Still up for a brawl?
I am, but Iām still a bit randomly scheduled for the next day and a half. Letās go ahead and get things set up, at least, but until tomorrow afternoon (CST) Iāll probably be a few hours between opportunities to read and reply.
All cool.
Keep in mind that Iām on Australian time. Would you prefer armoured or unarmoured?
Ah, no problem. We can actually go ahead and start, but Iāll likely be slow to respond for a bit.
I think Iād like unarmored, please.
Letās try a matched fight; unarmoured quarterstaff vs unarmoured quarterstaff.
Basic Speed is identical, so weāll need a one-off roll from each of us to see who goes first.
@discbot roll 3d6 for initiative
BTW, this rule might be important in a quarterstaff fight:
[quote]Sweep
Default: prerequisite skill-3.
Prerequisite: Appropriate Melee Weapon or unarmed combat skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.
This technique lets you knock down an opponent in a single attack rather than by grappling him and executing a takedown or throw. It isnāt aimed at his center of mass with the goal of pushing him away, like a Push Kick or shove. Itās an attempt to āclotheslineā his neck or head, knock his legs out from under him, or otherwise unbalance him.
Roll against Sweep to hit. Hit location is a special effect ā donāt apply a penalty for it. Your target may defend normally. If he fails, roll a Quick Contest: your Sweep or ST vs. his ST, DX, Acrobatics, or best grappling skill. Use the highest value in both cases. If he loses, he falls down.
Many combat skills can Sweep. You can try an armed version with any two-handed weapon with reach 2+. This defaults to Polearm, Spear, Staff, Two-Handed Axe/Mace, Two-Handed Flail, or Two-Handed Sword, and has the weaponās usual reach. You can also Sweep with Judo, Karate, or Sumo Wrestling. When you attack, specify a stiff arm to the upper body (reach C, requires a free hand), a sweeping kick (reach C, 1, uses a leg), or a pull in a clinch (reach C, only when grappling). Those with Strikers, especially tails, can learn Sweep (Brawling) and attack at their usual reach.
Regardless of the weapon used, Sweep is a slow, pushing attack that doesnāt inflict damage.[/quote]
@Wanderfound the 3d6 dice reads: 11 for initiative (4,3,4)
Also potentially relevant:
[quote]Defensive Grip
A fighter with at least two hands and a one- or two- handed melee weapon can use a āstrongā two-handed grip that sacrifices side-to-side movement for frontal defense. To assume or relinquish a Defensive Grip requires a Ready maneuver (see Ready, p. 101-104).
A warrior using a Defensive Grip has his weapon firmly in front of him in two hands. He holds a two-handed weapon, like a staff, across his body. For any weapon, this grip gives +1 to parry attacks from the front but an extra -1 to parry attacks from the side (for a net -3; see Defending Against Attacks from the Side, p. B390).
If using a one-handed weapon, Defensive Grip involves placing a second hand on the weapon. This hand must be empty. The extra hand makes it awkward to use normal one-handed strikes but adds power: -2 to attack rolls, +1 to damage. Treat the weapon as two-handed for all purposes. When using this grip with a fencing weapon (a weapon with āFā in its Parry statistic), it becomes possible to parry flails at the usual penalties.
If using a two-handed weapon, Defensive Grip involves moving one hand forward to āchokeā the weapon or grip it by the ricasso. This effectively reinforces the weapon, giving -1 to odds of breakage. It also greatly narrows the possible arc of a swing, giving -2 to hit with a Wild Swing (for a net -7; see Wild Swings, p. B388) and less power with swinging attacks: -2 damage or -1 damage per die, whichever is worse.
Treat a weapon that can be used one- or two-handed ā such as a bastard sword or a spear ā as two-handed for this purpose.
A warrior with a sword of any kind can instead opt to place a hand just behind the tip, as part of his Ready to a Defensive Grip or using a later Ready. The rules above apply for everything except reach and damage: regardless of the sword, reach drops to C (āclose combat onlyā) and damage becomes thrust impaling ā or thrust crushing, if blunt. Swung attacks are impossible. This allows superior point control, removing -2 from the penalty to target chinks in armor, cumulative with any similar benefit the weapon grants.
A fighter using a Defensive Grip can select any maneuver ā even All-Out Attack (but not the Long option) or Committed Attack. Deceptive Attack (p. B369), Rapid Strike (p. B370), Telegraphic Attack (p. 113), and Tip Slash (p. 113) likewise remain viable.[/quote]
TLDR version: Defensive Grip on a quarterstaff gives +1 to parry enemies to the front but penalises Swing damage.
Sounds good. (Had those rules in mind, but thank you for providing references! My books arenāt too far away, but it does save me checking against my sometimes overburdened memory.)
@discbot roll 3d6 for initiative
Note: Iām staring in defensive grip.
@awfulhorrid the 3d6 dice reads: 8 for initiative (4,3,1)
I just realised I should have defined whether high or low roll moves firstā¦
If youāve no objection, Iāll take it as high roll moves first; it doesnāt make much difference anyway.
Iām starting in standard grip, with a Move.
Oh, I assumed high first! (Also, missed the notification on your post, sorry for the delay.)
Iām taking a move (1 step forward)
If youāre only moving one step, itāll cost you nothing to Evaluate or All-Out Defend; may as well do one or the other.
True. All out defend it is, then.
Step back and Evaluate.
Step forward and evaluate.
Step forwards and Feint.
OK, thatās a quick contest for both of us:
@discbot roll 3d6 for Quick Contest with Quarterstaff skill of 16
Hey, while Iām at it ā¦ @discbot help ā¦ curious as to what options are available.
@awfulhorrid the 3d6 dice reads: 13 for Quick Contest with Quarterstaff skill of 16 (4,4,5)
Hold off; thereās an officially-recommended-for-GM-free-games optional rule in play: donāt resolve feints until the turn in which they take effect (i.e. the turn after theyāre declared).
Itās to prevent fighters from responding to a good feint by all-out defending (if there were a neutral GM, you wouldnāt publicly declare a feint at all; just notify the GM and have them declare that you missed).
Given the roll you just got, a do-over is to your advantage anyway. 
Yeah, I thought about that after I posted and went downstairs for dinner. (How to keep myself honest! Iām usually in the GMās seat, so I can detach myself fairly well, but letās go with this method.) Speaking of optional rules, are we allowing evaluate to partially counter feints?
Attack (standard): @discbot roll 3d6 for Attack with Quarterstaff skill of 16
Step (after attack): 1 hex directly back.
Edit: Attack is swing (Should have declared that with attack roll.)
