Hey Age of Rebellion beta testers!

The first update PDF for the Age of Rebellion beta has been posted. Make sure to download it and start using it in your testing:

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4411

Thank you. We look forward to hearing your feedback!

Whoop!

I assume some of these changes also would apply to EotE, specifically (unless already specified in EotE):

• Item Qualities (which would include weapon qualities?) - This would then indicate that most qualities, I can recall any specifying otherwise except Blast, needs to successfully hit the target. Hohum.
• Cover - this has been made clear on the Order 66 podcast which no one listens to.
• Fly/Drive: As I might be getting my book tomorrow - passed through customs today - I might better understand it, but I assume it refers to the various Speeds, and therefore clarifies somewhat the movement issues still present in EotE... ?
• The neuroparalytic poison, immobilises instead of stuns (i.e. not resulting in Staggered if going by crit injury table). Nice. I like it!
• Not keen on the Retrofitted Hangar Bay solution. I mean, it makes sense, but its very conservative, and, well. I guess I agree with the notion, as its a retrofit and mod, not a designed piece of work.

Other stuff:

1. I really like the Massive quality for capital ships, that's a nice touch.
2. X-wing armour, I knew it was a typo!
3. Like the write up of Knowledge (Warfare)!

**** I'm looking forward to be getting this book! Tomorrow if I'm in luck. Fingers crossed.

I'm glad my concerns over capital ships dying to critical hit accumulation was addressed with the Massive quality.

Thanks for the update!

Not thrilled about the change to Weapon Qualities requiring a successful hit to trigger. One of the things I liked about the system was that even a failed attack could still have a beneficial outcome via Weapon Qualities and Advantages. At least it wasn't change to "have to deal damage" as that would make an unarmed attack's Weapon Qualities pretty much useless. Not sure if I'm going to just ignore this particularly change, but strongly leaning towards doing so.

Also not enthused about the Ithorian bellow now using Resilience, particularly since it's not going to be a career skill under most cases for them. Although if the intent was to make it a desperation attack that a PC only uses in really dire circumstances, then the design team was successful, because I really can't see an Ithorian PC buying more than a single rank in Resilience at non-career rates for a sub-par weapon.

So that I don't come off as being entirely negative, I am pleased as punch that my suggestion to use Knowledge (Warfare) rather than Knowledge (GCW) has been used. As well as the addition of the Massive quality for capital ships to alleviate concerns put forth by HappyDaze that they were too vulnerable to starfighter missile attacks.

Invigorate's change is... interesting. Though I wonder, is the intent that it's now purely an ally-support talent, and that the Emergent can't benefit from it? It would make sense, as Force-users have access to Enhance, which adds to most Agility and Brawn skill checks. I know it's come up in the past of "does the character with the talent count themselves as an ally", and I would imagine that will come up again in light of the talent's change. Still, it's a lot better than what it was initially.

Also like that Damage Control has been quantified so that it repairs 1 point of Hull Trauma per success. Had this come up in a Skype game, and the GM went with "only 1 point repaired no matter how many successes you roll." Didn't really matter as the combat encounter ended soon after, the PC didn't roll that hot at all, and it was a one-shot.

Not surprised with the Retrofitted Hanger Bay, given Sam's previous answer. Sadly, does make it less than useful for ships that are Silhouette 6 or bigger, though a Silhouette 6 ship would benefit from at least one instance as it'd allow them to store 7 starfighters instead of just the base 6, or maybe 2 modifications to fit a Silhouette 4 shuttle/transport/yacht and a half-dozen starfighters. Guess the dreams of Silhouette 5 "pocket starfighter carriers" just went up in smoke

I am also not too thrilled about the change regarding the Ithorian Bellow. Ah, well. Concerning Knowledge (Warfare), I would have preferred that it remained specific to the particular era this book focuses upon. Still, to be honest, the updated entry is solid in its presentation. Kudos to the development team for the nice writing.

I can't comment justifiably on the content in Chapter V and onward due to the fact that I have not yet read that far.

Guess the dreams of Silhouette 5 "pocket starfighter carriers" just went up in smoke

If they can also add external docking clamps like the Citadel-class from EotE, you should be able to get six to eight fighters on a Silhouette 5. Still not quite what some people are looking for, but it offers a bit of fighter capacity.

Given how painful the bellow is for Ithorians (I believe I read that it is, at least), I think that Resilience works... It is a shame, however, that most cases make the skill a non-career one for players. :-/

If they can also add external docking clamps like the Citadel-class from EotE, you should be able to get six to eight fighters on a Silhouette 5. Still not quite what some people are looking for, but it offers a bit of fighter capacity.

