From the glossary of Desert Skiff, which I assume would be similar:

I would say no, they are not "on the board" until after the save has been rolled.

The text of Large Transport:

It appears they are generically "off-board" until after the saves have been rolled.

Help us rules guy, you're our only hope.

the rules for when a transport is defeated are;

if the skiff dies,
then, make save 11 for each transported character embarked on the transport.
if success, place in squares formerly occupied by the skiff.

if fail, then defeated too. (Avoid Defeat then triggers, Force Spirit etc)

if there are ever somehow more characters than squares, say some rakghoul or possessed ewok with an SA "when defeated, this character is replaced by 2 of the same", then place radially adjacent to those squares,
filling the squares occupied by the skiff first.

---

I use a colored base token to remove the skiff but remember where it was.
a laminated fluro pink, yellow or green token, to be precise
the skiff itself has been definitely defeated, to quote George Costanza - "It's outta there, Jerry!"
we're just seeing who died in the wreckage and who didn't

as to your avoid defeat and swap hypotheticals;
firstly, awesome. that's some real outta-the-box thinking there!

secondly, yes, avoid defeat works whenever someone is defeated.
same with force spirit etc...

thirdly, if you swap from embarked on a skiff or transport... I'd house rule you can,
provided there's enough space and the swap satisfices the terms of transport.
you can't swap out when the transport is defeated - it's contingent on the swap-CE character to have ended their activation,
and they can't activate while embarked on a transport.
otherwise, you can't if the transported piece is considered "removed from play" they're not there to be target-able for the ability.
or, you swap a large or colossal onto a transport with 5 other pieces on board hehe.
Transport and Staggered Activation are untested/underdeveloped aspects of SWMinis.

fourth - do they count as on the board, if the transport has been defeated and they make their save?
Yes, they are immediately back on the board,
as of making that save, same as if they disembarked the skiff/transport.
I believe they do not count as activated either... so, it can be a fortuitous transport accident in Cart Chariot squads hehe.
so, all the SA's, CE's and ForcePowers that apply would.
such as, superstealth, avoid defeat, shields all that kinda wonderful guff.

fifthly - if my attack from a double or triple attack, rolling cleave, double claw attack etc, destroys a transport,
do the passengers who survive now become new legal targets?
yup. they are now new targets to attack! but, you can't get AoO on the passengers from a destroyed transport if they move out of adjacent due to being radially placed to 'occupy where the transport formerly was'.
things like Crowd Fighting etc may now also apply...

sixthly - if the transport is over a pit when it is defeated,
what is the point of even rolling for save?
do the passengers all auto-die, if a transport character with flight is defeated whilst over a pit.
Yes, they're autodefeated if the transport is wholly over a pit when defeated...
however, if its partial or there's somehow more characters than the spaces would provide... then, some might survive, to be placed near the pit.
it's unclear what happens if the embarked characters have flight when the transport is defeated over a pit...
I'd house rule if, they have flight, and they survive, then they may be placed in a pit until their next activation.
if you could somehow keep them activated there, and your opponent only had melee, that'd be a stalemate hehe.

seventhly -
let's say I put old' kenobi and QuiGon on a death-chariot... and, shock-horror, the chariot dies...
can I voluntarily fail the save/ omit to make a save for them, to pocket the sweet Force Spirit spook?
No. You cannot voluntarily omit or fail a save. so, make sure your transport is wholly over a pit when it's defeated.
that way, they're auto-dead, as they don't have flight.

My questions are split, so if I combined them I am sorry. The question is.

1. Is the Barada Skiff considered defeated, and REMOVED from the game, BEFORE or AFTER my transported characters make their saves. The reason I ask, is b/c the Skiff negates SA/FP/CE, and everything, so if they ARE still on the Skiff, then they could not reroll with Leia, they would not get Survival Expert, and you could not use a FP to reroll. But if the SKiff IS removed, then ANYTHING is fair game as far as FP/CE/SA.

2. If I have Watto, and I slave Collar a Dark Hellion on Swoop Bike, then I Beast master it with Tott Doneeta, and I mount the Swoop Bike with Darth Revan, Sith Lord, At the end of Darth Revan, SL's turn, when I swap, would the character I swap in come in on the Swoop bike? Assuming the Bike is still alive and well? Or would they come in adjacent to the Swoop Bike?

*Credit question 2 to Death's Baine.

To me this means they are "on" the skiff until they save.

However, with this game, sometimes the cards and glossary reading is not sufficient and an expert is tapped to interpret interactions. Game is just too complex.

See, 2 separate opinions on an ability, and no one knows the interaction. Can we get an OFFICIAL Rules guru to answer this question please?

And the question about Revan Swapping while Mounting someone ( )

Revan's CE states "exchange positions" (no mention of the square the character is in), so as long as you can count the range on or off the battle grid would not matter.

I thought so as well, just wanted to make sure tho.

From the FAQ: (Desert Skiff)



Large Transport differs significantly from Desert Skiff, but Embarking/Disembarking and the defeat resolution mechanic are the same.

Transported characters can spend Force Points and use Force powers, but those are heavily limited due to the clauses of not counting range from the transport and not counting as adjacent to it.

Death shots would not be possible, for example, as CEs are suppressed, and even so there is no way to determine legal targets at the point when they would trigger.

NO, and NO.

Force abilities (think Bastila) are not the same thing as Force powers. Force renewal works, and spending Force to reroll the defeat save is allowed. This is by design.

You bring up an interesting point about the Sith Pawn. I believe a Sith Recruit that is NOT being transported could be sacked to reroll a defeat save.

Juice Man posted the relevant parts from Resolving Effects above.
The characters make their saves. If not defeated, they are placed adjacent to the transport. All that must be fully resolved before removing the transport, and until that happens, all the restrictions remain in effect.