LANCER Rules FAQ & Errata

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Page 14, GRIT[link]

What exactly is the GRIT bonus applied to, anyway?[link]

The bonus from GRIT is used for several different things, some of which are not listed in the initial entry. The following is a list of all the standard ways GRIT is used, not including any Systems or granted Abilities that may reference your GRIT bonus:

Page 32, Integrated Mounts[link]

What does it mean when it says that the weapons in an integrated mount cannot be modified in any way?[link]

You cannot apply a Mod (a system with the Mod tag) to integrated weapons and you cannot apply core bonuses such as Overpower Caliber (which requires you to choose a weapon) or Auto-stabilizing Hardpoints (which requires you to choose a mount) to integrated weapons either. However, blanket effects such as Neurolink Targeting or Siege Stabilizers (which apply to all weapons of a specific type) can apply to them. [word of Tom]

Page 34, Statistics[link]

I have a weapon with higher Range than my Sensors - how does that work?[link]

Your Sensor range is completely irrelevant when it comes to making ranged attacks. They do not represent what your mech can see - they are used for determining range for Searching for Hidden enemies, tech attacks, and other things such as Drone deployment.

Page 35, Core Bonuses[link]

Core Bonuses Errata?[link]

The text currently reads “These ranks can be in any combination – for example, you might have the rank I and rank II license for one mech and three different rank I licenses, equaling six in total.” This should instead read “These ranks can be in any combination – for example, you might have the rank I, rank II, and rank III license for one mech and three different rank I licenses, equaling six in total.” Each rank in a license counts once, regardless of whether it is rank I, rank II, or rank III of its respective license.

Page 55, Get Focused[link]

Can I use the Get Focused downtime action to improve Triggers such as Assault or Apply Fists to Faces, or can it only be used to improve the new Triggers created using Get Focused?[link]

The latter. Get Focused cannot be used to improve the ranks of Triggers that it was not used to create. [word of Tom]

Page 58, Characters and Objects[link]

Is the ground an object or terrain?[link]

No. Terrain refers to things like rocks or walls. [word of Tom][word of Tom]

Page 61, Types of Actions[link]

Can I attack with the same weapon or mount multiple times in a turn?[link]

There is no rule specifically preventing you from using a weapon multiple times in the same turn, but the rule preventing you from taking the same action more than once per turn (such as Skirmish) and the fact that Barrage specifies two different weapons means that by default, you will not be able to attack with the same weapon more than once per turn. You cannot spend both of your default quick actions on Skirmish and Barrage cannot be used to pick the same weapon twice.

However, free actions and reactions are explicit exceptions to the “No Duplicate Actions” rule, and so if you can Skirmish or otherwise attack with a weapon as a free action or reaction, you can use a weapon you have already used this turn. For example, if you Skirmish with a Heavy Machine Gun, you cannot Skirmish again with your other remaining quick action, but if you can somehow Skirmish as a free action (such as via Overcharge or the Everest’s Initiative trait), you could use the Heavy Machine Gun again.

Additionally, if you have multiple copies of the same weapon, such as two Assault Rifles in different mounts, you can use both of them in a Barrage.

Page 62, Splitting Up Movement[link]

If I choose to split up movement in a way that I move into an enemy’s threat range, pause to attack them, and then continue my movement afterward, does that count as beginning a movement in their threat for the purpose of triggering Overwatch?[link]

Yes, it would provoke Overwatch. [word of Tom]

Page 62, Engagement[link]

When I lose my unused movement from becoming engaged, do I lose ALL my movement, even the ones I didn’t use?[link]

No, if you did part of a standard move to get into engagement, you lose the rest of it, but you can still boost if you didn’t boost already to get out of engagement. [word of Tom]

If I end a movement that ignores engagement in engagement, do I lose other remaining unspent movement?[link]

No. [word of Tom]

Page 63, Flight[link]

Flight Errata?[link]

The text currently reads “Flying characters that take structure damage or stress must succeed on an AGILITY save or begin falling.” This should read “AGILITY check” instead of "AGILITY save".

Flight mentions only moving in straight lines, but also ignoring obstructions as long as it is physically possible to do so. How does this work in regards to flying over obstacles?[link]

You are allowed to fly “over” things, you just can’t curve left or right. [word of Tom]

Page 64, Attacks[link]

When something says “an attack,” does that mean a single roll or all rolls with a weapon in the case of area-of-effect/multi-target weapons?[link]

This is a question that has frequently arisen due to ambiguity in the wording of things brought about by late developmental changes and editing. The official intent is that something that says “an attack” means an attack roll. There are two major exceptions to this. The first is that things which add bonus damage still do so to the entirety of a weapon’s use, following the rules for halving bonus damage when targeting more than one character. An example of this is the Overpower Caliber core bonus. Some effects such as Nuclear Cavalier 2 or Hunter Lock will deal bonus damage only to specific targets or on particular rolls, but those will be explicitly spelled out as such. The other exception is triggered effects will occur once in response to a trigger. The Nelson’s Skirmisher trait states that it triggers “after attacking,” and is therefore triggered after every complete use of a weapon in a Skirmish or Barrage, as well as after anything else which constitutes an attack such as rams, improvised attacks, etc.

Can tech attacks crit? / What happens when a tech attack crits?[link]

Nothing. Only melee and ranged attacks can land a critical hit.

If something lets you reroll an attack against a different target, do you get to keep any effects on the original attack?[link]

Yes, any effects on your side of things will remain, though target side effects like Cover may have to be recalculated. [word of Tom][word of Tom]

Page 64, Range and Patterns[link]

When using an area-of-effect or multi-target attack, such as one with a Blast pattern, do I have to roll all attempts to hit first before then applying damage, or can I apply damage to targets in the middle of an attack? For example, can I attempt to destroy one target before moving on to try and hit other targets?[link]

For area-of-effect and multi-target attacks, all attack rolls are made first, then damage is applied afterward. [word of Tom]

Burst mentions that the user or target is not affected by the Burst if it is an attack. Does this mean non-Attack harmful effects will harm the user or target?[link]

No, they are not intended to. [word of Tom]

An effect (such as Overwatch or Heavy Gunner) says I have to attack a specific character, but I’m using an area weapon. How do I place the area?[link]

It’s valid to place the area anywhere, as long as it also attacks that character. [word of Tom] It doesn’t have to be centered on that character. [word of Tom]

Page 65, Valid Targets[link]

Can you target empty spaces?[link]

Yes, but things that trigger off hitting or object/terrain destruction do not work. [word of Tom]

Page 65, Invisibility[link]

Does Invisibility work against tech attacks? Do Reliable weapons deal their damage on a miss when the miss is caused by Invisibility? Are area-of-effect weapons affected by Invisibility?[link]

Invisibility in Lancer is fairly straightforward. All incoming attacks, whether they’re ranged, melee, or tech, have a 50% chance to miss before the attack roll is made. This applies to area-of-effect attacks just as much as single target attacks. If an attack made against an Invisible target misses due to the 50% miss chance, that is a miss and it triggers any effects that may be activated on a miss, including Reliable damage.

Do I know where Invisible characters are?[link]

Yes. Strictly speaking, all Invisibility is is a 50% chance to miss when attacking an Invisible target and the ability to take the Hide action and be Hidden without cover.

