Alteration to Maneuver rules

[Donny Brook]

I think there should be a 'Move and Ready' maneuver. After all, who can't pull something from their pocket while they're walking? I think a new mechanic for this might involve either the risk of dropping the item, or requiring a small reduction of distance travelled.

What do others think?

[VIVIT]

The Ready maneuver already allows a Step. If you want to pull something out of your pocket while walking, do that. A Move maneuver isn't walking—it's running. I can maybe see a cinematic gun-fu master reloading while running at full speed like Doomguy after firing an SSG, but that should be a special option provided by an advantage of some kind—it's not worth adding an entirely new maneuver.

Personally, I question whether even the Move and Attack maneuver should exist. Because, of course, it's not just a move and an attack: it's a move, an attack, and unpenalized active defenses (except for parry, for some reason—presumably this is a half-formed version of the defense restrictions on Committed Attack). I feel like M&A should be either subsumed under AOA (which Martial Arts already lets you do for slams), or else, again, be a special option that costs points.

[JulianLW]

There's also the Fast-Draw skill.

[Þorkell]

Great poll BTW that doesn't allow for the opinion that the maneuver isn't necessary.

[RGTraynor]

Originally Posted by VIVIT

Personally, I question whether even the Move and Attack maneuver should exist. Because, of course, it's not just a move and an attack: it's a move, an attack, and unpenalized active defenses (except for parry, for some reason—presumably this is a half-formed version of the defense restrictions on Committed Attack).

Nah. You see this in sport fighting, SCA, boffer combat and the like all the time. It is entirely possible to slowly advance, swing and keep defenses up.

[Pursuivant]

It's not a bad idea.

As long as they've already got their weapon out, it's instinctive for fighters to ready their weapons just prior to attacking even when they're moving at speed. Realistically, you might be able to do so so by sacrificing a hex (or ~1/5 Move for the turn) by doing so while taking a Move maneuver. Treat it as an option to the Move maneuver.

Drawing a weapon from a sheath or holster will slow you down, but you should be free to Ready and Step prior to going to full Move (e.g., "fix bayonets and charge"). That's straight RAW.

If you do it the other way (charge, then try to fix bayonet or draw your sword) you're doing it wrong, although a truly merciful GM might allow a Fast-Draw skill roll at a penalty to get your holstered/sheathed weapon out while you're moving at a dead run.

If you're toting a weapon which normally takes multiple turns to ready, you should be assumed to be carrying "partially readied" while you're moving, allowing you to ready it in just one turn once you slow down. You've got your bayonet fixed, or your pike pointed in the right direction, you just need to get the pointy bit aimed directly at your enemy as you make contact.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by VIVIT

Personally, I question whether even the Move and Attack maneuver should exist.

It's a bit cinematic, but it's the only way you can model the first attack once you make contact at the end of a charge.

Crazed polearm guy charges across open ground to close the range with bow and shortsword guy. CPG is moving at speed so he's not going to be able to fully stop once he gets in range, but he's fully aware of what his foe is about to do to him once he's in melee range and should be able to defend.

[Kallatari]

My Houserules include Move and Ready, with rules similar to Move and Attack. The existence of such a maneuver is just as justifiable as Move and Attack.

If the Ready action normal requires a skill roll, the skill will be at -4 and have a maximum cap of 9 (i.e., lower final effective skill to 9 if it's greater than 9). If the Ready action doesn't normally require a skill roll, then you must now make a DX roll, with no special modifier and no cap, for it to work. Failure of the roll means the Ready action fails... but at least you still get to Move.

You are allowed to Dodge - i.e., considered part of your moving - or Block - i.e., considered to be simply holding your shield in front of you as you move - but you cannot Parry as you're focused on your Ready action and not the weapon in your hand.

Getting into even more advanced houserules, I also throw in a situational awareness modifier of -4 to notice/interact with anything not directly related to your Ready action. I apply the same modifier to Move and Attack, giving a -4 to notice/interact with anything that isn't the subject of your attack/area of attack zone.

(I likewise have a Move and Concentrate, with the exact same rules (-4 and cap of 9 to normal skill, or IQ roll if skill roll not normally required, -4 to notice/interact with anything else) plus you also have to make a Will -3 roll on top of that on the concentration automatically fails; the same Will -3 roll as if your Concentrate had been interfered with by grappling, damage, dodging, etc.)

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Kallatari

Getting into even more advanced houserules, I also throw in a situational awareness modifier of -4 to notice/interact with anything not directly related to your Ready action. I apply the same modifier to Move and Attack, giving a -4 to notice/interact with anything that isn't the subject of your attack/area of attack zone.

Good rule if you want to be ultrarealistic and are using abstract combat.

If you're using Tactical Combat, you could rule that everyone in combat gets Restricted Peripheral Vision (or otherwise gets their field of view reduced by one increment from 360* Vision to Tunnel Vision) unless they have Combat Reflexes. That models the tendency for people in combat to "fixate" on things directly in front of them.

[mburr0003]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

What do others think?

I allow Ready in place of Attack... so... I already have it.