Active defenses as modifiers

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Telegraphic attack is not an interesting option, it's a false choice. In any case, I wasn't commenting on any specific implementation of active defenses as modifiers, I was talking about the concept in more general terms. The specific option proposed by the OP is bad (odds of hitting between two equally skilled combatants should generally be nearly constant), but that doesn't mean RAW lacks problems.

Telegraphic Attack is useful when up against a foe who currently cannot defend (it gives you another +4 to work with, which makes a low-skill character pretty much guaranteed to hit while a high-skill character can turn that into a more valuable hit location), and also if your skill drops below the optimal 13/14 mark (although you should allow for a "partially Telegraphic Attack," for +2/+1) from Shock, targeting a valuable hit location, using an unfamiliar weapon, etc. There can also potentially be cases where getting a potential hit is worthwhile even if the foe is most likely to defend - it can help set up an ally's attack later in the round (getting the enemy to "use up" a defense imposes a -5 - or renders them unusable - to later Blocks, -4 to later Parries, and if using the optional rule from MA a -1 to later Dodges), if you're using a particularly heavy weapon or one with Destructive Parry (like a Force Sword) against a foe who is primarily reliant on Parries (they've either got to use their low Dodge - albeit at +2 - or risk damaging/breaking their weapon), etc.