Topic: Hello everybody and Some Questions About Attacks

[arunwe2012]

Hello! My first post so allow me to say hi to everybody!

I have rescued my RMFRP manuals from oblivion and now I am starting to play again. Unfortunately, I have many doubts, so I hope you can help me with them!

My first issue is regarding attack percentage. As per the rules, you can make a projectile attack using 30-60% of your total allowed percentage per round. But, can you reduce it to 30% if it is your first action in the combat? I mean, suppose I want to make a deliberate movement with 70% of action but want to attack first in the snap phase. Can I reduce the attack to 30% to use later the 70%?

If this can be done, then I need clarification with thrown weapons and Quick Draw. Rules say you can throw two in a round using this skill, but I notice than you can attack three times: since Quick Draw is 0% percentage, you can draw and throw with 30% in every phase of the combat. Is this correct or am I missing anything?

Thank you all!

[Marc R]

It depends on if the GM counts the quick-draw as an action, even if it only takes 0% of the activity.

[providence13]

Welcome arunwe2012!

1. Making a projectile attack with 30%Act will be -30 OB.
If it's a snap action, then an additional -20.

2. Movement as a normal action is 1-50%Act and Movement as deliberate is 1-80%Act. 70% of Move is only possible in deliberate. RMSS pg 307.

3. Keep in mind you may only have 3 actions/round. Even though a successful Quickdraw may use 0%Act, the GM could rule it's still an action. I'm sorry I don't have a page number to back that up, but someone here will correct me soon if I'm wrong.

In my game, I House Rule that a 0%Act does not count as one of the 3 actions/round. I've used this so long that I forgot the Rules As Written. Sorry.

[yammahoper]

Welcome to the club/forums.


You are not wrong.  Some GM's think quickdraw should count as an action, but I think it should count as an action only if the mnv is failed.  Draw and throw are one single action done fluidly with a successful quickdraw...of course, the roll to hit might miss!

Three throws in a melee could occur this way.  I find its best to assign a -20 penalty for each quickdraw attempt after the first to represent the incresibg dificulty of draw and throw so quickly.  Even so, I have seen a hobbit thief PC be good enough to succeed at three draws and throws most of the time by 7th level, which seems about right to me.

For clarification, snap throw with quickdraw and 40% action attack (QD skill check at +0, attack at -20 assuming declared target, -40 if react and melee), normal phase QD at -20, attack with 30% action (-20 OB penalty with declared target, -30 penaalty with react and melee), deliberate phase QD at -40, attack at -10 OB with declared target, -40 with react and melee).

You may want one attck to suffer an additional -20 for use of off hand to throw with, meaning you force the PC to make one attack with his off hand.

[arunwe2012]

Thanks all for the quick reply! Yammahoper, I am a little confused about your explanation (or maybe I didn't understand it fully...) Can you thrown weapons and use the special actions for melee with them? (react and melee, etc). I was under the impression these could only be used with melee attacks...

[yammahoper]

Full attacks, react and melee, press attacks.  All can be used with thrown and missile fire.

However, I'm of the opinion all multiple attacks should be required to select react and melee, unless all attacks are directed towards the same target.  It just makes more sense to me.  When a PC makes multiple attacks, it voids the idea of deliberate imo.

I know many will argue press is only used to chase a foe and prevent him from disengageing.  While perhaps the intent, the use of press becomes a mechanic that allows quicker movement in melee more often than not.  An archer advnacing while shooting seems little different than advancing while swinging to me, with some exceptions.

And that is the nature of table top gaming; exceptions.  There are always exceptions, thus the game requires a GM.  Experiment, find what you and your group like, and run with it.

[arunwe2012]

Full attacks, react and melee, press attacks.  All can be used with thrown and missile fire.

Sorry to come back to this again, but I have been looking my RMF (Spanish) and another one in English and rules explicity say these options are for melee attacks, not missile and thrown. On English manual it's on page 217. Is there any errata am I missing?

[MariusH]

I also use these only for melee. Missile and thrown are handled differently, with only one option ("normal" attack).

[yammahoper]

Hey, I've been wrong before.

Often, I use a house rule for so long I see it as RAW.  This won't be the last time.

[Ynglaur]

Welcome arunwe2012!

1. Making a projectile attack with 30%Act will be -30 OB.
If it's a snap action, then an additional -20.

2. Movement as a normal action is 1-50%Act and Movement as deliberate is 1-80%Act. 70% of Move is only possible in deliberate. RMSS pg 307.

3. Keep in mind you may only have 3 actions/round. Even though a successful Quickdraw may use 0%Act, the GM could rule it's still an action. I'm sorry I don't have a page number to back that up, but someone here will correct me soon if I'm wrong.

In my game, I House Rule that a 0%Act does not count as one of the 3 actions/round. I've used this so long that I forgot the Rules As Written. Sorry.

Note that if QuickDraw counts as an Action (I think it probably should), you'll probably be doing it in the Snap Phase, which means a -20 penalty.  (This also makes it impractical to do a QuickDraw in the Deliberate Phase, unless you're willing to attack in the next Round.)

[Ynglaur]

Full attacks, react and melee, press attacks.  All can be used with thrown and missile fire.

Sorry to come back to this again, but I have been looking my RMF (Spanish) and another one in English and rules explicity say these options are for melee attacks, not missile and thrown. On English manual it's on page 217. Is there any errata am I missing?

Are there rules in RMSS to cover Opportunity Attacks (a la Space Master 2nd edition)?

[MariusH]

Opportunity attacks: When it's your turn to execute an action, you can decide to state that it is an "opportunity action". This cancels any subsequent actions, and you cannot do anything until your action is resolved. After any action from any player, you can decide to execute your opportunity action. Note, however, that it can NOT be executed DURING an action, so if you're placing your missile fire on opportunity, and the enemy fighter chooses "react and melee", you're in trouble.

We house rule that you can chose EITHER this kind of opportunity action, OR an opportunity action when you declare precisely what will trigger your action (like "I fire at the first enemy that gets within 50' "). Such an opportunity action can NOT be executed unless the trigger happens; it has to be cancelled with everything that goes with cancelling an action (or cancel it when the round ends without executing it, unless you want to carry it over to the next round).

[Cory Magel]

My first two thoughts on this are...

If you are making two thrown attacks in one round the first thing to consider is do you really need to 'draw' the second weapon or is it already in your hand?  If you have two javelins or daggers (or whatever), one in each hand, you do not need to 'draw' the second one, you merely swap hands once you throw the first.

Still, if you do need to 'draw' the second one you could throw the first in Snap, draw the second in Normal (quickdraw or not), and throw the second one in Deliberate.

I, personally, do believe quickdraw should be an action even if only using 0% of your activity.