Quick Question: How Can I Parry Missile Spells?

[Raekai]

I've got a dragoon. He's very melee focused. No magic-stuff at all. Very unusual for me. I want him to be able to protect himself. Is there a way to deflect a fireball or lightning? If not, could someone come up with a quick fix? And no, I'd really like to stay away from DR, Wall Innate Attacks, and Magic Resistance.

Thanks!

[sir_pudding]

No reason why Parry Missile Weapons won't work, AFAICT. Make sure he has a fireproof weapon.

[Raekai]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

No reason why Parry Missile Weapons won't work, AFAICT. Make sure he has a fireproof weapon.

Yep. He's got a metal spear. Lightning is still gonna hurt a bit though. Heh.

[gilbertocarlos]

Dodge? With DX and HT 12 you get Dodge 9, +1 from combat reflexes, use acrobatic dodge and you're done, Dodge 12 in the first dodge, 10 in the others. If you are being attacked at distance, use All out defense, for another +2.

Are you using a spear that is entirely metal? why not use a wooden with a metal point? the wood will protect against lightning.

If you think it's a good idea, use a shield, if not, train the staff skill, and parry with it(of course, unless you have a perk, you will need a turn changing the position). Also, if possible, carry some ranged weapons, if an enemy aim at you, throw them, and he will either lose the aim or risk an attack.

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by Raekai

Yep. He's got a metal spear. Lightning is still gonna hurt a bit though. Heh.

It shouldn't. Unless the Lightening arbitrarily changes how it works to kill you, it will either be conducted along metal or not. If it is conducted you can add a lightening rod set up, if its not the lightening will be blocked as normal.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by gilbertocarlos

Dodge? With DX and HT 12 you get Dodge 9, +1 from combat reflexes, use acrobatic dodge and you're done, Dodge 12 in the first dodge, 10 in the others. If you are being attacked at distance, use All out defense, for another +2.

Are you using a spear that is entirely metal? why not use a wooden with a metal point? the wood will protect against lightning.

Don't forget you can expend an FP for a +2 to active defences.

It shouldn't. Unless the Lightening arbitrarily changes how it works to kill you, it will either be conducted along metal or not. If it is conducted you can add a lightening rod set up, if its not the lightening will be blocked as normal.

Um... Yes, it should.
A "lightning rod set up" requires the rod to be grounded on to the earth. I can't really see a fighter running arund & freely parrying with a spear while it's grounded to the earth.
If it's not grounded, as you pointed out it will travel down the metal shaft of the spear into the fighter, as normal. Not being blocked.

[Bruno]

We're already talking about someone throwing bolts of lightning here, which by the rules is NOT deflected around the target by conductive armour (which might as well be a faraday cage IRL). Instead, it super-penetrates conductive armour.

The only way this would work with any kind of science whatsoever is that the magic is making the path of least resistance from the source (the caster) to be through the air, all the way to the target, through the target, and into the ground. Probably by making the target temporarily a better source of "ground" than the ground is, then abating as soon as the charge hits them or is grounded by missing.

At which point hitting the metal weapon, even if it has a dragging grounding chain like a truck, still isn't going to ground safely around the wielder any more than it does around the wielder when hitting metal armour.

It's magical weaponized bolts of electricity.

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by Bruno

We're already talking about someone throwing bolts of lightning here, which by the rules is NOT deflected around the target by conductive armour (which might as well be a faraday cage IRL). Instead, it super-penetrates conductive armour.

Umm... what?

Originally Posted by da rulez

Lightning behaves unpredictably around conductors. A lightning bolt cannot be fired through a metal grid, between bars, from within a car, etc. – it jumps to the metal and is lost.

That would seem to imply the Faraday cage interpretation. Certainly if it hit a metal spear it would deflect away. (And possibly into his hands if he doesn't have any other metal armor.)

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Lamech

Umm... what?

The Lightning spell treats metal armour as having a max DR of 1.

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by Bruno

The Lightning spell treats metal armour as having a max DR of 1.

Huh. So it does. So if you are wearing it you get hit, but if its away from you (a car, grate, or bars) the lighting behaves as it should. Ish...

In that case, I say he can parry with a metal spear just fine. (Indeed better than fine, the lightning gets lost.