Hi all,

I read on the TDE PDFs about the Power Attack (or Power Strike) Combat Special Ability.

It seems to me that this Ability is the same thing as a Called Attack (or Attack+) which seems to be universally available in the Basic Rules - it is even available when you fight with a weapon which is treated as Improvised because you don't satisfy the ST requirement.

The only difference is that in the Special Ability description the Parry Malus in the case your AT+ fails isn't mentioned. But is that enough to justify the expense of 200 AP to get the Special Ability? Or should I disallow AT+ if I make Power Attack available to players? Or do they stack in some way?

Personally I think that AT+ should be available to everybody... countless times players are telling me "I want to hit it on the head!"...

Yes, the "Power Attack" is what was called the "called attack" in prevoius editions or in the basic rules.

The penalty on the parry after a unsucessfull power attack those exist, it simply isn't mentioned in the description, because it goes for all special attacks (or manouvers)

As extended rules overrule basic rule, this means that not every wannabe fighter can improve damage by trying a called attack. And even thoug I know, that quit a few players have complained about this, I kno from my meager sword skills, that it isn't as simple as you might guess. If you put more force into a blow, you have to know, how to apply that force (no, I wouldn't say that I could. But, alas, my swordskills are at a TaP of maximum1, and acually showfighting, not the real thing)

A second difference of the powerd attack to the called attack in the basic rules is, that you cannot use a powerd attack with all weapons, only with those, where the force is part of the damaga. So a powered attack is not possible with fencing weapons, knifes and whipps. Have I forgotten something?


Sartokos

Hmmm... It's not just sheer force... I thought that called attacks could be a way to represent aimed strikes.

Player> "I want to hit it on the head!"
HighLord> "Oh... and how much more damage do you think that would do?"
P> At least 8 extra HP!
HL> Well, roll an AT+8 then! <g>

This can be the only chance, for example, that a combatant with a knife has to damage a heavy armored foe - like finding a spot where a monster's scales are not so though and so on...

But perhaps you're right, this task requires a level of skill that the average mage come out from Middle of Nowhere's Academy doesn't have.

Thank you for the info on the +4 PA penalty for missed special maneuvers!
I was missing it from the PDFs.

The called attack can be an aimed attack, too - the power attack not. For aimed attacks you net yet another special abillity - sorry :-)

Fencing weapons and knifes, etc, of course can be used for aimed attacks

And aiming at the headisn't as simple as it sounds, especially out oc combat movements, were you never can be sure, were you need your weapon to defend yourself. You just don't have the time to sort out that nice head blow :->


Sartokos