Topic: Adrenal Defense

[DavidKlecker]

Is AD based on attack or attacker? That is, like with Parry, it is applied to multiple attacks from the same foe. Does AD work that way or is it only applied to a specific attack?

Thanks!

[yammahoper]

AD is applied against all attacks the user of AD can see coming.  AD is never applied against ambush or surprise attacks.

[DavidKlecker]

And rear. 

not sure of flank. 

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

The bonus from Adrenal Defense to DB applies to ALL attacks that the character (who is using Adrenal Defense) is aware of.

It does not matter what direction that the attack is coming from. If the character is aware of the incoming attack, he gets his Adrenal Defense bonus.

[DavidKlecker]

Obviously then, a successful Sit. Awareness Combat, observation, or Alertness would make my character "aware" of an attack from any position around me, correct? So it's not outside the realm of possiblity that my character could perform a Situational Awareness roll in the snap action phase, then attack in the normal action phase. If my Sit. Aware passes I can use AD from any attack regardless of position.

[yammahoper]

Correct Monk, but an attacker would still gain +15 for flank or +20 for a rear attack.

AD bonus is halved against Missile/Bolt attacks, of course.

[markc]

 A side question that applies to this topic. In my game I reduce the persons DB by 10 for each additional attack beyond the first for normal weapon, armor and or shield but have reduced Adreanal Defense by 15 per additional attack. First I tend to play a little more gritty campaign with some minor adjetsments for OB,DB from magic items or a large adjustmets from artifacts.
 IYO is reducig a martial artist AD by 15 instead of 10 unbalancing?

Thanks
MDC

[DavidKlecker]

A side question that applies to this topic. In my game I reduce the persons DB by 10 for each additional attack beyond the first for normal weapon, armor and or shield but have reduced Adreanal Defense by 15 per additional attack. First I tend to play a little more gritty campaign with some minor adjetsments for OB,DB from magic items or a large adjustmets from artifacts.
 IYO is reducig a martial artist AD by 15 instead of 10 unbalancing?

Thanks
MDC

I am all for the proponent of making additional attacks or defends harder to accomplish when you are out numbered. I mean a group of 3 against 1 should have the advantage. Especially if they are using teamwork to knock me down (each attacks in a different phase). When you parry two attacks you have to take a -20. In light of this I would think if I am using AD for the same idea (monks can have a rather high AD if they build it constantly), I should apply the same penalties. For my next campaign I was thinking of using the following rules.

If two people are attacking a foe, each attacker must take a -20 to his OB unless they attack in a different action phase (for example, one attacks in the snap action phase, while the other attacks in the deliberate action phase). Such an example would be teamwork and therefore the group penalty is only a -10 per attack. For the defender, to defend more than one attack they must take a -20 to each attack if they are using AD. Positional modifiers also apply against the defender.

[markc]

 Oops sorry I use a -20 to DB for each attack beyond the 1st and I am thinking about a -25 or maybe a -30 to AD per attacker beyond the first. I also sometimes give the defender there shield bonus a second time but that really depends on how may combatents they are facing and if they have a combat art that gives them special benifits to wielding there shield.

 MDC

[thrud]

Do you guys actually have trouble with PC's being hard to kill?
Are your players munchkins or what?
We tend to run if there's a pack of Gobbos just because it's so deadly to be outnumbered and we have no house rules making it more deadly.
If anything our GM tend to be a little lenient at times but we run all the same.

[markc]

 No IMO my players were not hard to kill but also I did a few combats before the game started so they could understand the system. I did a one on one, a two on one and a many on one. They saw how brutal it was with the rules I used above and it made them think more about combat situations.
 Another note is that it also worked in there favor when they were fighting a big monster. And quite a few times it was the difference between the party killing it as oposed to the whole party ending up dead.

MDC