Page 66, Cover[link]

Can size 1/2 mechs shoot from around hard cover, or does it automatically block line of sight because of their size?[link]

Size 1/2 mechs can fire from around cover while they’re at a corner of hard cover, and be fired back at from that position in turn. This means that size 1 cover permits size 1/2 mechs to fire around it, such as those generated by the Zheng’s Total Strength Suite I, since a size 1/2 mech token and will always be at a corner of a 1x1 piece of hard cover. Larger areas of cover, such as that comprising multiple sections, can block line of sight for size 1/2 mechs even if the cover itself is still only size 1, such as the Jericho Deployable Cover with its 1x2 footprint. [word of Tom]

Do mechs with the Guardian trait (which allows them to act as hard cover for adjacent allies) provide soft cover if an attack traces its path through them but the target is not adjacent? Can mechs with Guardian block line of sight to allied mechs?[link]

Guardian only provides the benefit of hard cover to adjacent allies, and therefore it doesn’t provide soft cover against attacks which trace a path through them towards non-adjacent targets. Whether a mech has Guardian or not, characters never obstruct line of sight for or against other characters regardless of size difference. [word of Tom]

Page 67, Harm[link]

Do half-damage effects stack? (e.g. Heavy Gunner, HyperDense Armor)[link]

They do not stack. “Dealing half damage” is a binary state, similar to Resistance. [word of Tom]

Does the Saladin’s Paracausal Mod bypass half-damage effects?[link]

It does not – the halved damage from effects such as Heavy Gunner is not a reduction like Resistance is; it happens “before” step 1 of damage calculations.

How does Resistance to Burn work? Does it halve the end of turn damage twice?[link]

It does not. Resistance to Burn only affects the initial damage, and not the end-of-turn ticks. If you take 4 Burn and resist it, you will take 2 Burn damage and mark 2 Burn stacks, but you will take 2 Burn damage if you fail the EOT check. [word of Tom]

If a character is Impaired until the end of their next turn and has Burn marked on them, does the Impaired affect their end-of-turn Burn Engineering check on that turn?[link]

Yes, it does. [word of Tom]

If a character is hit by an attack and the damage is reduced to 0, such as by armor or a system like the Drake’s Aegis Shield Generator, does that still count as “taking damage” for the purpose of triggers such as the Genghis’ Auto-Cooler?[link]

Yes, an instance of damage that is reduced to 0 damage such as by armor still counts as taking damage for those purposes. Immunity to damage overrides this as it specifically notes on page 68 under the Immunity section. [word of Tom]

Page 68, Immunity[link]

Do “can’t be reduced” effects (such as Paracausal Mod) override Immunity?[link]

No. Immunity is not a reduction.

Page 69, Grapple[link]

What happens when you Grapple someone the same Size as you and try to move before the contested check that determines who counts as bigger occurs?[link]

On a successful grapple against an opponent of the same size, the character who initiated the grapple immediately has control over it, meaning that the attacker can move their opponent assuming that they didn’t lose all of their remaining movement due to becoming Engaged this turn or that they have some other source of movement they are allowed to take. At the start of the grappled target’s next turn, they then have the opportunity to initiate a contested Hull check to take control of the grapple. [word of Tom]

If multiple smaller allies are grappling a larger target, and count as larger, can they each move the larger one on their turn?[link]

Yes, the entire grapple can be moved by any of the allied participants. [word of Tom]

Can you Stabilize to break a Grapple by ending the Immobilized Condition caused by it?[link]

No, the Immobilized condition would immediately be reapplied by the state of being in a Grapple. [word of Tom]

Page 69, Hide[link]

Do I know the location of a hidden, hostile NPC?[link]

Yes. Strictly speaking, Hidden is a status that prevents you from being targeted by hostile effects, except for those that affect an area.

Page 70, Lock On[link]

Is Lock On a hostile action for the purpose of breaking Hidden?[link]

Yes, using Lock On on an enemy while Hidden will cause you to lose Hidden after it resolves, because even though it’s not an Attack, it qualifies as a hostile action due to affecting a hostile character. [word of Tom]

Page 70, Skirmish[link]

When Skirmishing (or Barraging) in a way that grants bonus attacks with auxiliary weapons, such as with a Main/Aux mount, can I choose to attack with the bonus auxiliary attack first before the attack with the primary weapon?[link]

Yes. When you make an attack with a Skirmish or Barrage that grants a bonus auxiliary weapon attack you can choose the order those weapons attack in. However, bonus auxiliary weapon attacks will still not deal bonus damage even if they come first. [word of Tom]

When Skirmishing (or Barraging) in a way that grants bonus attacks with auxiliary weapons, can the bonus auxiliary attack have a different target than the attack with the primary weapon?[link]

Yes. [word of Tom]

Page 71, Barrage[link]

Can I Barrage using the same weapon twice?[link]

No. Barrage says that you attack with two weapons or one Superheavy weapon. The same weapon twice is not two weapons.

Page 73, Overcharge[link]

Can you Overcharge, do something else, and then spend the Quick Action you gained via Overcharge?[link]

No, when you Overcharge, you gain the Heat and then immediately perform the Quick Action you Overcharged to do. <wot426288556902842368/704095913228107798>

Page 73, Reactions[link]

Can you take Reactions before your first turn in combat?[link]

Yes, but if you use a 1/Round Reaction before your first turn, it expends it for the round, so you wouldn’t get it back until the start of your turn in the second round. [word of Tom]

Page 78, Jammed[link]

What does “can’t… take or benefit from tech actions” mean?[link]

It effectively means "cannot take tech actions or be targeted by allied tech actions.” [word of Tom]

Page 81, Overheating Table[link]

Overheating Table Errata?[link]

The 2 Stress remaining entry under Meltdown should read “A reactor meltdown can be prevented by retrying the ENGINEERING check as a full action.” [word of Tom]

When overheating, how exactly does the spillover heat work?[link]

Any Heat in excess of your Heat Cap is applied to the next bar. For example, if your Heat Cap was 6, and you were at 5 Heat, taking 2 Heat would put you at 7/6, forcing you to take 1 Stress and make an overheating check, leaving you at 1 Heat out of 6 Heat Cap. Notably, you can safely stay at exactly your Heat Cap (in this case, taking 1 Heat and going to 6 Heat out of 6 Heat Cap will not cause you to overheat) and there is no way to overheat and roll over to exactly 0 Heat without some effect stating otherwise. [word of Tom]

Page 90, Ace[link]

Ace Errata?[link]

Taking the quick action to spin up your thrusters should grant you the Supersonic reaction if you end your turn flying until the end of your next turn. [word of Tom]

Page 94, Executioner[link]

When I miss with an attack and use Executioner: No Escape, does that trigger Reliable? What about having to pay costs such as heat again? Are weapons with the Loading tag expended on the miss?[link]

Missing with an attack that triggers No Escape (or Exemplar’s Valiant Aid) will trigger Reliable, but do not incur additional costs or require reloading to make the rerolled attack. [word of Tom]

How would a Burst weapon interact with Executioner 3, such as the Engineer Weapon?[link]

You would re-roll the single missed attack against a new target, not re-do the entire burst.[word of Tom]

Page 96, Hacker[link]

Why does Hacker: Last Argument of Kings have a clause saying what happens when you overheat a target with it?[link]

Despite the fact that Last Argument of Kings doesn’t deal any Heat by default, there are some effects such as Hacker’s Snow_Crash or Nuclear Cavalier’s Aggressive Heat Bleed that could result in it dealing Heat. This clause is here to prevent you from losing out on Burn if you so happen to overheat a target with those extra Heat effects.

