Virtual Illusions

Maneuvers are not functioning as I was hoping. I wanted some tactical options that players could bring to bear when the situation warranted. Something that added a dynamic element to combat. Sadly they don’t do that they are rather statically selected and don’t add any color or flare to combat.

Add to that the fact that some of them had balance issues or loopholes and they had to go. The replacement is a couple of new actions and a rock-paper-scissors mini-game. No, really, keep reading.

Maneuvers

Whenever two characters are involved in a conflict before any dice are rolled both attacker and defender set their maneuver for the attack. Once the dice are rolled, both characters reveal the maneuver they set.

The three maneuvers are Probe, Feint and Smash. Probe wins advantage over Feint. Feint wins advantage over Smash. Smash wins advantage over Probe. The character that wins the maneuver receives a +2 bonus (for attack or defense AV) during that attack. If the maneuver results in a tie neither side gains the bonus for winning the maneuver.

Winning the maneuver conveys Advantage in the next attack. If you won the maneuver using Probe, you receive a +1 to your defense AV next time you are attacked. If you won with Feint, you receive a +1 to hit on your next attack. If you won with Smash, you receive a +2 to outcome on your next attack.

Advantage is cumulative but fragile. If the character wins multiple advantages in a row the bonuses accumulate, however if he loses advantage (by losing or tying the maneuver) all bonuses are lost. The character would get to use his advantage on the attack he lost or tied the maneuver but they disappear after that.

Sashira and Lady Teldra are engaged in a debate at the end of a sword. Sashira wins initiative and declares she is attacking Lady Teldra. Both Sashira and Lady Teldra secretly set their maneuvers. Sashira makes a Close Combat check and rolls a 11 against Lady Teldra’s Dodge AV of 10. Both players reveal thier maneuvers. Sashira made a Probing attack while Lady Teldra was using a Smash defense. Lady Teldra gains advantage increasing her Dodge AV to 12 and giving her +2 outcome on her next attack.

Lady Teldra counter attacks and both characters set their maneuvers. Lady Teldra makes her close combat check. Sashira and Lady Teldra reveal their maneuvers; Sashira Feinted and Lady Teldra Probed. Lady Teldra wins advantage again. She receives a +2 attack bonus on this attack successfully hitting Sashira, since Lady Teldra out maneuvered Sashira last attack with an Smash maneuver she adds +2 to her outcome, which in this case adds +2 damage. In the next attack Lady Teldra will gain +2 to outcome and +1 to defense due to the cumulative advantage.

Next attack Sashira and Lady Teldra tie the maneuver. Lady Teldra still gains the +2 outcome and +1 defense for this attack, but since she loses advantage the advantage effects are lost for subsequent attacks. Since it was a tie no one gets the bonus for winning the maneuver.

On the fourth attack, neither participant has any bonuses or advantages from maneuvers going into the attack.

Block

A new action that can be undertaken during combat is the block. The character declares a specific action he’d like to block. This can not be so broad that it stops all actions, it should be narrowly tailored. The character makes a check, this is usually a close combat check but intimidation, spirit singing, rods and a host of other techniques could be used depending on the narrated action. The check has a difficulty of 0 and the outcome of the check is noted.

If the blocked action normally doesn’t require a skill check it now requires a skill check (using a skill appropriate to the block type) with a difficulty equal to the outcome of the block check. If the action normally only required a simple skill check with a set difficulty, that difficulty is increased to the outcome of the block check. If the blocked action would normally be an opposed check, the character opposing the blocked action can use their own check or the block check is used if it is higher.

A block is normally in effect until the character’s next action. The character may spend outcome to extend the duration of the block. Reducing the outcome of the block by one point extends the duration until the end of the next exchange. Each additional point spent extends the duration by an exchange. Even If a character extends the duration he is still bound by credulity, if a character blocking using close combat and he moves out of range of whatever he is blocking the block ends, regardless of how much outcome was spent on duration.

Mazun is blocking a door using intimidation (persuade) by glowering at anyone who comes near. Mazun makes a persuade check and gets an outcome of 9. For someone to pass through the door they would have to make a calm check of 9 otherwise they lose their nerve and fail.

Later on Mazun is at the top of a rockface and is keeping people from climbing it by using a sharp pointy stick. Normally climbing the rock would be a athletics check with a difficulty of 5, but since Mazun had an outcome of 11 on his close combat check, anyone attempting to climb the rock would need to make an athletics check with a difficulty of 11.

Lastly Mazun is defending the child king from would be assassins. Mazun rolls his close combat block and gets an outcome of 10. He decides to reduce his outcome by 1 (making his outcome 9) to extend the duration until the end of the next exchange. Someone attacks the king and the difficulty of the attackers close combat check would normally be the king’s dodge AV of 5, but since Mazun is blocking the attackers difficulty is increased to 9.

Attack For Effect

Sometimes a character wants to attack another character not to cause harm but to create a tactical advantage or other effect. This action can be used to deny a character access to a tool or technique, for example fouling someones wings or disarming them. It can also be used to gain tactical advantage, for example grabbing someone or maneuvering them into a corner.

In either case Attacking for Effect causes no damage. Like blocking a variety of skills can be used to Attack for Effect, and the difficulty would be the same as making an attack with that skill.

If the character was attempting to deny access, if the attack is successful, the tool is lost. It will take at least an action to regain the tool, it may take longer depending on technique used and circumstances. Not all skills are appropriate to deny access to all tools. A tangler rod and the rods skill can foul wings, it can not disarm.

If the character was attempting to gain tactical advantage, if the character is successful he may place a temporary aspect on the character. This temporary aspect is fragile and only lasts for one attack, but it does not take an inspiration to tag. Tagging a temporary aspect grants a +2 bonus against the person with the tagged aspect. The character who attack for effect may use the free tag or he may pass it along to an ally to use.

In either case the character with the aspect may spend an action and remove the temporary aspect. Also if the aspect doesn’t make sense any longer it is removed. For example if a character had the flanked aspect and the person who was flanking him moves to anther area before using the aspect, it is lost.

It is possible to place any number of temporary aspects on someone.

A pair of guardsmen, Laran and Norval are chasing a criminal, who is flying using wings. Laran uses his tangler and attacks for effect to foul the criminal’s wings. The attack is successful and the criminal falls to the ground.

Norval moves in and makes an attack for effect to grab the criminal. He is successful and places a “grabbed” aspect on the criminal. Norval passes his free tag to Laran who receives a +2 bonus to pound on the criminal, but he criminal escapes from the grab during the pummeling.