On the side topic of the perception/vigilance check, I can think of a few ways a character might have to be able to reliably spot something at extreme range. Granted, if the sniper was using stealth, like a proper sniper, it would take an action and a successful roll to find him.

Some items that could trivialize the finding of a sniper are:

• electrobinoculars (much better than macrobinoculars)
• the enhanced optics suite armor attachment
• a general purpose scanner or a combat scanner
• the integrated scanner armor attachment

On the side topic of the perception/vigilance check, I can think of a few ways a character might have to be able to reliably spot something at extreme range. Granted, if the sniper was using stealth, like a proper sniper, it would take an action and a successful roll to find him.

Some items that could trivialize the finding of a sniper are:

• electrobinoculars (much better than macrobinoculars)
• the enhanced optics suite armor attachment
• a general purpose scanner or a combat scanner
• the integrated scanner armor attachment

"Trivialize" might be pushing it a bit too far.

- Electrobinoculars remove a setback die for range plus add a boost die to pick out details. Useful, but hardly a win button.

- Enhanced optics removes two setback dice for obscuring effects like smoke and darkness and can potentially add a skill rank to Vigilance; neither of which are likely to do you much good against a camouflaged sniper.

- Scanners are more useful, but there would still be a Computers check that's at least Average, or possibly opposed by the sniper's Stealth.

- Integrated scanner, same as above.

Regardless of method, this would be a Perception (or possibly Computers) check against the sniper's Stealth. Now add in some things that your typical sniper would definitely remember to pack before leaving home, such as Camouflage Paint (adds one failure to any check made against it), Camouflage Netting (adds two failures to any rolls made against it) or a Holographic Ghillie suit (upgrade checks to detect the wearer once) and you have a pretty tricky roll ahead of you.

On the side topic of the perception/vigilance check, I can think of a few ways a character might have to be able to reliably spot something at extreme range. Granted, if the sniper was using stealth, like a proper sniper, it would take an action and a successful roll to find him.

Some items that could trivialize the finding of a sniper are:

• electrobinoculars (much better than macrobinoculars)
• the enhanced optics suite armor attachment
• a general purpose scanner or a combat scanner
• the integrated scanner armor attachment

"Trivialize" might be pushing it a bit too far.

- Electrobinoculars remove a setback die for range plus add a boost die to pick out details. Useful, but hardly a win button.

- Enhanced optics removes two setback dice for obscuring effects like smoke and darkness and can potentially add a skill rank to Vigilance; neither of which are likely to do you much good against a camouflaged sniper.

- Scanners are more useful, but there would still be a Computers check that's at least Average, or possibly opposed by the sniper's Stealth.

- Integrated scanner, same as above.

Regardless of method, this would be a Perception (or possibly Computers) check against the sniper's Stealth. Now add in some things that your typical sniper would definitely remember to pack before leaving home, such as Camouflage Paint (adds one failure to any check made against it), Camouflage Netting (adds two failures to any rolls made against it) or a Holographic Ghillie suit (upgrade checks to detect the wearer once) and you have a pretty tricky roll ahead of you.

If you read the text of the items I mentioned, they all have thermal imaging or better. Given that a sniper's heat signature would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of camouflage (unless in an urban area or somewhere with a lot of heat signatures) I'd say the context would make the check simple or easy.

On the side topic of the perception/vigilance check, I can think of a few ways a character might have to be able to reliably spot something at extreme range. Granted, if the sniper was using stealth, like a proper sniper, it would take an action and a successful roll to find him.

Some items that could trivialize the finding of a sniper are:

• electrobinoculars (much better than macrobinoculars)
• the enhanced optics suite armor attachment
• a general purpose scanner or a combat scanner
• the integrated scanner armor attachment

"Trivialize" might be pushing it a bit too far.

- Electrobinoculars remove a setback die for range plus add a boost die to pick out details. Useful, but hardly a win button.

- Enhanced optics removes two setback dice for obscuring effects like smoke and darkness and can potentially add a skill rank to Vigilance; neither of which are likely to do you much good against a camouflaged sniper.

- Scanners are more useful, but there would still be a Computers check that's at least Average, or possibly opposed by the sniper's Stealth.

- Integrated scanner, same as above.

