[DF] Big Bad Wolf

[Gold & Appel Inc]

As it happens, my PC actually has a 500-point wolf Ally in our high-powered DF game, which just completed Season 2 / Episode 2 yesterday. It's pretty ridiculous, gotta say. We started out by giving it human-level intelligence and skills comparable to a PC, then made it the size of a small horse, and still had a couple hundred points left over for outright magic powers (it's a "spirit guide" / "totem animal" with stuff like at-will Insubstantiality, Invisibility vs substantial, etc).

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

As it happens, my PC actually has a 500-point wolf Ally in our high-powered DF game, which just completed Season 2 / Episode 2 yesterday.

I'm curious how effective it is in combat. I find that most unarmed attackers are dogmeat in fantasy games. They attack, get parried, the defender makes his roll and gets in his free damage. They tend to get hacked up on the armed character's turn and on then on their turn when they try to attack.

Of course they can use Deceptive Attack, Feint, flanking, etc. but generally there is a steady chance of effectively self-inflicted injury.

So how does your 500 point wolf avoid that?

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller_Dog

I'm curious how effective it is in combat. I find that most unarmed attackers are dogmeat in fantasy games. They attack, get parried, the defender makes his roll and gets in his free damage. They tend to get hacked up on the armed character's turn and on then on their turn when they try to attack.

Of course they can use Deceptive Attack, Feint, flanking, etc. but generally there is a steady chance of effectively self-inflicted injury.

So how does your 500 point wolf avoid that?

Good question! I haven't actually gotten it into a fight yet, for mostly that reason (my PC knows he's stronger, better armed, and more expendable than his spirit guide, so he doesn't want to risk it unless the situation is truly dire - the Ally's main jobs are "Insubstantial Scout" and "Brains of This Operation.")

The plan is mostly the stuff you listed (I traded out the GM-suggested Defensive Luck for obscene Brawling to enable more reliable defense penetration with Deceptive Attacks), and having it act like the smart one and let the PC be the meat shield against armed targets. Also, we've fought monsters that don't use weapons about half the time so far in this campaign (yes we carve them up easily, but they usually either have insane HP or numbers), so it should be good to go against those. All else fails, it can go Insubstantial until it Regenerates.

[Flyndaran]

Terror attacks?
The largest dog was over 300 pounds of solid muscle and bone, so it should be theoretically possible for a wolf to hit that.

[Kalzazz]

150% Ally for a 300pt Herbalist 'I raised Fluffy from a puppy on a diet of lean meats, and love, strength and invulnerability potions' being the general idea

[Kazander]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller_Dog

I'm curious how effective it is in combat. I find that most unarmed attackers are dogmeat in fantasy games. They attack, get parried, the defender makes his roll and gets in his free damage. They tend to get hacked up on the armed character's turn and on then on their turn when they try to attack.

Of course they can use Deceptive Attack, Feint, flanking, etc. but generally there is a steady chance of effectively self-inflicted injury.

So how does your 500 point wolf avoid that?

Personally, I just allow a 30 point advantage "Unarmed Combat Mastery", which grants immunity to injury-by-parry, to prevent just these scenarios.

I really hate that I can't use unarmed 'monsters' in DF.... I get really bored of having to use Orcs as monsters just because they have Parry and Block scores.

I allow this advantage to all NPC Monsters and DF Allies. PCs have to live without it, because I haven't figured out how to keep Judo Throws and Arm Locks from becoming imbalancing with it present.

[safisher]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller_Dog

They tend to get hacked up on the armed character's turn and on then on their turn when they try to attack.

Agreed. Thus you need Perk (Rules Exemption): Unarmed attacks are treated as weapons for melee combat purposes.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by safisher

Agreed. Thus you need Perk (Rules Exemption): Unarmed attacks are treated as weapons for melee combat purposes.

Umm given there is an advantage to turn you limbs into Strikers, That ISN'T a valid use of that perk.

[safisher]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Umm given there is an advantage to turn you limbs into Strikers, That ISN'T a valid use of that perk.

No, I don't think a striker is the right build for a claw on a hand. According to MA, that's more for hitting with a forehead or something. It may a be a stretch to use a Rule Exemption, but it's really up to the GM to allow such a thing anyway.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by safisher

No, I don't think a striker is the right build for a claw on a hand. According to MA, that's more for hitting with a forehead or something. It may a be a stretch to use a Rule Exemption, but it's really up to the GM to allow such a thing anyway.

Got read MA. p47 Striker (Limb)