Circular Parry

[drakinn]

"Circular Parry: The main idea here is that the martial artist
can parry all attacks that come in, regardless of direction. So
long as the defender is aware of the attackers, there's no limit to
how many blows can be parried. Works like an Automatic Parry
and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the
character can attack only once per melee round."
if this is true what else would you do with your other attacks?
If I have 5 attacks and declare this move then I get one of those 5 and the other 4 what?

[Mantisking]

"Circular Parry: The main idea here is that the martial artist can parry all attacks that come in, regardless of direction. So long as the defender is aware of the attackers, there's no limit to how many blows can be parried. Works like an Automatic Parry and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the character can attack only once per melee round."

if this is true what else would you do with your other attacks? If I have 5 attacks and declare this move then I get one of those 5 and the other 4 what?

The Circular Parry eats four of your attacks and leaves you with one.

[JuliusCreed]

"Circular Parry: The main idea here is that the martial artist can parry all attacks that come in, regardless of direction. So long as the defender is aware of the attackers, there's no limit to how many blows can be parried. Works like an Automatic Parry and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the character can attack only once per melee round."

if this is true what else would you do with your other attacks? If I have 5 attacks and declare this move then I get one of those 5 and the other 4 what?

The Circular Parry eats four of your attacks and leaves you with one.

Seconded. When performing a circular parry, the concept is that several attacks are coming at you from various angles/attackers, like the classic mob fight scene in a lot of martial arts movies where the hero gets ganged up on by a bunch of bad guys. (Bruce Lee flicks are famous for this kind of scene) With the sacrifice of all but one of your attacks, you can theoretically parry ALL of them with one roll. Of course, your one roll still has to be higher than ALL of the incoming attack rolls, but that shouldn't be too big a problem for you, right?

[drakinn]

"Works like an Automatic Parry
and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the
character can attack only once per melee round."
the above is the description right out of the game book, so it doesn't take your attacks, but you can only attack once. I was thinking that parry flip throw and other defensive maneuvers that take actions can be done.

[Mantisking]

"Works like an Automatic Parry and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the character can attack only once per melee round."

the above is the description right out of the game book, so it doesn't take your attacks, but you can only attack once. I was thinking that parry flip throw and other defensive maneuvers that take actions can be done.

Attack = Action. So using Circular Parry limits you to one action per melee round.

[drakinn]

"Works like an Automatic Parry and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the character can attack only once per melee round."

the above is the description right out of the game book, so it doesn't take your attacks, but you can only attack once. I was thinking that parry flip throw and other defensive maneuvers that take actions can be done.

Attack = Action. So using Circular Parry limits you to one action per melee round.

a Parry flip throw takes an action but is not an attack it is a defense that takes an action

[Mantisking]

"Works like an Automatic Parry and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the character can attack only once per melee round."

the above is the description right out of the game book, so it doesn't take your attacks, but you can only attack once. I was thinking that parry flip throw and other defensive maneuvers that take actions can be done.

Attack = Action. So using Circular Parry limits you to one action per melee round.

a Parry flip throw takes an action but is not an attack it is a defense that takes an action

As your one attack remaining for the Melee Round? Sure.

[JuliusCreed]

"Works like an Automatic Parry and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the character can attack only once per melee round."

the above is the description right out of the game book, so it doesn't take your attacks, but you can only attack once. I was thinking that parry flip throw and other defensive maneuvers that take actions can be done.

Attack = Action. So using Circular Parry limits you to one action per melee round.

a Parry flip throw takes an action but is not an attack it is a defense that takes an action

As your one attack remaining for the Melee Round? Sure.

I gotta disagree. A "Parry flip throw" is a defensive action... you're already defending with a circular parry. Since your defense is already focused on a circular parry, your action/attack for the round must be more on the offensive end. Luckily, the body flip/throw CAN be used as an attack!

[drakinn]

"Works like an Automatic Parry and takes no melee round attacks. During a Circular Parry the character can attack only once per melee round."

the above is the description right out of the game book, so it doesn't take your attacks, but you can only attack once. I was thinking that parry flip throw and other defensive maneuvers that take actions can be done.

Attack = Action. So using Circular Parry limits you to one action per melee round.

a Parry flip throw takes an action but is not an attack it is a defense that takes an action

As your one attack remaining for the Melee Round? Sure.

