From: johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu (John White)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pbm
Subject: Re: DM: Help with fighting my slasher
Date: 17 Nov 1992 00:00:06 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: christopher.caltech.edu
Originator: johnjohn@christopher

In article <00963B15.F5FDC780@abby.chem.ucla.edu> ben@abby.chem.ucla.edu  
writes:

>>I plan on fighting her in ALE-L.  For weapons, I was going to use
>>SC/DA against light and medium armor and BA against heavy armor, with
>>an SH as a backup.  (That keeps her carry weight down to 9 which is her
>>limit I think.)  I was thinking that as frail as she was, it was crucial
>>for her to get in fast and furious, so I was thinking 10-10-5-HE-HE-x-x
>>for the first minute.  As far as training, I was going to train CN
>>a couple times before training skills.

To reiterate, I would not use the BA unless you exhausted your stock of  
well-suited weapons without finding one that your slasher likes.  The SC,  
BS, LS, and even HA are all excellent weapons when weiled by a skilled  
slasher with great damage!

>Skip the off hand weapon.

Yup.  For the speed.  You don't have defense, so go for the jump.  The speed  
will really help you do that, according to Dave.

>BA technically requires a 15 ST to use properly; I
>usually won't use a weapon unless I have the req'd ST -2 (13 for BA or  
GS...)

Nonono.  When you're just starting a warrior out, try out the weapons that  
are well suited, then the ones that you're closest to, then the far-away  
ones.  If it does turn out that your favorite weapon is the BA, use it.

>Also, I've been told SL do better aiming at and protecting the arms
>(aim RA, protect AM), RA ends a fight about as quickly as head anyway...
>(less chance of a kill thou)

Hmmm... I would aim and protect head for the speed.  Remember, you're going  
for the jump here.  Aim and protect arms later in the fight, when it looks  
like you're fighting a scum.

>>3) What is a good breakdown for light, medium and heavy armor?
>
>Depends on the weapons.   You can use BS, even SC against APA/F (Slashing
>weapons do boku damage...) BS is slightly slower, but not much.  Lighter
>weapons like SH and HA don't do particularly well against armors weight >8  
or
>so (I think, comments, peanut gallery???)

Guardian told me that hatchet could be wielded effectively against ANY  
armor.


>>4) What do I do with minutes 2-6?
>
>I don't know.  8-8-6-x-x I use in minute 2.  Maybe 10-8-8.  After that?? 
>Doesn't happen to often, unless you  fight Scum or Wastes (WS), in which  
case
>you should be going lower activity for minutes 1-2 anyway.  You could try 
>10-5-10-S-x (Don't S in minute 1) or 7-2-7-S-x, but a better idea would be  
to
>wait for David to answer.

I like 8-8, 6-4, 6-1 for min 2, 3, 4+ respectively.

>>5) What do I do for desparation?
>
>I usually go 10-10-4-D, but David says I'm crazy.  I also sometimes go D in  
1st
>minute.  But that's because my SL (an adept) has, like 2 Decis concepts.

Wait, you don't have any decise, but you decise modify?!

>I feel I have to go D to beat LU to the punch...

That's probably 'cause you aim and protect arms instead of head! :-)
I don't particularly like decise as a tactic for slashers since it is trying  
to make him something he isn't: a striker.  If you always want the jump,  
then make a striker.  If you want a high attack, high init, high damage  
killing machine, then make a slasher.  The slasher's strength lies not in  
always getting the jump, but in taking away the init.  If you concentrate on  
his strengths, you'll be a lot more successful in the long run.

I like 10-10-10 in desp.

Let me expand on that.  I don't think that there is a decise check all the  
time.  At best, it only happens a couple times in each fight.  Much better  
to rely on your init, then paralyze that by modifying decise.

BTW, what's 4 kill desire supposed to do?!

John White
johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu
-not the Sultan of anything