Stacking - Rule of Three

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Lursi
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Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by Lursi » Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:51 pm

Is the rule of three still valid?

Lets say I want to do semi-serious powergaming and annoy my warrior in the group with an unarmored arrogant Swordmaster that he simply can't hit.

I want to boost my Dex based talents with a group thread tied to dexterity and one to avoid blow.
Additionally I have an artifact providing a +3 step bonus on avoid blow and my friendly caster helps me out with a spell providing another +3 on avoid blow.

What else could I stack on this talent to bring the total step of avoid blow to a ridiculous value?

A blood cobra ?(ED1 adds bonus to Dex value)
A second artifact with a bonus to avoid blow?
Anything else?
Of all things I lost, sanity I held dearest.

ChrisDDickey
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Re: Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by ChrisDDickey » Wed Aug 01, 2018 11:37 am

The rule of three is not an official part of ED4. A GM could house-rule it in easy enough. It was meant to simplify stuff and avoid a bunch of counting up of every last possible bonus that could be applied. I think the feeling is that it generated confusion and ill-will, and that most players LIKE scrounging around for every last possible bonus. but it would be easy enough for a GM to house-rule back into the game, so long as they were clear how it was going to be applied.

You can't tie a group thread directly to Dexterity or any other attribute. Only to the abilities listed on page 230 of the players guide. You could tie a group thread to Avoid Blow. And since the rule of three's is not in effect, you could give the guy an annoying number of TI that all provide bonuses to Avoid Blow. And he could have raised his dex three times, giving him another step.

But perhaps your best bet for to have a "hit proof" opponent, forget about Avoid Blow and make the friendly Spellcaster an Illusionist concentrating upon a false sighted Displace Image, and possibly Great Weapon. Between the Great Weapon harrying him, and the sword-masters taunting, the warrior might never hit the sensing difficulty of Displace Image and think the swordmaster just has amazingly high PD.

ChrisDDickey
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Re: Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by ChrisDDickey » Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:25 pm

Oh, and no swordmaster who ever aspired to be more than annoying would max out Avoid Blow with Group Threads, etc. They would do Riposte instead.

Lursi
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Re: Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by Lursi » Wed Aug 01, 2018 5:36 pm

Thanks!

Riposte just has this disadvantage that it does not work against an angry Hydra biting and is quite exhausting.

Nice to annoy the warrior, but survival is key.
Of all things I lost, sanity I held dearest.

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etherial
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Re: Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by etherial » Wed Aug 01, 2018 6:37 pm

Lursi wrote:
Wed Aug 01, 2018 5:36 pm
Thanks!

Riposte just has this disadvantage that it does not work against an angry Hydra biting and is quite exhausting.

Nice to annoy the warrior, but survival is key.
Claw Riposte.

Bonhumm
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Re: Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by Bonhumm » Thu Aug 02, 2018 11:59 am

Lursi wrote:
Wed Aug 01, 2018 5:36 pm
Riposte just has this disadvantage that it does not work against an angry Hydra biting and is quite exhausting.
This is exactly why I only Group Thread the talent Sprint.

Lursi
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Re: Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by Lursi » Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:32 pm

ChrisDDickey wrote:
Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:25 pm
Oh, and no swordmaster who ever aspired to be more than annoying would max out Avoid Blow with Group Threads, etc. They would do Riposte instead.
Here my next question:
Can I riposte against FAILED attacks?

Say I have a PD of 12 and my opponent misses, so in a fight I imagine him cutting a whole into the air leaving his flank open for a nice counter.

Is this the right way of doing it?
Of all things I lost, sanity I held dearest.

ChrisDDickey
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Re: Stacking - Rule of Three

Post by ChrisDDickey » Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:03 am

Lursi wrote:
Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:32 pm
Can I riposte against FAILED attacks?
I don't know. It does not say you CAN'T, and I know of GMs who do allow it.

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