I gotta disagree. A "Parry flip throw" is a defensive action... you're already defending with a circular parry. Since your defense is already focused on a circular parry, your action/attack for the round must be more on the offensive end. Luckily, the body flip/throw CAN be used as an attack!

you can disagree but the words don't lie. The rules for parry/flip throw when used as a defensive maneuver are spelled out in the book you can use it as a defensive maneuver but it takes an action. As for circular parry it uses specific wording no where does it say it takes four of your attacks or all but one. it says you can perform only one attack. the other actions can be actions they just can't be attacks so that would bee defensive in nature and take an action like dodge, defensive disarm, parry flip throw etc.

[Mercdog]

As for circular parry it uses specific wording no where does it say it takes four of your attacks or all but one. it says you can perform only one attack. the other actions can be actions they just can't be attacks so that would bee defensive in nature and take an action like dodge, defensive disarm, parry flip throw etc.

So, are you arguing that the wording of the skill description allows someone, who is surrounded by several attackers that are raining down blow after blow on him, should be able to use Circular Parry to defend against each and every strike, then send out the one attack the skill allows, and on top of that be able to perform as many other defensive actions as his hand to hand actions/attacks allow?

If so, then I don't agree. It just sounds like someone's trying to get one over on the game by pointing out "The rules don't specifically say you can't do that." The manuever is a Circular Parry, not a Circular Parry plus Automatic Flip/Automatic Lock/Automatic Dodge/etc.

I see it as you are concentrating almost wholly on Parrying all incoming attacks, but can still send out one punch or kick in the midst of your blocks.

But at the end of the day, it's the GMs call, and if you're the GM, you can run it your way.

Just my 2 cents.

[Colt47]

So this is a discussion of whether Circular parry actually takes an unspecified number of actions that reduces the number of available actions left to one, or if Circular parry simply makes it so that you can not use more than one action that the player has remaining for attacks.

If the circular parry acts like what is first listed it needs some serious revision because that is way too much of a penalty for the benefit. A character who uses circular parry and has 10 attacks suddenly has to pay with 9 of them to use the move, while someone with only 3 attacks only has to pay with 2? That doesn't sound very sportsman like.

The correct interpretation has to be the second definition, where the user can only use one of his remaining actions for attacking. This means that the player can do other defensive moves that burn actions as long as he still has actions remaining, such as dodging, rolling with impact, break fall, or possibly throwing someone. I'm saying possibly on that last move because throws can be listed all over the place. Also, the classification of throws as a defensive move depends on the style and whether it is being used on a reactionary basis or not.

For example: countering an attack with a body flip/throw is a defensive action. Walking up to someone, saying hi, and then proceeding to self defense them to death with throws is NOT a defense: we call that assault.

[Mantisking]

If the circular parry acts like what is first listed it needs some serious revision because that is way too much of a penalty for the benefit. A character who uses circular parry and has 10 attacks suddenly has to pay with 9 of them to use the move, while someone with only 3 attacks only has to pay with 2? That doesn't sound very sportsman like.

Considering Jump Kicks use all your attacks for the round, it falls in the same boat as that ruling.

[Colt47]

If the circular parry acts like what is first listed it needs some serious revision because that is way too much of a penalty for the benefit. A character who uses circular parry and has 10 attacks suddenly has to pay with 9 of them to use the move, while someone with only 3 attacks only has to pay with 2? That doesn't sound very sportsman like.

Considering Jump Kicks use all your attacks for the round, it falls in the same boat as that ruling.

A lot of revising to do then, isn't there?

I'd be hesitant to really compare circular parry to a jump kick. Circular parry sounds and acts more like a defensive kata than a specific martial art move. Also, Jump kicks have air time, which starts to go into the whole ordeal of how time is handled during combat.

Time... it's a wibbly wobbly sort of thing.

[Mantisking]

A lot of revising to do then, isn't there?

Actually, yes.

I'd be hesitant to really compare circular parry to a jump kick.

While in execution they are different, mechanically they are similar though.

Circular parry sounds and acts more like a defensive kata than a specific martial art move.

Yeah, I'd noticed that too.

Also, Jump kicks have air time, which starts to go into the whole ordeal of how time is handled during combat.

True, that's something that needs to be addressed.

Time... it's a wibbly wobbly sort of thing.

Okay, Mr. Tennant.

[Colt47]

Honestly, sometimes I think the word "Revised" shouldn't be used in a future edition of a publication because you KNOW it's going to be revised again at some point.

So the solution for the Circular Parry seems to be making it a kata instead of a martial art move, which also gives it more room for rules clarification. This is probably the least messy discussion of a problem in the palladium system I've ever seen on this board. Usually they go on for pages!