A few rules questions from a noob

[stacktrace]

Finally got a chance to read through the book, and it is a very well put together book, both in material and content. I did have several questions though I was hoping to get some insight into. Thank you in advance for putting up with this newbie's questions.



Poison: Some poisons have multiple onset times requiring separate skill checks to resist. Lets say Joe makes his first skill check to resist. Is he still subject to the later effects, or is he now clean?


Pin Weapon: If the person with the pinned weapon chooses to evade to escape the weapon pin, must they drop their weapon to do so? Does the person doing the actual pinning lose the use of the weapon they are using to pin while maintaining the weapon pin?


Reach Advantage: The text mentions that someone who is being held at bay due to having a weapon 2 sizes too small can attack the weapon itself or attempt to get a manuever to close the distance, but it does not give any details. Is it just a simple attack which does not deal damage, but if it generates a combat manuever, the attacker can choose the damage weapon or close distance manuevers?

Likewise, can the person with the longer weapon make attacks in hopes of gaining an open distance manuever once the distance has been closed?


Can you really just completely negate cover (even with ranged attacks) just by choosing the choose location manuever if you gain one (which you nearly always do when successful in an attack). Seems that cover is nearly pointless.

What about using choose location when shooting into melee to prevent all the rules about accidently hitting other targets?


Evade: Can you cast a spell after an evade attempt, or is that limited in the same manner as an attack is?


Can one use a ranged weapon to parry a melee attack?


Can anyone attempt a leap attack, or just particular types of monsters?



How would you handle:

A character actively trying to cover another from an attacker?

A character joining a grapple to either help hold down the grappled or help the grappled escape?

A character in melee alongside you helping you to disengage by preventing the enemy from following after?

 

[Antalon]

Welcome to the boards. My views on your questions:

1) Poison. Page 55 notes in the first paragraph that if a character succesfully resists the effects of the poison are avoided. Only if they fail the initial roll will they be subject to secondary effects after each 'resistance time' expires.

2) Pin. I would rule that the attacker's parrying weapon (or whatever combat style was used) is also unuseable while maintaining the pin. If the opponent disengages through using Evade - without first attempting to free their weapon - if seems logical that they lose it.

3) Reach. You have the main idea, if you gain a CM then you can use whatever manoeuvres are avaible, including closing the distance.

4) Remember that the attacker is targetting a defender, who may benefit from cover, but must also choose how to defend. If you attack and gain a higher successs then it seems fair to choose location and avoid the risk of hitting cover. Only those locations that are not covered can be targeted. Shooting into a crowd or melee is more tricky. I'd be tempted to use the 'target visibility' mod of -20 or -40 per cent - if the attack fails because of these modifiers then the attackers has hit another person by accident - who cannot defend. I know this is different from RAW but in a hustling crowd or frantic melee the RAW approach doesn't seem to refect the pure 'randomness' of warfare.

Evade. Good question - I don't know. I'd judge it on the circumstances in game.

Parrying with a ranged weapon. Yes, if desperate enough. But the skil should be something suitable for the weapon. So a longbow perhaps quarter staff or maybe just base Str+Dex. I would also apply damage to the weapon. They aren't meant to be used to parry.

Leap. For normal people I'd say you need a height advantage (leaping from your horse or a tree) and possibly surprise.

Your other questions:

A character actively trying to cover another from an attacker?

- I'd allow this only of the defender had declared an intention to do so and was aware of the attacker. Some sort of reach weapon or a sheild would maybe be needed too. The defence should be at a -10 or -20 modifier. It is a very brave and noble thing to do!

A character joining a grapple to either help hold down the grappled or help the grappled escape?

- Either using the 'assistance' rules (pg 35) or maybe a seperate attack, making it a threeway grapple.

A character in melee alongside you helping you to disengage by preventing the enemy from following after?

- Another good question. I'd maybe treat it as disengaging, and allow nthe ally a free attack if succesfully beating the attacker's opposed test (against Evade or the attacker's combat skill). Alternatively use the assistance rule. Either way, it costs the ally a CA.

Antalon.

 

[stacktrace]

Thanks Antalon, that provides a lot of help. Been running some sample combats myself to iron the bugs out and get used to the system. A couple new questions came up:

Do the Charge reactions cost the defender a CA?

What is the size of an arrow or bolt for purposes of impaling?

Can you parry with a reach weapon once you have been closed upon?

If one chooses to Attack when someone tries to Disengage from combat, is this truely an opposed roll where the attack causes damage even if the Evade for the disengage is successful if it is a higher roll?

 

[Antalon]

A quick effort to respond:

Do the Charge reactions cost the defender a CA?

Yes.

What is the size of an arrow or bolt for purposes of impaling?

I would rule that a single arrow or bolt does not affect an impaled character - but 2, 3 or more should. Perhaps for every 3 arrows I'd treat as one size category. I'm thinking of Boromir!

Can you parry with a reach weapon once you have been closed upon?

No. See page 92 and the errata.

If one chooses to Attack when someone tries to Disengage from combat, is this truely an opposed roll where the attack causes damage even if the Evade for the disengage is successful if it is a higher roll?

The rules are unclear on this, both for standard evade and when disengaging from a close attacker. If the evading character beats the attacker in an opposed roll, they should disengage without harm. The same I think applies to evading in melee combat, but you (the evading character) are also unable to attack on the next CA.

Antalon.