From:	Dave Sherohman <esper@*****.IMA.UMN.EDU>
Subject:	Combat Pool != Body Resistance
Date:	Sun, 11 Apr 93 03:46:55 CET

>Monte Box says that the only difference between resisting an attack entirely
>wit Combat Pool and resisting with some CP and Body is that in the former
>case the hit misses entirely.
> The only reason a clean miss or a glancing blow matters is if some
>knockdown/knockback rules are used, which I have yet to see used in our game,
>as does just about anyone else here.
> So once again: What difference does it make? If you're not using
>knockdown rules and you're not using the "dodge vs skill, resist vs power"
>variant that a couple of people have mentioned, I see no effective difference
>in resisting an attack with Combat Pool entirely or with CP+ Body.

First off, I use knockback rules, so now you've seen someone who does. Second
off, I use separate Target Numbers for Combat Pool (dodging) and Body resistance
(soaking up damage), but I base the dodge TN on how clumsy the weapon is, not on
Power Level or attacker skill.

That said, you're misunderstanding the conditions which bring about this "clean
miss" condition. You appear to be taking it as "if Combat Pool successes are
enough to reduce damage to nothing, it's a clean miss." This is not the case.
A clean miss occurs if the Combat Pool successes exceed the attacker's
successes. An example to clarify:

I pull out a Predator II and pop a round into you; I get 3 successes. You want
to take no damage (of course). You already understand that to do so, you need
a total of 7 successes from Body and Combat Pool (3 to offfset my successes,
then 4 more to stage damage down from M to L to nothing). However, if you get
4 Combat Pool successes, the "clean miss" rule is invoked, I didn't actually
hit you (but I would've if you hadn't moved), and your Body resistance roll is
irrelevant because there isn't any damage to resist. It sounds like you
thought you would've needed 7 Combat Pool successes for a clean miss rather than
only 4.

Now do you see why there's a difference even if you use vanilla rules? (Well,
there's also the difference that Body dice are passive and Combat Pool dice are
active, but this has no real game mechanical effect (unless you decide that,
since Combat Pool dice are active rolls, wound level penalties affect them...
(yes, I use that one too)).)

esper@***.umn.edu