andrew wrote:Backstab has been designed for situational use. Use at the end of a combat round when most everyone has burned through their runes. Taking a step back though, trading a rune for 3 points of QR value isn't the best choice for a defender. A rune is worth about 8 QR usually. The call to spin would be dictated more by a need to do a full Defend as opposed to a Weak Defend. Both are separate sources so negating the +3 DF doesn't negate the Attack action. This works best with several backstabbers surrounding a victim. The spins would eat through their hand very quickly.
Feel free to house rule as you see fit. You can always say that before an attack is declared, the defender gets to decide if they change facing. After the Attack is declared it's too late. The reason it's allowed after an attack is declared is because of the surrounded by the enemy situation. A defender is afforded the opportunity to change facing as the attacks come in, albeit at a steep cost.
That's the design reasoning.
Thank you for this. There are lots of good tidbits in here.
That actually makes sense why Backstab would have a multi. You can multi the attack and hit people you are not behind.
How are you figuring a rune is worth 8QR? Is that a rune bound to an active power or something more like a denizen rune which are not bound to specific ones?
Raleel, if you try to deconstruct Active powers ("play a rune for an effect"), you'll find that Active powers that have burst effects have 8QR worth of effects, while powers that boost over several actions are worth 4 QR. Both are better bangs for your buck than playing a rune to stop 3 DF worth of damage. Of course this investment goes up with every Amplify and you get much better returns on your rune.
So, something like Power Attack (attack, +2 DF) means the Attack is worth 6 by itself. This corresponds with Piercing Attack (attack,ignore 4 PF, which is like pierce 4, which is QR2). Is that QR 6 based on the fact that humans can use a QR 6 weapon in two hands? Weak Attacks are QR3? Moves are the same?
You're almost there. Move is 4/2 and attacks & defence are 6/3 (full/weak)
All of the powers were built using a point system which mirrors QR
This is why the Talent system opens up the hood on Active powers, which is the underlying theme of LotA. Orlog has a bunch of "build your own X" abilities allowing player groups to create new powers within a complete framework
