Linked and Two Weapon Fighting Questions as well as lightsaber question

[Kilcannon 177]

Linked: When activating linked does the damage get added to initial attack ' s weapon damage for purposes of Reflect, Parry, and Soak? Or does each damage count seperate and target able to apply the soak more than once and able to activate Reflect/Parry?

Two Weapon Fighting: Same questions as seperate questions since they may be different answers?

If someone is using two lightsabers that as a GM I allowed to be modified like Asjas Ventrass lightsabers to become a duel bladed saber should the modification only allow one lightsaber crystal's benefits to be active when connected? This way to limit players from fusing a defensive and more damaging saber for the best of both worlds? I was making it each saber needs to be identical in all aspects such as modifications except for their crystals. That way they can two weapon fight with different crystals, but when attached they can't get the benefit of both crystals at same time since linked makes up for that.

[Lathrop 838]

1. It counts as two separate hits, so for the second attack, you'd have to re-apply Soak and spend the extra strain to do Parry again.

 

2. You should treat the attachment as an extension of Dual-Bladed Lightsabers, as opposed to an attachment to tape two normal lightsabers together. This means that the player needs to use the same type of crystal in each half of the lightsaber, and when they mod the lightsaber's crystals, it affects both at the same time.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Lathrop

[Kilcannon 177]

When two weapon fighting you can spend advantages or triumphs on the second weapon to use their abilities.

When using linked if the linked attack is a 2nd attack can you use advantages and triumphs on the linked attack (s) to activate abilities?

Finally if you have the Dantari crystal and use linked can you get more than 2 strain back since the linked attack is treated as a seperate attack then?

[Jareth Valar 481]

As for the mod I totally agree with Lathrop. It should be a mod for the double bladed lightsaber, not a regular one.

 

The main benefit of a linked weapon is there no increase of the difficulty of the attack, but the downside is linked weapons are identical, no variation, thus no combining of effects.

 

Paired, OTOH, increases the difficulty of the base attack, but practically anything (one handed) can be used as a secondary weapon. Major benefit is 2 separate weapons with 2 separate abilities and if your secondary weapon has any penalties that would have affected your original die pool, they are ignored if you activate the weapon using the paired rules (so that inaccurate weapon does not give a setback die).  However, any "after pool" modifiers DO count AFTER the weapon is successfully activated (bonus advantage from Superior, extra threat from Inferior, etc). And, if using 2 weapons with different skills, it's gets even more difficult (basically using the lower of the 2 skills governing attributes AND the lower of the 2 skills), so if using a Blaster and Lightsaber, you'd better hope your skills are the same and your Brawn and Agility are the same, or you probably not hitting much.

 

Also, with Paired, you would have to be disarmed twice. So, very balanced, IMHO.

 

I, personally, would not allow a player to combine the effects of 2 different crystals effects as I think Linked is much more potentially forgiving than paired, IMHO, the exact opposite of a balancing factor. If they want 2 different crystals, then 2 different lightsabers. But that's just my personal opinion. Your game, your rules.

 

Either way, Linked or Paired, you will have to activate the special effects separately (critical, etc) with whatever advantage you have left over after activating your second hit.

 

As for the Dantari crystal? You might want to reread that. You don't get the strain back if the weapon hits, only if you make a Force power check as part of a combat check, you can spend light/dark to recover strain. So, the number of hits are irrelevant. 

Edited June 14, 2015 by Jareth Valar

[Kilcannon 177]

I was just confirming in regards to the Dantari crystal since one of my players asked. Was playing it one roll with force dice that isn't based on successful hit or more than one hit.

Thanks everyone for feedback