I was noticing this weekend, after I found a short conversation on the forums, that the 'flamethrower' style weapons have blast. The way I have been reading blast implies to me that I can not activate other special qualities of the weapon to the people hit by activating blast. Is that not correct? I know that the blast damage benefits from passive qualities (pierce, etc.) but since they are not getting 'hit' just taking damage I didn't think you could use active qualities on the blast people.

You can.

Do I only have to trigger burn once to affect everyone caught by blast?

Yes just one activation to affect all those affected by a single "hit". Autofire is where a new activation is required for each separate hit from a single attack.

Oh my. So just 4 advantage and I set the bad guy and his three buddies at engaged range on fire?

Well, they're nasty. Supposedly, flamethrower toters were considered prime targets on the battlefield and even executed summarily upon capture, sometimes.

And if you're a Demolitionist or Sabotur then you don't even hit your friendly meat shield.

Oh my. So just 4 advantage and I set the bad guy and his three buddies at engaged range on fire?

If 4 people are dumb enough to stand next to each other, yes. Mind you a flame weapon is not indiscriminate and is meant as a battlefield weapon.

Oh my. So just 4 advantage and I set the bad guy and his three buddies at engaged range on fire?

If 4 people are dumb enough to stand next to each other, yes. Mind you a flame weapon is not indiscriminate and is meant as a battlefield weapon.

Well, there are a fair number of GMs that run their minion groups as being engaged with each other. Makes it easier to track their relative location, and if any the PCs have Blast weapons, then it gives the PC a chance to use that quality to clear out the riff-raff of an encounter.

Do I only have to trigger burn once to affect everyone caught by blast?

Yes just one activation to affect all those affected by a single "hit". Autofire is where a new activation is required for each separate hit from a single attack.

Where's this coming from? My instinctive reaction would be that you'd have to pay 2 Advantage for each individual character that you wanted to set on fire. Is is mentioned somewhere that you can Burn everyone affected by a Blast with only 2 Advantage?

Oh my. So just 4 advantage and I set the bad guy and his three buddies at engaged range on fire?

If 4 people are dumb enough to stand next to each other, yes. Mind you a flame weapon is not indiscriminate and is meant as a battlefield weapon.

Well, there are a fair number of GMs that run their minion groups as being engaged with each other. Makes it easier to track their relative location, and if any the PCs have Blast weapons, then it gives the PC a chance to use that quality to clear out the riff-raff of an encounter.

And there's a fair number of GMs who don't use their minions like they're the village idiots, which is A. Pretty much day 1 tactical training, and B. Lets me use them as a legitimate challenge against higher level PCs.

Beyond how one GM chooses to use minions or not, which isn't what the OP asked at all, the conversation was about Burn and Blast.

In regards to how many activations for Burn, or if per target, I think once again common sense is the best guide. For those interested is realistic application there areva fair number of legitimate questions to be posed when using a flamethrower.

Are you in a building? What's the plan now that you've lit it on fire? Fire alarms? Sprinklers? Armed by standers that think it's time to stop you? Crowds of panicked people block the exits and now you're in a burning building?

Are you in a ship? Compartments seal with fire detection? Atmo vent? Halon suppression? Every PC got a breath mask? What's in those barrels on the hangar deck? Wished you asked before pulling the trigger?

Lotsa good questions.

And there's a fair number of GMs who don't use their minions like they're the village idiots, which is A. Pretty much day 1 tactical training, and B. Lets me use them as a legitimate challenge against higher level PCs.

The way minions are used should be scaled according to the opposition.

The minions can be more careless and cocky if they’re not up against a combat monster, but then maybe somebody gets lucky when they hit them with a blast/burn weapon.

But against someone who is more combat-savvy, then yeah — the minions should probably be played smarter.

Just because the minions might be “dumb enough” to gather together in large groups which makes them vulnerable to blast/burn weapons, doesn’t necessarily mean that the GM isn’t being smart about how he chooses to scale his minions against their opposition.

Do I only have to trigger burn once to affect everyone caught by blast?

Yes just one activation to affect all those affected by a single "hit". Autofire is where a new activation is required for each separate hit from a single attack.

Where's this coming from? My instinctive reaction would be that you'd have to pay 2 Advantage for each individual character that you wanted to set on fire. Is is mentioned somewhere that you can Burn everyone affected by a Blast with only 2 Advantage?

Actually your right. I was basing my opinion on the description of the Burn quality which simply says it affects the person hit. But I suddenly thought to read the Flame Projector description in the AoR core book. It specifically calls out that it needs to be activated multiple times to affect multiple targets. It also says 2 threat or a Despair can be used by the GM to Burn a friendly character who was in the original engagement and hit by the Blast of the attack (good example of a roll with Advantage/Despair or Threat/Triumph.) so I apologise for making the flame thrower the best weapon in the game, briefly. Jury Rigging that Burn quality is still nasty though.

Do I only have to trigger burn once to affect everyone caught by blast?

Yes just one activation to affect all those affected by a single "hit". Autofire is where a new activation is required for each separate hit from a single attack.

Where's this coming from? My instinctive reaction would be that you'd have to pay 2 Advantage for each individual character that you wanted to set on fire. Is is mentioned somewhere that you can Burn everyone affected by a Blast with only 2 Advantage?

Actually your right. I was basing my opinion on the description of the Burn quality which simply says it affects the person hit. But I suddenly thought to read the Flame Projector description in the AoR core book. It specifically calls out that it needs to be activated multiple times to affect multiple targets. It also says 2 threat or a Despair can be used by the GM to Burn a friendly character who was in the original engagement and hit by the Blast of the attack (good example of a roll with Advantage/Despair or Threat/Triumph.) so I apologise for making the flame thrower the best weapon in the game, briefly. Jury Rigging that Burn quality is still nasty though.

You had me spooked there for a moment. I thought I might have missed a crucial sentence somewhere.

Jury Rigged is a very dangerous talent when applied in the right place, it's true.