Trigger Damage Shield w/ Maneuvers

[Zed-F]

Suppose I have a character with the maneuvers Martial Block and Fast Strike, skill levels with martial arts, and a MP slot containing a trigger-based damage shield as follows:

 

Counterstrikes: Hand-To-Hand Attack +3d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates; +1) (37 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2)

 

1. If his phase was used to martial block, does he choose a maneuver to use with the 'free' triggered HAs, or do they all count as basic strikes?

 

2. If he is blocking, do any of the OCV/DCV bonuses from the original martial block maneuver or martial arts skill levels apply to his 'free' attacks?

 

3. If he can choose to use an attack maneuver with the 'free' attacks, does that then stop his block sequence, assuming he would like to block multiple incoming attacks?

 

4. Regardless of whether he originally blocked, can he choose to use different maneuvers with each 'free' attack?

 

5. If he aborted to block, can he simultaneously change his MP to this slot, or can he only do so with a held phase?

[Steve Long]

Re: Trigger Damage Shield w/ Maneuvers

 

First, this power construct is invalid, absent GM permission. You shouldn’t use Trigger as a replacement for Damage Shield. It’s certainly possible to have a Triggered HTH Combat attack (such as in one of the examples on UMA 105), but if the Trigger’s resetting instantly and automatically, you’re pretty much just duplicating Damage Shield — so you should use Damage Shield.

 

Second, if a character has an HA Damage Shield, the HA damage adds to his STR as usual. It doesn’t add to Martial Maneuver damage, nor is he allowed to use his Martial Maneuvers with the Damage Shield. A character can apply Damage Shield to a specific Martial Maneuver in appropriate circumstances, using the rules for that on UMA 104-05.

 

Third, if a character Aborts to a defensive action, he’s allowed to perform more than one such action as long as they’re not mutually exclusive (5ER 362, upper right). He’s not allowed to activate any attacks (5ER 362, lower left) or take any other actions, such as activating other abilities or switching non-defensive slots in a Power Framework. Thus, to use your example, switching a Power Framework to activate a Damage Shield is against the rules.