Rules Update: Ranged Weapons and Tag Skills

Up until now, it has never been defined in the rulebook what happens when you use a periodic skill with a ranged or thrown weapon, and either miss or hit a physrep, such as a shield.  We recently defined this in the Online Rulebook for Melee weapons, but never for Ranged & Thrown.  This set of posts addresses the missing rules, and modifies a few to bring them into line with the official ruling.

[hr]

Amendment to the Combat Rules:
If you attack using a periodic skill using a Melee, Thrown, or Ranged weapon, and your attack is blocked by the physrep of a shield or weapon (as opposed to a defense that is another skill or effect), you retain the use of your periodic skill.  The attack must connect with a target to be used, in which case it will take effect, can be defended against, or will have no effect (as above).

A player may not actively attempt to block a ranged weapon (arrow or crossbow bolt) with their own weapon, OOG.  This is dangerous, and can break the projectile in flight, causing it to shatter.  Blocking thrown weapons and javelins (which are coreless) with another weapon is acceptable. Blocking a ranged or thrown weapon with a shield is also acceptable.

Amendment to the Point Blank Rules:
Instead, the archer should call “Point Blank, X Damage” at the target.  Periodic Skills may not be used with a Point Blank shot.

Update to Parry & Deflect:
Both Parry and Deflect may now block ranged attacks.  While Parry did not specify it could not, this intent had been carried over from an older version.  With this intent changed, the current wording of Parry is now correct.  Deflect will drop the reference to Ranged Attacks, since it no longer needs to be specified.  (This is already included in the Skill Revisions thread.)

The cost of the skill Yado has been reduced to 2 build on the Acrobat list, to bring it into line with other lists that have the skill.

Amendment to Master Proficiency III:
Allows the warrior use any melee periodic weapon-based skills they have with any melee weapon they know how to use, regardless of what hand is wielding the weapon. The ability conferred by this skill allows the use of weapons that are normally prohibited for specific tag skills (for example, a character with Master Proficiency III can use the Waylay skill with a Two Handed Edged weapon, contrary to the description of the Waylay skill). This skill does not allow the warrior to use tagged combat skills with ranged weapons. Note: This skill does NOT allow you to transfer Weapon Profs (a Continuous Skill) between weapons or hands, only periodic skills.

(This change removes the ability to use Periodic Skills with Thrown Weapons, preventing someone from machine-gunning periodic skills with thrown weapons until they get one that connects.)

Amendment to Vital Shot:
Because marksmen usually only get one shot, they indeed have to make it count. And because of this they have learned to aim at certain vital areas where they can cause the most damage, making them quite deadly indeed.  With this skill a marksman can let loose an arrow fly for 100 body damage.  This attack may not be stopped by the skill Parry.

Is there a reason that Master Prof III was edited and revised before many other High List skills that are in need of revisions?

Also is there a reduction in cost to Master Prof III since it no longer allows you to use tag skills with thrown weapons?

I'm presuming that parry will only work on ranged attacks to the front, correct?

I'm presuming that parry will only work on ranged attacks to the front, correct?

Likewise, not on surprise attacks?

Overall, our goal for revising the rules is to make them simpler, not more difficult.  So yes, Parry does exactly what is says it does - a non-surprise attack to the front.

Will build be refunded for those who no longer want master prof 3 and the skills they purchased to use in conjunction with it?