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This session is going to be the best session. Thank you everyone!
Maybe it will end up being a recurring villain...

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Train your sons to be strong, and your daughters to be stronger.
-Mandalorian proverb

Howdy GMC & GMD,

So the cool little talent in LECG page 29 called "Seize Object" is one of my favorites. Very fitting for scoundrels. However, in reading the talent's text I noticed that it says, "Once per encounter as a move action, you can attempt to seize [an object] by making a Disarm attack, with a +10 bonus on the attack roll" (emphasis mine).
The limitations are that you must be adjacent, you must have a free hand, you cannot conceal the use of this talent from your target, and "you cannot use this talent in place of the disarm action."

I am confused. This talent is used in place of the Disarm action (SECR 152) and the talent's text even says "make a Disarm attack," going so far as to capitalize "Disarm." This would seem to me that it's referring specifically to the Disarm action. But, seeing as how this talent is pretty powerful in itself, and not wishing to make it into something it wasn't designed to be, I endeavor to piece together what the intention of the developer(s) was.
1) Does this mean that you can't use the Improved Disarm feat with the talent?
2) Or does it mean that the opponent doesn't get an attack of opportunity against you?
3) Or does it mean the opponent doesn't get a +10 bonus to his Reflex Defense?
These are the questions that keep me up at night. So, I seek clarification from the wise and ever-vigilant collective that is the GamerNation and the hosts of the Order 66 Podcast. If this talent is not meant to be used "in place of the disarm action," how does it work?

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Saga Edition Resources:
My Google Docs Character Record Sheet
SE Official FAQ Compilation - SE Official Errata & Clarifications - Jedi Counseling 105 to 115

Edge of the Empire Resources: Beta Updates, crib sheets, and other goodies

And while I'm asking questions, I thought I'd pose another query about this talent also found on LECG 29 under the Yuuzhan Vong Biotech Talent Tree:

Surprising Weapons allows you to treat any opponent that you hit with a Yuuzhan Vong weapon as flat-footed against you until the end of your next turn, if your attack roll also exceeds the target's Will Defense.
Would you say that this includes the triggering attack for purposes of damage, like so: I attack with my amphistaff, rolled a 28, it's a hit, and now he's flat-footed so I get my +2d6 Sneak Attack damage as well?
Or do I need to resolve the attack + damage before the target becomes flat-footed?
This question has NOT been keeping me up at night, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

_________________
Saga Edition Resources:
My Google Docs Character Record Sheet
SE Official FAQ Compilation - SE Official Errata & Clarifications - Jedi Counseling 105 to 115

Edge of the Empire Resources: Beta Updates, crib sheets, and other goodies

Since the trigger is to simply hit the opponent with a Vong weapon (something that's generally hard to come by for non-Vong and impossible in most eras of play), I'd say the target is flat-footed against that particularly attack. Since you're looking at the investment of at least two talents to take advantage of the target now being flat-footed as well as using weapons that are generally sub-par compared to the more common blasters and vibro-weapon, I don't see it as particularly game-breaking.

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"If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid."
- Eddie Izzard

Contributing Author of the GSA
Dono's Gaming & Etc Blog
Follow me on Twitter at @donovan421

I think you're over-thinking it a little.

I've always read that bit to mean that you can't make a Disarm Attack as a normal standard action and gain the benefits of this talent. As for your questions:

1) Since you are making a disarm attack with this talent, you would get the benefits of Improved Disarm.
2) It's a disarm attack, so there would still be the AoO. Book's not handy, so I dunno if the AoO is based upon being unarmed or just occurs with the disarm attempt, so having a weaopn (or Martial Arts) may waive the AoO if it's based upon being unarmed.
3) Opponent gets their +10 to Reflex Defense, which is offset by the +10 bonus this talent provides.

_________________
"If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid."
- Eddie Izzard

Contributing Author of the GSA
Dono's Gaming & Etc Blog
Follow me on Twitter at @donovan421

I think what it's trying to say is, it doesn't modify the way your disarms work in general and additionally allow you to do it as a move 1/enc. Everything listed in the talent is usable one time only, as a move action. You can't later take a normal standard-action disarm attack and gain the benefits of the talent again.

My pilot player brought this question to me and I am not sure how to rule it:

In the Vehicles Autofire section of the Core Rulebook (page 173) it says that starfighters may make a Strafe attack a number of squares in a straight line as they fly over.(not in starship scale)

It appears the core rulebook is the only book that ever classifies things as starfighter/space transport/capital ship. All other books just use the size designations.

Now in SotG combat thrusters (p40) it states that combat thrusters treat space transports as if they were starfighters for the purpose of dogfighting and being hit by capital ships.

But would you allow a Space transport with combat thrusters and an autofire weapon to do a strafe attack? I know RAW wise it's a no go, but I don't think it is game breaking. But then again I am not that up on the mechanics yet to know if there are any hidden pitfalls.

I haven't ruled on my players question yet.. but I am inclined to allow it.

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May your feet move faster than the thing that is chasing you.

The Sunrunner Legacy- a Star Wars Roleplaying Campaign

I say go for it. Like you said, it's not gamebreaking to allow it, and if it makes things more fun for the players (especially if they're all stuck on a single ship), then so much the better.

