Unknown Armies Rules Modifications

[Gregory Paul Stolze]

>Being a GURPS-head, I've gotten used to having a defense roll (parry,
>block, or dodge), that doesn't interfere with your attack.
>
>I've been noodling a minor modification that would allow you to match
>the skill you choose as defensive against the attacker's offensive
>skill. Assuming the attacker succeeds, roll against the skill you
>choose to counter the attack:

[snip]

>So, say Bob and Juan are both Fencing. When Bob (Fencing 45%)
>successfully attacks Juan (Fencing 55%) with a roll of 29, if Juan
>rolls between 29 and 55, he only takes half-damage from the attack.
>[(2 + 9 + 3) /2 = 7 pts, instead of 14 pts.] If he rolls anything
>else, except a 01, he takes the full amount.  

Don't expect me to do the math.  I don't like division when I'm gaming, and
using a calculator is only marginally better.

>This, I think keeps the general flavor of the combat system, but also
>gives the defender a choice of something to do other than "dodge or
>soak up damage." Now it's "dodge, soak up half-damage, or soak up
>damage."

I think the ultimate effect on the game would be to make it more cinematic
and less horrific.  Basically, the mechanic makes players harder to hurt
and kill: if that's how you want to modify the game tone, and if you like
mathier systems, great.  But be aware of how this will change things.
Specifically, I think it'll make combat longer in two directions: one, the
time taken to resolve tasks will nearly double (with two rolls for each
attack instead of one) and two, the added time it'll take people calculate
damage.  ("So I rolled sixteen, that's one plus six makes seven, plus three
for a heavy object, plus three for a sharp object, that's... thirteen...
divided by two is... uh... six?")

-G.
1899 Phrenologist: Your son has the sloping forehead of a sexual deviant:
better put him in an asylum.
1999 Gene Therapist: Your fetus has the "date rape" gene.  Better abort.