SW Alchemist? I'll take one as a player and buy up all the lead in the SW universe and convert it into gold

6 hours ago, Luahk said:

My issue is that with armada they are designing an actual model. So therein lies relevant construction issues. So building something for that makes sense.

We are talking about a book here. That's meant to be coming out within a couple of months. (maybe three absol I hear ya)

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an article by now.

In fairness, of the two Armada models releasing, one is literally just a repaint of the existing ISD, and not a complex one. The rest of the entire box is little more than a dozen cards and some cardboard tokens. Running the molds for the models takes seconds (literally. Cycle time for the kind of injection molding machine they'd be using is approximately 4-5 seconds depending on resin mix and mold depth). The most time consuming part is painting, but even that doesn't preclude the ability to set out an article in a timely manner.

Page printing and card printing take about equal time. There's considerably more pages to print than cards, though, so the balance there tips against the book. Cover printing and model molding takes about the same time, but the model still has to be painted so it tips back against Armada on that one. Lastly there's finishing the packaging; in the Armada instance, it's little more than printing a box and popping the cards into a zip-loc bag in the box, where binding the book is a bit more of a process. By the end of it all, a book is likely finished before the model, but not by a significant amount. The key thing here is that because the processes are so vastly different, they're run simultaneously, so the real competition is it's own category. Armada stuff is being delayed by the production of Legion and increasingly fast waves of X-wing thanks to new movies releasing. I'd hazard a guess that FaD books are in competition for production scheduling with not just AoR and EotE, but Legion's rulebooks, and literally every publication FFG produce.

I'm not disagreeing that it's not unreasonable to expect an article by now. I'm just saying Armada isn't the yardstick you want to be measuring frustration by.

15 hours ago, Richardbuxton said:

Influence let’s you add Force Dice to Leadership checks... but so does Enhanced Leader. The difference is Influence is an action all on its own, Enhanced Leader isn’t, its Passive, so it can be used with Field Commander!

I'd just like to point out, it isn't a separate action to use the upgrade for Influence that lets you add Force dice to the Coercion, Charm, Deception, Leadership, or Negotiation check. It just says when making one of those skill checks, the Force user may roll an Influence power check as part of his dice pool, and he may spend Force pips to gain Successes or Advantages (user's choice) on the check. So Enhanced Leader is does the same thing as the Influence upgrade, just only for Leadership.

12 minutes ago, dumbo3k said:

I'd just like to point out, it isn't a separate action to use the upgrade for Influence that lets you add Force dice to the Coercion, Charm, Deception, Leadership, or Negotiation check. It just says when making one of those skill checks, the Force user may roll an Influence power check as part of his dice pool, and he may spend Force pips to gain Successes or Advantages (user's choice) on the check. So Enhanced Leader is does the same thing as the Influence upgrade, just only for Leadership.

Except there have been many questions to the Devs about this very issue, and the (mostly) unanimous answer is that if a Force power doesn't say what type of action it takes to use (Action, Maneuver, Incidental), then it takes an action. Since the Control upgrade in question doesn't specify that it is an incidental, that means it's an action. Which also means that it can't be used in conjunction with other talents or abilities that utilize those skills as an action (such as Scathing Tirade, Inspiring Rhetoric, or Don't Shoot!).

Now, personally, I ignore this and make the "add Force dice to these types of rolls" powers passive, but it's not the RAW, and Richard is correct that Enhanced Leader does have the advantage of being passive when many such abilities do not.

It all comes back to the sub section that defines what a combined force power check is and what a skill check is. But yes most people take the sensible approach and ignore that rule.

Also, who thinks the different Control upgrades of various powers need names so we can discuss them easier? I sure do! I've been coming up with evocative names for the various Control upgrades, so if anyone wants to start trying to develop a board-standardization for them, we should do it!

Here's what I have for some of them:

Influence

Mind Trick: This one is obvious, it's the one that allows you to incept a person if you beat them on an opposed Discipline vs. Discipline check .

Social Grace: The other one, this allows you to add your Force rating to social checks.

Foresee

Impossible Reactions: Add your Force rating to initiative!

Foresee Attacks: Increase targets' Defense during the first round of combat.

Preemptive Preparation: Targets can take a maneuver before the combat starts.

Heal/Harm

Soothe/Leech: Heal strain equal to wounds (the name depends on whether you are healing wounds or causing them).

Restore/Drain: Remove status or heal wounds by causing them.

Expertise: Heal/Cause extra wounds equal to your Medicine rank.

Cure/Inflict: Heal or cause a Critical Injury.

Protect/Unleash

Shield/Wrack: Spend [A] to grant a target Defense, or to inflict strain.

Aegis/Ensnare: Protect against all attack types, or add Ensnare 2 to the attack.

Celerity: Spend a Destiny Point to use the power quicker.

