(TFT) Contest?

[Joey Beutel <mejobo@comcast.net>]

As mentioned in a recent thread, TFT has no direct way of handling  
character stat vs. character stat actions, from here on in called  
Contests.

There are, arguably, a few ways that this isn't entirely true....  
having a higher DX lets you act first or delay your action, giving you  
some tactical advantage. More ST means you take more hits. In effect,  
in combat, both sides have to use their stats so much that it  
effectively works out not unlike a Contest, as the higher ST, higher  
DX player is more likely to hit, do damage, and survive damage.

However, one thing in combat that is not in any way a Contest is  
Parrying (unless you interpret things so that a player with a lower  
dx, having not taken his action yet, will be incapable of defending  
against a higher dx player... though that seems a bit harsh, and still  
doesn't let a higher dx player defend and attack effectively, meaning  
all it accomplishes is a delay in the fight). This has always bothered  
me (but not enough to actually change it, yet), and so it seems like a  
good place to add Contest to combat, and to extrapolate more Contest  
rules from there.

Now, fundamentally, a contest doesn't need to mean both sides are  
being 'checked' in the traditional 3d6 sorta way. It just needs to  
incorporate both sides.

So, first rule: a successful parry allows a Counter-Attack at -2 (?)  
DX for the defender.

Second rule: the number of d6 your opponent rolls is determined by the  
defender's d6, but only when the defender parries.

DX/3 rounded down= number of d6. For any player that this would make  
no difference for, they may still parry at 4d6, but then sacrifice the  
counter attack (they don't get one.... i can't see why you would parry  
to counter attack, either, unless the parry had effect, so its  
mandatory to just give up the counter attack and gain the bonus die).

8: 4, no counter
9: 4, no counter
10: 4, no counter
11: 4, no counter
12: 4, counter.
13: 4, counter
14: 4, counter.
15: 5, counter.

and so on.

Finally, Third Rule: If two players both choose parry, they both get a  
counter attack in a 'second round' of that turn.... but the higher DX  
player gets no -2 (both still count as parrying). This will prevent  
stalemates from being too frequent.


Thoughts?
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