Help with Character planning and optimization and tactics?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx

I don't know how I am supposed to say it.

The things under the "Advantages and perks" Header, where I tentatively put Combat Reflexes (15) and Patron 2 (15) can only equal 30. So 15 + 15 = 30. What's the right way to describe this restriction?

Again, the problem is not that you're communicating this badly, it's that it is such a bizarre constraint I'm disbelieving. (As Kazander explains)

I guess that means attributes are not so constrained, which is good. You'll want some ST...

Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx

And by martial arts skills, I mean stuff like Sword and Shield, or Thrust Broadsword Vitals, or stuff like that. Stuff from the martial arts handbook? I think he's using the styles as written in the Martial Arts book, but I MIGHT be able to do something to get "Sword and shield fighting" to be more inclusive, if I pay for it somehow...?

Styles do less than you seem to think. The only things a style does in general is give you the benefits of your Style Familiarity perk, and let you count the points spent on its Skills and Techniques toward Style Perks. There's no reason you can't have Skills or Techniques outside your style(s).

Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx

I'm interested in using the shield in an interesting way, figuring out how to 'Beat' in a way that's useful (I don't understand those rules, but I like the idea of using strength to knock his shield or sword away), pummelling for close combat, targeted attacks to disable the opponent's ability to fight or defend themselves, and targeted attacks to drop enemies, I guess. Maybe some counters or something, but not a lot in that?

Just having the shield on your arm is useful. It gives its DB to all your active defenses, even if you have no skill with it. That's probably the most important thing it does. It's likely that the shield block will be your best defense against missile weapons, though, since it's easier to raise than Dodge.

I suggest going for the Shield Wall Training perk and using a large shield. They're nice.

Beat is probably not very much use, because your ST isn't going to be all that much higher than your DX, and Beats aren't as useful as Feints all things being equal.

Pummeling is a very specialized thing to train. You probably want to just use it at default, if you even actually need it.

Are the rules from Low Tech in play? They may make a big difference if you're facing armored human opponents, particularly for Targeted Attacks.

You've also just got too many Techniques floating around. Each technique costs a point per level (often plus an extra one for the first level). If you raise 4 techniques, you'd do better just raising the base skill one level because that raises all uses of the skill. Techniques are good for one or two favorite tricks. If you do all of them alike, just buy up the skill instead.