Few combat questions - evading, retreating

[jesussan]

I am new in Legend rules and i am a little bit confused with combat:

1. Calculating success levels while defender is evading. The attack-evade situation is Opposed Test, so i am confused how to treat winning by higher roll when both succeed (its 1 step like for win-lose situation or its 0?). In attack-parry there is no such problem becouse its not Opposed Test - both succed means 0 steps.

2. Retreating/moving in Close Combat. The rulebook isnt clear in this or I just cant find appropriate rule. Section 'Weapon Reach - Closing and Disengaging' (page 139) concerns situation when size of combatants weapons are different in lenght by two or more steps and/or the combatatns want to efficently continue fighting. What about situations when combatants weapons are different in lenght by 1 or less steps and/or they dont wanna stay in combat? In such a cases they can just use Move CA to retreat Close Combat or still disengaging should be applied?

PS. Sorry for my poor english.

 

[DamonJynx]

Evade.

If the evade is successful (i.e. he wins the opposed roll), the defender takes no damage regardless of what the attacker rolled. The defender is subject to the penalties for evading in combat, can't attack on next CA and so on. If there are differences in the level of success CM's are granted normally.

If the attacker wins, it's damage as normal and if there are differences in the level of success the attacker may apply CM's as appropriate.

If the winner of the Opposed Test achieves one or more levels of success over his opponent, the result of the roll may be modified by applicable Combat Manoeuvres as per normal combat.

Disengaging.

Combatants that are engaged in melee can use the Change Range combat action to disengage if they wish. The only difference for weapons of equal size or 1 step difference is you do not have to close to make an attack.

 

[jesussan]

Thanks for answer, but i will ask for more details if You dont mind:

1. All is clear but please tell me how to calculate level of success when Attacker win by higher skill roll? Example: attacker got sword 70% and rolled 60 and defender got evade 70% and rolled 50 - both succeed but attaker wins with higher skill roll. How many level of success it is - 0 or 1?

2. Just to be sure - I am in close combat situation and after attacking I wanna change opponent or just retreat. In my CA I must take Change Range (and Move) or i can just Move and Attack other opponent?

 

[DamonJynx]

Thanks for answer, but i will ask for more details if You dont mind:

1. All is clear but please tell me how to calculate level of success when Attacker win by higher skill roll? Example: attacker got sword 70% and rolled 60 and defender got evade 70% and rolled 50 - both succeed but attaker wins with higher skill roll. How many level of success it is - 0 or 1?

None. They both succeed, so no level of success. The levels of success/failure are:

Fumble, Fail, Succeed, Critical - not die rolls. So if you roll a Critical and I roll a Success you get 1 level of success because they're 1 apart. If I roll a Fumble and you a Critical, that's 3 l levels of success. In combat that equates to the number of CM's.

This 'differential roll' is mainly for combat. For other skills it's the highest successful die roll wins with no additional benefits.

2. Just to be sure - I am in close combat situation and after attacking I wanna change opponent or just retreat. In my CA I must take Change Range (and Move) or i can just Move and Attack other opponent?

I'm reasonably confident you have to Change Range, I'm not 100% sure but that's how I GM it. Perhaps, someone can confirm this for us?

 

[jesussan]

First of all thanks for clarifying 1st question.

2. Just to be sure - I am in close combat situation and after attacking I wanna change opponent or just retreat. In my CA I must take Change Range (and Move) or i can just Move and Attack other opponent?

I'm reasonably confident you have to Change Range, I'm not 100% sure but that's how I GM it. Perhaps, someone can confirm this for us?

And can You guys consider this example with different kinds of weapon's size.

 

[DamonJynx]

First of all thanks for clarifying 1st question.

2. Just to be sure - I am in close combat situation and after attacking I wanna change opponent or just retreat. In my CA I must take Change Range (and Move) or i can just Move and Attack other opponent?

I'm reasonably confident you have to Change Range, I'm not 100% sure but that's how I GM it. Perhaps, someone can confirm this for us?

And can You guys consider this example with different kinds of weapon's size.

If your weapons are 2 or more reach categories different you HAVE to Change Range to disengage, Shortsword vs. Long Spear for example, or Dagger vs. Longsword.

It's when the weapons are less than 2 reach categories different I'm unsure of.

 

[strega]

Surely to avoid an attack you have to be outside the range of your opponents weapon.

That makes using Disengage with Change Distance (CA) the technique to get away from the current opponent. Once Disengaged you can Move (next CA) to re-engage a different opponent. However there's nothing to stop your previous opponent also Moving to re-engage you if they have enough CA's to do so. Initiative will be key here, you will have to move before your opponent to avoid him re-engaging and also have enough movement to completely move out of his range.

The CM Change Range will do the same thing - see Disengaging p140 where it specifically says Disengage requires a CA if not using the Change Range CM.

To sum up: If you need to stop fighting your current opponent you either have to get a CM (Change Range) or spend a CA Disengaging with Change Distance. If successfully Disengaging or outside the range of his weapon you can spend your next CA on a Move to engage someone else. If your prior opponent has higher initiative than you he may move into range with his CA and re-engage requiring another CA for you to Disengage again.

This could lead to you being chased around the battlefield dying the death of a thousand cuts if the enemy hits you as you try to disengage.

BTW Change Range (CM) doesn't seem to differentiate weapon lengths except to allow you to get to a more suitable range for your weapon Change Distance (CA) is virtually identical in wording and it's only the CA versus free action CM that differentiates them.

 

[jesussan]

Now its all clear to me. Thank You very much.