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Old 03-25-2011, 04:43 PM   #1
Gavinfoxx
 
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Default Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

Say you are using the "-4 to you for -2 to them" rule with Deceptive attacks. Can you BUY Deceptive Attack as a martial arts skill to buy off that -4 penalty? If so, how would one go about doing this? Would you have to write up the technique using custom rules?

If this is not allowed, why not? It seems to be a big omission!
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Old 03-25-2011, 04:47 PM   #2
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

It is specifically not allowed because the use of Deceptive Attack is the key mechanism by which high skill is leveraged. Once you get to fairly high skill levels, this technique would in effect simply be higher levels of the skill which cost far less. Instead of costing eight points per -1 to opponent's defences, you are paying 1 point.

If you desperately want a character to have something similar, use a system based on the Targeted Attack mechanism. Don't buy Deceptive Attack (Broadsword), buy Deceptive Attack ([Fast] Broadsword Thrust [High]) or something similar where it is specified what kind of Deceptive Attack it is, where the penalty is fixed and you only allow buying off half the penalty. To make this a meaningful limitation, I encourage having each attack be limited in terms of hit locations, positions or whether it can be used with multiple attacks.
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Old 03-25-2011, 05:20 PM   #3
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

A number of techniques in GURPS Martial Arts are implicitly this. Buying off the DA penalty for a specific situation (Riposte comes to mind). But there is no generic "buying off the DA penalty" technique.
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Old 03-25-2011, 05:58 PM   #4
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

On what page and book can I find a list of the major types of deceptive attacks?
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Old 03-25-2011, 06:00 PM   #5
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
On what page and book can I find a list of the major types of deceptive attacks?
Nowhere.

You'll have to do the work yourself if you want to make this option available in your campaigns.
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Old 03-25-2011, 06:29 PM   #6
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
On what page and book can I find a list of the major types of deceptive attacks?
Look up Counterattack (MA p.70), for a technique you can improve.

Riposte is an attack/defense option, not a technique, and can't be improved by itself (it's a type of Deceptive Attack) that I know off.

A Signature Move, can incorporate a deceptive attack in it's workings and shave off -1.
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Old 03-25-2011, 07:35 PM   #7
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
On what page and book can I find a list of the major types of deceptive attacks?
As I understand it, Deceptive Attack is a catch-all term for any of a possible infinite variety of clever ploys that inventive sapients might someday devise, including on the spur of the moment.

Accordingly, there is no set list, nor would it be fruitful for rules to have one, really. In regards to the OP, this is I think, also a good reason why there can't be a trained technique in a deceptive attack -- its not a part of weapon skill, it's an impromptu action involving interpersonal understanding. I might be inclined to give a bonus for Empathy.
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Old 03-25-2011, 07:41 PM   #8
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

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Originally Posted by Figleaf23 View Post
As I understand it, Deceptive Attack is a catch-all term for any of a possible infinite variety of clever ploys that inventive sapients might someday devise, including on the spur of the moment.
Or even sheer blinding speed, which I think is important to remember.
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Old 03-26-2011, 08:15 AM   #9
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gudiomen View Post
Look up Counterattack (MA p.70), for a technique you can improve.

Riposte is an attack/defense option, not a technique, and can't be improved by itself (it's a type of Deceptive Attack) that I know off.

A Signature Move, can incorporate a deceptive attack in it's workings and shave off -1.
Return Strike is one for flails.

That seems to be the big list as far as I can tell.
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Old 03-26-2011, 09:16 AM   #10
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Default Re: Can you buy off the Deceptive Attack penalty as a Technique?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gudiomen View Post
Riposte is an attack/defense option, not a technique, and can't be improved by itself (it's a type of Deceptive Attack) that I know off.
Though see Deceptive Parry in the Designer's Notes. It's kinda iffy for balance (which is why it wasn't included in the core book) but as a house rule, it's pretty nice.

And I think what Icelander is trying to say is that instead of buying off Deceptive Attack, you buy off, say, TA: Broadsword/Swing/Neck [6], which means you can hit the neck at no penalty. So, if your character had 18 skill, instead of losing -5 (dropping to 13) to hit the neck, you now lose nothing, and can afford to make, say, a -4 deceptive attack.
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