Dodging Ranged Attacks

[frogspawner]

It's perfectly clear that Defense is subtracted from melee attacks only. The example on p.10 from which you have quoted is a melee attack.

Maybe you should have one of RosenMcStern's lectures about the (lack of) logic in that!

But with any interpretation RQ2 certainly allowed missiles to be dodged, and that's what we're debating here.

Yes, I know. I made the OP.
- Q

Just reminding our Devoted Readers, old boy.

You can argue it if you want, Froggie, and you're a Yorkshireman...

Another rash assumption. I'm a Kentish Man, mate, so wotch yer maaff! I've only been here Up North for 15 years - still just a "comer-in"...

 

[Quire]

Another rash assumption. I'm a Kentish Man, mate, so wotch yer maaff! I've only been here Up North for 15 years - still just a "comer-in"...

I'll ignore the 'another rash assumption' jibe and merely gasp...are they letting SOUTHERNERS into Yorkshire now? Where will it all end?

- Q

(Ex-Greenhithe, now Halifax...)

 

[soltakss]

"If you dodge an wrench you can dodge a ball"

And in Remo, Unarmed and Dangerous, Chiun not only dodges bullets, but teaches Remo, who "moves like a pregnant buffalo" to do the same.

So, it must be possible .....

 

[Verisimilitude]

In my house rules you Can dodge a ranged attack, IF

1) You Spend one Defensive Action, non-refundable in any outcome
2) Succeed in a Perception Roll (-20%) [it's moving fast and hard to see]
3) Make your Dodge Roll (-attacker's Crit %) [some people are better at reacting to movement and target prediction, skill dictates]
4) Go Prone [edit : or in some rarer cases, dive behind cover. Remo and Neo need not apply]

In that order, no take backs, etc.

Seems hard but reasonable, and makes the action mighty Heroic.

.

 

[Rasta]

Dodging a sword (in reality) is no easy feat either. I let dodge be used all around on all attacks. Melee, missile, thrown, and area(dive). Since it has a lower starting %, and I apply armor penalties to it.

Weapon parries can normaly only block melee and thrown attacks. I allow them to block missile at -40%

Shield parries can block all except area attacks.

 

[Cleombrotus]

You'd think that you could at least try and dodge an incoming missile. If you're aware of it it's almost instinctive to attempt it. The rules give fairly low mods to shooting at a surprised or helpless target, implying that a non-surprised and non-helpless target is still trying to make your life as a ranged weapon user difficult. I like Rasta's notion of the -40%. This makes parrying a missile a kind of Precision Dodge, or Precision Parry just as we have Precision Attacks...Mind you, the 'just moving your body enough' definition of dodge is a bit Remo-esque as previously mentioned by soltakss, so maybe you can only dive out of the way if you're going to do anything other than 'evade' and pray your attacker misses...I miss the idea of setting your shield to cover set locations rather than parry as well, since we know full well that this was one of the hallmarks of the phalanx or the Roman Legions...It should be the main way of defending against missile weapons...

 

[Rasta]

I miss the idea of setting your shield to cover set locations rather than parry as well, since we know full well that this was one of the hallmarks of the phalanx or the Roman Legions...It should be the main way of defending against missile weapons...

I like that notion also, but this makes the shield skill irrelivant to blocking an arrow. Joe Bloe the farmer, has the same chance of blocking as Ragnar the warrior. (mabey this still represents reality)

If I remember correct you got to cover a number of adjacent hit locations based on the size of the shield you carry.
Large= 2 locations plus shield arm
Medium= 1 location plus shield arm
Small= only shield arm

I never liked this part of the rule, as I thought that a large shield should be able to cover more than two other locations. Mabey just add an extra location that can be covered for each type of shield.

That will make the buckler somewhat handy against missile.