I created an Asari elite commande with biotic powers. To utilize biotics she rolls Energy vs. Toughness. She additionally has the bane focus (knockdown) and bane focus forced move and multi-bane. Her range for extraordinary attacks, in this case biotics, is limited to a maximum of 75’. Can I use heightened Invocation to extend this range or is this feat limited to invoking banes and boons in the first place and not damaging attacks with extraordinary attributes?
Looks like from the wording this range increase only applies to Banes and Boons, not attack action rolls.
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@emmanuelpapst I’m really glad you mentioned this. I think this is worthy of include in the Core Rules, perhaps a tweak to allow longer ranges for extraordinary attacks, but that won’t allow for Heightened Invocation attacks.
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What about a feat that is comparable to how Marksman used to work? I believe that it used to have 3 tiers, each of which increased range with a specific weapon type by 25’. You could have to pick a specific extraordinary attribute instead of a weapon. It can only be used for damaging attacks.
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As the rules currently stand, the main distinction between ranged physical attacks (agility) and ranged extraordinary attacks is the range. When I was looking at these two methods of delivering ranged damage, I thought it was pretty clever to give extraordinary ranged attacks a non-modifiable range when compared to ranged agility attacks.
Extraordinary stats can be used a little more creatively out of combat, can deliver different types of damage nearly at-will (depending on character concept), and allow AoE, but suffer in that you need relatively high Extraordinary stats to even outpace cheap guns/bows in range and it can ONLY be used for ranged attacks.
Agility boosts Defenses, allows a relatively wide array of ranges that you can engage enemies with, allows special properties of weapons (AoE, Banes/Boons, swift, etc) to modify how the character can attack, and can be used for both melee and ranged attacks, but suffer in the number of options you have at any one time (due to those options being tied to the weapon you are using).
@brianfeister, I would be hesitant to make changes to Extraordinary attacks that make them MORE similar to “Mundane” ranged attacks. If anything, I would try to differentiate them further. Not sure exactly how to do that off the top of my head.
Just my 2 XP
@honeybadger you raise a good point. To be clear though, this would be a more “minor” range boost than what we see with the weapons. But maybe you’re right.
@brianfeister, we might have an issue with quantization on a minor range boost. Caution: Armchair game design incoming The current increments are 25 feet and work well because 25-35 feet is the general movement range per turn. Giving a 10’ or 15’ boost from a feat would either be cost prohibitive for the relatively small boost (3 or 4 feat points) or would be cheap enough (1 or 2 feat points) that nearly every Energy/Entropy based character would want to grab it…and at that point simplicity demands just making that the new standard range.
On a different line of thinking, creating a feat that reduces Extraordinary range by one tier (minimum of 4 in the attribute required – 50’ range to 25’) for some useful boost like advantage 1 could increase character diversity as you could specialize as a close range blaster…but be forced into the 25-35 foot “danger zone” of enemies.
Although I agree with @honeybadger that having clear differences between extraordinarily attacks and mundane attacks is important, I doubt think that having a feat to increase range is necessarily a problem. Here’s what I’m thinking (portions of the language are lifted from Attack Specialization):
Extraordinary Range
Cost: 2 points
Prerequisites
- Tier 1: Any Extraordinary 1
- Tier 2: Any Extraordinary 4
- Tier 3: Any Extraordinary 7
Description
You are particularly adept at making a particular kind of Extraordinary attack at great range, beyond what is normally possible.
Effect
When you take this feat, select one energy type. The maximum range for any damaging attack made using your chosen attack type is increased by 25 feet per tier of this feat, although you are still unable to attack beyond the (modified) maximum range. This bonus does not apply to bane attacks or boon invocations.
Examples of energy types you can choose to specialize in include fire, cold, lightning, acid, poison, entropy, creation, and force - though this list is not exhaustive.
Special
In addition to purchasing multiple tiers of this feat, you may take this feat multiple times and select a new energy type each time. Your total maximum range increase for an attack is equal to 25 feet times your tier for that particular weapon or energy type. For example, a character might have Extraordinary Range II (Fire) for fire attacks and Extraordinary Range III (Entropy) for entropy attacks.
