Question....





Now, as stated in the rulebook.. You can defend well you are under the effect of Agony. Drain does not say that. Does this mean that, well you are drained, you cannot defend? Period?

"you cannot run or use any game skill, including weapon and shield skills." Since you need a weapon/shield skill to use a weapon or shield to block attacks that would otherwise hit you, no, you cannot defend, except by trying to walk away.

I know it's a little more confusing in Isles because your weapons skills come from purchasing physical pool points, but it is still a purchased ability. You couldn't use things like purchased pool points to harvest while drained either, unless the rules specifically put an exception in.

Presumably no using small weapons while drained, either, even though it is a 0 cost skill. If staff wants there to be 0 cost skills you can use while drained -- like being splinted by 'Imbue by Medicine' -- those should specifically say they are usable in that case.

Using a weapon is a game skill.

Even if it is nothing more than a small weapon - that is still listed as a 'skill' - just a zero cost.

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Agony - you are in pain. You can defend, or run away until it passes.

Drain - you cannot use any game skill (no weapon use, no spells, no psionics, no 'anything'). You may walk slowly away.
Consider that you have had all of your energy and strength sapped away, and you are so physically and mentally wiped out that
it takes all of your concentration to just stay on your feet and try to stagger away from whatever just hit you ...

Per the definition of Defense, Yes, Yes, and No.

"These abilities allow you to negate abilities used against you."

While I grant you the notion that having your maximim Vitality doubled "protects" you against weapon strikes and mitigates the effects of attack skills used against you, it does not seem to be the spirit of the rule to allow it. What it seems to mean is, "You can call Avoid, Parry, Purge, Resist, Reflect, Spirit, No Effect, etc if you have them and they are appropriate to the situation.

There is an exception.. Even with no energy and barely able to stagger away, you are still able to fend off a death strike.

I understand that you can't use any in game skill, however 'fall' is not an in game skill..

Could a death strike be interrupted by someone 'falling' onto the person doing the death strike? It would seem this could even be done by a drained person.

Of course point B is the whole 'no physical contact' thing, preventing anyone from really falling...

What I was suggestion, Dwayne, was someone who was still moving, but drained, falling into someone who was performing a death strike on their friend, thereby interrupting it... I'm sure you know that, sometimes, you only need a few more seconds to save a person from a death strike.

The rule write-up is very clear -

Target must be inconcious or immobile.

If you can move, and drain does allow you to move - you are not immobile.

Obviously, as you noted Matt, we have a rule against actual physical contact - so "falling on" someone is not an option.

I am unsure why this is still a question ?????

I say again, as per the rules :

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Death Strike A death strike is used to kill an unconscious or immobile victim. You must touch a weapon to the torso of
the victim while saying "Death strike one, death strike two, death strike three". This verbal must be spoken
clearly and at a normal speaking pace. You do not need to have skill with the weapon to inflict a death
strike.

To inflict a death strike, the victim must be immobile. The victim can be unconscious or immobile because
of a game effect, but you cannot inflict a death strike on a body until it comes to rest after an attack, nor can
you inflict a death strike on a helpless but struggling victim. If the victim can move, the victim can prevent
a death strike. First you must render the victim unconscious or immobile, and then you may inflict a death
strike.

To interrupt a death strike, you must strike the person attempting to deliver the death strike with a weapon
or packet attack. You may also interrupt the death strike by striking the weapon used to perform the death
strike with a weapon of your own. You do not have to force the weapon away. A death strike that is
interrupted is canceled and has no effect.

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Clearly, as the rules state - if you can struggle at all, you cannot be Death Striked.
If you are bound, gagged, and hanging upside down over a pit of vipers - but you are still awake - you cannot be Death Striked.
(interesting to phys-rep that one ...)

Plain and simple - one last time :

To inflict a death strike, the victim must be immobile. The victim can be unconscious or immobile because
of a game effect, but you cannot inflict a death strike on a body until it comes to rest after an attack, nor can
you inflict a death strike on a helpless but struggling victim. If the victim can move, the victim can prevent
a death strike. First you must render the victim unconscious or immobile, and then you may inflict a death
strike.