Re: Re: (TFT) Scale - Abstraction in Combat - 1- Timing

["Todd Roseberry" <paleryder1@verizon.net>]

John wrote:

"Now at the abstraction level, Melee handles the whole weapon speed thing 
with St and Dx.  At its simplest, your strength determines how big (and 
slow) a weapon you swing, and whats left (Dx) determines how frequently you 
hit your opponent  effectively abstracting away the fact that a rapier 
strikes more frequently than a claymore does, by having the rules support 
the rapier hitting more frequently."

I don't mind the TFT abstraction at all. I'm not sure I agree with your 
statement above. If I have a DX of 12, I hit just as often regardless of 
which weapon I use. The ST determines the amount of damage by given heavier 
and slow weapons more damage.  Unless you're under ST, your DX will not be 
affected. I suppose any given character must make the ST vs. DX (and IQ) 
trade off as you progress so this does affect play in a way if two 
combatants are of the same overall attributes and chose differently with one 
choose lower ST (rapier) with higher DX while the other chooses the 
opposite.

In theory, the "faster" guy with the "faster" weapon should be able to get 
more licks in. I recall the battle in the move Rob Roy where the bad guy was 
using the rapier and was carving up Rob Roy. Rob's almost dead and gets one 
hit with the claymore and cleaves the guy in two. The both didn't swing the 
same number of times, the relative weapon damage IN THAT FIGHT determined 
the outcome. In TFT terms, the rapier guy could have had more chances at a 
critical strike.  In the movie, you get the impression that the rapier guy 
was toying with Rob Roy. Had he thrust him through with the rapier, instead 
of scratching him for fun, the fight would have been over sooner. I recall 
that military swordsman of the day had some disdain for the rapier duels- 
they saw it as suicide.

D&D gets a little comlicated with its method of addressing weapon speed and 
I wouldn't want that. It would be interesting to see how fights come out if 
faster weapons get more hits. Perhaps weapons could affect the adjDX with a 
plus or minus modifier. Any weapon modifier for speed that would affect 
adjDX for determination of order of attack should not affect the ability to 
attack.

So, I think it's an interesting topic but I agree that you do have to draw 
the line somewhere for playability.

FWIW,
Todd 
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