MA/TG: Performing a Beat (MA100) on a parry?

[jacobmuller]

That makes applying -4 to ST in Ultraviolet's Defensive Beat sound fair. For that matter, call it a Parrying Beat and use any skill*.

Given that you can choose to apply your Feint to your opponents Attack or Defense (MA101). Would it be fair to make half apply to both? eg if you manage to succeed with a Parrying Beat, or a Feint, by 2, you can choose to reduce either their Attack or Defense by 2, or both by 1?

*I mean melee skill but the box on MA101: a Sex Appeal Parrying Ruse...? -4 to your skill vs targets Will based skill. Maybe Comedy Anime.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

Given that you can choose to apply your Feint to your opponents Attack or Defense (MA101). Would it be fair to make half apply to both? eg if you manage to succeed with a Parrying Beat, or a Feint, by 2, you can choose to reduce either their Attack or Defense by 2, or both by 1?

I don't imagine there's anything wrong with combining the Defensive Feint concept with Beat or Ruse to produce a Defensive Beat or Defensive Ruse.

I don't even know why there should be a choice, feints don't tend to be very good so making the MoS apply both ways (so there's no dilemma of choice) would make feints better and also it seems more realistic that "I'm fooling the enemy about where I'll be" results in them having difficulty targeting you OR evading you.

[Ultraviolet]

I see two ways of doing it.

1) Design a "Beating Parry" technique: A special type of parry, perhaps defaulting to parry-2 (to balance it with aggressive- og grabbing parry). If you make this kidn of parry, then before your next attack roll for effects of a ST-based Feint aka a Beat.

2) Design a offensive technique "Defensive Beat", which is an option after a succesful parry (not Aggressive, because the point is to push/pull not damage the opponent's arm). Default should be combat skill -5, to balance it with Spinning Attack (where you also get a 'free, instant Feint').

Off-hand I like #2 best, because you have the option of using Grabbing Parry to get CP while starting the Beat. Then again, #1 can default from either regular or Grabbing Parry.
But for #1 you decide already when performing the parry, that you're using a Beat. For #2 you don't have to decide until you next round of attacking. This is no different than allowing one to suddenly be doing an Arm Lock, even thoufgh you just performed a normal parry just the reound before, and in no way had to start to set it op.

[Plane]

One thing I'm wondering now is if it should be a fixed -4, or maybe instead something like -40% so that it scales with ST levels the same way a "per die" penalty would.