Page 97, Hunter[link]

How long does the flight from the Hunter talent’s Lunge last?[link]

It lasts until the end of the movement, meaning you’ll fall afterwards if not on the ground. [word of Tom]

Can I use Hunter: Disdainful Blade to throw the same auxiliary melee weapon I used to hit a character with and trigger the ability in the first place?[link]

Yes.

Page 98, Infiltrator[link]

Can I move using Infiltrator: Mastermind even if I don’t flash bomb anyone?[link]

Yes. [word of Tom]

Page 99, Leader[link]

Leader: Field Commander says you can expend a Leadership Die to gain +1 Accuracy on any action that directly follows from that order. What if that action involves more than one roll, such as Barraging?[link]

Every roll in the action gets the additional Accuracy. This means that all the attack rolls in a Barrage that directly follows the given order gets Accuracy if you spend a Leadership die in that way. [word of Tom]

Page 100, Siege Specialist[link]

Can you use the effect of Siege Specialist: Impact when attacking with a Cannon with Ordnance? Would the push from Impact trigger the clause in Ordnance that says you can’t attack with an Ordnance weapon if you had already moved that turn?[link]

You are allowed to use Impact with Cannons that have the Ordnance tag and it will not interfere with you firing the weapon. [word of Tom]

Does the push part of Siege Specialist: Impact allow you to attack a character Engaged with you with an Ordnance weapon by breaking adjacency with them and thus Engagement?[link]

No, you need to have declared a valid attack already, and Engaged characters are not valid for Ordnance. [word of Tom]

Does the Burst effect of Siege Specialist: Collateral Damage apply to the target you Critically Hit?[link]

No, the Burst doesn’t affect the center target. [word of Tom]

Page 102, Tactician[link]

Do I get the Tactician: Solar Backdrop benefit for attacking at a higher elevation if my mech is a larger size than the target I’m shooting at?[link]

No, Solar Backdrop doesn’t care about relative mech size/height, only whether your position on the map is a higher elevation than the target you’re shooting at. Measure from your feet, not from your head.

Page 105, AI Tag[link]

Can NHPs that aren’t allowed to use talents use systems or weapons granted by talents?[link]

They are allowed to use weapons granted by talents and the flight system from Spaceborn is allowed, but Walking Armory is not. [word of Tom]

Page 105, Loading[link]

Can I reload weapons with the Loading tag that haven’t been fired to trigger effects that apply when reloading weapons?[link]

No, a Loading weapon that hasn’t been fully expended cannot be reloaded until it requires it.

Page 105, Ordnance[link]

The Ordnance tag reads “This weapon can only be fired before the user moves or takes any other actions on their turn.” Does this mean you cannot use Ordnance weapons outside of your turn, such as with Heavy Gunner?[link]

This is a slight misprint. Ordnance should read “This weapon can only be fired before the user moves or takes any other actions on a turn.” Ordnance weapons can be used outside of your turn with various reactions (except for Overwatch which is explicitly disallowed) as long as you abide by the tag’s other restrictions. [word of Tom]

Can you Overcharge to use an Ordnance weapon?[link]

You are able to Overcharge to Skirmish with an Ordnance Weapon, as it is not an additional Free Action you take to then do a Quick Action, it makes the Quick Action itself a Free Action. [word of Tom]

Page 105, Overkill[link]

What happens when a weapon with a 1d3 damage die has Overkill?[link]

Any damage dice that land on a 1 will cause the attacker to take 1 heat and then be rerolled. This means that if you are rolling a d6 to represent a d3, because both a 1 or a 2 on the d6 results in a 1 on the d3, both will cause Overkill to trigger.

Page 105, Smart[link]

Do I add my Tech Attack bonus to attacks made with Smart weapons?[link]

No. All Smart changes is the stat you target – E-Defense rather than Evasion. You still use your Grit bonus when rolling.

Page 105, Drone[link]

Do Drones count as characters?[link]

Yes, Drones are characters that are allied to their users.

Can Drones hold control zones during sitreps?[link]

It depends. By strictly rules as written, drones count as allied characters, and so they would count for holding control zones. However, this is not intended to work this way by Word of Tom and will likely be changed in future errata to make it so that drones cannot hold objectives. [word of Tom]

What does it mean to redeploy a drone?[link]

Some drones, such as the Balor’s Hive Drone or the Hydra’s Tempest Drone, have rules text allowing you to redeploy them as a quick action. This means that, as a single quick action, you may immediately move the drone to a different valid space that you would be allowed to deploy it to, without having to spend a quick action to recall it first. [word of Tom]

Page 106, Mod tag[link]

If a modded weapon (such as a melee weapon modified with the Nelson’s Thermal Charges or a Metalmark’s Shock Wreath) is destroyed, is the mod destroyed with the weapon? Do destroyed weapons with mods have to spend a single repair for both the weapon and mod, or two in total to repair both the weapon and mod separately?[link]

Per Tom, the following applies to weapon mods and destruction: 1). When a modded weapon is destroyed, the weapon mod itself is also considered destroyed. 2). However, repairing a destroyed modded weapon also repairs the mod for free along with it. 3). To go along with this, clarification and errata has been given that weapon mods are not valid choices for System Trauma when taking structure damage. The weapon mod and the weapon it is equipped to are considered to essentially be the same thing, not two separate things. [word of Tom]

Page 110, Stealth Hardsuit[link]

Stealth Hardsuit Errata?[link]

The Stealth Hardsuit’s description should read “They cease to be Invisible if they take any damage or take any actions other than Hide or Boost.” [word of Tom]

Page 118, Integrated Weapon[link]

Can you use the GMS Integrated Weapon core to brace a Superheavy weapon?[link]

No. [word of Tom]

Page 120, Pattern-A Smoke Charges, Pattern-B HEX Charges[link]

What kind of action is it to use the Pattern-A Smoke Charges and the Pattern-B HEX Charges? No action is listed.[link]

By default, systems with the Grenade tag or the Mine tag take a quick action to use, which can be found in their tag descriptions on page 106. This applies to all Grenades and Mines, unless the specific system says otherwise.

Page 121, Stable Structure[link]

Stable Structure Errata?[link]

Stable Structure should read "You gain +1 Accuracy on saves to avoid Prone or forced movement (Knockback, Push, Pull, etc).[word of Tom]

Page 121, Turret Drone[link]

Can I trigger a Turret Attack from each of my own Turret Drones on my own attack?[link]

No, the reaction for Turret Attack is taken by you, not the Turret Drone. Because of this, the “allied character” that triggers the Turret Attack needs to be allied to you, not the drone. You do not count as your own ally, and so you cannot trigger your own Turret Attack reaction.

Can multiple Turret Attacks trigger off of an ally’s single attack?[link]

You can only take one reaction per turn, once on each character’s turn. Because of this restriction, you can only use one Turret Attack reaction per turn, even if you have multiple Turret Drones out, unless some other effect allows you to take multiple reactions in a turn.

Page 121, Rapid Burst Jump Jet System[link]

Can you attack while in midair thanks to Boosting with Jump Jets?[link]

Yes, the falling happens after you completely finish your movement, so you can attack midair. [word of Tom]

Page 127, IPS-N Core Bonuses[link]

Does the Gyges Frame core bonus give +1 Threat to integrated melee weapons, as those are listed as unable to be modified?[link]

Yes, Gyges Frame does apply its effect to Integrated weapons as it is a blanket effect and not specifically applied to the weapon or mount. [word of Tom]

Page 130, IPS-N Blackbeard[link]

When I critically hit with a Chain Axe, does the Shredded effect apply before or after the weapon’s damage?[link]

You can choose to apply on hit or on crit effects in whatever order you choose, including before damage from the attack in question. So when you critically hit with a Chain Axe you can choose to apply the Shredded condition to the target before dealing damage, preventing them from benefitting from armor or resistance.

