New traits: Step Out and Defensive Cower

[eruditus]

What is it about hesitation option traits that I love so much :D

Step Out
3 pt Call-on Trait
As a reaction to hesitation you can declare a Step Out, moving 2 paces away from that which most treatens you (usually what warranted the Steel test that caused the hesitation). This is a Jog move.

Defensive Cower
5 pt Call-on Trait
If you script a Cower action while hesitating you gain the benefits of a block at half your die pool plus any shield bonus with shield in hand.

[quixoteles]

5t seems awfully expensive for curling up in to a little ball, is that what you are describing? I mean curling up in to a little ball means you cannot run, you can not cry out, you cannot dash or jog. You can only hide your paled face under your snow white knuckles and shiver. No one will come to your rescue, you cannot make any assesments or anything.

You just, well... cower.

Seems not very combat proactive, the step out action is more likely to save your life than going into the fetal and pissing yourself.

Therefore seems like a 2t to me.

[Thor Olavsrud]

Seems not very combat proactive, the step out action is more likely to save your life than going into the fetal and pissing yourself.

Therefore seems like a 2t to me.

Except it allows you to defend yourself while Hesitating. In BW that is an extremely powerful ability.

[quixoteles]

Except it allows you to defend yourself while Hesitating. In BW that is an extremely powerful ability.

But more powerful than being able to fly, read auras, and call upon the power of god?

The fetal position is a base human reflex IMHO. I just thought, game mechanics be damed, it is really easy lesson to learn on your first encounter with anything scary, ya know: scary=hide right away=fetal. That's where I am coming from

[luke]

Whoa there little doggies, let's take the Cower trait into the Trait Burner. ::flips to pages 71-72 of the Monster Burner::
::reads about call-on traits and die traits::

Ok, first off, according to the definitions there, Cower is a die trait. It grants a die roll, hence die trait.

::reads page 72, Building Die Traits::
Hm, tough call on this one. It doesn't meet the criteria for Futzy traits or Penalty reducing traits. So that leaves Additional Ability as the only relevant choice. That's 3 pts base. The only modifier it's available for, I think, is Cool Beans. Don noted that you Block at half your skill. That's cool and not munchkinny. So that's -1 pt to the base cost.

So according to the trait burner, Cower is a 2 pt die trait that allows you to script a 1/2 skill Block when hesitating.

Cool.
-L

[Manicrack]

Abzu, it's fun for you to make everyone jealous not to have the monster burner, isn't it?
Whatever I hear about it, it keeps getting better and better.
mine should arrive within this week.
but "should" is a big word

-Crack

[Thor Olavsrud]

::reads page 72, Building Die Traits::
Hm, tough call on this one. It doesn't meet the criteria for Futzy traits or Penalty reducing traits. So that leaves Additional Ability as the only relevant choice. That's 3 pts base. The only modifier it's available for, I think, is Cool Beans. Don noted that you Block at half your skill. That's cool and not munchkinny. So that's -1 pt to the base cost.

So according to the trait burner, Cower is a 2 pt die trait that allows you to script a 1/2 skill Block when hesitating.

Cool.
-L

Bah! Clearly it's a Rule-breaking Trait that allows you to defend yourself when Hesitating (i.e., circumvent a game mechanic), base 5 pts. Even if you give it the Cool Beans modifier, it comes out to a 4 pt die trait. :twisted:

[Kaare Berg]

Got to go with Thor here.

Performing a defensive action while hesitating is rule breaking. Even the most defensive action - Run Screaming - leaves a character wide open for a quick blow to the back.

Penalty reducing trait. Monbu pg 72 :Reducing Hesitation

Thus 5 point base for rule breaking, +2 for penalty reduction and -1 for cool beans.
Total 6 points.

So according to the trait burner, Cower is a 2 pt die trait that allows you to script a 1/2 skill Block when hesitating.
And this from he who fumes at me letting a character Stand and Drool without drooling.

Disapointed Luke, disapointed. :wink:

[luke]

perfectly valid interpretation, my dearies. which is why I am so happy with the Monbu. It's not going to end arguments, but at least it provides ground to argue from.

-L

[quixoteles]

Okay I'm shaking my head now ((=_=))

Crumpling on the ground and pissing yourself is half blocking dice. Perhaps I don't know what that means... I get that mechanically that it provides this uber life saving thing that should not happen. but being on the ground prone curled into a little ball?

script this:

Flip over like a clam...

then script:

...gut in a way similar to previous simile.

It is similar to me like scripting (v1: chase down...), then (v2:cut down like a dog!) which is the reaction any self respecting cold/black-blooded loathsome twisted creature would venture to perform.

Now that being said perhaps you arent taking into account that the average commoner has a b2 brawl (with hard living) and half blocking dice at b2 with no shield training and no shield doesn't mean a damn. As far as I can experince, I am not much of a rules person, so I don't know.

[Trayer]

I don't think eru meant cowering as in falling on the ground. Cowering is more like shying away from something that scares you and staying that way. It already pretty much lends itself to blocking (with your appendages of course) and if you have a shield on said appendage it works even better than arm meat. Hence the half dice for the shield block.

[luke]

Hey Quix,

who said anything about the fetal position?

Yeah, what Trayer said. It's a cringing action -- raising the hands in front of the half-heartedly, or perhaps flailing wildly and ineptly. No falling on the ground. That's another action -- Fall Prone!

-L

[quixoteles]

Oh..okay :heavy nod: ((=_=))

Still doesn't seem to be that sound although I am baised. I live in a world where all combative actions are measure by the common demoniator of:

Can you avoid bullets or at least dicourage them?

Flinching usually leads to [blam!] yer dead.

Now in a close combat situation with like all sorts of swords and fist strikes and what not that might work... do you get to retreat in this action? is it a speed based thing like you are back pedaling? or is it a random flailing thing like lashing out? what the ob on that reflexive instinct? I can see this working characters throwing thier hands against sudden surprises and deadly knife wounds being downsized to wings upon the arms. Jeez, I am such an ignorant bastard. A flinch is better than nothing I guess.