PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

Hi I've been a lurker for a bit here*,

Anyway, are there any rules for PC's assessing or otherwise evaluating or estimating an opponent’s skill level? Either as GM to Player "he has broadsword at 18" of to PC "he's better than you / you look about even" etc. I could have sworn there was but I can't find it now. I can make something up like a skill perk which allows you to assess another’s skill, maybe using a perception + skill roll where margin of success is accuracy on estimate. On the whole I'd do this in game terms rather than using metagame figures.

Anyway any pointers to already existing rules, or has anyone done anything similar?

*well I've read all of the "Vehicle design where are you" thread ;)

PS where are the smileys?

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

Not that I'm aware of. There's the Evaluate maneuver, but that's the melee equivalent of Aim; ie., it gives a bonus to your next attack. If the player wanted to Evaluate to gauge the opponent's ability level rather than get the bonus, I'd probably allow it without requiring a perk or the like, as he's trading one advantage for another. Probably make an IQ-based melee skill roll after one second, and on a success allow a ballpark "Better/Worse/Roughly Equal" description, with a critical failure giving you a misleading impression.

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

Sounds good,

I thought I'd seen something in the combat manoeuvres section, but I couldn't find it when I looked again. Making it an option in evaluate seem like a good fit to me. It also fits my idea of two opponents sizing each other up before really going at it. Although I'd rule you'd need to see the skill in action before trying to assess it, maybe give mods for longer evaluation etc.

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

If you are judging relative skill, I would use the appropriate skill, but paired up with either IQ, or Perception.

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

In many competitions (combat included), people will try to get their opponent to underestimate them. You may want to add a special Feint to your rule to model the psych-out.

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

yeah like fighting with your off hand as in Princess Bride for example.
But also peple can be judged by thier stance and a fw tentative attacks.
after a few rounds I tend to give an estimate when asked based on a roll too.

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

Heh yeah. Well there are really two different ways to evaluate a person.

1) Recognise stance and demeanour. This is before combat actually begins but when people have moved into fighting position. Familiarity is important here. If you know of the opponents fighting style or general fighting style you can probably read how well he is in the stance. This is rather easy to fake though and with unfamiliar fighting styels you wouldn't know. In any case I think if you succeed you should only know how many skillpoints the opponent has, that is, you know how technically good he is.

2) Actual fighting ability. This is after a number of rounds of combat the longer and the more varied the fight is. Here technical skill or familiarity doesn't matter much, it's a matter of how easy it seems you hit the opponent or he hits you. If successful it should give an idea of relative level compared to you (or the ones fighting if observing a duel).

...neither of these are very relevant in actual battle-situations where multiple opponents can make a master struggle to keep alive and a newbie might get a lucky shot in while the master is distracted. well but lets not that stop us for making rules for it anyway? :)

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OPTIONAL RULES

For a little more details, highly cinematic though :)

1) Make a IQ based Skill check*. If you know the same combat style as the opponent you gain +1. If you do not know the style at all, receive -2 to -10 depending on how alien the style is. (A viking running into Shoulin Monk -drunken fighter will be at -8 or so).

A success will tell you how many points the character has invested in his style (total) including techniques and perks.
A critical success will tell you what techniques ad perks he have.
A critical failure will give wrong info.


2) Make a Per based Skill check*. Again gain +1 if you know the style, but you are at no penalty for ufamiliarity but you have an initial penalty that shrinks away the longer the fight last. You start at -5. -4 after 2 secs. -3 after 4 secs. -2 after 8 secs. -1 after 15 sec. +0 after 30 sec.

A success will tell you how much better relatively the opponent is.
A critical success will give you his exact skill in his relevant combat skills (he have used).
A failure will give wrongful information, maybe you think him much better than he really is (and just being unlucky), or much worse (and being lucky).


*In all cases use your "Skill check" is based on your highest actual combat skill. If you want to get a bonus for familiarity with a style, you need to use a skill from that style.

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

Cheers for the answers guys!

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

Actually this is almost the conical case of Skill based on the flat 10, not Stat.

Re: PC's assessing opponent’s skills
 

I think that PC's can always evaluate Feint result and Deceptive Attack penalties. If you see a fighter trying to put a dagger in your eye with -4/-2 deceptive attack, you'll know that he's a good one.