FASA Games, Inc.

Hello,
Not that I want to hack up the game rules but it bugs me that the system splits fighting skill and defense.
For me I would like to see Melee Wpn skill/talent also used for physical defence, the same as parry and probably some other skills should be known by any one with Melee skill.
But I don't want to slow the system down like Parry with a dice roll for defence, I would prefer a static amount like Physical Defence that the attacker has to beat but incorporates weapon skill.
Unfortunatly I don't know the the step system well enough to go fiddling and risk breaking it.
I would also need to add in a Shield skill if this could work.
I can see size being important for initiative and also the above conversion but it would have to be spit between an attack size and a defence size, as size alone does not cover Maneuverability.
In the end if its not possible with a simple conversion I am happy just to play as is.

Any help from people who have played around with this.

Allan

Technically the Combat Option Giving Ground allows you to use your Rank in Melee Weapons or Unarmed Combat to assist in Physical Defense by taking a Strain and "retreating" in order to draw in an enemy combatant towards you.

The Earthdawn Game System generally splits offense and defense though such that those talents/skills are not interlinked.

I don't think this is a good idea as skills/talents in ED are really specific - if you expand one talent or skill to do more then you are upsetting the balance and may very well break the game. I don't know if you ever attended at martial arts class but they teach you blocks and attacks separately - I imagine that is the way in ED too - melee weapons is just the knowledge how to bypass enemy defenses using your weapon, parry is all about using the weapon to stop incoming attacks.

If you want to pursue your way - then you need a different talent/skill all round - somehthing like "melee fighting" talent that combines melee weapons, dodge and parry. Then again to keep the balance you would need to mix a lot more talents into more general versions.

Generally I agree with Avantio.

Another thing to remember is that talents are MAGIC. If it doesn't fit your worldview the magic can't help you. No way the Sky Raider can use his melee weapon magic to avoid the blows of puny fighters! He must smash them!

If it really bugs you I think that it would only be a minor conversion for you to allow offense and defense to key off of the same SKILL. Skills rarely ever rank too highly, so it shouldn't be too game breaking. Though that does make the skills particularly potent at low circles. Talents, however, should probably always be kept separate imo. Melee weapons and parry both allow for very impressive actions and can't reasonably be combined into one.

Giving ground and defensive stances seem like they may be the best compromise for you.

You can allways come up with more combat options based off what is given in the books.

Perhaps you could lower the starting physical defenses, and then give a bonus to PD every 3 or 5 ranks? It is a pretty fundamental thing to monkey with.

For my part, the system is just fine, no changes to make, and that's how I, personally, would leave it. Perhaps reading the entirety of the combat chapter through, again, carefully, perhaps taking notes, would help you suss out why things are the way they are. I know I've had to do that with thread items, at least; I understand why it is as it is, now, though.

I have a 'defensive fighting' option that allows a character to subtract X from their attack step (max rank) and add it directly to their defense. Works well for us.

Hmmm, that's something I may have to think about doing... not a bad idea.

Deflect Blow is a talent knack that does exactly like the defensive option described above. Players Companion page 124. For 1 strain you can take a penalty to your melee weapons up to your rank and add the same amount directly to defense. It is a rank 8 knack rank 6 if it is a discipline knack. A bit high, but you can easily adjust that if you want it to be more common.