Resisting Knockback for Martial Artists

[InfiniteKarma]

For agile, high DCV superheroic characters, knockback is a problem (IMO) - you might have enough breakfall to safely land from a terminal velocity fall, but there's absolutely no way to avoid getting knocked prone or taking damage after any small amount of knockback that runs into an obstacle.

 

Is there a good power construct to avoid the damage and auto-prone of getting knocked into an obstacle? I'm thinking of Knockback Resistance, limited to reducing inches that would result in hitting an obstacle, maybe with a Breakfall skill roll required? What would a fair value on that limitation be, -1/2?

[eepjr24]

I don't get why you need to limit it at all? A martial artists control of momentum and redirection of energy is easy enough justification and KB resistance is dirt cheap at 1 point per meter. I would not object to you putting RSR: Breakfall (-1/2) on it, but I would certainly make sure it came up once in a while that you failed the roll or that modifiers were applied that made sense. Probably something along the lines of -1 per 20 STR in the hit.

 

The other bit about reducing inches is not much of a limitation at all that I can see. What does it prevent you from doing that you otherwise would be able to do?

 

- E

[InfiniteKarma]

The main limitation is that you still get moved by the knockback, you just get to make a break fall roll to avoid the damage. E.g. if you get knocked back 10", and a wall is 5" away, you move the 5" THEN start applying the resistance.

 

Really, I'd be happy to pay points to still try and make a break fall, instead of auto-failing.

 

I'll mention that my group plays 5E, I didn't realize KB resistance had its cost cut in half in 6E.

[Hyper-Man]

It's still the same cost, it just doesn't look like it.

 

In 5e 1" of KB Resistance costs 2 points.

However 1" was defined as 2 meters.

 

In 6e 1m of KB Resistance costs 1 point.

 

HM

[Ninja-Bear]

The main limitation is that you still get moved by the knockback, you just get to make a break fall roll to avoid the damage. E.g. if you get knocked back 10", and a wall is 5" away, you move the 5" THEN start applying the resistance.

 

Really, I'd be happy to pay points to still try and make a break fall, instead of auto-failing.

 

I'll mention that my group plays 5E, I didn't realize KB resistance had its cost cut in half in 6E.

What you charge is fair.

[eepjr24]

The main limitation is that you still get moved by the knockback, you just get to make a break fall roll to avoid the damage. E.g. if you get knocked back 10", and a wall is 5" away, you move the 5" THEN start applying the resistance.

 

Really, I'd be happy to pay points to still try and make a break fall, instead of auto-failing.

 

I'll mention that my group plays 5E, I didn't realize KB resistance had its cost cut in half in 6E.

So the difference from not having this limitation is that you always move the full distance of knockback as long as there is not an obstacle for you to hit? That is pretty much how Breakfall and KB resistance work together already. You don't need any limitations on it, just a breakfall roll, per 5er, 421:

A character who is not Unconscious or Stunned can make a breakfall roll at -1 per 2" KB to avoid taking damage from the knockback. If the roll succeeds, the character takes no damage. He also lands on his feet, so he doesn't have to waste a half phase action to reorient himself. Breakfall doesn't help a character who hits a wall or other object, however.

 

So say you have 12" KB resistance. Your opponent rolls 8" of KB and you have a wall 6" behind you. You utilize 6" of KB resistance, stop just short of the wall and roll Breakfall to remain standing at -3. Or you decide you don't want to move at all, stay where you are and don't have to roll at all. If the latter is what you are trying to limit out (IE you can never choose to not be knocked back unless it is to avoid an obstacle or wall), I'd give you a -1/2 on that. So an opponent could knock you back 30" (assuming they had a power with say 4x KB) and you could not resist. Or an opponent could knock you off a roof with 4" KB and you could not resist.

 

- E