Regardless of method, this would be a Perception (or possibly Computers) check against the sniper's Stealth. Now add in some things that your typical sniper would definitely remember to pack before leaving home, such as Camouflage Paint (adds one failure to any check made against it), Camouflage Netting (adds two failures to any rolls made against it) or a Holographic Ghillie suit (upgrade checks to detect the wearer once) and you have a pretty tricky roll ahead of you.

If you read the text of the items I mentioned, they all have thermal imaging or better. Given that a sniper's heat signature would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of camouflage ( unless in an urban area or somewhere with a lot of heat signatures ) I'd say the context would make the check simple or easy.

Well, the OP stated it was on Mustafar, which actively volcanic...

Your point is well taken, but I agree with the previous posters that, even with thermal imaging in a 'typical' terrestrial environment, those devices wouldn't "trivialize" detecting the sniper at extreme range. I would base that ruling on game balance and the needs of the encounter, but there's a LOT of territory to scan at extreme range which would slow things down.

There are several stealth armor systems in the books that explicitly address thermal emissions in the fluff. I think the mimetic suit is one of them.

Hey all.

To the point, one of my PCs has a jetpack and it is throwing off my entire game, and I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong as far as ruling.

Per the CRB, a jetpack allows an individual to behave as a Sil 1 vehicle with a Speed of 1. My player discovered that "Speed 1" means planetary scale, since personal scale doesn't have speed values, and that traveling one range band in planetary scale is equivalent to traveling extreme range in personal scale. Thus my player and I have determined that, as a Sil 1 vehicle, he logically can use the fly/drive maneuver to move from extreme to engaged as a maneuver.

This is obviously problematic. Last night, they were on Mustafar and a sniper (a Nemesis that I had worked hard to make an interesting, scary villain) had them pinned down from Extreme range. My jetpack player used a maneuver to engage the sniper, used an action to toss a thermal detonator at him, and then took two strain to use another maneuver and fly back from extreme range to the rest of my PCs. I made him make Pilot checks for the maneuvers, but he has four ranks in the skill and four ranks of the Skilled Jockey talent so he ignored all setback dice, Needless to say the sniper was toast.

This didn't sit well with me at all. He flew a mile, threw a detonator, and then flew a mile back. In, like, the soan of a minute. There is literally no where that I can place a villain that is out of range of my players. And now my 10-soak melee juggernaut is talking about getting a jetpack...

The player argues that per RAW, the jetpack is totally being used as it should, but this just feels wrong and incredibly overpowered. I can't think of any instances in the films where a character uses a jetpack to travel so far so fast. Am I ruling jetpacks wrong? How do I fix this?

I haven't read much of this thread but I created my own rules for a Jetpack. To activate it has to be performed as a maneuver, can move two range bands instead of one in a maneuver, gain the hover rule like a Toydarian, jetpack has an alotted amount of fuel cells usually 20 and doing anything within combat uses up a fuel cell. So each peice of movement with the Jetpack really adds up

Two additional maneveurs I wrote up that you can perform with a jetpack are..

Altitude rise: Gives user elevated position granting a boost die to ranged attacks only. How ever there's a threat to this, if the user is being fired upon while in use of the Jetpack they must take a challenge die to any of their rolls during the encounter. Upon rolling a despair despair or what you deem as a acceptible amount of threats, the Jetpack is damaged and the user will fall concuring in respective wounds and strain per a range band. (See rules about falling in EotE core Rulebook.)

Evasive Maneuvers: Upgrades users Ranged combat difficulty checks, but also upgrades difficulty to hit user. Also add setback die as you see fit due to the user having to whiz around trying to avoid blaster fire, enviromental set peices and so on! I hope this helps!

one of my PCs has a jetpack

This should never, ever happen. You learned the hard way.

I'm glad you are not my GM. The fact you think they should never have one is disappointing. What happened in the OP is ridiculously obsurd and should never happen but allowing a PC to sacrifice substantial amount of credits he could spend elsewhere on a jet pack should be her prerogative.

On the side topic of the perception/vigilance check, I can think of a few ways a character might have to be able to reliably spot something at extreme range. Granted, if the sniper was using stealth, like a proper sniper, it would take an action and a successful roll to find him.

