks or prep work, and the perfect set up lines to got with them).

What I do is I let my players know that in these social interactions they can role play it out, which I encourage, but sometimes, it boils down WTF do I say? So anyway, I tell them that for "good" acting I award bonus boost die or maybe even an upgrade or increase to the check. I very rarely penalize for "poor" acting, and that would only be if they say something really, really, really dumb, like telling Vader you are going to kill to his face him dumb.

So in short, I award what I consider fair to great acting, and I don't penalize people for not being able to act. I am no actor or director, so as long as people try, they get a boost die!

And yes, I feel almost every roll should have setback die added into them because there are some many talents that can get rid of setback die.

Final note, I agree with a lot of what people told you about the ranges, but I also look at not only range, but line of sight. The Politico is not just auditory, but visual. So if he has someone at short range and a comlink, if they can't see each other, i would add in a setback die for that. I don't think I would create a talent for getting rid of a communication device setback die, but hey, if you guys want, good luck, and let us know if it works out for you.