Greetings,

I am running Long Arm of the Hutt this weekend, and a bunch of my players stocked up on grenades, so I know this will come up. On page 155 of the core rule book, it describes the blast quality as,

..If the attack is successful and Blast activates, each character(friend or foe) Engaged with the original target suffers wounds equal to the weapon's Blast rating(plus additional wounds per success).

If the Blast quality doesn't activate, the ordnance still detonates...the explosion may not catch anyone else in the radius. However, the user may still trigger Blast by spending (3 advantage). In this case the original target and every target engaged with the original target suffers damage equal to the Blast rating on the weapon.

So my question is... how does Blast activate normally? Is it triggered on a successful attack(hit)? Because the second part seems to suggest you can still hit the original target but not cause Blast(AoE) damage to additional targets.

No, it only activates if you can spend 3 advantage.

If the player cannot spend 3 advantage then only the original target and anyone engaged (typically in melee distance) take damage equal to whatever the Blast value is at.

No, it only activates if you can spend 3 advantage.

If the player cannot spend 3 advantage then only the original target and anyone engaged (typically in melee distance) take damage equal to whatever the Blast value is at.

At girst glance this sounds confusing to me. Can you clarify these:

Who is damaged on a successful attack without Advantages?

Who is damaged on a successful attack with 3 Advantages spent?

Who is damaged on a failed attack without Advantages?

Who is damaged on a failed attack with 3 Advantages spent?

Can you clarify these:

1) Who is damaged on a successful attack without Advantages?

2) Who is damaged on a successful attack with 3 Advantages spent?

3) Who is damaged on a failed attack without Advantages?

4) Who is damaged on a failed attack with 3 Advantages spent?

Gladly.

1) The target of the attack is damaged, and only the target, no one else.

2) First, it costs 2 advantages to activate a quality unless otherwise noted in its description. The 3 advantage cost of Blast is intended for missed attacks. So, if successful on the combat check and producing 2 net advantages, the target and anyone engaged with him/her/it is damaged. The target suffers full damage of the weapon plus net successes, whereas those engaged suffer only Blast rating plus net successes as damage.

3) No one.

4) Then the original target and anyone engaged with him/her/it is damaged, but only suffer damage equal to the Blast rating of the weapon.

Wonderful, thank you. I hope the OP now finds the matter as clear as I do.

I have a question concerning grenades, Blast and critical injuries. I'm AFB so it could be in there, but I'll ask here.

Now, lets say I successfully hit my target and produce enough Advantages to activate a critical OR Blast. If I pick critical, then the intended target receives a critical injury (dying if minion). This is perfectly ok.

What happens if I produce enough advantages to first activate Blast - thus damaging target and everyone engaged with him. Now lets just say this results in everyone damaged takes at least 1 wound. What happens if I have enough advantages to then also trigger a critical injury?

1) Does it apply to the original target?

2) Can I pick a target among the affected?

3) Or does it affect/apply to them all?

1 seems the logical one, 2 seems to be an ok house-rule... 3 would be ok in my mind against a group of minor minions. What say you?

I might have the blast still hit everybody, but the crit only effect the primary target.

I'd go for option one. Option two would also work, but I'd put that to a vote with my players first since it could also come back to bite them later.

As per RAW. option 3. The blast hits everyone engaged, as long as one point of damage gets through soak, a crit can be triggered. I mean if it is a critical explosion, it is not limited to the point of contact, it's the entire blast radius. Or you could limit this to a triumph or a triumph +2 advantages.

Realistically how often are your PC"s all going to be grouped close enough for this to be a major issue when everyone is caring around blasters?

As per RAW. option 3. The blast hits everyone engaged, as long as one point of damage gets through soak, a crit can be triggered. I mean if it is a critical explosion, it is not limited to the point of contact, it's the entire blast radius. Or you could limit this to a triumph or a triumph +2 advantages.

Realistically how often are your PC"s all going to be grouped close enough for this to be a major issue when everyone is caring around blasters?

Edit: Of course, after I hit post, I remember exceptions to my absolute statement. Autofire and Two Weapon fighting (maybe, I'm a bit fuzzy about this one) are situations with multiple targets. In the case of Blast, though, the target is declared before the roll and the activation of the Blast quality doesn't change it.