When a character with Synthetic Muscle Netting is engaged in a grapple with an opponent of equal size, they count as one size larger (i.e. a size 1 mech with SMN grappling another size 1 mech will count as size 2). Does this mean that the character with SMN equipped counts as size 2 for purposes of being rammed, such as if their opponent wanted to ram them to break the grapple?[link]

No, Synthetic Muscle Netting doesn’t make you count as a bigger size for the purpose of being rammed, only for the purposes of ramming other targets.[word of Tom]

Does the Blackbeard’s Reinforced Cabling count as a flight or propulsion system for the purposes of zero-gravity maneuvering?[link]

No, it doesn’t. Depending on the sort of battlefield environment you’re fighting in the GM may decide to allow it contextually, but as a general rule the Reinforced Cabling system won’t let you maneuver freely in zero-gravity simply on its own.[word of Tom]

When I activate the SEKHMET Protocol, do I continue to take turns as normal or do I hand over control to the GM?[link]

SEKHMET Protocol doesn’t hand over control of your mech to the GM as if your NHP was cascading, nor does it hand over control of your mech to the NHP as per the rules on page 107. Narratively SEKHMET may be in “control” of things while the protocol is active but you, the player, are still playing, it’s just that you have a series of restrictions and conditions on what actions and maneuvers you can try to take. You still control the mech, you may continue to use talents as per the protocol’s description, and can make decisions within those restrictions as you like. You can also hand control over to Sekhmet using the normal rules for NHPs, and Sekhmet can make use of its berserker protocol after control has been formally handed over to it even without a pilot in the cockpit, but it abides by all normal rules and restrictions of NHPs controlling mechs when doing so, such as no longer being able to use pilot talents etc.

Page 132, IPS-N Drake[link]

Does the Drake’s Guardian trait mean it provides soft cover against attacks that would be obstructed by it even if an ally isn’t adjacent to it, as per the guidelines for Checking For Cover on page 66?[link]

No. Any mech with the Guardian trait (and the Barbarossa’s Colossus trait) only provide cover to allies who are adjacent to them, they do not act as actual pieces of environmental hard cover for the purpose of the Checking For Cover guidelines.[word of Tom]

Page 136, IPS-N Lancaster[link]

If you’re on a Mule Harness, how do Bursts work?[link]

You share the space of the mech who’s Mule Harness you are on, so you measure the burst from them. (Remember that bursts can affect characters within the same space as you, including the mech who’s Mule Harness you are riding.) [word of Tom]

Page 140, IPS-N Nelson[link]

How does the Skirmisher trait interact with weapons that make multiple attack rolls, such as weapons with an area-of-effect?[link]

The Nelson’s Skirmisher trait triggers once per overall attack with a weapon, regardless of how many attack rolls it may have, so an attack with an area-of-effect weapon will still trigger the trait and grant you movement only once. It can however, still trigger multiple times on the same Skirmish or Barrage, such as if you Skirmish with a Main weapon and an Auxiliary weapon in the Nelson’s Main/Aux mount.

Is Armor-Lock Plating optional to use when you Brace?[link]

Yes, when you Brace, you can decide whether or not to gain the benefits of the system, and the 2 Heat (Self) will only apply if you choose to do so. [word of Tom]

Page 144, IPS-N Raleigh[link]

If at the end of my turn I reload my weapons due to the Full Metal Jacket trait, can I then use that reload as a trigger to fire the M35 Mjolnir as a free action even though the FMJ reload is at the end of my turn?[link]

Yes.

Page 148, IPS-N Tortuga[link]

If I use Throughbolt Rounds on a weapon that has a Burst range/AoE type, such as the Bristlecrown Flechette Launcher, does the Burst retain the size it would have if measured from the mech or does it measure its size from the endpoint of the Throughbolt Round’s line?[link]

The latter. Bursts always measure their size from the targeted point. If a Burst is centered on a mech then you use that as the point of origin, but if launched away from the mech such as with Throughbolt Rounds the Burst will use the end of the line as its center point instead.

Page 158, SSC Core Bonuses[link]

Does the Neurolink Targeting core bonus give +3 range to Integrated ranged weapons such as the Raleigh’s M35 Mjolnir, as those are listed as being unable to be modified?[link]

Yes, Neurolink Targeting does apply its effect to Integrated weapons as it is a blanket effect and not specifically applied to the weapon or mount. [word of Tom]

Page 160, SSC Black Witch[link]

If there are multiple targets for a single ranged attack that would be stopped by Mag Field, such as with an Area of Effect weapon, does that count as multiple blocked attacks?[link]

No. [word of Tom]

What counts as colliding with something, like for Ferrous Lash?[link]

Whatever movement is happening needs to attempt to enter the space of the thing you are colliding with. [word of Tom]

Magnetic Cannon Errata?[link]

The Magnetic Cannon’s effect should read “On Attack” instead of “On Hit” [word of Tom]

Page 168, SSC Dusk Wing[link]

If I position two Hall of Mirrors holograms to both hit the same target, then teleport to a hologram to detonate all of them at once, does this hit that target twice?[link]

No. This is treated as a single effect, just one with a custom area-of-effect that consists of multiple burst 1 areas. The target only takes 1d6 damage (or half, if they make their save). [word of Tom]

(This only applies to the teleportation action. Hostile characters can be affected by multiple Hall of Mirrors holograms if they move through or move adjacent to multiple holograms.)

Neurospike Errata?[link]

Shrike Code should read “they first take 2 heat whenever they make an attack roll.” as opposed to triggering whenever they attack, meaning that attacks against multiple targets will trigger the penalty multiple times.[word of Tom]

Page 172, SSC Metalmark[link]

Does the Metalmark’s Carapace Adaptation trait work with anything that grants soft cover, such as a charged DD/288 or talents such as Combined Arms and Skirmisher, or does it only apply to zones of soft cover such as those created by smoke grenades?[link]

Carapace Adaptation applies to anything that grants soft cover, including talents, weapons, etc. [word of Tom]

Page 176, SSC Monarch[link]

If I position the two Blast areas of a Pinaka Missiles attack so that they both hit a size 2 or size 3 target without overlapping, does this hit that target twice?[link]

No. The Pinaka Missiles are still treated as a single attack, just one with a custom area-of-effect that consists of two Blast areas. Even if you place both Blasts in a way that they could hit a single target without overlapping, you still only roll to hit that target once. [word of Tom]

Page 180, SSC Mourning Cloak[link]

If the only hostile character that has unobstructed line of sight to you currently treats you as Invisible due to Stalk Prey, can you Hide?[link]

No. [word of Tom]

Page 192, HORUS Balor[link]

If the Balor’s Regeneration trait is disabled from taking stress or structure damage, when it reactivates at the end of the next turn do you then also regenerate HP at the end of that turn as well?[link]

No, when the Regeneration trait is disabled you do not regain any HP at the end of your next turn, even though both reactivating the trait and regaining HP happen “at the end of your next turn.” The trait simply reactivates. The next opportunity you’ll have to regain HP with the Regeneration trait will be end of the turn after that.

