RE: (TFT) More on Sweeping blows.

["rsmith" <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>]

Hi Dan, everyone.  
	Dan wrote:

>This was exactly my point - momentum reduction.  Considering all
>attacks a graze simply doesn't cut it for me.  And what about blunt
>weapons, like a club or a hammer?  TFT says that in order to make
>a sweeping blow, the attacker must be using a two-handed cutting
>weapon.  But I don't think that this tracks either.  A figure with a two
>handed club or hammer should be allowed to make a sweeping 
>blow, but stop as soon as someone is hit.  This would give him an
>opportunity to attack everyone in his front hexes, albeit at a DX 
>minus.

	Addressing your last point first, 
I think that the reason why SJ said that 
sweeping blows had to be done with a 
cutting weapon was because he assumed 
that they WERE making shallow cuts.

	I never really understood why 
sweeping blows could not be done with a
one handed cutting weapon.  Maybe you 
want the extra hand for leverage as the
blade 'bounces' from one figure to the
next?  (It would allow you to pick up
speed and better adjust the angle of
attack on the next figure...)

	I also suspect that sweeping blows
as 2 handed weapons only were intended 
to reward the strong fighter with high
DX.  I find that TFT was beautifully 
balanced between fighters and wizards 
at low levels, but at higher attributes,
wizards gain a lead in power.  Sweeping
blows were useful force multiplier for
competent fighters.


	We thought about doing full damage
on the first figure, half damage on the
second figure hit, 1/4 damage on the
third figure hit, etc. in sweeping blows.
But in the end Matt and I decided that 
simply saying that all damage in sweeping
blows is halved.  (Shallow cuts.)

	Thus if you have a big figure with
lots of armor, then you want to get a solid
hit on it.  You won't do a sweeping blow.

	However if you are fighting a bunch
of low armor races (a gaggle of goblins,
for instance) then a sweeping blow starts 
looking very attractive.

	Against medium armored figures, well
then...

	This gives PC's a hard choice, doing
a sweeping blow gives you multiple attacks
in a turn (which is a HUGE advantage) but
against competent enemies with armor, they
are weaker.  Hard choices are the essence
of game play.

	All this assumes that you have a high 
enough DX that you stand a good chance of 
hitting more than one figure.  If you adjDX
is really low, then sweeping blows are 
doubly unattractive.

	
	I am not basing these rules on any 
sort of reality.  I was just wondering what
worked as far a game play goes. 

	
	For those that missed them, Matt's &
my rules are on Ed's website.

	Rick
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