Re: (TFT) Secondary Strike

["Dave Seagraves" <zilch@austin.rr.com>]

>    how about adding in this clause.  "The secondary strike
>goes at the end of the turn, after all other figures have
>actioned."  This will bring the secondary strike in line
>with the existing rules for 2 shots a turn by archers.
>Unless you feel this throws off the timing of the whole
>'strike of opportunity' feel of the origianl wording.

   Yes, I do.  The secondary attack happens in the same instant the
primary attack missed in, or very nearly so.  The attacker isn't
getting /another/ attack; he's just getting a different one, like a
consolation prize.
   But use of the archer mechanic is interesting . . .


>Most of my players have 15+ DX so they
>would never take it.  It seems strange that
>incompetent fighters would be able to use this
>talent more often than a Jackie Chan.

   Yes, I must admit this optional rule was designed with Thail's
defense roll system in mind.


>What about using a reverse form of this talent to develop
>some kind of a kata?  Would be especially useful with the UC
>talents, staffs or nunchuks.  i.e., if you strike and do
>damage, you can roll to strike again at adjDX-2 to do
>additional damage.  If you damage the enemy again, you can
>roll again - each time adding in a cumulative -2 to DX.

   Sounds like the additional-blow rules I fuzzily remember from
/Chivalry & Sorcery/.


>I would not use this - I would consider such "minor" attacks
>to be automatically a part of the melee - sort of the
>"abstracted background" that is assumed to take place
>without actually throwing dice to game it.

   Are you saying that when one hits with a sword attack and rolls low
damage, sometimes this is actually an unarmed attack?  Such
abstraction could hurt players' fun if spelled out during a fight.  "I
missed with my sword and instead /punched/ him???  No I didn't!"
   I'm a fan of movies that include swashbuckling swordfights.  I
created the talent to capture some of the feel of swashbuckling
movies, where not all attacks made by the characters are "optimum"
sword strikes.  Similarly, PC's almost never willingly make
sub-optimal attacks (a reason why we see so few shield bashes and
punches in TFT battles).  Instead of an abstraction pointing out the
attacking character's failure to succeed, Secondary Strike adds to
their fighting ability, e.g.: "You missed with your sword blow, but
you /did/ succeed in opening his guard for a different attack.  Name
the attack and roll again."
   Yes, SS is chrome, but I think it's /fun/ chrome.


>How about this rule change:
>
>When your opponent attacks you and rolls
>a number evenly divisible by 4 that is lower
>than your DX, you get this attack.  This way,
>tough fighters will get more of the special
>attacks, & the ability can be used when you are
>defending, or in situations where 'regular'
>attacks can not be used.

   This could also work.  Higher levels of this could reduce the
multiple by 1 for each level.


>"You get the extra attack if your main attack roll
>is an even number less than your IQ, (or 14,
>whichever is greater)."

   I like this idea, but I'd get rid of the bit in parenthesis.  At
least in canon TFT, the effective range of a 3-die melee attack roll
ends at 15 anyway.

Dave Seagraves   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thail
Adieu, Chasseur mon ami
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