Defending against two or more attacker question

[Enlil]

So as not to derail the two-fisted combat question, I put this in a different thread.

Say two thugs scripted strikes with their clubs at the lone-wolf swordsman, who scipted a block. What happens?

I personally like the idea that you choose one attacker, once that strike is completely suppressed, extra successes go against the other. But obviously you could also only allow a block vrs one strike, or you could require block dice or successes to be divided between strikes.

And should avoid work the same way? Since it is more of a whole body defense, I am thinking maybe increase the avoid obstacle by one per attacker, then apply any successes against all attackers.

Christian

[Kublai]

Hmm, is there a difference between one guy attacking with two weapons and two guys attacking with one weapon each? If not, then extra successes from the Block should leak into the other strike, just as it does with Two-Weapon training.

[Yagathai]

Well, yeah. It's the difference between me poking you with two swords and me poking you with one sword while my pal Jethro puts a baseball bat upside the back of your head.

[donbaloo]

I think the idea of raising the obstacle per attacker then allowing successes to go against any attacker sounds pretty good. It accounts for the inherent difficulties of splitting your attention but still leaves room for the skilled defender to minimalize the offense of his perhaps less skilled (but outnumbering) opponents.

[Yagathai]

It works for Shadowrun.

[Enlil]

Huh, never played shadowrun - I was just trying to make block and avoid seem distinct from each other (actually, I was thinking of the full dodge or whatever it was called from riddle of steel . . . )

As for the bat to the back of the head, we could work it so that the positioning test determines how well you face mulitple attackers. Win and you are fine. Lose and you can only block one . . .

Christian

[Kublai]

I think Block and Avoid are quite different as is. Block works against a single attacker. Avoid works against every one. The reason why you would ever choose to use Block over Avoid is plain - you use your skill to Block and your Speed to Avoid.

[luke]

What Pete said. And: Avoid uses Speed and works against every maneuver. But it causes a +1 Ob to any other maneuver you have scripted with it in the exchange. Block uses Weapon Skill and only works against Strike or something.

You use them according to which die pool your character favors.

[luke]

Hmm, is there a difference between one guy attacking with two weapons and two guys attacking with one weapon each? If not, then extra successes from the Block should leak into the other strike, just as it does with Two-Weapon training.

This not correct, btw.

[Kublai]

What you qouted was not a statement, but a question followed by a hypothetical answer. Of course, it's not correct since we determined there is a difference.

[Enlil]

OK, I may be confused again -
To be painfully explicit -
Avoid works against all opponents, and vrs almost everything.
Block works against only a couple of attacks. Does it work against only one opponent, as well?

Christian

[Thor Olavsrud]

Yes. You only get to block one opponent.