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Old 05-11-2020, 01:27 PM   #1
rerednaw
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Sin City
Default Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

Since a wizard can deliver this with his staff...does this mean it can be parried?

Assuming Blocking does not work...but what about Dodge?

How to avoid 'touch' spells in general?
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Old 05-11-2020, 01:40 PM   #2
Imbicatus
 
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

This is covered in the rules for melee spells on Magic p.11. The target can make any active defense, if the defense is successful, the spell is still held and you can attack again.
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Old 05-11-2020, 01:42 PM   #3
Imbicatus
 
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

However, deathtouch ignores armor, so an unarmed parry or block cannot defend against deathtouch, and any attempt triggers the spell.
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Old 05-11-2020, 02:44 PM   #4
Plane
 
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Imbicatus View Post
However, deathtouch ignores armor, so an unarmed parry or block cannot defend against deathtouch, and any attempt triggers the spell.
M41 doesn't say that. Ignoring armor isn't the same as working like Aura or Aggressive Parry.

Despite "touch" being in the name, the wording is "must strike".
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Old 05-11-2020, 03:25 PM   #5
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plane View Post
M41 doesn't say that.
M11 does, though.
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Old 05-12-2020, 04:22 AM   #6
Michele
 
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rerednaw View Post
How to avoid 'touch' spells in general?
I suppose the same principles apply as to when you face a close-combat specialist or any enemy who's very skilled - but with a short weapon. Choose a Reach 2 weapon, for instance. Ranged weapons also work, if you hit. In any case, if you can back away, make your attack then take a step back. Wait also might work, depending on circumstances, and especially if you do have a long weapon.
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Old 05-12-2020, 05:10 AM   #7
Anaraxes
 
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

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Originally Posted by Anthony View Post
M11 does, though.
Parry is actually the odd one out. You can't Block with a steel shield, as an "armor doesn't protect" spell goes through. You can't make an unarmed parry with a limb or hand covered in steel, because an "armor doesn't protect" spell goes through. But you can successfully Parry with a steel sword, because somehow the spell can't go through that material. Maybe spells only have an armor penetration range of an inch or so.

To clean it up, the houserule that suggests itself would be to just to say you can only Dodge versus an "armor doesn't protect" Melee spell, while Parries and Blocks involve making contact, and are thus counterproductive.
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Old 05-12-2020, 06:51 AM   #8
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

Well. Technically a shield is not an armour. It is a weapon and you can strike with it. If you can parry a deathtouch with a sword I would allow to block it with a shield
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Old 05-12-2020, 07:01 AM   #9
DouglasCole
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
Parry is actually the odd one out. You can't Block with a steel shield, as an "armor doesn't protect" spell goes through. You can't make an unarmed parry with a limb or hand covered in steel, because an "armor doesn't protect" spell goes through. But you can successfully Parry with a steel sword, because somehow the spell can't go through that material. Maybe spells only have an armor penetration range of an inch or so.

To clean it up, the houserule that suggests itself would be to just to say you can only Dodge versus an "armor doesn't protect" Melee spell, while Parries and Blocks involve making contact, and are thus counterproductive.
For what it's worth: Technical Grappling, p. 22


Dodge
see pp. B374-375

A successful dodge means the attack failed to connect at all. Dodging is the only way to create a “clean” miss without contact, important if you want to avoid effects transmitted by touch, such as some spells, electrical attacks, or cooties.
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Old 05-12-2020, 07:01 AM   #10
malloyd
 
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Default Re: Avoiding Deathtouch? (or touch spells in general?)

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Originally Posted by lvalero View Post
Well. Technically a shield is not an armour. It is a weapon and you can strike with it. If you can parry a deathtouch with a sword I would allow to block it with a shield
I would too. "Armor doesn't protect" *has* to have some sort of limit. Nobody would allow a wizard to cast Deathtouch, touch the hull of a battleship/wall of a castle and claim the damage hits the captain/king, because "armor doesn't protect". There has to be a limit to how far away from your skin the point of contact with the armor can be.
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