The rules for Improvised Weapons appear on page 212. All are listed as using Melee with a Range of Engaged. Would it be possible to throw such weapons (fist-sized rock, two-handed rock, crate, etc.)? Would a Range of Short be appropriate? Rather than Melee, would a thrown Improvised Weapon use Ranged (Light) if one-handed or Ranged (Heavy) if two-handed?

Yes short with ranged light (for any improvised), plus 1 setback die (for 1-handed), 2 setback dice (for 2-handed) because they are not meant for throwing.

Yes short with ranged light (for any improvised), plus 1 setback die (for 1-handed), 2 setback dice (for 2-handed) because they are not meant for throwing.

Is this your houserule, or did I miss it in the book?

Yes short with ranged light (for any improvised), plus 1 setback die (for 1-handed), 2 setback dice (for 2-handed) because they are not meant for throwing.

Is this your houserule, or did I miss it in the book?

Those house rules make sense and seem very in line with the book. I would say Ranged (Light) at short range is pretty much mandatory for whatever house rules you make on this. This is based on how grenades are tossed...

However, I can consider circumstances where ranged heavy is appropriate, in particular tossing things that are cumbersome. I don't think the house rule needs that much complexity though.

It's incumbent on the GM to make a ruling that makes sense. I wouldn't give setback dice unless I felt the situation warranted them. The inferior rules are enough in that respect.

However, I would probably rule that throwing something that took up two hands to be Ranged (Heavy). It makes as much sense as Ranged (Light) in that respect, since this is the same skill used for throwing grenades, nets, and bolas; and shooting blasters.

I'd probably add Brawn to the mix for most weapons as well, unless the weapon is like a dart or something, but then that's meant to be thrown. Anyway, a fist-sized rock might be +1 damage, a table might be +3 damage but also cumbersome 4-5 (and there's your setback dice ). All Crit Rating 5. It really depends on the situation, and I don't think it should be house ruled.

Jay Little and Sam Stewart (or possibly just one of them) did address this on the O66 podcast several episodes back, and IIRC their general consensus was "just go with what makes sense."

This came up in my previous game session. One of my players scavenged a toolbox for something to throw, since he's good with Ranged (light) and useless with Melee. I just ruled it as improvised small weapons, set the range to short and left it otherwise exactly the same.

It's incumbent on the GM to make a ruling that makes sense. I wouldn't give setback dice unless I felt the situation warranted them. The inferior rules are enough in that respect.

However, I would probably rule that throwing something that took up two hands to be Ranged (Heavy). It makes as much sense as Ranged (Light) in that respect, since this is the same skill used for throwing grenades, nets, and bolas; and shooting blasters.

I'd probably add Brawn to the mix for most weapons as well, unless the weapon is like a dart or something, but then that's meant to be thrown. Anyway, a fist-sized rock might be +1 damage, a table might be +3 damage but also cumbersome 4-5 (and there's your setback dice ). All Crit Rating 5. It really depends on the situation, and I don't think it should be house ruled.

Jay Little and Sam Stewart (or possibly just one of them) did address this on the O66 podcast several episodes back, and IIRC their general consensus was "just go with what makes sense."

I think this makes sense. I'd take a look at the object as well. If someone is going to Hulk Smash a very large object, that would make sense to me to use a Ranged Heavy, if they are throwing a Rock, perhaps ranged light. Maybe even assisted checks for Larger Objects, you could require, like hurling a boulder off a cliff

You could use ranged heavy, but the reason I said only ranged light is that covers all throwing in the core book so far. For me throwing something heavier or bigger is more of a Brawn limitation than a different skill.

You could use ranged heavy, but the reason I said only ranged light is that covers all throwing in the core book so far. For me throwing something heavier or bigger is more of a Brawn limitation than a different skill.

It's a tough call - Brawn and Ranged Heavy both make sense. I mean, a don't see a regular human picking up a plasisteel container filled with ordinance and throwing it, but a wookiee might...

