Two weapons, multiple attack

[Dalmuti]

Hello All,

With the release of the new BRP my group is discussing some of their old house rules on splitting attacks and fighting with two weapons. I'm the newest member of the group, they have been playing together since RQ2 & Elric!, and I joined a few years ago. I've also played most of the Chaosioum stuff with other groups as far back as the early 80's (I still have the original world map from my first edition CoC), just not with them.

Anyway, the rules in question have to deal with how to handle fighting with two weapons, splitting attacks, splitting attacks with two weapons, and how to deal with parries in these instances. Without listing the house rule ideas being thrown around in our group yet I'm looking for what solutions others have come up with and how they are playing out. This can include that you don't change the rules, but your interpretation of how they work. Please, if you could, note where you are diverging from the BRP Rules and why. Oh, don't forget to mention if you are using single attacks per round or Strike Ranks.

I know this is a lot to ask and I appreciate your time and views.

Dalmuti

[RMS]

Since you don't have any responses yet, I thought I'd at least let you know that you got me interested enough to look up how these would work under the actual rules in BRP. I've run far, far more RQ than anything else and technically in RQ it's going to be extremely difficult to get two attacks per round in with two different weapons. It's hard enough to get two attacks in with a single weapon since SR has be below 5 for there to be enough SR's to get two attacks. However, I've always allowed a "catch up" attack at SR10 if someone otherwise qualified for two attacks per round. Also, I've tended to allow the second attack for someone splitting attacks to occur at the SR of the original attack plus the Dex SR for that person, rather than adding the weapon SR in again.

Even with that, getting two attacks in with one weapon and even one attack (let alone two) in with a second weapon is going to be nearly impossible. In fact, I can't remember a player ever trying to do this. They've always used the off weapon primarily to parry and only as a backup attack weapon and the skills usually reflect this to the point that I don't think we've ever had anyone with a high attack off-hand weapon.

It looks like in base BRP (plus Elric!, SB5, etc.) that it'd be pretty easy to do for anyone with a 16+ DEX. Just attack at DEX 16, 11, 6, and 1 with various weapons. A lower DEX wouldn't have enough speed to get four attacks in, but could still manage two. I actually like the DEX version, but using weapon length + character SIZ to determine who swings first at each engagement, so slow characters with reach still go first, but fast characters have the potential ability to slip an extra attack in.

[Shiba Homer]

I action each arm

2 attacks, large off hand modifier (-40 or whatever)

2 parries large off hand modifier

1 attack and 1 parry no off hand modifier

1 attack and 1 parry large modifier (for both hands).

Simple.

Have 2 SRs one for each arm and a large off hand modifier.

Until they get over 100%...

Edited August 20, 2008 by Shiba Homer

[Chaot]

I should be able to rattle off the Riposte rules. As is, I'll have to look them up.

[jean]

Fighting with two weapons is explained in the BRP rulebook.

In summary

a human can do 2 "things" in a round

he can attack with a wepon and parry with the other

he can attack once with each weapon

he can parry once with each weapon

he can replace one of those action by a dodge (or another action such as jumping,

tumbling, throwing something to a friend ....)

Splitting attack (ie attacking 2 foes with the same weapon) is a more complex sequence of moves (and thus a difficult action) but is still only one attack.

So with enough DEX and a high enough skill, a character can split his two attacks,by doing this he can attack up to 4 foes (remember split attacks aims 2 distinct foes), but

in the round when he does this he cannot parry nor dodge.

Splitting parries (or dodges) allows to parry attacks from 2 distinct sources, but is still only

one parry. Like splitting attack, it is a difficult action.

There is the option of substracting 30% from each parry after the first. I think that it applies only to all the attacks from a single source, and that to parry two foes one needs

to split his parries.

If you are using the SR options, there must be 3 SR between each attack, if not there must be 5 DEX ranks between each attack.

You cannot attack and parry with the same weapon in the same SR (or DEX rank), but you can dodge and attack in the same SR.

I hope this helps

Jean

[

[vagabond]

I should be able to rattle off the Riposte rules. As is, I'll have to look them up.

In SB1-4, the Riposte rules worked as so:

Every successful Parry by a "Master" (i.e., 90% or better in both Attack and

Parry with the parrying weapon) can be turned into an extra attack whenever

the parry occurs. There is no limit, for each parry made, a subsequent

riposte may be attempted. However, each successive parry is at -20% per

attempt, and each successive riposte/attack is -20%. Again, there is no

limit to the number of parries and ripostes performed each round. And, if

the combatant parries and ripostes before his regular attack that round,

when his regular attack occurs, it is also performed at the appropriate

multiple of -20% (i.e., if the combatant as already parried and riposted

twice in the round before his normal attack, the normal attack occurs at

-40%, and then any subsequent ripostes in the round would start at -60%

and continue form there).

