ecently a topic came up for discussion at one of our Star Wars Roleplaiying Experience Events about how Range Upgrades in Force Powers actually work.  This was a result of players find the definition of Range Upgrades a bit confusing.  Legends of the Galaxy felt this topic was so divided in player’s points or view that it required a further Rules Clarification.

The Range Upgrade Definition:

Let’s start by understanding what a Range Upgrade is to a Force Power.  This will allow us to understand the confusion players are facing.

Definition:

Most Range Upgrades state that with a singleorforce pip used you can increase the starting range band of the base power by the total number of Range Upgrades the force power has.  

Furthermore, it states that you can activate this multiple times spending additionalorto extend this range beyond by 1 range band perorspent up to a maximum of Extreme Range.

The confusion with players:

Players often feel that when they have multiple range upgrades to their force powers they can use a singleorto affect a single item up to the total number of range bands increased per their Range Upgrades.  Then, if they activate Range Upgrade multiple times then they can double or even triple the total range distance.  They believe that if the Base Power starts at Short Range and they have 2 Range Upgrades a singleorallows them to affect a target at Long Range.  Which is true.

The confusion starts when I activate the Range Upgrade multiple times.  Players believed that the total number of Range Upgrades sets the limit on the range making the use of multiple times irrelevant.  Furthermore, players believe they can use the Range Upgrade multiple times to extend their force powers beyond Extreme range and into Starship Range bands.  Finally, players believe they need to use Range to affect targets at different range bands.  Players also seem to think at times you need to activate range for each target you wish to affect in addition to the original target when using Magnitude.  This is not true.

Breaking Down the Range Upgrade Ability:

To better understand how the Range Upgrade works on Force Powers we really need to start by breaking it down into its two parts, Range Upgrade Range Band Increase & Rage Upgrade Activate Multiple Times.

Range Upgrade Range Band Increase, Per Sam Stewart of FFG, when you activate the power with a singleoryou can activate it to the maximum number of Range Bands per the number of range upgrades you have for that power.  So if the base power is only effective at Short Range.  Then it would take 1 Range Upgrade to now affect an object or target starting at Medium Range.  Just as it would take 2 Range Upgrades to affect a target or object at Long Range.  So with the Range Band Upgrade you can now increase the single affected item at a starting range of Short then increase to Medium, Long, or Extreme Range based on the total number of Range Band Upgrades you possess.

Activate Range Upgrade Activated Multiple Times, Activating this ability multiple times will allow the Force User to spend additionalorto increase the range of their Force Power in increments set by the total number of Range Upgrades the character has. This can be used to extend your range beyond your natural Range limit is set by a singleorFor Example: if your base power starts being effective at Short Range and you have 1 Range Upgrade.  You can spend a singleorto affect a target at range of Medium.  Furthermore if you spend 2orto extend this to Long Range, or 3orto affect a target at Extreme range.  If a character had 2 Range Upgrades then with a singleor they can affect a target up to long range and 2orto affect a target at extreme range.  If the Force User has 3 Range Upgrades then it will always allow them to spend a singleorto interact with a target at extreme range.  Per page 216 of the Force and Destiny Core Rule book Extreme Range is the farthest range at which two targets can interact.  That means, (unless otherwise noted in the power description), that you cannot interact with your Force Powers have a limited range of Extreme Range.

Examples:

Below we will have a few case studies that will show you different ways the number of Range Upgrades can affect a target differently.

Case Study 1: 

In the Example Below we will discuss how Range affects the Misdirect Force Power use and how manyorit will cost you to affect the different Targets.  In this example we will assume the user has a Presence of 3, the Misdirect Base Power with 1 Range upgrade, and 1 Magnitude Upgrades.  Furthermore we will assume the base power has a starting range of Short.

Example 1: To affect either Target A or Target B it would cost you a single Oneorto affect one of the two targets.  This would be a use of the Base power only.

Example 2: To affect both targets A & B it would take you Twoor One to activate the base power and a second one to activate the magnitude power upgrade to affect the second target.  To do this you must have the Base Power plus 1 Magnitude Upgrade.  That means you did not use the Range Upgrade at all.

Example 3: To affect just Target C it would cost you TwoorOne to activate the base power and a second to activate the Range upgrade.

Example 4: To affect just Target D or E it would cost you ThreeorOne to activate the base power and a second to activate the Range upgrade, Finally a Third to extend your Range Upgrade to Long Range.

Example 5: To affect Targets A & C it would cost you Threeor One to activate the base power, a second one to activate magnitude allowing you to hit both targets, and a third to activate Range allowing you to hit both Targets A & C.

Example 6: To affect Targets A, C, and D it would cost you Fouror One to activate the base power, a second to activate magnitude affecting up to 3 targets per Misdirect, a third to activate Range once to hit C, and a Fourth to extend your Range to hit Target D.

Example 7: To affect all Targets on the Map, Targets A, B, C, D, & E it would cost you a grand total of FiveorOne to activate the base power, A second one to activate Magnitude which, in the case of misdirect, allows you to affect 3 of the targets as you have a Presence of 3.  A Third one to activate Magnitude a second time to affect the final two targets (plus 1 additional if there was a 6th target).  A Fourth to activate Range once to hit Target C at Medium range, a Fifth to extend your Range Upgrade a second time to hit D & E at Long Range.

Example 8: If there was a target at Extreme Range then you can you would need to have either Three ranks of Range Upgrade.  The cost to activate would only be a single or  or a single rank of Range Upgrade but with 3or to spend to further extend your range up to a maximum limit of extreme range.

Case Study 2: 

In the next series of Examples Below we will discuss how Range affects the Misdirect Force Power use and how manyorit will cost you to affect the different Targets.  In this example we will assume the user has a Presence of 3, the Misdirect Base Power with 2 Range upgrades, and 1 Magnitude Upgrades.  Furthermore we will assume the base power has a starting range of Short.

Example 9: To affect just Target C it would cost you TwoorOne to activate the base power and a second to activate the Range upgrade.

Example 10: To affect just Target D or E it would cost you TwoorOne to activate the base power and a second to activate the Range upgrade 2 the Force User is trained with.

Example 11: To affect just Targets D & E it would cost you ThreeorOne to activate the base power and a second to activate the Range upgrade 2 the Force User is trained with, and a third to activate magnitude.

Example 12: To affect Targets A & C it would cost you Threeor One to activate the base power, a second one to activate magnitude allowing you to hit both targets, and a third to activate Range allowing you to hit both Targets A & C.

Example 13: To affect Targets A, C, and D it would cost you Threeor One to activate the base power, a second to activate magnitude, a third to activate Range Upgrade starting at Long Range.  This allows you to hit C at Medium Range and hit Target D at Long range.

Example 14: To affect all Targets on the Map, Targets A, B, C, D, & E it would cost you a grand total of FourorOne to activate the base power, A second one to activate Magnitude which, in the case of misdirect, allows you to affect 3 of the targets as you have a Presence of 3.  A Third one to activate Magnitude a second time to affect the final two targets (Plus a third if there were a third per the misdirect power).  A Fourth to activate Range Upgrade at Long Range allowing you to hit both the Medium Range and Long Range targets.

Example 15:  There is a target beyond Extreme Range.  In this case you cannot use the Force Power as they are beyond the range in which you can interact with the target.