Re: Setting Spears

From: David Stephen Bell <davebell_at_...>
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 00:22:41 -0000

True - the balance of offence/defence is a nice mechanic. I'd forgotten that one.

> > Aren't the modifiers/edges the crux of the matter.
>
> I would say that AP are the crux of the matter, wouldn't you?

Yes, I was thinking of AP.

> So instead of allowing the defender to bid, too, you'd assign
a
> modifier/edge based on the defender's tactics? But how can you know
if a
> tactic is the right one before seeing if it works?

OTOH I'd still be applying edges/handicaps for the general situation (horseman vs infantry, horse's dislike of impaling injuries etc.).

> But what weight has this host of other described actions on
the story's
> development? It's up the attacker to determine how much either will
win or
> lose, while it seems to me that the opponent should have his say on
the
> matter.

But this is no different from RQ.
RQ3 - att> fails, def> succeeds; def> damages att> weapon. HW - att> fails, def> succeeds; att> loses AP. In either case the def> can affect the att>. In neither case does the def> have any real say on the matter. At worst HW is no worse than RQ3.

> Let's take an example. The actor declares to swing at his foe
with his
> broadsword. The opponent declares that he is going to parry with
his shield
> (elaborate at your leisure, my English isn't good enough to
improvise
> colorful descriptions).

Far better than most americans. Just joking people. :-)

>The same actor declares the same swing. The same
> opponent declares that he will lunge at his foe while he is opening
his
> guard to attack. The two situations seem to me very different, but
since the
> APs that are going to be lost/transferred are the same, the game
system does
> not tell the difference.

I agree that the system doesn't tell the difference, but the system is just the convoluted set of dice rolls used to back up the description of the action. Unless you design a rule for huge numbers of specific circumstances (a la AD£D) there are always going to be situations that involve different actions but are resolved with identical dice procedures.

As with any RPG you can focus your attention on the dice rolls and the system, or on the description of the action.

> > All IMHO of course.
>
> All IMVHO, of course! ;)

No I insist, IMVHO.

Dave Bell

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