Hi all

I've only played the beginners game and some of the Hutt adventure. am absolutely loving it.

My only question at the moment is this:

When you have to roll your manoeuvre skill roll due to asteroids, gravity, forests, etc., can you also have an action for combat, or is the manoeuvre skill roll your action?? If so, when do you fire at targets during a chase in the forests, asteroids, zero-grav terrain, etc.?

Dave

According to the chase mechanic in the starship and vehicle chapter in the core book, the chase check is made at the start of each round, before the initiative order starts (if I recall correctly). That would imply, to me, that this check is neither an Action nor a Manoeuvre, as the page sized side bar goes on to explain that the participants in the chase then can perform manoeuvres and actions as normal, on their initiative slot.

So that's the chase.

Under normal circumstances, just navigating a canyon, nebula or asteroid field, a pilot check is usually (always?) an Action.

When you have to roll your manoeuvre skill roll due to asteroids, gravity, forests, etc., can you also have an action for combat, or is the manoeuvre skill roll your action?

As it is still a maneuvers you can perform your action additionally. There is no rule that stated that in case of ugly "Stellar Phenomena or Terrain" your maneuvers will become actions!

But, a skill check is usually an Action.

Have you gone through the paragraph "Stellar Phenomena or Terrain" in the rulebook? It states that in dangerous situations you have to do a check if you want to perform a starship maneuver (and i think the OP is refering to this chapter). This is a special rule, but it is still a maneuver that you perform and not an action.

At least this is my interpretation of this rule

There are instances, however, when the difficulty of the maneuver requires an Action ("Difficult and Impassable Terrain" p.213, and "Celestial Hazards and Difficult Maneuvers" p. 240).

So it might be all skilled maneuvers through an asteroid field until the pilot has to thread a particularly dangerous gap between two big asteroids. Then he's making an action check to avoid a collision.

Quoting from page 240 of the core rulebook:

"When a ship passes near or through one of these treacherous obstacles, the pilot might need to make an appropriate Piloting check, even if he is attempting a starship maneuver that typically wouldn't require one."

Personally I use this whenever the outcome of a piloting check might have an effect on what's going on. Can you swoop down on your speeder bike and pick up your friend before the carnivorous beetles converge on him? Time to make a Piloting (planetary) check.

Well, the two before me has pointed out what I was thinking of, sort of.

I also want to point to the semantics here: Manoeuvres and Actions are options for a PC (and NPC) to pick within combat or more structured play... a manoeuvre with a starship does not equate a Maneouvre... Gain the Advantage is basically a manoeuvre to gain the upper hand over your opponent... its a manoeuvre, but its also an Action. Part of why it's an Action is the check required, of course there might be other design issues, but it seems pretty consistent (with some exception of course) than any check, any rolling of the dice, is an Action - even if its a manoeuvre with a vehicle, jumping across a chasm or climbing up a wall...

That's my understanding too: if it requires a roll, it's an action. It's a good rule of thumb, anyway.

Thanks for the comments so far. My main concern is that solo operated vehicles (swoops , fighters, etc) will be constantly rolling manoeuvres, and not actually fighting - whereas in the films they were. Ie swoops in forest (ROJ), asteroid fight (2nd film ).

I will probably let them roll as manoeuvres in chases to keep the action going. Also Luke could not destroy the death star, as he would have to constantly roll his manoeuvres while in the trench. Also don't forget that pre guided missiles, planes aimed their weapons by manoeuvring their vehicle and then firing fixed weapons, so combat actions are part manoeuvres anyway.

Maybe there should be a piloting action that combines complex manoeuvres with firing fixed forward weaponry.

Thanks for the comments so far. My main concern is that solo operated vehicles (swoops , fighters, etc) will be constantly rolling manoeuvres, and not actually fighting - whereas in the films they were. Ie swoops in forest (ROJ), asteroid fight (2nd film ).

I will probably let them roll as manoeuvres in chases to keep the action going. Also Luke could not destroy the death star, as he would have to constantly roll his manoeuvres while in the trench. Also don't forget that pre guided missiles, planes aimed their weapons by manoeuvring their vehicle and then firing fixed weapons, so combat actions are part manoeuvres anyway.

Maybe there should be a piloting action that combines complex manoeuvres with firing fixed forward weaponry.

When you're in a chase both/all participants make a Piloting check at the start of each round, before people start acting in initiative slots. That's how you figure out where they are in relation to each other, and they roll against (speed plus 1/2 silhouette) plus terrain setback dice. Then, on their initiative slot, the pilots can act as normal but may not make maneuvers to change position (and they must spend one maneuver on the Fly/Drive maneuver).

But if you are in a dogfight it is another situation. Imagine a dogfight in an astroid belt, a solo operated vehicle has no chance to attack as the pilot has to do a pilot check in each turn... That sounds boring to me...

Add terrain modifiers to the GtA check, and there you got it. There's going to be be pilot checks in a proper dogfight anyway.

Still, sometimes making checks as part of a manoeuvre could perhaps make sense, on the other hand, perhaps you won't have to make a pilot check each round for flying, even when in a asteroid field...?