Syntax: This is an automatic skill.

The extremely nimble may learn to try to avoid any physical attack, from
the swordsman's jab to a rogue's handful of hurled dirt to the body rush
of a crazed berserker. Utilizing a mix of wits, reflexes, and creativity,
the defender can escape any such harm directed his way. While a large,
clumsy giant may attempt to use this technique, they will rarely find it
successful. Even the most agile of combatants will find this more of an
occasional reprieve than a reliable method of avoiding harm.

All characters with sufficient Dexterity can potentially evade a blow,
though practicing the Evade skill greatly improves the chances of doing so.

See also: DODGE, PARRY, BLOCK

From the helpfile, it almost looks as though there's a certain cutoff, where if you don't have X dex, evade won't work. However, up above it mentions a clumsy giant can still attempt to use the technique. So I'm a little confused how that's working. IE: If you're a giant, or dwarf, will it even serve you ANY good to practice this? Then secondly, I do have to look out for my orcish buddies. If this DOES help with 18 dex or less, and every single other physical class (including paladins, and anti-paladins, who don't even have dodge) has this skill...any chance we orcs can try to get all nimbly?

Since I've read that Evade is supposed to work against thief blackjack, does that mean there will be some tweaking to blackjack chance of knock out numbers? Having played Breganu, who as a thug does not have the most reliable blackjack ever, I know how hard it is to land a blackjack on someone. Especially if they're wearing decent headgear. You miss and you get two round lag plus getting potentially owned by the intended victim. This risk is now greatly more increased because of evade but the reward is the same.

Of course one might make the arguement the same might be needed to be made to assassinate as well (assuming Evade works against assassinate) however I'm thinking this risk is mitigated by the fact that an assassin can increase their chances for a successful assassinate (stalk) than a thief can for their blackjack.

Conversely, even with all ducks in a line, the success rate on assassinate is never that of blackjack.

There aren't a lot of skills period that have the success rate of blackjack, honestly. Weapon butt being another story somewhat.

Is that when you do miss because of evade or whatever you now have a chance to evade the on coming bash/pincer etc. Seems like a fair trade, especially since on average thiefs tend to be more agile on average, thus more likely to see the benefits of evade.

In general, this change helps thieves in particular more than it hurts them, especially since it's more difficult to Evade an attack if you cannot see the attacker.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

>Syntax: This is an automatic skill.
>
>The extremely nimble may learn to try to avoid any physical
>attack, from
>the swordsman's jab to a rogue's handful of hurled dirt to the
>body rush
>of a crazed berserker. Utilizing a mix of wits, reflexes, and
>creativity,
>the defender can escape any such harm directed his way. While
>a large,
>clumsy giant may attempt to use this technique, they will
>rarely find it
>successful. Even the most agile of combatants will find this
>more of an
>occasional reprieve than a reliable method of avoiding harm.
>
>All characters with sufficient Dexterity can potentially evade
>a blow,
>though practicing the Evade skill greatly improves the chances
>of doing so.
>
>See also: DODGE, PARRY, BLOCK
>
>From the helpfile, it almost looks as though there's a certain
>cutoff, where if you don't have X dex, evade won't work.


Sounds like the cutoff only applies if you don't practice evade (e.g. if you don't have the skill). If you practice evade - there's no cutoff.

Sounds like the cutoff only applies if you don't practice evade (e.g. if you don't have the skill). If you practice evade - there's no cutoff.

No, "sufficient Dexterity" applies to all defenders, skill or not. The decline in performance with respect to Dexterity is much faster than Dodge.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

From the helpfile, it almost looks as though there's a certain cutoff, where if you don't have X dex, evade won't work. However, up above it mentions a clumsy giant can still attempt to use the technique. So I'm a little confused how that's working. IE: If you're a giant, or dwarf, will it even serve you ANY good to practice this?

Not much. Then again, it's an automatic skill, and an extra automatic skill with no downside is better than nothing. Your choice.

If this DOES help with 18 dex or less, and every single other physical class (including paladins, and anti-paladins, who don't even have dodge) has this skill...any chance we orcs can try to get all nimbly?

Orcs already get it at level 26.

Someone prayed about not seeing it recently, but they had it at 1% (unpracticed) and were Berserk at the time. That pushes the skill level below 1, and it won't show up under 'skills' at that point.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

It sais, anyone with enough dex will experience, but those who practice will be much better.


So, a cloud giant warrior who practices, will be better than that D-elf/arial shifter who is a mage and doesn't get the skill, yes?

Were shifter forms included in this? (mongeese even MORE skill dodgy now?)

What about the balance of the number of shifter forms that only get one attack...or NO attacks per combat round, with an added command attack that will now be dodged by many of their foes?



Just thinking. I'd understand if you don't want to get that specific.

So, a cloud giant warrior who practices, will be better than that D-elf/arial shifter who is a mage and doesn't get the skill, yes?

A cloud giant who practices Evade will be better than one who doesn't. You're changing two variables there. I don't have exact numbers in front of me, but from memory the dark-elf mage will outperform a cloud giant who has the skill.

Were shifter forms included in this? (mongeese even MORE skill dodgy now?)

Unintentionally. That's been fixed but I don't think it's come over yet. We may develop this on a form-by-form basis in the future.

What about the balance of the number of shifter forms that only get one attack...or NO attacks per combat round, with an added command attack that will now be dodged by many of their foes?

You can't Evade normal combat attacks. Dodge still handles those.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

Zero attacks per round (or one like cobra) who rely on their bite skill as consistent damage. These would be more likely to be dodged, which might be something to consider. Also it was how I was planning on practicing evade... if I could find a shifter with weak enough bites.

>>Were shifter forms included in this? (mongeese even MORE skill dodgy now?)

>Unintentionally. That's been fixed but I don't think it's come over yet.
>We may develop this on a form-by-form basis in the future.


Make it an edge, that will benefit the races that normally get no bonus from their high dex in-form (arials, elves, dark-elves) since they typically have low-hp it'd be a pretty good match up that they take a hit to hp, but can gain an edge in defense by gaining evade in form. The only difficulty is it'd make more sense to use their forms dex for that kind of defense - and then it'd only carry over to 'dodgey' forms and have to be a 'cheap' edge - which those races don't really deserve. Mainly thinking 'as a deft race, it is possible to modify their shifting to carry over their quick instincts and gain an occasional skill evasion while in a simlarly deft form'
Meh, its an idea.

I also think arials should get a 'better at airform movement' edge, but I haven't had an airform except the griffon so I'm going to just throw out the name for smarter individuals to pick up

Yhorian.

Say your chance of successfully evading an attack were 1 in 10,000; I'd say you would 'rarely find it successful', but it would still have some benefit over the life of your character. Maybe that one blow you evade is a Villager's Deathblow. Do you want to spend a practice or two on it if that's the extent of your return? Up to you.

Kastellyn the Devourer of Magic, Lord of Legends

Maybe that one blow you evade is a Villager's Deathblow.

You can't Evade anything you can Dodge-- no 'double coverage' on normal combat strikes. So this will happen only if the Deathblow in question was off of one of the skills that allows it.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com