Toughness & Reflexive Dodge

[ntharotep]

So. new tot he boards and relatively new to MURPG. I couldn't start simple, of course, and created a DC/Marvel crossover game.

One character, Nightfire, has Reflexive Dodge due to her training with her Gothamite father and Toughness due to her Tamarania mother.
Between the two she has +6 to her Defense.

I guess my question is, are both of these automatically active? Does a villain getting the drop on her need to get past this +6 before hoping to do harm (or use magic or mental attacks of course)?

Story wise, I could see someone trying to dodge physical attacks and still be "tough enough to take it" when hit but I was just wondering.

Thanks

[pgholland]

Surprise attacks don't get Reflexive Dodge- you can't react.

Touch attacks ignore Toughness.


So the answer is Yes... But really. Its all situational.

[Dullahan]

Ok, quick question. Where does it say RD doesn't cover surpise attacks? I never remember it saying anything like that.

The only thing RD doesn't cover, as far as I remember, is Area Attacks(because it's a little hard to dodge a bomb)

[pgholland]

Because you can't dodge something you dpn't know about, just like your thick skin can't protect you from someone who is only trying to touch you.

[dorkknight23]

May 12, 2010 14:15:56 GMT -5 @ntharotep said:

So. new tot he boards and relatively new to MURPG. I couldn't start simple, of course, and created a DC/Marvel crossover game.

One character, Nightfire, has Reflexive Dodge due to her training with her Gothamite father and Toughness due to her Tamarania mother.
Between the two she has +6 to her Defense.

I guess my question is, are both of these automatically active?

Yes. Modifiers are active at all times unless situationally negated (like by Area Effect or Armor-Piercing attacks.)

Does a villain getting the drop on her need to get past this +6 before hoping to do harm (or use magic or mental attacks of course)?

If they add up to 6, then, yes.

Story wise, I could see someone trying to dodge physical attacks and still be "tough enough to take it" when hit but I was just wondering.

Thanks

Hit her with Magic, Telepathy (the latter albeit rarer in the DCU,) or Armor-Penetrating Cluster (Area-Effect) Missiles or something.

~DK

[takewithfood]

I think it depends on how "surprisey" the surprise attack is. If its a sniper from 20 blocks away with a .50 cal rifle, no, I don't think reflexive dodge counts. But if its just a villain leaping out of the shadows or down off a rooftop or something like that - something you can actually dodge - then yes, I'd let Reflexive Dodge count.

Basically, as long as any of the target's senses can alert them of the attack even as it is happening, then I'll let Reflexive Dodge count - because that's what it is. A reflex. The main advantage of a surprise attack is that the opponent doesn't get to allocate stones.

It is very much up to the GM, and dependent on the situation. MURPG has so few hard rules that GMs have to do a lot of decision making.

~TWF

[ntharotep]

[[/quote]

Hit her with Magic, Telepathy (the latter albeit rarer in the DCU,) or Armor-Penetrating Cluster (Area-Effect) Missiles or something.

~DK[/quote]

I just wanted to make sure that the modifiers were as nasty a combo as I suspected, physically. I wrote up some custome Mastery of Magic bits (including Wizardry based on word power, Shazam style, and the Homo-Magi from DC). As far as telepathy goes, it is rarer in the DCU (not planning on putting them up against Martian Manhunter) but that's the beauty of a crossover

Thanks for the replies!
- Nth