Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [Martial Arts] Should a Beat prevent using a weapon to attack?

phayman53 · 08-23-2016, 10:30 AM

I was looking over the rules for Beats in Martial Arts, pg. 100-101 and I was wondering if they should be changed slightly. The RAW for the rules make it so that a successful Beat penalizes the defender's specific active defense with targeted defense by the same amount as the MoS of the attacker on the Beat quick contest, and against all attacks from anyone. I was wondering, though, since a beat works by occupying and bringing a weapon/shield/etc. off line, would it also not be realistic (and interesting), if the beat also penalized any attack with that weapon until the beat effect expires? If a weapon is so occupied that it cannot parry as well, it stands to reason that it also would not be able to attack as well either. This would also make beats more attractive since, unlike feints, they only target one active defense (though against all attackers), but in trade they could be a defensive move as well.

House Rule:

Beats also penalize attacks:

In addition to penalizing an active defense, any successful beat against a weapon or striker adds a penalty to the defender's attacks with that weapon or striker equal to the margin of success in the beat quick contest until the end of the next turn of the fighter who made the beat.

08-23-2016, 10:30 AM	#1
phayman53 Join Date: Dec 2012	[Martial Arts] Should a Beat prevent using a weapon to attack? I was looking over the rules for Beats in Martial Arts, pg. 100-101 and I was wondering if they should be changed slightly. The RAW for the rules make it so that a successful Beat penalizes the defender's specific active defense with targeted defense by the same amount as the MoS of the attacker on the Beat quick contest, and against all attacks from anyone. I was wondering, though, since a beat works by occupying and bringing a weapon/shield/etc. off line, would it also not be realistic (and interesting), if the beat also penalized any attack with that weapon until the beat effect expires? If a weapon is so occupied that it cannot parry as well, it stands to reason that it also would not be able to attack as well either. This would also make beats more attractive since, unlike feints, they only target one active defense (though against all attackers), but in trade they could be a defensive move as well. House Rule: Beats also penalize attacks: In addition to penalizing an active defense, any successful beat against a weapon or striker adds a penalty to the defender's attacks with that weapon or striker equal to the margin of success in the beat quick contest until the end of the next turn of the fighter who made the beat.