Author Topic: I don't understand how shields work  (Read 965 times)

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Offline kinithin

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I don't understand how shields work
« on: March 03, 2020, 04:54:24 AM »
Does one need to take the "making a melee attack" action that round to gain the benefits of the shield against a melee attack?

Does one need to take the "parrying a missile attack" action that round to gain the benefits of the shield against a missile attack?


Offline Ecthelion

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Re: I don't understand how shields work
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2020, 05:58:01 AM »
IMO in both cases the character only needs to declare that he is going to use the shield against the incoming melee/missile attack to get the bonus. So a character A might indeed declare a melee attack against the opponent B and we would assume that he is going to use his shield against B's counter attack to get the additional DB from the shield. But he may also declare a melee attack against B but explicitly state that he wants to use the shield against opponent C's missile attack (assuming that his facing allows for this). In this case he would not get the shield DB against B's melee attack but against C's missile attack.

Offline kinithin

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Re: I don't understand how shields work
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2020, 06:50:09 AM »
So what's the "parrying a missile attack" action, then? It requires 50% activity.

Offline Ruffie

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Re: I don't understand how shields work
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2020, 07:34:23 AM »
Top of my head here but isn't parrying a missile attack an action used with one of the combat maneuver skills?

Offline technobabble66

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Re: I don't understand how shields work
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2020, 07:40:47 AM »
You mean Yado?

Offline Ecthelion

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Re: I don't understand how shields work
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2020, 09:09:19 AM »
So what's the "parrying a missile attack" action, then? It requires 50% activity.
When actively parrying a missile the character is allowed to subtract his melee OB (in addition to the shield DB) from the missile's attack. Otherwise he gets only the shield DB vs. the missile attack.

Offline jdale

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Re: I don't understand how shields work
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2020, 02:28:31 PM »
The "parrying a missile attack" rules are vague and somewhat contradictory. You have to reduce your OB, shifting part or all of it to DB, but it has its own activity requirement, which means you generally can't be making an attack which would give you an OB. Also, it's different from normal parrying in that you don't have to be making an attack, and if you are, it doesn't have to be against the same opponent.

It's possible the intent is that you spend 50% activity on parrying a missile attack only if you are not already taking an attack action (in which case you're already spending 60-100% on that attack). I'm not sure.

You'd get the regular shield DB bonus regardless.
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