Topic: Parry with terrain - a little bit confused...

[daedel]

Hello,

In RMF, it's stated that a) you can only parry the enemy you attack and b) to parry a melee attack you need a weapon, a shield or a suitable terrain. Let's suppose an enemy attacks me and I am currently disarmed (my sword still undrawed) but I can use some terrain to parry (a large boulder). Am I allowed to do this? What amount of OB would I be able to use? Am i forced to attack unarmed later, or can I draw my sword and attack?

[Cory Magel]

Well, I see no reason you can't try to use what little 'Brawling' or 'Unarmed' OB you have to parry, if you have any (being possibly untrained in it).  So you declare an attack on the foe attacking you and use all your OB to parry with... and technically can make an unarmed attack on the foe (which will likely need to be open ended to connect).

However, when they say 'terrain' I believe they are mostly referring to cover.  So if you are in a barroom setting a post is part of the terrain and would give cover as the GM rules.

Still, if you declare "Draw sword" in snap and an attack in normal, so long as your initiative beats the foe or he's not attacking you in snap you should have parry available from your sword attack in normal.

[yammahoper]

Yes you may parry with your highest appropriate OB using door frames, rocks, side of building, etc.  They should also receive a cover bonus.

Fire Arms Law has an excellent cover DB table you can use.  Obviously, if under full cover, being hit is near impossible.

Regarding parry.  I feel parry used is applied against all frontal attacks.  Another option is half of all parry being applied against additional attacks from other foes.  Regardless, parry counts against all attacks from foe unless some special mnv counters it.

Parry is declared before melee and is effective the entire round.