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Dungeon World / Re: Dodging
« on: July 10, 2013, 07:52:23 PM »
It seems like the result of this will be that Players are constantly dodging, diving, twisting around, and so on. Which is fine. But there is not always a cliff to a player's back to provide a threat to rolling poorly.
Imagine:
Player and Monster in an open field.
Monster swings at player.
Player says:
1. I use my shield to block it.
2. I duck.
3. I run backwards.
4. I dodge.
5. I meet his paw halfway with my axe.
What should be done in each of these situations? Here are my thoughts.
1. Shield is part of AC. Can you also do some kind of Strength "Defy Danger" with it? I thought players were always using their shield. That's what the -1 damage is.
2. Dex Defy Danger, I suppose?
3. Dex Defy Danger, I suppose?
4. Dex Defy Danger, I suppose?
5. Hack & Slash, I suppose?
Some observations:
A. All evasive manuevers are Dex Defy Danger.
B. The problem is how to resolve 7, 8, 9. For dodge, what is a 7? Do they get hit, or not? Or partially? If the player rolled a 7, they'd get to hit but then get hit back. (Sidenote: do people roll this damage as simultaneous, as a rule?) So if the player dodges for 7, is it... that they half dodge but then get to attack for free if they want? No, because they're not attacking, they're dodging. I guess on a 7 for Hack/Slash, the idea is that monsters are just always attacking back by default, so if you roll 7 they're attacking. But players have no defaults, they describe.
C. The problem is also what to do on a 10. Do they perfectly dodge? Great. Now what?
D. Shields and dodging are treated differently. Shields are part of armor. But dodging is an action. This asymmetry has potential to create problems.
Bottom Line: At my session, my players never got hurt almost. THey were always twisting, dodging, etc. And I respect their descriptions and let them roll. I say: X swings. They say: I duck. And there must be some meaningful way of adjudicating this.
I appreciate that DW is more free-flowing and centered on the story. But there are also rules. And the rules must meet the story, sometimes in a similar way over and over. This is one situation that keeps arising in which the rules don't help drive the story.
I'm open to changing my mindset, but the example below did not help me (often there are not cliffs around).
Imagine:
Player and Monster in an open field.
Monster swings at player.
Player says:
1. I use my shield to block it.
2. I duck.
3. I run backwards.
4. I dodge.
5. I meet his paw halfway with my axe.
What should be done in each of these situations? Here are my thoughts.
1. Shield is part of AC. Can you also do some kind of Strength "Defy Danger" with it? I thought players were always using their shield. That's what the -1 damage is.
2. Dex Defy Danger, I suppose?
3. Dex Defy Danger, I suppose?
4. Dex Defy Danger, I suppose?
5. Hack & Slash, I suppose?
Some observations:
A. All evasive manuevers are Dex Defy Danger.
B. The problem is how to resolve 7, 8, 9. For dodge, what is a 7? Do they get hit, or not? Or partially? If the player rolled a 7, they'd get to hit but then get hit back. (Sidenote: do people roll this damage as simultaneous, as a rule?) So if the player dodges for 7, is it... that they half dodge but then get to attack for free if they want? No, because they're not attacking, they're dodging. I guess on a 7 for Hack/Slash, the idea is that monsters are just always attacking back by default, so if you roll 7 they're attacking. But players have no defaults, they describe.
C. The problem is also what to do on a 10. Do they perfectly dodge? Great. Now what?
D. Shields and dodging are treated differently. Shields are part of armor. But dodging is an action. This asymmetry has potential to create problems.
Bottom Line: At my session, my players never got hurt almost. THey were always twisting, dodging, etc. And I respect their descriptions and let them roll. I say: X swings. They say: I duck. And there must be some meaningful way of adjudicating this.
I appreciate that DW is more free-flowing and centered on the story. But there are also rules. And the rules must meet the story, sometimes in a similar way over and over. This is one situation that keeps arising in which the rules don't help drive the story.
I'm open to changing my mindset, but the example below did not help me (often there are not cliffs around).