I'd be down with the Spy, but the Technician book had so much useful stuff in it, I'm optimistic about an Engineer book.

I'd be down with the Spy, but the Technician book had so much useful stuff in it, I'm optimistic about an Engineer book.

Question you've got to ask, though, is what will the Engineer book offer that isn't sated by Special Modifications or another book, at least for a time? Specializations/species/signature abilities don't count, as those are a given (mostly). Crafting rules? We already have access to those, and they aren't game locked. Explosives? See Dangerous Covenants . More of the same gear we see in Special Modifications ? Well that's good for the people who only buy Age of Rebellion , but seeing as most people buy all the books anyway, they're kind of redundant. That's why I'm not too keen on an Engineer book being next. As the fifth released career book for Age, it walks all the same paths as Special Modifications, also the fifth release career book for Edge. I think we've been here before, and it all looks the same.

Spy is needed because it's a career that has only one unique specialization to its name, and people complain about all three of it's specializations more than any other in the game (whether or not it's valid, well, YMMV). For example, maybe, just maybe, it would offer expanding ideas on using Stealth (especially Stealth in combat encounters), and, come to think of it, does Skulduggery have its own little corner? I don't think Fly Casual offered any new ideas, but maybe I'm mis-remembering.

Engineer - building and crafting vehicles and ships.

Engineer - building and crafting vehicles and ships.

Unlikely.

Compared to crafting personal gear, vehicle crafting is well outside the scope of an AoR game, or either EotE and F&D. The credits (10s of thousands, at minimum), parts (many metric tons worth of raw and specialized materials, not including the where do you get this? and how do you get it where you want it?), and time investment (months, at least) is monumental compared to making weapons and armor. Maybe a talent or signature ability to improvise a one-use vehicle, but I find it unlikely.

Possibly, we'll see a GM section on how to make their own for their purposes. Even then, I don't think it would get more expansive than Dangerous Covenants ' page 71. Or, something like Starships of the Galaxy 's generic vehicle types at best.

Engineer has already distinguished itself from the Technician career with a somewhat non-technical specialization, the Scientist.

Maybe some specializations more in that vein? Something that's heavily combat oriented but still a bit techie, like Gadgeteer but coming at it from the other end?

Maybe some kind of psychologist tree, that's technical and science-based but has the end result of being able to be strong in social situations? With a talent that can hypnotize people, another for brainwashing and counter-brainwashing?

Maybe something that is a bit of a survivalist, and with talents designed to make temporary and even permanent shelters in hostile environments, or to modify equipment for yourself and others to reduce setback dice due to harsh conditions?

Specializations are one thing, and they're always expected. I'm talking about chapter 3 rule and skill expansions. Most of what Engineer can offer to an Age of Rebellion game has already been expanded on in Dangerous Covenants and Special Modifications for the game overall, at least as far as what Engineer already has.

I'm hoping for a patch on the leaky boat that is Spy and the possibility of untouched new rule expansions rather than more toys for the techies.

Engineer - building and crafting vehicles and ships.

Unlikely.

Compared to crafting personal gear, vehicle crafting is well outside the scope of an AoR game, or either EotE and F&D. The credits (10s of thousands, at minimum), parts (many metric tons worth of raw and specialized materials, not including the where do you get this? and how do you get it where you want it?), and time investment (months, at least) is monumental compared to making weapons and armor. Maybe a talent or signature ability to improvise a one-use vehicle, but I find it unlikely.

Possibly, we'll see a GM section on how to make their own for their purposes. Even then, I don't think it would get more expansive than Dangerous Covenants ' page 71. Or, something like Starships of the Galaxy 's generic vehicle types at best.

I disagree. I know lots of people that want to craft ships. And the place to do that would be the engineer book. As we now can do mos gear except ships. I could also see breach weapon schematics in the engineer book.

I'm in the camp of wanting Spy next, because Tech offers so much of what an Engineer would need in the crunch. Spy is desperately lacking in so many key areas to Spy's, and as Blackbird said Stealth and Skulduggery have yet to be given the chapter 3 treatment.

