Parry: The Art of Defence

[Tony Vargas]

Though the existing system assumes characters parry whenever it's apropriate, increased skill in parrying isn't really covered at all... expertise is the closest, and it tops out at BAB 5. Where increased skill in parrying, and other forms of damage-avoidence, is factored in is in hps.

You can create a system for parrying, but, the net effect will likely be only to draw out melees a bit, making other types of attacks more powerful in contrast. Of course, that can be a good or a bad thing, as a skilled melee typec can 'hold the line' more effectively is he can parry incoming attacks...

Here's an example of such a system. Note that it starts out with a simple combat option, available to all, that can be expanded upon with feats...

Parrying:

Parry [Attack-equivalent action, AoO: No]
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp To use the Parry action, the character simply picks an opponent and chooses to Parry instead of making any attack to which he might otherwise be entitled to make against that opponent. The Parrying character makes a normal attack roll - if the result is higher than his AC, that opponent's next attack must go against the higher AC. You can roll several parries against the same opponent (if you are entitled to multiple attacks) if you are afraid he'll make multiple attacks before your next action, or you can use some attacks offensively and others to Parry. The Parry only affects an attack made before your initiative, next round.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Parrying requires that you have a weapon in hand (or, if unarmed, are facing an unarmed opponent, or have Improved Unarmed Strike) or a shield. If you use a Shield to parry, add it's AC bonus to your Parry check, instead of to your normal AC.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Parrying while Fighting Defensively, using Total Defense, Dodging, or using Expertise: If you use any of the above options on a round that you Parry, you can add the AC bonus to either your AC or your Parry rolls that round. You may not use the Fighting Defensively or Expertise modifiers unless you make at least one offensive attack roll that round.


Related Feats:

Improved Parry:
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp You are skilled at fencing, swordplay and shield use and can keep opponents from hitting you - as often.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Prerequisites: INT 13+, BAB 1+
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Benefits: When you perform a Parry, the improved AC counts for all attacks the designated opponent makes for the balance of the round.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Normally: A successful Parry only replaces AC against the next attack that opponent makes.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Special: Improved Parry can replace Expertise as a prerequisite for other Feats.

Improved Shield Parry
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp You are good at blocking attacks with a shield, while keeping your shield close enough to protect you from other attacks.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Prerequisites: Shield Proficiency
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Benefits: When you Parry with a shield, you do not lose the shield's bonus to your normal AC.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Normally: Your shield's bonus does not add to your normal AC on a round that you use it to Parry.

Reflexive Parry
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp With luck and skill you can knock aside a blow that would otherwise have struck home.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Prerequisites: DEX 15+, BAB 4+, plus either Improved Parry or Combat Reflexes
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Benefits: You can make a Parry attempt /after/ an attack has hit you. If the result is higher than the AC hit by the attack, it misses after all. Subsequent attacks that round are not affected, even if you have Improved Parry or Multiple Circle Parry. The Reflexive Parry counts as your attack of opportunity for the round.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Special: If you have Combat Reflexes, the Reflexive Parry counts as one of your AoOs for the round - so you cannot make an AoO (including Riposte or another Reflexive Parry) against the same opponent that round.

Multiple Circle Parry
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp You are skilled in making spectacular sweeping parries with which you contemptuously knock aside the blades of lesser foes.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Prerequisite: Improved Parry, Dodge, Mobility, BAB 6+
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Benefits: When you attempt a Parry, the result of the check can substitute for your AC vs all opponents who attack you in melee that round.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Normally: Each Parry check applies to only one opponent.

Riposte:
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp You can follow up on the slightest opening left by an opponent whose attacks you parry.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Prerequisites: Expertise or Improved Parry
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Benefits: When an opponent misses your Parry AC, or misses you because of your AC bonus from Expertise or Fighting Defensively, you may make an attack of opportunity. Attackers who are Fighting Defensively or using Expertise, themselves, do not provoke Ripostes.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Special: A Riposte counts as your Attack of Opportunity for the round in which it is used. Remember that you cannot make two AoO's on the same target, on the same round, even if you have Combat Reflexes.

