Does performing Trip attempts every round ruin Suspension of Disbelief?

[Imaro]

Another thing I wanted to comment on is that with the power structure, there is no accounting for the characteristics of the opponent. IMHO, a clumsy, stupid, or weaker opponent will be taken down by a skilled fighter over and over again.

There's even precedence for this in action movies...any Steven Seagal movie is ripe with trips, throws and locks that bring down the same opponent or numerous opponents over and over again...and it doesn't look or feel comical (at least not until e got older and the movies got worse IMHO).

 

[mmadsen]

C'mon folks, a good GM doesn't describe your fighter's constant roll of 1d20 with a longsword the same way, why should a trip be any different.

An attack that does "damage" is very abstract; it could be any number of things. A trip that puts an opponent on the ground is arguably much less abstract, analogous to a sword slash that cripples a leg. Sure, there's more than one way to do that, but there are way more openings to just "do damage" to an opponent.

 

[hong]

Another thing I wanted to comment on is that with the power structure, there is no accounting for the characteristics of the opponent. IMHO, a clumsy, stupid, or weaker opponent will be taken down by a skilled fighter over and over again.

And they are. That's what going to 0 hp does to a guy.

 

[Wormwood]

What is suspension of belief?

The new anime.

 

[Imaro]

And they are. That's what going to 0 hp does to a guy.

I meant taken down as in tripped... read the Steven Seagal example.

An attack that does "damage" is very abstract; it could be any number of things. A trip that puts an opponent on the ground is arguably much less abstract, analogous to a sword slash that cripples a leg. Sure, there's more than one way to do that, but there are way more openings to just "do damage" to an opponent.

I don't know about that. There are plenty of martial arts movies where people are taken to the ground in numerous and entertaining ways. Just of the top of my head...

1.An arm lock and twist that brings opponent to the ground
2.A sweep of the leg
3.shooting in and grabbing the legs
4.Over the shoulder flip
5.Scissor leg lock
6.A simple push or pull while the opponent is off-balance
7.Stepping slightly behind the opponent and pushing him over your extended leg
8. grabbing an opponent by the throat and stepping behind one of his legs to push him down.
9. Using a weapon to wrap around one or both legs.
10. Whacking his shin or foot with a weapon
11. Sweeping his legs with a weapon.
12. etc.

 

[hong]

I meant taken down as in tripped... read the Steven Seagal example.

Yes, taken to 0 hp means you get defeated. That can be via a trip if you so desire.

 

[Janx]

An attack that does "damage" is very abstract; it could be any number of things. A trip that puts an opponent on the ground is arguably much less abstract, analogous to a sword slash that cripples a leg. Sure, there's more than one way to do that, but there are way more openings to just "do damage" to an opponent.

and the problem with that abstractness is the GM must keep coming up with weeny damage descriptions to justify why your longsword hit didn't kill the guy, as you hit him for the 5th time.

I think the problem is rooted in the OP's comment. If I recall, he said he doesn't know much about martial arts. Wheras most of us are fantasy/medieval fans, and have seen enough sword play in movies, to envision how sword combat works.

I suspect folks who don't like Trip for it's suspension of disbelief are simply lacking in experience with soft style martial arts. The Segal movie reference was apt. They live by redirecting the kinetic energy of your attack and using it to throw you on the ground, trip you, disarm you, etc.

In fact, the best way to beat an aikido guy is to not throw any attack at him.

So what I'm saying is, if you don't like trip because it doesn't seem realistic, then you are simply inexperienced with the real fighting style that would translate to it.

Now if you don't like trip because it's overpowering in your game, that's a whole 'nother problem. Given some folks reference to the TripMonkey, I suspect they're latching onto this thread because it supports their "tripping is bad" mentality. What I'm talking about isn't about the game rules, so much as how tripping can be a very realistic fighting style.

PS. I can beat a junior aikido student, because I have more fighting experience, and all I have to be is faster and feintier than they can handle. I can not beat a senior aikido student, because the style is VERY effective at thwarting attack.

 

[Imaro]

Yes, taken to 0 hp means you get defeated. That can be via a trip if you so desire.

Not if you can only trip once per day or once per encounter.

 

[hong]

Not if you can only trip once per day or once per encounter.

I wasn't aware that you could only take an enemy to 0 hp once per day or once per encounter.

 

[Imaro]

I wasn't aware that you could only take an enemy to 0 hp once per day or once per encounter.

I see we're back to the vague one-liners. Taking an enemy to 0 does not equate to flipping or tossing him on the ground. There are rules for when someone is taken to the ground... it's called being prone. How can you inflict this condition on an opponent or even a new adversary more than once if you can only use it 1x per day or 1x per encounter?