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Originally Posted by Atgxtg
On the contrary there is a bit difference. It isn't additive either. It's not speed plus mass. It more Speed x Mass for Momentum. And Speed Squared x mass/contact area and time to get the effect.
Let's say that you got a object moving at high speed. Now if you can apply force to it at a angle other than the one it is heading in, you will alter the trajectory of the object. Ideally you wont to do so at a right agle from the path the object is headed. Depending on how fast the object is traveling, it's inertia, how much force you can apply and at what angel, and just how far along it's path it has already traveled will determine just how much you can alter it's destination.
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I think you're getting too caught up in specifics. Ultimately, the vector*mass of the weapon attack is represented by the potential damage of that attack (damage rolled and modified based on special/crit result, etc).
In the same way, we can say that the capability of the parry to deflect that damage is represented by the AP of the parrying item. It's an abstraction, but one that "works" within this context. A faster/harder blow from a large weapon will be harder to deflect fully then a slower/softer blow from a smaller weapon. Both of those are represented by damage potential and AP (damage stopped).
There's a reason why heavier/bigger shields block more damage. And it's not just because they're "thicker" (which is the assumption for armor for the most part), but because the combination of mass and size allows the wielder to deflect larger attacks. Again, it's an abstraction, but then so is everything in an RPG, right?
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Plus just what that smaller area is could make a huge difference. Most dodging moves the point of impact to someplace less lethal. A shoulder hit instead of the head, a strike to the outer ribcage instead of the heart. All good from the defender's point of view, and lowering the damage in game terms.
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I would argue that a successful dodge means you avoid getting hit. What you're describing is more like a successful dodge making a special hit become a normal hit instead (one that would have connected solidly, resulting in cracked ribs and a collapse to the floor, ends up only slicing you a bit). IMO, the "success level subtracts" system works well for this.
While I understand the objective here, I also think it's possible to overthink rules and try to make them "too realistic". At the end of the day, we're playing a game, and the concepts and abilities within that game have to "work". While it's possible to have a dodge mechanic that operates by subtracting damage instead of reducing hit levels, it then becomes just another way of parrying. More interesting, with the rise of parry rules with a "parry blocks all" mechanic, it puts us on the odd circumstance of actually having completely reversed the mechanical utility of the two abilities. Somewhat arbitrarily I might add...
If two abilities do the exact same thing, why have two? It makes sense to have parry be the one that subtracts damage, while dodge reduces hit levels. It gives each one a distinctive methodology that may each be effective, but not in exactly the same way. From a game design perspective, this offers the players options to choose from and a reason to perhaps develop both skills (situationally, one will usually be better then the other, but not always). This in turn allows for more depth within the combat system, and is a good thing.
Um... On a side note, we actually did make some slight changes to our parry rules to reflect the whole "you're deflecting, not just blocking" idea. On a special parry, we add half the parrying characters max damage bonus to the AP of the shield (for purpose of parrying). This reflects the idea that sometimes a big strong guy can parry better then a small weak guy. He's going to be more able to muscle that shield into the right position and angle to avoid additional damage.
Dunno. It's just a rule we came up with, tried, and really liked.