BUT I'm also in the camp that i think there are places for hand crafted vehicles in this system. With Artisan and Pod Racer in the Sentinel career I think its not unreasonable to have Silhouette 2 Swoop, Land Speeder and Air Speeder building rules in that book. These small vehicles may take a while to construct, but its very thematic to the Pod Racer in particular and would be a shame to miss out on. I know some campaigns start and finish within one week of in game time, but others can span years of in game time, even decades.

I could imagine the process being similar to the multi stage Droid crafting rules. the would also lack the "schematic" option so there is no way to permanently reduce the difficulty of making them. But where does this fit into the Engineer book? Walkers/Ground Vehicles and Starfighters.

The biggest hope i hold for the Engineer book though is another Signature Vehicle based Specialisation, with more of the ranked talents associated with improving the signature vehicle. Probably improving the Armour, HT, ST and Hard Points of the Vehicle. (secretly hoping Pod Racer is a Sig Vehicle spec as well, or is a split career, with half force focused, the other half sig vehicle... i love the Signature Vehicle concept!)

Engineer has already distinguished itself from the Technician career with a somewhat non-technical specialization, the Scientist.

Maybe some specializations more in that vein? Something that's heavily combat oriented but still a bit techie, like Gadgeteer but coming at it from the other end?

Engineer has already distinguished itself from the Technician career with a somewhat non-technical specialization, the Scientist.

As a real life engineer/computational scientists (I have a PhD), I dispute the assessment of being non technical. I'm not gadgety or a technical but my work is technical and has to do with satellites.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything about real-life engineers or scientists. What I meant was that the Scientist specialization of the Engineer profession is less "technical" than specializations for Technician in EotE, because it goes beyond purely using technology. Every spec in Technician involves building, modding, or using machines of one type or another, including computers, droids, and cybernetics. The Scientist specialization involves much more general knowledge and research, and I felt that it was a refreshing diversion from the similar EotE profession.

I think with Engineer there needs to be some kind of squishy tech, whether some kind of chemist thing that involves cloning, spice, stimpack stuff, etc. There is a enough hard tech stuff in Technician, although I could def see something like a Shipwright spec, or just someone in general who improves on some kind of existing tech. I think Saboteur is as combat focused as we will probably see in the spec. There could be some kind of civil engineer/bob the builder spec, since we have bases as a central part of AoR, maybe something that enhances them, bunkers, weapon emplacements, etc.

I think with Engineer there needs to be some kind of squishy tech, whether some kind of chemist thing that involves cloning, spice, stimpack stuff, etc. There is a enough hard tech stuff in Technician, although I could def see something like a Shipwright spec, or just someone in general who improves on some kind of existing tech. I think Saboteur is as combat focused as we will probably see in the spec. There could be some kind of civil engineer/bob the builder spec, since we have bases as a central part of AoR, maybe something that enhances them, bunkers, weapon emplacements, etc.

I could see a chemist, a Shipwright, and a Combat engineer that does builds fortifications and bases.

We had Beast Rider in Ace, so why not Mount Breeder in Engineer? I really, really hope we don't...

I think with Engineer there needs to be some kind of squishy tech, whether some kind of chemist thing that involves cloning, spice, stimpack stuff, etc. There is a enough hard tech stuff in Technician, although I could def see something like a Shipwright spec, or just someone in general who improves on some kind of existing tech. I think Saboteur is as combat focused as we will probably see in the spec. There could be some kind of civil engineer/bob the builder spec, since we have bases as a central part of AoR, maybe something that enhances them, bunkers, weapon emplacements, etc.

I could see a chemist, a Shipwright, and a Combat engineer that does builds fortifications and bases.

I was wondering if a Drugs/Poisons/Medicines specialist would fit in. The Shipwright seems logical, where it is focused on the initial making of vehicles where the Mechanic keeps them going. Then the Combat Engineer is a great idea.

