New Skill : Feint

[Jural]

I should be more clear, I prefer the "must be adjacent" rule to the "three squares as if the player was pushed" rule proposed by Darkson.

I'm pretty sure this skill (As you wrote it) would be interesting but not a game breaker on mummies and big men, they would use it to get deeper into scrums and advance or destroy cages... I'm not sure it would be better than guard or block or grab or mighty blow though (Which is a good thing.)

I'm more worried about the skill being used in open space, by elves or humans or high movement teams. The idea of blitzing past someone just became one dodge roll easier, and possibly negates Stand Firm (as I don't think Stand Firm negates a follow up.)

[Warpstone]

I like the idea Joe, and Darkson's suggestion also got me thinking of an American football-ish type variation:

Pushoff: When this players gets a pushback result on his block roll, he can choose to be pushbacked rather than his opponent. Resolve the pushback as if the opposing player had thrown the block, except the Pushoff player's coach can pick his pushback square.

It's a grey area in the NFL, but every good wide receiver should be able to create just a little separation from his marker in order to receive a pass. This would be a great ST skill or GEN skill for bashy teams that would like a passing game: a chaos warrior could use this with a blitz to free himself from markers and get open for a pass.

Now I can run precision curl patterns in Blood Bowl!

[Digger Goreman]

That's in-ter-est-ing.... Hmmmmmm....

So you could use this on a block... or during a blitz? I assume it would cost you a movement point...?

Again, could this be abused to escape having to make a dodge? Would it automatically work?

[David Bergkvist]

So you could use this on a block... or during a blitz?

It makes no sense to limit it to blocking only, unless playtesting would reveal it to be broken (as in, better than block or guard and the likes), which it probably won't.

I assume it would cost you a movement point...?

Blitzing already costs one movement point, so the movement of being pushed back is already paid for.

Again, could this be abused to escape having to make a dodge? Would it automatically work?

You'd still need to roll the dice, and use your blitz action (assuming you want to go somewhere after you have pushed back someone).

[Digger Goreman]

O.K., I think I got it.... In using this skill you would NOT, in actuallity, be entering the opposing player's square, but using your skill as a sort of reverse push with you deciding where your man goes.... If I've interpreted right....

[cyagen]

Great idea Warpstone.

I'm in favour of making that a G skill to test it. If it's not broken it could add another interesting dimension to the game.

[Joemanji]

Warpstone's idea doesn't excite me much (other than its name), as it is a very much weaker version of my original suggestion. You can get to 3 new squares on 33% of results, rather than up to 8 squares on 66% of results. Pushoff does not seem like a skill that will compete with others, or be worth 20K. For example, here are some potential situations where a player (P) might use it. All classic positions a receiver might find himself in. Opponents marked as O.

In -1- the player gains no benefit from Pushoff. He still has to roll a half dice block in order to gain the chance of a dodge into free space. Even with assists he is no better off.

In -2- he wouldn't need to use it anyway.

In -3- he can actually use the skill. Move in an assist (or counter assist), throw a one dice block, and your chances of getting away from TZs without a dodge doubles from 2/6 to 4/6. Except that 4/6 in the same odds of dodging away anyway, so you gain no actual benefit from this skill. Also, most receivers have Dodge anyway, and so would be dodging away on 8/9. Hardly worth 20K.

In -4- he gains no advantage, even with loads of assists. Same with -5-.

Code: Select all

 -1-       -2-       -3-       -4-       -5- 
.....     ...O.     ...O.     .O.O.     .OO..
.OPO.     ..P..     ..P..     ..P..     ..P..
.....     .O...     ...O.     .O.O.     .OO..

Conclusion - this doesn't look like a receiver skill. It might be useful in the thick of the LoS action, perhaps. But not compared to Block, MB, Guard, Stand Firm or even Grab.

[lerchey]

So, the one thing that I think seems to be missing in the discussion for either Feint or Push Off (both of which I think are ok, by their own rights), is Grab. Since Feint is essentially Side Step for the blocker, if the opposing player has Grab, Feint should be canceled. The same for Push Off. Grab negates it.

As long as that would be the case, I don't see any major problems with either skill. They're really no worse than Side Step from an annoyance perspective. :)

[lerchey]

Feint (General Skill???)
When following up on a block the player may move one square in any direction, rather than just entering the square just vacated. This move is free and ignores tackle zones as with any follow up. If the player wasn't allowed a normal follow up he may not use this skill.

This is basically "sidestep for the attacker". I would add that it should be negated by Grab. E.g., if the player being blocked has Grab, then Feint is negated.