Alright so we just played our first game of WFRP 3rd edition, and my players enjoyed it a lot more than they did 2nd. There was some issues with understanding fortune points in relation to the party sheet and combat manuevers and distances, but I think thats mostly due to my being somewhat less prepared and thoroughly read as I would have liked.

Anyway, I had a question regarding active defenses. As I understand it, each player gets a free manuever in a turn and can use one action card a turn. However, abilities like block and dodge seem more like reactionary abilities, but I cant find where they're discussed. The question I have is how do they work exactly? Does the player sacrifice the ability to attack in order to parry?

Dodge, Block and Parry can only be activated when the PC is attacked by someone. There's no need to activate them during their turn when they expect an incoming blow. You can even activate all three at once for a single blow.

So active defences are reactionary actions? Where in the rulebook does it say this? Just curious.

I'm reading from the cards right now and not the book, but all three (Parry, Block, Dodge) state that after you have been declared the target of a melee attack (and/or ranged attack in the case of Block and Dodge), add two recharge tokens to this card and add 1 to the action's dice pool. The way I read that you only need to "activate" it if you're the target of an attack and want to use it.

Mark

Sorry, after reading my response I saw that I was just repeating basically what had already been said without really answering your question. I was not able to find a specific reference in the books so I took a look at the condition cards to see if maybe there was something there that would say that you were incapable of having an active defense. No luck, though. I'm coming to think that the traits are far less important, right now at least, than the requirements of the action cards. If something comes up that impacts a character based off of a trait then they will become more important but I can't find it right now.

Mark

Be a lot easier if the rulebooks weren't a convuluted mess!

Mark Theurer said:

Mark,

here's an example of 'Traits' coming into effect. Troll-Slayer uses the 'Troll-Feller Strike' Action Card with a Special restriction that leaves the PC unable to use a Card with the Trait "Active Defense" while the Action Card (Troll-Feller Strike) is recharging.

Hope that helps as an example of "Trait" coming into effect.

Oh, I agree with you there!

Mark

[email protected] said:

Oh, that's perfect! I had not looked through all of the action cards yet, but you pointing out a real example of what I though was right is spot on.

thanks,

Mark