Delay Combat Action

[Tobnac]

1. If I choose to delay an action and decides to attack, parry or something else when the Strike Rank reaches my opponenets Strike Rank, we both act simultaneously? I cannot use the Delay CA as an interrupt and wait and see what my opponent decides to to.

Is this assumption correct?

2. I can't understand why a combatant would choose to declare a Parry or an Evade in advance. What is the advantage? Is it a way to deter your opponent?

3. At what range should a fight start?
Let's say a fight starts and the combatants are 20 meters apart. To engage in close combat they have to move, i.e. you use metres. Then, when they get close you switch to weapons ranges, an abstract measure. I guess you kind of tick of weapons ranges. "The enemy moves rapidly at you. Anyone have a Pike? No, then they are at Long range. Anyone got a Great Sword?"

 

[Lemnoc]

1. If I choose to delay an action and decides to attack, parry or something else when the Strike Rank reaches my opponenets Strike Rank, we both act simultaneously? I cannot use the Delay CA as an interrupt and wait and see what my opponent decides to to.

I think, if it is your Turn, you can—in fact—use Delay in this way. As GM, I'd disallow this to be abused... you cannot force the loss of the opponent's CA using this tactic. But some warriors are bold, and some are cautious and cunning.

2. I can't understand why a combatant would choose to declare a Parry or an Evade in advance. What is the advantage? Is it a way to deter your opponent?

I don't see any advantage, either, if the rules permit one to declare the intent after gauging the success of the attack and receive no penalty to do so. As GM, I might require the statement if the tactical situation really required the player to commit—if the player was engaged doing something strenuous and in no position to Parry or Evade, I might require a bit more advance commitment to the acts.

3. At what range should a fight start?
Let's say a fight starts and the combatants are 20 meters apart. To engage in close combat they have to move, i.e. you use metres. Then, when they get close you switch to weapons ranges, an abstract measure. I guess you kind of tick of weapons ranges. "The enemy moves rapidly at you. Anyone have a Pike? No, then they are at Long range. Anyone got a Great Sword?"

I think you are correct, that a melee begins at weapons range.

 

[RangerDan]

1. If I choose to delay an action and decides to attack, parry or something else when the Strike Rank reaches my opponenets Strike Rank, we both act simultaneously? I cannot use the Delay CA as an interrupt and wait and see what my opponent decides to to.

Delaying basically means waiting and taking an action at a later Strike Rank.
I would say that if that SR is equal to your opponent's then yes, you act simultaneously (see Calculating Initiative on p. 125).
If it becomes critical which of the simultaneous actions (if any) 'occurs first' the GM would have to rule, perhaps with an opposed roll.
Note also that if whichever trigger you are waiting for does not occur (ie "I attack my enemy if he approaches" but the enemy does not approach) you lose the Combat Action if the SR count goes down to zero (you effectively used the "Do Nothing" action for that round).

2. I can't understand why a combatant would choose to declare a Parry or an Evade in advance. What is the advantage? Is it a way to deter your opponent?

The answer is that it's not actually a choice.
You must declare an intention to parry before the attacker rolls (p. 129).
Once comitted to a parry, only if the attack misses can you opt out.
It's a small rule, but I think it should solve the problem you discuss above.
Note that comitting to a parry might also be important for masters with 100%+ skill levels at parrying, depending on how you handle that type of character.

3. At what range should a fight start?
Let's say a fight starts and the combatants are 20 meters apart. To engage in close combat they have to move, i.e. you use metres. Then, when they get close you switch to weapons ranges, an abstract measure. I guess you kind of tick of weapons ranges. "The enemy moves rapidly at you. Anyone have a Pike? No, then they are at Long range. Anyone got a Great Sword?"

In most circumstances I would say the fight begins at the weapons reach of the longer weapon.
Having said that, I generally don't bother to track the exact engagement band of a fight.
As I see it, there's two questions to consider:

• 1) Is there a significant difference (2+ steps) in weapon reach?
  If NO, ignore engagment band until it somehow becomes relevant again.
  If YES, then next quesion:
  2) Who currently holds the advantage, LONG weapon or SHORT weapon?
  If Long weapon, short weapon cannot attack until he closes range.
  If Short weapon, long weapon cannot parry until he opens range.

