Topic: Defending

[Nejira]

WHen casting and/or preparing a spell can you parry in the same rounds? Maybe with the remaining percentage (10/25)?

When making manuevers that are not combat, can you still parry in the same round?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Casting/parrying -- no, you cannot.

To Parry, you MUST declare an attack, even if that is 0 OB attack, with all OB moved to DB (i.e. Full Parry). This means that performing a Parry requires a minimum of 50% of your activity for the round (with the actual percentage being used modifying your OB BEFORE you move any to DB --- i.e. with an OB of 100, doing a 50% activity full parry means -50 to OB, before shifting the remaining 50 OB to DB).

As for performing other actions, it depends upon the amount of activity used for those other actions.

Remember, a "parry" is part of an attack, so in order to parry, you must declare an attack.

[Erik Sharma]

But I hope this is correct it's atleast how I rule it. If you do have a weapon and or another object in hand that you don't use it for something else. I rule that you could get "Shield" DB from it.
But then again having your hands tied up can impair spell casting.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

But I hope this is correct it's atleast how I rule it. If you do have a weapon and or another object in hand that you don't use it for something else. I rule that you could get "Shield" DB from it.
But then again having your hands tied up can impair spell casting.

Yes, when doing a full parry (i.e. using a weapon ONLY for defense), you get the "Shield DB" added to whatever OB you have moved to DB (this is a +5 for most weapons, IIRC).

[giulio.trimarco]

How would you implement a Shield skill?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

For making attacks?

The problem with making a "shield skill" is that in doing so, you are turning a shield into a weapon which can then be used to parry, which can make shield much much more powerful than normal.

Now, Combat Companion does allow for the creation of weapon and shield styles, and there are options in that that allow for shield bashes and for being able to increase shield DB and even retain some of that while making attacks. But these options do not allow for a specific, separate OB for the shield.

If you are wanting to do something similar in RMC, without the styles, then I would suggest something along the following lines:

Shields -- fall into the 1 hand concussion weapon category, uses the Ram/Butt/Bash attack table, size based on shield size (Wall does huge, and you go down 1 step for each size smaller shield), and the shield cannot be used to "parry" anything. Character does not receive Shield DB while making attacks. Perhaps allow a +1 to DB per rank in the skill, up to a number equal the melee DB provided by the shield (i.e. a +20 shield can provide max of +40 to DB when using skill, no DB when using it to attack). Perhaps also allowing 1/2 this additional bonus to DB when making attacks (i.e. when using a +20 shield, 20 ranks gives +10 when using shield to attack, 40 ranks allows +20 DB when atacking (normal shield bonus is lost).

Would that work for you?

[giulio.trimarco]

Interesting.

I was asking not for attacks but for defense.

But this is a viable option for both.

Thanks.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Under the core RMC rules, there is no skill required to use a shield and receive its shield bonus to DB.

[giulio.trimarco]

Yes
I know that,

but since I'd like the idea to improve my efficency using shields, like swords, I'd asked.

[Arioch]

Yes
I know that,

but since I'd like the idea to improve my efficency using shields, like swords, I'd asked.

You should look at the style building rules in Combat Companion, they let you improve the efficency of a character with a shield both offensively and defensevely