'Physical' call

[jwconvery]

Reading the players guide:

Why will shields/weapons not stop the 'physical' attack? As written this is pretty close to how we used to run 'massive' , except theorietically more often thrown/swung. If a 'parry' works, why can't an actual phys-repped parry/block work?

You mention more defenses are available to the players, which is sort of misleading. Sure people can buy evades, but really only rogues will. It does however get around a lot of standard builds that players might have with magic items and racials. Cloak Physical really isn't a thing. Magic armor is not really equivalent to Spell Shield anyway. In a line battle or mod, Magic armors get popped right away or are held back for "Prepare to Die" Whereas people wear Spell shields much longer to prevent the surprise status effects or take outs. As written a mob with "Physical Death" or whatever can swing pipe to pop a Magic Armor then effectively spellstrike a death. If we want a more hardcore chapter that's fine, just at least remove the "this is friendlier" line, or let it be blocked by weapons or a shield.

Seems un-needed. Is the small amount of added flavor benefiting the game enough to warrant another delivery type to remember? Right now it kind of exists between a spell packet and an arrow when thrown and a massive carrier/spellstrike attack when swung. Overlapping many but not all defenses.

I know as a chapter we like to minimise holds for rules calls/discussion does this add to the game?

-Joe

 

[Alkalin3]

Thanks for the feedback Joe.

No Shields do not block it. More defenses are available to players though. Parry, Riposte, Evade is in fact more then just Dodge with most other delivery types. This qualifier allows 5 classes to have at will build bought defenses with out the need for magic items. As well as being able to cut free in the case of binding. That's much friendlier. While it's true magic armor certainly goes away much faster then spell shield, it makes this a little tougher on pure casters. You just need to be able to cloak the effect group. If you have a Cloak Fire and someone hits you with Physical Flameblast, you can cloak it just the same. I'm not sure where you got the idea that you couldn't do that.

I look at Parry as more a heroic type defense then a generic old block. That's why we erred on the side of letting players call physical defenses instead of simply saying you cannot.

Obviously we think it adds to the game, that's why we spent the time writing this up, and playing with this in a few iterations before getting here. It's also why we defined it here so there hopefully won't be any holds called. (I know that maybe wishful thinking)

As it stands there's not rules for a spell strike version of this. It's simply a packet attack.

 

[Ardos]

I for one appreciated the physical call. When iI first started, we fought a bunch of vines that used spell strike drain, and because iI had nothing to deal with it I spent most of that night drained. Contrary to that, last event we fought a scorpion that physical bound me and a bunch of spiders physical webbing. Being able to parry that stuff was indispensable in keeping the rest of the people with me alive. Had they incapacitated me, we all would have been rolled. Now that may not be the most applicable, but it makes more sense then every creature with effects using magic to do them, and it definitly more friendly to me.

 

[Steve]

As written a mob with "Physical Death" or whatever can swing pipe to pop a Magic Armor then effectively spellstrike a death.

Really? Because casters use "shield poppers" for this exact reason. Weakness. Death. Start counting.

Future cons might include, "but packets are easier to dodge than weapons." Untrue. Depends on the person dodging, the person swinging, and the details of the fight.

Or, "but it's easier to double tap with a weapon than a packet." True. The price you pay for ranged combat, my friend. It might be faster swinging a weapon, but you're right up on the person. I can death you before your friends even get to me, if I'm using a "Physical" modifier via weapon blow, I'm risking the circle-beat from all of your friends.

All of the above arguments, however, are currently moot, because none of the "Physical" qualifiers have been added to weapon blows. Currently, this is a packet-only mechanism.

None of that is really towards the crux of the argument though, which was

You mention more defenses are available to the players, which is sort of misleading.

followed by, and I'm paraphrasing here,

"but there's no 'cloak physical', all of my magic items are useless."

Quite the opposite to both points. If I'm reading the examples correctly, and Chris' further explanation/response--which I am, if someone throws a "Physical Death" at me, I can cloak it with my Cloak vs. Gift. Or Riposte it. Or Parry it. Or Evade it. Or Dodge it. Or Magic Armor it. Yikes. That's six different defenses. Now if someone say, throws a "Magic Death" at me, I can cloak it with my Cloak Vs. Gift. Or Resist Magic it. Or Spell Parry it. Or Dodge it. Or Spell Magic it. Or...or....Reverse yikes. That's only five. Don't even get me started on Arcane (it's only three). Either way I look at it, "Physical" still gives me (the PC) a better chance to avoid it, more even for the lower level player, because more of those skills are build bought, and done so at a higher frequency, unlike built bought spell defenses (See Resist Magic).

As such, I like it. My two cents.

 

[jwconvery]

<<All of the above arguments, however, are currently moot, because none of the "Physical" qualifiers have been added to weapon blows. Currently, this is a packet-only mechanism.>>

This is where I was confused. Re-reading the Player's guide I saw the packet only line. It was the combination of potential packet delivered effects and weapon strike effects with physical that bothered me. As a packet only, I have less issues with it.

Thanks for the clarification.

-Joe