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Old 05-16-2016, 10:48 AM   #11
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Different Uses for Shield

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
I'm not saying reusing Dodge is the perfect mechanism to model this. But I am saying it's far less silly an explanation than claiming that you're actually observing individual barrel direction of aim and motion of trigger fingers from 50 yards away and swerving at the last second in specific response to those individual threats. And it's not obvious to me that inventing a third mechanic just to handle this case would produce outcomes much different than just dual-purposing the Dodge mechanic. Simplicity and consistency have their advantages, too.
Even if we assume evasive movement is the default (which isn't a horrible idea), the behavior of GURPS Dodge doesn't match simply making yourself harder to hit on account of the way sneak attacks work - if you don't know someone is aiming/shooting at you, you cannot Dodge, regardless of how awesomely evasive you are. You can be ducking and weaving and rolling and doing somersaults and so forth (All Out Defense: Dodge and Acrobatic Dodge), and you're no more difficult for the sniper in the trees to hit than your buddy who's just standing there and swinging away with his sword (All Out Attack).

You're correct, however, that this typically doesn't add anything. As seen in my example, a rather short-range shot (20 yards) is, for a character with an amazing Shield+10 and Per 2 higher than DX, likely easier to avoid with a Dodge than a Block, although carrying a lot of weight (probably in the form of armor) can make a difference. For a more typical character, however, Block is most likely always a losing proposition.
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