What do you think? I set the tier prerequisites the way I did so that you can never more than double the range you would otherwise have.
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@brianfeister, a minor range boost would suffice. I agree that ranged and extraordinary attacks should remain distinguishable. But an option to enhance the range of any distance attack would emphasize the versatility of the system extremely.
After all the GM has the last word. If he deems a feat non canon in a setting, he just makes it unavailable.
Alternatively, the GM can easily add a feat on demand that increases the range. What is important in the Core Rules is that they represent the game as the designer’s intended and serve as a generally acceptable baseline for how the game is played.
Its much easier to get into a game as a GM by taking the Core Rules as the word of God and then only after some experience with the system and an understanding of how the mechanics interact with balance begin to alter the system. Basically, it takes a lot of knowledge on the GM’s part to REMOVE something from the Core Rules (unexpected interactions/consequences) than it is to add to the rules in a very specific way (such as doing a certain quest to gain an item that focuses your energy allowing expanded range).
Again, not claiming that what I proposed is the correct way of doing it, but as a GM, I always give the designers’ words the benefit of the doubt and rarely, if ever, remove rules from the core set.
@Carl, I like the idea of limiting the range boost to one energy type. So it’s ensured that the feat becomes pretty expensive, if you expand the boost to several energy types.
@brianfeister, I was so close to being mentioned for a rules contribution 
You never-the-less started a very good discussion!
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@honeybadger, for an unexperienced GM it is easier the other way around. To know how the designer envisions a feat and then baring it from the setting comes easier than making up a new feat that would conflict with the original idea of the designer.
Fair, to each GM their own. I am always very conservative with altering core rules in general for any RPG system.
To you all a big compliment, I am enthused how helpful the community and the designer are in responding to questions. Another big plus for OL 
Same with me, I am not a big fan of houseruling. Either a system fits my needs with all consequences or I go find another one fitting better. I’m a very lazy roleplayer 
Reading through @Carl 's Feat got me thinking of how often this would actually be taken. As it’s written by @Carl it definitely feels like a non-necessary feat, but one that invites further specialization by the player. This is a HUGE plus for me as a Player/DM/Storyteller.
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@ConradCurtis @emmanuelpapst @honeybadger @Carl here’s what I had in mind for a feat. I think it should be rolled into the “Marksman” feat so we’re not adding a new one, and it should work differently for extraordinary attacks. Also, I think taking it even once should be quite expensive since boosting Extraordinary range is such a big deal. But we should honor the characters who want to be long-ranged Extraordinary attack snipers.
Here’s what I was thinking, make the feat appealing to Sniper characters by having it increase even Extreme ranged weapons, and for Extraordinary
Longshot (formerly Marksman)
Cost: 2 points
Prerequisites: Agility 5 , or Any Extraordinary 5
Description
You are an expert at long-range attacks, able to hit targets at extreme distances. You are master one particular ranged weapon or type of extraordinary power.
Effect
When you take this feat, select one weapon or attack type. Examples of attack types you include fire, cold, lightning, acid, poison, entropy, creation, and force - though this list is not exhaustive.
If you choose a weapon, the weapon’s range is increased to the next greater range increment. Close Ranged becomes Short, Short becomes Medium, Medium becomes Long, Long becomes Extreme, and Extreme becomes 500’.
If you chose an attack type, your attack range for that attribute is doubled.
Special
You may take this feat multiple times. If you do, select a new weapon or attack type each time.
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@brianfeister, I think it makes sense to combine them, and I really like the banner Longshot. It’s a better description for what it does. This is mechanically more streamlined than my suggestion. I don’t know that I would consider 2 points to be “quite expensive,” though.
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Seems pretty straightforward. I would tend to agree with @Carl in that 2 feat points doesnt seem that expensive. Although…is that because I have created so many level 1’s that 6 feat points seems to be the norm?
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