Prediction?

[Brian Leybourne]

I had posted this in my interception thread, but thought it deserved it's own thread. So shoot me :-)

What about the defender who tries to anticipate an attack (useful against attackers who insist on repeatedly attacking the same region)?

Maybe before each attack I can "anticipate" where I am going to be attacked (put a die on the male figure on the character sheet where you think the attack is going to go). This indicates that the defender has his shield or weapon ready for a parry/block in that region because he expects the attack will come there.

If the attack actually comes at that area, you get a bonus on your defense, because you were ready. Maybe you get +2 dice on your defensive roll? The downside is that if the attack is too far away from where you expected it (you were expecting an attack to the head and your opponent swings at your lower legs, for example) you actually get a 1 die penalty to defend because you were ready for something else.

Again, thoughts? Opinions? Ideas? Criticisms?

Brian.

[Mokkurkalfe]

I shoot you.
I've already posted about this in the Interception thread. Arrr....:-)

Anyway, what you wan't to do is to put the Body Language skill in the hands of the player instead of on the PC, right?
Another way would be to give the Body Language skill a bonus die if the attack is on an unarmoured part(if most body parts are armoured), or for every attack before this one made on the same place, etc.

[Thirsty Viking]

I've been working out a system of combat cards.   Players would designate thier manuver and hit location before the tossing red dice.

For white dice they determine thier hit location and # dice they wish to gamble on that being where the attack is coming.  In the case of a feint the final location is the one indicated.

If they are right they double thier gambled dice. On thier defence roll.  
If they are adjacent there is no effect.  
If they aren't close....they lose these dice.

Standard Defence will be an option,   also gambling 0 dice as an optional way of meaning general defence.

comments welcome  before i plunge into this friday.

[Lyrax]

Perhaps, if they were WAY off (I bet he'll hit me in the legs... oops, the head is a little different) then they could lose double the gambled dice... that would discourage random guessing.

[Bob Richter]

Perhaps the best thing to do would be to allow the defender to "take a guard" before the attack is declared.

Say a "high guard" would defend better (+1 die) against shots to the head but worse (-1 die) against shots to the legs. The reverse for a low guard.

Thus a "high right guard" would provide a significantly improved defense against that slash to your right-side IV that that fool keeps making (then again, he'll probably just go left. Hey, it's *some* variety.)

[Thirsty Viking]

Perhaps, if they were WAY off (I bet he'll hit me in the legs... oops, the head is a little different) then they could lose double the gambled dice... that would discourage random guessing.

Yes but he idea is also to punish predictable play in the attackers.  the first time someone bets 3 dice on head shot  and loses those dice from the combat pool because it is  lower abdomen - legs   they'l learn the gambling is just that.    they only get the bonus in a limited area.  and maintain the dice in  less than half thier body.   Chest would be ruled general defence.