Parry or Block for someone else

[kdtipa]

I couldn't find this in older threads, and I don't remember this in the book (though it's possible I missed it): Is there an official way to handle someone blocking or parrying an attack aimed at someone else?

If you imagine three combatants standing in three hexes so they can all reach each other, and for the example, they each have a sword and a shield. Person A and Person B are on the same side, fighting against Person C. Person C manages to hinder Person A in some way that makes them an easier target, so on their turn, they attack Person A and Person A is in trouble.

Person B is close enough to reach the other two, and in real life, I can imagine Person B trying to parry the attack or get their shield in the way to protect Person A. It happens in movies and shows often enough for me to think it's worth considering for GURPS too.

Are there rules for that? Is it the case that if they're in reach, they can just make a normal block or parry for the person they're protecting? Maybe at a penalty (-2 or something)? Obviously it would count toward their defenses that round. Maybe even give them a penalty to defending themselves since they had to reach to protect someone else?

Do the rules change if the attacker is trying to attack through the defender's hex to a hex behind the defender?

I guess, failing official rules, has anyone put together house rules that have worked well?

[Þorkell]

I do believe the term you ought to be searching for is Sacrificial Dodge or Parry. Pretty sure it's somewhere in Martial Arts.

[weby]

Sacrificial Parry and Shield-Wall Training perks allow those. Both are at least in Powerups perks

[D10]

Originally Posted by weby

Sacrificial Parry and Shield-Wall Training perks allow those. Both are at least in Powerups perks

This. Altho only adjacent allies.

Arguably, its such a powerful and unusual hability that maybe a perk is underpricing it. According to Kromm if you feint someone or/and use deceptive, the one doing the sacrificial defense is unnafected.

[Expy]

The best that you get without diving into other rulebooks is Sacrificial Dodge, it's not written anywhere but I have ruled that succeeding by 3-DB lets the dodger interpose any shield as well.

[kdtipa]

Sacrificial Dodge
page 375
You can defend a friend by throwing yourself into the path of an attack against him. To do so, you must be close enough to interpose yourself between your friend and his attacker by taking a step. Announce this after the enemy makes his attack roll but before your friend attempts his defense roll.

Use the ordinary rules for a dodge, except that you cannot combine this with a retreat. If you succeed, you are hit by the attack. If you fail, you didn't move in time, but your friend still gets his normal defense roll. In either case, since you moved, you cannot retreat if you are attacked before your next turn.

I don't see any other rules pertaining to protecting other people with active defenses in that section about defending. And I'm happy to know about that... but what about using your sword to stop an attack from getting to your friend with a parry? Or sticking your shield in the way instead of your body?

I don't have a power-ups source. And I don't have the 4e martial arts book (though I will probably get that eventually).

Has anyone used house rules for this, and what were they?

[DeathDaisy]

Originally Posted by kdtipa

I don't see any other rules pertaining to protecting other people with active defenses in that section about defending. And I'm happy to know about that... but what about using your sword to stop an attack from getting to your friend with a parry? Or sticking your shield in the way instead of your body?

I don't have a power-ups source. And I don't have the 4e martial arts book (though I will probably get that eventually).

Has anyone used house rules for this, and what were they?

In very short strokes: The Sacrificial Parry perk lets you give up your own parry to parry for others within reach of your weapon. Shield-wall Training does the same for block; give up your own block to block for an ally beside you. I read beside as being on your shield-side, but I read a lot of things wrong, so do whatever. It also lets you ignore the -2 to attack when using a large shield.

[TruNightmare]

Sacrificial Dodge and Drop is in the 4e Base Set - Campaigns book, pg. 337.

I don't see anything about a Block version, but that's a pretty easy house rule to make. ;P

[D10]

Originally Posted by DeathDaisy

In very short strokes: The Sacrificial Parry perk lets you give up your own parry to parry for others within reach of your weapon. Shield-wall Training does the same for block; give up your own block to block for an ally beside you. I read beside as being on your shield-side, but I read a lot of things wrong, so do whatever. It also lets you ignore the -2 to attack when using a large shield.

You can block for anyone in your front hexes and also on the side hex of your shield, if you have the perk

You can parry any adjacent hex in which you would be able to parry (even behind you) if you could be able to parry that location, if you have the perk

Both perks exist in power ups 2

[ULFGARD]

Sacrificial Block is in DF 15: Henchmen, p. 21, under the listing for the Guard Template.