This is so frustrating with the PB not out yet....
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| Berzerk and bows... http://forum.libraryofhiabuor.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=92 |
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| Author: | Kharille [ Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Berzerk and bows... |
I was always against the idea of berserk and bows but then nothing in book 1 says you can't do that. And in book 4 it states that you can't use bloodrage with missile weapons. Was there any revision in the later edition? Never had time to read through them. I've still got a backlog of other stuff to read so more illustrations in later dragwars books would be most appreciated. So a berzerking barbarian can roar and rage and salivate uncontrollably and... ....sling rocks at people..... Doesn't look right in a movie, but hey.... |
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| Author: | Dreadnought [ Thu Mar 26, 2015 8:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Berzerk and bows... |
Kharille wrote: I was always against the idea of berserk and bows but then nothing in book 1 says you can't do that. And in book 4 it states that you can't use bloodrage with missile weapons. Was there any revision in the later edition? Never had time to read through them. I've still got a backlog of other stuff to read so more illustrations in later dragwars books would be most appreciated. So a berzerking barbarian can roar and rage and salivate uncontrollably and... ....sling rocks at people..... Doesn't look right in a movie, but hey.... I think this is one of those areas where you need to look at the spirit of the rules rather than the letter of the rules. One thing I like about Dragon Warriors is that I've always felt that the simplistic rules set that doesn't seem to micro-manage every single point tends to work against 'rules lawyering' where people try to insist the letter of the rule must always be followed, even it it doesn't make sense, but at the same time, if you do get a player like that... As the letter of the rules go, I think it's implied that you can use Berserk with missile weapons- the specific statement that you cannot with Bloodrage, means that if you couldn't do it with Berserk, I'd expect a explicit statement to say it can't be used with Berserk if that was the intention. And I don't have any problem with that myself. If you read the rules though, it also specifically sats that "bellow(ing) and roar(ing) terrible war-oaths, foam drool(ing) from his mouth, and... eyes glaz(ing) with insensate fury" are a particular feature of Bloodrage - not berserking. I'd have no problem with the idea of a player saying 'My Barbarian does all this when he's just going berserk' but I'd say in such a case that he or she is doing it deliberately as a form of act, rather than it being a genuine loss of control. If he wants to slobber and scream while shooting arrows or throwing rocks with a higher than normal attack, and no defence fine, but it's an act not the real thing. It's likely to attract attention of those on the other side, making them a bigger target. They'd also lose any chance of getting the +2 DEFENCE bonus that goes along with crouching (trying to make yourself a smaller target - I'd assume they are doing the opposite) and in a lot of cases their EVASION would be reduced (potentially down to 0) because I'd argue that they have so focused their attention on their target that they are less likely to see other attacks coming (they'd probably keep their EVASION for attacks coming from their target - and I should say that in my own games, I do allow a SPEED (20) versus EVASION roll for bow attacks at long range - it made sense to me that somebody might have some chance of evading plunging arrows at long distances, where they've been able to follow the path from the moment it was fired - but they only get this chance if avoiding that attack is their primary combat action for the round. |
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| Author: | d'Argentan [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Berzerk and bows... |
It's down to the GM's tastes. If you don't like it, don't allow it. Don't be bullied by powergaming rules lawyers into accepting something that's at odds with the world you're creating. Personally, I don't like the idea of berserkers with bows. I think it goes against the spirit of the ability. Berserk fighters lack the steady hands and cool heads to draw and shoot properly - it's all about getting to grips with your opponent and stoving in their skull with a battleaxe! If anything, I'd apply a penalty to shooting by a berserk character. |
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| Author: | wimlach [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Berzerk and bows... |
In terms of raw rules, the original 'Berserk' rule is poorly named - it would be better described as 'Focus', which could apply to any attack (melee or missile), though it has far less flavour than 'Berserk', a more apt 'Barbarian' skill. Only a small percentage of Barbarians are actually described as being of the 'Norse' type though, so even that rationale is somewhat weak. The description of Bloodrage is more how most people imagine a true 'Berserker'. |
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| Author: | Kharille [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Berzerk and bows... |
Thinking of a Mungodan interpretation. They might not necessarily drink alcoholic beverages. But they may be pretty proficient with missile weapons. No point introducing an archer class if these guys already shoot so well, with the rules as they stand. Suppose Barbarians always were good shooters. The ... uh, steppe mounted archers, and the mungodan hunters... and ... what about Thuland mountain wildmen? Suppose they'd be good with slingshot. Perhaps we could term it focus or something like that. Wild inspiration or intent to kill.... |
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| Author: | Damian May [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Berzerk and bows... |
This is so frustrating with the PB not out yet....
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