The Art of War 2: Modern Warfare - Ch. 3: Now, it's Angry (Defensive Combat)
The Art of War 2: Modern Warfare - Ch. 3: Now, it's Angry (Defensive Combat)
The Art of War 2: Modern Warfare
Updated for DW7.0
Chapter 3: Now, it's Angry
Now the thing -- or things -- you wanted to hit so badly... Yeah, you see, you don't always get to kill the right off... And now they're mad so they're coming after you. It's your job to do something about it by either successfully avoiding the hit or taking it on directly.
____________________________________________________
3.1: Physical Defense
First, avoiding an attack. When you are about to dodge an attack, you take several factors into play.
One: the type of attack,
Two: the area around you,
Three: the sense of the movement.
You can use the Athletics, Acrobatics, Swimming, or Reaction skills to avoid an oncoming attack. Sometimes, only one is available for use due to the environment or the nature of the attack. The GM will specify, and if it doesn't, feel free to ask.
3.1.1: Dodging
Like other forms of rolling, dodging an attack is based on the skill level of the selected skill, with a bonus made up of the different feats, equipment, and advanced skills that may affect that roll.
Example:
Joe has...
Level 4 Acrobatics
250 Dexterity
A light armor that grants +8 to evasion
A class feat that grants +5 to evasion
25 + 8 + 5 = 38
1s4+38
As long as Joe's evasion roll is higher than the foe's attacking roll, Joe does not take damage.
HOWEVER! Sometimes, an enemy will catch you by surprise! When that happens, your roll changes! In this instance, you will roll flat-foot dodge in an attempt to avoid the incoming blow. This is reaction-based, and a 'disadvantage' roll, in which you roll twice and take the smaller of the 2 rolls.
Example:
Jim has...
Level 3 Reaction
240 Dexterity
A light armor that grants +6 to evasion
A class feat that grants +3 to Reaction
24 + 6 + 3 = 33
2s3+33, take the smaller of the 2 rolls.
Note: Some advanced skills have changed! Dodge Leap and Dodge Roll, for instance, no longer function the same way they did before. Make sure you're using them properly to get their full advantage!
3.1.2: Blocking
A good thing to note is that, when fighting in melee combat, you are allowed to use a skill vs. skill roll like dodge in combat. This represents blocking with a weapon, blocking with your fists, or other related activities. This is less common than dodging attacks, but is possible when you're defending with your sword against a staff, another sword, or another melee weapon like that. Martial artists are more restricted in their ability to use this, as fists and forearms can only defend against fists and feet. After all, you don't want to throw up your hands to intercept a sword that would only result in hacking them off, right?
This manner of defense relies on the "Reaction" skill alone, which possesses a variety of advanced skills related to the action. Some Weapon Proficiencies or Feats will offer other advantages or disadvantages to blocking.
Some weapons cannot block; some weapons cannot be blocked, and even some attacks with some blockable weapons may still not be blocked. Pay attention to your GM or ask questions if you're unsure.
Deflection: use Block advanced skills against ranged weapons. Shotguns, Heavy Weapons, and Launchers cannot be Blocked.
Anti-Material(AM) Rifles: Cannot be blocked or deflected by anything.
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Example:
Joe has...
Level 5 Reaction
150 Dexterity
The "Block" advanced skill, which grants +5 to blocking.
A sword with a +12 bonus on it
15 (dex) + 5 (block) + 12 (sword)
1s5+32
Joe will roll that in lieu of a dodging check to see if he can block the opponent's sword with his own. As long as Joe's roll result is higher than the opponent's, he takes no damage.
It should be especially noted that there are very, very restricted times that any projectile attacks may be Blocked:
1) If the defender carries/equips a Shield
-- If this is the case, the character will roll their Shield proficiency vs the oncoming attack. If the defender succeeds, the projectile is harmlessly intercepted by the shield.
2) If the defender uses a lightsaber.
-- Lightsabers are in rare form in the game. If the defender uses a lightsaber, they will roll their Reaction vs. the projectile attack. If the defender succeeds, there are a couple of things to consider:
-- a) If the projectile is a material (an arrow, a bullet, etc.), the projectile will be disintegrated completely due to the nature of the lightsaber weapon.
-- b) If it is an energy blast, the attack will be reversed 180 degrees to return to its source. In this case, the successful defense roll is automatically called the attack roll, and the original attacker must dodge THAT roll.
____________________________________________________
3.2: Spiritual Defense
Dodging can be used against a majority of the magical/psionic effects you'll come across in the game; however, some characters may choose to use their own spiritual/mental prowess to ward off these kinds of attacks, similar to how a swordsman would choose to block a sword attack.
While these are lumped together as "spiritual defense," it is worth noting that only magic schools can ward off other magic schools, and only psionic classes may be used to ward off psionics; however, any magic school can ward off any magic school, and any psionic class can ward off any other psionic class. Some special exceptions may apply, such as Runic Arcana's and Telekinesis' ability to defend against physical attacks.
