Evade Technique?

[Cassandra]

Is it possible to base techniques on attributes instead of skills? What I want is a technique for evading opponents (B368) when you run past them. I think it should be a hard technique, but based on DX alone, not on any skill. Max should maybe be DX+5, since normally you get -5 to evade someone standing up. This wouldn't affect dodge at all.

Does this sound right?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Cassandra

Is it possible to base techniques on attributes instead of skills?

This is the easy part. yes, techniques can be absed on Attributes. Neck Snap is a simple examaple, it's based on ST rather than any Skill. There are other ST-based techniques in MA.

Evading is not so obvious. I think I might recall soemthing about Evade for acrobatics in MA but do not ahve the time right now to look it up.

Fred Brackin

[Extrarius]

Do you have GURPS Martial Arts? It has both techniques based on attributes and a technique design system to help you decide on appropriate penalties.

[Cassandra]

I don't have Martial Arts (yet?). I need to make this character ready tonight, because we're going to one of our players summer cabin tomorrow, and I have to have the characters ready for the one-shot I'm going to run. A rogue-type character needs this to quickly move past enemy lines for backstabbing.

Could someone give me a guideline how to make this technique? Should the default be something else than DX? Why?

[Kromm]

Since it's short, consider this a free preview:

Evade

Average

Defaults: Acrobatics or Judo.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Judo; cannot exceed prerequisite skill+5.

This technique represents training at avoiding opponents who wish to obstruct your movement. Evade (Acrobatics) lets you flip over, tumble under, or twist around your foe, while Evade (Judo) allows you to ward off your enemy's hands as you run past. Either replaces DX when trying to evade (see Evading, p. B368). All normal penalties apply.

Martial Arts also suggests letting people use Jumping to evade, if they can actually jump high enough to clear their enemy. The Skill Adaptation perk would let you base Evade on something else, like Dancing.

A skill is needed because there are precisely two ways to evade somebody more effectively than simply running at him and praying that he doesn't catch you (probably with a weapon; see Martial Arts, p. 106). One is to roll under or jump over him, which is what Acrobatics and Jumping are for. The other is to engage him, disengage his hands as you move past, and spin out the other side, which clearly requires some skill at unarmed combat, in this case Judo.

I can't see a rogue lacking Acrobatics anyway, given that it's the basis for tumbling (Martial Arts, p. 106) and Acrobatic Dodge (p. B375), both of which are classic rogue moves in combat, and given that you need Acrobatics to avoid dying out of combat if you climb a lot, since it's a good way to reduce falling damage.

[Cassandra]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Since it's short, consider this a free preview

Thank you!!!

Inspired by this I will try and coerce my players to buy MA (we share the costs, and I can't afford buying all the books myself, since I'm Struggling [-10].)

;)

[yffub]

I would think a Sport default might make sense, too. Getting past defenders seems a typical use of tackle football, basketball, soccer, and other skills.

Or perhaps those are using a feint maneuver prior to attempting to evade? The old "fake left, go right" kind of thing.

[Gudiomen]

Originally Posted by yffub

I would think a Sport default might make sense, too. Getting past defenders seems a typical use of tackle football, basketball, soccer, and other skills.

In a sports situation, I'd agree. However, using it in combat can be very dangerous. Basketball evasions relly a lot in putting your back to the oponent and turning around him. If the oponent has a weapon of any sword, that's just insane. Bare in mind that in basketball you're not allowed to attack the other guy while he's doing this, but in a serious combat there are no such restrictions.

Or perhaps those are using a feint maneuver prior to attempting to evade? The old "fake left, go right" kind of thing.

I'd definately allow a feint to help out, probably by imposing the margin of sucess as a penalty to any DX contests or the like. Or, if I remember how Evade works correctly, giving half the margin of sucess as a bonus to evade (round down).

[Anaraxes]

in basketball you're not allowed to attack the other guy while he's doing this

Sure you are. It's just that the attack has to be bought with Limited Use (5 / game).

[Lord Carnifex]

I'd be comfortable replacing Judo with Sport (Gridiron Football) here, maybe with an additional penalty (-4?) to cover that in gridiron football, you just wind up tackled, not dead.