Since one of my players has taken True Aim I am realizing this is one of the most powerful talents available. Upgrades a ranged shot and gives normal aiming boost. It also doesn't cost any strain like many other talents as cool as this. Obviously if this is how it works cool, but just want to make sure there weren't any errata that I'm missing?

I don't think you get the boost dice part of the deal with you true aim; unless one aims twice for one, then paying the cost of strain to attack on the same turn. I must read up on it again to be certain myself.

Otherwise it's quite powerful. As it should be, it's cost is that it requires an move to use unlike most talents; other talents either spend on the attack, and strain to an extent is slightly more affordable then a move action every turn.

You have it right, Kilcannon. Your pool gets upgraded by your ranks in True Aim and you get the "benefits of aiming" (either a boost die or the ability to target a specific part of your target with two setback die). It is very powerful.

You do get the boost die. The powerful thing is that it's a ranked talent. I've seen a few builds on these forums with 3+ ranks in it. Granted, they talents are spread across several trees, but it's doable.

In our own games, one of my players had a gunnery sharpshooter with 2 ranks in it and that was more than enough to give me pause. I'm not a big fan of the talent, but so far, it hasn't been a huge problem beyond that campaign.

Last I checked, 6 ranks are available in the entire game, across 3 trees with 2 ranks in each tree.

Most instances if the talent are 20-25 XP.

It is an incredibly powerful talent for sure, but it's somewhat tempered by the fact it costs you your maneuver. You must aim to get the benefit, so that means you don't get to move on your turn and you must already have your weapon drawn, unless you want to burn a strain to do an additional maneuver. So yeah, if you want to stand there and rain down hellfire without having any option to get behind cover afterward (which, to be frank my bounty hunter with two ranks of it giving me a dice pool of at least five proficiency dice has been known to do) you can, but it's not always the best choice. Like most things in this game, there is a balance there if you peel back the layers a bit.

Make sure your player is burning their maneuver to aim in order to get the boost. If they're just upgrading the check without doing so, they're doing it incorrectly and it will get of of control.

But comparing it to precise aim which costs a maneuver and a strain to lower defense by 1 is way more powerful and less cost. Feel precise aim should not cost the strain then or true aim should. Not balanced for similar talents

But comparing it to precise aim which costs a maneuver and two strain to lower defense by 1 is way more powerful and less cost. Feel precise aim should not cost the strain then

Precise aim does something powerful that true aim doesn't: removes dice from the opposing pool. Adding or subtracting dice always has a greater impact than upgrading. I'm no math guy, but there are a few posts on the topic that support this. And it's true that if your attribute and skill ranks are the same, you will be adding dice to the pool, I realize.

Also, precise aim costs less in terms of XP. Just going by EOTE trees, the first rank of precise aim costs 10 xp. Both true aim ranks are 25, the same as dedication. True aim is a better talent, in my opinion, but it is also balanced by having an increased cost.

EDIT: Also, precise aim only costs one strain per rank. I'm not sure where you're getting the idea it costs two strain to reduce defense by 1, but it's a one to one ratio.

I edited my post is one strain I accidentally pressed 2. In sharpshooter true aim is not 25 points for each one of them you get it that think 15 or at 10

One of my players has now 2 ranks in True Aim, and when you see him throw his combat pool, it seems pretty hardcore (1 Ability die, 3 Proficiency Dice, 1 Boost Die). But to be honest, he was already the ranged combat beast of the group, and nothing's really changed in that regard. He was killing a bunch of minions every turn before True Aim, and he still kills a bunch of minions now that he has ranks in True Aim. He invested a lot in his spec to get those talents, and he's less versatile outside combat as a result, and that's the true price he paid to be even better at something he was already great at.

I edited my post is one strain I accidentally pressed 2. In sharpshooter true aim is not 25 points for each one of them you get it that think 15 or at 10

Which, in my opinion, makes sense considering the career.

It's powerful but not insurmountable to challenge for a GM. Hit them with a weapon that causes Concussive or Ensnare. One results in not being able to take Actions, the other not being able to take Maneuvers. Both are fairly ubiquitous effects and make sense as not every fight should be to the death.

But comparing it to precise aim which costs a maneuver and a strain to lower defense by 1 is way more powerful and less cost. Feel precise aim should not cost the strain then or true aim should. Not balanced for similar talents

The nice things about Precise Aim is that it's a ranked talent, and it's also a discrete maneuver (e.g. you can Precise Aim and then Aim twice; either across two rounds, or with a free out-of-turn-maneuver, or even in one round if you have one of those shiny abilities that let you take 3 maneuvers in one turn; and still get the benefit of all of the maneuvers). Precise Aim works best when targeting enemies behind cover or Jedi with deflection capabilities, and really only shines when you have multiple ranks of the thing (like any skill or most ranked talents). It's situationally useful, unlike True Aim, which is more generally useful and therefore very powerful.

When I was playing and had 2 ranks it felt like cheating, and that was with it costing 25 xp each. With more, cheaper ranks available I'm pretty convinced it's kinda OP. Other talents which give out upgrades aren't nearly as straightforward and I don't count it taking a maneuver as a cost; characters will be aiming in combat each chance anyway.

