New perks part 2 - combat perks

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Bicorn

Last Legs (Physical)

When you would fall unconscious you may take a point of long-term fatigue to remain conscious for 1d turns, during which you can still act. Wound penalties still affect you normally. Once this duration runs out, it cannot be extended further with this perk.

Would this be reset and re-usable once you fell unconscious and regained it somehow? What if you end up using that extra time to cast a regain-consciousness spell which is triggered by your falling unconscious?

This reminds me of this one Barbarian perk except I think it was 2d turns and it was triggered by imminent death not imminent unconsciousness, so that would be one point of comparison. That would take resurrection to reset so it wouldn't be as valuable.

[Bicorn]

Originally Posted by Maz

Backstab. As others pointed out is way too good and doesn't fit GURPS abilities. To emphasize the name I would instead suggest.
"When making thrust attack from behind you may ignore up to -2 to-hit penalty from locations".
This would encourage making attacks to the Vitals or Chinks in the targets armour. I deliberately say 'thrust' to avoid people simply using the perk to swing at the skull.

Blood in the Water As others have said. That quickly becomes +1 against almost anyone. That's too good. Instead make it more specific. Blood in the water suggest a sort of blood frenzy. So it could be "you gain +1 to hit if making an all-out attack against a wounded target". It fits the perk name but is not really that good.

Meatshields. This one is way too powerful for a perk. And makes little sense in regards to the name.
Instead let the perk boost peoples active defense by +1, but only when people make a sacrificial dodge for you (see p.375).

Stonewall. Again too good. Instead simply say your ST count as +2 higher for the purpose of resisting knockback or slams. you gain some of the same benefit but without being unbalanced.

These look like good fixes. Thanks!

[Bicorn]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Last Legs (Physical)
This is a fairly generous return rate, 1d turns for 1 FT. You are going to fall unconscious in a couple seconds *anyway*, so it's not like there's any point in saving FT for later uses.

Note that this one (and Pull Together) specifically cause long-term fatigue, the more long-lasting type introduced in GURPS After the End. I like the lfp mechanic, so I'm trying to write up stuff that gives it more use.

Originally Posted by malloyd

Turtle Up (Physical)
I guess. Though since you'd lose the Retreat bonus, would anybody want this?

Well, there are situations where you can't retreat.

[Bicorn]

For Cornered Rat, would "berserk without the bonuses" - i.e. must All-Out Attack every turn, etc., but won't gain the usual HT roll bonuses and other benefits - be fine?

[Bicorn]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Duelist (form) (Mental)
The first part OK. Shutting off disadvantages in a duel, probably not. Not Disadvantaged (Accessibility: only in a duel) is generally not that cheap.

How about +1 to the relevant self-control roll instead?

[Bicorn]

Originally Posted by Plane

Would this be reset and re-usable once you fell unconscious and regained it somehow? What if you end up using that extra time to cast a regain-consciousness spell which is triggered by your falling unconscious?

Mm, that's a good point. Perhaps should limit it to once per day or so.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Bicorn

For Cornered Rat, would "berserk without the bonuses" - i.e. must All-Out Attack every turn, etc., but won't gain the usual HT roll bonuses and other benefits - be fine?

I might consider that. Letting you choose between being stunned (do nothing and defend at a penalty) for a short time and berserk (forced to melee attack in a not overly tactically planned way and not defend at all) for an undefined time is obviously an advantage that first turn or two - you wouldn't opt to do it if it weren't, but potentially being stuck Berserk when the situation changes, and long after you would have recovered from the stun is a pretty big price to pay for that.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Bicorn

How about +1 to the relevant self-control roll instead?

Much better, though if you have a lot of relevant disadvantages it could still be a lot, and there is that speed and skill bonus already. If you want a trait that gives a significant edge to duelists, are you sure it wouldn't be better to just go with a more expensive advantage rather than a perk? We have Combat Reflexes as an example of that for combat in general, and with more points to work with, you can be more generous what to put in.

[ericthered]

Battle cry reminds me of combat shticks, which effect intimidate maneuvers via fancy battle actions. One of them gives a big bonus, the other lets you make intimidate as a free action. Both specialize by weapon skill.



You could make the battle cry roll an intimidation check, and stick restrictions on its use to make it a combat Shtick. Or you could say that you may make an intimidation roll and those who fail the opposed roll get the stated penalty.

[Bicorn]

Originally Posted by ericthered

You could make the battle cry roll an intimidation check, and stick restrictions on its use to make it a combat Shtick. Or you could say that you may make an intimidation roll and those who fail the opposed roll get the stated penalty.

Hmm, that sounds like a more elegant solution than the current mechanic.