Post by cassusaevum on Apr 18, 2019 12:48:42 GMT -5
Techniques
It turns out that activation requirements on techniques are really important and we've been sort of accidentally ignoring them.
For example, the Activation requirement for Crossing Blade isn't "an Attack action" it's "As an Attack and Movement action using
one sheathed Razor-Edged weapon, you may make a
TN 2 Martial Arts [Melee] check targeting one character at range 1–2." Likewise, for Thunderclap Strike, the activation is: "As an Attack action using a readied weapon, you may make a TN 3 Martial Arts [Melee or
Unarmed] (Air) check using the appropriate skill for
that weapon targeting each character within the weapon’s range." Both of those are very specific and that specificity makes it impossible to do both at once - you can't simultaneously make two separate Attack action checks calling for different TNs and bounded by different conditions.
You could use multiple techniques that have different activation requirements, provided it meets the action economy. For example, Veiled Menace Style adds a new way to spend opportunity "When you make a Martial Arts [Melee] or
Martial Arts [Unarmed] Attack action check using a
weapon in a one-handed grip..." So, I think you could use Crossing Blade and Veiled Menace Style in conjunction with one another (provided you met the other requirements for Veiled Menace) since the condition for Veiled Menace is "when you do this thing" rather than "you must do this thing."
And, to continue to complicate things, School Abilities, so far as I can tell, operate outside of this economy entirely and use their own (generally "once per round") mechanic.
So, if we had an underhanded Crane who happened to have Crossing Blade, Veiled Menace, and Way of the Crane, I think they could do something like:
But they couldn't use two techniques that both require a specific check for a specific effect (like Crossing Blade and Thunderclap).
It turns out that activation requirements on techniques are really important and we've been sort of accidentally ignoring them.
For example, the Activation requirement for Crossing Blade isn't "an Attack action" it's "As an Attack and Movement action using
one sheathed Razor-Edged weapon, you may make a
TN 2 Martial Arts [Melee] check targeting one character at range 1–2." Likewise, for Thunderclap Strike, the activation is: "As an Attack action using a readied weapon, you may make a TN 3 Martial Arts [Melee or
Unarmed] (Air) check using the appropriate skill for
that weapon targeting each character within the weapon’s range." Both of those are very specific and that specificity makes it impossible to do both at once - you can't simultaneously make two separate Attack action checks calling for different TNs and bounded by different conditions.
You could use multiple techniques that have different activation requirements, provided it meets the action economy. For example, Veiled Menace Style adds a new way to spend opportunity "When you make a Martial Arts [Melee] or
Martial Arts [Unarmed] Attack action check using a
weapon in a one-handed grip..." So, I think you could use Crossing Blade and Veiled Menace Style in conjunction with one another (provided you met the other requirements for Veiled Menace) since the condition for Veiled Menace is "when you do this thing" rather than "you must do this thing."
And, to continue to complicate things, School Abilities, so far as I can tell, operate outside of this economy entirely and use their own (generally "once per round") mechanic.
So, if we had an underhanded Crane who happened to have Crossing Blade, Veiled Menace, and Way of the Crane, I think they could do something like:
- Be at Range Band 2 with a sheathed weapon from a target that is unaware of them
- Make a melee attack with a Katana using Crossing Blade
- Take advantage of Veiled Menace for opportunities to increase the weapon's deadliness
- Use Way of the Crane to up the Severity of the crit
But they couldn't use two techniques that both require a specific check for a specific effect (like Crossing Blade and Thunderclap).