Copyright 2003, T. Bone, tbone@gamesdiner.com. All rights reserved. GURPS is a trademark of Steve Jackson Games, Inc. Copyrighted material appears courtesy of Steve Jackson Games.
Of all the rules hacks at the GURPS Diner, this is surely the least ambitious. It's a look at a simple, single, "for the heck of it" rules change, followed by the usual commentary. As always, it's yours to use, abuse, or refuse, as you choose.
There's one funny bit in the GURPS skill system. Nothing that need ever actually bother anybody, just a little oddity that's so basic to the system we never even think about it.
To test any skill, you roll against skill level, with bonuses or penalties to change the probability of success.
With one exception. Defenses are rolled against half (or two-thirds) skill level. Harmless, true, yet it's an oddball mechanic that's used nowhere else in the game.
What if defenses used full skill level, like any other skill? Yes, that suggests shockingly high defense rolls, but appropriate penalties would help keep things in line. Here's how it might work:
Just as "to hit" is abbreviated "TH", we'll abbreviate "to defend" as "TD". A TD roll is an active defense roll (Dodge, Parry, or Block).
1) Active defenses use full skill level. There's no "skill/2" or "two-thirds skill" or so on.
2) For Dodge, use Basic Speed x 2, i.e., (DX + HT)/2. Round down.
3) Skills with an improved Parry, like Fencing, Brawling, or Judo, should continue to benefit in some way. A bonus of +1/8 skill (round down) works acceptably.
Example: Jim has Basic Speed 5.75, Broadsword-12, Brawling-16, and Shield-14. His defense rolls (so far) are Dodge 11, Broadsword Parry 12, Brawling Parry 18, and Shield 14.
Full skill doesn't mean parrying a weapon is easy! Swinging your sword to hit a six-foot target is one thing; positioning it to deflect a little knife is another.
Just as attacking a foe's weapon takes TH penalties for the target's small size (BS 110), so attempting to parry or block a weapon takes TD ("to defend") penalties. The rules:
1) Take a -4 on Parry or Block vs an attack, as you're essentially trying to "hit" a small, incoming target.
2) Take a -4 on Dodge too. (That's not a penalty for weapon size -- you're looking to avoid the weapon, not "hit" and deflect it. It's a penalty for the inherent difficulty of dodging.)
3) Don't add PD to active defenses. Drop PD from the game, as outlined here.
Example: The above adjustments lower Jim's TD rolls. His Dodge is 7. His Broadsword Parry is 8. His Brawling Parry is 14.
None of these defenses benefit a whit from Jim's nifty scale armor or Medium shield!
FEND's suggestions:
1) An exception to the above PD rule: A shield's PD value does add to Block, but not to other defenses.
2) Let a shield also offer passive protection by subtracting its PD value from the attacker's TH roll. (That's for attacks from the shield's hex; halve the penalty for other front hexes, and apply no penalties for a rear hex.)
Example: Foes facing Jim's Medium shield hex have to aim for the small target area that's uncovered, and take a -3 TH. Foes in other front hexes take only half that penalty, or -1; foes to the rear have a fully open target.
If an attack does get through, Jim's base Block is 10 (Shield skill -4). Add his Medium shield's PD value of 3, for Block 13. That +3 bonus applies only to Block; other defenses to not benefit from it.
Roll TH and TD normally using FEND.
Example: Jim needs to defend against a sword blow. He can choose from Dodge 7, Block 13, or Parry 8 (with his sword).
As FEND doubles defense scores, it will make sense in many cases to double TD modifiers. For example, crawling carries a -3 TD penalty (BS 203); double that to -6. Double the Dodge penalties for encumbrance as well.
Use your judgment on when to double TD modifiers. A good rule of thumb: Double penalties under FEND, but not bonuses.
Example: If Jim needs to parry a swung sword bare-handed in an emergency, he can use his Brawling skill's Parry 14. But there's a -3 penalty to do so (BS 101); double that to a -6. Jim is left with Parry 8, and risks arm injury if he fails.
Per the above, a Retreat bonus doubled to +6 is just too large. Leave it at +3.
Also see comments under "Other Notes" below.
All-Out-Defense becomes a near mirror image of All-Out-Attack: make two separate defenses vs a given attack, or make one defense at +4.
