Jedi Counseling 112

Proficient in Proficiencies

By Gary M. Sarli

Welcome to the 112th installment of "Jedi Counseling," our regular column in which we answer your rules questions about the Star Wars Miniatures Game and the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. If you have a question, send it in through the link at the end of this column, and check back here for the official answer.

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition

Q: What weapon group includes unarmed attacks? How about natural weapons? In most places, it seems like they're simple weapons, but Weapon Focus refers to unarmed attacks as if they are separate.

A: Unarmed attacks and natural weapons are considered simple weapons in which all characters are proficient. The reference to unarmed attacks in the Weapon Focus feat is an error.

Q: Do unarmed attacks and natural weapons benefit from the Weapon Finesse feat?

A: Yes. Unarmed attacks and natural weapons are light melee weapons.

Q: Do combat gloves count as simple weapons or unarmed attacks?

A: Both. They count as unarmed attacks, and unarmed attacks are simple weapons.

Q: A droid's tool mounts -- including weapon mounts -- are one type of appendage, and droids can use their appendages to make unarmed attacks (page 189, Saga Edition Core Rulebook). Since characters are automatically proficient with unarmed attacks, would that mean that a droid is automatically proficient with any weapon on a weapon mount?

A: No. While the weapon mount can be used for unarmed attacks to bludgeon nearby foes, using the weapon itself for its intended purpose still requires proficiency to avoid the usual penalties.

For example, if an R2 unit had a blaster pistol installed on one of its tool mounts, it could make unarmed attacks at no penalty, but it would take a –5 penalty on ranged attacks with the blaster pistol. (A droid without a heuristic processor wouldn't be able to use the weapon without proficiency at all.)

Q: How does the Weapon Familiarity species trait interact with weapon-specific feats and talents, such as Weapon Focus? Does a Wookiee with Weapon Focus (rifles) apply the bonus to bowcasters, or would that be covered by Weapon Focus (bowcaster)?

A: This isn't clear in the original text, but Weapon Familiarity allows a character to treat that weapon as a member of the indicated weapon group for all purposes, not just proficiency. For example, if a Wookiee soldier had Weapon Focus (rifles) and Weapon Specialization (rifles), she would get +1 on attack rolls and +2 on damage rolls with rifles and bowcasters.

Q: Weapon Focus (and many other weapon-specific abilities) lists "proficient with weapon" among its prerequisites. Can you take that feat if you're proficient with at least one weapon in that group, or do you have to be proficient with all weapons in that group?

A: As long as you are proficient with at least one weapon in a group, you are qualified to take Weapon Focus (or any other weapon-specific ability) for that group. The benefits apply only for weapons within that group with which you are proficient.

For example, a scoundrel with the Spacehound talent is proficient with all starship weapons (all of which are heavy weapons), so he would qualify to take Weapon Focus (heavy weapons). He would gain a +1 bonus on attacks with starship weapons, but he wouldn't get that benefit with an E-web or any other heavy weapon until becoming proficient with them.

Q: Does that reasoning apply when a prerequisite says "Weapon Proficiency (group)"?

A: No. When the Weapon Proficiency feat is specified, you must actually have that feat. That said, the Burst Fire feat needs a bit of errata to work as intended with this ruling:

This change allows pilots and other vehicle-oriented characters to use Burst Fire more easily. For example, an X-wing pilot (soldier 1) with Vehicular Combat and Strength 10 could take Burst Fire to get the most out of the starfighter's autofire capabilities, but this ability wouldn't transfer to a heavy repeating blaster (she's not proficient with it). She could use Burst Fire with a blaster rifle, of course, but she would take a –10 penalty on such attacks due to not meeting the Strength requirements listed above.

Q: Wouldn't that make Burst Fire work very differently than Rapid Shot?

A: Both Rapid Shot and Rapid Strike are receiving some matching errata to make these feats more accessible to a wider variety of characters while still preserving the concept and game balance intended by the original prerequisites:

Star Wars Miniatures Questions

Q: Can a character with Greater Mobile Attack move its full speed (typically 6) and still make multiple attacks?

