Defense - Legacy of Lamashtu

# Defense There are a number of ways a creature can defend itself. The primary way is to either Block, Dodge, or Clash an enemy's attack. These are the three basic reactive defenses, which interact with a small pool of points called Poise. Alternatively, when a creature is in a position where they cannot defend themselves, the attacker's attack roll is compared against their Tier Score. ### Poise Poise represents a creature's ability to effectively defend itself in combat. When reduced to zero points, a creature's Poise is considered [[Broken Poise|broken]], and they cannot take defensive reactions until at least 1 point of Poise is restored. To restore Poise, a creature... ### Block You attempt to obstruct or otherwise stop an enemy's attack. ##### Failure You roll fewer successes than the attacker. As a result, you lose 1 point of Poise. ##### Success ... ### Dodge You attempt to reposition yourself to avoid being hit by an enemy's attack. ##### Failure You roll fewer successes than the attacker. As a result, you lose 1 point of Poise and become [[Off-Balance]], but still move to an adjacent space. A subsequent Failure while [[Off-Balance]] results in becoming [[Staggered]] in addition to losing 1 Poise, but still move to an adjacent space. A further failure results in becoming [[Prone]], losing 1 Poise, but still moving to an adjacent space. ##### Success You roll the same or more successes than the attacker. As a result, you can move to an adjacent space. Additionally, you may cash in Criticals for added effects, so long as doing so does not reduce your Clash beyond a Success. You may cash in these Criticals to regain points of Poise or Action Points. Alternatively, you can cash in these Criticals to move additional spaces. ### Clash You make an attack roll to contest the opponent's attack with one of your own. ##### Failure You roll fewer successes than the attacker. As a result, you lose 1 point of Poise. ##### Match You roll the same number of successes as the attacker. As a result, neither you nor the attacker lose poise. ##### Success You roll more successes than the attacker. As a result, the attacker loses 1 point of Poise. Additionally, you may cash in Criticals for added effects, so long as doing so does not reduce your Clash beyond a Match. If reduced to a value that would Match the attacker's roll, it will then be treated as such. You may cash in these Criticals to regain points of Poise or Action Points. If still a success, you may impose a negative effect on the attacker, such as pushing them to an adjacent space and making them [[Off-Balance]]. ### Tier Score Based on the number of [[Insights]] a creature has accrued will determine which Tier of Gameplay they fall into. Each Tier has a fixed Target Number for rolls to be compared against. For combat, when a creature is unable to defend themselves, the attacker will instead compare their attack roll against this Target Number. If less than or equal to this number, the attack misses. If greater, the attack hits.