Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Rules and such => Topic started by: MercilessMing on <04-12-21/1450:06>
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the Intercept anytime action (pg 41) seems like it would stop your target's movement, but the action mentions nothing about that. How would you rule that at your table?
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I don't think the intent is to stop movement (but if damage, after resistance, exceed target's body rating they will be knocked down which will indirectly of course also stop movement - but this is true for all attacks, not just intercept).
In previous edition melee character could get extra attacks for just 5 initiative score (so much "cheaper" than a regular attack) and out of turn if targets tried to get pass or get away without engaging in melee combat. Amazing for locking down ranged targets (attacking with ranged weapons at melee range triggered a lot of negative modifiers but they also didn't dare to move out of melee since they would get hit in the back when trying to disengage - kinda like forcing them to engage you in melee combat rather than attacking your more squishy teammates with ranged attacks).
In this edition intercept still let you attack out of turn but it cost a major + a minor action (so more "expansive" than a normal attack) - the intercept mechanic is far from as lethal or useful as it used to be.... perhaps if the entire attack would only cost a minor action ;-)
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First things first: Thank you for including a page reference. Things can be looked up without them, but it's so much easier with them.
On to your question:
Intercepting, at least to my perspective, to be more akin to being an equivalent to the "Attack of Opportunity" mechanic in that Other Game (tm). It's not so much about limiting movement as granting the ability to perform an "if/then" attack out of turn. For example, "if he tries to move past me, then I'll attack him" kind of stuff. Now, if you want to actually restrain someone from moving, then absolutely you can spend your Intercept and initiate a Grapple (pg. 111). If successful, then the target may not continue moving... that's what grapples do!
As for stopping/inhibiting movement by interrupting it with some movement of your own:
That's highly circumstantial. Most of the time if you step in front of someone, they can just go around you. If what you're trying to do is STOP them, then in my view you're going to have to successfully grapple them. 9 times out of 10, anyway. Sure, SOMETIMES, the terrain is such that if you put yourself in a bottleneck (say, a door jamb) you might attain the goal of preventing movement (through that doorway, at least) without actually having to grapple. But those kinds of interactions are the realm of GM adjudication. MOST of the time.. just stepping into someone's way in of itself won't substantially stop them from moving around you.
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In this edition intercept still let you attack out of turn but it cost a major + a minor action (so more "expansive" than a normal attack) - the intercept mechanic is far from as lethal or useful as it used to be.... perhaps if the entire attack would only cost a minor action ;-)
Yeah, I really donīt get why Melee Intercepts (or Intercepts in general, given that you also donīt have a ranged option here) has been nerfed from 5th to 6th. In many RPG systems, "attack of opportunity" rules play a key role in countering skirmish tactics where faster characters just constantly run away from melee. And this is especially important in Shadowrun, where most combatants have firearms.
What you described is my current houserule: Melee Interception requires just 1 Minor Action when a target does something that provokes an AoO (attack of opportunity). This includes:
- Many non-combat Major Actions that require attention needed for defending.
- Disengaging from Melee.
- Passing through a characterīs effective Melee range without attacking.
- Engaging characters with a longer Reach in Melee
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The last point needs some additional explanation: Since Iīm also not happy with simplified handling of reach in melee, I decided to beat two birds with one stone and tie melee reach more closely to Melee Interception and AoO. First: Instead of the base melee reach of about 3 Meters, different types of weapons may have longer or shorter range:
- 1 Meter:Very short range, usually just for things like biting, headbutts and attacks from smaller critters.
- 2 Meters: The standard unarmed melee range, also used for small melee weapons like knives, saps etc.
- 3 Meters: Medium-sized melee weapons like swords, batons, axes etc. Also, kicks from trained Martial artists.
- 4 Meters: Large Melee Weapons like Claymores/Nodachis, staffes and polearms, Whips, Monowhips etc.
- 5+ Meters: Usually not accessible for metahumans without additional perks.
Perks like MA techniques or the Long Reach Quality add to melee reach - although Long Reach only adds only 1 Meter instead of 2 at my tables, because this Quality gets a lot stronger with the rules presented here. Note that even in the RAW, the melee ranges obviously assume some amount of mobility, so status effects, injuries and movement space may also influence the total space you can cover. Now with standard 6th Edition Rules, different melee ranges would still lack impact: Additional reach can sometimes enable an attack where you otherwise wouldnīt be able to reach the target with your standard 10m movement, but Iīd wager that this doesnīt pay off nearly as often as the 6th Edition writers think.
This is where the range/interception rule comes in: Once a character with a shorter reach (f.i. a ganger with a knife) engages a character with a longer reach (f.i. a Streetsam with a Katana), he has to pass through the opponentīs "danger zone", which provokes an AoO. If that AoO doesnt stop the attacker, he closes in on the target and proceeds to attack normally. Note that further attacks donīt provokes AoO from the fighter with longer reach, unless he disengages from the attacker (which would provoke an AoO as well!) and then gets attacked again. IMO this helps to further differentiate different melee options, and it also better reflects the main advantage of weapons like spears or polearms: Keeping attackers from reaching you in the first place.
Also, you can punch Vampires in the face before they bite you. Makes sense, I guess ::)
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To come back to the OG Intercept Action: Besides the additional AoO rules, Intercept works mostly as written at my tables. However, it can also be used with Ranged Attacks and Spells and when you use Interception with a Melee Attack, you can also use a Move Action to engage a target outside of your current reach (f.i. trying to tackle someone who tries to run away).
Final Note: In Firing Line, thereīs also an additional 2 Edge Action ("Statue" in the german version) thatīs supposed to help stop targets with Intercept. Iīm not a big fan of tying such crucial feats to an Edge expenditure, and the effect seems really underwhelming. With Melee Interception as a Minor Action, itīs probably a bit more worthwhile, though.