09-17-2020, 12:53 AM | #11 |
Join Date: Nov 2016
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
If you are in reach, it's valid. It's also valid if you have enough SM to reach the gun with a "natural weapon".
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09-17-2020, 07:58 AM | #12 |
Join Date: Jun 2016
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
You could also use a slam to knock them prone. No move and attack penalty or skill cap for slams.
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09-17-2020, 08:40 AM | #13 | ||
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
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See the Quick-Shooting Bows section in Martial Arts (pp. 119-120) for the full rules. |
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09-17-2020, 09:31 AM | #14 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Cambridge, MA
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
Without any fancy options or Martial Arts rules, the swordsman should simply use Move, rather than Move and Attack, to charge into the archer's hex. Now the archer has no option to retreat, as there was no attack. The archer can step out of close combat to shoot, but then he is within parry range of the sword. Or the archer can try shooting in close combat, but he will suffer Bulk penalties.
Maybe the archer's best move is to do Move and Attack, but he will suffer Bulk penalties, and he can't do that on the turns he is busy nocking. Swordsman vs. archer, given equal skill levels and an infinite featureless plain, is not a sure win for either side, which fits well with my intuition. Give the swordsman a shield or a more enclosed space, and he's at a strong advantage, which also fits my intuition. Retreats are hard to get used to, but once you play with them for a while, fewer weird things happen than you might expect. They add a lot more movement and versatility (and potentially weird situations) if you allow Extra Effort (Giant Step) and/or have characters with Move 11+ (which gives step and retreat lengths of 2 yards or more). |
09-17-2020, 04:09 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
The main advantage for archers is that they can attack at distance. If they let melee fighters get close to them, they are often better off switching to a melee weapon than trying to attack with the bow (unless they are Heroic Archers). A really good archer should be able to disable most melee fighters though before they get close.
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09-17-2020, 04:35 PM | #16 | |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ottawa, Canada
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
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09-17-2020, 10:09 PM | #17 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Denver, CO
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
Yes, I believe you have the idea correct, but there are several things the swordsman can do.
My first idea would be to drop a fatigue on extra effort: Mighty Blows (B357). This mimics AoA: Strong (B365) without the defense penalty. This, in turn, allows for half movement. In this method, it's tiring to chase down the archer AND swing at him. Not actually that much of a problem. Idea 2: One good AoA targeting the bow would probably end the problem and is a pretty realistic solution. Weapon is normally a -2 to target. I'd probably go for -4 to target a bowstring with a swinging weapon because it's pretty easy to tell where they are. On an AoA: Determined you're at no penalty and can still take half your move forward. For extra caution, use fatigue instead of AoA. Idea 3: trip attack or tackle I'm no expert at the grappling rules, but typically if the little guy is dancing around the big guy plinking at him, he gets jumped on. |
09-17-2020, 10:42 PM | #18 | ||
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
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This works, though if you can successfully land a hit hitting the archer with your sword may be more effective - getting hit with a sword is often a pretty severe impediment to further effective fighting.
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09-18-2020, 12:27 AM | #19 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
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09-18-2020, 05:31 AM | #20 | |
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
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Re: Issues with Retreating Dodge
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1). the archer was obviously able to constantly move backwards without worrying about what's behind them or running out of space until they had pin-cushioned the broadsword to death. Not every combat scenario will be like that. 2). I'm assuming the archer had all his ready actions sorted out? In Basic bows have a ROF of 1(2) meaning you need 2 ready actions between attacking. One to retrieve the arrow from a quiver etc one to load and ready the bow. I think all the rules for making these two ready actions instant are in basic thus allowing for an arrow to be fired every turn, but they're going to making 1 or 2 DX rolls each time to do it and unless they lots of points in DX to do it off default, points spent in relevent fast draw skills? (there are more rules that affect this in other books) 3). If the Broadsword is going to close the distance quickly he may as well commit with an AoA, or use a slam with Move and attack. Both reduce the penalties or limitations of closing the distance. 4). Shields, if broadsword has a shield he can slam better and block 5), Distance, if Broadsword timed his Move and attack to only just put them 1 hex away from the Archer, it's a gamble. If they choose their moves so that they still has a hex's worth of Mv left than they can use it follow up. The text for Move and Attack on pg365 specifically says the attack can be made during or after the Move. Some GM's might not allow any unspent Mv to be used in response to a retreat changing the initial situation. But given all this is supposed to be continuous action, not IGOUGO even if that's how it is played out at the table, I would allow it. (IIRC Kromm has said that unused steps can be used to follow up retreating combatants. This isn't exactly the same but IMO close enough as it demonstrates responding to a retreat with unspent Mv) There are more options for the broadsword in other books, (committed attack with two steps, AoA Long etc) but that's other books.
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Grand High* Poobah of the Cult of Stat Normalisation. *not too high of course Last edited by Tomsdad; 09-18-2020 at 07:08 AM. |
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