Some items that could trivialize the finding of a sniper are:

• electrobinoculars (much better than macrobinoculars)
• the enhanced optics suite armor attachment
• a general purpose scanner or a combat scanner
• the integrated scanner armor attachment

"Trivialize" might be pushing it a bit too far.

- Electrobinoculars remove a setback die for range plus add a boost die to pick out details. Useful, but hardly a win button.

- Enhanced optics removes two setback dice for obscuring effects like smoke and darkness and can potentially add a skill rank to Vigilance; neither of which are likely to do you much good against a camouflaged sniper.

- Scanners are more useful, but there would still be a Computers check that's at least Average, or possibly opposed by the sniper's Stealth.

- Integrated scanner, same as above.

Regardless of method, this would be a Perception (or possibly Computers) check against the sniper's Stealth. Now add in some things that your typical sniper would definitely remember to pack before leaving home, such as Camouflage Paint (adds one failure to any check made against it), Camouflage Netting (adds two failures to any rolls made against it) or a Holographic Ghillie suit (upgrade checks to detect the wearer once) and you have a pretty tricky roll ahead of you.

If you read the text of the items I mentioned, they all have thermal imaging or better. Given that a sniper's heat signature would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of camouflage (unless in an urban area or somewhere with a lot of heat signatures) I'd say the context would make the check simple or easy.

The camo netting jams sensors. adds 2 failures to a roll. So it would jam scanning for heat signatures.

If you read the text of the items I mentioned, they all have thermal imaging or better. Given that a sniper's heat signature would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of camouflage (unless in an urban area or somewhere with a lot of heat signatures) I'd say the context would make the check simple or easy.

The camo netting jams sensors. adds 2 failures to a roll. So it would jam scanning for heat signatures.

Also, you need to differentiate between the fluff text and the actual, in-game abilities of an item. The devs have stated again and again in various fora (both on podcasts and in replies to rules questions) that the fluff text shouldn't be considered mechanical abilities. The thermal imaging effect of electrobinoculars is represented through the boost die they give the user.

And besides, making thermal imaging grant auto-detection at all ranges is insanely overpowered. All the sniper would have to do is lie behind a rock.

If you read the text of the items I mentioned, they all have thermal imaging or better. Given that a sniper's heat signature would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of camouflage (unless in an urban area or somewhere with a lot of heat signatures) I'd say the context would make the check simple or easy.

The camo netting jams sensors. adds 2 failures to a roll. So it would jam scanning for heat signatures.

Also, you need to differentiate between the fluff text and the actual, in-game abilities of an item. The devs have stated again and again in various fora (both on podcasts and in replies to rules questions) that the fluff text shouldn't be considered mechanical abilities. The thermal imaging effect of electrobinoculars is represented through the boost die they give the user.

And besides, making thermal imaging grant auto-detection at all ranges is insanely overpowered. All the sniper would have to do is lie behind a rock.

And the 2 auto failures represent things like sensor baffling. Neither the camo or the electrobinoculars are foolproof. And the electrobinoculars are relying on the user to interpret the data they provide. Which is why they only setback die and maybe a boost for right tool for the job...

If you read the text of the items I mentioned, they all have thermal imaging or better. Given that a sniper's heat signature would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of camouflage (unless in an urban area or somewhere with a lot of heat signatures) I'd say the context would make the check simple or easy.

The camo netting jams sensors. adds 2 failures to a roll. So it would jam scanning for heat signatures.

Also, you need to differentiate between the fluff text and the actual, in-game abilities of an item. The devs have stated again and again in various fora (both on podcasts and in replies to rules questions) that the fluff text shouldn't be considered mechanical abilities. The thermal imaging effect of electrobinoculars is represented through the boost die they give the user.

And besides, making thermal imaging grant auto-detection at all ranges is insanely overpowered. All the sniper would have to do is lie behind a rock.

Many items don't have a listed mechanical benefit. The way you seem to be putting it, around half the items in the game don't have a use now. So obviously we have to use the fluff on some items, and I find it logically inconsistent to ignore the fluff on some items but not on others.

I figured the boost die would be from the fact that they're, well, binoculars. They magnify things and make it easier to see them at a distance.

I never said thermal imaging would grant auto-detection at all ranges, I just said in many circumstances it would make the check relatively simple. I do see the point about camouflage netting foiling scanners and such, though.

