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Message no. 1
From: Frank Pelletier <jeanpell@****.IVIC.QC.CA>
Subject: Combat Pool (was Re: Dodging Bullets)
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 10:39:58 +0000
"Richard L. Zagorski" <CaptainZig@***.COM> once wrote

(snipped the "dodge bullets" part)

> Of course, in an ambush where the PCs are surprised I don't allow them to
> dodge initially, and the same goes if there is a well hidden shooter/sniper
> in a general fire fight....if they aren't aware of the combatant I generally
> don't allow any kind of dodge.
>
> -Captain Zig

Well...what is Combat Pool anyways? IMHO, it represents the basic
combat stance and attitude of a character in a firefight. That's why
it can be applied to both dodging and aiming, depending on the
outlook of the character.

Now, does that mean that a character who puts all his CP in dodging
just stands there, looking in the bad guy's eyes, waiting for that
little hint of trigger squeeze? Hell no. There's no such thing as
"dodging a bullet" per say (a la Martial arts crap). Whoever, there
is evasive maneuvering. What the character does is dodge, weave, and
hide, hoping that he makes the gunner miss. Would that be easilly
replaced by a TN modifier? Yes, probably. But then, you would'nt
have that balancing effect between aiming and dodging.

Trinity
------------------------------------------------------
Frank Pelletier
Trinity@********.com, jeanpell@****.qc.ca

"Life is a blur"
Message no. 2
From: losthalo <losthalo@********.COM>
Subject: Re: Combat Pool (was Re: Dodging Bullets)
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 12:50:51 -0500
At 10:39 AM 10/30/97 +0000, you wrote:
>Well...what is Combat Pool anyways? IMHO, it represents the basic
>combat stance and attitude of a character in a firefight. That's why
>it can be applied to both dodging and aiming, depending on the
>outlook of the character.
>
>Now, does that mean that a character who puts all his CP in dodging
>just stands there, looking in the bad guy's eyes, waiting for that
>little hint of trigger squeeze? Hell no. There's no such thing as
>"dodging a bullet" per say (a la Martial arts crap). Whoever, there
>is evasive maneuvering. What the character does is dodge, weave, and
>hide, hoping that he makes the gunner miss. Would that be easilly
>replaced by a TN modifier? Yes, probably. But then, you would'nt
>have that balancing effect between aiming and dodging.

Yeah, I have a problem with this, though: the Aim simple action. This is
paying special attention to your target and holding steady to get a good
bead before you fire... Combat pool and this simple action shouldn't both
represent the same thing, it should be one or the other. The same goes for
combat pool and movement (for dodging purposes), it's problematic since you
can 'dodge' for free because of that pool without really taking an *action*
to do it... This is one of the things about the Storyteller system and
dodging that seems to work well: you have to either divide your dice pool
to dodge, or you have to sacrifice your entire next action in order to
dodge. In SR, you use some Combat Pool dice, that's all. I rather like
the idea of using movement (which gives you penalties, but still lets you
act) in order to give a modifier, and this taking the place of the current
dodging rules. Less dice flying around the table, simpler, faster.

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