A character can choose to check with their Magic/Psionic school of choice OR with the "Concentration" skill. Note that if a character possesses both, it CANNOT use the Advanced Skills under Concentration while utilizing its Magic/Psionic school skill level to check. Either way, the character's Spirit Bonus is utilized as its statistic associate.
Example:
Ren'ai has...
200 Spirit
Level 4 Arcana
Level 3 Concentration
Advanced Skill: Counterspell
A Casting Aid that grants +12 to her magic checks
20 + 12 = 32
Arcana: 1s4+32
Concentration: 1s3+20
Utilizing her Arcana skill gives Ren'ai a roll advantage, but utilizing her Concentration skill would allow Ren'ai to activate "Counterspell" and deal damage back to the caster on a successful defense.
____________________________________________________
3.3: Taking Damage
You won't dodge or block every attack. Taking damage is a statistical certainty, so you might as well know it's coming.
3.3.1: Raw Damage
In normal, everyday circumstances, your character will take damage that is only mitigated by its armor and its natural soak value. You can find these on your character sheet.
Your natural soak value is equal to your Health statistic, and it applies to both physical and magical damage.
Example:
Joe has...
200 Health
10,000 HP
An armor with a +150 soak value
Joe fails to dodge an attack that deals 2250 HP in damage.
2250 - 200 - 150 = 1900
10,000 - 1900 = 8,100 HP remaining
3.3.2: Bracing
When a character knows it is going to be hit by an attack, whether by circumstance or choosing not to defend, it may "Brace" against the attack to reduce its damage by half.
Joe chooses to Brace against the attack. Note that all soak values are applied before the damage is halved.
2250 - 200 - 150 = 1900
1900 / 2 = 950
10000 - 950 = 9,050 HP remaining
3.3.3: Damage-Mitigating Factors
There are some abilities in the game (such as the Protect spell) that will incur a half-damage status on a character. When this effect is in order, if a character takes damage, it is calculated the same as Bracing.
When a character is under the effect of one of those mitigating factors, such as Protect, and still chooses to Brace against the damage, it is halved again.
Joe is under a Protect spell and chooses to Brace against the attack.
2250 - 200 - 150 = 1900
Protect: 1900 / 2 = 950
Brace: 950 / 2 = 475
10000 - 475 = 9,525 HP remaining
____________________________________________________
Phew! As you can see, while physical attacks and magical/psionic attacks may be different in nature, their systemic processes are very identical.
Boot camp's almost over, soldier. Keep going!
Updated for DW7.0
Chapter 3: Now, it's Angry
Now the thing -- or things -- you wanted to hit so badly... Yeah, you see, you don't always get to kill the right off... And now they're mad so they're coming after you. It's your job to do something about it by either successfully avoiding the hit or taking it on directly.
____________________________________________________
3.1: Physical Defense
First, avoiding an attack. When you are about to dodge an attack, you take several factors into play.
One: the type of attack,
Two: the area around you,
Three: the sense of the movement.
You can use the Athletics, Acrobatics, Swimming, or Reaction skills to avoid an oncoming attack. Sometimes, only one is available for use due to the environment or the nature of the attack. The GM will specify, and if it doesn't, feel free to ask.
3.1.1: Dodging
Like other forms of rolling, dodging an attack is based on the skill level of the selected skill, with a bonus made up of the different feats, equipment, and advanced skills that may affect that roll.
Example:
Joe has...
Level 4 Acrobatics
250 Dexterity
A light armor that grants +8 to evasion
A class feat that grants +5 to evasion
25 + 8 + 5 = 38
1s4+38
As long as Joe's evasion roll is higher than the foe's attacking roll, Joe does not take damage.
HOWEVER! Sometimes, an enemy will catch you by surprise! When that happens, your roll changes! In this instance, you will roll flat-foot dodge in an attempt to avoid the incoming blow. This is reaction-based, and a 'disadvantage' roll, in which you roll twice and take the smaller of the 2 rolls.
Example:
Jim has...
Level 3 Reaction
240 Dexterity
A light armor that grants +6 to evasion
A class feat that grants +3 to Reaction
24 + 6 + 3 = 33
2s3+33, take the smaller of the 2 rolls.
Note: Some advanced skills have changed! Dodge Leap and Dodge Roll, for instance, no longer function the same way they did before. Make sure you're using them properly to get their full advantage!
3.1.2: Blocking
A good thing to note is that, when fighting in melee combat, you are allowed to use a skill vs. skill roll like dodge in combat. This represents blocking with a weapon, blocking with your fists, or other related activities. This is less common than dodging attacks, but is possible when you're defending with your sword against a staff, another sword, or another melee weapon like that. Martial artists are more restricted in their ability to use this, as fists and forearms can only defend against fists and feet. After all, you don't want to throw up your hands to intercept a sword that would only result in hacking them off, right?
