Looks like you guys did a good job with the whole new AC system. Along that vein, how about adding a new defensive system based on familiarity? I know, I know, you're saying "Mek, we've already got that! Haven't you ever played a warrior?!" But no, that's not what I mean. However, it's along those lines. What I suggest is more along the lines of a chance of countering spells or non-skill abilities that you are familiar with, if they are used against you.


Scenario:
Two transmuters are duking it out. Muter 1 casts 'disrupt bone' and Muter 2, being intimately knowledgeable of the spell, sees the casting in progress and almost reflexively applies a properly woven form of cancellation, managing to destroy the spell as it is being created.

But, wait, it gets better!
Characters having high INT or WIS have a chance, though small, of "figuring out" what is happening as a spell is being cast and can act accordingly to lessen or nullify the effect. This can cross class lines.

Scenario:
A ferocious gnome warrior is fighting an invoker. Now, being that the gnome is extremely "worldly," he has heard all about invoker tactics. So, when he hears the invoker saying something that sounds suprisingly like "Pebble to Boulder," he remembers the tale about his great great great grandpa being smooshed into gnome-jam by some crazy Scion invoker and knows to get the hell out of the way, giving a chance for an increased resistance or nullification of the spell's damage.


Eh, I should go to bed.

I would see this as a more melee type thing to happen, especially with "evade". I see a warrior noticing how an assassin is getting ready to dirt kick him (because he knows how to do it himself) and is able to successfully "evade" the attack. I would like to see perhaps a boost to your ability to evade a skill if you know how to perform said skill as well.

I was under the impression that this already happened ... but without any echo. Sort of like how your success at Parry depends on your (And your opponents) knowledge of the weapon.

.

I would rather not have combat consist of ways that absolutely anything you try will undoubtedly have no effect on your opponent. Paladins given way too many virtues already have this going for them and so do many liches.

While the AC thing does make combat more interesting without breaking it, we don't need to be tweaking up 'defense' more than it already is IMHO. It was pretty high in the first place.

Besides, do you really want your dispel magic spell to fail randomly on ALL mages you cast it on when trying to strip stone skin, invoker shields or corporeal hardening? Having things fail without even checking a communing classes typical ubergodly svs spell, or not being able to maladict them very well is bad enough.

This reminds me of Magic the Gathering ... I used to play it 10 years ago or so and Blue, who had all the cancellations and disrupts, was the most ANNOYING color ever because of it.

Still, this isn't a bad idea ... though I think it needs streamlining. I.E. Familiarity for specific types of spells or individual spells ... perhaps it could even be introduced through edges for countering specific spells.

Imagine a Battlerager village full of elves. Kinda funny.

Though, I think mages should be able to counter all spells their opponent tries to cast (including word of recall), assuming they know the spell.

That might bring some spice to invoker/transmuter/conjurer/shapeshifter vs. invoker/transmuter/conjurer/shapeshifter, which are otherwise quite pointless unless either part is caught pantless.