Is it possible to flank when....?

[Herremann the Wise]

Also, if you are going to include facing rules, you should expand them to make changing your facing an immediate action; this allows you to do it once a round on any character's turn. That way, you can't repeatedly pirouette around each other. You might also want to expand the feint rules, to make it possible to deny your opponent a chance to change his facing on your turn.

I would extend this slightly by matching the number of times you can change your facing equal to your character's dexterity modifier (minimum once per turn). Alternatively, it would make a somewhat low powered feat unless it also gave you some sort of dodge AC bonus as well.

Just a thought.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Water Bob]

immediate[/I] action; this allows you to do it once a round on any character's turn. That way, you can't repeatedly pirouette around each other. You might also want to expand the feint rules, to make it possible to deny your opponent a chance to change his facing on your turn.

Good suggestion. If I keep the Facing Rules, I might just do that.

As for now, we're going to play next session without them and see how it goes. I expect the combat to be a bit more cinematic without them.

And, I wasn't that impressed with those rules during last game session.

I would extend this slightly by matching the number of times you can change your facing equal to your character's dexterity modifier (minimum once per turn). Alternatively, it would make a somewhat low powered feat unless it also gave you some sort of dodge AC bonus as well.

Interesting. But, what would you do with a DEX 9? Have minimum 1 immedate action facing per turn?

 

[Herremann the Wise]

dexterity modifier (minimum once per turn)

Interesting. But, what would you do with a DEX 9? Have minimum 1 immedate action facing per turn?

Yes, once per turn even for the most inept combatant. If an ape rushes out of the bushes and the inept defender is aware, he should be able to use an immediate action to change facing to defend himself. When a different Ape charges him though from the reverse direction, he's still going to be getting over the first attack and be unable to optimally deal with the second. The dextrous light on his feet fighter however is going to be able to handle both apes with aplomb.

I think the benefit of all of this is wearing down an opponent each round similar to attacks of opportunities but inversed. In fact, combat reflexes could easily take on this whole idea (making the best feat even better though). Food for thought anyway.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Water Bob]

Yes, once per turn even for the most inept combatant.

Hey, don't knock a DEX 9! That's a decent DEX in my game (a point south of average).

Lots of NPCs have DEX 9, and I almost had a PC with that DEX, before he re-arraged the stat.

I'm quite hard on dice throws. I play them RAW. I throw 3D6, six times, arrange to taste, for NPCs, and I let PCs throw 4D6, drop lowest, six times, arrange to taste.

Doing that, high scores are rare and admired, and the PCs are a tad better than the NPCs (unless I get "hot" rolling an NPC).

I think the benefit of all of this is wearing down an opponent each round similar to attacks of opportunities but inversed. In fact, combat reflexes could easily take on this whole idea (making the best feat even better though). Food for thought anyway.

There's a couple of Feats in the Conan RPG that allow a combatant to focus blows on his foe's shield, slowly sending the foe into fatigue and then exhaustion.

I'm not sure I'm going to allow those Feats in the game--they seem kinda powerful.

But, then, on the other hand, while a warrior is pounding away at a shield, his enemy is pounding away at him....so, maybe it is balanced.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Hey, don't knock a DEX 9! That's a decent DEX in my game (a point south of average).

Lots of NPCs have DEX 9, and I almost had a PC with that DEX, before he re-arraged the stat.

I'm quite hard on dice throws. I play them RAW. I throw 3D6, six times, arrange to taste, for NPCs, and I let PCs throw 4D6, drop lowest, six times, arrange to taste.

Doing that, high scores are rare and admired, and the PCs are a tad better than the NPCs (unless I get "hot" rolling an NPC).

I was actually trying to imply even down to a dex of 3 that the defender could immediately react and change their facing once a round not on their turn. And yeah... 9's not that bad but REAL hardcore is 3d6 in order. That sorts the men out from the boys.

There's a couple of Feats in the Conan RPG that allow a combatant to focus blows on his foe's shield, slowly sending the foe into fatigue and then exhaustion.

I'm not sure I'm going to allow those Feats in the game--they seem kinda powerful.

But, then, on the other hand, while a warrior is pounding away at a shield, his enemy is pounding away at him....so, maybe it is balanced.

Giving out the fatigued and exhausted condition so easily does sound quite strong.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[kitcik]

Yes, once per turn even for the most inept combatant.

Even the giant sea turtle can rotate once in six seconds... lol.

 

[Water Bob]

Last weekend, we played a session, and during it, there was an arena fight. Both characters used spears and were naked except for loin cloths.

The PC, with inititiave, moved in a horn shape towards his opponent and ended his turn about 15' from his enemy.

That enemy, on his turn, circled wide, using his entire 30' of movement, but was able to avoid the PC's threatened squares and come in on the PC's right flank for a +2 on his attack (under the Facing rules).



The question is: Should that be possible?

So, the way to counter this...

Branoc moves, but at the end of his move, he readies a facing change, triggered by an enemy entering his threatened area.

The Facing Rules allow for 2 facing changes per round. Every character gets a facing change as a free action each round. And, if the character moves more than 5' during the round, then he is allowed a facing change as part of that movement.

Thus, Branoc could move his horn-shaped movement and made a facing change as he ended that movement. Then, he should have readied a facing change (which is a free action), triggered by a foe entering his threated area, at the end of his turn.

That would allow him to turn and face his attacker just before the foe attacked him, thus eliminating +2 flank.[/QUOTE]

 

[Greenfield]

If only you could ready a Facing Change (free action) using something less than a Standard Action. However, it takes a Standard to ready a Free.

Sucks, sometimes.

 

[Water Bob]

If only you could ready a Facing Change (free action) using something less than a Standard Action. However, it takes a Standard to ready a Free.

Sucks, sometimes.

I wonder...could you do this...maybe a better use of the ready action?



Branoc moves his horn shaped movement and then takes his first free action to change facing. Branoc then readies an attack against against any foe who enters his threat range.

When the attack is triggered, Branoc takes his second free action to change facing and then attacks!

Would that be a legal move?

 

[Greenfield]

Yeah, that he can do.

It would be neat if you could Ready a Move Action, using only a Move Action to do it, Ready a Free Action using only a Free Action to do it, just as you can Ready a Standard Action using a Standard Action to do it. But that would complicate things beyond reason.

"I Ready my attack for when there's an enemy in reach, then I Ready my move action to slide in behind any one who comes within 30 feet, which will put them in reach, and I'll Ready my free facing change to turn around if I kill the guy who isn't here yet, after I move to the location I don't know yet, and take the attack that may or may not hit. "

Thanks, but no thanks.