tRoS Combat simulator

[Brian Leybourne]

Just a quick FYI to you all.

The backup I had of the lost combat sim source code wasn't as old as I thought. Basically, I should be back to pretty much where I was in a week or so of work.

At the moment, I don't have the book to refer to for adding in many of the weapons and maneuvers that are now missing, so I have been concentrating to a few other things folk asked for. The main one is range, which is now incorporated and working fine, so those of you who wanted short swords and arming gloves, or dagger vs. polearm, it's all in there now. (Admittedly, I had to make up stats for most weapons since I don't have the book to refer to, but those will be fixed when it arrives).

For the record - Dagger vs Polearm - forget it. Seriously. You just can't win on open ground. Hell, even if the dagger guy somehow flukes it and gets into range, the polearm guy can just do a full evasion, which resets the range and screws the dagger guy again.

Brian.

[Jaif]

Grapple to trap/throw for the dagger guy?

[Brian Leybourne]

Grapple to trap/throw for the dagger guy?

Grapple TN6 vs Full evasion TN4. It *could* happen...

On the plus side (for the dagger guy) the polearm guy has -5 dice to do his full evasion with I guess.

[Jaif]

No - grapple is a defense as well as an offense.  Use trap or throw not only to "parry", but to set up your next attack in preperation for the evasion.

Also, I believe grapple offense is at a TN of 5, defense at a 6.  That's the numbers for a fist, anyway.

-Jeff

[Brian Leybourne]

FYI and a request.

OK, the rebuild of the Combat Sim is coming along well. I have all maneuvers in there (even Half Swording), except Grappling (not sure how I'll do that one yet) and Double Attack (too hard basket for now, it'll come).

It has the following weapons (so far):

Longsword (1 handed)
Longsword (2 handed)
Short Sword
Dagger
Club (1 handed)
Club (2 handed)
Maul
Pike
... with more to come. Basically, it's easy adding weapons now, all the hard work has been done, so I'll just keep slogging at them and stop at about 15 or so I guess. That should be enough to satisfy most folk. For the record, Dagger vs Pike - forget it. Even when the dagger guy is heavily armored and with a large shield and the pike guy is "naked" it's pretty hard to win with the dagger. That +5 attack cost is *nasty*.

The defensive options are (and these now penalise your CP as they should):

pot helm/full helm
leather, chain or plate on chest, arms, legs
buckler
small shield
large shield
(arming glove - see below)
and probably will also include parrying dagger eventually, when I get double attack sorted out.

So, two questions. One for Jake and the other who whoever.

1) Jake, do the weapon length penalties on defense (for being at too short a range for your weapon) apply to evasions (full, partial, duck and weave) as well as parries etc? Or only parries etc? What about blocking if I have a shield? (e.g. dagger vs longsword with shield, dagger range, longsword parry would have -3 dice, but does block have -3? what about an evasion?). The rules read "all defenses get the penalty", but I'm just wondering - seems to me that a full evasion or block is not that different regardless of what I have in my attacking hand.

2) anyone, some of you wanted arming gloves as a defensive option. If they're in the book, I missed them. What are their stats?

[edit] Actually, one more question for Jake. You mentioned that you were changing feint so that rapiers could feint from a thrust. Can any other weapons feint from a thrust as well, or is it only rapiers and everything else can only feint from a cut?

Thanks,
Brian.

[Jake Norwood]

Brian-
I agree. Blocking is not penalized.

Jake

[Lance D. Allen]

For an arming glove pay about half the price of one gauntlet (or 1/4 the price of the pair listed) and treat it as if if had the armor rating of chainmail (4).

This is from Jake, in a PM. I think he later bumped the AV down to 3 (though that might have been specifically for attempting to parry a swung blade) I can't find the message where I believe he mentioned that, though.

Anyhow, the way I've been using it.. ATN/DTN is equal to Fist, from the book. Damage is equal to ST-1, same as gauntlet/knuckleduster. AV is 4 for basic strikes to that region, and 3 if it is used in an attempt to parry a cut. Also, (though Jake may have something to say about this) attempting to parry a cut would have at least an activation cost of (2) or (3), success meaning that you parried the cut without injuring your hand. Failure would mean that it got past and hit the target, and.. tie would end up with the damage directed to your hand, instead. That's how I've been using it/would use it.

Actually, one more question for Jake. You mentioned that you were changing feint so that rapiers could feint from a thrust. Can any other weapons feint from a thrust as well, or is it only rapiers and everything else can only feint from a cut?

A good question, and one I asked as well, somewhere. Feinting from a cut with a shortsword is almost as much telegraphing your feint as with a rapier.. not quite, but almost. Both opponents that I have used a feint on said that they should have expected it when I led in with a cut.