Hello all.

We've had our first game using the Beginner's Box, and had a blast with the game. Contemplating our experience the following is something I want to be sure we're handling correctly, so any rules lawyers please  respond.

We comprehend the more "theatrical" uses of advantage and threat just fine (we're frequent FATE system players, so handling narrative play is old hat for us).

However, we wanted to be sure we're handling the more mechanical uses of threat and advantage properly. That said:

Can multiple boost or setback dice be bought when a player rolls multiple advantage or threat?

For instance, if a player generated four net advantages on a roll, could he spend it to add two boost dice to his next roll, or perhaps a boost dice each to two other pc's next rolls?

By extension this question would apply to the spending of threat or combinations of advantage + triumph or threat + despair.

Hi

I don't have the book in fornt of me but I'm pretty sure each effect can only be triggered once by roll, except when otherwise specified (e.g. Recover 1 strain, autofire, linked)

Yeah that's the part we're trying to clarify. It only came up because the strain option says it can be taken more than once, which to us indicated that perhaps the other options couldn't.

Still trying to get the straight of it.

It's unclear by a strict reading of the rules, but I allow the purchase multiple dice with multiple advantage/threat. It hasn't been hugely unbalancing, and does (somewhat) mitigate the fact that failed rolls tend to produce more advantage and successful rolls more threat, which helps to even out PC/GM luck as a factor.

Yeah, in our first session we allowed it when coupled with a reasonable explanation.

Such as in a firefight with stormtroopers when a character got four advantage and a wash in all other respects. We gave boost dice to two other pc's on the explanation that the acting character was laying down suppresive fire and giving the other pc's a chance to angle for a clean shot.

Didn't seem to unbalance things any.

I fired off the question to FFG's rules lawyers and will let you know what they say.

Aazlain said:

I don't think this is explicit in the book.  I haven't looked recently, but we spent a lot of time trying to find this stated in the RAW when we first started playing. and never found it.  Our final conclusion was that since the strain/recovery lines explicitly stated that it could be activated multiple times, and it that text was missing from other lines, it was implicit that the other lines could only be activated once/roll.

-WJL

I came to the same conclusion as Lethal Dose, but based also upon the explicit one per line for the obligation options.

Official response from the rules critters:

Good afternoon, 

Deathseed said:

Interesting. Thanks. What is the official channel to send a question or clarifiction request to FFG?

Aazlain said:

Along the toolbar at the top, mouse over More -> Customer Service -> Rules Questions.

Fill out the form that comes up. It make take a few days for them to respond, but so far I've never had them not respond.

Much appreciated Deathseed. Thank you.

My pleasure. Glad to be of assistance.