Either as a Skill in it's own right, or to augment Close Combat or Movement (or other appropriate reponses depending on the nature of the contest:-
GM: - The Guards are standing between you and the exit,with their
swords drawn
Player :- OK, I want to try and run past them, dodging their blows,
and escape. I'd like to use my "Run Fast 5W" augmented by my "Dodge
Blows 17"
)
> As a physical skill I was thinking of allowing it to be used as an
> augment in response to an attack, but augment increase target
> numbers and traditionally defences reduce target numbers... I know
> the end result is the same but it seems strange.
>
Hero Wars doesn't have Target Numbers in quite the same way though. If you are augmenting (eg) your Close Combat by dodging then you are increasing your chance of succesfully defending rather than reducing your opponents chance of sucessfully hitting you. (Which might be what you are saying, but I don't find it strange...)
> Can you implement a physical augment during someone elses action
> (when they attack you).
>
Probably not, in most circumstances, as Augmenting generally takes an unrelated action once the contest has started. (If you realise that you are not going to be able to hit them then you could augment rather than attack in order to better withstand their attack on you, of course).
As someone else suggested, you might allow an ability like "Tough" to be an "Automatic" augment that is always on
>If you have augmented during your action with Strong, to increase
>your attack, what is the point of doing the same with Dodge when you
>are attacked (assuming it only increases), or would it be more
>appropriate to say Strong cant be used when you defend... although
>are you defending or is it an exchange?). Strong wouldnt be
>appropriate if someone shot an arrow at you for eg... so do players
>have to be re-assessing their augments/target numbers with each
>action?
To sort of take this in reverse order - I wouldn't bother reassessing augments/skill ratings for each action unless there was a very clear change of circumstances that made the original rating untennable. (One contestant augmented with "Flickering Blade", and the other has now succeeded with an unrelated disarming or swordbreaking manouver). In the interests of minimal bookkeeping, and bearing in mind that each roll of the dice is more than just a single blow, I would tend to say that if you Augment your Close Combat before the contest starts with "Strong" or "Dodge" then that augmentation is effective for every use of that skill for the contest. (Of course I might decide to apply an "improvisational modifier" if an augment appeared totally out of place for the action described...) Otherwise you start to get to the stage of needing a separate rating depending on whether you are parrying with a weapon, a shield etc. etc. If you do this then you (probably) can't augment with both (one "Mundane" augment per skll) (I say probably because if you treat "Strong" as an "automatic" augment then you probably can still use another "mundane" augment).
I am sure, however that other people would be quite happy to apply seperate augments to "Offensive CC" and "Defensive CC" in which case augmenting the two separately shouldn't be a problem
> If you activated a feat, for eg "My Sword Attacks Mightily", would
> it be appropriate to say that augment is only good during your
> action, when you are attacking...
The way I work it is like this - If you use your Augment to increase your skill then that improved skill is used for both "attacking" and "defending". If you use it to apply an edge then that edge only takes effect on your actions (If it is an offensive edge) or your opponents actions (If it is a defensive edge).
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