Combat Question

[TheBouncyPherret]

Well, combat Ability question, to be more percise.

Combat Skill covers all forms of attacking--ranged and melee. Agile adds to this for melee attacks. I am not seeing an Ability that adds to ranged attacks. I thought of Hobby, but it says, on page 45, Combat Skill and Hobby should not stack.

Was this done intentionally? An oversight? A design decision to represent most anime using melee attacks over ranged?

TBP

[Cloud]

If you want ranged capability use Hobby. But do it more generalized like Hobby: Pistols. If one skill gave combat bonuses acrossed the board, it might be a bit broken.

[Clay]

I think the original idea was that Perceptive would be the basis for Ranged attacks. (Since, after all, how much agility does it take to point a gun?)

This was somehow never incorporated in the final draft, and I forgot I ever had such a notion until you mentioned it. In my games I've always added Agility to all attack rolls.

But keep in mind the rules are open to interpretation. Even though I don't mention "Ranged attacks" under Agile, it doesn't mean that it can't be applied. The text says "or other tasks that test your coordination and manual dexterity" If you feel this applies to ranged attacks, by all means, include it.

If I were to revise the game, again, I'd probably take out the "melee" reference.

As another example of using Abilities in ways the rules don't intend: Martial Arts is, at heart, a combat skill. But with the right character/situation, it can also be a knowledge skill to discuss the finer points of fighting styles.

[TheBouncyPherret]

...

If I were to revise the game, again, I'd probably take out the "melee" reference.

...

So is that going to be an official errata? So that only Combat Skill OR Hobby (Katana) would add to attack?

Honestly, I would say either keep the melee reference in, and give another Ability--or even allow Agility--a bonus to ranged attack, or let Combat Skill and Hobby stack. I would recommed this because, currently, you have two different Abilities that add to defense rolls: Defense and Quick. So, for game balance perposes, there should be two different Abilities that combine for attack rolls.

Just some random musing on my part.

TBP

[Clay]

Correct, Agile and Combat Skill should apply to all attack rolls, just like Defense and Quick add to all defense rolls.

Combat Skill doesn't stack with hobbies because they're redundant. Though you may specialize and get better with katanas, it incorporates the same knowledge as Combat Skill.

Also, it's one of the few guards against munchkinism.