Can you use both the Shield Gauntlet and Energy Buckler at the same time (one on each forearm) and get the passive abilities of both? I know the defensive passive won't stack, but using both could net a 2 deflection and 1 defensive.

The description for the Shield Gauntlet says it covers the hand and forearm.

The Energy Buckled doesn't say what it covers.

So, theoretically, both might be able to used at the same time.

Additionally, if you were to use these both, would you still have two free hands for other use?

There was errata, most defense stacks up to a max of 4 dice. You can probably find the errata thread in the eote forum. But yes, they work together.

5 hours ago, Toedogg said:

Additionally, if you were to use these both, would you still have two free hands for other use?

Up to your GM.

Were it me:

Depends on what you mean. Both items are essentially small "shields" you hold up to protect yourself. Energy Bucklers especially are very small items that essentially require you actively try and block/parry attacks, or at least that's how they're used on-screen.

So if the question is: Can I use these items and still use a weapon like a blaster or sword? I'd probably say no.

If the question is: Can I use these items without letting go of a small item I'm holding? I'd probably say yes.

Does anyone else think that it is a little bit unbalanced to be able to mod the energy buckler to have the same defense as a PDS? I think that the PDS should provide more defense or operate like the shielding in Emperor Norton's starship house rules. (I'd say that the PDS gives 1 planetary scale shielding and disregard the "suffer X system strain" bit)

10 hours ago, Toedogg said:

The Energy Buckled doesn't say what it covers.

So, theoretically, both might be able to used at the same time.

They both cover the forearm/wrist, and even kinda look the same in use and appearance.

So you could do one on each arm, but not both simultaneously on the same arm.

Buckler:

Gauntlet:

1 hour ago, P-47 Thunderbolt said:

Does anyone else think that it is a little bit unbalanced to be able to mod the energy buckler to have the same defense as a PDS?

How would one do that? I was under the impression the energy buckler didn't have mods?

Just now, vandarl said:

How would one do that? I was under the impression the energy buckler didn't have mods?

I'm looking at the "Portable Plasma Shield" armor attachment in Collapse of the Republic, which is supposed to be the shield thing that the mandalorians have.

Also I was wrong, its max ability modded isn't the same as a PDS... it's higher (3/3).

1 hour ago, P-47 Thunderbolt said:

I'm looking at the "Portable Plasma Shield" armor attachment in Collapse of the Republic, which is supposed to be the shield thing that the mandalorians have.

Also I was wrong, its max ability modded isn't the same as a PDS... it's higher (3/3).

You can get at most 4 of those mods (with the master artisan talent) difficulty is impossible after that. Given that you can get 2/2 defense from armor inserts (reverse engineer or tinker for +1 hard point) you only need 3 to max out defense at 4/4. The portable plasma shield also can't be used as a weapon and prevents you from using 2 handed weapons. I would think that it would grow to the size of a gungan energy shield with the mods.

21 hours ago, EliasWindrider said:

You can get at most 4 of those mods (with the master artisan talent) difficulty is impossible after that. Given that you can get 2/2 defense from armor inserts (reverse engineer or tinker for +1 hard point) you only need 3 to max out defense at 4/4. The portable plasma shield also can't be used as a weapon and prevents you from using 2 handed weapons. I would think that it would grow to the size of a gungan energy shield with the mods.

I don't understand the "can't be used as a weapon" concept. It's strong enough to withstand various kinetic and energy types of damage, but you can't smack someone upside the head with it without it crumpling? That makes zero sense to me at all. If all it protects against are energy attacks, things that have no actual mass/kinetic oomph to them, then I can see the rationale. But if it can work against melee, and slugthrowers, and explosions, then it should be durable enough to check someone in the face too.

47 minutes ago, KungFuFerret said:

I don't understand the "can't be used as a weapon" concept. It's strong enough to withstand various kinetic and energy types of damage, but you can't smack someone upside the head with it without it crumpling? That makes zero sense to me at all. If all it protects against are energy attacks, things that have no actual mass/kinetic oomph to them, then I can see the rationale. But if it can work against melee, and slugthrowers, and explosions, then it should be durable enough to check someone in the face too.

If you could use it as a melee weapon, then vibroblades and maybe even lighsabers with their exotic and rare components just became obsolete, and you could just use this technology to craft energy blades that are sharper than monomolecular.

Think of it more as a big but weightless block of spongy foam stuck to your arm. A nerf shield as it were.

12 hours ago, KungFuFerret said:

I don't understand the "can't be used as a weapon" concept. It's strong enough to withstand various kinetic and energy types of damage, but you can't smack someone upside the head with it without it crumpling? That makes zero sense to me at all. If all it protects against are energy attacks, things that have no actual mass/kinetic oomph to them, then I can see the rationale. But if it can work against melee, and slugthrowers, and explosions, then it should be durable enough to check someone in the face too.

That's the rules.... maybe it's like hitting someone with bubble wrap?

15 hours ago, KungFuFerret said:

I don't understand the "can't be used as a weapon" concept. It's strong enough to withstand various kinetic and energy types of damage, but you can't smack someone upside the head with it without it crumpling? That makes zero sense to me at all. If all it protects against are energy attacks, things that have no actual mass/kinetic oomph to them, then I can see the rationale. But if it can work against melee, and slugthrowers, and explosions, then it should be durable enough to check someone in the face too.

Why not? Non-Newtonian fluids exist in real life . Why not apply the same principles here.

1 hour ago, kaosoe said:

Why not? Non-Newtonian fluids exist in real life . Why not apply the same principles here.

Probably because the people who invent these things are doing it for rule of cool and are not physicists. Therefore, they have no idea about any of that. They think it looks cool so they do the thing.

/shrug

18 minutes ago, c__beck said:

Probably because the people who invent these things are doing it for rule of cool and are not physicists. Therefore, they have no idea about any of that. They think it looks cool so they do the thing.

/shrug

Which, in the world of Start Wars, is also valid.