Can you benefit from your own Hive Drone’s soft cover?[link]

Yes. [word of Tom]

Page 196, HORUS Goblin[link]

Does the Autopod count as an attack and/or a hit for the purpose of things that trigger off attacks or hits, such as the Stormbringer talent?[link]

Yes, the Autopod’s Autonomous Assault reaction is considered an attack which automatically hits.

Does Puppet System bypass the Heavy Frame trait, as it does not count as a push, pull, or knockback?[link]

Per Tom, Heavy Frame should still work against Puppet System. This means that a smaller mech can’t use Puppet System to ignore Heavy Frame on either allies or enemies. [word of Tom]

Page 202, HORUS Gorgon[link]

If some effect such as Invisibility would cause an attack to automatically miss a Gorgon, does Metastatic Paralysis still apply?[link]

Yes, you would still roll to see if the d20 rolled a 1 or 2. [word of Tom]

Page 206, HORUS Hydra[link]

Are the reactions granted by the Snare, Shredder, and Hunter Orochi Drones 1/round like most reactions?[link]

The reactions granted by those drones can be used more than once in a round, as long as you obey the usual restriction of taking only 1 reaction per turn. [word of Tom]

Page 210, HORUS Manticore[link]

Is there any way at all I can activate CASTIGATE THE ENEMIES OF THE GODHEAD without being physically present in the mech itself at the time of detonation? A subaltern with a copy of my neural pattern? A clone? A brick on the accelerator? My long lost twin sibling, who I don’t like very much? A service animal? Anything?[link]

No.

Page 214, HORUS Minotaur[link]

How does the Minotaur’s Metafold Maze work with the Logic Bomb invade option from Viral Logic Suite? Targets Slowed by this option aren’t the ones who were initially targeted by the tech attack, so can Metafold Maze be used against them?[link]

Per Tom, all targets affected by the Logic Bomb’s area Slow can be affected by a single activation of Metafold Maze, even though the rules as written currently do not indicate as such. [word of Tom]

Does Logic Bomb from Viral Logic Suite allow you to force the target of the Invade to make a Systems save or be Slowed?[link]

No, the Burst doesn’t affect the center target. [word of Tom]

Page 218, HORUS Pegasus[link]

What does ¿%:?EXTR!UDE GUN actually do?[link]

GUN: GUN

Can the Ushabti Omnigun be used against characters that are Hidden or Intangible (such as those affected by the Calendula alt-frame) since the Ushabti has a clause which states no rule in the game supersedes its ability to function?[link]

No. The Ushabti still follows valid targeting rules (it specifically calls out needing line of sight and for the target to be within its Range, for instance) and Intangible characters are not valid targets for tangible characters and vice versa. The specific effects that cannot be superseded are “doesn’t count as an attack, hits automatically, ignores cover, bypasses IMMUNITY, and its damage can’t be reduced or ignored in any way,” none of which override the requirements of picking a valid target in the first place.

[word of Tom]

Page 226, HA Barbarossa[link]

If I use a system like the Flak Launcher which states targets “can no longer fly” in a zero-gravity environment where everyone is assumed to be flying at all times, does that prevent them from moving at all?[link]

No.

If I fire the Siege Cannon in Siege Mode, can I switch to Direct Fire mode and continue attacking without reloading it first since only Siege Mode has the Loading tag?[link]

No, once a weapon has been used in a way that requires reloading in needs to be reloaded before it can be attacked with again in any mode or configuration it may have.

Page 230, HA Genghis[link]

When the Plasma Thrower creates flames in free spaces, to characters take 1d6 damage for each space of flames they’re pushed into, or does the 1d6 damage happen only once per round?[link]

The 1d6 damage from the flames only happens once per round. [word of Tom]

Page 234, HA Iskander[link]

When the Iskander uses its Mine Deployers trait, do these additional deployed mines also consume charges from the system being used?[link]

Yes.

Is the Gravity Gun affected by Invisibility? Can you use it while Jammed? Does it make attack rolls like a normal weapon?[link]

If your mech is unable to make attacks for some reason, such as being Jammed, it cannot use the Gravity Gun. However, when you attack with it, rather than making attack rolls like you would with a conventional weapon, it forces the targets in the area to make a save, functioning instead more like a grenade or mine. Because of this, there’s no way for it to “miss” like a regular attack would, even if the target is Invisible. This also means that the Gravity Gun does not benefit from anything that would trigger on hit or on crit as it can do neither of those things, since you never make any actual attack rolls. [word of Tom]

Can the Gravity Gun “benefit” from the increased Save Target from the core bonus The Lesson of the Open Door?[link]

Yes, the Save Target is being modified, not the Gravity Gun. [word of Tom]

Can the Repulser Field set off mines that you have deployed this turn that have not armed yet?[link]

No, the Repulser Field will not cause mines that have not yet armed to detonate. [word of Tom]

What happens when someone affected by Pinpoint Focus clears the Immobilization?[link]

The whole effect should end and the target should float to the ground. [word of Tom]

Page 241, HA Napoleon[link]

When the Napoleon’s Trueblack Aegis is active, can it use free action attacks such as those granted by the UNCLE-Class Comp/Con or Autoguns?[link]

No, when the Trueblack Aegis is active, the Napoleon should be unable to use free action abilities like that to violate its action restrictions. Free actions which allow it to perform actions it’s explicitly capable of performing while the Aegis is active are permitted, such as any free action Grapples or Rams it may proc from sources such as Titanomachy Mesh, but otherwise it should be assumed that free actions which attempt to get around the action restrictions of the Trueblack Aegis are disallowed. [word of Tom]

Phase-Ready Mod Errata?[link]

The Invisibility penalty only applies when you are using Phase-Ready to bypass the Line of Sight requirement. If you are only using it to ignore cover and you already have Line of Sight, Phase-Ready Mod doesn’t cause the target to be treated as Invisible.

If I create a Blinkshield, can I create another Blinkshield within it before the first one expires?[link]

The Blinkshield can’t be crossed with any effect, and that includes another Blinkshield. If you attempt to create a Blinkshield within a Blinkshield and any part of the two shields overlap or intersect, you cannot do so as it would violate the clause that states that no effect can cross the Blinkshield. [word of Tom]

Page 243, HA Saladin[link]

Does Hardlight Defense System break line of sight if two characters are on opposite sides, but both still outside?[link]

If two characters are on opposite sides, the Hardlight Defense System could break line of sight like any sufficiently large object could.

How does NOAH’s Diluvian Ark interact with attacks that target multiple characters?[link]

When used in response to an attack that targets multiple characters, if it successfully activates, the reaction granted by NOAH’s Diluvian Ark will cause attack rolls made against you and your adjacent allies to automatically miss, but it won’t have any effect on attack rolls made against characters that are within the attack’s area of effect that are not adjacent to you.

Additionally, the final effect of Diluvian Ark that deals damage when ranged attacks fail to hit you or adjacent allies will trigger once per attack roll, regardless of whether or not the reaction was taken.

Page 246, HA Sherman[link]

Can I repeatedly Stabilize outside of combat to add charges to the ZF4 Solidcore?[link]

No. Strictly speaking, combat actions such as Stabilize don’t really “exist” outside of combat. When resting or during downtime the Stabilize action isn’t something you take, you have other options for repairing your mech available to you, the same way that if you were looking to use your mech to shoot at a guard tower during a narrative scene you wouldn’t declare “I use a Skirmish,” you would simply state your intent to shoot the tower.

