Re: Feats, their description and use

From: flynnkd2 <flynnkd_at_...> <flynnkd_at_...>
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 22:08:31 -0000

> B:) In an extended contest if you do not use a feat as an augment
we
> allow you to use it as the ability you are making your bid with
i.e.
> I chop his shield away with my Shield Destroyer Feat bidding 20AP
> (precis for clarity). Now my opponent has to resist with an
> appropriate ability. The key for us is that we would not just
allow
> you to use Close Combat at no modifier (after all putting your
shield
> in the way is what you would normally do) Your default resistance
is
> 14, you might get CC at a penalty (-20; -40 if your a cruel GM
like
> Greg) or an appopriate affinity.

-20 is an extremely big modifier isnt it? (this would be a subject matter in itself)... CC shield use isnt about just putting your shield in the way, it is about angling and placement to block AND minimise the force of the blow... however you are attacking with a magical feat, so the choice of magic or CC is up to me I suppose... damn! :-)

In my game if I allowed that those with Shield Destroy would simply use it everytime because they know an opponent would be weak against it (except for those with Unbreakable Shield)... fair enough I suppose but...

>The advantage is that it forces your
> opponent to use a different defensive ability (an unbreakable
shield
> feat would be handy). The effect is AP loss or gain as with allo
> other elements of the contest. Don't add seperate simple contests
> uneccessarily.

I think I would prefer the simple contests, to dramatise the feat use...

>Sure I would only allow it if the opponent had a
> shield (and probably only allow it once just to avoid a contest
> getting dull fast).
>

Why only once? If it works once why cant they use it over and over? In fact if you opponent was vulnerable to such an attack it would make sense to push it?
Just trying to understand what you mean, I have seen a few comments where people have said they would allow something once but not again... if I tried that on my players they would get annoyed, if something works once why wont it work again? In the same combat, or the next combat? I know it isnt original to do the same thing over and over, but by what rule (other then being GM) can you say this to them?