A: Yes. Moving before and after the attacks is an option available to a character with Greater Mobile Attack, but it is not a requirement for making multiple attacks.

Q: Can a character with Greater Mobile Attack and Charging Fire move double its speed and still use all its attacks?

A: No. Charging Fire is an ability that replaces your turn. You can't use multiple attacks (such as from Double Attack, Triple Attack, or Extra Attack) when you've replaced your turn. Those attacks are lost because you would normally get them in exchange for giving up your movement in your normal turn. Since you no longer have a normal turn, they don't come into play at all.

Q: Can you use a Force point to move faster or Master Speed to increase the distance you can move while using Greater Mobile Attack?

A: Yes. Greater Mobile Attack (and Mobile Attack) both function the same way regardless of the speed of that character, even if it is enhanced by spending a Force point to move faster or activate the Master Speed power.

Q: The card text for the Caamasi Noble's Diplomat ability says that it's not a legal target if an enemy without Diplomat is in line of sight. The glossary definition (in the rules insert) says that the character with Diplomat can't be targeted or attacked. Now, I've heard that the card text is supposed to override the glossary definition, so would this mean that a Caamasi Noble could be attacked as long as he is not targeted (such as with Lightsaber Sweep)?

A: First, there's evidently some confusion about how the rules text for an ability works, so let me clear that up. The rule for a special ability or Force power includes both the card text and the glossary/insert text. Neither, by itself, is the complete rule, so you must follow all the rules on both the card and in the glossary.

The only time the card takes precedence is in the event of a direct contradiction. For example, if a Force power is listed as costing 2 Force points on the card but only 1 Force point in the glossary, then the card text is treated as correct. To be clear, though, "direct contradiction" doesn't include omissions; it's not uncommon for card text to be more abbreviated than glossary text. Furthermore, when such contradictions are discovered, they are added to the errata or FAQ file as quickly as possible, so this will rarely come up except when a set is fairly new.

Now, given this clarification, the answer to your question should be a little more clear. Since the glossary text says that the character with Diplomat cannot be attacked or targeted, Lightsaber Sweep can't be used to attack the Caamasi Noble as long as an enemy without Diplomat is in line of sight.

Q: Okay, here's a follow up question: What if you start a Lightsaber Sweep (a Caamasi Noble and one or more non-Diplomat enemies are adjacent), and no other enemies are in line of sight. If you defeat all non-Diplomat enemies with the Lightsaber Sweep, could you attack the Diplomat with the Lightsaber Sweep at that time?

A: Yes.

Q: Same question, but let's say you're using Blaster Barrage or Furious Assault. If you defeat all non-Diplomat enemies in line of sight, can you attack the Caamasi Noble?

A: No. Unlike Lightsaber Sweep, both Blaster Barrage and Furious Assault require you to determine all legal targets before making any attacks. As such, a new target can't become legal once the process is started.

Q: Speaking of Blaster Barrage and Furious Assault, is the opposite true? If a legal target somehow becomes illegal once the process has started -- perhaps because of Princess Leia, Rebel Hero's commander effect moving the attacker and breaking line of sight -- could you still attack that previously legal target?

A: No. The target must be legal at the beginning of the process (as mentioned above), but it must also be legal at the time the attack itself is resolved.

Q: Does a character with Furious Assault have to move to use the ability?

A: Yes, the character must move at least 1 square as a part of this special ability.

About the Author

Gary M. Sarli is a freelance designer, developer, and editor whose credits include the Saga Edition rulebook, Starships of the Galaxy, and the Dawn of Defiance adventure path. When not making games, he moderates on the Gleemax forums as WizO the Hutt (cheerfully feeding Code of Conduct violators to the Sarlacc) and operates his store, GMSarli Games (an online shop specializing in nonrandom miniatures packs designed for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and Dungeons & Dragons).