The thing that's got me though is that the Scientist covers making all sorts of personal stuff; weapons, armour, gear, even droids etc. it's already the Q of AoR. So that may be enough to cover all the categories of personal gear crafting.

Really Gadgeteer, Droid Tech, Cyber Tech and Modder all would fit within the Engineer Career. If I had to pick one the Droid Tech has the most to offer.

I'd hate to see another repeat in a spec book when the base career already has a repeat. Spy in particular has to have 3 new ones imo.

Droid Tech might have useful talents, but I'm not sure it's entirely thematically appropriate for an Engineer. Then again, I can't really suggest an alternative.

I don't see droid tech as making sense. We saw a lot of old used droids in the rebellion. What they need to build are ships. They don't need new kinds of droids. Especially with the negative reactions droids inspire in the general populous. They do not want to be seen as the separatists.

Agreed:

Ship Builder

Fortifications Builder

But what's the other one?

Engineers in the military provide support to others through technology, so far we have:

Mechanic: maintains machinery used by others, in particular vehicles of all sizes.

Scientist: Creates equipment for use by other characters

Sabotur: uses technology directly against the enemy.

Ship Builder: constructs new vehicles for attack and defence.

Fortifications builder: uses technology for large scale defence

What else would an engineer need to do?

Droids.

Cybernetics.

Medicine.

Chemical weapons.

Perhaps more specialised weapons or armour making, but not really necessary with scientist.

Perhaps a communications and computers expert, but scientist has that too.

Maybe cyber. As limb loss and other battlefield injuries

Perhaps. It could be a new spec that is less focused on personal cybernetics, which is why I had dismissed it initially. I wonder if they could blend Cyber and Droid to make a more support and less personal Specialisation.

If I was involved in writing the Engineer book I'd push for a spec like Combat Engineer, someone who can slap up a fortified position just prior to a fight, or build a bridge or other structure to overcome an environmental obstacle. Also with some stuff from the Demolitionist spec to reflect being able to handle explosives.

Another possibility would be Crew Foreman (Foreperson? Forebeing?), someone with some group coordination abilities that can give bonuses to narrative-time tasks as well as things like Field Commander and/or Inspiring Rhetoric for structured time encounters.

And sure, a ship/vehicle designer of some kind would be all right. Nothing I'm yearning for in any of my campaigns as I personally feel that sort of thing is better handled by NPCs behind the scenes rather than having players spend months and years of game time designing and building a starship, but fair enough for those who want that.

I could see Engineer having something like a 'Q' spec that would blend Outlaw Tech and Quartermaster.

If I was involved in writing the Engineer book I'd push for a spec like Combat Engineer, someone who can slap up a fortified position just prior to a fight, or build a bridge or other structure to overcome an environmental obstacle. Also with some stuff from the Demolitionist spec to reflect being able to handle explosives.

Another possibility would be Crew Foreman (Foreperson? Forebeing?), someone with some group coordination abilities that can give bonuses to narrative-time tasks as well as things like Field Commander and/or Inspiring Rhetoric for structured time encounters.

And sure, a ship/vehicle designer of some kind would be all right. Nothing I'm yearning for in any of my campaigns as I personally feel that sort of thing is better handled by NPCs behind the scenes rather than having players spend months and years of game time designing and building a starship, but fair enough for those who want that.

The Crew Foreman is already in the Commander career. One of the trees has stuff on leading repair crews.

For engineer book I'd love some rules for mods for things other than weapons and armour, and possibilities to use jury rig for things other than weapons and armour. Though maybe they are just too general for that.

Scientist is an odd spec, in that the right half is pretty much the best thing for a character than wants to make items. So much better for a modder than the modder spec!

Hey, look at that! Friends Like These just changed to being At the Printer !

Let's see, recalculating...I think that puts us with a release on December 8th. Give or take a week on that, depending on print and boating time, but current prediction will be December 8th. I'll go update the first post...

I'm starting to get nervous about our Edge book again. If we don't get it this week, we'll be waiting until October 3 at the very earliest for a new announcement. Which would stink...