| From: | Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Physad Enhanced Centering |
| Date: | Wed, 23 Jul 1997 11:32:55 GMT |
> A friend of mine is wondering: why does a physad have to spend 2 Magic
> Points to get Enhanced Centering (from Grimoire 2), when Centering is
> part of the metamagic a physad gets when he initiates? He really wants to
> know why it is that he has to spend two whole Grades' worth of Magic
> points to get _one_ power that can only be used by an initiate...
>
> I've tried explaining it to him (he doesn't seem to get the magnitude of
> getting the ability for an entire skill category). If someone else could
> please explain this? Mr. Kenson:) ? Someone?
>
Ok base you get centring for just the two physical skills.
Enhanced centring i believe is bought 'by the skill'. Yes it's
expensive, 2 magic for the ability to lose TN penalties off melee
combat attacks but devastatingly effective. You see you could tkae
something like a Ki shout as centring skill, you have to move up to
opponent +1 TN, oh not any more! and you get to take grade off the
centring TN. Got a lighting (i rarely rate these in melee unless its
very dark nut) or wound penalty, not any more you don't! You can
easily get at least 1 TN penalty away and a skill of 5 and reasonable
grade almost ensures you a reduction of 2. Oh 2 enemies? well
attacking a second target in a complax action is only a +2, centr it
off and you can hit both of them (assuming you are in melee with both
at the same time and split your dice pools, but thats what enhanced
armed combat etc. solves).
Physical adpets through enhanced dice, centring and pain resistance
can become 2 to 3 times better than anyone else can ever hope to
achieve in melee combat. Sure you have to get right up to the target
but for sneaky in your face combat it gets VERY lethal very quickly.
This power is expensive but once you make the investment on a
character with the skill to use it the effects are devastating. It
will negate penalties from multiple enemies, wounds, movement, enemy
reach (if not using the optional rule from the companion) etc leaving
you rolling all that great pile of dice at standard TN's while you
poor opponent picks up penalties and as the base TN is a 4 in melee,
and penalties of 2 would be a 6 (1/3 as many successes) and 4
centring successes is that off again this works over just the range
where the SR dice system gives the most lethality for your investment.
If it was any cheaper everyone would have it, as it stands its good
but expensive enough to keep it to the real melee specialist physical
adepts. (yes some specialise in other things, they are also very good
at stealth at sublty)
Mark
