Topic: Parrying missile fire

[Arioch]

As for Parrying Missile fire with weapons, there are special skills for that, otherwise it is impossible (or at least highly inefficient), right?!?

This would be true if the "parry" action meant that the PC actually used his weapon to parry attacks agains him but, according to RMFRP core book definition of "parry":

Such an action is called parrying, though it may be thought of in many combat situations as dodging and/or blocking.

So why I can't just dodge missile attacks like any other attack? Why do we need special rules to handle them?

[RandalThor]

I think they are going with the fact that the missile attack is quicker than a melee attack and thusly harder for the target to react to. I guess.

The thing most people fail to realize is that generally you aren't dodging the missile - you are dodging the attacker. When I move around to keep a guy from shooting me, I am not actually dodging the bullet, but making it harder for the shooter to "get a bead" on me. The idea is to not be where they shoot/make them shoot where you aren't. How to make that happen in the system as it is currently set up........

[Arioch]

The thing most people fail to realize is that generally you aren't dodging the missile - you are dodging the attacker. When I move around to keep a guy from shooting me, I am not actually dodging the bullet, but making it harder for the shooter to "get a bead" on me.

Right, that's why I say that "parry" should be used in the same way against all attacks:
- against you're actually parrying you opponent's blows and dodging/moving around to avoid being hit
- you cannot parry missile attacks but you can still dodge or move to make it harder to hit you

And you should also be able to "parry" wielding a bow or other similar weapon, as you're not actually using your weapon to parry, but just concentrating on defend yourself instead of attacking...

[jolt]

And you should also be able to "parry" wielding a bow or other similar weapon, as you're not actually using your weapon to parry, but just concentrating on defend yourself instead of attacking...

If that's the case then I don't think you should be using the OB of the weapon to determine your DB.

jolt

[RandalThor]

If that's the case then I don't think you should be using the OB of the weapon to determine your DB.

jolt

Try not to think about it that way. Just think about it like you are lessening your chances to hit by moving defensively and the fact that someone with greater training/ability (i.e., a higher OB) has more "play" to use this way.

[Usdrothek]

We use a house rule for "avoiding missles" thus:

Avoiding Missiles
If a character is aware of an imminent missile attack from greater than short range (to allow a reasonable reactionable flight time), and concentrates on avoiding that particular attack (75% action, minimum 50%) in a round then they may gain an additional DB based on Ag/In/SD bonuses. They may also use their normal DB (including any applicable inherent shield missile parry or cover DBs) but may not make a shield bash attack or attempt to deflect a missile to increase their DB. The choice to evade negates those options.

Avoiding missiles in this fashion is a moving manoeuvre and subject to all normal MM modifications. If the action is undertaken while stationary (or using no more than 25% action for other MMs), then the roll is taken on the Light column of the MM table. The action can also be undertaken concurrently (combined) with other moving manoeuvres (running, backing up, jumping a creek etc) but increases their difficulty by 2 classes and their exhaustion expenditure by 1 class. Combined manoeuvres use the same MM result (i.e. the same roll is used for missile avoidance as for the other move).

A numerical result on the MM table to avoid missiles is applied as a percentage to the Ag/In/SD base to determine the actual DB increase from avoidance. A negative result is applied normally and no DB increase results. Outcomes at the upper end of the MM table for missile avoidance (text) are used with the numeric result from the highest numbered cell used in calculations.

This rule cannot be used against area affecting missiles, such as a hail of stones from a catapult, nor against directed spells.

[markc]

 I like the idea of doing a MM to determine just how much of your defensive stance actually applies to your DB vs the missile attack.

MDC

[Arioch]

If that's the case then I don't think you should be using the OB of the weapon to determine your DB.

jolt

Try not to think about it that way. Just think about it like you are lessening your chances to hit by moving defensively and the fact that someone with greater training/ability (i.e., a higher OB) has more "play" to use this way.

Yes, exactly like that.
This imho would be the simpliest and most coherent way to deal with defensive actions.
Its only flaw is that it's a very "abstract" system, it works well in game terms but it doesn't reflect reality very well. But imho that's a minor issue, partly solved by using Styles instead of single weapons to determine a character's DB.

The reason for which I don't like very much the idea of using moving maneuvers to handle attempts to avoid/dodge attacks is that they add a roll to attack resolution: one of the things I like in RM is the fact that you have to make just one roll per attack (+ one per crit)...

[Fidoric]

We can consider that someone with a higher OB has a greater 'activity' for each combat round, thus giving him th opportunity to improve offense and defense at the same time.
As for using a shield, maybe the best way to simulate this is through use of combat styles. Nonetheless, I don't think that ducking behind a boulder can be considered similar to deflecting an attack with a shield. IMO, in the first case, you just make a moving maneuver to see whether or not you gain any benefit from the cover. In the latter, you use your shield actively like any other weapon to avoid being hit and OB reduction seems the best way to do this for me.
As for cover use, I agree with Randal Thor. A huge boulder can provide full cover (impossible to hit) if you don't want to see anything either. If you want to take a look at something while hiding you have to be at least partially exposed and if you want to fire an arrow at your foe, it is even worse and then only light cover will be provided.