Sweep Attacks and Gianst

[silent_bob]

Guys,

 

How do you handle sweep attacks from giants?

 

Here is my understanding of how they work by the book:

 

Sweep Attack (p233): Easy Attack, but damage is halved. Cannot be Dodged; Jump roll avoids. STR vs Damage (before halving) resistance roll required in order to make Parry roll. Non-edged sweep attacks may cause Knockback.

 

I don't like the sweep attack being easy, it should have a normal chance to hit.  I also think it should be dodgeable like any attack.

[tooley1chris]

A large sweep attack, the way I run it, is dodgeable but can only be Parried by a shield. And even then, the shield takes damage and a STR: STR resistance from attacker causes knockback. If the weapon is larger than the area (ie a dragons tail) I make it an easy attack, otherwise it's a normal attack against all opponents in range.

Saurons Massive Mace(from cinema) causes normal attack roll to any within 10 '. Smaugs tail sweep...toast.

[soltakss]

I don't make it an easy attack, just a normal attack.

 

The giant's sweep knocks PCs down like skittles/ninepins, until someone stands up and holds it off. I'd say that a parry does not stop the attack, but merely deflects it away from the parrying PC.

 

Area attacks affect everyone in the area, parrying doesn't really have an effect, so dodging/evading is the only real defence. I cannot see someone holding up the Mother of Monsters' foot with a shield while everyone else runs away.

[Moonowl67]

If a player wanted to stop the sweep from affecting his comrades, I'd allow him a parry (with a shield) or he can throw himself in front of the attack . . ouch) and success would lead to pitting his STR + SIZ vs the STR +SIZ of the giant.  Most wouldn't even try it, except the truly heroic.  

 

Otherwise, I'd not make it an easy attack, but roll vs each defender and defenders can dodge or parry.  I'd consider halving the damage, as suggested, to avoid TPK.  I save moments where the PC might actually die for those extra-special plot-driven encounters (or if somebody is being really stubborn or dumb). - although, I did recently kill off an NPC ally with a "random encounter" - his head was eaten by a gug. Now the players have to figure out how to identify enchanted items on their own (awww ...lol).