Re: Fw: [Fwd: Steel tech and weapons]

[Shyryly Yshl <shyryly@geocities.com>]

> Hey... topic two: has anyone come up with a good explanation of
> what a DV actually is? Can anyone shed any light on why a a
> master combat artist cannot defend himself (ie increase his DVs)?

===Simple.  That sums up the why of it.  The combat system for the game is
simplistic.  It's hard to balance realism with playability without falling to
ChartMaster.  The circle I played in had bantered a bit about various ways of
adding a 'parry' or some sort of method of defense to swordplay, but nothing much
was ever put together.  Apparently the -only- fighting style known to Jaern is
the hack and bash method, where "I'm stronger so I'm better" is the rule, with
dexterity playing little role.  Read the 1st Mercedes Lackey book of "The Last
Herald Mage" set...it illustrates this sort of scenario...the lithe quick kid
gets his arm broken practicing combat because he took a blow square on his shield
instead of dodging it because -that's the way you fight...there's no style to
Jaernian combat, hence the simplicity of it.  (shrug) ...it'd be developing a new
sort of style to incorporate any sort of defense reasonably.  The bits you
suggested about the Mod to DV type skill isn't a bad way, but leaves a slightly
bad taste to me...not sure why...seems too much like something for nothing...if
there were an additional "mod" which was for defense only, a sort of DV-skill, I
could see it in a beter light.  As usual, just my opinions.

-Jamie