Steve Jackson Games Forums - Creating a Beats and Ruses Technique

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Creating a Beats and Ruses Technique

Hey, Im trying to figure out how to create a Beats and Ruses technique like from the Martial Arts book. Maybe im missing something, but i couldnt find them in the data file.

Basically, just a Feint that is based on ST and IQ respectively.
Thanks everyone.

Re: Creating a Beats and Ruses Technique

What exactly are you looking for? I'm not familiar with beats and ruses techniques, is this something laid out in Martial arts I'm just not familiar with or does it mean something else? Are you trying to build a data file with these techniques or are they missing from the Martial arts GDF and you want to see them added, or are you just trying to add a one off technique?

Re: Creating a Beats and Ruses Technique

In the Martial Arts book, a Beat and a Ruse are Feints: They default from whatever combat skill you are using, but use ST and IQ as their base attributes.

A Beat is a Feint using a ST based skill roll, and a Ruse is a Feint using an IQ based skill roll. They are mentioned on pg. 100-101 of Martial Arts.

A more generalized rephrasing of the question is this: In GCA, is it possible to take current skills/techniques and base them off of a different attribute?

I think ive found a work around but hopefully there is a better way:

1) I added ST based skills under skill types to my own data file

2) I had to create new Two-Handed Sword skills (I called them THS (ST) and THS (IQ)) so the program wouldn't get confused with the existing Two-Handed Sword skill. I gave these skills the "Free" modifier and the same number of levels as the character's original Two-Handed Sword skill.

3) I then made new techniques named Beat and Ruse, that simulated the Feint technique, but based on the the new skills respectively.

It was long and convoluted...Is there a better way?

Re: Creating a Beats and Ruses Technique

This is a pretty easy modification. Basically I just copied the two Feint techniques and added the bonus of +(ST:ST::Score - ST:DX::Score) and +(ST:IQ::Score - ST:DX::Score) to them. This has the effect of basing the technique on an alternate attribute, in a roundabout way, by subtracting the skills base attribute then adding the alternate attribute back. I also had to make a change to the upto() tag here. I'm including the original Feint technique here to contrast it against the other two Techniques.

Code:

[SKILLS]

<Techniques, Techniques - Combat, Techniques - Realistic>

Feint ([Melee Combat Skill]), Tech/H, default("SK:[Melee Combat Skill]::level"), needs(SK:[Melee Combat Skill]), upto(prereq + 4), page(MA73, B231),

        x(#InputReplace("You must specialize by Melee Combat Skill:", "[Melee Combat Skill]", "", "Feint"))

Beat ([Melee Combat Skill]), Tech/H, default("SK:Feint([Melee Combat Skill])::level" + (ST:ST::Score - ST:DX::Score)), needs(SK:Feint ([Melee Combat Skill])), upto(prereq + (ST:ST::Score - ST:DX::Score)), page(MA73,MA100,B231),

        x(#InputReplace("You must specialize by Melee Combat Skill:", "[Melee Combat Skill]", "", "Feint"))

Ruse ([Melee Combat Skill]), Tech/H, default("SK:Feint ([Melee Combat Skill])::level" + (ST:ST::Score - ST:DX::Score)), needs(SK:Feint ([Melee Combat Skill])), upto(prereq + (ST:ST::Score - ST:DX::Score)), page(MA73,MA101,B231),

        x(#InputReplace("You must specialize by Melee Combat Skill:", "[Melee Combat Skill]", "", "Feint"))



Feint (%Melee Combat Skill%), Tech/H, default("SK:%Melee Combat SkillList%::level"), needs(SK:%Melee Combat SkillList%), upto(prereq + 4), page(MA73, B231),

        x(#ChoiceList(_

                        name(Melee Combat Skill),

                        title(Feint: Choose a combat skill),

                        text(Choose a combat skill from the list:),

                        picksallowed(1),

                        method(bynumber),

                        list(_

                                #grouplist(GR:Melee Weapon Skill, flags(NoPrefix)), #grouplist(GR:ShieldSkill, flags(NoPrefix)), #grouplist(GR:Unarmed Combat Skill, flags(NoPrefix))_

                        )_

                )_

        ), noresync(yes)



Beat (%Melee Combat Skill%), Tech/H, default("SK:Feint (%Melee Combat SkillList%)::level" + (ST:ST::Score - ST:DX::Score)), needs(SK:Feint (%Melee Combat SkillList%)), upto(prereq + (ST:ST::Score - ST:DX::Score)), page(MA73,MA100, B231),

        x(#ChoiceList(_

                        name(Melee Combat Skill),

                        title(Feint: Choose a combat skill),

                        text(Choose a combat skill from the list:),

                        picksallowed(1),

                        method(bynumber),

                        list(_

                                #grouplist(GR:Melee Weapon Skill, flags(NoPrefix)), #grouplist(GR:ShieldSkill, flags(NoPrefix)), #grouplist(GR:Unarmed Combat Skill, flags(NoPrefix))_

                        )_

                )_

        ), noresync(yes)



Ruse (%Melee Combat Skill%), Tech/H, default("SK:Feint (%Melee Combat SkillList%)::level" + (ST:IQ::Score - ST:DX::Score)), needs(SK:Feint (%Melee Combat SkillList%)), upto(prereq + (ST:IQ::Score - ST:DX::Score)), page(MA73,MA101, B231),

        x(#ChoiceList(_

                        name(Melee Combat Skill),

                        title(Feint: Choose a combat skill),

                        text(Choose a combat skill from the list:),

                        picksallowed(1),

                        method(bynumber),

                        list(_

                                #grouplist(GR:Melee Weapon Skill, flags(NoPrefix)), #grouplist(GR:ShieldSkill, flags(NoPrefix)), #grouplist(GR:Unarmed Combat Skill, flags(NoPrefix))_

                        )_

                )_

        ), noresync(yes)

Re: Creating a Beats and Ruses Technique

Wow, thanks!

I changed a few things because I wanted them to be individual skills, but otherwise it was pretty simply.