Parry and Server-Specific Combat Feats

[Rudolph]

Does anyone know about what happens if one uses Athkatlan Triparte, Northlander Hewing, or Sembian Fencing and switches to Parry mode? Does this work at all? If so, how do those attack-removing feats affect the number of Parry attacks?

If Parry doesn't work with those new feats, I'd like to recommend that this is changed, even with no real penalty to the attack number during Parry. This would be a good way of making the bugged Parry mode viable for certain builds.

[Rudolph]

This is to bump the post but also to clarify a little (since Parry is rarely used and potentially confusing).

On the NWN2 wiki it says:

A character may only parry a number of attacks per round equal to the number of attacks per round available to the character.

As I understand it, this means a build using parry at BAB 30 and without Haste can parry up to 6 attacks from opponents. From a single opponent, however, the maximum is 3 because of a bug related to the organization of attacks into flurries.

My question now is: do the attack-number-reducing combat feats on BGTSCC also reduce the amount of possible parries per round?

If so, Parry Mode remains as useless as ever at high levels If not, however, it might become an interesting option for a specialized defensive build.

[chad878262]

I'm not sure when I will be able to hop in game next as work has been rather busy, but if no one tests this before I am able to I'll take a look. That said,

Northern Hewing should not work with Parry Mode. It is the opposite of being defensive.

AT and SF, I can see them being conducive to Parry, but not NH.

[Rudolph]

Hey Chad,

Just wondering whether you ever got round to checking the above? No rush, of course, with so many other goodies being implemented, but do let us know when you know. It would be fun to consider parrying as an option.

[Rudolph]

I tested Northlander Hewing and Parry, just because NH is the only combat feat I have on a build so far. NH stays on in Parry mode, but since the build had low DEX, I never saw a riposte attack. I don't think this combo is a problem since the two have such terrible synergy.

I'm more interested in AT and SF and Parry. Esp. with regard to how often a build can parry with them on. Don't know how to test this myself, alas...

[chad878262]

totally forgot about it actually. I have only been in game about 10 hours over the past month/month and half and about 6 of those have been QC testing, I honestly just didn't remember.

Not sure when I will get in game this week, but I will flag this to do before anything else next time I'm online. Apologies, this one's on me!

[Rudolph]

Thanks, chad! Your sense of obligation re. answering all these forum post is much more than I could expect! Whenever suits you. Just wanted to bump it again - also for others to chime in. I'm kind of excited by the potential the new combat feats have of making Parry powerful enough to be possibly functional - i.e. by not reducing the number of allowed riposte attacks.

[chad878262]

Hopping in to test this today. Will update after testing, but wanted to post my test plan to make sure I'm testing everything that needs testing. Please post here if anyone thinks of something I'm missing.

- Character must have Parry Skill and the feats Athkatlan Triparite, Sembian Fencing and Northlander Hewing. (thus must have 13 STR, 13 DEX).

- Will also take Turmish Flourish (Requires Improved Initiative), Deadly Defense and One Weapon, test to see which modes can be active at the same time.

- Plan is to build a Swashbuckler/Duelist since this will allow Parry to be high enough to basically always work, which will allow me to see in the combat log how many attacks are parried/riposted.

Anything else?

EDIT: the build, if interested: http://nwn2db.com/build/?275583

[Sun Wukong]

Don't forget 13 INT, but yeah, I think that's all... The other feats are more like... activate to use. Altough it would be curious to know if those can be used in parry mode.

[Sun Wukong]

Could you also test Torch-figthing in Parry mode? You just need to get a torch to try it...

[chad878262]

Once I get it built up I will see if a DM is available to assist. Not going to run around the server on the off chance one drops, but if a player or DM can lend me a torch I'll test it.

[Sun Wukong]

Just hit the Eastern Farmlands, there is a torch barrel in there, and it is full of torches.

[chad878262]

As of right now...

Northlander Hewing, Athkatlan Triparite and Sembian Fencing will work with Parry Mode alongside Deadly Defense. No matter which mode you use (they can't be used simultaneously, remember) you still retail up to 3 parry attacks per round against a single enemy (still need to test against multiple enemies). At a minimum this makes the combination of Parry, Deadly Defense and Sembian Fencing quite strong, but I'm not sure if that needs to change because it gives a better reason to use Parry. I will take the discussion QC side with regards to this to determine if we need to and can do anything about Parry Mode # of attacks in conjunction with combat modes.

You can also utilize Turmish Flourish in Parry mode, as well as Lunge...Though not sure if that is supposed to be possible or not, since you can't use flourish. Wondering if parry mode is not supposed to allow special attack actions or not.

I didn't forget about Torch Fighting, will post more later.

[chad878262]

In Parry Mode I never saw the fire damage fire on an actual Parry. However, whenever I downed a Troll a second later a fire damage notification would fire, killing the troll. So best I can tell, when in Parry mode and Weapon and Torch mode is active the PC will auto-attack any troll that is downed, but does not otherwise riposte with the torch.

A few other notes:

- Torch fighting works with all custom modes except for One Weapon. It is difficult to see it as it doesn't show number of attacks, AB or anything on the character sheet, but it's there, in the combat log.

- Parry Mode seems completely unaffected by combat modes. The mechanics work the same regardless... So there it is obviously always better to utilize Sembian Fencing, Athkatlan Triparite, Northlander Hewing or One Weapon than not. You gain the benefits without any cost, since you will always parry up to 3 attacks from one opponent. Frankly this kind of makes me want to make a parry build! I personally found Sembian Fencing to be my favorite mode... +8 AB to make sure every Riposte attack counts! However, which mode is the most useful will be highly dependent on what you build for. I was using a simple SB20/D10 with 22 DEX, 16 STR and 28 INT.

- Torch fighting does not appear to affect the dualist abilities that usually do not work when a shield or weapon is equipped in the offhand (INT to AC and bonus damage from Precise Strike.

- Using Improved Reaction caused my combat modes to be turned off automatically.

- When you equip a torch your combat modes remain on, but when you unequip it, they turn off.

That's all for now, I think I tested everything that was requested of me, if not feel free to post or send me a PM and I will get back around to it when I can.

[Sun Wukong]

- Torch fighting does not appear to affect the dualist abilities that usually do not work when a shield or weapon is equipped in the offhand (INT to AC and bonus damage from Precise Strike.

Which is why I was talking about Barbarian/Duelists when the thing was first added years ago...

But yeah, thanks for trying these things out!