Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Rule Book

PERFORM A

SKILL CHECK

The most common actions that most characters take
during their turn are actions that require a skill check to
resolve. In other words, these are activities for which suc-
cess is not guaranteed or for which the failure of the task
may be important to the ongoing story. For example,
walking from one place to another does not bring with it
any inherent risk of failure (the characters are assumed
to be competent enough to handle walking from one
location to another), and even if they could fail, failing
would not significantly change the ongoing story. How-
ever, trying to cross a chasm on a tightrope to escape
pursuit both brings an inherent risk of failure (falling and
dying) and failing can advance the story (whether or not
the character escapes pursuit). Therefore, a Coordina-
tion check would be called for, and if it occurred during
an encounter, it would require an action to perform.

Most skill checks and what they can accomplish are

covered in Chapter III: Skills. What a character can

do with a skill outside of an encounter is the same

as what he can do with it inside of an encounter. The

only difference is that inside an encounter, he has

certain time limits imposed. In fact, the CM can de-

termine that certain activities may require more than

one action to perform, if they would normally take

a great deal of time (or are time-consuming enough

that they cannot be performed while the encounter

continues; the character must wait for the encounter

to end before attempting the activity).

Combat checks,

I however, are unique

[ enough that they re-

I quire a separate de-

P scription.

PERFORM A

COMBAT CHECK

A player makes a com-

bat check when he uses

a combat skill to attack a

target. This is also referred

u|r to as an attack. The combat

> skills in EDGE OF THE EMPIRE

consist of the following Brawl.

Gunnery, Melee, Ranged (Light),

and Ranged (Heavy). All of these

skills are covered in Chapter III:

Skills. However, in brief, Brawl pertains

to hand-to-hand combat without weap-

ons, Melee governs fighting with close com-

bat weapons such as knives and vibro-axes,

Gunnery handles using heavy, crew-served weap-

ons, Ranged (Light) covers fighting with pistols, and

Ranged (Heavy) covers fighting with rifles and other

larger ranged weapons.

The first and foremost point to keep in mind is that

a combat check is a skill check. It follows all the rules

and procedures for making a skill check, including the

steps for assembling the dice pool. However, there

are additional steps included in a combat check. All

the steps a combat check follows are detailed here.

1. DECLARE AN ATTACK AND SELECT TARGETS
   The character chooses to make an attack. He selects
   what skill he will use to make the attack, and if the
   skill requires a weapon to use, which weapon he will
   be using. He then declares the target of his attack.


2. ASSEMBLE THE DICE POOL
   The character then assembles his dice pool based on
   the skill, its characteristic, and any applicable talents
   and other abilities. Certain conditions, such as the
   effect of a Critical Injury or an environmental effect,
   may also contribute dice to the dice pool. See page
   1 8 for more information on building a dice pool.
   The difficulty of a combat check depends on wheth-
   er the attack is a ranged attack (using Ranged (Light),
   Ranged (Heavy), or Gunnery) or a melee attack (using
   Melee or Brawn). Melee attack difficulties are always
   Average (••). Ranged attack difficulties depend on
   the distance the target is from the active character, or
   in other words, the range band the target occupies.
   Table 6-1: Ranged Attack Difficulties lists difficul-
   ties as they relate to different range bands. See page
   208 for more information about range bands.

CONFLICT AND COMBAT

EDGE OF THE EMPIRE