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Old 07-09-2017, 08:55 PM   #1
lachimba
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Default Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

Because I know it will come up, what happens when:

A cone attack hits a PC and they want to block with their (large) shield?

An explosion attack hits the PC and they want to block with their (large) shield?

A very large melee weapon hits the PC and they want to block with their (large) shield?
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Old 07-09-2017, 09:01 PM   #2
simply Nathan
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

Quote:
Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
A cone attack hits a PC and they want to block with their (large) shield?
Pretty sure cones are area attacks, which cannot be blocked or parried.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
An explosion attack hits the PC and they want to block with their (large) shield?
Take a Ready maneuver or several to kneel behind the shield and use it as Cover DR, not a block. Because you can't block an area effect.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
A very large melee weapon hits the PC and they want to block with their (large) shield?
The attack gets blocked. If you use the optional damage to shields rule, the shield might be damaged or destroyed and the arm underneath might take some damage too.
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Old 07-09-2017, 09:12 PM   #3
lachimba
 
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

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Originally Posted by simply Nathan View Post
Pretty sure cones are area attacks, which cannot be blocked or parried.
.
The player seems to believe that standing behind a (large) shield is equivalent to standing behind cover. I am unable to disuade them of this notion as it kind of makes sense to me

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Originally Posted by simply Nathan View Post
Pretty sure cones are area attacks, which cannot be blocked or parried.
.
The knight ducking behind a shield to avoid dragon breath is in so many pictures it seems to make sense as an option

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Originally Posted by simply Nathan View Post

The attack gets blocked. If you use the optional damage to shields rule, the shield might be damaged or destroyed and the arm underneath might take some damage too.

You can't though block a speeding car with a shield in real life. I am talking about a massive weapon for a giant.

I suppose resolving the damage and knockback might make some sense, but a bit of damage to the arm seems dubious when you are hit by a two handed sword for a ST40+ giant.

I am also a bit unclear of when a shield take damage. Is it every block? or just where the DB makes the difference.
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Old 07-09-2017, 09:37 PM   #4
simply Nathan
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

Quote:
Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
The player seems to believe that standing behind a (large) shield is equivalent to standing behind cover. I am unable to disuade them of this notion as it kind of makes sense to me
Quote:
Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
The knight ducking behind a shield to avoid dragon breath is in so many pictures it seems to make sense as an option
The large shield doesn't completely cover you, it covers more like from your knees to your chest. So you kneel behind it and use it as Cover DR instead of as a Block.

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Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
You can't though block a speeding car with a shield in real life. I am talking about a massive weapon for a giant.
If you're using breakable shields as a rule, then a shield can't block more than (HP+DR) damage, I'm pretty sure. It's just that from the Basic Set, this is almost always more than enough to stop any reasonable-sized muscle-powered attack.

If an attack does enough damage to destroy the shield outright, the first thing that gets hurt is the arm using the shield and you can use Overpenetration rules to see where it goes from there.

And a lot of attacks are simply marked as "Cannot be Blocked or Parried", so you can neither block them nor parry them.

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Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
I am also a bit unclear of when a shield take damage. Is it every block? or just where the DB makes the difference.
Only when DB makes the difference, or when it's being used as Cover (since passive environmental fixtures always take damage).
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Old 07-09-2017, 10:02 PM   #5
Ulzgoroth
 
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

I don't believe they ever bothered to actually publish rules for using a shield as cover, unfortunately.

But yes, it's logically possible with a large enough shield and the right positioning.
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Old 07-09-2017, 10:27 PM   #6
lachimba
 
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

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Originally Posted by simply Nathan View Post
The large shield doesn't completely cover you, it covers more like from your knees to your chest. So you kneel behind it and use it as Cover DR instead of as a Block.
Only you cant kneel you can only dodge and drop....

So is dropping to your knees an dodge and drop and the shield takes the damage?
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Old 07-09-2017, 10:30 PM   #7
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

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Only you cant kneel you can only dodge and drop....

So is dropping to your knees an dodge and drop and the shield takes the damage?
Taking cover behind a shield as an active defense is asking for more than just taking cover behind the shield.
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Old 07-10-2017, 12:07 AM   #8
simply Nathan
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

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Originally Posted by lachimba View Post
Only you cant kneel you can only dodge and drop....

So is dropping to your knees an dodge and drop and the shield takes the damage?
No, you aren't doing it in Active Defense timeframe, you're seeing the dragon telegraph his flame breath several turns ahead of time and setting up behind your shield accordingly over multiple turns of your own.
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Old 07-10-2017, 12:43 AM   #9
lachimba
 
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

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No, you aren't doing it in Active Defense timeframe, you're seeing the dragon telegraph his flame breath several turns ahead of time and setting up behind your shield accordingly over multiple turns of your own.
Thanks thats a pretty good explanation.

Perhaps I should just give PCs that one second notice so they feel like they have some agency.
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Old 07-10-2017, 01:00 AM   #10
evileeyore
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Default Re: Shields, explosions, area effects, cones and large area attacks

I allow a Dodge and Drop and a Block (and foregoing any further defenses for the turn), and if both are successful then the Character managed to position themselves behind their shield to protect against non-explosive 'expanding' Area attacks.
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