The defense roll is the single most important roll in GearHead: you can absorb a few hits, but, true to anime and the truly lethal effects of high-tech weapons, the best defense is not being hit in the first place. If an attacker and defender have equal skill, then the defender has a 50% chance to dodge, but just a few considerations can make dodging much easier. The exact odds of dodging are difficult to determine, though, because skill rolls can be so complicated.
Possible Defenses, and their Modifiers[]
When an attack arrives, you will attempt each of your defenses in turn, until you succeed, or run out of defenses to attempt. Defenses that may cost stamina or mental points are done last, so you will only lose stamina if other defenses have failed.
A successful defense (of any type) has a 1/3 chance of costing 1 stamina point. If your defense fails, then there's "no point adding insult to injury." Some defense rolls may have other costs.
Dodging[]
The catchall of defenses, everyone can attempt to dodge, and it is the first defense tried. Dodging uses the Dodge skill in personal scale combat, and the Mecha Piloting skill in mecha scale combat. In mecha scale combat, the MV of your mecha is added to your skill roll. In addition, several movement-mode-specific talents add bonuses to this roll in mecha scale combat:
- Sure-Footed, +2 if walking
- Born to Fly, +3 if flying
- Road Hog, +2 if rolling
Electronic Counter-Measures[]
If your mecha has an ECM unit installed, it can be used to jam incoming ranged attacks (Projectiles, beams and missiles). Jamming uses your Electronic Warfare skill with a bonus equal to your ECM unit's rating and a penalty of -5; i.e. an ECM 5 will have no penalty. As an example, the Harpy come equipped with a rating 7 ECM.
Blocking[]
If you have a readied shield and the attacker is not using a FLAIL weapon, you can attempt to block the attack. Blocking uses the Armed Combat skill in personal scale combat and Mecha Fighting in mecha scale combat. The defense roll modified by the shield's defense rating, which can be positive or negative.
Once you block with a shield, it becomes "unready" for one-third of a combat round. For comparison, the firing rate of each weapon is the number of times it may attack per combat round.
Intercepting[]
If you have a readied weapon with the INTERCEPT attribute, you will attempt to Intercept any missile attacks. Intercepting uses the weapon's skill with bonuses equal to the weapon's accuracy and burst value. Therefore, vulcan cannons and rapid-fire lasers are good choices for interception weapons.
When you attempt an intercept, the intercepting weapon becomes "unready," and firing may cost ammunition.
Parrying[]
If you have a readied melee weapon, you can attempt to Parry any non-FLAIL melee attack. Parrying uses Armed Combat in personal scale combat and Mecha Weapons in mecha scale combat. The roll modified by your weapon's accuracy and receives a bonus of +3.
If your weapon is not an energy weapon, it will take some damage. If your weapon is an energy weapon and your opponent's weapon is not, then your opponent's weapon will take some damage. If your parry succeeds, then your weapon becomes "unready".
Resisting[]
This usually applies after an attack with some special attack modifiers succeeds, but is part of the standard defense method. You resist with either Resistance for personal scale combat or Electronic Warfare for mecha scale combat.
Talent: Hap-Ki-Do[]
This is considered a "block," so FLAIL weapons may bypass it. If you have this talent, and all other defenses to date have failed, and you are in personal scale combat, then you get an additional defense roll here, but it will cost you one point of stamina. Hap-Ki-Do uses the Martial Arts skill.
Talent: Stunt Driving[]
This is considered a "dodge," so it applies against everything. You must be in a mecha to use this talent, and you must be running or moving at full speed. This defense is only attempted if all other defenses have failed. Using this talent costs one point of stamina and uses the Mecha Piloting skill.
See Also[]
Return to[]
- Combat System -- hitting and missing, armor, weapon attributes, etc.
- Guides -- strategy tips and tricks, game mechanics, plot spoilers