The Riddle of Steel: why not using all dices to attack ?

[BlacKnight]

Actually, the opponent can't attack. This was explained in Companion: when using Stop Short or Toss, the opponent does not declare his maneuver, therefore he can not launch his own attack. In Toss, he may choose to dodge or not, but nothing else. In Stop Short he does not get any choice.

Only when the situation is Red/Red, Stop Short and Toss work exactly as you stated (he launched an attack already).

I've recovered the Companion and those maneuvers work differently there.
Is there a summary that lists all maneuvers across core + companion + flower of battle?
Otherwise I would have to make one by myself, or use BotIT to have everything on one book (hoping it doesn't have 2 or 3 expansions too!)

To be honest, never got stabbed so no real experience to extrapolate from. But in a way you are correct: when attacking belly area, you can hit the sides, which has only single level (disregarding the amount of actual damage you roll): you pierced a flank and there is only little shock and almost no blood loss.

So if the opponent is cutting, he will hit you.

This is valid for most level 1-2 wounds: if you go red-red and you do not hit hard enough, you may get hit easily - and a smart opponent will definitely use the option to increase cut damage by 1 for 1 die (if you hit, it's like an automatic success... and if you do not, it's quite possible the single die would not make a difference).

My issue with this is that it seems hard to get a "double death", while in reality, when fighting with thrust oriented swords, it was a common occurence.
This could be solved by increasing blood loss and reducing shock for puncture wounds.

It's actually possible to make several "troperific" villains. One of my players was actually very combat savvy (he knew the rules quite well and could work the system) and played a ranger/tracker whose weapon of choice was a hatchet and knife, and another was playing an overconfident fencer.

They met a leader of enemy army when they infiltrated his outpost - and decided "to hell with stealth, let's kill this guy". He was actually quite adept fencer (CP around 17) and was considered a "boss" encounter, meaning he got his own SAs.

You know the trope when the enemy is actually overjoyed they finally get to fight someone and then are a bit disappointed? I pulled it off perfectly. He was able to counter anything they threw at him (some luck involved, but mainly tactics, longer weapon, good DTN and they were already fatigued) and after three hectic rounds where I split dice between their attacks and went mostly defensive I pulled off a full evasion, went into aggressive stance and stated "Well. Not bad. My turn now."

They went on full evasion and fled.

Ahah, tha's a nice story.
My players tend to get lucky and beat opponents over their capabilities, who knows that maybe going low could change things?

Correction: these are not Passions, but Drives. The latter could be interpreted as Oath.

If you are directly opposing your SA, you can lose points you have in it (e.g. if you swore an oath to become a great solder and run away from first battle even though your side is winning), but you do not take penalties from SA. There is one exception: anti-destiny.

I'm not sure I understand what the difference is between these.
A passion is linked to a certain person. Ok, easy enough.
An oath is, well, an oath.
So drives are... a residual category for things that don't fit in any other category?
A drive is defined as "a worthy cause that they would die for and (probably) kill for because they believe it to be extremely important".
How is that different from any other spiritual attribute?

For the captain, I'd go with schiavona, arming sword or backsword - longswords are not single-handed by default (your choice, if you actually wish to go against a longsword, no problem there - but she'll go two-handed, as it makes sense without a shield).

I have built her as relatively experienced, on par with starting character in some ways. She'll get an SA (oath: to protect the book at all costs).

Advantages are on your side. Question: do soldiers wear any armor in this setting?

The swords used by soldiers in AoT setting are heavy and meant to cut through titan skin at high speed, as they use the 3DMG, a special equipment with harpoons and wires linked to their body to go around swinging like Spider-Man.
A video is probably more explicative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfPrwJiZViQ
Notice that no one is wearing 3DMG at the moment.
I imagine the swords have a balance center quite far from the hilt, which make them not the best for dueling.
If we go for one handed weapons I think any cut oriented blade could do it, as long as the ATN is not too good. Schiavona, backsword or even saber are the best fit.
Soldiers in the setting don't wear armor, because well... anime logic. (to be fair they should wear not armor, but something akin motorcycle vests, to protect themselves from bad falls.)

Very well, to arms then.

...

Captain Valzer seems unfazed by your threats, but she draws her blade and steps back into guard only moment after you do, ready to receive you.

OOC: In this case, we are on relatively even meadow, in the middle of forest. There is a shallow brook just few steps to the side, and trees are just few yards behind each of combatants.


Choose stance (Neutral for me; I choose first as your REF is higher)
Throw initiative.

Oscar knows being defensive won't do him any good in this situation.
He assumes aggressive stance, points his sword at the captain and makes a step forward.
I take Red dice for initiative.