I know I heard a podcast where one of the Devs referred to the Player Characters in this game "Glass Cannons," but in a cursory search I haven't been able to find this quote. Anyone have this info handy? It's come up in a few of the threads on the forums here, and I think that if they did say this then it points to characters being somewhat more easily defeated than in other games where you continually get tougher over time in a zero-sum game with the bad guys of your level. Thanks for any help.

"Glass cannon" is a pretty ubiquitous term in gaming, so you'd be hard pressed to find a specific quote containing the phrase.

And yeah, compared to other games, especially d20 systems, all characters in this game are glass cannons in a way. It's the way the dice function, combined with the damage output and damage soaking ability. Big positive dice, small negative dice. Average blaster pistol deals damage equal to more than half the average starting wound threshold (and can only be mitigated by soak, which is really only a stopgap in most situations), and that's just the blaster pistol. So yeah, "glass cannon" is an apt descriptor for your average character, player or non-player.

1 minute ago, awayputurwpn said:

"Glass cannon" is a pretty ubiquitous term in gaming, so you'd be hard pressed to find a specific quote containing the phrase.

And yeah, compared to other games, especially d20 systems, all characters in this game are glass cannons in a way. It's the way the dice function, combined with the damage output and damage soaking ability. Big positive dice, small negative dice. Average blaster pistol deals damage equal to more than half the average starting wound threshold (and can only be mitigated by soak, which is really only a stopgap in most situations), and that's just the blaster pistol. So yeah, "glass cannon" is an apt descriptor for your average character, player or non-player.

I agree. However, I know that specifically it was said by the Devs that they view the characters in this game that way. It's a good description like you say, and it was done purposely to promote a certain feel in the way the game resolves I'm sure. I imagine they didn't just want Star Wars Pathfinder where it takes like a super Anti-PC death gun to have any chance of killing you.

I'm pretty sure I've heard people on the Order 66 Podcast use this term before (guests and/or hosts). But like I said, it's a common phrase, so I wouldn't be able to point you to a specific instance of it. More just like, "yeah, I'm pretty sure I've heard them say that."

If you want SW: Pathfinder you arelady have it in Starfinder.

Glass cannon is a general term, yup. You hit hard, but cannot receive damage back because you also crumble. Your resistance is not that good.

Interesting. It doesn't appear in print until at least after 2008, at least according to Google's ngram viewer .

Then, Google Trends shows a usage in 2004, followed by a very slow rise until it spikes in 2012.

If characters in FFG are “glass cannons,” a realistic person could be considered a “paper Death Star.”

3 hours ago, MonCal said:

If you want SW: Pathfinder you arelady have it in Starfinder.

Glass cannon is a general term, yup. You hit hard, but cannot receive damage back because you also crumble. Your resistance is not that good.

Or better yet, look up WotC's Star Wars Saga Edition. It's a "complete" RPG in terms of sourcebooks, doesn't have nearly as many fiddly bits as Pathfinder, and even from first level PCs are fairly robust, either due to being difficult to hit or having enough hit points that the average damage from a blaster rifle isn't too much to worry about, in addition to NPCs generally not being skilled enough to hit the PCs on a routine basis.

It also has the benefit of being based around Star Wars, which is always a plus for a Star Wars gaming session.

As for PCs in this system being "Glass Cannons," that's part and parcel of how the combat system in this game was designed.

The writers didn't want the game to get bogged down in combat in the way that games such as D&D (4e especially!), Pathfinder, and similar tactical/crunch heavy games can, with the general ideal that a combat shouldn't go more than five rounds in total so long as both sides are making some effort to actively defeat the other side.

While the term might be fairly new, the "glass cannon" concept is at least as old as RPGs, given the D&D Thief/Rogue is the definition of a glass cannon PC in that they can hit for a load of damage via backstab/sneak attack, but generally have a worse AC and less hit points than the front-line fighters and their ilk.

Also they are glass cannons in that they go down relatively easy, which is different to dying easily.

