Let me start with a simple request. Help me understand.
I will apologize ahead of time for this posting. The idea kind of irritates me and I really do not understand the "WHY?" of it.
I have seen in many replies to my posts, as well as in other posts regarding Parry, that a +0 OB attack roll is made when any Parry is done.
Now maybe this is in editions other than RM2 or RMC. Or I am totally off the mark and just do not understand the basic concept correctly.
But, except for one place, I have not seen anywhere in RM2 or RMC where it says you do this for every parry. The only instance of this is if one uses all of their OB to Parry (see below underlined). I still do not understand why you would need to roll anything, but ok.
Also, it specifically says "If a combatant elects to parry with a weapon with their entire OB". The key words here are "If a combatant elects to parry". By this wording, it would counter any critical results that resulted in Must Parry, because you are not given a choice. But then I might be reading into things, right.
Also, why would you roll for a Parry anyway? The idea that it is to see if you Fumble seems a bit of overkill or just asking for trouble. I mean you are already rolling for an attack. To me, it seems like you are giving the player or NPC a free attack against every attacker. When you are already reducing their attack by whatever your DB ends up being.
Maybe I am misunderstanding what is being written but I have looked and I see no wording in the Parry rules of RM2 or RMC that has you roll to affect every Parry. See below for the rules right out of the RMC Arms Law pg. 14.
Maybe others have read into these rules and think that a +0 OB roll is made every turn regardless of the situation.
I see how this can be greatly abused if applied as I have read before.
If you are Stunned and Must Parry you are not allowed to make any attacks. Yet by this rule, you still make a +0 OB attack roll.
What if you were Dule Weilding would you then make two +0 OB attacks per opponent.
Heck if I were attacked and the critical made to Parry at the end of a round for say 2 rounds. Then by this rule, during the Declrolation Phase, where you designate all attacks and opponents. Why wouldn't I identify every enemy combatant on the field as a target to Parry? Even those well outside of any range I could reach. I'm not attacking anyone. I am defending. (See Option 9 below)
Since it's a +0 OB attack to Parry then that's a free attack against everyone, despite the penalty. All I need to do is not Fumble, right?
Maybe this is just being argumentative, but I don't see the need for this extra rolling of dice.
Another sort of contradictory statement in the rules covering this sort of counters the +0 OB idea entirely. Where it says "They must also have a shield, suitable terrain, or a Melee weapon to get the full benefit of parry." and under Parrying Missile Fire it says "They must also have a shield (a weapon won’t do) or suitable terrain with which to parry the missile." If you are performing the +0 OB attack using Terrain to parry with, what table do you roll on? This is another aspect where this idea of rolling +0 OB in order to Parry doesn't make sense.
In my games, a PC separates his OB into as many defensive counters as they like, provided they either leave 50% for attacking or until they run out of OB. No additional rolls. I just don't understand why, or why so many talk as if this rule is applied in every Parry instance. Like I said it just seems excessive and unneeded.
Help me understand.
PARRYING
A combatant can increase their defensive bonus by allocating some or all of their Offensive Bonus (OB) to increase their DB. This is called parrying, although it can also be defined as fighting more defensively or even dodging. The premise of sacrificing offensive capabilities in order to increase one’s defensive capability is a fundamental component in Arms Law.
Parrying Melee Attacks: A defender may parry a melee attack during combat round by declaring any or all of their OB (with the melee weapon they are using) to DB. All points of OB so switched are converted to enhance DB.
• The designation of this “OB/DB split” is done for all combatants when they declare a melee attack (See Section 3.2.) (Exception: The defender may cancel any action to parry if they have at least 60% activity left.)
• To parry a Melee attack, the defender must be aware that they will be subject to the attack.
• They must also have a shield, suitable terrain, or a Melee weapon to get the full benefit of parry. Some weapons may only be used to parry with a certain percentage of the wielder’s OB.
• A combatant may only parry the foe that they attack. (Unless Option 9: Multiple Parry is in use)
[Question: Can Option 9 penalties can be countered by both SLA and Reverse Stroke?]
• If a combatant elects to parry with a weapon with their entire OB, they receive the “shield” bonus for their weapon. However, they must still make an attack with a +0 OB. These bonuses are listed on the Shield-Parry Table 02-04.
Parrying Missile Fire: As with melee parrying, a defender parrying a missile may reduce their OB, in whole or in part, and shift that bonus to their DB. To parry a missile attack:
• The defender must be aware that they will be subject to the attack.
• They must also have a shield (a weapon won’t do) or suitable terrain with which to parry the missile.
• When parrying missile fire, the shift must be declared before the attack and is only applicable against missile attackers on one facing. (Exception: defender may cancel any action to missile parry if they have at least 60% activity left.)
• Parrying a missile attack requires 50% of a character’s normal activity for a round.
Parrying Limitations: A combatant may use part of their OB for missile parrying, another part for melee parrying, and another part for a melee attack; but the sum of these may not exceed their normal OB total. A summary of parrying limitations may be found in the Shield-Parry Table 02-04, detailed descriptions are listed by attack type in Section 5
The Importance of Parrying: AL is based upon the assumption that combatants will use the option of parrying to protect themselves. In a face-to-face battle, only berserkers, idiots, and desperate combatants always use their entire offensive bonus in the attack. Such combatants usually do not last long unless they have something special going for them (e.g. incredible armor, incredible luck, super healing facilities, etc.). In most situations, a combatant will and should use part of their offensive bonus to attack with and the rest to increase their defensive bonus and thus protect himself. Of course, in certain situations it is often wise for a combatant to attack with their entire offensive bonus; for example, when attacking a foe that cannot attack back, or perhaps when facing multiple opponents.
Dodging: Parrying includes small blocks, dodges, and other movements designed to avoid being hit. Parrying also requires that the character be wielding a weapon. However, there are likely to be times when a character does not have a weapon or cannot use their weapon for, or they just want to avoid combat. In these instances, a character can attempt to Dodge an attack. This is a dedicated attempt to avoid being hit by getting out of the way of the incoming attack. To Dodge, the player must a roll and add the average of their character’s Agility and Quickness bonuses, or the character’s Acrobatics skill. This roll is made on the Extremely Hard column of the Movement & Maneuver Table, and any numeric results are applied to the character’s DB. If the result falls on the low end of the column, then the character has fumbled their attempt to Dodge and the results are applied. If the result falls on the high end of the table, then the character receives the highest numeric result on that chart column to their DB and the prose result is also applied accordingly.
A Dodge is considered 100% activity, if this exceeds the character’s activity for the current round, then the action carries over into the next round. So a character who dodges with 40% activity left begins the next round spending the first 60% activity of the next round still dodging—and still getting the DB bonus if any. Canceling any action to dodge is therefore 110% activity in total.
In either case, the bonus to DB from the Dodge roll applies equally against all foes.
OPTION 9: MULTIPLE PARRY
Normally a foe may Parry all attacks from a single foe that they are aware of. Using this option, they may parry multiple foes that they are aware of. To use this option, the character must expend 10% of their activity to engage and parry each foe beyond the first. The character is required to have enough activity remaining to perform the full parry (i.e. a minimum of 50% activity). They are also limited to parrying only those foes of which they are aware, thus foes that are to the rear or rear flank normally cannot be parried unless they have some form of extra normal perception. [Question: Can Option 9 penalties can be countered by both SLA and Reverse Stroke?]