Encouraging different attacks

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by aesir23

I love this! The only change I'd make is to make it a Per based combat skill roll (the highest combat skill you have, not necessarily the skill you're using, like resisting feints.)

It makes sense that an experienced fighter would be better at spotting openings.

Sensitivity should be allowed to substitute for or enhance this roll as well.

I was thinking Body Language would be the obvious skill to use instead of Per, although Per-based combat skills make as much sense.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

I was thinking Body Language would be the obvious skill to use instead of Per, although Per-based combat skills make as much sense.

Body Language can read emotional intent, but not combat stance, guard, etc. It's a social skill, not a combat one. (Note that this is a change from 3e.)

[mhd]

Never mind that reading the opponent's body language is probably a big part of your normal combat skill anyway. A technique might be appropriate...

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by mhd

Never mind that reading the opponent's body language is probably a big part of your normal combat skill anyway. A technique might be appropriate...

This. It's one of the reasons you resist Feints with your highest combat skill.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by mhd

Never mind that reading the opponent's body language is probably a big part of your normal combat skill anyway. A technique might be appropriate...

For those of you who liked the 3e use, here's a RAW way to bring it back (at a price; to some extent).

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

Carrot and stick.

Stick: As mentioned above, using the same attack twice gives the foe +1 to Active Defense on third and subsequent attacks, as he learns to guard against it or cover that target.

Carrot: On taking an Evaluate, Defensive Attack, All-Out Defense or Wait, the fighter may make a Per roll to "spot an opening." Roll on Kromm's table above, and the fighter may take advantage of the opening on the next round.

The idea is that this will lead to chained Evaluates, causing lulls and flurries, if they're desirable.

I like this combination, or just going with a Carrot and no Stick if you are so inclined. Kromm's table is sweet, but rolling every turn is potentially really irritating. This cuts down on when you have to roll, without removing the sweet table :)

Carrot-And-Stick would be the "Harsh Realism" version ;)
Or possibly there's a disadvantage that prevents an attacker from getting the benefit of those Stick observations - sometimes you have a character who's just supposed to be thick. Would it be oblivious? Or a whole new disad?

[mhd]

I'm still not convinced that there should be a role to use Kromm's table. After all, I can already attack an opening by simply rolling on the random hit location table. This method has the advantage that I don't have to use it and you pay for it by not being able to circumvent the whole to hit penalty. Seems a fair deal as it is.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Or possibly there's a disadvantage that prevents an attacker from getting the benefit of those Stick observations - sometimes you have a character who's just supposed to be thick. Would it be oblivious? Or a whole new disad?

This could just be a syptom of mediocre training and/or low Perception score. I could also see a (leveled?) Quirk that gives a malus to the Per roll, or completely removes the option for maybe -3 cp.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Body Language can read emotional intent, but not combat stance, guard, etc. It's a social skill, not a combat one. (Note that this is a change from 3e.)

I hadn't realised that, which explains why it didn't seem to do what I was looking for when I checked it in Characters while thinking on Cyborg Familiarity (here).

However, there's a few points in Martial Arts where it would seem to suggest it's good to use here-

• MA 86- For spotting a risky technique, where you can roll against Per, Body Language or your Melee Combat Skills
• MA 101- For a 3rd person to spot an attacker Feinting (instead of Tactics)
• MA 158- It's an Optional Skill for La Verdadera Destreza, I'm presuming based on the fluff text which says "The ideal diestro... learned to watch his opponent and “read” his stance in order to respond at the best moment."

The 1st and 3rd points are very similar to "spotting an opening", while the 2nd is just a generic use of it in combat where it's not detecting lies (well, spoken lies) or emotional state.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

For those of you who liked the 3e use, here's a RAW way to bring it back (at a price; to some extent).

Interestingly, Kromm's idea here is very similar to Figleaf's idea in that thread, which Toadkiller was criticising.

Or, to be precise, my version of Kromm's idea, with the foe's wrongfootedness depending on the fighter's Per roll.