I’m trying to come up with a couple of good moves for a knight that boosts Defend, but I’m not having much luck on thinking of cool things to do. Here’s what I have so far, and I’m still kind of iffy on it. What else can you do with advanced moves for Defend besides giving more hold?
I Am Your Shield
When you Defend someone you have a Bond with, add +Bond to the roll.
I Am Your Sword
Replaces: I am Your Shield
When you Defend someone you have a Bond with, add +Bond to the roll and take +Bond forward to Hack and Slash against the foe you defended against.
Those are very mechanical moves, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But I would look at things from a fictional angle first. What is this character able to do that others can’t?
Fictionally, the character is a knight, one who guards the realm. The benefit comes from both training and loyalty, which is why I wanted to put +Bond in there.
Right, right. But does the player roll + Bond instead of roll + Con to defend? If so, that might be a pretty small bonus.
No, in addition to +CON.
In that case, I think you might get some pretty high modifiers. Once you get to +3 and beyond on 2d6, it becomes very hard to fail.
Yeah, which is why I want something else besides just modifiers.
Right. Which is why I suggested thinking about what this knight is able to do that others can’t.
Debt of Honour
When you Defend another, take a hold (max 1/person). Hold may be spent to gain leverage over any who care for them.
Guardian Angel
When you Defend another with your life, hold 1+Bond. Hold may be spent to appear before them as an apparition.
From my Fourth World hack:
Aegis
When you defend while wielding a shield, you may also spend hold on the following:
• Knock the attacker down or back.
• If it is mobile, the thing you defend may move or be moved somewhere safe from the attacker.
• Take –1 forward and negate the attack’s effect or damage.
You might also tinker with the restrictions of the move. The Fourth World also has an archer move that allows them to defend at range, for example.
The Defense move allows you to spend hold “so long as you stand in defense”. You might have moves that allow you to “stand in defense” in exceptional ways, or to spend hold even when you no longer stand in defense.
Another option would be to expand the idea that your defense allows the defended to do something cool.
When you defend someone, take extra hold equal to your bonds with them.