[Runequest] parry bs dodge

[David Cake]

At 3:42 PM +0100 7/11/10, Hola Hallo wrote:
>  >         But the real problem with high level play for me was it often
>>  became about waiting for that 5% missed parry or that fumble. Round
>>  after round of hit parry hit parry hit parry was DULL.
>
>Except it doesn't really last longer than several rounds (although that
>can be a while in RQ)... A successful parry only protected to the extent
>of the APs of the weapon and anything beyond was both applied to the
>target plus it reduced the APs by an additional 1... and as you say, the
>damage that was being thrown around by powerful PCs (Bladesharp IV,
>+1d4-1d6 damage bonus, Truesword, Damage Boosting) tends to turn
>parrying weapons - even those of iron one - into mush pretty quickly....
>
>
>That's true, but what if most of the PCs know that an over 100% 
>parry skill is worse than an over 100% dodge skill (ENC included)? 
>Then we are all waiting for a critical to decide the outcome of the 
>combat. :-)  As a GM, I sometimes hate the dodge skill in RQ3 (we 
>apply the houserule that a successful dodge reduces the level of 
>success of the attack). Maybe we shouldn't have applied that 
>houserule, but eliminating it now would be impossible. They tricked 
>me!!! :-(

	They did trick you! In standard RQ3, Dodge is a LOT worse 
than Parry, and very much so at high levels - and incredibly 
foolhardy to rely on in a high powered game, one critical and it is 
all over. I like your suggested rule (it makes dodge useful, but not 
perfect, for people trying to fight lightly armoured, which was how 
it was supposed to work), but you would need to find some other way 
to make dodge not so attractive.
	(riposte rules are one way of making parries more attractive 
that some games have)
	The problem with Dodge in RQ3 was it was never reliable 
enough to use instead of parry. It let you avoid some blows, but 
almost never the ones that would take you out.
	Cheers
		David
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