Re: (TFT) Howard Thompson versus Steve Jackson (and Pole Weapons)

[PvK <pvk@oz.net>]

I'm sorry, but as much as I appreciate what you say about parrying, and play with rules that reflect what you say when I play with GURPS-based rules, I think it's irrelevant to the obvious fact that in terms of the possibility of doing damage, the person with the much longer weapon, if he's using it in that way, has the opportunity to have a chance to hit first, by simple geometry.

The DX 8 person in plate and a polearm would of course, by geometry, get a possibility of hitting the DX 15 swordsman before the swordsman would have a chance of hitting the pole man, simply because of reach. The clumsy fighter has less of a chance of actually hitting, but if he does happen to move accurately and the high-DX figure fails to protect himself, yes, there is certainly a chance and it makes no sense to check for the shorter attack first. The issue isn't the action sequence, it's the lack of any effect of DX on defense in TFT.

In GURPS what would tend to happen would be the pole guy would swing first say 3 hexes out, probably miss with low DX, but if he hit, the fencer would have a good chance to defend, and then proceed to skewer the pole guy. In TFT you can sort of do that by Defending on the turn you engage, or getting initiative and engaging him from the side, or something. But in TFT, your skill (DX) isn't taken into account on the Defend.

--- gem6868@verizon.net wrote:

Physically the critical moment for any weapon, but especially a longer one, 
is the parry.  If someone parries your spear / pole axe / pike whatever then 
once they are inside your guard you are dead meat unless you've a dagger or 
are willing to try hand to hand (or running).  The idea that a polearm 
always strikes first is unrealistic and unbelievable.  First strike isn't 
about length, it's about speed and agility.  If you're slow, it doesn't 
matter what you're armed with.  Do you believe that a DX8 character in plate 
should automatically swing before a DX 15 character with a rapier?  I just 
can't.  That snail should be an easy target.

I like the +1d6 idea better than doubling, also.

-----Original Message----- 
From: PvK
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 2:11 PM
To: tft@brainiac.com
Subject: Re: (TFT) Howard Thompson versus Steve Jackson (and Pole Weapons)

I like the +1 die versus doubling suggestion too, which I think is also an 
ancient house rule (did it even make it into Interplay? I think maybe it 
did).

I don't like removing the first-strike, because I think it makes so much 
physical sense, though I think the charge situation wouldn't always apply, 
hence the suggestion I made.

--- hulkasgt@yahoo.com wrote:
...

In my own opinion, the only real change you need to make to Pole Weapons in 
Advanced Melee is to eliminate the rule that they always act first when 
involved in a charge. Per my experience, that brings everything back in 
balance, and brings Dex back to its important place in character builds.

That said, I do like David O. Miller's house rule about adding a set number 
of dice to a charge instead of doubling the dice. It gives those guys in 
plate mail at least a fighting chance to survive.

--- On Sat, 10/8/11, PvK <pvk@oz.net> wrote:

> From: PvK <pvk@oz.net>
> Subject: Re: (TFT) Howard Thompson versus Steve Jackson (and Pole 
> Weapons)
> PvK: What would people think of this for an alternate pole
> weapon nerf? (I'm just making this up over my morning
> coffee, but give it a think.)
>      1) A pole weapon user who begins
> the turn engaged may no charge bonuses against others moving
> up to engage that turn.
>      2) To get charge bonuses, either
> the pole weapon user, or his target, must have moved more
> than one hex this turn.
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