Topic: Action declaration

[LukeZ]

If you attack an enemy, you must declare how much will you parry (OB -> DB) during the simultaneous action declaration phase, or you can declare this at anytime (before your action)?

[Thom @ ICE]

In reverse order of initiative each individual declares their actions, including parry values.
In order of initiative you resolve the actions.

[LukeZ]

Uhm... the phases of a Combat Round are:
1) Declaration
2) Initiative Determination
3) Actions Resolution
To be able to declare in reverse order of initiative you have to switch phase 1 and phase 2 (in addition, the declaration of some actions modify your initiative, so... it can lead to strange results).

I've always played with "simultaneous" declarations (first the GM secretly selects the NPC actions, than the PC declare their actions).

Anyway, if you have declared the casting of a spell, but you are stunned before your action, you can still change your action to "Full Parry" (with half OB), right?

[Thom @ ICE]

I just went back and rechecked what was in the book, and found that according to the book, what I am doing is not as per the book.  That being said, I completely disagree with the concept of declaring actions before initiative.  Whoever declares their actions last always does so with the most knowledge and has an advantage. 

If you want everyone to write it down secretly and then share what they wrote, I guess that would work.

IMO 1 and 2 should be reversed.  It should be:
1 - Determine Initiative
2 - Declare actions in reverse order - this way winning the initiative allows you to act with the best knowledge of what your foe is doing.
3 - Resolve actions.

[Thom @ ICE]

Anyway, if you have declared the casting of a spell, but you are stunned before your action, you can still change your action to "Full Parry" (with half OB), right?

If your spell is scheduled to complete that round, the spell still is cast.
If your spell will not complete the casting until the next round (or later). the spell is disrupted with no PP loss.
I would not permit a change to Full Parry, though I would be OK with a Sudden Dodge.

[LukeZ]

I (as GM) select on my "combat sheet" the actions for the NPC. Players simply declare their actions one at time (in no particular order).

Anyway, with the reverse order there should be a phase 0 in which you declare the amount of initiative bonus you get from the action you will declare in phase 2, otherwise actions like an attack with the Dragon Style or Swift Strike would became (almost) useless.

[LukeZ]

Anyway, if you have declared the casting of a spell, but you are stunned before your action, you can still change your action to "Full Parry" (with half OB), right?

If your spell is scheduled to complete that round, the spell still is cast.
If your spell will not complete the casting until the next round (or later). the spell is disrupted with no PP loss.
I would not permit a change to Full Parry, though I would be OK with a Sudden Dodge.

If, instead of casting a spell, I'm making an attack, would this attack still be completed at my initiative this round (and I would be stunned at my next action)?

[Ecthelion]

If you want everyone to write it down secretly and then share what they wrote, I guess that would work.

I think the reasoning behind the rule is in fact that the decisions for actions should be done independently. Writing actions down is one way. There was also IMO a set of Action Cards available somewhere which you could pick from and lay face down on the table. What we do is deciding on the actions independently and then everyone only tells what he decided upon. Of course this requires a bit of trust in your players.

The downside of the variant of first determining initiative, then declaring in reverse order and then executing the actions is IMO that it hands out knowledge about the slower characters' actions to the faster characters' players which these would not normally know and better gain through combat perception or the like.

[Thom @ ICE]

If, instead of casting a spell, I'm making an attack, would this attack still be completed at my initiative this round (and I would be stunned at my next action)?

Melee or missile is impacted immediately according to the rules, but you still are only stunned for X number of actions. If you get stunned for 1 round and fail your resistance roll, then you lose your attack that same round, but can then can act normally next round.

[Thom @ ICE]

I think the reasoning behind the rule is in fact that the decisions for actions should be done independently. Writing actions down is one way. There was also IMO a set of Action Cards available somewhere which you could pick from and lay face down on the table. What we do is deciding on the actions independently and then everyone only tells what he decided upon. Of course this requires a bit of trust in your players.

The downside of the variant of first determining initiative, then declaring in reverse order and then executing the actions is IMO that it hands out knowledge about the slower characters' actions to the faster characters' players which these would not normally know and better gain through combat perception or the like.

Much the same as your "trusting the players", the reverse order concern requires trust - but can also include the GM prohibiting actions.

If going into the round the thief (who has circled around behind the party) declares he's going to surprise attack from the rear, and then the elven warrior (with higher init) announces for his action he is going to turn around to face the thief... my first comment is why would your character turn around if you didn't know the thief was there?
On the other hand, if he were to then say, I want to do a Combat Perception check to see if I notice the thief, that would be fine.

[Thom @ ICE]

Anyway, with the reverse order there should be a phase 0 in which you declare the amount of initiative bonus you get from the action you will declare in phase 2, otherwise actions like an attack with the Dragon Style or Swift Strike would became (almost) useless.

Since these improve Initiative, when it comes to their turn, they simply announce that they are doing Dragon Style (but nothing more) and the other individuals go until it is their Initiative again.  They lose a little benefit, but not all of it.