So, I recently realized that there seems to be two different wordings when it comes to threats affecting weapons. As it's the closest I had on hand, both examples are from the AoR-core book, but I've seen both of them in multiple books, 1 being the norm and 2 the oddity.

1. "During combat, Game Masters may make a heavy blaster pistol run out of ammunition by spending (3 threat)"

2. "Any attack roll that results in a (despair) or (2 threat) indicates that the improvised weapon breaks and is useless in further rounds of combat."

Are the supposed to be identical in function? It seems the second one always happens when the requisite number of threats/despairs are rolled and it doesn't actually mention spending them. In the case of wording 2, are the threats automatically spent before any other results can be considered? Or are they not even spent, but the result simply occurs if they are rolled and the threats/despairs are free to be spent on additional mischief? Or should it be treated as a mere option, like wording 1?

Point one: The GM has the oppurtunity to let the ammunition to be empty (but he is not forced to)

Point two: The two threat or the despair IS defenitly used to make the weapon break, no choice at all, those threats are not for use by the gm (or player) they automatically activate the proc without any choise (thus the player/ Gm can't spend them anymore)

It is the same with the despair while shooting an enemy engaged to an ally, the despair is automaticly used to hit the ally, after that other threads / despairs / triumphs ect. can be spend normally

I would tend to agree with Nightone, except:

1 hour ago, Nightone said:

...no choice at all...

The GM can always rule as they see fit.

1 hour ago, Nightone said:

Point one: The GM has the oppurtunity to let the ammunition to be empty (but he is not forced to)

Point two: The two threat or the despair IS defenitly used to make the weapon break, no choice at all, those threats are not for use by the gm (or player) they automatically activate the proc without any choise (thus the player/ Gm can't spend them anymore)

It is the same with the despair while shooting an enemy engaged to an ally, the despair is automaticly used to hit the ally, after that other threads / despairs / triumphs ect. can be spend normally

I've been wondering: What are you going to do, when you're throwing an improvised weapon at an enemy engaged with an ally, and only one Despair is showing up?

1 minute ago, Grimmerling said:

I've been wondering: What are you going to do, when you're throwing an improvised weapon at an enemy engaged with an ally, and only one Despair is showing up?

Hit the engaged ally, but the weapon is stuck in their armor (or person) and removing it renders the weapon useless unless they are *very* careful about it (use and action instead of a maneuver).

5 minutes ago, JRRP said:

Hit the engaged ally, but the weapon is stuck in their armor (or person) and removing it renders the weapon useless unless they are *very* careful about it (use and action instead of a maneuver).

It's Desperate Hour then (two Despairs for the price of one)? That's not exactly what is considered sportsmanship hereabouts, for what it's worth.

1 hour ago, Grimmerling said:

I've been wondering: What are you going to do, when you're throwing an improvised weapon at an enemy engaged with an ally, and only one Despair is showing up?

Universe implodes, TPK, campaign over.

2 hours ago, Nightone said:

Point one: The GM has the oppurtunity to let the ammunition to be empty (but he is not forced to)

Point two: The two threat or the despair IS defenitly used to make the weapon break, no choice at all, those threats are not for use by the gm (or player) they automatically activate the proc without any choise (thus the player/ Gm can't spend them anymore)

It is the same with the despair while shooting an enemy engaged to an ally, the despair is automaticly used to hit the ally, after that other threads / despairs / triumphs ect. can be spend normally

Yeah, that sounds reasonable. Any idea if there's an official ruling on it? Might be worth sending it the devs' way otherwise.