ok one more question about reflect improved

REFLECT (IMPROVED)
Activation: Active (Incidental. Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Trees: Shien Expert. Soresu Defender
Force talent. When the character suffers a hit from a
Ranged (Light). Ranged (Heavy). or Gunnery combat
check and uses tile Reflect incidental to reduce the
damage fro m that hit, after the attack is resolved. the
character may spend 1 DESPAIR or 3 THREAT to automatically
hit one ta rge t with in medium range, dealing the same
damage as the hit from the initial ranged attack.

Can some please explain how the DESPAIR and THREAT would even happen? do I have to roll that or something?

Is that if the opponent rolls 1 DESPAIR or 3 THREAT?

The NPC minion group in question. three street thugs with 2 agility and group skill of ranged (light) using blaster pistols, take a shot at someone with a lightsaber and ranks in reflect and improved reflect.

They're attacking at medium range with 2 purple die for difficulty, the PC is behind improved cover, granting 2 setback dice, the Player spends a destiny point to upgrade the attack check to hit them, the NPCs 2 agility and party of 3 with group skill gives them two yellow dice. The GM rolls, he gets 3 successes from the yellow dice, a despair from the upgraded red die, a threat from each of the two setback dice, and another threat from the purple die.

This means he'd have two successes, 3 threat, and a despair. Due to the dice pool mechanics of the game it is on the NPCs check to hit that Improved Reflect works. It's a passive talent.

Now the threat or despair could be spent to reflect the blaster shots back dealing 8 damage to the minion group.

The PC still takes 3 strain from reflect and however much damage of the 8 wasn't mitigated by a combination of ranks in reflect and the characters soak.

ok one more question about reflect improved

REFLECT (IMPROVED)

Activation: Active (Incidental. Out of Turn)

Ranked: No

Trees: Shien Expert. Soresu Defender

Force talent. When the character suffers a hit from a

Ranged (Light). Ranged (Heavy). or Gunnery combat

check and uses tile Reflect incidental to reduce the

damage fro m that hit, after the attack is resolved. the

character may spend 1 DESPAIR or 3 THREAT to automatically

hit one ta rge t with in medium range, dealing the same

damage as the hit from the initial ranged attack.

Can some please explain how the DESPAIR and THREAT would even happen? do I have to roll that or something?

Is that if the opponent rolls 1 DESPAIR or 3 THREAT?

When they roll their attack if they generate those results they can be used as described by you.

As AustinKatan and 2P51 said. It's important that, if you want to use Improved Reflect, you place your character in situations that will generate threat when the enemy shoots at you. Look for talent and situational synergy that allows you to add Setback or upgrade combat checks against you. This may involve selecting talents or Force powers that add Setback dice, the diligent use of cover, spending Destiny points, influencing the narrative, etc. as described above.

If you're just standing in the open at short or medium range and letting them shoot at you, Improved Reflect isn't going to do anything for you.

The sense power is a good way to add 2 challenge dice. Talents like sidestep and dodge are good. There is yhe reflexes talent that gives ranged defense etc.

Anything that makes you harder to hit is your friend. Multiple soresu defenders can interlock circle of shelter and so on.

Thanks for the info... Now i just need to find good skills/talents to give setback or upgrade negatives against me lol

Thanks for the info... Now i just need to find good skills/talents to give setback or upgrade negatives against me lol

Ranks of Dodge and Side Step for upgrades. Going for as high a Defense as you can come up with will add Setbacks.

With the release of Endless Vigil, you can combine the Shien Expert and Sentry specs to have one rank in Side Step and two Ranks in Dodge. It's a fair amount of XP investment to get all of that, but three upgrades to your attacker's difficulty does help in ensuring that multiple challenge dice are in the dice pool.

As 2P51 noted, getting your ranged defense as high as you can manage helps as well. The Lorrdian gemstone can get you 2 points of ranged defense, and depending on how your GM handles what aspects of defense do or don't stack, you could combo that with a modded reflex grip (Endless Vigil) for another point of ranged defense and possibly even armored clothing. Bear in mind the last ruling on defense from multiple sources stacking was that they don't, so current official interpretation of RAW is the best ranged defense you can generally hope for is 2.

Misdirect is the best talent for reflect abusal: It doesn't make you any easier to hit but you get to add threat equal to the committed dice. Sense is also amazing vs 2 combat checks. Otherwise the defensive talents are superior.

Thing to be weary about though if that using sidestep and dodge especially is that will eat into your strain like no man's business. My character has a strain threshold of 20 under ideal circumstances but still often rides up that on a combat intensive session. As such, with dodge particlarly you will want to chose to only use against really dangerous attacks.