Repel attempt bonuses

[Chris Byler]

Originally posted by PvK:
It would be interesting for the long-weapon fighter to sometimes try to back away.

I think it would be easier to program the original suggestion, but maybe you think that it's not a realistic suggestion?

Actually, what I don't understand is why (if I'm right about how it works, and I'm not sure I am) the repel attack doesn't do full damage. It seems to me that usually the way an incoming foe is repelled is by hitting them (with full strength).

PvK

Because that would give the guy with the longer weapon twice as many attacks - once on his turn, and again on the enemy's turn. (More than twice as many, if the repel succeeds and cancels the enemy's attack.)

This would be a bit unfair.

Worse, if one supercombatant with a pike were attacked by 12 guys, he could theoretically kill them all with his repel attacks - and then do it again the next turn - without paying any fatigue (IIRC). For some supercombatants this wouldn't be all that theoretical - one of the demigods with 6-8 Fire could easily have 25+ in both attack and strength, and a long armor piercing weapon (30+ armor piercing damage will reliably kill most normal troops).

So Dom (I/II) compensates by not allowing the extra attack to deal too much damage. It still counts toward morale though (as well as cancelling the guy with a short weapon's attack).