Garnett Elliott posted this on the MeWe forums, and I'm sure he won't mind me posting it here for your Xmas reading:

So, last night I went to bed after trying (unsuccesfully) to come up with a rules mechanic. I told myself to work on it in my sleep. Lo and behold, several hours later I dream a solution . . . and it still made sense after I woke up!

This hasn't been playtested yet, so any feedback is appreciated.

Damage to Defense
This option is only open to Tough or Hero/Rival characters who have at least 1 in Defense, though this can come from a shield or an off-hand parrying weapon.

If an opponent successfully hits you in combat with a melee attack, you can opt to take the damage to Defense, rather than lifeblood.

You must be aware of the attack and able to apply Defense normally.

Each attack so negated drops Defense by 1 for the length of the combat. Once your Defense hits 0, it’s no longer an option.

An opponent who rolls ‘doubles’ (i.e., both die show same number) on a successful Attack Roll, or a Mighty or Legendary success “slips past your guard,” negating this option.

What does this simulate? Most cinematic swordfights (also lightsaber duels), boxing matches, etc., wherein someone’s guard must be worn down before a telling blow can be landed (c.f. Chris Rut’s Guard mechanic in Honor & Intrigue).

It addresses the monotony of “I hit you, you hit me,” with a meaningful attrition of something other than hit points, and makes ‘doubles’ a desirable outcome when rolling.

Last edited by Gruntfuttock (12/21/2023 4:25 am)