Settle this, please

[Hugh Neilson]

From another thread:

 

Actually' date=' Firewing gets clobbered. Gravitar will simply missile deflect the NND. This can go on FOREVER. If she can deflect 2 NNDs, she wins. She can REFLECT only physical missiles. She can DEFLECT anything. Look at the point cost on the power. It's her 16 vs his 15+ range penalties. So on phase 2, since her missile deflection is still active until her action[/quote']

 

Wow, did that cause a debate. Since I have a rule book in front of me for a change:

 

a Phase is a Segment in which a character can act' date=' i.e., perform an Action.[/quote']

 

Thus, all of Segment 2 is one of Gravitar's Phases. Her Phase does not begin at her DEX, but at the very start of Segment 2.

 

Performing an Attack Action brings a character's Phase to an end - he can perform no other Actions after performing an Attack Action.

 

Thus, if Gravitar performs an Attack Action at any time in her Phase - that is, any time in segment 2 - it is the last thing she can do in that Phase.

 

If a character Blocks and/or assigns Combat Skill Levels in one Phase, and in his next Phase declares a Held Action, do the CV modifiers from the Block and/or the CSLs remain in effect until he takes his Held Action?

 

No. The Block would not still remain in effect. Once a character’s next Phase starts, bonuses from maneuvers ends. Similarly, any previously assigned CSLs remain assigned as they were until the character’s next Phase begins, but he can change them (or simply leave them as they are) as a Zero-Phase Action before declaring his Held Action. The fact that a character chooses to “hold” rather than to take direct action doesn’t mean his Phase hasn’t occurred — he’s just delaying taking direct action.

 

The start of the character's phase ends the Block. It should also end the Deflection, logically. We have estalished that the Phase started at the very beginning pf Segment 2. I must therefore conclude that Gravitar either restarts the Deflect in Ph 2, or she doesn't get to deflect.

 

Steve, is my reasoning correct? Boiling it down, assume Character A Missile Deflects on phase 12, and acts next on Phase 3, DEX 25. Character B, DEX 30, attacks A in Ph 2, DEX 30. Can Character A Deflect that attack without losing her Phase 2 action?

[Steve Long]

Re: Settle this, please

 

I'm not sure I understand where the question is in all this.

 

First, let me point out that as stated explicitly on 5ER 356, "A character’s Phase begins on his DEX in each of the indicated Segments. For example, if a character has SPD 5, DEX 20, his first Phase in a Turn begins in Segment 3 on DEX 20." Therefore the basic premise from which you're reasoning is incorrect, though since I'm not entirely sure what you're asking I can't say for certain whether your conclusion is also incorrect.

 

As noted on 5ER 383, the bonuses from a Combat Maneuver last until the beginning of the character's next Phase. The same logic applies to a "chain" of repeated Missile Deflections -- a character can keep Deflecting attacks, at the cumulative -2 OCV penalty, until his next Phase begins. This includes Deflecting attacks that occur in the Segment in which his next Phase begins, but on DEXs higher than his so that his Phase hasn't started yet. Once his Phase starts, he has to declare an Action. If he decides to keep Missile Deflecting, it's a new use of Deflection and he starts over, without any cumulative penalties. If he decides to take some other Action, he stops Missile Deflecting altogether; he can't keep using the "old" Missile Deflection from a previous Phase/Action at ever-growing penalties.

 

Does that answer your question? If not, please post a follow-up.