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Old 04-10-2021, 11:31 AM   #1
Boge
 
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Default Just want to clarify parrying weapons with Karate...

You can parry a melee weapon with Karate at no penalty. It doesn't say anything about what range you have to be in. I assume the enemy attacking with say a sword would be 1 hex away. Similarly to parrying a gun at closer range, you slap their hand away. Is that the case with parrying melee weapons, or are you actually parrying the flat side of the blade, or the wooden part of an axe or spear?

If the 1 range is critical, how does retreat parry add +3 with karate when you end up 2 hexes away? Does it count anyway, or do the rules change? We don't use the slip retreat rules. It's always moving away from your opponent for a retreat.

Can I parry a range 2 or 3 weapon with Karate? A spear or two handed sword for example?
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Old 04-10-2021, 11:50 AM   #2
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Default Re: Just want to clarify parrying weapons with Karate...

Yes, you can parry a weapon with karate. Yes, you can parry the blade, or even catch it using a hand-clap-parry (MA).

I'm not saying this is realistic, but it is cinematic, especially if you like the old style martial arts movies.
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Old 04-10-2021, 12:13 PM   #3
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Default Re: Just want to clarify parrying weapons with Karate...

Quote:
Originally Posted by DangerousThing View Post
Yes, you can parry a weapon with karate. Yes, you can parry the blade, or even catch it using a hand-clap-parry (MA).

I'm not saying this is realistic, but it is cinematic, especially if you like the old style martial arts movies.
I endorse this.

And to sum what I was going to add:

If the weapon can reach you, you can parry it. This is the reason you may parry a gun when you are close enough.
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Old 04-10-2021, 06:27 PM   #4
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Default Re: Just want to clarify parrying weapons with Karate...

Parry in general doesn't say anything about range, because you only parry attacks that would otherwise hit you. That is, the enemy weapon is bound to be within arm's reach of you. If the swing isn't coming even within an arm's reach, you wouldn't parry it, you'd just ignore it. Unarmed attacks or Karate specifically aren't any different.

The Sacrificial Parry and Shield-Wall Training Perks allow you to use your Active Defense (Parry or Block, respectively) to defend someone else. Reach could matter in that case -- and both Perks specify that the protected ally must be standing beside you, regardless of the reach of your weapon.

There's not a way that I know of to use Parry to stop an attack out at range 3 with a polearm (for instance). You don't Parry melee attacks that occur within reach. You parry melee attacks directed at you.

Unarmed parries of ranged weapons (B376) do allow you to parry a ranged attack if the attacking weapon is within reach of your own (melee weapon).

It's perhaps worth remembering that GURPS "parries" don't even always involve weapon-to-weapon contact (as MA points out), nor are they necessarily the sort of parry that redirects an attack without countering much of its energy. It's a somewhat broader use of the word than the more specific jargon used in different styles of martial arts, armed or unarmed. The parry of a ranged weapon, for instance, might be better thought of as a spoiling attack or beat. But it's a Active Defense with a melee weapon, hence it's called "Parry" in GURPS jargon.
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