Long Rim Page 41, SSC Atlas[link]

Can you bounce off the same wall more than once with Jager Kunst I?[link]

Most long walls would count as a single unique piece of terrain and thus only cause one trigger. [word of Tom]

Long Rim Page 53, HORUS Lich[link]

Does Soul Vessel work on things that are not damage, heat, or conditions?[link]

It should stop all effects of the trigger. [word of Tom]

Chronostutter Errata?[link]

Chronostutter’s text currently reads "The character taking the action is pushed up to 3 spaces".

This should instead read "the target of the action is pushed up to 3 spaces". [word of Tom]

If the Unraveler fails to cause Structure Damage or destruction upon hitting, do you still apply any Bonus Damage?[link]

No, you would not, you would only apply the Reliable. [word of Tom]

Wandering Nightmare Errata?[link]

Wandering Nightmare should have the Unique tag. [word of Tom]

Long Rim Page 59, HA Sunzi[link]

Is the Sunzi allowed to use its Blink Anchor on itself when it teleports?[link]

Yes, you can use the Blink Anchor effect on yourself to change your destination to a free space next to the Blink Anchor when you teleport, such as when you Slip. [word of Tom]

Blink Charges Errata?[link]

The Warp Grenade effect of Blink Charges currently reads "choose any character within the affected area". This should instead read “choose any characters within the affected area” to make it clear that it can affect multiple targets. [word of Tom]

Wallflower Part 1 Page 42, Snapdragon Launcher[link]

Is a used Snapdragon Launcher a valid target for System Trauma?[link]

No. [word of Tom]

Wallflower Part 1 184, HA Enkidu[link]

Can you Bifurcate multiple times in a turn if it succeeds?[link]

Yes, you can continue to Bifurcate. (Refunding the action cost presumably means this does not violate the No Duplicate Action rule.) [word of Tom]

Wallflower Part 1 Page 196, Eidolons[link]

Do Eidolon layers count as new characters or the same character for the purposes of things like Eject Power Cores or Extrude Basilisk that only can be used on a character once per scene?[link]

Each layer counts as the same character. [word of Tom]

Karrakin Trade Baronies Page 128, Black Thumb[link]

If your mech becomes Intangible while you are in a Black Thumb Rodeo, what happens?[link]

You should go Intangible with it. [word of Tom]

Karrakin Trade Baronies Page 128, House Guard[link]

Does the fact that Front Rank makes you count as adjacent for traits affecting allied characters means that Guardian lets your allies use you as hard cover from 2 spaces away?[link]

No, the default hard cover rules still apply, and so they would still need to be adjacent to you and the cover would only apply directionally like usual. The soft cover effect granted by Greater Guardian works just fine at range 2 though. [word of Tom]

Karrakin Trade Baronies Page 132, SSC White Witch[link]

Sympathetic Shield Errata?[link]

Sympathetic Shield should have the Unique tag. [word of Tom]

Can you stack uses of Camus’s Razor by taking the quick action multiple times?[link]

Yes, you can. (Remember that the restriction on duplicate actions still applies, so you cannot use both of your normal quick actions in a turn to just use Camus’s Razor twice. You could overcharge to do so, use some other means of taking the quick action as a free action, or simply use it once a turn on different turns.) [word of Tom]

Karrakin Trade Baronies Page 136, SSC Emperor[link]

The Bolt Nexus has an on hit effect which raises its damage from 1 to 4 until you attack a different target. Is this meant to apply to the first attack you make against a target by choosing to apply the on hit effect first?[link]

No, the change to the Bolt Nexus’ profile is meant to occur after the initial attack resolves fully. The first attack against a target does the base 1 damage, then successive attacks with it gain the benefits of the enhanced profile. [word of Tom]

Karrakin Trade Baronies Page 136, Intangible[link]

How does Intangible interact with things like the Webjaw Snare or the Charged Stake?[link]

As the target and the deployable can no longer interact with each other, the effect ends. [word of Tom]

Can you deploy things while Intangible?[link]

No, spaces are no longer valid targets for you to deploy things into. [word of Tom]

Can the Omnigun get past Intangible?[link]

No, for the same reason you can’t use the Omnigun on someone out of line of sight or out or range. [word of Tom]

Solstice Rain Page 41, Miniaturized LinAc Coherent Beam Cannon[link]

Does the Miniaturized LinAc Coherent Beam Cannon proc Universal Compatibility?[link]

Yes, it serves as an alternate Core System, which is the requirement for proccing Universal Compatibility. It can still only be used 1/mission regardless of whether Universal Compatibility procs or you have a Core Battery reserve.

Solstice Rain Page 44, Demolitionist[link]

How does the Demolitionist talent Quarterback interact with the Iskander’s Assault Launcher and Mine Deployers?[link]

As Assault Launcher gives mines a range (of 15) then Quarterback adds to that, making it 18 with effective Arcing. Mines placed with Mine Deployers may be placed out to Range 3.

How does Demolitionist work with the Barbarossa’s Roller Grenade?[link]

The answer is “in some cases not at all.” On a talent by talent rank breakdown, Frag and Clear allows you to exclude one character from the affected area, so you can use it to let the Roller Grenade “skip” someone and not detonate on contact with them. Quarterback does not allow you to throw them further, because they have no range value to modify, but you do gain the Arcing benefit for the line. Fire in the Hole does not affect them because they aren’t thrown and more importantly they do not have a targeted space for the ability to work from.

What happens if you toss a GMS Pattern-A Smoke Grenade and use Frag and Clear to choose one character in the affected area and ignore its effects?[link]

The effect of the Smoke Grenade is “All characters and objects within the blast area benefit from soft cover until the end of your next turn,” so if you pick a character to ignore the effects of this, that chosen character cannot benefit from this effect. That is to say, if you throw a Smoke Grenade and choose a character in its area to ignore the effects, they do NOT benefit from the soft cover it provides for its duration. You tag them with special trackers, you hit them with one of those dye packs they stick in with the money, you curve the smoke cloud, etc. They have to be within its area at the time you throw it, it can’t be decided upon after the fact.

Solstice Rain Page 45, GMS Chomolungma[link]

Can you use the Chomolungma’s System Crusher to give heat to an ally?[link]

No, the heat it deals is part and parcel with the heat that Invades normally do. This means if used on an ally, it does no heat. This also means that the heat it deals is one packet and not two separate ones, in instances where that may matter.

Siren’s Song, A Mountain’s Remose Page 82, IPS-N Empakaai[link]

Does the Colossus Termo-Unguis’s “before hit” effect on a failed Hull save trigger Brawler 3’s Brawler Die to count down by 1?[link]

No, a target becomes grappled as a result of falling a Hull save, and Brawler 3’s Brawler Die only counts down with a successful Free Action Grapple or Quick Action Grapple.

Does the Colossus Termo-Unguis’s “before hit” effect on a failed Hull save trigger Titanomachy Mesh’s 1/round successful Ram or Grapple effect?[link]

No, with the Termo-Unguis a target becomes grappled as a result of falling a Hull save, and Titanomachy Mesh’s 1/round successful Ram or Grapple effect only works with a successful Free Action Grapple or Quick Action Grapple.

What does the Empakaai’s Untenable Power trait do?[link]

1/round, whenever a character would have to make a save or a check forced by the Empakaai (ie. its Colossus Termo-Unguis) it may impose +1 difficulty on that save or check before that character rolls.

Winter Scar Page 54, HA Gilgamesh[link]

How does the Gilgamesh’s Loadout Die work with Walking Armory 3, which refunds charges on a critical hit? What if I spent the Loadout Die on a Walking Armory enhanced attack which then critically hit? Do I have to undo that roll? Do I undo ticking the Loadout Die?[link]

Walking Armory charges are spent when declaring an attack, and only refunded via Walking Armory 3 if you score a critical hit. This refund will not retroactively undo any ticking down of the Loadout Die, nor will it undo any rerolls you make with the Loadout Die if you happen to tick it down and then spend it for a reroll.

