Just going off "Instead of making its normal attack or attacks, a character using this Force power can attack every legal target once." As far as grammer goes the key word is CAN. So I would have to say that being able to attack every legal target once is not the same as having to attack every legal target once. That is just from a grammer stand point and I can't say what the intent is or was for this force power.

actually i am not sure you can choose if i am thinking clearly and correctly you cant. Blaster Barrage, sweep, Various Light saber throws (3, 5), and Furious assault require you to attack every legal target. The can in the definition doesnt matter for that purpose



even in the case of strafe it says can but you do have to attack every target that you pass.

I thought with strafe you had either to strafe (and attack each target whose square you enter) or not strafe.

Strafe:
As this character moves, it can attack each enemy whose space it enters

BB:
a character using this Force power can attack every legal target once.

I would think that they work the same: "can" = "must".

Interesting, But it makes sense considering characters with Galloping attack don't have flight. they take a chance if they don't take out the selected character.

There are a couple of usages for can but they all have the same meaning, to indicate a right, privilege, ability, or power. This is both physical or mental such as the President can veto Congressional bills or I can carry the box for you. Having the ability to do something is not the same as having to do it. Police have the ability to ticket someone for speeding but they don't have to (warnings). Must would have been a better word to use in the place of can if the intent was to require a character to do something not a word that denotes having the ability to do something.

That being said if a precedent has been set saying that powers and abilities that are similar in wording such as LS 3/5 or Strafe require a specific out come then that overrides the text.

Well you are half right. The word can, does indeed mean these characters have the "ability to do X". In otherwords, a Lancer "can" strafe, Mara "can" blaster barrage and so forth. It denotes nothing about choice however in the SWMs context. You have to look beyond the axillary verb in each of these abilities to understand what is required to fulfill it. When a character strafes, they have the ability to "attack every character whose space they enter", the word can, denotes "has the ability to". In the case of gallop, a character has the ability to "attack every adjacent character as it moves" - the word can against denotes "has the ability to". The question of choice or no choice comes from the targeting rules generally speaking. Now, is this correct English use of the word? Almost. Here's a nice quote from dictionary.com which explains the common confusion that has happened with the WotC designer.


—Usage note
Can 1 and may 1 are frequently but not always interchangeable in senses indicating possibility: A power failure can (or may ) occur at any time. Despite the insistence by some, that can means only “to be able” and may means “to be permitted,” both are regularly used in seeking or granting permission: Can (or May ) I borrow your tape recorder? You can (or may ) use it tomorrow.

As you can see, they are used interchangeably, but they aren't necessarily the same thing. But common usage has removed that delineation from our common parlance, thus leading to confusion. My point is simple. Can generally means "has the ability to" in SWMs. You can either exact that statement, which came to us through Nickname from the designers or you can argue it. I'm simply telling you, that to follow the rules right, you will usually look at whether or not an attack is a targetted attack or not to determine if you have "choice", not by parsing the word "can" which is an ambiguous word anyways. Now, as it happens, Furious Assault and Blaster Barrage are two of the examples that actually break that general rule. But I believe it's because "can attack every legal target once" at the end of the phrase for BB. The "every legal target" is supposed to tell you that you "must".

all right so I am getting that it looks like you would have to target every legal target.
Time to dig out the x-1 and gungan shield bearers, woohoooo. take that Arica.

Hmm, yes, Force Powers would be the correct section to look in, wouldn't it?

I shall now go pick up the remaining pieces of my scattered brain, lol.

Thanks