 

[Corlon]

Whoa, thanks a lot tony, thats soo much easier than what jeph and I were going to try for my campaign, and it won't really confuse the PCs very much at all, plus if they don't want to use it, it doesnt' really give them many penalties!

 

[Jeph]

Tony,
If I were an impolite person, you would hear many rude jibes and jeers right about now. Since I am, but do not wish to be sternly repromanded, you will have to imagine them for yourself.

-Jeph

 

[AdamBank]

I've often used parries as flavor descriptions for missed attacks. After all, in an semi-abstract system like d20, a missed to hit roll isn't necessarily an actual "miss."

If you are looking for a more active mechanic, how about rolling for AC instead of adding +10?

Since hp includes the energy spent in active defense, how about active hp spending? That is, before an attack roll is made, the character can increase his/her AC +1 per hp spent on active defense.

 

[Jeph]

Yeah, but one thing that I have always not like about d20 is that in a "fair" combat, both combatants should have an equal chance of hitting each other. This, however, is not so. Ever seen Shakespear in Love, Men in Tights, or anything with fencing in it, such as Robinhood or Zorro?

Skilled combatants hit each other like once every 15 or 30 rounds! not twice per round!

So with the parry rules, combatants with four attacks will usually make two, and set two aside for parrying, makeing each attack have about a 25% chance of hitting (50% from AC, then 50% chance of blocking from parry), so they get two such attacks in a round.....it all seems much more realistic to me with the parry rules.

Actually, I too use parries as part of the flavor text when not using this system. It all makes for some great scene-shots, really.

-jeph

 

[Tony Vargas]

Skilled combatants hit each other like once every 15 or 30 rounds! not twice per round!

-jeph

Maybe, but, as exciting as that may be to watch, it can be positively boring to play through.

 

[Vaxalon]

Precisely!

Not only that, a single strike in GURPS can take between two (for a miss) and six (for a good hit with special effects) sets of die-rolls to adjudicate! And that's NOT counting special weapons like poison!

Yes, if you know what you're doing, GURPS can be fast... and at every stage, D20 will be WAY faster.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Maybe, but, as exciting as that may be to watch, it can be positively boring to play through.

This was essentially how it worked in RuneQuest though, and it was MUCH more exciting to play than D&D ever has been. It was more "involving".

On the other hand, RQ was designed with this in mind so characters had fixed hit points (although through magic and armour, their "damage resistance" could improve) and blows that hit could always be telling. In D&D a character or creature with over 100 hit points might take rather too long to wear down.

Cheers

 

[Geoff Watson]

So with the parry rules, combatants with four attacks will usually make two, and set two aside for parrying, makeing each attack have about a 25% chance of hitting (50% from AC, then 50% chance of blocking from parry), so they get two such attacks in a round.....it all seems much more realistic to me with the parry rules.
-jeph

You'd get about the same numbers if they used Fighting Defensively or Expertise.

I don't see the need of making up new, possibly unbalanced, rules when the current rules cover the situation fine.

Geoff.

 

[Jeph]

In D&D a character or creature with over 100 hit points might take rather too long to wear down.

Yeah, maybe I forgot a bit of context: This will bew implemented in a campaign I am starting on Labor Day, where Armor provides Damage Reduction, and characters have HP equal to their Constitution scores. And wepaons deal more damage.

This campaign will have PCs from the future, in a world from the past. Basically, all futureistic weapons will have a good chance of killing you in one hit, and primitive weapons will probably do so in 2.

So every blow IS telling. *VERRY* telling.

(or does verry have only 1 "R"?)

And are you sure you get the same numbers using Expertise?....

Lets see, you might take away 5 points from offense and add them to defense with the feat...

Or you could forsake your highest and lowest attacks for aprries with the parry system....

Hmmm. I think that the parry system will still yeidl fewer hits all round.

-Jeph