Anyone know where and in which book I might find out if it is legit to augment the explosive damage of the Explosives Belt (page 48, AoR Spies book, Dam 15 Crit 3 R-Eng, Blast 5 Breach 1 Limited Ammo 1) with Improvised Detonation or Improved Improvised Detonation talent from Demolitionist talent tree, or perhaps with the Self Destruct System on page 60 of the Spies book?

My GM has my character working with a Demolitionist as a means of working into the story my character learning to become one. I only know how explosive material and IED construction works IRL, but making it conform to the game mechanics to keep it within reason so it's not just stupidly OP and no fun because no challenge is where I'm kind of getting stuck.

My goal here is maximized collateral damage to facilitate escape should my character be captured and the belt is taken, and to, with a command detonator for the belt or Self Destruct System from a hidden compartment on my character's clothing (totally screwed if stripped naked, but otherwise kept if they fail a perception check to locate it), cause enough chaos that my escape may go unnoticed for a time, or, failing that, at least render incapacitated or dead some of my would be pursuers.

Or perhaps, in these following instances, I'd be looking to cripple larger objects than mere personnel, going for more anti-material effect, like taking out a small craft that is landed or an ATST. For example, if I get my Mechanics to say, 4, and use Improved Improvised Detonation to add my Intellect (2) + 2xMechanics ranks (2x4) to an IED, can that 10 damage stack on top of the 15 if I use the belt to do it? Or, with a Self Destruct System added to the belt (5 damage) the three +2 damage mods (total 11) to the belt (15) for a total of 26? Same goes for if I want to do all that and use the explosives from a couple re-purposed concussion missiles or a thermal detonator so I make a big enough boom to take out an ATAT.

I see no reason why you couldn't, or shouldn't be able to, use those talents on the Explosives Belt. Its an explosive device.

Whatever you and your GM decide is legit is what is legit. The books are irrelevant in that respect. If you and your GM think it is reasonable, everyone else can go pound sand. It really isnt worth the effort or the time to search thru dozens of books to see if some developer made a pronouncement

23 hours ago, HVSD said:

Anyone know where and in which book I might find out if it is legit to augment the explosive damage of the Explosives Belt (page 48, AoR Spies book, Dam 15 Crit 3 R-Eng, Blast 5 Breach 1 Limited Ammo 1) with Improvised Detonation or Improved Improvised Detonation talent from Demolitionist talent tree, or perhaps with the Self Destruct System on page 60 of the Spies book?

My GM has my character working with a Demolitionist as a means of working into the story my character learning to become one. I only know how explosive material and IED construction works IRL, but making it conform to the game mechanics to keep it within reason so it's not just stupidly OP and no fun because no challenge is where I'm kind of getting stuck.

My goal here is maximized collateral damage to facilitate escape should my character be captured and the belt is taken, and to, with a command detonator for the belt or Self Destruct System from a hidden compartment on my character's clothing (totally screwed if stripped naked, but otherwise kept if they fail a perception check to locate it), cause enough chaos that my escape may go unnoticed for a time, or, failing that, at least render incapacitated or dead some of my would be pursuers.

Or perhaps, in these following instances, I'd be looking to cripple larger objects than mere personnel, going for more anti-material effect, like taking out a small craft that is landed or an ATST. For example, if I get my Mechanics to say, 4, and use Improved Improvised Detonation to add my Intellect (2) + 2xMechanics ranks (2x4) to an IED, can that 10 damage stack on top of the 15 if I use the belt to do it? Or, with a Self Destruct System added to the belt (5 damage) the three +2 damage mods (total 11) to the belt (15) for a total of 26? Same goes for if I want to do all that and use the explosives from a couple re-purposed concussion missiles or a thermal detonator so I make a big enough boom to take out an ATAT.

This is something that you'd have to clear with your GM, but if you're looking for opinions from the peanut gallery, I'd say "Nope".

Full disclosure, I don't have the Hired Gun book, so I can't read the long version of the talent. But it appears that this talent is for MacGuvyering IEDs out of "on hand" elements, not modifying purpose built explosives.

You've already pointed out the reason for this: the combinations you're proposing turn what should be a diversionary tactic into a "I win" button. The belt already operates as you describe in paragraph 3 (cause chaos, do 15 damage to one target bypassing 10 soak and doing 5 blast damage (with the breach) to everything engaged (aka killing every stormtrooper in engaged range)), and that's totally appropriate for something that's designed to appear as an innocuous bit of clothing.

As for a self destruct system? An exploding belt IS a self destruct system. To ask that question is like saying "I'm wearing a jetpack AND rocket boots, can I go twice as fast?" I mean, which part is going to blow up first? The self destruct mechanism destroying the primary explosive, or the primary explosive disrupting the self destruct?

I would, however allow the Powerful Blast and Master Grenadier talents to apply to the belt, since they effect all explosives and don't call for the creation of a new one. With the 3 ranks of Powerful blast and one of master grenadier. So the belt would become 18 base damage with a crit rating of 2. That means if you roll 2 success, you're doing just enough damage to potentially cause a crit (even if you don't do damage to reduce the hull threshold) on the outside of an armor 3 vehicle. (Depending on your GM, and if they allow crits just for exceeding the armor value, or if they require you to actually take a hull point away).

Which of course, as you say is how it should be if you don't want to make explosives way OP. If you want to take out a tank, you're going to have to use anti-tank weaponry. Unless the belt winds up inside a tank or aircraft, in which case I'd handwave it as "Yeah, it's scrapped".

But I mean, I'd say it's more in-line with your character growth anyway. You'll gradually get better and still be able to have some cool (but not game breaking) explosions. You're not magically going to be making IEDs more effective than actual shaped charges and purpose built weaponry right off the bat.