In Elric!/SB5, it was defined thusly:

While wielding two weapons, the second/offhand weapon starts at 1/2 the

skill level of the same weapon when used in the primary hand. Add this

entry on he sheet separately (i.e. have a RH Sword and LH Sword skill).

When using two weapons, once per round per combatant, a critical parry

allows the character to make a riposte with the weapon that didn't parry.

This is a free attack that occurs during the DEX rank of the parry.

-V

[p_clapham]

Speaking of mulptiple attacks I'm still a little sad the Action rules from Nephilium were not used. :ohwell:

[Dalmuti]

Thanks all for your responses. I've been and still am, too busy working late nights to respond properly right now, I'm an animator and the show I'm working on is fast approaching deadline, but wanted to show my appreciation. Probably be able to post again in a week or so.

Thanks,

Dalmuti

[Tywyll]

Thanks all for your responses. I've been and still am, too busy working late nights to respond properly right now, I'm an animator and the show I'm working on is fast approaching deadline, but wanted to show my appreciation. Probably be able to post again in a week or so.

Thanks,

Dalmuti

Would love to hear your ideas when you get a chance.

[Tywyll]

Fighting with two weapons is explained in the BRP rulebook.

In summary

a human can do 2 "things" in a round

he can attack with a wepon and parry with the other

he can attack once with each weapon

he can parry once with each weapon

he can replace one of those action by a dodge (or another action such as jumping,

tumbling, throwing something to a friend ....)

Splitting attack (ie attacking 2 foes with the same weapon) is a more complex sequence of moves (and thus a difficult action) but is still only one attack.

So with enough DEX and a high enough skill, a character can split his two attacks,by doing this he can attack up to 4 foes (remember split attacks aims 2 distinct foes), but

in the round when he does this he cannot parry nor dodge.

Splitting parries (or dodges) allows to parry attacks from 2 distinct sources, but is still only

one parry. Like splitting attack, it is a difficult action.

There is the option of substracting 30% from each parry after the first. I think that it applies only to all the attacks from a single source, and that to parry two foes one needs

to split his parries.

If you are using the SR options, there must be 3 SR between each attack, if not there must be 5 DEX ranks between each attack.

You cannot attack and parry with the same weapon in the same SR (or DEX rank), but you can dodge and attack in the same SR.

I hope this helps

Jean

[

Does this mean there is no 'handedness' penalty?

[jean]

Does this mean there is no 'handedness' penalty?

If you want 'handedness' penalty, it is in a lower starting skill for the off-hand weapon.

But in BRP terms, fighting with a hoplite shield on the left arm and a gladius in the right hand, is the same kind of action as figthing with a broasword in each hand, or fighting with a rapier in the right hand and trying to grab with the left one.

You have two options.

Jean

[christopherhouse]

I have upload a rough ideal on skill techniques - they are basicly kata's or sub skills that a character can choose the higher thier skill, these allow such thing like Combinations and Cleave, Techniques one gains as you increase in skill and muscle responce,.

I have found most rpgs are one way or the other to increadible or too simple to come even close to any thing real to how experience hand to hand fighters really work.

THere are knife fighters out thier that take out five mean before one can turn and fire a shot, but like all such demostrations the conditions have to be right!

so I figured why not include techniques, speacial attack movements you can choose when you skill get high enough.

check them out I am no BRP Guru and can use all the help I can get on this concept:thumb:

[Tywyll]

Fighting with two weapons is explained in the BRP rulebook.

In summary

a human can do 2 "things" in a round

he can attack with a wepon and parry with the other

he can attack once with each weapon

he can parry once with each weapon

he can replace one of those action by a dodge (or another action such as jumping,

tumbling, throwing something to a friend ....)

Splitting attack (ie attacking 2 foes with the same weapon) is a more complex sequence of moves (and thus a difficult action) but is still only one attack.

So with enough DEX and a high enough skill, a character can split his two attacks,by doing this he can attack up to 4 foes (remember split attacks aims 2 distinct foes), but

in the round when he does this he cannot parry nor dodge.

Splitting parries (or dodges) allows to parry attacks from 2 distinct sources, but is still only

one parry. Like splitting attack, it is a difficult action.

There is the option of substracting 30% from each parry after the first. I think that it applies only to all the attacks from a single source, and that to parry two foes one needs

to split his parries.

If you are using the SR options, there must be 3 SR between each attack, if not there must be 5 DEX ranks between each attack.

You cannot attack and parry with the same weapon in the same SR (or DEX rank), but you can dodge and attack in the same SR.

I hope this helps

Jean

[

Actually, could you give me a page reference on this? I read the Two Weapon Fighting section in my BRP book last night and it was quite different from the above. For example, trying to attack with two weapons resulted in only 1 attack with each, at difficult, and only if the primary was 100%.

am I reading it wrong or missing something?

[jean]

Actually, I confused the RQIII rules and the BRP rules. My bad.

You did not misread anything ...

Jean