This is an exception to the rule of thumb on not doubling bonuses. The +4 TD is set to match its counterpart in AOA's +4 TH.
Feints work just as they do now, but with double the TD penalty. For every point of the feinter's success in the Contest, reduce the defender's next defense roll by 2.
Example: A foe Feints vs Jim's Shield skill of 14, and wins the contest by 2. If the foe attacks again immediately, Jim will defend at -4. His Block 13 is reduced to Block 9.
GURPS has always lacked a generic mechanism allowing a skilled fighter, even without feinting, to overwhelm lesser fighters' defenses through speed.
The "fast blows" rule offers that ability. See details here. Double that rule's TD penalty for use with FEND, resulting in this modified rule:
For every -1 TH taken by the attacker, the defender takes -1 TD.
This is an important rules addition that lets expert warriors fight like experts, with lightning attacks which require amazing skill but which can only be stopped by amazing defenses. The rule "levels the field" when highly skilled fighters square off; their flurry of blows will come to a conclusion.
A few additional notes cribbed from the linked text: Fast blows are a superior replacement for CII's "Only the Best Shall Win" option (the latter complicates every combat exchange; the former stay out of play until chosen by a fighter). Fast blows do not replace Feints (and in fact, complement them nicely). Finally, fast blows should not reduce TH below 12 (they're a technique for skilled fighters, not scrubs).
It's hard to catch an incoming blow on a small weapon. Double GURPS' Parry penalty (BS 99) for using a knife or other small object to -2, but leave it at -1 for a large knife.
Conversely, it should be easier to catch a blow using a large item -- and it is. That's why shields add their PD value to Block.
There's no reason for an attack to follow a separate set of rules when it's a grapple (BS111). Instead of a Contest of DX, why not play a grapple as a normal attack, like this:
1) Roll vs straight DX, Judo, Wrestling, or Sumo Wrestling to hit.
2) If TH succeeds, the defender rolls a Parry, Block or Dodge normally.
Normal TH modifiers (for target size, etc.) and normal defense modifers apply as appropriate. Feints, fast blows and other normal combat rules may be used.
Two-handed grapple: The above TH roll is for a one-handed grapple. For two hands, apply the +3 TH that GURPS suggests.
Or use this alternative: Give the attacker +2 to hit, and the defender -2 to defend (as there are two "weapons" coming in simultaneously from different directions). I don't know why, but I prefer this method.
Why did GURPS employ the unusual "skill/2" mechanism for defenses to begin with? Presumably because defenses rolled against full skill playtested poorly. After all, even with skill halved for defenses, gamers complain of too-high "unbeatable" defenses in GURPS.
And yet, FEND then goes and doubles those scores back to full skill! Lunacy!
It's true, FEND does raise defense rolls for most skills at a skill level over 8. At the same time, it offers means of keeping TD in check.
First, there's the blanket -4 TD on defenses. Next, penalties to defense are generally doubled, while bonuses are not. In addition, the suggested bonus for Fencing, Karate and similar skills with improved Parry is kept modest.
Most importantly, FEND only lets armor boost defense rolls in one limited case (a shield's PD value adds to Block); armor otherwise does not aid TD. That alone removes a big cause of "unbeatable defenses" in GURPS. Don't be surprised to see FEND result in lower defense rolls for many heavily armored characters!
See "Other Notes" below for further suggestions related to Retreat bonuses and encumbrance penalties that can help hold down defense rolls.
Tactics: Tactics become all the more important with FEND, whose rules multiply the defense-penetrating effects of feints and fast blows.
Even when facing down lesser foes too unskilled to deploy those measures, a cocky Broadsword-20 fighter will find his Parry 16 made worthless by rear attacks, massed attacks, missiles, disarms, tackles, and other common-sense tactics.
Remember that any TD penalty you can inflict upon a foe is generally doubled in FEND. Put on your tactical cap and do your worst.
Game feel: FEND increases the defense gap between skilled and unskilled fighters; the difference in TD becomes the same as the difference in TH. That's good for a heroic feel, in which PCs mow down mobs of scrubs while taking little or no injury. In particular, gamers who unleash feints and fast blows on cannon fodder foes should enjoy faster, more decisive victories.