Just some of the ones I've come up with so far . If anyone has suggestions for something better, or wants to hear more of my ideas (or share their own!), let's do it!

...It's not like we have much Mystic news to discuss...

Your names have always been great, they should be canonised

Niiiiice absol.

Sense please

Sense is pretty simple .

Defensive Awareness: Commit for defense.

Offensive Awareness: Commit for offense.

Sense Thoughts: Sensing thoughts. Le gasp !

I did like the ones I came up for Misdirect:

Glamour: Alter the subject's appearance.

Figment: Create an illusion.

Blur: Commit to add [T] to incoming attacks.

Amazingly enough Figment is a canon force power under name of Create Projection. Perfect I think for the Misdirection tree

*awards 5XP to @Absol197 *

On 1/3/2018 at 10:00 PM, Absol197 said:

So, in order to while away the time, I was thinking we could make guesses at what skills the new specs will have?

For the Alchemist, I'm guessing that we'll definitely have Medicine, and possibly Lore and Lightsaber. But even if those are all in, I'm not sure what the fourth skill might be.

Really hoping for medicine, and anything that keys off intellect or willpower. I've been waiting to make an Arkanian "doctor" specializing in force alchemy and cybernetics since Maul got robot legs.

My best guess currently for the Alchemist is Knowledge (Lore), Medicine, Resilience, and Survival(?).

For the Magus, I'm thinking maybe Coercion, Discipline, Knowledge (Lore), and...Vigilance? That gives three overlap with the Mystic's career skills, which is a bit much...

And the Prophet? Astrogation, Charm, Knowledge (Education), and Leadership. Why Astrogation? Because I'm really, REALLY hoping the Prophet has the talent One with the Universe ! The Magus might have it instead (I'd be fine with that ), in which case the mystery skill might be Astrogation instead!

...Yes, I'm bored and unbelievably antsy with waiting without any new information, and I'm chattering randomly to try and pass the time...

I just had a thought...none of the current F&D specs have any of the Inspiring Rhetoric talents...might the Prophet get some/all of them? The theme of the spec seems, from what little we know, to be about inspiration and giving hope...

I would be incredibly okay with this . My Prophet likes to do grand speeches that give people hope (well, "grand" here has the meaning of "jammed packed with confusing spiritual mumbo-jumbo," but still!), so that would be A-Okay in my book!

EDIT: Also, if our assumption that there will be an "Alchemical Crafting" section of this book is correct, then I'm almost positive the Alchemist will have something like the Cyberneticst talent, removing Setbacks and cutting either the cost or time for alchemy.

1 hour ago, Absol197 said:

I just had a thought...none of the current F&D specs have any of the Inspiring Rhetoric talents...might the Prophet get some/all of them? The theme of the spec seems, from what little we know, to be about inspiration and giving hope...

I would be incredibly okay with this . My Prophet likes to do grand speeches that give people hope (well, "grand" here has the meaning of "jammed packed with confusing spiritual mumbo-jumbo," but still!), so that would be A-Okay in my book!

EDIT: Also, if our assumption that there will be an "Alchemical Crafting" section of this book is correct, then I'm almost positive the Alchemist will have something like the Cyberneticst talent, removing Setbacks and cutting either the cost or time for alchemy.

Also don't forget that the splat book specs typically have one with lightsaber as a skill. Almost every other career has one (Guardian - Armorer, Consular - Arbiter, Sentinel - Sentry), with the Seeker career notably missing one? Do you think the Magus might have that rather than another double up as much?

Just now, TrystramK said:

Also don't forget that the splat book specs typically have one with lightsaber as a skill. Almost every other career has one (Guardian - Armorer, Consular - Arbiter, Sentinel - Sentry), with the Seeker career notably missing one? Do you think the Magus might have that rather than another double up as much?

I don't, actually. The Magus seems like it'll be straight Force-wizardry, which leaves little space for glowsticks. If any of them have it, I'm thinking it'll be the Alchemist, as the announcement article specifically mentions lightsaber construction as a minimal form of alchemy.

However, I'm really hoping that none of these specs have a lightsaber focus. The Mystic is a career that shouldn't need it. They have the power of the Universe at their command, after all! Plus, they're too cool for school (if by "school," I somehow mean glowing energy-swords )!

1 minute ago, Absol197 said:

I don't, actually. The Magus seems like it'll be straight Force-wizardry, which leaves little space for glowsticks. If any of them have it, I'm thinking it'll be the Alchemist, as the announcement article specifically mentions lightsaber construction as a minimal form of alchemy.

However, I'm really hoping that none of these specs have a lightsaber focus. The Mystic is a career that shouldn't need it. They have the power of the Universe at their command, after all! Plus, they're too cool for school (if by "school," I somehow mean glowing energy-swords )!

Ooooh good point. Do you think alchemy will cover creation of artificial kyber crystals then?

