"So, you're using Bonetti's Defense against me, eh?"

[The Little Raven]

Only if the rules can provide the witty repartee.

White Wolf's Adventure! had rules for stuff like this.

Basically, you took your Wits score (1-5; could be replaced in d20 by taking the Wisdom modifier), and you gained that number of social setups to give to the DM, which he uses in the story to provide your character opportunities to make wise cracks.

The example given is the classic "You, sir, are drunk." dialogue.

Not really a mechanical system, but a cute little addition that reminds the DM/Storyteller to set up situations in which player character personalities can come out strongly.

 

[Nifft]

I think for a duelling game, the opposing maneuvers thing would be interesting, but for a DnD game where a good chunk of the opponents are monsters the idea doesn't seem immediately appealing (granted, I haven't though much more about it than above).

There are already cool ways to specialize against different critters and their different special attacks, from a Ranger's Favored Enemy bonus, to Bo9S Stances which grant you size-based benefits, to a Cleric's Turn Undead, to spells which affect only animals, plants, outsiders, undead, fire-monsters, etc.

A melee guy should be able to specialize in fighting human NPCs, too.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Dragonblade]

Given that some sort of Bo9S-style combat maneuver system will be in 4E, what are the odds that we'll see an interaction of manuvers so two expert swordsmen could fight a duel where switching between maneuvers or styles provides effective attack/defense against the others.

I'd really love to be able to create the sort of swashbuckling duel as shown in the Princess Bride. Bo9S doesn't really get there. I do have a 3rd party d20 supplement that was much better, but I forget the name and can't find the pdf.

Robert Jordan does this in the Wheel of Time. When blademasters duel it all plays out based on the maneuvers and stances they choose. All of which have poetic, distinctive and evocative names. For example, "Cat Crossing the Courtyard" is the name of a stance.

I really like this element of the Wheel of Time and one of the things I loved about Bo9S was their maneuver system that really let me achieve that kind of feel. I hope 4e does this as well.

 

[RFisher]

Dying Earth RPG FTW.

I don't think that was the first time I'd seen such a thing, but it was definitely the first one that came to mind.

 

[RigaMortus2]

If 4e has rules for swashbuckling and witty repartee, it's not D&D.

The Swashbuckler class beat up Inigo Montoya and took his stuff

 

[JRR_Talking]

Not yet.

played 1st, didnt play 2nd edition, played 3rd, looks like i'll skip 4th, Will return to the fold in 2013 when 5th arrives!!

John

 

[pawsplay]

Given that some sort of Bo9S-style combat maneuver system will be in 4E, what are the odds that we'll see an interaction of manuvers so two expert swordsmen could fight a duel where switching between maneuvers or styles provides effective attack/defense against the others.

No, because internally consistent, balanced rules systems are antithetical to indefinite expansion.

 

[Nifft]

No, because internally consistent, balanced rules systems are antithetical to indefinite expansion.

D&D 4e doesn't have to survive forever. It only has to survive until 5e.

That might be in 21 years, 14 years, or 7 years, but the point is: we don't have to build our system for eternal awesome. We're going to re-invent it soon enough anyway, and we'll build in all the new kinds of awesome that we don't yet know about today.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Thaniel]

also to nitpick. its

"Im also not left handed"

To nitpick...

Not on my DVD. Either of them. The line, as correctly quoted before you, is "I'm not left-handed either".

 

[Felon]

Ogre facing Swashbuckler: "So, you're using Captain Caveman's two-handed overhead smash against me?"

Dragon facing Swashbuckler: "So you're using Smaug's Swoop and Swallow against me?"

I think for a duelling game, the opposing maneuvers thing would be interesting, but for a DnD game where a good chunk of the opponents are monsters the idea doesn't seem immediately appealing (granted, I haven't though much more about it than above).

LOL. I liked the Captain Caveman reference, although El Kabong might work better.

You're hitting upon the heart of the matter. I had a DM once try to incorporate the cards from Flashing Blades once, and it didn't take for just that reason.