RQ6 - shields, defaults and armor

[fulk]

Two topics seem to come up a lot in reference to BRP derived games: shields and weapon defaults. I was curious to know if RQ6 would be making any attempts to make shields more useful or add in weapon defaults in some way.

Also, I always loved hit locations and partial armor of RQ, but I'd also love to see some method for dealing with partial limb armor like hauberks that cover upper arms and thighs or greaves that cover only knee to foot.

Just a few thoughts in my copious free time...

Fulk

[Pete Nash]

Two topics seem to come up a lot in reference to BRP derived games: shields and weapon defaults. I was curious to know if RQ6 would be making any attempts to make shields more useful or add in weapon defaults in some way.

In what ways specifically?

Also, I always loved hit locations and partial armor of RQ, but I'd also love to see some method for dealing with partial limb armor like hauberks that cover upper arms and thighs or greaves that cover only knee to foot.

That is easily done by dividing the 3 numbers of each location to represent specific joints or regions of the body. So 1-3 of the (right?) leg could be split into 1-Foot, 2-Lower Leg and 3-Upper Leg. Since the head only has 2 numbers you could make 19-Face/Neck and 20-Skull.

After that its easy enough to declare that a vest/corset doesn't cover arms, a haubergeon cover the upper arms, and a full hauberk cover upper and lower arms.

[fulk]

RE Defaults: One game I've played a bit of recently is The Riddle of Steel--quite a cool game but out of print and business. Among other things it had a system of defaults for weapon skills (proficiencies in the game). So you might have "Cut and Thrust" proficiency for using 1-h swords in a cut and thrust style either alone or along with daggers, bucklers or cloaks. Other fighting skills like sword and shield or axe and shield defaulted from C&T at some level depending upon how similar the fighting styles were. In d100 terms you might have Cut & Thrust skill at 75%, which would default to sword and shield at 65% and axe and shield at 55% or something like that.

RE Shields. There are certainly bonuses to using a shield in BRP but they don't seem particularly strong, but I didn't have any particular ideas about how to make them more effective. GURPS and some other games have shields decrease your opponents chances to hit in addition to being useful for a rolled parry. In GURPS shields are easier to learn to use and reduce attack percentages. In The Riddle of Steel shields don't have separate skill values but are easier with which to parry (lower target numbers in a dice pool type game).

But really..I don't know. I was just curious about RQ6. I'm really looking forward to a new edition. I never really bought the Mongoose stuff. I still have most of my 2nd and 3rd ed stuff and recently bought BRP. Just daydreaming really...Fulk

[Pete Nash]

I was just curious about RQ6. I'm really looking forward to a new edition. I never really bought the Mongoose stuff. I still have most of my 2nd and 3rd ed stuff and recently bought BRP. Just daydreaming really...Fulk

Ah that explains the questions. In MRQ2 and RQ6 you have Combat Styles which incorporate a group of weapons learned from cultural or career backgrounds. Thus it is easier for a character to have a broader range of proficiency depending on how inclusive the GM wants to have each style.

Shields on the other hand offer several bonuses from the ability to block larger, more forceful weapons to being able to parry ranged attacks. Thus they do provide a significant edge in a fight.

[fulk]

Ah...cool. I'm looking forward to RQ6....ciao.

[d_ns]

Ah that explains the questions. In MRQ2 and RQ6 you have Combat Styles which incorporate a group of weapons learned from cultural or career backgrounds. Thus it is easier for a character to have a broader range of proficiency depending on how inclusive the GM wants to have each style.

Shields on the other hand offer several bonuses from the ability to block larger, more forceful weapons to being able to parry ranged attacks. Thus they do provide a significant edge in a fight.

Have you gone into any detail anywhere on how you might be changing Combat Styles from the MRQ days? They are one of the more divisive areas of the RQII world. Even just some better notes indicating how they can be used, and how, much like cults and the like, you're expected as the GM to do some work deciding which ones are valid in your world would be helpful.

[Pete Nash]

Have you gone into any detail anywhere on how you might be changing Combat Styles from the MRQ days? They are one of the more divisive areas of the RQII world. Even just some better notes indicating how they can be used, and how, much like cults and the like, you're expected as the GM to do some work deciding which ones are valid in your world would be helpful.

That's all already included. Explanations of how they are intended to be used, why folks would learn (and prefer to stick with) a style, suggestions for how inclusive they should be, what happens when you use a weapon not in your style and we even added specific situational bonuses or techniques to each Combat Styles to make them more unique.

Throughout RQ6 we make it very clear that unless the GM is using a pre-prepared setting, it is his responsibility to set up the weapon styles, cults, spell lists etc (just as a GM would set up the cultures, deities, cities, NPCs and scenarios if creating his own campaign world), but we give as much support as possible to help minimise the effort and show that they can use the rules to do, pretty much, anything they like.

[Thalaba]

...we even added specific situational bonuses or techniques to each Combat Styles to make them more unique.

For The Win!

[filbanto]

Also, I always loved hit locations and partial armor of RQ, but I'd also love to see some method for dealing with partial limb armor like hauberks that cover upper arms and thighs or greaves that cover only knee to foot.

I've added the Viking Arms and Armor document I wrote up for BRP to the downloads section. You might find it useful. Nothing fancy - just reduced the number of AP on the arms for a short sleeved byrnie.

All the best - Mike

[deleriad]

Also, I always loved hit locations and partial armor of RQ, but I'd also love to see some method for dealing with partial limb armor like hauberks that cover upper arms and thighs or greaves that cover only knee to foot.

Fulk

The way I would do it in RQII/Legend is to let partial armour be 'bypassed' through a Choose Location. E.g. You're wearing greaves that cover up to your knees. If I get a CM I can choose location to hit you in the thigh. On the plus side, I would reduce the ENC and maybe the Strike Rank penalty. If you don't choose location and happen to hit the location anyway, then armour protects normally.

[filbanto]

The way I would do it in RQII/Legend is to let partial armour be 'bypassed' through a Choose Location. E.g. You're wearing greaves that cover up to your knees. If I get a CM I can choose location to hit you in the thigh. On the plus side, I would reduce the ENC and maybe the Strike Rank penalty. If you don't choose location and happen to hit the location anyway, then armour protects normally.

Your example presupposes you hit the guy in the leg to begin with right? My recollection was you needed 2 CMs to avoid armor. Allowing it on 1 CM might be a bit overpowering.

I like it alot. Very elegant.

[deleriad]

Your example presupposes you hit the guy in the leg to begin with right? My recollection was you needed 2 CMs to avoid armor. Allowing it on 1 CM might be a bit overpowering.

I like it alot. Very elegant.

Thanks.

You're mostly right.

In RQII/Legend, bypass armour is a critical only CM. Choose location is a normal CM. So to choose location and bypass armour would need 2 CMs and would require a critical.

The balancing point then is that if you have partial armour on a location and an opponent gets a CM allowing them to choose location then the partial armour can be bypassed for free. If you don't choose location (say you pick impale) and roll the location randomly then the armour protects normally. In return you probably want to give the armour less ENC or Armour Penalty (probably both).