Pretty simple, and it means I don't need to worry about exact engagement ranges.

Hope this all helps!

 

[Tobnac]

2. I can't understand why a combatant would choose to declare a Parry or an Evade in advance. What is the advantage? Is it a way to deter your opponent?

The answer is that it's not actually a choice.
You must declare an intention to parry before the attacker rolls (p. 129).
Once comitted to a parry, only if the attack misses can you opt out.
It's a small rule, but I think it should solve the problem you discuss above.
Note that comitting to a parry might also be important for masters with 100%+ skill levels at parrying, depending on how you handle that type of character.
![/quote]

Thank you for your answers. However, what I I'm trying to understand is why Parry can be "a reactive
response, this action can also be declared in advance of an expected attack by adopting a defensive stance." Why would you declare it in advance of an expected attack? The same paragraph can be found under Evade ("can also be declared in advance of an anticipated attack").

Why would I declare Parry before I know whether my enemy declares he will attack or not?

 

[RangerDan]

Thank you for your answers. However, what I I'm trying to understand is why Parry can be "a reactive
response, this action can also be declared in advance of an expected attack by adopting a defensive stance." Why would you declare it in advance of an expected attack? The same paragraph can be found under Evade ("can also be declared in advance of an anticipated attack").

Why would I declare Parry before I know whether my enemy declares he will attack or not?

I think this "defensive stance" is a way for a combatant to keep all his CAs for defensive actions when his Strike Rank comes up without having to explicitly Delay (losing his place on the SR).

 

[Tobnac]

Nope.

Under Combat Actions p. 127 & 128:
"Evade: Adventurers can attempt to dive or roll clear of missiles or a charging attack. This
action can also be declared in advance of an anticipated attack (see Parry). The CA available on the character’s next Strike Rank following an Evade attempt cannot be used to make an Attack. This penalty carries over to a new round if the Adventurer uses his last available CA in a round to Evade.
Parry: The Adventurer can attempt to deflect an incoming attack. As well as being a reactive
response, this action can also be declared in advance of an expected attack by adopting a defensive stance. However, once committed, the CA cannot be converted back to any other type of action and is lost if not used before his next Strike Rank occurs."

Pretty clear it is one Combat Action and it is declared in advance of the opponents declaration.

Still don't understand the benefit of this way of Evade & Parry.

 

[Olaus Petrus]

Nope.

Under Combat Actions p. 127 & 128:
"Evade: Adventurers can attempt to dive or roll clear of missiles or a charging attack. This
action can also be declared in advance of an anticipated attack (see Parry). The CA available on the character’s next Strike Rank following an Evade attempt cannot be used to make an Attack. This penalty carries over to a new round if the Adventurer uses his last available CA in a round to Evade.
Parry: The Adventurer can attempt to deflect an incoming attack. As well as being a reactive
response, this action can also be declared in advance of an expected attack by adopting a defensive stance. However, once committed, the CA cannot be converted back to any other type of action and is lost if not used before his next Strike Rank occurs."

Pretty clear it is one Combat Action and it is declared in advance of the opponents declaration.

Still don't understand the benefit of this way of Evade & Parry.

There are some occasions when it's useful. For example it's your turn and you are in open. Enemy has loaded his arbalest and you can't reach safety or engage him in melee this turn. How will you use your combat action? Do nothing or declare that you will use your CA to parry with your shield or try to evade arrow?

Another situation where players have declared that they will use their parry or evade in advance is when it's their last CA and they are anticipating serious attack before their next own strike rank, for example player is in difficult position because huge demon with very long tentacles is attacking against the character and character's weapon reach is too short to attack or mounted lancer is charging against the character.

I have also noticed that some players (usually those with huge shields and good shield skill) like to fight defensive style and try to get defensive combat manoeuvres (overextend opponent, blind opponent or pin weapon) especially if the enemy they are facing is heavily armoured and has huge weapon, while they are lightly armoured and have smaller weapon. That can give them the advantage in battle or keep them alive long enough that other characters have time to come and help them against the foe they can't defeat alone in battle.

In any case advantage of declared parry compared to delay is that delay ends when SR reaches 0, while parry ends only when it's your next SR.

 

[Tobnac]

Tack så mycket.