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Old 03-10-2018, 08:51 PM   #8
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Default Re: Rule for High Attack and Defense???

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hrothgar Rannúlfr View Post
I thought that I had read, somewhere, that there was a way to effectively reduce two combatants' skill when both had high attack v defense, but I am having trouble finding it.
As of GURPS 4e, handling high combat skill levels is done right: it's a normal part of the rules, using Deceptive Attack and/or Feint to "beat down" high defense. It's a good thing that a Parry-16 (or whatever) fighter who's ready, unhindered, and facing a generic attack once per turn is essentially untouchable; foes should have to use some tactic to get by his defense (Feint, Deceptive Attack, swarm attacks, multiple attacks, missile attacks, summon Cthulhu attacks, etc. etc.). No artificial adjustments needed!

I think what you have in mind are rules referring to Regular Contests that never get resolved because both sides keep making the roll (or both keep failing it). Some artificial adjustment may be needed here. (Not so with Quick Contests, where margin of success/failure always resolves things.)

I think the most important use for artificial adjustment of Contests has always been Contests of ST. These, unfortunately, can be considered "broken" even in 4e; they would ideally determine outcomes from the relative difference in ST scores, but instead do so based on the absolute difference. An artificial adjustment can fix this – i.e., taking ST 1 vs 2, ST 10 vs 20, and ST 50 vs 100, and treating all of those equally (and properly) as ST 10 vs 20.

(That said, most Contests of ST take place down around human ranges anyway, and if you just let a typical Contest (ST 8 vs 12, ST 14 vs 21, whatever) take place without adjustments, chances are no one will complain...)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stripe View Post
...an all-animal campaign (e.g., Bunnies & Boroughs).
A certain Bugs B., cotton-tailed native of Brooklyn, would love to see that game. : )
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