Limits on defend
 

Letting defend only be effective against a weapon up to five times the weight of your own weapon would help balance ST up.

Re: Limits on defend
 

What "rule," would then need to be articulated that would prevent a young goblin sorceress from carrying a 12 pound "silver dagger"?

Re: Limits on defend
 

The table on page 109 gives the weapon weights.

Re: Limits on defend
 

Parry has a limitation when using the Two Weapon talent.

Defend action is kind of separate from this, and I am not sure it is suppose to be pure blocking where weapon weight is a big factor. It might just as easily be deflects, parries, shield blocks, ducks, dodges and the risk of counter attacks that keep the other at bay.

Going defensively is just a step up from normal defenses when fighting. Should we also put a limit on normal defending in our front hexes where we do not give out a +4 vs DX because we are actively defending ourselves while we attack? One example would be that if someone attack you with a very heavy weapon, they get a +4DX bonus, because you are just as defenseless as if you were attacked in the back due to your small weapon.

I feel it would change things too much.

Might be better to offer a quick attack option instead.
You get to roll 1 die less when you try to hit someone, but your damage is heavily reduced (for example -2 per damage die). This would mean that a strong but clumsy battleaxe wielder might not go for an overkill swing against a tiny halfling, but instead go for kicks, headbutts, short arc swings and hits with the butt end. All in order to get in some damage at least, knowing that a full swing would probably be avoided. And 3d-6 is still dangerous to a halfling.

It would make both big clumsy guys more viable and increase the survivability of low ST player characters. And it would also mean that weapons like 2d-1 is not always better than a 1d+2 for the same ST. Three flies with one stone. Come to think of it, it would also mean that a lot of half BLOB characters are viable. Starting characters in Plate armor that can take a lot of damage with a high ST, but now they can also hit, but they will do weak damage. Which is more fun than missing most of the time.

Re: Limits on defend
 

That said, as a GM I might give the player attempting to DEFEND using a dagger against an attacker with a greatsword a rather incredulous look.

Re: Limits on defend
 

I guess I'm just old but I can't stand it when someone puts their understanding of reality between me and my fantasy.

Re: Limits on defend
 

In the days of yore, me and my friends assigned a "Break Resistance" attribute to every weapon (penciled into the weapons table) and the weapon had to survive a saving roll whenever it was used to parry. A small weapon against a large one had terrible odds of survival, but it was easy for a big weapon to survive the roll when used against a small one.

We were gluttons for house rules :)

Re: Limits on defend
 

The pity is that the wee tiny goblins defend with daggers that don't break and can't be knocked from their tiny fingers.

Re: Limits on defend
 

Personally, I've never found 'fantasy' and the application of 'common sense' to be incongruous.

Re: Limits on defend
 

Sure. Right up to that point just before they are.