Can the Gilgamesh use Exo-Amplification while under the effect of the Napoleon license’s Stasis Generator to clear the Stunned and be able to move and act while still being immune to damage and effects?[link]

No. While the Gilgamesh could normally use Exo-Amplification while Stunned as per the core active itself, Stasis Generator makes the targeted mech immune to all effects, not just hostile ones. As such, the Gilgamesh would be immune to the effects of Exo-Amplification while under the effect of Stasis Generator.

Does the Legion Nexus count as a system for the purpose of things like the Kidd’s Recycle or Rapid Deployment traits?[link]

No, it’s a weapon and not a system. It can use Reroute Power on legion drones, but neither Recycle or Rapid Deployment will work with it.

Does Demolitionist 3 (Fire in the Hole) work with the Gilgamesh’s Anti-Armor Rocket option from SPEAR Charges?[link]

Yes, and it does so for other single-target type grenades such as Mesmer Beacons from the Minotaur license as well. You can take “within range 3 of the targeted space” to also include targeted characters as well for those grenades which work that way.

Winter Scar Page 58, SSC Amber Phantom[link]

If I take heat to gain bonus damage with an Amber Phantom when acting outside of my declared turn, can that enable Nuclear Cavalier’s bonus damage?[link]

No. Nuclear Cavalier gives you bonus heat and/or damage on your first attack made while in the Danger Zone on your turn, or if you enter the Danger Zone during your turn it takes place on your next attack. Gaining heat in the course of an attack that was not made while in the Danger Zone will not activate the Nuclear Cavalier bonuses, as the attack was not made while in the Danger Zone and that attack does not count as “your next attack.” The heat accrued from using the Amber Phantom’s core passive to gain bonus damage this way does not apply until you have hit with an attack and choose to gain the bonus damage.

This applies to other forms of gaining heat mid-attack as well. Rolling multiple 1’s on damage dice with an Overkill weapon which pushes you into the Danger Zone will not cause Nuclear Cavalier to activate, nor will weapons that come with optional heat costs that occur mid-attack such as the Gilgamesh’s Superthermal Blade.

Can I use the Amber Phantom’s Convergence Point on an allied Goblin which is using its Symbiosis core system?[link]

No. Once a Goblin is attached to another character via Symbiosis, they no longer take their own turns, only acting when the PC they’re attached to does. You would need to use Convergence Point on the PC the Goblin is attached to, and the Goblin would then take their actions during their host’s turn.

This also means that a Goblin with Symbiosis active no longer counts as being part of the PC turn order the Amber Phantom must choose among with Possibility Mapping (i.e. in a group with three PCs, if one of them is a Goblin with Symbiosis active then there are now only two turns to choose between in the PC turn order).

Winter Scar Page 60, HORUS Lycan[link]

Does the Lycan’s Shock Claws’ “On Attack” effect become halved when used with the Executioner talent’s Backswing Cut?[link]

Yes.

What happens if I activate the Lycan’s Go Loud more than once in a scene (such as if Core Power is refunded via Universal Compatibility or through a Core Battery reserve)? Will the Shock Claws gain additional benefits if the conditions for those have been met since the first time you activated Go Loud?[link]

The Shock Claws check for upgrades the first time you activate Go Loud in a scene only. Spending Core Power to activate it after the first activation in a scene will not prompt further upgrades even if conditions have been met in the meantime. However, re-activating Go Loud will grant you the move equal to your Speed and attack with the Shock Claws against a target within range, should you wish to do so. Spending Core Power this way will also proc Universal Compatibility again if you have that Core Bonus.

Winter Scar Page 62, HA Kutuzov[link]

When piloting a Kutuzov, if I take a Full Tech action but use two Quick Tech systems with the Shield tag (such as those from the Emperor license), which level of benefit can I gain from Parallel Emitters? What if I take a Full Tech action but only one of the choices has the Shield tag?[link]

The Full Tech action itself is comprised of either one system which requires a Full Tech to use, or two options with the Quick Tech requirement. As Parallel Emitters works only 1/round and as taking two Quick Tech actions have to happen sequentially, your 1/round use of Parallel Emitters will kick in when using one of those Quick Tech systems, entitling you to the Quick Action tier benefit. This applies whether the entire Full Tech is made up of Quick Tech Shield systems or only half of it.

When using Parallel Projectors, what counts as the “overall cost of the action?”[link]

Essentially this means the overall action cost you spent to use a Shield tagged system or to Stabilize. For example, Stabilize is normally a Full Action, but with the Sherman license’s Redundant Systems Upgrade, you can Stabilize as a Quick Action instead. If you do so while piloting a Kutuzov, then the overall action cost of that Stabilize is a Quick Action. Similarly, overcharging to use a Quick Action system with the Shield tag as a Free Action will grant you the benefit of a Free Action expenditure if you choose to have that be your 1/round use of Parallel Projectors.

When a character is benefitting from the Kutuzov’s Projected Aegis, what happens if they’re caught in an AoE attack by their reciprocal NPC or that NPC uses something like a Ravager Turret? Will that prevent the NPC from making the entire AoE or multi-target attack?[link]

Characters benefitting from Projected Aegis can’t be attacked by the chosen NPC and vice versa, but this won’t prevent entire AoE attacks or “attack everyone” type abilities, those attacks will simply ignore that character while continuing to affect everyone else as normal.

When Projected Aegis is active, what happens if a character triggers a mine (or some similar sort of thing) placed by the character they’re mutually prevented from attacking or taking actions that force saves against?[link]

Projected Aegis prevents characters from forcing saves against one another via actions. For example, an Assault NPC with the Micro-Missile Barrage optional could place the line in such a way that it overlaps a mutually Aegis’d PC, but that PC would ignore the effect entirely. Meanwhile, a Hornet couldn’t even target such a character with Lock/Hold Javelins, nor could a Demolisher target them with Sap. Something like a mine, however, is not an action that forces a save. It does force a save, but while it’s associated with a specific character, it doesn’t count as them taking an action to force it, the save occurs as a sort of indirect consequence of stepping in the wrong place, and the Projected Aegis won’t do anything about it. Likewise, actions which do not count as attacks or saves are valid to target one another with, such as the deterministic damage of a GMS Turret Drone, the contested check of a Blackbeard’s Reinforced Cabling, a Goliath NPC’s Crush Targeting, etc.

NPC General Rules[link]

Page 280, NPC Actions[link]

Can NPCs Stabilize? Can NPCs Invade? Can NPCs Brace? Can NPCs Overcharge?[link]

NPCs can Stabilize, but it only reloads weapons, clears Heat, and ends Exposed. NPCs have their own version of a default Invade Quick Tech that uses Systems as a bonus to the attack roll and only deals 2 Heat and Impaired until the end of the target’s next turn on hit. Other NPC tech attacks are not specifically “Invades” but work as described in the stat blocks of each specific NPC Class. NPCs cannot Brace or Overcharge by default unless some other feature granted to them allows for it. Further information can be found in the list of actions NPCs can take and how they differ from the corresponding PC actions, which can be found on page 280.

