Questions about maneuvers

[Starshadow]

Hi there. Have a few questions about maneuvers here.

1. Can maneuvers that give give bonuses on the following exchange be started in the second exchange of a combat round? Can any two exchange maneuvers be started in the second exchange?

2. Can a fighter buy initiative after losing the first exchange when his opponent used the Block Open and Strike maneuver?

[Uber_Munchkin]

Ok I'm not an expert in these things but my take would be:

1.  I don't see why not, you have to remember though that most of the really good maneuvers have a CP cost and since CP refreshes at the start of each round there'd be very little point.

2.  Not sure on this one I don't have my book to hand, if the block open and strike was successful then the defender is already going to be at a penalty, if they want to risk trying to buy initiative let them try, after all the mechanic exists to give faster characters an edge over combat tanks.

[Alan]

1. Yes, just as Shock penalties carry over to the next Round.

2. No. Remember initiative is only thrown or bought at the beginning of an engagement.  After that, whoever won the last exchange by 1 or more successes has the Initiative. (A tie means Initiative is retained by the current holder.)

So, if the opponent performed a Block open and rolled 1 more success than you, he's got initiative next exchange and there's nothing you can do about it.

Well, of course, you could try attacking, but as defender, your attack must come after his.

[nsruf]

So, if the opponent performed a Block open and rolled 1 more success than you, he's got initiative next exchange and there's nothing you can do about it.

... except buying initiative. Really, that's what the maneuver is for - you get to act first even though normally you'd have to defend or attack second.

So the answer to Starshadows question would be yes and yes. Of course, in both cases, the bonuses or penalties built up during the previous exchange still apply.

[Starshadow]

It is as I thought then.

...you get to act first even though normally you'd have to defend or attack second.

Makes fightin' a lil' more interestin', don't ya know?
:)

[Alan]

You can buy initiative any time?  This is a new one on me.  I thought because the option shows up at the beginning of the engagement procedure, it was only an option on first contact.  I've reread the rules and they don't specify.

Ben, Jake, what's the designer's take on this?

[Lance D. Allen]

Jake's general take about buying initiative seems to be that it is an option at ANY time that you don't have initiative.

So I'm in agreement with nsruf.

[Jake Norwood]

Hell if I know... LOL.

I seem to remember envisioning it being anytime you didn't have the initiative, you could buy it. Problem is, it wasn't very clearly written, and the whole reason I wrote it down in the first place was that I was bound to forget.

So, uh, yeah. It works anytime you don't have initiative.

Jake