So, I'm again at the point that I might have misunderstood a rule for a long long time. This time: Blocks in Fate 3
Situation: Alex the mage is being attacked and - as a defensive action - calls up her rotespell sprit shield. It has a power of 6 shifts as she is a very experienced wizard.
I was thinking that a block works like this: If the attacker rolls 5 or less, the shield blocks all damage. If the attacker rolls 6 or better, the shield fails to block all damage - its as if it wasn't there.
Alex player thinks that a block works different: Roll of 5 or less: All damage is blocked. 6 or higher: The shield reduces the damage by the block strength, 6 in this case.
Arguments (for my interpretation):
YS210: "If he meets or exeeds the block strength, the action resolves normally". The example later is weird as Harry seems to roll a shield without any shifts put into the effort.
YS293: Carlos Shield can be either a 6 shift block or a Armor:3 - that only makes sense if the shield doesn't work if overmatched - otherwise the block would always reduce the damage by six, the armor only by 3.
Same goes for
Y303: Harry's Duster has also both block and armor values. But the duster might be different from the shield as it can be useful to have armor there: You can also roll a normal defense and then apply the armor. (But that is also true for the shield if you prepared it in advance and give it duration)
Also, if you use a ritual to summon somebody (like Harry does with the Erlkönig), the circle is a block (stated somewhere in the Paranet Papers). The summoned entity overcomes the block to break free (my interpretation).
Arguments for her interpretation:
YS210: The example implies that the damage passing the block by Harry is reduced by the blocks strength.
Summoning: The block might reduce the Erlkönigs power by its strength to allow Harry to mentally duel the Erlkönig.
So, how do you guys use blocks?
EDIT: Removed some spelling mistakes.