Of course, the same works in reverse. Barring GM pity and fiat, the novice swordsman PC who takes on the blademaster will go down more quickly than ever under FEND. See the notes on tactics above, and choose fights wisely.
Overall, FEND should contribute to a cinematic feel in games with cinematic skill levels. In realistic games that enforce more modest skill levels, FEND produces modest effects not much different from the current game.
Let's face it, GURPS is a little silly on the benefits of shields. Holding a shield awards the same bonus to all your defenses -- that is, the shield doesn't improve your active Block any more than it improves your Dodge or Parry. Why even bother to Block?
FEND may offer a better take. The penalty on an attacker's TH lets shields passively aid any bearer; that's not too different from GURPS' PD boost for holding a shield. But the rules also add a TD bonus to Block, and not to other defenses. In other words, a shield aids you a little bit no matter what, but really aids you when you actually use the shield. Makes sense, no?
Below are suggestions for the effect of encumbrance on athletic combat skills. ("Athletic" here refers to any skill using full-body movements, whether Karate, Knife, or Polearm, but not skills like Bow or Guns.)
Dodge: Using FEND, encumbrance levels have twice their normal effect on Dodge, e.g., Light encumbrance offers -2, Medium -4, etc.
Martial arts: GURPS applies a binary "Light encumbrance or better" restriction on some combat skills. GULLIVER suggests a better way here: use encumbrance level as a skill penalty on these, for all purposes. You can use Karate with Heavy encumbrance, but your skill of 17 becomes a 14, for attack, defense, feinting, damage bonus, any purpose.
Other combat skills: GURPS applies no encumbrance penalties to other combat skills. As an option, though, apply half encumbrance level as a penalty to other athletic skills (i.e., most combat skills), for all purposes. That's a marked rules change, but it's realistic, and provides another small aid in keeping FEND defense rolls reasonable.
Summary: Using FEND, apply twice your encumbrance level as a Dodge penalty (this mirrors the existing GURPS rule). Apply your encumbrance level as a skill penalty to martial arts with encumbrance restrictions (this is a more flexible replacement for the GURPS rule). As an option, apply half your encumbrance level as a skill penalty to all other athletic combat skills.
As mentioned earlier, the Retreat bonus should be left at +3. In addition, stricter limits on awarding the bonus work well with FEND. A suggestion:
The +3 Retreat bonus only applies to a Dodge, combined with a Step that clearly carries the defender out of the weapon's reach.
Any other Retreat -- a Dodge and Step that still leaves the character within reach, or any Parry or Block -- confers only a +1 bonus.
The -4 penalty to Parry or Block a weapon should technically vary with weapon size, just as GURPS suggests a -3 TH vs a long (two-hex) weapon and -5 TH vs a small (Close) weapon like a knife. An unarmed attack would also be -5 to Parry or Block.
But the FEND rules stick with a flat -4 TD for simplicity. Switch to varied modifiers if you want the detail.
The suggestion to drop PD has a link to detailed text, which makes a good case for why the stat should be booted from the game.
But if you don't like that idea, there's another suggestion here that tests passive defenses on a separate "2+PD" roll. To mix these rules with FEND:
Roll TD as described in FEND. If the defense fails, make a separate roll vs 2+PD to check passive defense, as described in the linked rules.
Shields work nicely in the mix. Drop the rule reducing attacker TH for shields. If the character makes a Block, add a shield's PD value to the Block score, but not to the 2+PD roll. If the character does not make a Block, add the shield's PD value to the 2+PD roll only.
The Dodge calculation remains a GURPS oddity of a statistic that averages two attributes. But that should upset no one; other RPGs do it all the time.
You are welcome to substitute this with some other calculation of Dodge, but beware of using straight DX -- most gamers already find a problem with this one attribute offering too much power. (And please, don't even think of "Dodge = Move x 2"; despite what the Basic Set says, Dodge does not equal Move in GURPS, and never did.)
Do you like FEND, but still want a little more aid in taming those high defense rolls? Start here, and read all the way to the bottom. Some portions have already been linked to above, but you'll find a few more ideas, including the very sensible bit on declaring defenses.
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Copyright 2003 T.Bone tbone@gamesdiner.com | T.Bone's GURPS Diner