Movement and timing in combat

[Watson]

How does the movement and timing work in the DFRPG? What I mean is, as I interpret it, movement and actions are done at the same time (i.e. one person does his action, regular- and possibly a supplemental action), then it is the next persons turn.

Can the supplemental action (that is movement in this case) be taken before or after the “main action”? If that can be chosen, and the attacker have Inhuman Speed (or better) it would then be possible to attack a target in one zone (same as the attacker, of course), then move away two zones as a supplemental action, thus making it impossible for the opponent to attack in melee unless he or she also have Inhuman Speed (as the opponent can only move one zone using a supplemental action, without any “speed powers”).

I do think that it would be possible to do this kind of tactic (or at least, the rules do not say that the movement has to happen first, before the regular action).

[Kiero]

Yes, the attacker with Inhuman Speed (or better) can strike and move before their target has a chance to respond.

[Watson]

Yes, that is my interpretation as well.

I assume that all movement as a supplemental action must be taken "in one go" (thus not split up as a "move-attack-move" thing).

[CottbusFiles]

Yes, that is my interpretation as well.

I assume that all movement as a supplemental action must be taken "in one go" (thus not split up as a "move-attack-move" thing).

Maybe with a Stunt like "Flyby-attack" or "Running Sweep"...

[Kiero]

Yes, that is my interpretation as well.

I assume that all movement as a supplemental action must be taken "in one go" (thus not split up as a "move-attack-move" thing).

With Inhuman Speed you get a "free" zone of movement without Supplemental Action penalty. You might argue that you could have another one, but taking Supplemental Action penalty to the attack. If you have Superhuman Speed, there might be no penalty at all if you move one Zone, attack, then move one Zone.

That's a particular reading of the rules, though.

[Pbartender]

With Inhuman Speed you get a "free" zone of movement without Supplemental Action penalty. You might argue that you could have another one, but taking Supplemental Action penalty to the attack. If you have Superhuman Speed, there might be no penalty at all if you move one Zone, attack, then move one Zone.

That's a particular reading of the rules, though.

It would, though, be supported by the novels on several occasions by the typical attack tactics of the Alphas.

[benign]

It would, though, be supported by the novels on several occasions by the typical attack tactics of the Alphas.

You could model those scenes differently, though, without stepping into such treacherous expansions of the rules for movement. I'd have that be a maneuver by most of the pack, which sets various aspects like "distracted" and "flanked" on the enemy. Then the attacking Alpha gets to tag them for defense rolls, so that the big beastie they are fighting goes down without ever scoring a serious hit on anyone in the pack.

[Pbartender]

Granted, you explain a lot of situations in several different ways...  It's one of the things I like about these rules.

But, from what I remember, the Alpha's fights seemed to drop into two categories:

In the earlier books, when the pack was bigger and less experienced...  A lot of alphas would have a bad guy surrounded.  Several of them nip in and out to distract the bad guy, until one of them jumps in to score a hit.  For me, that's the sort of tactic you're taking about.  The pack stays in the same zone as the bad guy, they pack on maneuvers for aspects like "surrounded", "distracted", "spinning around in circles", etc., and then one alpha tags them all to boost attack or defense and make an attack.

Later, when there's fewer of them, but they're more experienced...  You'll see just one or two Alphas (usually Georgia and Will).  They keep far out of reach and hide in the shadows or the bushes.  When the bad guy isn't looking (usually because he's busy hunting a beaten up Harry), one or both of them darts out, takes a bite, and then runs back off into hiding before the bad guy can really do anything.  Maybe there just degrees of the same thing, but to me, that sounds a little more like what Watson is suggesting.

[benign]

Fair enough. There are different ways you could model the situation, and which one fits best is largely a function of what your individual table feels comfortable with. I still hesitate to allow the sort of spring-attack type tactics for the speed powers, though, especially since the speed powers are already quite powerful. If you are sprinting before or after the attack you get a bonus to your defense roll, anyway, which might help you get the feel of the sudden attack without making someone with a speed power invincible.

[ways and means]

I don't see allowing someone to split there supplemental actions as being an extension of the movement rules the power that grants the free zone movements does not declare that they have to be used all at once. All that stopping characters from splitting their free movement (from speed powers) does is mean that players have a greater reason to used ranged weapons and stay two or free zones away.