(YBA) Rules Question

[Ciaran]

That has never come up in my games but I would have to say yes - they can if able, but of course a second purity of focus can also then be used if available.

Thanks for the quick response, Wicht! But... is that an official ruling? Because, in my opinion, it's rather silly, as it reduces Purity of Focus' cost-effectiveness to something near zero. Why would anyone bother to get something with such a narrow utility if it can be cancelled so easily?

E.g.:
Character A spends 4 xp on Shove x2.
Character B spends 4 xp on Purity of Focus.

Character A can cancel a dangerous attack, suppress one opponent in a group, etc., twice per combat.
Character B can... well, he can't do anything proactive with Purity of Focus. It's only usable defensively, and then only if the opponent has, and uses, a Shove, Dirty Trick or Sneaky Trick.

Character A and Character B fight.
Character A Shoves Character B.
Character B uses Purity of Focus.
Character A Shoves Character B again.

Is this really balanced? Is this remotely balanced? I don't see it. Either Purity of Focus shouldn't be cancellable, or it should cost less than Shove/Dirty Trick/Sneaky Trick, not more.

- Eric

 

[Wicht]

You guys have valid points - does the easiest fix seem to be making PoF cost about 3 exp? I think shove should cost more anyways (maybe also 3 exp.) and think in the next write up of the rules that it will.

 

[Ciaran]

As a player, I would still never buy Purity of Focus with those costs if it can be cancelled, given that it is far less useful, on the whole, than any of the effects it's intended to counter.

Making PoF the "final word" in the round is advantageous because:

1) It actually becomes useful, rather than something that can simply be overridden with additional applications of the original offensive power it's trying to cancel
2) It shortens combat by avoiding back-and-forth volleys of, "I Shove!" "I use Purity of Focus!" "I Shove again!" "I use PoF again!" ... etc. Anything that shortens the combat round is a good thing.
3) Initiative and action order during the combat round needs to be simplified anyway. This approach is simpler and quicker than the alternative, and thus will be preferable in any rules rewrite.

- Eric

 

[Kalanyr]

I like either of the above solutions. But if shove has an increased XP cost DT should be increased too, if you aren't going last Shove is considerably less useful (can't pick who to shove, who not to shove cause they drew a pathetic move/your sig). Going last is a very large advantage in this game.

Also while nitpicking about XP Cost I'd point out I'd never ever take Chi Strike and that unless you are fighting a Higher Nat Hits monster with a DT itself, Fated is pathetic compared to 2 DTs. (Interestingly enough Fated vs a Chi Strike actually makes Fated somewhat useful somewhat useful. )

 

[Kalanyr]

If Player A uses Shove and then a monster uses DT and Player A uses PoF, does it cancel A's original shove?

 

[Kalanyr]

poke