Enchanted item block, 1 use or one round?

[devonapple]

Wonderful! That's great - thank you for the correction, folks. I'll be running it as ACF from now on. My apologies for the temporary derailment, and thanks from my players!

[zenten]

A, C, and F are true.

The reason we say it 'helps' defense rolls is this - if my Athletics roll is 4, the enemy makes a fists roll of 7 (3 shift difference, no weapons rating), and I have 3 armor from a spell, I end up taking no damage.  Whereas if I had used that spell as a block of 6 instead, the block would have been over come by the fists roll of 7, I'd take one stress, and my Athletics score would have no impact on the exchange.

Blocks replace your defense roll, while armor helps make up the difference between a failed defense roll and the total shifts of damage you have to take.

If you're being blasted by a spell with a damage of 5 though having the block is going to be a lot more handy.

[Tsunami]

If you're being blasted by a spell with a damage of 5 though having the block is going to be a lot more handy.

No, it won't.

Provided that the accuracy of the attack is still 7, Using the defense roll of 4 and armor 3 will reduce the final damage by 7. Using the block will reduce the damage by 6. So the Armor version is still better.


Armor is better, If:
The attack hits regardless of Block strength or Defense roll
AND
The sum of Defense roll + Armor is higher that the Block strength.

[Sanctaphrax]

This is all a bunch of judgement calls, it seems.

It might be a good idea to err on the side of whatever makes Crafting weaker.

[ways and means]

Evocation blocks last for one turn without shifts too duration so enchanted item evocation block should also last for one turn without shifts to duration as enchanted items are just stored evocation spells. The issue of non-activation isn't a problem for me as these items are in my mind all ways on (for example Harry's Duster for example) and only rationed by plot and game balance.  

[Tedronai]

enchanted items are just stored evocation spells.

Well, except when they're stored thaumaturgy spells, at least, but allowing thaumaturgy block enchanted items could easily cause rather severe balance problems.

[crusher_bob]

I'll add that 'B' may be a horribly worded attempt to say that evocation armor can't be 'broken' like evocation blocks can be.

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Example 1:
Jingwei is surprised by too goons.

The first goon shoots at her and gets a +6 result (and he is wielding a weapon: 2 pistol)
Jingwei rolls the fudge dice and gets a 0, since she is surprised, her base defense is zero.
She decides to use her enchanted item to create a +6 evocation block.
The attack still hits on ties, so Jingwei takes 2 stress.
As the block has been penetrated by an attack it is 'broken', it will not defend against further attacks.

The second goon also shoots at her and gets a +4 result (and he also has a pistol)
Jingwei rolls the fudge dice and gets a +1, since she is surprised, her base defense is zero.
So she's looking at a 5 stress hit.

Of course, she could just use another charge from her enchanted item to create another block.

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Example 2:
Against the first attack, Jingwei instead uses her enchanted item to produce Armor: 3
So she is looking at (+5 + 2 - 3) a 4 stress hit.
But armor provided by evocation is not 'broken' like evocation blocks are, the armor will continue to provide protection for following attacks.

2nd goon attacks (+4 result, weapon: 2)
and Jingwei defense (+1 result, armor: 3)
So she is taking a stress 2 hit.

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So, in the block example, Jingwei is taking a stress 2 and then a stress 5 hit.  In the armor example, she takes a stress 4 and stress 2 hit.

[Discipol]

OP here, I would like to remind you that this is about instant block vs 1 round block triggered by a defense.

And Jingwei's example is where I came across the problem, but check out the magical conflict with the toad demon.

[crusher_bob]

Well, my stance of defenses generated by enchanted items is as follows:

1
'Activating' a defensive enchanted item is a non-action that you may do even when you are normally prevented from taking actions.  For example, when you are surprised.

2
The duration of blocks generated by enchanted items follows normal evocation duration rules.  So it will last the whole exchange.  Personally, I use the slightly irregular 'until your next action' duration because I don't like end of round book-keeping phases.
3
If a block generated by an enchanted item is broken, and, later, another attack is made against the same character, they can use another charge in the enchanted item to generate a new block

4
A single enchanted item can't provide both and armor and a block effect at once.  But, you can use two different enchanted items to 'stack' both a block and armor on yourself.

[Discipol]

I am 100% with you on this.

However,

If its monster, than you in the initiative stack, monster attacks you, block goes up, then next action you lose the block.
If its you than the monsters, you do your thing, monsters attack, block goes up, then the block is valid through the entire stack, even against friendly fire (common occurrence) assuming the block is not annihilated.

You did make an excellent point though. It doesn't say in the book, because it was already said in the evocation block, thus, a block, once generated, lasts one round or until destroyed/cancelled/replaced.

[Tsunami]

I'd like to add my two cents once more, then i'm gonna stop, because i think everything has been pretty much covered.
And because i think i'm starting to repeat myself and i don't want to sound obstinate *g*

For me

Reactively activated Defensive Enchanted items, grant their benefit for one attack only. The effect does not persist, regardless of it being block or armor.

Manually activated (that is, an action has been spent to activate) Defensive Enchanted items, work 100% the same way as normal evocation blocks.

[toturi]

I agree with Crusher_Bob.

The issue Discipol raised is one I see as encouraging magic users to raise their Alertness or at least not treat their Alertness as a dump skill in favor of Lore.