Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > The Fantasy Trip

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-31-2021, 05:06 PM   #51
Shostak
 
Shostak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Quote:
Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip View Post
I like this.

"An invisible hand grabs attempts to snatch your weapon from your grip." This is going to be a surprise. So, I would do this in two stages: 1) may be disarmed due to getting caught off guard then 2) may be disarmed by being wrested by force.

Phase 1:
- if the weapon is one handed (wands-staffs, dagger-staffs, one-handed-club-staffs, and all normal 1 handed weapons): 3/DX save by the weapon holder
What if the TK snatcher is physically stronger than the person they are trying to disarm? Should that bump it up to 4d/DX?
__________________
* * * *
Anthony Shostak
myriangia.wordpress.com
Shostak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2021, 05:34 PM   #52
Axly Suregrip
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shostak View Post
What if the TK snatcher is physically stronger than the person they are trying to disarm? Should that bump it up to 4d/DX?
No, the DX save is just for catching him/her off guard. The ST difference will come in during phase 2.

BTW, phase 1 and 2 both happen in turn 1. If the TK caster persists, then only phase 2 in other turns.

So, the weapon hold may have to make two saves in the first turn. A bit unusual to do it this way, but it is how I would address it since it is a matter of both surprise and ST.
Axly Suregrip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2021, 05:46 PM   #53
phiwum
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

I do like Axly's solution.
phiwum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-31-2021, 06:00 PM   #54
Shostak
 
Shostak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Ah! I was thinking that Phase 1 and Phase 2 were on different turns.
__________________
* * * *
Anthony Shostak
myriangia.wordpress.com
Shostak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2021, 12:29 AM   #55
Steve Plambeck
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Telekinesis being exclusively an act of mental force rather than physical, it makes more sense if the contest is between the IQ of the caster and the ST of the target figure. Or perhaps as a further refinement, the contest could be IQ vs IQ when the target is another wizard's staff, but IQ vs ST when the object is a normal weapon or item. This way it would be hard as heck to disarm both Gandalf of his staff, and Conan of his sword, which seems the most logical.
__________________
"I'm not arguing. I'm just explaining why I'm right."
Steve Plambeck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2021, 06:39 AM   #56
Axly Suregrip
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Plambeck View Post
Telekinesis being exclusively an act of mental force rather than physical, it makes more sense if the contest is between the IQ of the caster and the ST of the target figure. Or perhaps as a further refinement, the contest could be IQ vs IQ when the target is another wizard's staff, but IQ vs ST when the object is a normal weapon or item. This way it would be hard as heck to disarm both Gandalf of his staff, and Conan of his sword, which seems the most logical.
For the person holding onto the weapon, definitely ST.

For the wizard casting TK you can make an argument for either, but I prefer ST. This is base on what Telekinesis (ITL 27) states "A wizard may do anything with TK that he could do if his own body were there."

So, either ST vs ST (I definitely prefer) or IQ vs ST, but never IQ vs IQ.
Axly Suregrip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2021, 06:46 AM   #57
Shostak
 
Shostak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Plambeck View Post
Telekinesis being exclusively an act of mental force rather than physical, it makes more sense if the contest is between the IQ of the caster and the ST of the target figure. Or perhaps as a further refinement, the contest could be IQ vs IQ when the target is another wizard's staff, but IQ vs ST when the object is a normal weapon or item. This way it would be hard as heck to disarm both Gandalf of his staff, and Conan of his sword, which seems the most logical.
There’s something to that, but the description of Telekineses informs us that a wizard can do anything with it that they would be able to do with their physical body—which suggests that ST is the deciding attribute. Wizards already have ample incentive to invest in IQ, but, now with the Staff’s mana stat, there isn’t much of one to invest in ST.
__________________
* * * *
Anthony Shostak
myriangia.wordpress.com
Shostak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2021, 07:22 AM   #58
Senturian
 
Senturian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

TK - why not use it to choke the person till they let go of the Staff.
maybe an unexpected quick twist of the head, a well placed knee or squeeze would definitely change his focus.
Senturian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2021, 08:19 AM   #59
Axly Suregrip
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Quote:
Originally Posted by Senturian View Post
TK - why not use it to choke the person till they let go of the Staff.
maybe an unexpected quick twist of the head, a well placed knee or squeeze would definitely change his focus.
Interesting. Grapple in HTH, but with your invisible force body. I would make it adhere to the HTH rules. So, you would cast the TK thrown spell on the foe, instead of on his weapon. I would consider requiring the HTH initiation. TK says it is to be cast on an object, but I don't see why a person shouldn't be the target. Getting the details right would be important. But yes, if I had a player suggest this I would try to find a way to allow it.
Axly Suregrip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2022, 03:02 PM   #60
Eric Funk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Earth
Default Re: Staff Countermeasures

Quote:
Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip View Post
Interesting. Grapple in HTH, but with your invisible force body. I would make it adhere to the HTH rules. So, you would cast the TK thrown spell on the foe, instead of on his weapon. I would consider requiring the HTH initiation. TK says it is to be cast on an object, but I don't see why a person shouldn't be the target. Getting the details right would be important. But yes, if I had a player suggest this I would try to find a way to allow it.
Note there is already some precedent for this sort of thing under Distant Blow spell (M144). (Foe defends as if an invisible foe was attacking them), so -4 if aware of THIS attacker, no defense if not expecting an attack at this point! (see p. B394.)

Combine this with a Disarm attack. B399, 400, which is only -3 against a 2-hex weapon (e.g., staff).
If you are training to disarm wizrds this -3 can be bought up to only -1 to hit with Targetted Attacks Technique (p.MA68).


I had a wizard PC use Signature Gear to Hex their staff so this would not work... (M57)
Eric Funk is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
countermeasures, creativity, magic, problem-solving, wizards

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.