Combat Luck and Damage Types

[JamesG]

Since Combat Luck is defined as the ability to avoid damage through advanced dodging or ‘dumb luck’, rather than the ability to “soak up†damage, I was wondering if it protected from damage caused by these sources:

 

1 – Falling Damage.

 

2 – KB Damage or damage from being Thrown by someone who had grabbed you.

 

3 – Collision damage (like being inside a vehicle that crashes).

 

4 – Crushing damage caused by being ‘squeezed’ after being grabbed.

 

5 – Damage from an AoE attack that completely fills an area (like a classic fireball spell)

 

6 – Damage from broad front phenomena like a tsunami or a snow avalanche.

 

7 – I was going to ask about damage shield, but saw the FAQ on that. I would add that Combat Luck always protects against DSs defined as the shielded character ‘striking out’ at his attacker (such as weapon flourishes and counter-strikes).

 

My thoughts are from “logic†standpoint Combat Luck probably shouldn’t protect against most or all of these, but from a “game balance†standpoint it should (or ‘Luck Based’ should be a bigger Limitation).

 

Looking forward to the official word.

[Steve Long]

The official word is that I'm not going to try to categorize it too precisely. For every instance where someone could reasonably argue that luck should come into play to prevent a particular type of damage, another gamer could point to another instance of the same type of damage and reasonably argue that luck wouldn't apply. (This reminds me a good bit of D&D debates, way back in the day, about when saving throws should and should not be allowed.)

 

I think it's best to leave it to the GM to decide on a case-by-case basis, keeping special effects, common sense, and dramatic sense in mind.