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Preparing a Reaction Skill?
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 11:59 am    Post subject: Preparing a Reaction Skill? Reply with quote

Scenario: Your PCs spot a TIE Fighter closing in on them. It won't be in range to attack until the next round. Knowing they are about to get strafed, the PCs look wildly around for cover.

Does this qualify for the Preparation rule when the PCs roll Dodge to avoid the TIE's laser cannon?
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would say no. You can't prepare or take your time on reaction skills.
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:
I would say no. You can't prepare or take your time on reaction skills.

Okay, but is that merely a repetition of WEG's rules or because allowing characters to prepare for an attack they know is coming isn't realistic?
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cunning_kindred
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think if a character took a full round to do this (and so really did double the required time to use the skill) I would allow this. Its kinda cool.
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Naaman
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
garhkal wrote:
I would say no. You can't prepare or take your time on reaction skills.

Okay, but is that merely a repetition of WEG's rules or because allowing characters to prepare for an attack they know is coming isn't realistic?


Another option would be to not MAP the reaction skill, since it was started in the previous round.
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Naaman wrote:
Another option would be to not MAP the reaction skill, since it was started in the previous round.

True, but it only kicks in if you are performing multiple actions in the Dodging round. If you're Full Dodging, it does nothing.
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Whill
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Preparing a Reaction Skill? Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
garhkal wrote:
I would say no. You can't prepare or take your time on reaction skills.

Okay, but is that merely a repetition of WEG's rules or because allowing characters to prepare for an attack they know is coming isn't realistic?

OK, let's first look at what RAW actually says:

Quote:
You have to use your judgment when deciding whether "preparing" can be used for a given task; if in doubt, ask the player to justify the preparing bonus.
...
Of course, preparing doesn’t make sense for many tasks. Characters generally should not be allowed to prepare for dodges, parries, or driving or piloting skills like repulsorlift operation, space transports, and starfighter piloting.

RAW doesn't have any absolute rule against it. GMs have to use their judgement. About reactions, it says "generally" no. Now qualified as such, I have to say I do agree with that statement. A reaction is just that, a reaction to something else that happened first. It's not really fully a reaction if you prepare for it in advance.

CRMcNeill wrote:
Scenario: Your PCs spot a TIE Fighter closing in on them. It won't be in range to attack until the next round. Knowing they are about to get strafed, the PCs look wildly around for cover.

Does this qualify for the Preparation rule when the PCs roll Dodge to avoid the TIE's laser cannon?

Full dodges are declared up front as the character's first action in a round. That is something done in anticipation of attacks, a desperate attempt to make all coming attacks more difficult to hit you that round. I think there could be some circumstances it could make sense to prepare for a full dodge.
    PILOT: How's that canon coming?! Those TIEs will start shooting at us in 7 seconds!
    GUNNER: It's still booting up! 10 more seconds!
    PILOT: Poodu.
    GUNNER: Hey, why are we slowing down?!
    PILOT: I'm re-priming the lateral boosters... Hold on to something!
Following the rule of preparing, if you do nothing on the round before except free actions (like Cautious speed movement and saying a couple sentences), then I can see preparing for a full vehicle dodge, more than a normal reaction.

CRMcNeill wrote:
Naaman wrote:
Another option would be to not MAP the reaction skill, since it was started in the previous round.

True, but it only kicks in if you are performing multiple actions in the Dodging round. If you're Full Dodging, it does nothing.

I see I'm not the only one who thought of Full Dodges while I was typing this.
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 12:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
garhkal wrote:
I would say no. You can't prepare or take your time on reaction skills.

Okay, but is that merely a repetition of WEG's rules or because allowing characters to prepare for an attack they know is coming isn't realistic?


It's just how i see it. "How can you prepare" to react to something?
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:
"How can you prepare" to react to something?

I refer you to my OP and Whill's alternate example. If you know you're about to get strafed by a TIE Fighter, do you immediately start looking for somewhere to hide from it, or do you stand out in the open and wait for it to start shooting?
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Whill
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
garhkal wrote:
"How can you prepare" to react to something?

I refer you to my OP and Whill's alternate example. If you know you're about to get strafed by a TIE Fighter, do you immediately start looking for somewhere to hide from it, or do you stand out in the open and wait for it to start shooting?

I think this understates the issue in question. It's not just, Do you start looking how to evade something? It is also, Should the preparation bonus be applicable to the action you take? Normal reactions start out as a specific reaction to a specific attack that is coming. Knowing something is generally coming a round in advance doesn't necessarily mean you know the exact moment it will be coming and from what exact angle. The action has to actually happen for a reaction to occur. I don't feel that knowing the shots are coming should necessarily mean that you can prepare a get a +1D bonus to your normal reaction roll when the first shot does come.

But like I shared in my example above, I feel preparing might be more applicable to full dodges because it's a declared general desperate action to make yourself (or your ship) harder to hit by anyone shooting at you. It isn't really reacting to any one specific shot.

Also, now you say, "looking for somewhere to hide" which is not the same thing dodging. Hiding is not mechanically a reaction skill. Intentionally going somewhere to make it harder for the enemy to shoot you is certainly a tactic you can use, but this would be to hide from the enemy or gain the benefits of cover and/or protection. I don't know that preparing would be applicable to either of things too often, but even if they are, that is not reacting.

I think it is safe to say that almost all players in almost all situations would not have their characters do nothing when being shot at. There are lots of things you could do instead of idling there and getting shot, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should get the preparation bonus. But the question of doing anything besides idling seems to be reframing your question and veering from your OP specifically about preparing for reaction skills.
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cheshire
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay, when you talk about preparing and "loooking for a place to hide," I would say, "yes, I can give them a cover bonus" and "no this is not preparation."

In the last adventure that I ran, the party had gotten separated from the rest of the fleet at the battle of Scariff. They got back to Yavin IV after the Rebels had evacuated, and while the Empire was sending down intelligence sweeps and occupation teams. As they were breaking orbit from the former Yavin base, they encountered a Star Destoryer deploying fighters. They made a choice to not engage the fighters head on, but instead dive into the massive debris field that was once the Death Star.

They chose the debris field. It was hard for any of the ships to get a clear shot at each other since they were flying around (and in the case of a complication, sometimes THROUGH) sections of debris.

They found environmental advantage, though not a preparation bonus.
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Whill
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cheshire wrote:
In the last adventure that I ran, the party had gotten separated from the rest of the fleet at the battle of Scariff. They got back to Yavin IV after the Rebels had evacuated, and while the Empire was sending down intelligence sweeps and occupation teams. As they were breaking orbit from the former Yavin base, they encountered a Star Destoryer deploying fighters. They made a choice to not engage the fighters head on, but instead dive into the massive debris field that was once the Death Star.

They chose the debris field. It was hard for any of the ships to get a clear shot at each other since they were flying around (and in the case of a complication, sometimes THROUGH) sections of debris.

Epic!
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did any one run INTo debris?
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cheshire
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hee hee... yeah.
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