< level 5 Fighters and Mettle

Kinen

Newbie
Hello all!

Looking over the Mettle power;

Mettle – 3 XP (Fighter), 20 XP Martial Skills per purchase, Daily - This skill is a Smart Defense representing a character relying on toughness and grit to resist debilitating effects through sheer force of will. When struck by an effect with a non-instantaneous duration, the character may call "Mettle" as a defense and expend 20 Body Points. This reduces the effect by 5 minutes, which may immediately negate the effect. Line of Sight effects are negated completely by defending against them this ability. Multiple Mettles may not be used against a single attack.​

As I'm playing a fighter, this seems like something I assume a lot of front liners will be using. But until level 6+ as a fighter, more if you are an other classes, you don't have 20 body at base. Yes, you can purchase your body up and I understand that. But as Mettle is so cheap to reach as opposed to the requirements of something like combined strike (135xp min.).

So, clarifying. I have 19 hp, if I use Mettle, I'd drop into a dying state (-1 hp). But at least the effect didn't hit me?

My grit and determination is too much for my wee little character and begins dying from overexertion. :p
upload_2019-3-8_10-28-36.png
 
The character may not use this skill if they do not currently have at least 20 Body Points, nor may they use other skills, rituals, or abilities to reduce or negate the damage.

So you can’t expend it with 19 (or less) body, even if you would technically survive the effect.
 
Hmm, That makes sense. I can see the sense of Expend 20 body, that you must have a 20+ body to expend. I'd suggest that wording may want to be put into the final write up.
  • You must have at least 20+ body total to purchase this (as it is moot to have, and as per your power clarification impossible to use. And otherwise is very obtainable prior to the 20 HP mark .)
  • Or; You must have at least 20+ body currently to use this (As this should be explicit.)
Oh edge case question; If, I had exactly 20 HP, then I could expend that and knock myself out?

Thanks Evan!
 
That wording is in the current write up...I copied and pasted. ;)

Since it says you need at least 20 Body, yeah, you could totally use it and then fall unconscious if you have exactly that amount.

Since the damage can’t be prevented in any way (as the wording continues on), it also means you couldn’t use Resolute to keep standing.
 
Ah! Ok, perfect. I must just be looking at an older version.

Oh man, I really want to 'feign death' on a resolute call and fall to the ground in a heap, unconscious. But as it is a OOG call, for all appearances you just got crushed. xD

Yeah, resolute specifies it can be used damage from attacks. So that tracks, as mettle is defensive power effect.
 
Oh man, I don’t like being the fun killer...

While you’re right that Resolute is an OOG verbal, all verbals represent an IG observable effect. So a Spell Shield might be a flash of light, a weapon attack might be the clang of metal, etc etc. A Resolute is also observable, so an enemy combatant who sees you “fall over dead” is...probably just going to stab you some more.
 
Hmm, if that is across the board, that is just good info in general I needed. Thanks!
 
@Kinen

Keep in mind you CAN simply fall over when you are at 3 Body as if they took you out. I mean you could take a 2 Normal while you have full body and fall over and play dead.

Some creatures have First Aid and might investigate, others might just pick you up and drag you to the rest of the PCs they have dropped allowing you to stealth heal the pile of dead/dying adventures.
 
@Kinen

Keep in mind you CAN simply fall over when you are at 3 Body as if they took you out. I mean you could take a 2 Normal while you have full body and fall over and play dead.

Some creatures have First Aid and might investigate, others might just pick you up and drag you to the rest of the PCs they have dropped allowing you to stealth heal the pile of dead/dying adventures.

The possum strategy lives! Thanks, that's really good. That makes perfect sense and I feel silly for not thinking of it xD
 
@Kinen

Keep in mind you CAN simply fall over when you are at 3 Body as if they took you out. I mean you could take a 2 Normal while you have full body and fall over and play dead.

Some creatures have First Aid and might investigate, others might just pick you up and drag you to the rest of the PCs they have dropped allowing you to stealth heal the pile of dead/dying adventures.

The possum strategy lives! Thanks, that's really good. That makes perfect sense and I feel silly for not thinking of it xD

If some are intelligent they also might hit you a few more times when your down...ahhh to possum or not to possum, that is the question.
 
Back
Top