Questions on Drakes

[Mythrain]

'nother questions.

If I made a Drtake Soldier and it had Draconic Heritage. how does the Soldiers ability Fortunes of Ward Dr1 (2 in Dramatic Scenes) interact with tough hide 3?

[spinningdice]

They should be separate abilities and both apply

[Mythrain]

Still more questions!

Gear. I know Drake armour needs to be bigger but does it need the Drake quality? What about Weapons? Does a Drakes use larger weapons and if so how dows that change its stats?

[paddyfool]

It doesn't need the Drake upgrade, but it does need the Beast upgrade.  Overall, you're talking +500% cost on any armour you buy (300% for Large, 200% for Beast), which rapidly adds up to being a lot of silver.

[Mythrain]

What about weapons? And weapon size?

[paddyfool]

Drakes (and other beings with the Beast type) don't get to wield weapons under the second printing rules.  Unless, of course, you're counting natural attacks, breath weapons, and proxies...

[magustoad]

You can buy custom magic items with renown (if GM allowed of course) that help boost your nat attacks and such to help the equip curve out.  Although FC doesn't rely as heavily on equipment as D&D did.

[Bill Whitmore]

I went with a heavy Wrestling build for now, hoping to model the brute strength with slamming people around, pinning them with a claw and then delivering a deathblow with a bite.  Unfortunately I've found that the wrestling mechanics kind of hobble this a bit (please please correct me on this anyone if I am wrong here) with a grapple taking a full-round action followed up by another one for a grapple benefit check.  Two perform a coup-de-grace you need to win grapple (1fr act) then win grapple bene check for pin (1fr act) then, having Wrestling Supremacy, able to deliver the coup-de-grace in the following round (1 fr act).  Still, what a cinematic sequence and so totally acurate.  Grab offending thing in claw, smash it to the ground trapping it there, snake head in and deliver fatal bite tearing out vitals.   

The number-cruncher in me says to simply attack six times with claw or bite as seen fit for better usage of actions.

We had a discussion about grappling a while back and I'm wondering if you're making the same mistake I did.
It should play out similar to this:
You: Initiate Grapple, Grapple Succeeds, Opponent Held
Opponent Acts during round: Attempts to break Grapple. You win the contest, you apply grapple benefit. Opponent Pinned
New Round
You: Wrestle for Control. You succeed. Apply Grapple Benefit with Wrestling Mastery. Opponent coup-de-grace'd.

Muuuuch faster, isn't it?
Every time the grapple contest is initiated, the winner (and remember, its an opposed check every time) gets to apply a grapple benefit.

Do keep in mind that you are NOT required to make a grapple check on your turn.  If your opponent is rolling at +20 Athletics while you only have +1, you can just do nothing on your turn to at least avoid giving your opponent an extra grapple benefit.

[EmptyOwl]

Do keep in mind that you are NOT required to make a grapple check on your turn.  If your opponent is rolling at +20 Athletics while you only have +1, you can just do nothing on your turn to at least avoid giving your opponent an extra grapple benefit.

I am not sure that's true.

pg219 FC 2e says:
"...the only non-free action any grapple
participant may take is an opposed full-action Athletics check..."

The game really doesn't have a "do-nothing" or "pass" action.  You're pretty much screwed when the Explorer Giant Drake 6-armed Treewalker grapples you.  Though a threat on the skill might get you out at the GM's whim.

[Morgenstern]

Fortunately Delay is a free action, ending with forfiture .

When faced with a (mini-)game you are certain to lose, choosing not to play is often an excellent play.

[EmptyOwl]

Fortunately Delay is a free action, ending with forfiture .

When faced with a (mini-)game you are certain to lose, choosing not to play is often an excellent play.

Well-played sir!  That's how you would (not) do it!

[Bill Whitmore]

Fortunately Delay is a free action, ending with forfiture .

When faced with a (mini-)game you are certain to lose, choosing not to play is often an excellent play.

Agreed.  I first discovered this in the Middle Earth game where I was playing a Pech that was being grappled by Large someone with Wrestling Supremacy.  If he pinned me, he could have just used Coup de Grace on me.  After pouring over all my options, I found out I could just delay forever and at least give my companions more time to save me.

It's amazing how facing death can expand your awareness of your options.

[Morgenstern]

It's amazing how facing death can expand your awareness of your options.

Funny. We were just having this conversation over on the Mistborn forum .