Re: Indy vrs the swordsman (was Re: My AP problems) from Roderick and Ellen Robertson on 2000-06-01 (HeroQuest-Rules)

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2000 09:38:38 -0700

> > If Arab is first actor, he tries the Flashy sword play, then switches to
> > sword. APs are Indy 6, Arab 17. Indy can at most gamble 6 APs per bullet
> > shot (switching action), whereas the Arab with his sword can gamble 17.
Even
> > if the Arab hands over APs on the first encounter, unless he hands over
> > *lots* allowing Indy to make his bullets worth more than 6, the odds are
> > still that he'll win it.
>
> This isn't the case. You are not required to defend with the same skill
> as the attacker. Indy could defend with any ability that he felt was
> appropriate/advantagous, subject to improvisation modifiers.

This scene could be played out a couple of ways:

Indy is running, the crowd parts, there is the Swordsman.

Option 1:
Narrator to Swordsman: "There he is, the guy you're supposed to take down. he looks kind of winded. You're the actor, what do you do?" Swordsman: "I augment my Close combat with "Flashy Swordplay" Narrator: Okay, that was an unrelated action, so it's over to Indy. He shoots you"

Option 2
Narrator to Swordsman: "There he is, the guy you're supposed to take down. he looks kind of winded. You're the actor, what do you do?" Swordsman: " I try to overawe him with my flashy swordwork" Narrator: "He defends with 'Seen it all before'" <rolls, tie> "no effect. He pulls out a gun and shoots you"

Option 3:
Narrator to Indy: "You see a huge guy, with a huge sword. he's grinning & swinging it around like crazy - very flashy. What do you do, you're the Actor here"
Indy: "To hell with this, I shoot him"

You'll notice that even if the Swordsman is the first Actor, he did *not* attack with Close combat. He might have tried a "presence attack" (as they say in Champions), or an augmentaion (unrelated action), but he didn't close with Indy and try to take his head off. Even if he had charged with the intent of hitting Indy, I might let Indy get off a shot in "defense" using his missile combat (pistol) ability.