It is a very powerful talent. As for the, "At least it takes a maneuver," argument, that really isn't enough in my mind to detract from it at all. One maneuver triggers all of your ranks of True Aim. With 6 ranks of it spread throughout the specs, you can acquire the 4 in AoR for only 150 XP (if you start out as either a Gunner or a Sharpshooter, if not, add 30/40 XP for acquiring a third spec). Since nearly every other talent that upgrades a dice pool costs some amount of strain, I use a little house rule that requires a character to suffer 1 strain per rank of True Aim they wish to utilize when they perform the maneuver. This rule was used for over a dozen sessions, on more than one character. It really balanced out the talent in my group, there were even times when said characters chose not to use it! It also really cut down on the Aim, (True) Aim, Shoot situations that I was getting sick of (this was not the only factor in altering those situations).

It is an incredibly powerful talent for sure, but it's somewhat tempered by the fact it costs you your maneuver. You must aim to get the benefit, so that means you don't get to move on your turn and you must already have your weapon drawn, unless you want to burn a strain to do an additional maneuver. So yeah, if you want to stand there and rain down hellfire without having any option to get behind cover afterward (which, to be frank my bounty hunter with two ranks of it giving me a dice pool of at least five proficiency dice has been known to do) you can, but it's not always the best choice. Like most things in this game, there is a balance there if you peel back the layers a bit.

Make sure your player is burning their maneuver to aim in order to get the boost. If they're just upgrading the check without doing so, they're doing it incorrectly and it will get of of control.

You are wrong. True Aim is a maneuver in and of itself and does not require you to take an additional maneuver to also aim. You could certainly move or draw your weapon or any other maneuver in the same turn you true aim.

I think it's the lack of Strain cost that's the issue with it primarily. Functionally it's essentially Frenzied Attack for ranged attacks but with Frenzied Attack having the edge somewhat as it's an Incidental. Pretty easy fix with the houserule of billing Strain for its use.

It is an incredibly powerful talent for sure, but it's somewhat tempered by the fact it costs you your maneuver. You must aim to get the benefit, so that means you don't get to move on your turn and you must already have your weapon drawn, unless you want to burn a strain to do an additional maneuver. So yeah, if you want to stand there and rain down hellfire without having any option to get behind cover afterward (which, to be frank my bounty hunter with two ranks of it giving me a dice pool of at least five proficiency dice has been known to do) you can, but it's not always the best choice. Like most things in this game, there is a balance there if you peel back the layers a bit.

Make sure your player is burning their maneuver to aim in order to get the boost. If they're just upgrading the check without doing so, they're doing it incorrectly and it will get of of control.

You are wrong. True Aim is a maneuver in and of itself and does not require you to take an additional maneuver to also aim. You could certainly move or draw your weapon or any other maneuver in the same turn you true aim.

As long as you perform the combat check after True Aim.

Fired off a Dev question posing some of these musings.

Thanks would love to see what devs say. My player is going to get mad if I charge him 1 strain per rank which I actually like. Wanna see what the dev says before house ruling this must needed house rule (in my opinion)

That or have Frenzied attack and precise aim not cost strain is other alternative. Just want them to be somewhat balanced with each other. Never mind over powered. Just have one player with Frenzied attack, one with precise aim, and one with true aim and feel first two got the shaft

Except Frenzied Attack is an incidental and can already stack with other Maneuvers. I don't think taking away Strain costs is helpful in regards to any combat Talents.

No I would prefer adding strain cost to true aim. I have a player who is gonna end up with 4 eventually.

It is an incredibly powerful talent for sure, but it's somewhat tempered by the fact it costs you your maneuver. You must aim to get the benefit, so that means you don't get to move on your turn and you must already have your weapon drawn, unless you want to burn a strain to do an additional maneuver. So yeah, if you want to stand there and rain down hellfire without having any option to get behind cover afterward (which, to be frank my bounty hunter with two ranks of it giving me a dice pool of at least five proficiency dice has been known to do) you can, but it's not always the best choice. Like most things in this game, there is a balance there if you peel back the layers a bit.

Make sure your player is burning their maneuver to aim in order to get the boost. If they're just upgrading the check without doing so, they're doing it incorrectly and it will get of of control.

You are wrong. True Aim is a maneuver in and of itself and does not require you to take an additional maneuver to also aim. You could certainly move or draw your weapon or any other maneuver in the same turn you true aim.

I didn't say it took another maneuver to aim. I said that aiming is your maneuver, which means when you're aiming, regardless of whether you have true aim or not, you can't perform another maneuver without suffering a strain. So when you aim as your maneuver and then fire as your action, that's it. You can't get behind cover or move at all without incurring strain to take another maneuver. It's all covered in pages 200 through 203 of the CRB.

EDIT: This is assuming you plan to aim and fire in the same round.

Adding a strain cost to use True Aim sounds like a decent enough idea. I would still use it any chance I got with a strain cost.

The only potential problem that I see is that, in introducing new strain costs, you could be now guaranteeing that your players will be spending all their Advantage on strain recovery instead of creative, narrative solutions. IMO, strain is already enough of a gamist "resource management" system, and I'd prefer if it didn't get any further in the way of the roleplaying than is necessary.