Now that is a direct Q&A not open for interpretation. Thanks.

Now that is a direct Q&A not open for interpretation. Thanks.

Doesn't mean that if a GM doesn't agree with Sam on this, they can't continue to let Brace be applied against cover. Just means that doing so is clearly a house rule, and if it works for the GM, the players, and their game, then go for it.

My only concern, and this may have been mentioned as I have only given this thread a cursory look, is that in allowing brace to nullify the defense dice granted by cover you are reducing options for characters that do not want to wear armour with defense dice. At that point you may as well wear armour with defense if it can be taken away as cover.

My only concern, and this may have been mentioned as I have only given this thread a cursory look, is that in allowing brace to nullify the defense dice granted by cover you are reducing options for characters that do not want to wear armour with defense dice. At that point you may as well wear armour with defense if it can be taken away as cover.

Well, how many official NPCs actually have the Brace talent?

In the case of personally built NPCs, the GM is making a conscious choice to give that NPC whichever talents they have, from ranks in Adversary to Brace to True Aim. So if the GM allows Brace to bypass cover and is giving it to every NPC, that's ultimately a problem with the GM.

And if an NPC can't benefit from cover because of the few PCs that have Brace... well, the GM has other means to keep a plot-critical NPC alive and kicking, such as the Adversary talent, armor that provides ranged defense, or any number of GM fiat tricks. And if it's an NPC that's only there for the one combat to be ultimately mowed down... then who really cares? Since most NPCs in a combat are one-scene wonders there to give the PCs a challenge and after that are largely forgotten, is it really that huge a deal if the PCs can spend a maneuver to reduce the effects of cover?

Since most NPCs in a combat are one-scene wonders there to give the PCs a challenge and after that are largely forgotten, is it really that huge a deal if the PCs can spend a maneuver to reduce the effects of cover?

It matters because there are already specific Talents and abilities that negate Cover that have defined costs, there is no need for one that adds that ability and costs you nothing for it. Further, no individual instance of breaking or bending of the RAW in and of itself breaks the game but keep slipping in a few here and a few there and all of a sudden you've got a system with so many Rules of Cool it begins to leak like a sieve. Break or bend the RAW when it matters, when it really will make the story better, not for BS like this that adds nothing to the enjoyment of the game and may even cause resentment from Players that have spent the time and effort to get those other abilities that cover something already, otherwise you risk making the whole thing an arbitrary mess.

If everything is special, nothing is special.

EDIT: I figured it out and it now makes complete sense. Ignore this post.

Has this wrinkle been discussed:

NPC has ranged defence 1 from his armour hides behind cover. The result according to RAW is he has a net total of 1 setback die when attacked, no stacking. If a PC attacks him with a ranged weapon using Brace, he can negate the setback die the NPC gets from cover, but doesn't still leave the setback die the NPC gains from his armour still?

or do we assume in this case that the armour is really the determining factor and cannot be removed due to Brace?

1 hour ago, Kman1970 said:

EDIT: I figured it out and it now makes complete sense. Ignore this post.

Has this wrinkle been discussed:

NPC has ranged defence 1 from his armour hides behind cover. The result according to RAW is he has a net total of 1 setback die when attacked, no stacking. If a PC attacks him with a ranged weapon using Brace, he can negate the setback die the NPC gets from cover, but doesn't still leave the setback die the NPC gains from his armour still?

or do we assume in this case that the armour is really the determining factor and cannot be removed due to Brace?

In case anyone else is curious

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Question asked by FuriousGreg :

Can you use the Brace Maneuver to negate the Setback provided by Cover?

Answered by Sam Stewart :

NO.

Not to necro a thread, but I have a related question:

What are some things you would apply Brace to? I've already ruled that Brace can't be used against Cover (and backed it up with Sam's ruling), but my player with Brace is complaining that it's a worthless talent as it takes a Maneuver and only removes Setbacks in what he calls "hyperspecialized" situations. He's also cited 5 XP talents like Gearhead and Commanding Presence which remove Setback without any Maneuver/cost of any kind. I've tried to assure him that 1) those "hyperspecialized" cases will apply 2) those talents only affect one or two skills per talent, whereas Brace always applies so long as it's a disruptive environmental affect acting on you and you can justify how mentally or physically bracing yourself would help you weather it.

He isn't quite convinced and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I can throw Setback at him so he can see use of the talent. Obviously, I don't want environmental setback on every check in the game, but I'm hoping to collect a list of ideas here. I like the few that Dakkar mentioned, but I'm looking for a few more ideas, even though I know it won't be an exhaustive list. So far I have (off the top of my head):

• Using computers in the middle of a firefight. (I don't think Codebreaker or Bypass Security would apply, even if you were defeating security devices or breaking codes, as well.)
• Removing setback imposed by being distracted by the conditions of a large battle (TIEs overhead, chunks of debris everywhere, etc.)
• Facing into a spotlight (NPCs earlier in the campaign received Setback for just such a thing) while attempting to use Perception/Vigilance/Ranged
• Giving a rousing speech over the din of battle (conflicts with Commanding Presence, but if you don't have that talent...)

Any way you could think of using Brace with Negotiation? Like, in a shop that's too loud, but the owner is used to it and it only really bothers you?

4 hours ago, Kestin said:

Any way you could think of using Brace with Negotiation? Like, in a shop that's too loud, but the owner is used to it and it only really bothers you?

Just have a look at pretty much every saber fight in the films and clone wars / rebels , there are almost always some environmental effects involved.

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changing conditions, inclement weather, unstable surfaces, zero gravity, heavy gravity, or other disruptive physical obstacles that would make a skill check more difficult.

This is a pretty broad set of circumstances, seems like it should apply quite a bit. Throwing Setbacks out on checks in combat should be pretty broadly used as well.