10-27-2017, 11:28 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Rules question: Move-and-Attack
Move-and-Attack say that your adjusted skill cannot be higher then 9.
Is that after all modifiers have been added? That is after everything is said and done 9 is the highest you can get? Or is it rather that your current value of the attack stat plus all static modifiers -4 (for melee attacks) is caped at 9, which is then the basis for any further (situational/temporary) modifiers like hit location penalties? If it is the former I would see no reason not to use any points in excess of 9 to funel into deceptive attack, hit loction etc. which would go against the "poorly aimed" description of the maneuver. |
10-27-2017, 11:39 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
As far as I'm aware, the cap takes place after all modifiers have been applied.
You are correct about the possibility of "using up" skill levels in excess of 9 on things like Deceptive Attack, etc. but also keep in mind those should have their own minimum acceptable skill levels enforced to keep this kind of tactic limited to appropriately skilled combatants.
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- Danny |
10-27-2017, 11:46 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Southern New Hampshire
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
Just for clarity, that -4 with a max of 9 is for melee attacks. For ranged attacks it's -2 or the bulk of the weapon whichever is worse.
The wording from the book for the melee part is... Quote:
And that makes the most sense to me anyway. Example situation: Swordsman A has a broadsword skill of 19, and he's making a "move and attack" at Target B. He chooses to swing at the neck for the -5 penalty. The way I read the official rules, 19 - 4 = 15, but that's too high for the Move and Attack, so his effective skill is 9. He's swinging at the neck, so his current effective skill is 4. To do it the other way, and apply penalties before the max allowed level, it would be 19 - 9 (the -4 and the -5 for the neck), for a result of 10. Still too high for the max, so his effective skill is 9. In that case he'd have the same chance to hit the torso as the neck with a move and attack, which doesn't make sense to me. |
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10-27-2017, 11:52 AM | #4 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
Aren't wild swings always against random locations, or was that a 3e rule?
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10-27-2017, 11:58 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Southern New Hampshire
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
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10-27-2017, 12:10 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
Ok, I gather that this is an at least somewhat unclear part of the rules, and something that is often subject to individual GMs rulings.
A Wild Swing is an attack option that you can choose in place of specifying a hit location. And some forms of attacks default to Wild Swings (like Back Attacks). Good catch on the fact that the cap of 9 only applies to melee attacks. This cerainly helps to faciliate the "nimble and mobile ranged fighter" archetype. |
10-27-2017, 12:26 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
Quote:
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10-27-2017, 12:38 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
Not so unclear, I don't think.
The text for Move and Attack uses the phrase "adjusted skill", not "effective skill", but it seems that this is a synonym for effective skill -- that is, skill after all modifiers have been added. The summary of melee modifiers on B547 reads " If any modifier marked with an asterisk (*) applies, adjusted skill after all modifiers cannot exceed 9." (Move and Attack is one of the few marked modifiers, along with total darkness.) The intro to the section says "figure your effective skill by... Applying the relevant conditional modifiers below...", which is why I say "effective" and "adjusted" seem to be synonyms. In this post, Kromm implies that other modifiers like hit location come before the cap of 9 is applied (as the B547 text says). Higher skill does let you get away with more during a Move and Attack, like targeted locations, even though it doesn't raise your chance of a hit of some sort. Martial Arts seems pretty clear: Quote:
Of course, some people simply don't like that cap, and so change it for their games. Some genres also might call for highly mobile flyby attacks, and so you might ignore the rule for your wuxia combats. Last edited by Anaraxes; 10-27-2017 at 12:42 PM. |
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10-27-2017, 01:34 PM | #9 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
So you somehow make an active defense, then Move and Attack and then exploit the vulnerability caused by the attack you defended against? Yeah that isn't going to happen very often but sure, if it somehow does, go ahead.
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10-27-2017, 01:44 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Rules question: Move-and-Attack
I read it as a final cap of 9, applied after all other modifiers.
One of my smarter players picked up on this and piled on the Deceptive Attacks to take his pre-capped skill down to either 9 or 10. So now the group uses it as standard if charging into combat, which I'm fine with. They still hit less than half the time so a Move-and-Attack is way worse than an Attack. Last edited by mr beer; 10-27-2017 at 01:47 PM. |
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