Episode 55: Deep Space Raider

I’m Darth GM, and “Here We Go” with Episode 55 of Fragments from the Rim.

Luke Skywalker is my favorite character from the Star Wars saga, because of two reasons.  First, he’s a Jedi Knight, and Jedi are freakin’ cool.  Second, he’s a fighter pilot, and fighter pilots are also freakin’ cool.  So this week I’m taking a look at a new Spacer talent from page 21 of the Unknown Regions, Deep Space Raider.

To take this talent, you need to have the Spacehound and the Starship Raider talents from the Scoundrel’s Spacer talent tree.  The talent grants three options for character to use in an encounter.

The first option is called Clear a Path; spend a standard action to make a ranged attack.  If the attack hits, on their next turn the target must move it’s speed to a square that’s not adjacent to you.  If the target is an enemy starfighter engaged in a dogfight, it must spend it’s next turn trying to break from that dogfight.  It says you can use this option while aboard a starship, not just while piloting a starship, so this ability can be used by ship gunners, or at the character scale when you’re character is fighting aboard a starship or space station, just like the Starship Raider talent.

This option is great at character scale to keep any enemy melee fighters or grapplers off you for a round.  It’s also very handy at starship scale to help free your fellow pilots from annoying dogfights.  Also note that it says “if the attack hits”.  So even if it’s negated by shields, DR or Deflect abilities, they still have to move away.

The second option is Covering Fire.  This one requires you to be piloting a vehicle, it doesn’t specify starships, so any vehicle will do.  As a full round action you may move up to twice the vehicle’s speed and make a single ranged attack roll with one of the pilot-controlled weapons at any point during that movement.  If you hit and deal damage to a vehicle with the attack, that vehicle takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls against your vehicle until the end of your next turn.

This is a great resource for speeding your ship (or speeder, or AT-AT...) from one point to another and still making an attack against a threatening enemy along your path.  The debuff to your opponent’s attack roll is a nice touch too, and will help out if they decide to return fire.

The last option is Disabling Fire.  Make a ranged attack with a vehicle weapon...(there’s that phrase “vehicle” again)...against a vehicle.  If you hit and damage the vehicle you may choose one of the following to take effect until the end of your next turn: one of the target’s weapons ceases to function, the target’s SR is reduced to Zero, the target’s hyperdrive is disabled, or the target’s speed is reduced to 2 squares.

Now this, me like!  A bevy of choices!  Fighting an AT-AT?  Disable those annoying heavy blaster cannons for a round!  Drop the shields on an enemy ship and let the rest of your squadron-mates enjoy a round of attacks without shields reducing their damage!  Prevent that BBEG from escaping into hyperspace for one more crucial round, or simply slow down their ship and allow your friends to swarm it.

Disabling Fire is another option that doesn’t specify pilot-weapons, so all you gunners out there could use this option too.

This talent fits very nicely into a build involving a Han Solo, blockade-runner type of character, or as a Wedge Antilles, starfighter squadron pilot character.  It’s also nice for those Baron Fel type opponents, too.

If you’re picking up Spacehound and Starship Raider, take a close look at adding this talent to your list.

That’s all for this week, my fellow Deep Space Raiders!  If you have any questions, send them along to d20darth@gmail.com.  Until next time, Gamer Nation; 20 side up, 1 side down.

Originally aired on the Order 66 Podcast #109 "Calls from the Dark Side"