Guess the dreams of Silhouette 5 "pocket starfighter carriers" just went up in smoke

Well, the initial reading was that each modification added the same base Silhouette capacity as the attachment. So with 1 modification, a Silhouette 6 ship could carry 40 Silhouette's worth of ships, enough for a full fighter squadron (12 ships), with some extra room leftover. Or worse yet, a Silhouette 6 ship with all 5 modifications, for a total capacity of 120 Silhouette's worth of ships. Granted, it might be a cool image to suddenly have a CR90 Corvette spot out 40 Z-95 Headhunters, but that's some serious clown car physics.

I'd imagine the docking clamps like the ones on the Citadel-class cruiser would probably fall under "retrofitted hanger bay" to begin with, with the Citadel's being noteworthy since it's a Silhouette 4 ship and normally wouldn't be eligible to tote a starfighter or two.

The changes to the X-wing's armour and the Fly/Drive maneuver are my favorites. I always wondered how to go from long to extreme range when flying!

-EF

I think the Ithorian change is the most logical option since Bellow would really have more to do with lung capacity than any sort of aiming or agility. Also I prefer their bellow be more of a last resort move and I believe the first place we see it in the galaxy it is used as such.

Non-career vs Career isn't that big an issue...

Total costs to acquire

R: C/NC

1 5/10

2 15/25

3 30/45

4 50/70

5 75/100

Non-career vs Career isn't that big an issue...

Total costs to acquire

R: C/NC

1 5/10

2 15/25

3 30/45

4 50/70

5 75/100

True enough. By the time you've gamed the character enough to hit Rank 5 in Career skill, you're only going to be one Rank ahead of the guy that invested equally in it as a Non-Career skill (and he'll actually have an extra 5 xp too).

I think the Ithorian change is the most logical option since Bellow would really have more to do with lung capacity than any sort of aiming or agility. Also I prefer their bellow be more of a last resort move and I believe the first place we see it in the galaxy it is used as such.

Agreed. You never see them wantonly using it when there's other options available... at least not outside of TCWs. >_<

Agreed. You never see them wantonly using it when there's other options available... at least not outside of TCWs. >_<

Was it ever used in TCW show? I don't recall it...

Guess the dreams of Silhouette 5 "pocket starfighter carriers" just went up in smoke

Using "attachments" yes. But if your heart is set on stuffing a squadron of TIE fighters into your own CR90 you are probably more interested in a shipyard rebuild rather then some aftermarket kit from Pep boys anyway.

Rules like the starting ship options and what's in the attachments and mods section are written to keep player groups compatible with published adventures. If you want a pocket carrier I'm betting Long Arm of the Hutt isn't really want you are interested in playing anyway.

So we can now create a ship like the Corvette in the Darkstryder campaign?

Why not make Resilience a bonus Career skill for Hammerheads?

Maybe the change to qualities only applies to AoR characters and EotE characters get to keep qualities on a miss. Finally a difference in the mechanics to make the books stand apart! =P

Agreed. You never see them wantonly using it when there's other options available... at least not outside of TCWs. >_<

Was it ever used in TCW show? I don't recall it...

I believe that's where it first appeared, and that's what makes me glad to see it no longer use a career combat skill. I'd hate to see Ithorians rely on such a gimmick as a regular attack. Resilience makes it more of a way to stun when in desperation than something to build a character around.

Nice to see GCW changed to Warfare and the X-wing armor corrected.

Agreed. You never see them wantonly using it when there's other options available... at least not outside of TCWs. >_<

Was it ever used in TCW show? I don't recall it...

I believe that's where it first appeared, and that's what makes me glad to see it no longer use a career combat skill. I'd hate to see Ithorians rely on such a gimmick as a regular attack. Resilience makes it more of a way to stun when in desperation than something to build a character around.

Nice to see GCW changed to Warfare and the X-wing armor corrected.

I believe it first appeared in the older cell-animated Clone Wars series, to clarify.

Yeah, I forget about the new show. Hard to think of the animated series as 'old' in my eyes.

Why not make Resilience a bonus Career skill for Hammerheads?

Why not make Resilience a bonus Career skill for Hammerheads?

Why? Going by description most examples of the species wouldn't use it as a weapon. It is a form of communication much like a whales song.

This.

An Ithorian "weapon" is a weird idea. They are pacifists to the point that they don't walk on their own planet; they see it as holy, and live in ship-cities above the ground. Would be such a shame if they bent a single blade of grass wrong. Minusing three from the KOTOR era, it's rare to think of Ithorians trying to hurt people, or even planning to be ready to, just in case.

They also aren't necessarily so hardy, since they don't have to develop physically. My opinion, anyway.

Did this Ithorian 'power' exist in the official WEG material?