I kind of feel like grenades should affect characters who are either engaged with, or at short range from, the attack target. It seems like characters who are friendly don't engage with each other all that often, as there seems to be little reason to.

I kind of feel like grenades should affect characters who are either engaged with, or at short range from, the attack target. It seems like characters who are friendly don't engage with each other all that often, as there seems to be little reason to.

Call me on it if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure "engaged" is just a range band. That's how I play it, at least. It's not like you're in melee distance and have to do something special to go "engaged" - you're just "engaged" if you're within melee distance of someone else.

E.g. If you're playing on a grid, like me, anyone in adjacent squares is "engaged" (<a couple meters). Engaged doesn't mean "actively clashing swords."

I kind of feel like grenades should affect characters who are either engaged with, or at short range from, the attack target. It seems like characters who are friendly don't engage with each other all that often, as there seems to be little reason to.

Call me on it if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure "engaged" is just a range band. That's how I play it, at least. It's not like you're in melee distance and have to do something special to go "engaged" - you're just "engaged" if you're within melee distance of someone else.

E.g. If you're playing on a grid, like me, anyone in adjacent squares is "engaged" (<a couple meters). Engaged doesn't mean "actively clashing swords."

Actually, there are some situations where allies are Engaged. When using first aid, for one; also the Doctor talent that lets you buff a character's characteristic(s) would require them to be Engaged with each other. Personally I'd also rule that two characters taking cover behind the same obstacle would count as Engaged (you allow one piece of cover that gives 2 Defence on a battlefield and suddenly everyone crowds behind it - good time for a grenade).

I think GM determination should/could rule on who the blast actually hits. Even with a narrative description and no hex map, you still have a visualization in your head of approximate locations.

I think GM determination should/could rule on who the blast actually hits. Even with a narrative description and no hex map, you still have a visualization in your head of approximate locations.

Actually, there are some situations where allies are Engaged. When using first aid, for one; also the Doctor talent that lets you buff a character's characteristic(s) would require them to be Engaged with each other. Personally I'd also rule that two characters taking cover behind the same obstacle would count as Engaged (you allow one piece of cover that gives 2 Defence on a battlefield and suddenly everyone crowds behind it - good time for a grenade).

Yeah good luck fighting inside a smal ship without using the same cover and becoming engaged with an ally.

Another question. This time concerning grenades, blast and the Deadly Accuracy talent. This talent increases damage based on skill ranks for all damage with weapons used with a chosen skill. So:

1. Does it also apply to grenades? I'd think so.
2. Does it in any way affect the Blast quality?

The gadgeteer in my group now has Deadly Accuracy with ranged (light), so it should apply to Grenades as well right? But would it also increase the Blast quality of the frag grenades?

I would say yes to 1, as they listed as ranged light but no to 2. The blast is a special quality of the weapon, and separate and apart from the damage it does normally.

Deadly Accuracy says as additional damage to one hit of a successful attack, which would be the primary target to me.

Here's a radical interpretation for you:

1) No

2) No

And here are my reasons why:

Deadly Accuracy states that it applies to a single hit on a successful attack.

Blast never once mentions that it deals hits - the description speaks of suffering wounds / damage, being caught in the blast radius, etc. But nothing about hits or being hit. Compare that to Auto-Fire on the same page, and you'll see its description riddled with "hits".

To me this interpretation would make sense thematically, too. A grenade by its very nature is not an accurate weapon in the same sense as a blaster, so being "Deadly Accurate" with it seems strange.

Actually, there are some situations where allies are Engaged. When using first aid, for one; also the Doctor talent that lets you buff a character's characteristic(s) would require them to be Engaged with each other. Personally I'd also rule that two characters taking cover behind the same obstacle would count as Engaged (you allow one piece of cover that gives 2 Defence on a battlefield and suddenly everyone crowds behind it - good time for a grenade).

Yeah good luck fighting inside a smal ship without using the same cover and becoming engaged with an ally.

And that's precisely the kind of situation grenades were invented for. Lots of enemies clustered together.