This manner of defense relies on the "Reaction" skill alone, which possesses a variety of advanced skills related to the action. Some Weapon Proficiencies or Feats will offer other advantages or disadvantages to blocking.
Some weapons cannot block; some weapons cannot be blocked, and even some attacks with some blockable weapons may still not be blocked. Pay attention to your GM or ask questions if you're unsure.
Deflection: use Block advanced skills against ranged weapons. Shotguns, Heavy Weapons, and Launchers cannot be Blocked.
Anti-Material(AM) Rifles: Cannot be blocked or deflected by anything.
-=name=-
Joe has...
Level 5 Reaction
150 Dexterity
The "Block" advanced skill, which grants +5 to blocking.
A sword with a +12 bonus on it
15 (dex) + 5 (block) + 12 (sword)
1s5+32
Joe will roll that in lieu of a dodging check to see if he can block the opponent's sword with his own. As long as Joe's roll result is higher than the opponent's, he takes no damage.
It should be especially noted that there are very, very restricted times that any projectile attacks may be Blocked:
1) If the defender carries/equips a Shield
-- If this is the case, the character will roll their Shield proficiency vs the oncoming attack. If the defender succeeds, the projectile is harmlessly intercepted by the shield.
2) If the defender uses a lightsaber.
-- Lightsabers are in rare form in the game. If the defender uses a lightsaber, they will roll their Reaction vs. the projectile attack. If the defender succeeds, there are a couple of things to consider:
-- a) If the projectile is a material (an arrow, a bullet, etc.), the projectile will be disintegrated completely due to the nature of the lightsaber weapon.
-- b) If it is an energy blast, the attack will be reversed 180 degrees to return to its source. In this case, the successful defense roll is automatically called the attack roll, and the original attacker must dodge THAT roll.
____________________________________________________
3.2: Spiritual Defense
Dodging can be used against a majority of the magical/psionic effects you'll come across in the game; however, some characters may choose to use their own spiritual/mental prowess to ward off these kinds of attacks, similar to how a swordsman would choose to block a sword attack.
While these are lumped together as "spiritual defense," it is worth noting that only magic schools can ward off other magic schools, and only psionic classes may be used to ward off psionics; however, any magic school can ward off any magic school, and any psionic class can ward off any other psionic class. Some special exceptions may apply, such as Runic Arcana's and Telekinesis' ability to defend against physical attacks.
A character can choose to check with their Magic/Psionic school of choice OR with the "Concentration" skill. Note that if a character possesses both, it CANNOT use the Advanced Skills under Concentration while utilizing its Magic/Psionic school skill level to check. Either way, the character's Spirit Bonus is utilized as its statistic associate.
Example:
Ren'ai has...
200 Spirit
Level 4 Arcana
Level 3 Concentration
Advanced Skill: Counterspell
A Casting Aid that grants +12 to her magic checks
20 + 12 = 32
Arcana: 1s4+32
Concentration: 1s3+20
Utilizing her Arcana skill gives Ren'ai a roll advantage, but utilizing her Concentration skill would allow Ren'ai to activate "Counterspell" and deal damage back to the caster on a successful defense.
____________________________________________________
3.3: Taking Damage
You won't dodge or block every attack. Taking damage is a statistical certainty, so you might as well know it's coming.
3.3.1: Raw Damage
In normal, everyday circumstances, your character will take damage that is only mitigated by its armor and its natural soak value. You can find these on your character sheet.
Your natural soak value is equal to your Health statistic, and it applies to both physical and magical damage.
Example:
Joe has...
200 Health
10,000 HP
An armor with a +150 soak value
Joe fails to dodge an attack that deals 2250 HP in damage.
2250 - 200 - 150 = 1900
10,000 - 1900 = 8,100 HP remaining
3.3.2: Bracing
When a character knows it is going to be hit by an attack, whether by circumstance or choosing not to defend, it may "Brace" against the attack to reduce its damage by half.
Joe chooses to Brace against the attack. Note that all soak values are applied before the damage is halved.
2250 - 200 - 150 = 1900
1900 / 2 = 950
10000 - 950 = 9,050 HP remaining
3.3.3: Damage-Mitigating Factors
There are some abilities in the game (such as the Protect spell) that will incur a half-damage status on a character. When this effect is in order, if a character takes damage, it is calculated the same as Bracing.
When a character is under the effect of one of those mitigating factors, such as Protect, and still chooses to Brace against the damage, it is halved again.
Joe is under a Protect spell and chooses to Brace against the attack.
2250 - 200 - 150 = 1900
Protect: 1900 / 2 = 950
Brace: 950 / 2 = 475
10000 - 475 = 9,525 HP remaining
____________________________________________________
Phew! As you can see, while physical attacks and magical/psionic attacks may be different in nature, their systemic processes are very identical.
Boot camp's almost over, soldier. Keep going!
Last edited by Strato on May 5th, 2023, 11:24 pm, edited 9 times in total.
