Hi folks,
Long-time fan, first-time poster.
I was reading through the technomancer Empowered Weapon magic hack (p.121), and noticed that it states "Until the start of your next turn, your attacks with the enhanced weapon gain a bonus."
The wording "attacks" was interesting to me it implies that it's possible for one activation of Empowered Weapon to apply to multiple attacks. Otherwise, Paizo would have said that Empowered Weapon applied only to your "next attack" (like in Supercharge Weapon (p.379)).
However, my understanding is that Empowered Weapon could only ever empower a single attack. Empowered Weapon takes up a move action, and only empowers attacks made before the start of the next round. This means that only a standard action remains in which to attack. So using Empowered Weapon necessarily prevents a full attack or an automatic attack, which appear to be the only ways to make multiple attacks with a weapon.
Even when combined with haste (p.358), Empowered Weapon still can't boost multiple attacks, because haste does not actually grant any kind of move action when making a full attack, but rather states that you are granted a "separate move action in order to move." So, it seems that you couldn't use the move action granted by haste in order to use Empowered Weapon, because the move action from haste is granted solely "in order to move."
I thought maybe this was intended to cover Blast weapons (p.180), because you make multiple attack rolls with a blast weapon, but the text of Empowered Weapon already carefully distinguishes between attacks and attack rolls, and it definitely refers to the possibility of "attacks" in plural.
Am I correct that Empowered Weapon can only boost a single attack? If so, why was Empowered Weapon phrased to refer to "attacks" instead of "your next attack?"
TLDR: Empowered Weapon says that when activated it applies to "attacks" made before the start of the next round, but a single activation of Empowered Weapon could never actually be applied to multiple attacks?
EDIT: It's for attacks of opportunity I guess? Never thought of that as I was so focused on Technomancers as being primarily ranged.
Yeah, AoO. Your edit got it. There's also the possibility of later releases having abilities that grant further attacks. So mild future-proofing.
The Envoy's "Improved Hurry" is an example, if used on the technomancer they'd be able to potentially have another standard action.
There's an Envoy ability can also grant a teammate an extra standard action, although I'm not sure how the timing works out.
Ah, that's it. Missed the interactions with other classes. Thanks to you both for the clarification on this one.
If you used this to Empower someone else's weapon, and said Soldier or Operative has triple- or quadrupal-attacks, it would presumably apply to all of them. Teamwork would maximize this ability, which is entirely within the Starfinder philosophy.
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If you used this to Empower someone else's weapon, and said Soldier or Operative has triple- or quadrupal-attacks, it would presumably apply to all of them. Teamwork would maximize this ability, which is entirely within the Starfinder philosophy.
Unfortunately it's a self-target ability. "A weapon you're weilding", and "your attacks" are explicit in its text. Otherwise that would be a devistating level 2 available combo.
The teamwork version of this for Technomancers is casting Supercharge Weapon on your buddy's weapon.
Hilariously, if you are a Mechanic/Technomancer (or Mechanic with Technomantic Dabbler), you could Supercharge your friend's weapon with a Standard action AND Overcharge it with a Move action. The "All your eggs in one basket" maneuver.