Talent/Spell of the Week: Brawling

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Fencer ST 9, DX 12, IQ 11 Fine Rapier (1d+2), fine main-gauche (1d+1)

The Fencer loses the talent bonus damage from the main-gauche in HTH, but then gets the same result from HTH adjustments. (And hence does a point more than brawling could provide.)

The wolf has a 2/3rds chance of forcing HTH and then a 74% chance of hitting with a neck bite with 1/3rd KO and automatic -4 DX otherwise.

I don't see a bright future for this Wildlife Wrestling Federation.

It's not clear to me how you're figuring things. I'll work through your reasoning in this post, since filling in the details takes me a bit of effort.

For damage, the fine main gauche does 1d+1 in HTH, so I get that point.

The wolf may be able to force HTH from the rear with his MA 12 movement, but that's iffy at best, so let's go with the 2/3 chance to force HTH (rather than 4/5 for a rear attack[1]). If he attacks from the side, then he can enter HTH in the movement phase and hence attack in the action phase, before the fencer. If he is unable to attack from the side, then he forces HTH in the action phase and the fencer gets the first attack.

I suppose that the neck bite you're speaking of is an aimed shot for the head, for a net -2DX and hence a roll of 12 on 3 dice, which is about 75% chance to hit. I don't usually have dumb animals make aimed shots, but I think it makes perfect sense that a wolf would go for a throat as you suggest. That does make a KO a 1/3 chance as you said.

So, yes, a 32 point fencer who is forced into HTH by a wolf is in a poor state. Assuming that he's still conscious, his counter attack is at DX 12 (the -4 penalty for a head hit countering the +4 bonus for HTH), doing one to six points damage after the wolf's natural armor. On the next turn, unless the wolf took five or more hits, another aimed attack is a pretty good idea. The fencer is outmatched.

This will be true for most 32 point characters, to be fair. A wizard in the same situation will have problems casting a spell with a -4 DX penalty. Of course, everything really hinges on the turns prior to the wolf attempting HTH. It's pretty rare that a wolf gets to attack on the first turn he's been seen and it's pretty rare that it will be a one-on-one fight. The advantages for PCs is their ability to choose their arrangement and the broad set of talents and spells that a party has.

But a pack of determined wolves that outnumber the characters is a difficult foe. I don't usually play things out quite that way.

[1] It's a matter of some controversy whether forcing HTH from the side counts as "from behind" and hence a counterattack roll (6) is ignored. I'll assume that "from behind" means from the rear hex.

[hcobb]

Snapjack, Dwarf, age 20
ST 14, DX 9 (8), IQ 9, MA 10
Talents include: Brawling, Carousing, Pole Weapons, Toughness II
Languages: Common, Dwarvish
Weapon: halberd (2d)
Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d)
Armor: Toughness II and cloth armor stop 3 hits

Snapjack depends on set vs charge or HTH bonuses to actually ever hit anything.

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Snapjack, Dwarf, age 20
ST 14, DX 9 (8), IQ 9, MA 10
Talents include: Brawling, Carousing, Pole Weapons, Toughness II
Languages: Common, Dwarvish
Weapon: halberd (2d)
Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d)
Armor: Toughness II and cloth armor stop 3 hits

Snapjack depends on set vs charge or HTH bonuses to actually ever hit anything.

Okay, so Snapjack has a good shot at beating the wolf to death, but dies in a million other situations. Not entirely sure what point you're making here.

Snapjack is an interesting character and will be pretty decent with a bit of XP spent on increasing DX. He may find it difficult to get there, but if he has reliable colleagues, he can spend a lot of time defending and taking opportunistic shots.

He certainly doesn't change my opinion that most 32 point characters would struggle if a wolf has gotten close enough to force HTH from the side.

[Shostak]

A lone wolf might "brawl" by becoming decidedly unfriendly, making aimed attacks at the head where a mere 3 points of damage would be enough to negate the victim's HTH DX bonus. Wolves working together would probably have one making a pin and the other slaughtering the helpless foe.

[phiwum]

That would be deadly indeed, Shostak. If you played a wolf attack that way, your players would get the message about how deadly the game is pretty quick.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by phiwum

That would be deadly indeed, Shostak. If you played a wolf attack that way, your players would get the message about how deadly the game is pretty quick.

You’d think so, but they are so gosh-blanged lucky with the dice, you’d be better wagering on their driving the wolves off with their tails between their legs.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by phiwum

... [1] It's a matter of some controversy whether forcing HTH from the side counts as "from behind" and hence a counterattack roll (6) is ignored. I'll assume that "from behind" means from the rear hex.

It shouldn't be. You're right; it means from the Rear hex.