Re: (TFT) Shields vs missile/thrown attacks on hex spines

[Christopher Fuhrman <fuhrman8or@yahoo.com>]

--- Peter von Kleinsmid <pvk@oz.net> wrote:
> Why would Thrown weapons get a DX bonus for target facing, especially if 
> missiles don't? We never gave DX bonuses for facing to either - ranged 
> attacks get penalties for target position, but not for facing.

I, too, was surprised by my own conclusion when trying to work out the rules
for a computer version of Melee. I always assumed thrown weapons did not get DX
adds for facing. However, if one reads literally the following from Basic
Melee, it seems that DX adjustments for facing *do* count for thrown weapons:

p.9, VII. ATTACKS.
An "attack" is an attempt to hit an enemy. There are several types of attacks:
regular, thrown-weapon, missile-weapon, and HTH.

p.10 FACING
NOTE: Missile weapon attacks dont get DX adds for facing!

Furthermore, the section on THROWN WEAPONS mentions nothing of DX adds for
facing, whereas the section on MISSILE WEAPONS states explicitly that there are
no DX adds for facing (p.14).

Finally, and I know not everyone likes this reference, but the Fantasy Masters'
Screen mentions the DX mods for Thrown Combat:

Range -1/hex
Hobbit atacker +3
Striking from behind +4
Striking from side +2
Dagger marksmanship -6
etc.  

So, my intuition says that thrown weapons travel slower, because they are
heavier (an axe, for example), and thus frontal or side attacks are more
difficult to land than a blind, rear attack. The same reasoning applies for
regular attacks, probably because it assumes that these attacks can be avoided,
to some degree by the defender, if the defender sees it coming. It's harder to
see an attack coming from the side, so this "normal" defense is lower (giving
plus DX to attacker), and even harder for rear attacks.

On the other hand, missiles are small and travel quickly, and a defender can't
really deflect or avoid them the same as a regular or thrown attack. Thus they
don't get DX adds for facing. They don't get DX penalties for distance the same
as thrown weapons. It made sense also when I thought of why a rock is
considered a missile weapon, even though it's technically thrown. 

However, when rolling to hit/miss figures, if thrown weapons take facing into
consideration for DX adjustments, it can again be inconsistent. For example, if
you were rolling to miss an ally who has his back to you, it doesn't make sense
that you'd get any DX adjustment (if using the same reasoning for why you get
it on an attack to hit). 

A solution is to not apply DX adds for facing when rolling to miss with thrown weapons.


 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Any questions? Get answers on any topic at www.Answers.yahoo.com.  Try it now.
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"