All D20 Is Broken

[Nightfall]

This post is broken.

You just now noticed that?

 

[WayneLigon]

Two martial artists never fight with pipes and ladders and fire-hoses over an entire warehouse or whatever, because it's better to full-attack and stand in one place.

I'm a big fan of the slam-bang Wuxia-style fights you're talking about. Now, sit down and really look hard at what actually occurs in them. Very seldom do you get solid blows. It's all block, dodge, flurries of punches, slap and the rest. Then the hero or bad guy makes a mistake or one forces an opening - two, three hard real blows and it's over.

I'm of the opinion that the combat round contains many, many blocks, dodges, strikes, blows, slaps, spitting, curses, gouging, embowing and all the rest. Then there's that one strong, good, solid blow that actually does telling damage. Even with the 6-second combat round, there's more than enough room for dozens of blows.

You want d20 to model the martial arts types of fights you're talking about, or the Jedi light saber battles? It already does. It's all in the description. if you want it cinematic, you have to meet any system half-way with adequate and imaginative description.

 

[WayneLigon]

Please let me know what BRP is so that I can avoid it.

It's the system in Call of Cthulhu, and it doesn't nessesarily work like that until you get two people with high levels in both attack and defense facing each other. In the Basic Roleplaying System, you make your attack roll. If you roll under your skill, you hit. The opponent then gets a defense roll, either a block or a dodge. He rolls the approporiate skill. If he succeeds, your hit becomes a miss.

 

[LostSoul]

You just now noticed that?

It must have been the pints of Stella. Bloody hell.

 

[Sejs]

Once you're higher than that, no combat goes on longer than 4 or 5 rounds...nothing like the big gun-fights in movies, or long, elaborite lighsaber duels in Star Wars.

Might I suggest then that you never, ever play GURPS? Fencing - All Out Attack. Feint. Thrust - Brain through Eyes. Done.

Two martial artists never fight with pipes and ladders and fire-hoses over an entire warehouse or whatever, because it's better to full-attack and stand in one place.

If you have the skills to maneuver in such an environment, any failure to utilize it is entirely upon your head. Standing toe-to-toe and trading full attacks is dandy... if you like taking damage yourself. I can't say for anyone else, but if I could smack you and then retreat to an area where you'd have to make a wicked hard Balance check in order to get to me and failure resulted in you losing your move action, you bet your ass I'd be using that. Or, heck, the bus depot scene from The Transporter. Greased up area? Come get some.

If you're playing Star Wars, duels don't go on because you've either got a critical, or your saber is doing 4D8+ damage each whack.

Again, this assumes you're just standing still and letting them take swings at you. How often did you ever see that in the films? I seem to remember nearly every saber duel moving all over the place, down hallways, over catwalks, etc.

What can make the game simpler and less bogged down...and what will make the characters capable, but not have two superfighters square off for an epic 2-round combat?

Uh, you sure we're playing the same game, here? At higher levels a battle between two fighers is never over in two rounds, it drags on forever because you have to nickel-and-dime the other bastard down. Higher level melee just drags on and on unless you've got something up your sleeve.

 

[MerricB]

d20 combat is plenty cinematic if you want it to be. All you have to do is start using the manuevers. You know, like Disarm, Trip, Spring Attack, etc.

However, there's a big difference between regular D&D combat and cinematic combat: duels are rare. You're not playing 1 DM and 1 PC. You're playing a DM with several monsters and a 4-6 PCs.

Cheers!

 

[Sejs]

d20 combat is plenty cinematic if you want it to be. All you have to do is start using the manuevers. You know, like Disarm, Trip, Spring Attack, etc.

However, there's a big difference between regular D&D combat and cinematic combat: duels are rare. You're not playing 1 DM and 1 PC. You're playing a DM with several monsters and a 4-6 PCs.

Cheers!

So more like, oh I don't know, Lord of the Rings than Star Wars or a Jackie Chan movie you might say?

Heh, imagine that.

 

[Zappo]

Nomand4Life has a point. Swordfights IRL don't generally take much. I've got several friends who are into medieval fencing, and they say that most fights are over in a matter of seconds, unless they intentionally make them more scenic for the benefit of the public.

Of course, we don't want realism in our games, and I am dead serious on that. We want fun! But combats that are merely prolonged are not fun. In D&D, fights that go "I hit you - you hit me" are very short, and that's good, 'cause they are boring. Long combats happen when the characters make use of the terrain, employ special maneuvers, use feats and special abilities, and so on.

 

[Digital Archon]

I thought that was a silent whale...

Actually, no.

And i also give this a 5/23 eldritch pseodopods. Not enough emotional vitriol, an nowhere enough flamebait.

 

[tetsujin28]

<emits a silent wail>

You might enjoy this link Mr. Malachi.

Indeed! It is the one, the only, A silent wail.