Using HPs for parrying

From MRQWiki

Parrying in MRQ is a mug's game due to the low APs of most weapons that could be used to parry. Rather than trying to 'fix' this, enable instead two different modes of parrying.

Parry as deflect. Uses APs as written. This is a parry that depends on skillfully deflecting an opponent's attack. Even with a shield, the aim is to deflect most of the force of the blow away. You could also rule that any damage parried this way does not count for knockback.

Parry as block. Uses HPs instead of APs. This is a brute force parry where you simply put the weapon/shield between you and the opponent. A weapon can block more damage this way but at the expense of risking damage. Any time a Parrying weapon blocks damage that equals or exceeds its APs then it loses 1AP and 1HP.

When a character parries, it needs to state which type of parry it is using. This adds a little more tactical sophistication into the combat though it may also make combat take longer if players hesitate.

At the moment this is just something I'm thinking about and I'm not sure how it might interact with the ability to make higher quality weapons. It might make parrying just too good. It is somewhat ripped off from Fuzion where it works pretty nicely.

Bruce Mason

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