Extra Reloads Question

By HistoryGuy, in Game Masters

Are the Extra Reloads a one time use thing or once you buy it do you always have them?

For example: I have a player that has Extra reloads and he rolls a Despair. I use out of ammo for the result. He has 1 extra reload. He uses his maneuver to reload his weapon. A couple rolls later he gets another Despair. If i triggered out of ammo, is he out of ammo or does he still have extra reloads?

I don't think the book specifies so it's up to the GM. Seen as you can get the Extra Reload talent in many trees it might be better to have the items be use-once items. If a player has to spent Xp on a talent that can be essentially bought or just 25 credits it reduces the value of the talent.

I've been running them as "buy them once, you've always got them," since in none of the three core rulebooks does the entry for Extra Reloads does it say that they're a one use item.

As for the Spare Clip talent, the main perk there is that the PC doesn't have to spend a maneuver (or two maneuvers depending on the GM) to draw and then use the Extra Reload. So the fact that Spare Clip allows the PC to save maneuvers that another PC would have spent to reload their weapon is a pretty substantial benefit, as that's a maneuver that can be used to Aim, get behind cover, change range bands, or use various talents (Side Step and Precise Aim for instance) instead of having to spend it reloading.

1 hour ago, McHydesinyourpants said:

I don't think the book specifies so it's up to the GM.

That is what I was thinking. I've noticed that a lot of things in the books are left pretty ambiguous to give the GM that sort of leeway. I both love it and hate it. I love it because I can use it to fit the group better and create a unique experience. However I am fairly new to RPGs and GMing so I don't know what makes the game exciting vs what breaks it. So I pop on here and feel like I have to ask stupid questions. Lol. But, hey, love the game anyway.

So I just gonna use 1 extra reload = 1 canceled out of ammo. Its only 25 credits for one, they can suck it up. Lol

Edited by HistoryGuy

I don't see it as an either or option. So a PC buys a couple extra reloads and if they get a Despair they need to have another. That doesn't mean they can't keep their empty 'clips' and recharge them, but I play it that it does mean you need a separate reload per Despair, or an opportunity to recharge your empties.

Prior to encountering this thread, I had assumed them to be a one-shot item and thought that it was a little excessive that they were Encumbrance 1. Now that I've gone back and re-read it; I'm more inclined to think that the item is meant to be a small pack of power cells which, narratively speaking, never runs out.

I have to admit though, it would be a LOT easier to manage if it were to be handled as an everlasting item.

1 hour ago, McHydesinyourpants said:

I have to admit though, it would be a LOT easier to manage if it were to be handled as an everlasting item.

Trust me, it is a lot easier to handle.

Although, if you're too worried about Extra Reloads invalidating a talent (which it really doesn't), you could simply say that Extra Reloads can only be used once per encounter, assuming that the PC uses a bit of downtime in between fights to either refresh the extra power pack or that they simply snagged one off a defeated adversary.

I know the devs in answered questions are always very literal in their use of language, and since the item says a PC can ignore "An out of ammo Despair result" and not 'all' or 'the' out of ammo result, and it doesn't use the verbiage 'results', all of it being in the singular, I took it to mean one reload allows you to ignore one Despair, 2, 2 Despair, and so on. Doesn't mean they can't be recharged like cell batteries, but one isn't a magic wand that provides endless recharge protection against all Despair results.

6 hours ago, 2P51 said:

I don't see it as an either or option. So a PC buys a couple extra reloads and if they get a Despair they need to have another. That doesn't mean they can't keep their empty 'clips' and recharge them, but I play it that it does mean you need a separate reload per Despair, or an opportunity to recharge your empties.

This. And considering how rarely I agree with the dread pirate, that's saying something.

Just kind of reiterating that if you read the wording of things it will usually answer your question you have on the subject. Keyword here is usually.

I`m totally confirm with our friendly neightborhood pirate!

it is just a 25 bucks item, not a magic artefakt with an inherite spacetime energie generator. It refills your blaster, carabine, bowcaster, rifle, whatever exactly one time (just like a RL Spare Clip would reload your Barrette one time).

If the player intends to keep the empty cell to refill it, no problem. All you need is a little bit of tibana gas and there you go. There were plenty examples on how that worked for charackter all over the EU -Books.

But one little reminder: those cells are not just simple "batteries", they're high energitic gas filled packs with the little sign: "Handle with care! Danger of Explosion!" - Just in case your players want to run around with a dozend of them.

17 minutes ago, Nightone said:

But one little reminder: those cells are not just simple "batteries", they're high energitic gas filled packs with the little sign: "Handle with care! Danger of Explosion!" - Just in case your players want to run around with a dozend of them.

Used for an IED, I once ruled those to be a 6/+3/Engaged Explosive.