You could use ranged heavy, but the reason I said only ranged light is that covers all throwing in the core book so far. For me throwing something heavier or bigger is more of a Brawn limitation than a different skill.

It's a tough call - Brawn and Ranged Heavy both make sense. I mean, a don't see a regular human picking up a plasisteel container filled with ordinance and throwing it, but a wookiee might...

Ranged (Heavy) seems appropriate to me for the reasons stated above. Besides that, all ranged (Heavy) weapons require two hands to use. Just makes the most sense.

Other than that, sometimes I suppose Athletics might be an appropriate skill for hurling something big

But in any case, that's where the Cumbersome rating comes in. Heck, something super awkward might have Cumbersome 10 or so It's like, "do you really wanna try and throw that?"

I believe that the largest improvised weapons listed are Cumbersome 4.

I believe that the largest improvised weapons listed are Cumbersome 4.

But the question is, can the GM create a weapon with a Cumbersome rating so high that he can't wield it?

What is your opinion on this for a house rule?

Using Ranged (Heavy) the distance in range bands is equal to their Brawn rating (to Maximum range) minus the size category of the object with a cumbersome rating equal to 2 times its size category.

The damage should be calculated the same as the Move Force power (5 for size 0 and 10 times size category)

Example: a Strength 6 critter could throw a size 3 object at short range for 30 base damage. Obviously this would be a rare and extreme encounter, but I'm going to play test it with my group and see if this works.

What is the default max range for throwing stuff in general? Short?

It made so much sense that it sounded like a real rule

13 hours ago, Archlyte said:

What is the default max range for throwing stuff in general? Short?

From what I can tell, the range for thrown weapons is listed in the separate profiles of each. There isn't a rule for throwing improvised weapons that I was able to find.

The only rules for improvised weapons is for melee.

If there is, I would love for someone to tell me where I can find it.

31 minutes ago, Thunderspeaks said:

From what I can tell, the range for thrown weapons is listed in the separate profiles of each. There isn't a rule for throwing improvised weapons that I was able to find.

The only rules for improvised weapons is for melee.

If there is, I would love for someone to tell me where I can find it.

There aren't any, but it's a common question (if you notice, this is a resurrected thread from 2013!!) , and was even covered by one of the devs in an episode of the Order 66 podcast, many years ago. This isn't supposed to be a big debate, it's just throwing an object in a cantina brawl. If it's a smallish sized object, just use Ranged Light with some penalties (inferior quality to the item, and maybe a setback), Ranged Heavy, or Athletics if it's something bigger, like...you know...a person

And then move on with the scene.

39 minutes ago, KungFuFerret said:

There aren't any, but it's a common question (if you notice, this is a resurrected thread from 2013!!) , and was even covered by one of the devs in an episode of the Order 66 podcast, many years ago. This isn't supposed to be a big debate, it's just throwing an object in a cantina brawl. If it's a smallish sized object, just use Ranged Light with some penalties (inferior quality to the item, and maybe a setback), Ranged Heavy, or Athletics if it's something bigger, like...you know...a person

And then move on with the scene.

Hey Ferret I was just wondering about objects in general. I know it would be based on size but I was thinking about rocks or something baseball-sized.

33 minutes ago, Archlyte said:

Hey Ferret I was just wondering about objects in general. I know it would be based on size but I was thinking about rocks or something baseball-sized.

If the object is baseball-sized, I would say there is no limit on range, other than the Personal Range band limitations. I'd say maybe a max range of Medium, given the increase in distance per range band. But, there are some very powerful beings in Star Wars, and with enough Brawn(or the Force Enhance) it might be doable at Long and Extreme. If we're talking about Human Normal range PC's though, I'd say Short-Medium range is reasonable. I mean baseball players can chuck a baseball pretty dang far on the field, so an object of equivalent size/weight shouldn't be too big of an issue.

Big objects, like a person, I would say Short range at most.