I'm by no means a canon expert (in fact, I'm probably much closer to a canon-noob ), but as far as I'm aware there are no more synthetic kyber crystals. So probably not .

7 minutes ago, Absol197 said:

I'm by no means a canon expert (in fact, I'm probably much closer to a canon-noob ), but as far as I'm aware there are no more synthetic kyber crystals. So probably not .

I think it was a comment by Dave Filoni that the idea of artificially creating kyber crystals was no longer a thing in the new canon, especially if taking into account the Ahsoka novel and the relationship/bond between a Jedi and their fated/destined kyber crystal.

2 hours ago, Absol197 said:

I'm by no means a canon expert (in fact, I'm probably much closer to a canon-noob ), but as far as I'm aware there are no more synthetic kyber crystals. So probably not .

Galen Erso created synthetic kyber crystals during the Clone Wars but they lacked some element (the living force?) and did not function anywhere near where they should have.

2 hours ago, Donovan Morningfire said:

I think it was a comment by Dave Filoni that the idea of artificially creating kyber crystals was no longer a thing in the new canon, especially if taking into account the Ahsoka novel and the relationship/bond between a Jedi and their fated/destined kyber crystal.

The novel Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel covers Galen creating them, but they didn’t work.

2 hours ago, Absol197 said:

I don't, actually. The Magus seems like it'll be straight Force-wizardry, which leaves little space for glowsticks. If any of them have it, I'm thinking it'll be the Alchemist, as the announcement article specifically mentions lightsaber construction as a minimal form of alchemy.

However, I'm really hoping that none of these specs have a lightsaber focus. The Mystic is a career that shouldn't need it. They have the power of the Universe at their command, after all! Plus, they're too cool for school (if by "school," I somehow mean glowing energy-swords )!

The power of the universe would make me an even better duelist!

I agree Magus will be all force-powery, and its more than likely Alchemist is the saber related spec if there is one, I can see Prophet type abilities being useful for a saber spec. Just imagine a Force user who can see even a few seconds into the future. If I know where my opponent is going to strike, I just have to not be there. Like a Force based Coordination Dodge or Super-Force-Parry. And also the opposite is true. My opponent is poised to parry my overhead, so I roll Force with my Saber skill and pay 2 for them to not be able, narrativly having changed the swing to get past the move I knew they were planning.

2 hours ago, SithArissa said:

The power of the universe would make me an even better duelist!

I agree Magus will be all force-powery, and its more than likely Alchemist is the saber related spec if there is one, I can see Prophet type abilities being useful for a saber spec. Just imagine a Force user who can see even a few seconds into the future. If I know where my opponent is going to strike, I just have to not be there. Like a Force based Coordination Dodge or Super-Force-Parry. And also the opposite is true. My opponent is poised to parry my overhead, so I roll Force with my Saber skill and pay 2 for them to not be able, narrativly having changed the swing to get past the move I knew they were planning.

All Jedi do that, it's why they appear to have such quick reflexes (paraphrasing quigon jin)

16 hours ago, TrystramK said:

Ooooh good point. Do you think alchemy will cover creation of artificial kyber crystals then?

16 hours ago, Absol197 said:

I'm by no means a canon expert (in fact, I'm probably much closer to a canon-noob ), but as far as I'm aware there are no more synthetic kyber crystals. So probably not .

16 hours ago, Donovan Morningfire said:

I think it was a comment by Dave Filoni that the idea of artificially creating kyber crystals was no longer a thing in the new canon, especially if taking into account the Ahsoka novel and the relationship/bond between a Jedi and their fated/destined kyber crystal.

14 hours ago, Khazadune said:

Galen Erso created synthetic kyber crystals during the Clone Wars but they lacked some element (the living force?) and did not function anywhere near where they should have.

Yeah synthetic kyber can be created but they blow up when used; very dangerous business. Still worth some money on the black market from what I understand.

23 hours ago, Absol197 said:

I just had a thought...none of the current F&D specs have any of the Inspiring Rhetoric talents...might the Prophet get some/all of them? The theme of the spec seems, from what little we know, to be about inspiration and giving hope...

I would be incredibly okay with this . My Prophet likes to do grand speeches that give people hope (well, "grand" here has the meaning of "jammed packed with confusing spiritual mumbo-jumbo," but still!), so that would be A-Okay in my book!

EDIT: Also, if our assumption that there will be an "Alchemical Crafting" section of this book is correct, then I'm almost positive the Alchemist will have something like the Cyberneticst talent, removing Setbacks and cutting either the cost or time for alchemy.

Oh be still my beating heart... If I can get Supreme Inspiring Rhetoric in any of those trees, I'm diving on that spec so hard it'll break the sound barrier. As excited as I am about the possibilities for alchemical crafting (come on sythesising chemicals...), my character is a face. It fits too well to pass up.