OoTS 851

[Kaodi]

Tarquin actually getting run through, eh? Must be the Con penalty from old age talking there, hehehe...

...

.....

Agh... Inadvertently making an old age joke on my own birthday? Priceless (for everyone else).

 

[Stoat]

So has any fairly tactical RPG (D&D, GURPS, RIFTS, Hero, Rolemaster, friends) ever provided a way to do that stunt where he grabs the arrow and stabs Belkar with it? It seems that comics and movies show us so many cool stunts that don't end up going into our games, because they're too much trouble to work out, or the DM will just make it a less effective move then the standard move, or because if the DM doesn't, players will try and pull it out at every moment.

In 3.X, you can do it with Snatch Arrow.

Feats :: d20srd.org

Once you catch the arrow, you can use it like an improvised weapon.

Weapons :: d20srd.org

 

[Celebrim]

Arrow stab: Snatch Feat + AoO attack with arrow? /shrug

I'd allow that move in principle if the character had both the Snatch Arrows and Throw Anything feats (3.X). Snatch Arrows allows you to make an attach with a thrown weapon as an immediate action. Throw Anything basically lets you treat anything as an improvised thrown weapon. The rest - turning the arrow around and stabbing with it - is simply flavoring the mechanic.

Or he could have a feat like Hold the Line that lets him make an AoO if charged, though why he wouldn't use the Axe in that case wouldn't be explained.

Best guess from the action is that Tarquin has Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Trip, Hold the Line, Improved Unarmed Combat, Deflect Arrows, Snatch Arrows, Throw Anything, and Defensive Throw (and probably like 8 other feats). In the above scene he's fighting defensively and using Hold the Line and Snatch Arrows to generate his attacks. That's the reason he can't actually attack Elan - he's declared a full defensive action - so as long as Elan doesn't attack him, Tarquin can't attack either.

Pretty much the entire scene plays out mechanically in 3.5.

The point being that there are plenty of ways for a high level fighter to put together any of the stunts seen in the comic provided that we are assuming the panels represent the narration of the underlying mechanics.

 

[Celebrim]

So has any fairly tactical RPG (D&D, GURPS, RIFTS, Hero, Rolemaster, friends) ever provided a way to do that stunt where he grabs the arrow and stabs Belkar with it?

Sure.

It seems that comics and movies show us so many cool stunts that don't end up going into our games, because they're too much trouble to work out, or the DM will just make it a less effective move then the standard move, or because if the DM doesn't, players will try and pull it out at every moment.

It's a delicate balance but I think D&D 3.5 does a pretty good job of making it interesting.

Panel #1: Tarquin has declared he's fighting defensively. Roy declares a power attack expecting Thog (whose AC is pretty bad), and so whiffs.
Panel #2: Roy's missed attack activates Tarquin's 'Defensive Throw'. Tarquin uses the AoO to execute a trip attack, which succeeds. There is some additional feat going on here that let's Tarquin throw foes he's tripped and/or grappled (I've seen it, I just can't name it), and Roy goes flying.
Panel #3: Roy takes falling damage in some amount.
Panel #4: Haley moves to point blank range and fires a single arrow. Tarquin uses his Snatch Arrows feat to catch the arrow and make an immediate attack on Belkar.
Panel #5: Belkar charges Tarquin.
Panel #6: This activates Hold the Line, and Tarquin uses the same Improved Trip combo he used against Roy to hurl Belkar away. Meanwhile, Durkon tries to use Hold Person on Tarquin but generates an AoO for being in Tarquin's threat zone.
Panel #7-#8: Tarquin again uses his improved trip/throw combo to remove Durkon from the scene.
Panel #9: Elan uses Bardic music to buff the team. Tarquin is waiting for an attack, but Elan's lack of aggressive action means that Tarquin just has to stand there.

And so forth.

 

[Corathon]

So has any fairly tactical RPG (D&D, GURPS, RIFTS, Hero, Rolemaster, friends) ever provided a way to do that stunt where he grabs the arrow and stabs Belkar with it? It seems that comics and movies show us so many cool stunts that don't end up going into our games, because they're too much trouble to work out, or the DM will just make it a less effective move then the standard move, or because if the DM doesn't, players will try and pull it out at every moment.

You can certainly do it in Hero.
You can do it in AD&D 1E, but you'd need to be a PHB monk or an Oriental Adventures character (

 

[Ramen]

In Hero system this could be done a few ways. The simplest would be a kind of middle reflection. Instead of you just bouncing it back you grab out and stab. All special effect.

Sent from tapatalk

 

[Tallifer]

I thought Elan was playing Fascination, and that was why Tarquin stood bemused by his music.

 

[Celebrim]

I thought Elan was playing Fascination, and that was why Tarquin stood bemused by his music.

I considered that, because Tarquin is apparantly taken off gaurd in the last panel which I can't explain except as a narrative device, but:

1) Tarquin has equipped himself with trueseeing, and almost certainly has mind blank as well.
2) Fascinate is immediately broken by obvious threats, such as Haley sitting there preparing to shoot him again.

However, if I may make a prediction, Tarquin is only down here to distract the party anyway. His entire attack probably constitutes a feint.

 

[Ramen]

I'd say Tarquin was wanting a fight with his good son and was surprised he wasn't doing anything.

Sent from tapatalk

 

[Orius]

However, if I may make a prediction, Tarquin is only down here to distract the party anyway. His entire attack probably constitutes a feint.

Also perhaps personal entertainment. I think Tarquin is looking for a fight just for the fun of it. I mean when you're a high-level fighter personally manipulating the politics of half a continent from behind a long succession of disposable thrones, you probably don't face as many suitable challenges as you would like. Especially when you're a huge ham like Tarquin.