Can NPCs do the same Tech Attack twice in one turn?[link]

The Quick Tech and Full Tech actions differ slightly for NPCs than for PCs. Notably, unlike PCs, the NPC Full Tech option allows for one Full Tech option or two different Quick Tech options, where as a PC is allowed to take the same Quick Tech option twice when they use Full Tech. However, NPCs do not use the same Invasion framework as players: Each Quick Tech option given to them is its own unique thing. This means that, for example, a Witch is allowed to use Full Tech to use Tear Down and Blind in the same turn, where as 2 Tear Down Quick Techs would not be possible, barring the usual Free Action exceptions.

Page 281, NPC Damage and Heat[link]

What happens when an NPC runs out of HP? How does Structure work for NPCs?[link]

By default, NPCs have only one Structure and are automatically destroyed without a Structure Damage check when they reach 0 HP. However, this may change depending on Template.

If an NPC has any templates that grant them more than 1 Structure, such as the Veteran or Ultra templates, they follow the standard rules for Structure Damage and roll on the Structure Damage table like a PC would. Like usual, if they run out of Structure entirely, they are automatically destroyed.

What happens when an NPC overheats? How does Stress work for NPCs?[link]

By default, NPCs only have one Stress and become Exposed indefinitely when they exceed their Heat Cap instead of making an Overheating check. They remain at 1 remaining Stress and are Exposed until they take the Stabilize action, which clears their Heat and ends the Exposed Status. However, this may change depending on Template.

If an NPC has any templates that grant them more than 1 Stress, such as the Veteran or Ultra templates, they follow the standard rules for Overheating and roll on the Overheating table like a PC would. Like usual, if they run out of Stress entirely, they will suffer a reactor meltdown at the end of their next turn.

If an NPC has the Grunt template, any Heat from an external source will automatically destroy them. This does not cause a reactor meltdown, they are just destroyed. Self-inflicted Heat works like it would for a normal NPC.

If an NPC has no Heat Cap at all, they take Heat as Energy Damage instead. [word of Tom]

NPC Classes[link]

General NPC Questions[link]

Can NPCs benefit from another NPC’s effects if they both have things that key off the same thing unique to the class (examples include Sniper’s Mark and Focus Down)?[link]

Generally speaking, no, unless the NPC feature explicitly says otherwise. [word of Tom]

Page 288, Archer NPC[link]

The Archer’s Covering Fire optional system doesn’t list a duration. How long does it last?[link]

The area created by Covering Fire, and the ability for the Archer to use the associated Got Your Back reaction, should last until the end of the Archer’s next turn after it uses this ability.

Page 294, Bombard NPC[link]

What counts as a target for the Bombard’s Cluster Munitions?[link]

Only characters (which includes Drones) should trigger the additional damage from Cluster Munitions. [word of Tom]

Is the Bombard’s Cluster Munitions Bonus Damage?[link]

The Bombard’s Cluster Munitions are explicitly not Bonus Damage, as it is not labeled Bonus Damage. As it only comes up in situations in which any Bonus Damage would be halved, this wording allows you to avoid having to do the extra math of halving the damage it adds, as it would always need to be halved otherwise.

Page 298, Demolisher NPC[link]

Does the Demolisher’s Broad-Haft Sweep optional system count as using the Demolisher Hammer weapon for the purpose of its Kinetic Compensation optional trait, which gives the Demolisher additional Accuracy on subsequent attacks after missing with the hammer, or does it have to use the Demolisher Hammer specifically in order to trigger Kinetic Compensation’s benefits?[link]

Broad-Haft Sweep works in conjunction with Kinetic Compensation, granting stacking Accuracy on missed attacks until the next hit. [word of Tom]

Page 304, Mirage NPC[link]

How long does the effect of Illusory Subroutines last?[link]

The “their” in “their next turn” should refer to the Mirage, and the effect should last until the start of the Mirage’s next turn. [word of Tom]

Page 307, Priest NPC[link]

The Priest’s Sanctuary optional ability doesn’t seem to list a duration for how long it lasts? Does it last indefinitely, or does it expire at a certain point?[link]

The Sanctuary effect should last until the end of the Priest’s next turn. [word of Tom]

Page 310, Ronin NPC[link]

How does the Ronin’s Rebound work? Does it count as coming from yourself, or the Ronin? Is cover measured from the Ronin?[link]

The attack should count as coming from the Ronin for cover, effects triggering, and other things. [word of Tom]

Page 314, Seeder NPC[link]

How do Seeder Mines work? Why are they Invisible (the keyword) if they can’t be targeted at all?[link]

Tom has gone on the record stating that the fact that Seeder mines are listed as Invisible is an error that was introduced in editing, as the original rules text was meant for them to be invisible, as in, “not visible to players on the map.” This was erroneously changed to “Invisible, the keyword.” In other words, the original intent was that players can’t see them or target them, aside from the Systems check while in Sensors to reveal them and the subsequent Systems check to disarm them after they have been revealed. [word of Tom]

Page 315, Sentinel NPC[link]

The Sentinel’s Rapid Response optional system is formatted differently from the Archer’s version. Is this intentional?[link]

No, the two should be identical. Use the Archer’s version for both.

Page 317, Sniper NPC[link]

The rules text for the Moving Target reaction ends with "If the rifle isn’t". What is it supposed to say?[link]

This is a typo; it should say “If the rifle isn’t loaded, the Sniper instead reloads it.”

Page 319, Support NPC[link]

Can involuntary movement separate a Latch Drone from the NPC it is stuck to?[link]

No, it can’t move independently. [word of Tom]

Page 320, Witch NPC[link]

Can holding a Prepared action prevent the effects of a Witch’s Predatory Logic?[link]

No, the Witch would force you to drop the Prepared action. [word of Tom]

Page 326, NPC Templates[link]

If an NPC has multiple traits with the same name from different sources (like getting Deadly from taking both the Pirate and Ultra templates), do they stack? What about template features like Reinforced?[link]

Generally speaking, things with the same name are not intended to stack, so something like Deadly wouldn’t apply twice, but features that grant additional Structure and Stress are intended to stack. [word of Tom]

Page 330, Ultra Template[link]

How do Volley Module and Ravager Turret interact?[link]

Ravager turret would still only fire a single attack roll at each eligible target. It would not fire at everyone for each PC affected. [word of Tom]

Page 332, Veteran Template[link]

Does the Veteran Template’s Viper’s Speed activate only once at the start of combat, or every round?[link]

Only at the start of the first round of combat. [word of Tom]

Multi-license Interactions[link]

Does the Tortuga’s Sentinel trait give Accuracy to the contested attack roll from Stasis Bolt?[link]

Yes.[word of Tom]

If you use the Kidd’s Reroute Power on the Black Witch’s Perimeter Command Plate, is the System itself Destroyed or just the deployed plate?[link]

The Perimeter Command Plate System itself is Destroyed. [word of Tom]

Do things that say that they don’t stack with Invisible stack with each other?[link]

No, they do not. [word of Tom]

Does Stay of Execution extend the duration of the Sagarmatha’s Rallying Cry core power?[link]

No, it does not. The effects of Raise the Banner will run out at the normal time, and are not extended by Stay of Execution. [word of Tom]

How do Argonaut Shield and Sympathetic shield interact?[link]

You’d take the amount of damage that would be done to the Overshield, and then half that amount again for the Argonaut Shield. Damage would then be resolved from there, with the ally resisting the attack. [word of Tom]

Does the free Scan you get from making Tech Attacks due to the Chomolungma’s Data Siphon trait count for Orator: Convincing Rhetoric?[link]

No, it shouldn’t. [word of Tom]