Can Unarmed Combat III defend?

hcobb · 07-13-2021, 05:15 AM

At what point is a martial artist able to take a defend option?

This is first explicitly stated at Unarmed Combat IV where the martial artist gets an enhanced defend option roughly equivalent to a fencer with Shield Expertise.

If Unarmed Combat III can't defend against swords then the martial artist is better off just carrying a club instead. Untalented clubs do the same damage and can be used to defend.

larsdangly · 07-13-2021, 07:31 AM

I don't accept the aside about clubs vs. UC III (which provides -2 to-hit, -2 damage reduction and the ability to 'throw'). But as for the main question I'd say the talent description only specifies added dice for Defend, not whether or not you are permitted to defend at all. This leads to a contradiction between the talent descriptions and the main rule for Defend, which states clearly that you have to have a weapon ready (whereas all UC talents say you may not have a weapon ready while using the talent). The unstated implication is that UC talent, of any level, buys you an exception to the main rules for defend, i.e., UC I, II and III can defend normally.

While looking into this, i also noticed that Octopi are allowed to defend with one weapon while attacking with another, meaning they have their own rules for multi-weapon use, different from either the Two Weapons talent or the various more specialized ways humanoids fight with two weapons.

07-13-2021, 05:15 AM	#1
hcobb Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pacheco, California	Can Unarmed Combat III defend? At what point is a martial artist able to take a defend option? This is first explicitly stated at Unarmed Combat IV where the martial artist gets an enhanced defend option roughly equivalent to a fencer with Shield Expertise. If Unarmed Combat III can't defend against swords then the martial artist is better off just carrying a club instead. Untalented clubs do the same damage and can be used to defend. __________________ -HJC

07-13-2021, 07:31 AM	#2
larsdangly Join Date: Dec 2017	Re: Can Unarmed Combat III defend? I don't accept the aside about clubs vs. UC III (which provides -2 to-hit, -2 damage reduction and the ability to 'throw'). But as for the main question I'd say the talent description only specifies added dice for Defend, not whether or not you are permitted to defend at all. This leads to a contradiction between the talent descriptions and the main rule for Defend, which states clearly that you have to have a weapon ready (whereas all UC talents say you may not have a weapon ready while using the talent). The unstated implication is that UC talent, of any level, buys you an exception to the main rules for defend, i.e., UC I, II and III can defend normally. While looking into this, i also noticed that Octopi are allowed to defend with one weapon while attacking with another, meaning they have their own rules for multi-weapon use, different from either the Two Weapons talent or the various more specialized ways humanoids fight with two weapons.