[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [dq-rules] Schools of Fencing

Roger,
I often vacillate back and forth between making the combat system more realistic and recognizing the game-speed benefits of leaving it fairly generic. As it stands now, I think there is a great trade off between realism and playability.
I am sorely tempted to try to adapt parts of the Harn combat system onto DQ, specifically the rating of weapons for different types of damage (thrusting/pointed, slashing/edged and crushing). It means tracking three different Dmods for each weapon and three different Protection values for each type of armor.
This usually leads me to the conclusion that it might be nice to track hit point locations as well. 

This starts to spiral downward into more and more detail, and I stop myself.
In conclusion (and to the point of this post) I recommend leaving it alone. There is not enough differentiation between the various weapons that specific combat style training/style will work well with the current system.
Maybe we need a different Grevious Injury chart for each damage class of weapon.... 



Proposed New Optional Rule:

In place of optional rule 18.5 (don't have a book at hand at the
moment, so I'm not 100% sure that I have the exact rule number correct;
it's the optional rule for additional damage with A-class weapons based
on Rank).

New rule introduces different rules for added damage, SC bonus, and
bonus to defense.  These rules would also supercede the Fencing combat
talent in Poor Brendan's Almanac.

Different schools of fencing teach different forms and styles of
combat.  Some emphasize offense, others defense or use of two weapons,
or other things.
Precedent: Italian fencing vs French fencing vs Russian fencing. Different people emphasize different things in combat, so different 
fencing styles arise.

Study of a particular school of fencing provides bonuses affecting SC,
DEF, Dam.  Cost to study a school of fencing is a small percentage of
cost to study weapon.  Studying a particular school of fencing can be
done simultaneously with the study of the appropriate weapon, or can be
done separately at a later time.

This is not unlike studying True Names in order to improve spell cast
chances.  It also allows the GM to introduce additional flavor to
combat.  Any schools of fencing created by the GM need to be reasonable
and balanced.  This also allows for an additional level of mastery and
distinction above and beyond basic weapon skill.

A character may learn more than one school of fencing, but each
additional school adds +25% to the experience cost.  A character's Rank
in a school of fencing may never exceed that character's Rank with the
weapon.

Example:
Arolic School Fencing
  This school of fencing emphasizes defense and self protection until
the opportunity to land a strike appears.
  Effects: +5 + (1 per 2 Ranks) DEF; Dam +1 at Rank 4, +2 at Rank 7, +3
at Rank 9; subtract (10 - Rank) from SC.
Examples: Alphonse has Rank 3 in Rapier and Rank 2 in Arolic Fencing. He adds +6 to his defense, does no additional damage, and subtracts -8 
from his SC.  Aramis has Rank 7 Estoc and Rank 7 Arolic Fencing.  He
adds +9 to his defense, does +2 additional damage, and subtracts -3
from his SC.

This is just a first draft at this idea.  My current gaming group is
going to playtest this once we have a working draft. 
Comments?  Suggestions?  Like it or hate it?



To Post a message, send it to:   dq-rules@eGroups.com
To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: dq-rules-unsubscribe@eGroups.com

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/



--
I practice Ty-Fu, the art of slaughtering what I type.
"Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make them all yourself." 
             Unknown
There's always someone better than you, but you're never as bad as some think you are." 
             Rip Torn