Re: (TFT) Shield rush in Melee --> Momentum of heavy blows.

["Charles Gadda" <cgadda@earthlink.net>]

These are all good points, Peter, and I do not wholly disagree, but I do
have a few quibbles:

> * Some people in TFT have better than fine plate, or fine plate AND a
> shield and magical protection and toughness etc.

Yes, but most will not. Which goes back to my main point about going through
a lot of trouble for that one in zillion exception. (Granted that this sort
of enhanced protection will not be quite that rare, but unless the GM is in
a giveaway mood it shouldn't be all that common, either).

> * If you are fighting someone with a tremendous amount of protection,
being
> able to move them a hex or two may be a way to deal with them, escape
them,
> etc, particularly if there are pits/water/mud/cauldrons etc. nearby.

Valid point as far as it goes. But I have seen little evidence that even
high damage blows will actually send someone flying (keep in mind the
examples cited thus far involve frictionless surfaces - not at all common in
either TFT or the real world). If I get triple damage with a dagger and do
15 points, does that mean I knocked you into left field? A more likely
explanation is that I simply slashed your throat from ear to ear...

> * Even if a person hit by a giant is killed, the position his body lands
> can be important and interesting. It might land on something, or someone.
> It creates a terrain obstacle where it lands. It is where most of his gear
> and loot will be.

Yeah, I see your point here. Though most of the time a variation of a hex or
so is not going to change the situation all that much. Again, this sort of
thing is going to be mildly rare.

> * If your friend is knocked unconscious, it makes a difference whether
they
> land in a bonfire, or just next to it, etc.

As above. Agree that it is important, but I question the need for a new game
mechanic.

> * In terms of realism, distance sent backwards isn't directly determined
by
> damage done. The angle of the blow, and to what degree the target reacts
to
> getting hit, can either result in a powerful blow simply crumpling the
> victim in place, or a non-injuring blow sending someone off balance and
> stumbling away up to a few hexes.

I agree, here, but if knockback is not dependent on damage, then how do we
determine it? In a sense, you just torpedoed your own argument...

> * Having played hundreds of TFT and GURPS combats on maps, there is a big
> difference between the body pile arrangements after TFT battles, where you
> can often see exactly where people "stood and died", and lines of bodies
> where two large groups got engaged and stuck in place. In GURPS, where
> there is no engagement, bodies fill two hexes, and knockback and retreats
> are pretty common, you get bodies scattered about in a way that tells a
> forensic story about what happened, which can be rather neat.

Though I wonder which models real mediaeval type combat more accurately? One
thing to consider, here, is that GURPS uses 1 yard hexes while TFT is on a
1-1/3 metre scale - thus, GURPS rules do not directly translate to TFT in
this regard.

> * It can also be fun and gratifying to really smack someone, and have them
> fly back. Or, scary to see your enemy hit someone and send them flying.

Just like Sorehead (errr.... Sauron) in PJ's version of FOTR, eh? Can't
disagree with you here at all - it WOULD be quite fun/scary for the reasons
cited.

> PvK
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