Practice Makes Perfect

[meadicus]

Can I just check something about using multiple tricks at once.

We all know someone can only use one trick at a time when that trick is granted by a melee or unarmed combat feat, but what about the ones from PmP? Can a character use 2 or more of these tricks at once on the same attack or can they only use one?

I can't find any text that restricts a character to one trick per attack but I thought I should ask as I'm unsure.

Ta.

[Crafty_Alex]

Can I just check something about using multiple tricks at once.

We all know someone can only use one trick at a time when that trick is granted by a melee or unarmed combat feat, but what about the ones from PmP? Can a character use 2 or more of these tricks at once on the same attack or can they only use one?

I can't find any text that restricts a character to one trick per attack but I thought I should ask as I'm unsure.

Ta.

My impression during the playtest is that 1 trick/action was the rule, but you're right, that only applies to feats. You can use any number of "standard" tricks - including those in this volume - on an action otherwise.

[Golden Dragon]

Rules Lawyer Time:

Is there any text that states that all the tricks listed in Practice Makes Perfect are Advanced Tricks? I looked and could not find it.

[Crafty_Alex]

It says in each option in PmP whether it's a trick or action (and if it's an action, what type). There's no such thing as "advanced tricks," though.

[Golden Dragon]

Copy. Can me mutate the question to: Does it declare that all the actions in PmP are advanced actions?

[Crafty_Alex]

Copy. Can me mutate the question to: Does it declare that all the actions in PmP are advanced actions?

I'm not sure what you mean. "Advanced action" is a new term that indicates an action you buy access to via a proficiency slot. I'm not sure if it needs to say anything more than that 

[Golden Dragon]

I'm not sure what you mean. "Advanced action" is a new term that indicates an action you buy access to via a proficiency slot. I'm not sure if it needs to say anything more than that 

Right. That definition is up front on page 1. (OK, page 2. It seems the printable PDF has the title page as page 1.)

On page 3 I find the Melee Attack Trick Armored Assurance. Is Armored Assurance an Advanced Action that I have to buy with a weapon proficiency slot?

In a moment of inspiration, I ran to Table 1, and noticed that it is labeled: Advanced Actions and Tricks. That's what I was looking for.

Alex, I was looking for something in the text that said which actions were Advanced Actions, and which were not. Until I hit the table on page 12, nothing in the text indicates that Armored Assurance was an Advanced Action.

[TheAuldGrump]

Heh, I had an odd dream the other night where I was running a game where members of the Society for Creative Anachronism were fighting zombies, and one of the characters had Armored Assurance.

Conclusions drawn:
1. Don't watch Shaun of the Dead after running a Spycraft game 'til midnight.
2. If anybody is likely to take Armored Assurance a member of the SCA would be a good bet.
3. Not a bad idea, actually. I have no idea when or if I might run it, but I have a friend who runs All Flesh Must be Eaten... maybe he can do something with it.

The Auld Grump, who dreams about running games too often for comfort....

[Morgenstern]

Evidently, that saying covers both the theme of the product and the quality level.

 

Got it, love it. It does get a bit repetitive (This trick lets you use the Wisdom modifier, this trick lets you use the Charisma modifier...), but there's still a hell of a lot of neat stuff in there.

While it looks repetive in the pdf, I promise it looks a lot better on a character sheet to have clear and seperate names for each of the tricks that have several closely related versions. Its one of those "meant to be used, not read" decisions.

Okay, trying to cut down on the gushing praise a bit...it's pretty interesting to see the differences between the stuff you teased us with and the final versions. The "Master" feats in particular are very nice - +5 base damage for my sword? You guys are my kind of nuts.

Heh. Those feats are very appealing, but think of all the other feats you aren`t taking... They also focus/constrain your proficiency choices at a time when freedom of choice is suddenly worth more than ever before... 

[Desertpuma]

It is like chess.... Give us so many options we get confused.

All in all, very crunchy stuff.

[Pneumonica]

Quick question.  For all of the "Blank Attack" AAs (use Dex for attack, use Charisma for attack, etc.), why is it that the ability prerequisite is not the one being used, but the one you're moving from?  For instance (don't have the PDF in front of me and I'm blanking the name, but...), if I wanted to use Dexterity for my unarmed attacks, I'd need a Strength of 13+.  Why is this?

I'm trying to envision an iddy-biddy Pixie trying to make melee touch attacks.  Though it'd make perfect sense for the IBP to be able to use Dex, he couldn't because there'd be no way for said IBP to have a Strength of 13+ (or at least it would be unlikely as sin).  Rest assured, however, that the IBP has a Dex well above 13, and so if THAT was the prerequisite then the IBP would be all over it.

It also seems odd because if you have a high Strength (or Dex for firearms), you wouldn't want or need the trick to use a different ability score.

[Crafty_Alex]

Quick question.  For all of the "Blank Attack" AAs (use Dex for attack, use Charisma for attack, etc.), why is it that the ability prerequisite is not the one being used, but the one you're moving from?  For instance (don't have the PDF in front of me and I'm blanking the name, but...), if I wanted to use Dexterity for my unarmed attacks, I'd need a Strength of 13+.  Why is this?

I asked Morg the same question back in the early edits, and the main reason is that those tricks become the easiest way to totally circumvent/"dump" a stat in a system that doesn't have dump stats The 13+ Str requirement is not very high at all, and the payoff is that you can jump from a +1 ability bonus in a stat you don't really use to a +4 ability bonus (as most self respecting attribute score whores will have an 18) of your choice and likely use all the time, for the cost of just a single proficiency slot. It's still worth it. Very much so. 

[famine]

My guess would be that they don't want Str to become a stat dump.  If you have a prereq for Str, it keeps people from just leaving it at an 8 and bumping up their other attributes to get the best of both worlds.

EDIT

Must have posted at almost the same time!

[Drawback]

Anyone care to give me details (beyond what's in the description page of PmP) of the product?

A "review" / "description" of what I'll get if I buy it would be great!

[Alphastream]

(as most self respecting attribute score whores will have an 18)

Hey, my character was just born that way! *SNIFF* *SNIFF*

Yeah, ok. You win! *raises fist to heavens*

Teos