If you read the text of the items I mentioned, they all have thermal imaging or better. Given that a sniper's heat signature would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of camouflage (unless in an urban area or somewhere with a lot of heat signatures) I'd say the context would make the check simple or easy.

The camo netting jams sensors. adds 2 failures to a roll. So it would jam scanning for heat signatures.

Also, you need to differentiate between the fluff text and the actual, in-game abilities of an item. The devs have stated again and again in various fora (both on podcasts and in replies to rules questions) that the fluff text shouldn't be considered mechanical abilities. The thermal imaging effect of electrobinoculars is represented through the boost die they give the user.

And besides, making thermal imaging grant auto-detection at all ranges is insanely overpowered. All the sniper would have to do is lie behind a rock.

Many items don't have a listed mechanical benefit. The way you seem to be putting it, around half the items in the game don't have a use now. So obviously we have to use the fluff on some items, and I find it logically inconsistent to ignore the fluff on some items but not on others.

I figured the boost die would be from the fact that they're, well, binoculars. They magnify things and make it easier to see them at a distance.

I never said thermal imaging would grant auto-detection at all ranges, I just said in many circumstances it would make the check relatively simple. I do see the point about camouflage netting foiling scanners and such, though.

Many items fall under the right tool for the job side bar. page 171

It looks to me that the player is screwing you over. They're rarity 7, making it Rarity 9 in the Outer Rim, must have got a Triumph to shop for that! Yeah, jetpacks are cool but "....Most use small thrusters to blast into the air for short periods ..." and "...Their only drawbacks are their large size and weight, limited fuel ..." Rolled a fail or Despair... can I hear a jetpack malfunction?

Give a jetpack to some minions, adversary or Nemesis in the next encounter... equal the playing field, split the party in combat (never split the party? This ain't D&D it's SW). In the SWCCG it was called dynamic equlibrium IIRC - the imperials had the hardware & training and the rebels had guerilla tactics & speed etc

This is a game, everyone should be enjoying each session. The black, purple & red dice are there to remind the players that they can fail BIG TIME.. Use those dark side points to downgrade the Proficiency to Ability dice, upgrade the Difficulty dice to Challenge dice....red is bad, red is danger, Sith use red lightsabers SEE PAGE 21 of the CRB

If, at the start of the session, all the players roll light side points think ahead for an encounter where they NEED to use them.. then you have at least 1 or 2 dark side points... The destiny pool should be going backwards and forwards every time a dice pool is collected before being rolled.

You know what would make these forums a little bit better with rules questions like these? If the devs dropped on to clarify (or maybe one has and I haven't seen them coz I'm not trawling through 4 pages of replies) once in a while, like they do on the Paizo forums.

The developers don’t have time to read these forums. We’re pretty much completely on our own, unless an argument gets so badly out of hand that they are forced to take notice and start terminating accounts, or whatever.

If you have questions that you would specifically like to ask the developers, there’s a process for that, and we have a thread where we collect the questions that were asked and the official responses that were given.

Frankly, I’d rather have the developers focussing on making the game that much better, than get mired down in the infinite quicksand pit called “the forums”.

. We’re pretty much completely on our own,

Now we know what Force Sensitive Exiles feel like

. We’re pretty much completely on our own,

Now we know what Force Sensitive Exiles feel like

Or Bobby Brown. . .

You know what would make these forums a little bit better with rules questions like these? If the devs dropped on to clarify (or maybe one has and I haven't seen them coz I'm not trawling through 4 pages of replies) once in a while, like they do on the Paizo forums.

The developers don’t have time to read these forums. We’re pretty much completely on our own, unless an argument gets so badly out of hand that they are forced to take notice and start terminating accounts, or whatever.

If you have questions that you would specifically like to ask the developers, there’s a process for that, and we have a thread where we collect the questions that were asked and the official responses that were given.

It's under Customer Service/Rules Questions, usually you get a response from Sam in a week or two give or take.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/contact/rules/

So it seems like the rules part has been well hashed out. Basically more actions and maneuvers were needed to do what he did. All that said, just clarify to the player the rules for next time. If he gets angry about it or argues you can always tell him that its possible to house rule it, but those work both ways and they should expect enemies to use that same attack on them.