Rules of note in combat.

Um.
Clarification, actually.
You spend DRAMATIC Maneuvers **BEFORE** the test (die roll).
You spend OFFENSIVE Maneuvers if you are successful on the test (you do extra damage only if you hit).
You spend DEFENSIVE Maneuvers if you are unsuccessful on the test (you only soak damage if you've taken it).

Also.
You declare an attack.
Your opponent gets to choose one of three things: Fight (Dynamic), Flee (Reactive), Block (Reactive).
I run the die roll as follows: The person who declared the action rolls the die. A successful roll means you complete your declared action.
Some people prefer to have the person with the higher Warfare would roll the die.
If your action AND your opponent's action are both 'fight', only **one** person rolls the die.

On a related note for combat I would like to say that the in game combat that occurred went quite smoothly all things considered. I would like to request one thing for combats during events (that aren't side scenes) particularly when we have limited time. That is for people who don't know what the combat effects of their Techniques are to please refrain from using them unless absolutely necessary. I understand that we don't all know the rules, but I hope that thanks to Jill's efforts getting us a copy of the system that we know how to use the abilities we have purchased, but when in doubt just go with the flow. I trust you all to be kind and generous for outcomes based on imperfect scenerios as they often happen out of character in an event based mass combat and I hope that you all trust each other.

I know I learned a few things from the last event, I hope you all learned something new too. From my experience with it people did a great job considering how pressed for ST resources we were in accepting the knowledge of their peers and showing some restraint when it would unduly slow things down to wait for a ruling from the ST team.

Thanks, Johnathan. That's a really good point. It would be a good idea for folks to make sure they learn how their Techniques and combat abilities work and what the effects are. It prevents me (or any other narrator) from having to cart around a rulebook and stop the action in order to look things up.

I would have said that if you don't know how to use your combat abilities/Techniques during a combat, you don't actually get to use it, but Johnathan's suggestion is much better. Thanks!

quote]Your opponent gets to choose one of three things: Fight (Dynamic), Flee (Reactive), Block (Reactive).
[/quote]

I think there are also some techniques you can actively use (dynamic) in place of fighting. Sanctuary comes to mind, but I am certain there are others.

If that is done I *think* the challenge is then the appropriate dynamic stat of the person using the technique (ie Dynamic Soul in the case of Sanctuary) vs the Warfare of the attacker but the Technique challenge may be resolved as a separate test (dyn soul vs reac soul of the attacker) prior to the Warfare challenge. I'll have to look in the book or preferably if someone who can understand this system better than me can answer which it is that would be great.

This really depends on the Technique you're trying to use and how you're trying to use it. Activating a Technique *always* requires you use Dynamic [Set]. Sanctuary would be Dynamic [Set] versus Dynamic [Set] if someone were trying to break through it. Otherwise, you just use your Technique.

It would work this way:

Player 1: I'm'a hit'cha!
Player 2: I'm'a activate Sanctuary

Players compare Warfare versus Dynamic [whatever set Sanctuary uses]. Player 1 rolls the die. **

- OR -

Player 1: I'm'a hit'cha!
Player 2: I'm'a get out of the way and activate Sanctuary.

Player 1 compares Warfare with opponent's Reactive Body. Player 1 rolls the die. Player 2 then activates Sanctuary. If someone wants to try to break through Sanctuary after this, it's a Dynamic [Sanctuary Set] versus Dynamic [same Set as Sanctuary] challenge.**

In both of these examples, if both players agree that they would prefer that the player with the higher stat rolls, that's fine.

As per my conversation with Trent, my understanding of a Transcendant Advantage is that it is an advantage ( a +1 on the die roll) you will get regardless of any other factors in play even other Transcendant Advantages. The example in the BRB indicating the Transcendant Advantage winning outright is due to the fact that two other typed advantages were in play. This is what makes one of the highest tier angel and devils so nasty since they get 2 Transcendant Advantages on us just for being that much cooler than we are.

The best phrasing on trancendent advantages I've heard was, "it gives a +1 like any other advantage but unlike normal advantages it can put you up to a total of +3 on a die roll (making the die roll un-nescesary)"

The way I understood it is that a TA can provide up to a total of +3 to a die roll. It is entirely possible that the term "Transcendent Advantage" was used in more than one way in different places in the book. Kind of like "Potent Inspiration/Hindrance" means "lasts longer" not "is more than +/- 1 to your Prowess". I find that a little confusing, since Potent Transgressions, Vices, and Preeminences are basically "more better", not "lasts longer".

Anyway, in the instance Dan (my Ninja) is talking about, there was a character in the game who had at least 1 Transcendent Advantage which put it up to +3 on a die roll.

EDIT: To be absolutely clear, the character in question had a PREEMINENCE that allowed him to achieve a Transcendent Advantage if certain other conditions were met (giving him a Significant Advantage). When those conditions were met (they were), the character would receive one TA *per combat scene*. Not a blanket +3 to all his die rolls.

And to be even more clearer, there are Preeminences, Manoeuvres, and situations in which you can recieve an Advantage (+1) to your die roll. There are some situations in which those Advantages may stack, to a maximum of a Significant Advantage (+2). In *extremely rare circumstances*, a character may have the ability to use a Transcendent Advantage, which can provide a further +1, and which may stack with other Advantages, to a maximum of +3. But it doesn't always.

PCs almost never receive Transcendent Advantages. Unless your Storyguide has been plied with so much Dark Chocolate by way of game taxes that she is delerious and singing the words "You get a Tran-scen-dent ADVANTAGE" to the tune of the theme from "Magnum, P.I.".

Did you know Transcendence is *not* spelled Trance-n-dance?

*giggles*

It really *should* be, shouldn't it?
We ought to start a petition.