I remember glass cannon being applied to Glitter Boys from RIFTS in 1990. Their power suit was pretty awesome, but had a reputation that way outclassed it. The main gun was amazing. But everything immediately targets it as soon as it shows up, and it goes down fast because of it.

10 hours ago, SavageBob said:

Then, Google Trends shows a usage in 2004, followed by a very slow rise until it spikes in 2012.

Probably thanks to World of Warcraft. Mages were universally described this way.

Yeah I think the first time I heard it was in an MMORPG. I think it illustrates something important about this game, and it makes it clear the defeat is on the table.

18 hours ago, Yaccarus said:

If characters in FFG are “glass cannons,” a realistic person could be considered a “paper Death Star.”

Except, no hyperdrive

Talk about yourself here.

I've clearly been going about this the wrong way, then. I once created a droid character who could tank most anything smaller than planetary scale. He was a repurposed Gonk Droid named STOMPER, and he was very good at what he did.

On ‎11‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 4:24 PM, Degenerate Mind said:

I've clearly been going about this the wrong way, then. I once created a droid character who could tank most anything smaller than planetary scale. He was a repurposed Gonk Droid named STOMPER, and he was very good at what he did.

I think that you can jimmy a character to be whatever you want in just about any system. Pathfinder(3.x D&D) is pretty much designed to be a build-a-character-of-your-desires type game. I felt like these character were glass cannons until I found out just how hard it is to actually kill the PC's, and not just for game mechanics reasons.

42 minutes ago, Archlyte said:

I think that you can jimmy a character to be whatever you want in just about any system. Pathfinder(3.x D&D) is pretty much designed to be a build-a-character-of-your-desires type game. I felt like these character were glass cannons until I found out just how hard it is to actually kill the PC's, and not just for game mechanics reasons.

Yeah, many GMs, myself included, tend to pull punches ratherthan kill off a character in most cases.

Edit: Wait, no, you meant player ingenuity. That plays a really big part, as well.

On 11/1/2017 at 7:24 PM, Degenerate Mind said:

I've clearly been going about this the wrong way, then. I once created a droid character who could tank most anything smaller than planetary scale. He was a repurposed Gonk Droid named STOMPER, and he was very good at what he did.

While most PCs in this system are relatively fragile (i.e. go down in two or three hits from a blaster rifle), there's always going to be exceptions, depending on how a character is built.

A starting Wookie Hired Gun/Marauder with a Brawn of 4 and wearing padded armor is going to be able to tank a lot more damage than most other starting PCs will be able to, and it'll only get worse as the Wook buys ranks of Toughened and Enduring to further bolster their wound threshold and soak, making them very tough to take down just through sheer wound damage.

1 hour ago, Donovan Morningfire said:

While most PCs in this system are relatively fragile (i.e. go down in two or three hits from a blaster rifle), there's always going to be exceptions, depending on how a character is built.

On top are controll builds possible that focus on mitigating damage by taking away actions and agenda from the enemies. You can't hit what you can't see (misdirect) or whom you think is a friend (influence) or has you staggering (bind), etc

Those still fit the glas canon theme, but aim to make the glas untouchable.

2 hours ago, SEApocalypse said:

On top are controll builds possible that focus on mitigating damage by taking away actions and agenda from the enemies. You can't hit what you can't see (misdirect) or whom you think is a friend (influence) or has you staggering (bind), etc

Those still fit the glas canon theme, but aim to make the glas untouchable.

I prefer to be untouchable AND a hit point tank

Indeed, NFL videos are untouchable unwatchable.
"This video contains content from the NFL, who has blocked it from …"


Can't touch this.

Oh lame

It was a video of Marshawn Lynch highlights, aka "Beast Mode"

1 hour ago, SEApocalypse said:

Indeed, NFL videos are untouchable unwatchable.
"This video contains content from the NFL, who has blocked it from …"


Can't touch this.

I love how it allows you to see the thumbnail. It's like they want you to be invested in watching the video before you realize it's been taken down.