Perk Idea: Watchful Fighting

[Erik_Nielsen]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

Sounds like the final score of a World Series game.

The Perks will never reach the World Series!

NEVER!

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

What about a Perk that lets you carry an Evaluate bonus forward until used?

Bosun Bill is an expert with the cutlass with a lot of experience fighting in boarding actions. At anchor near an unknown island, his Merchantman vessel is stealthily boarded by a ragtag band of pirates. A fight ensues with Bosun Bill facing off against the pirate leader. They trade a couple of blows an Bosun Bill decides to evaluate his opponent. After two rounds the combat swirls and they are separated. Bosun Bill dispatches two lower-order pirates and comes face to face with his original enemy once again. He remembers that earlier he noticed the pirate leader's habit of exposing his elbow during a lunge. This time Bosun Bil is ready -- the leader lunges and BAM, Bill cuts and lays open his opponent's forearm.

Seems both somewhat munchkiny and extremely cinematic (because he can't use the Evaluate bonus again and again by remembering stuff - it's not like an opponent will completely change the style after 1 second).

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

What about a Perk that lets you carry an Evaluate bonus forward until used?

Not a bad thought, but I'd put some heavy limitations on how long it would carry forward. Offhand, I'd suggest having the bonus decrease by 1 for every turn you don't Evaluate and don't use the bonus. So if you Evaluate for 3 turns, you have at most three turns to let it carry over before it's gone.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

Not a bad thought, but I'd put some heavy limitations on how long it would carry forward. Offhand, I'd suggest having the bonus decrease by 1 for every turn you don't Evaluate and don't use the bonus. So if you Evaluate for 3 turns, you have at most three turns to let it carry over before it's gone.

Ah, now that looks okay.

[benz72]

-1 per turn seems a little excessive to me, I'd probably let it stick around for IQ turns before dropping. Things like making a fright check or taking more than a HP or 2 of damage would also negate the bonus (the PC had other things on his mind).
Alternatively, make the PC -1 to IQ based skills (like having a spell 'on') until he decides to let the bonus go (or he uses it of course).

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by benz72

-1 per turn seems a little excessive to me,

Well, -1 per two turns could possibly be justified, but it starts to look sketchy once you start adding in some of Kromm's suggestions upthread - the bonus could persist for a long time, with some of them.

Originally Posted by benz72

I'd probably let it stick around for IQ turns before dropping.

The problem is, fights don't generally last that long - even a dumb fighter will probably have at least IQ 8 - that means that it would take 11 turns for the bonus to completely disapear. At that point, you might as well say it lasts forever, because it will almost never go away before the fight is done.

Originally Posted by benz72

Alternatively, make the PC -1 to IQ based skills (like having a spell 'on') until he decides to let the bonus go (or he uses it of course).

This isn't much of a balancing factor. Most fighters won't be using a lot of IQ-based skills in combat anyway.