_________________
"If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid."
- Eddie Izzard

Contributing Author of the GSA
Dono's Gaming & Etc Blog
Follow me on Twitter at @donovan421

Agreed. Plus it can be highly cinematic. Think the Millenium Falcon at the end of Episode IV: A New Hope. Han and Chewie come barreling in, taking out Vader and his wingmen in one strafing run.

_________________
Saga Edition Resources:
My Google Docs Character Record Sheet
SE Official FAQ Compilation - SE Official Errata & Clarifications - Jedi Counseling 105 to 115

Edge of the Empire Resources: Beta Updates, crib sheets, and other goodies

Not to mention the PCs have already shelled out hard earned cash and more importantly valuable emplacement points to get the ability to do so. Considering that's a limited resource, like a talent or a feat, I would have absolutely no problem allowing my party to do this.

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Hey guys, there's two questions I'm dealing with in creating an Elder Scrolls port of the Saga Edition rules.

1) Are thrown weapons supposed to have Str applied to damage rolls? I can't find this mentioned anywhere in the books, though it would make sense to me to apply Str to most thrown weapons.

2) How does the "Use Mount As Cover" application of the Ride skill actually work? I read that this application is a reaction, but then the SECR says "you can't attack while using your mount as cover." So, what is this a reaction to, and how long does it last? Cuz to me it seems like you could just use your mount as cover as a reaction to an attack, and then there seems to be no action associated with not using your mount as cover. Or are you supposed to have to "re-mount" your mount when you use it as cover, using a move action? Because otherwise it seems like there's no actual penalty associated with using your mount as cover and the "not being able to attack" is pointless to address.
This is further confused by the Unknown Regions (then again, what isn't?), wherein the Battle Mount talent from the Mobile Scout Talent Tree allows you to attack while using your mount as cover once/encounter. So...yeah, I guess I'm just a little confuzzled by the Ride skill and, since it will come into play a LOT more in a fantasy setting, I'd greatly appreciate your help in understanding the skill mo' betta.

Sex in advance.

_________________
Saga Edition Resources:
My Google Docs Character Record Sheet
SE Official FAQ Compilation - SE Official Errata & Clarifications - Jedi Counseling 105 to 115

Edge of the Empire Resources: Beta Updates, crib sheets, and other goodies

On thrown weapons, by the book they don't get to add the thrower's Strength modifier to the damage roll. Hence why there's no mention of it That's probably due to a combination of Strength not being as important of an ability score as it would be in D&D.

Regarding the "using mount as cover," in the few times it's come up in my games, I've run it as a reaction to being attacked, allowing the player to make the Ride check after they've been declared the target of an enemy's attack, and the effect of cover lasting until the rider's next turn. On their turn, they can take a free action to "right themselves" in the saddle, at which point they can attack, or they can keep using the mount as cover at the cost of being able to make an attack. They still get their normal allotment of actions though, so the rider could spend their standard action to "ride defensively" for an even bigger boost to their Reflex Defense.

_________________
"If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid."
- Eddie Izzard

Contributing Author of the GSA
Dono's Gaming & Etc Blog
Follow me on Twitter at @donovan421

Wha'choo talkin' about, Dono?!

Core rulebook, page 145, "Damage":
Damage with a melee or thrown weapon is calculated as follows:
Weapon damage + one-half heroic level + Strength modifier

Interestingly, this would technically mean you add your strength modifier to grenade damage, but I don't think that's the intent. The point is to add your strength when you throw a knife or rock. Slings and arrows (of outragous fortune) also explicitly get strength to damage, even though they're ranged weapons.

Aahhh, I see it now. Thanks Darth, that puts me more at ease. However, it actually says "thrown melee weapons" in my copy (and I'm not seeing any errata to the contrary), so that would exclude grenades and, by RAW, any other thrown weapon (such as the discblade, Massassi lanvarok, thud bugs, and razor bugs).
What do you guys think about these types of thrown weapons? Add strength?

_________________
Saga Edition Resources:
My Google Docs Character Record Sheet
SE Official FAQ Compilation - SE Official Errata & Clarifications - Jedi Counseling 105 to 115

Edge of the Empire Resources: Beta Updates, crib sheets, and other goodies

You might want to recheck that. According to page 145 in both 1st and 2nd printing of the corebook, on the same page:

"Damage with a melee weapon or thrown melee weapon is calculated as follows" (emphasis mine)

Also, from page 120, under Weapon Qualities:
Damage: The damage the weapon deals with each hit. Melee weapons also
add the wielder's Strength bonus to damage, or twice the wielder's Strength
bonus when wielded in two hands.

It was probably written this way to exclude the oddity of adding your Strength bonus to grenade damage (a thrown weapon). However, the two weapons listed where it does make sense to add a Strength bonus, the bow and the sling, specifically have game text in their descriptions that say you add your Strength bonus to damage with those specific weapons. Throwing knives never got officially added (not that I can recall), but I'd call those another case where a Strength bonus would be applied, though if going strict RAW a thrown knife would be an improvised thrown melee weapon, and qualify for getting the thrower's Strength bonus applied to the damage roll.

_________________
"If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid."
- Eddie Izzard

Contributing Author of the GSA
Dono's Gaming & Etc Blog
Follow me on Twitter at @donovan421