Before I get into the idea - since so many of these alternate combat mechanic threads boil down to a lot of theory talk - let me explain my design point of view. I posted a very long reply in the House Rule section concerning the three formats of combat I use in my games and the pros and cons and functions of each and it explains pretty clearly on how I use combat to reach a number of effects in game (so if you're wondering about my approaches to combat, do a search for Commoner and you'll find my ideas there - which are much too long to post here). With that being said, after running for twenty years and designing for 12, I find one factor all RPG'S suffer from is that combat can be very static in nature. What I mean by that is the narrative falls away and combat becomes largely about damage mitigation rather than two character's dueling it out for a few, but more damaging hits. 3e has done a great job rearranging the damage mechanic, with the critical system and the Action Card interface giving a large variety to the system and momentum. However, it again suffers from this point of damage mitigation rather than a more narrative style of back and forth, exchanges of blows (but not damage) and when those blows finally hit they are threatening (which I find 3e can be most of the time). This leads to a lot of game time spent healing, recovering wounds, etc. and players limited by what they can do based on those wounds. There is a time for that and can add narrative depth, but when it is continual, I find it can get in the way of a great session. What I really enjoyed about 2e's awesome parry mechanic (which when we ran it, all character's received one free parry per turn + an additional parry for being armed with a second weapon or a shield), it offered a lot of great back and forth between players and Nemesis characters. It was the closest I have ever seen to the type of system I looked for, but because of the static nature of the dice, it ended up flat because it was simply I blocked. 3e, possibly the best narrative system interface I have ever seen, offers the ability to bring this fundamental mechanic into the system. What I propose is this:

This would be put down as an action card. I cannot decide if it is a basic action card or not, but I have a feeling it might be best as a full action card:

Deflect Attack:

Recharge 0. Reaction card.

Condition: This card may be activated after you have been successfully hit in a combat.

Special: Use a maneuver to activate this card. Roll a number of fortune dice = to your ranks in Agility + 1 fortune for each rank in Weapon Skill or Athletics (whichever is higher).

Success: If you roll a number of successes equal to or exceeding the number of successes scored to hit you, you successfully parry the attack. Otherwise you are hit for the entire effect of the hit (successes do not subtract successes or cancel out boons).

Three Successes: Add 1 success to this roll.

Two Boons: Add 1 Success.

Two Boons: Perform a Free Maneuver.

So there it is. I know it seems strange, but I think it would achieve the effect as listed above and add more dynamics to a combat. The Boons adding additional free maneuvers can also add a lot of dynamics to a combat as the defender pushes someone back, knocks them over, throws a table over between them, retreats, pushes them back, disengages etc. Obviously, as a maneuver, players may assist as usual.

The only other question I have is...should skill trainings add an additional white or should they add a yellow. I've been debating that for a while and have yet to run the math on it. The other option is the opponent's dice could add black to the pool. The effects of banes would be the following if they were added:

1 Bane - You may not use any defensive action cards for the rest of the turn.

2 Banes - Suffer 1 Fatigue.

If black dice are included based on their number of successes, I think you would have to add in the expertise die off of skill, to give it more dynamics. Any thoughts?

I really like this idea. I like the way you've built the action too. Just at first glance, without too much thought, I would make a few small changes if I were to use it in my games. Then I would modify after play testing.

I would have the default difficulty on this be 2 misfortune dice. I would have the test be WS(STR) vs. target WS(STR) opposed.

If you are trained in Weapon Skill I would add one expertise die per level of training, just like all actions except active defences work.

I would also reverse the bane effects, since two banes already have the default of adding one fatigue, and I think one bane is too few for the effect of loosing all possible active defenses.

I think I would also take out the 3 successes = 1 success, since it just makes good rolls even better, I'd leave the boon lines in though.

So with both combatants trained in WS your roll would usually be:

Vs. vastly inferior opponent - 3 misfortune, (STR^Stance), 1 expertise.

Vs. inferior opponent - 1 challenge, 3 misfortune, (STR^Stance), 1 expertise.

Vs. matched opponent - 2 challenge, 3 misfortune, (STR^Stance), 1 expertise.

Vs. superior opponent - 3 challenge, 3 misfortune, (STR^Stance), 1 expertise.

Vs. vastly superior opponent - 4 challenge, 3 misfortune, (STR^Stance), 1 expertise.

Just my 2bp.

-Thorvid

Make it work just like twin pistols card (or whatever it is called), which is more difficult, 2 recharge and nets less damage and I think causes a stress on a 2 bane result...either way, just do that.

Double Strike is the worst written card in the game. Honestly, it should have been cut and I have spent many a thread since publication bitching about this very same point.

Oh, one thing we added to Twin Pistol's comet effect on Conservative side: May hit a second target as a maneuver.

Another option, which is the one we are now toying with is making it just like Execution shot. Which does the same thing as Double Strike and Twin Pistol except, it is harder, has about the same recharge as Twin Pistols, but has a higher cost than both of them.

Honestly, I wish I would have noticed this the first time around and wound have gone with Execution Shot probably. That way, swinging two swords, two pistols, or pistol and sword are all basically governed by the same mechanic. (just my two thoughts).