We just got the rule last night, and were going over the rules today.

One of my players wanted to know if trained in Coordination, and Specialized Dodge, would he gain an additional bonus in combat (that is a third misfortune die), on the basic skill dodge.

I told him that I was pretty sure that was not how it worked. I thought it was for something like "getting out of the way of a run away horse & wagon"

Next he said he felt he should get more Misfortune Die added to his dodge basic skill, once he trained Coordination a second time.

Once again I said I wasn't sure that ws how it worked. That as I was understanding it "It would just give you a better chance to avoid that cart"

I am pretty sure I am reading these rules correctly (The ddge card only calls for adding 2 misfortune die, period).

Please confirm, or feel free to tell me I am wrong.

Further training co-ordination does not give extra dice but I think specialisation may do, trying to find a quote from the books.

One thing to think is that dodge or parry specialisation would be completely worthless if all it did was add white dice to active checks since you never make a dodge or parry check.

A specialization in Dodge for Coordination would grant a Fortune dice on Coordination checks that were related to dodging something. It would have no effect on the Dodge action card.

Thats what I thought. Thanks for confirming.

Mordenthral said:

Going with that line of thinking, if I take a specialisation in Weaponskill "Parry with Hand Weapon" (see page 19) - how would it come into play?

Page 40 "Good Dice & Bad Dice" say Bad Dice come from "An opponent's characteristic or skill"

Page 41 "Fortune & Misfortune" Misfortune Dice often represent the skills and training of an opponent (in an opposed check)

Sure an attack doesnt technically count as an opposed check so I think by the RAW you are right - but still the Parry specialisation makes me think twice.

Sweet Shallya! Contradictions in the rules!

I was just interpreting the RAW.

We've established that there are actually three kinds of checks: unopposed, opposed and attacks. If an attack were opposed it wouldn't have a base difficulty, but would use the opposed check rules for determining the challenge level (and then low defense characters/opponents would be really, really hosed.)

Unless.. they actually do use the opposed check rules, since the test on the action card sure looks like an opposed check. Dilemma.

Maybe.. it IS an opposed check, but the base difficulty just means that there is always at least one Challenge dice, regardless of the opposing defense. That could make combat rolls much more dynamic based on opponent skills and specialisations. Including adding an extra Misfortune to an opponent's roll for being specialised in Dodge, for instance.

If anyone tries combat using opposed rolls with a minimum of 1 Challenge dice, please let me know. My group is on a Rogue Trader kick right now and won't be playing WFRP III for a few weeks.

I reckon either....

the parry with hand weapon specialisation will get removed and the dodge specialisation is as Mordenthral suggested OR, the dodge and parry specialisations will get clarified that they add an extra misfortune die to the attack (whereas specialisations normally add a fortune die to the active roll) fortune and misfortune dice are mechanically the same afterall.

don't have rules with me... is there a block specialisation listed anywhere? that might clinch it to suggest parry with hand weapon isn't a an error.

If you check the Improved Dodge skill card, it says you need to have Coordination trained in order to use it. I am going to operate under the assumption that specializing in "Dodge" is going to be a requirement for Expert Dodge which will come out in another supplement, or on a 3X5 card in my home-brewed campaign.

Dodging a cart or some other similiar feat will get a bonus from specializing, but no bonus to either Dodge or Improved Dodge . Afterall, it's going to be hard enough to kill these characters - the players outnumber the GM 3 or more to one! How is that fair?

pumpkin said:

Block is a specialization for Resilience skill.

Boris Hochloff said:

You're doing it wrong