Avoiding special attack (Claw) ?

[Graham Hart]

Another question: in the introduction, it states, with reference to combat, "You can choose not to perform an action, if you don't have any good choices." Does that mean that if the Combat Table indicates the opponent's special attack (Claw), you can avoid it by choosing not to perform an Action? This seems to be implied a couple of paragraphs previously, in explaining the combination "Attack, Claw": "That would mean that you could use an Attack Action from some piece of equipment -- but at the same time your enemy would land one of its special attacks." Or does it only work like that if the Claw is shown in the table specifically as the second (not the first) of the two symbols?

[Schwarzbart]

I have my doubts that you can avoid claw this way. But i.e. if the special of the current combat have something like take - 2 Initiative when you perform a Defence and you come up with claw and Defence you can avoide your defence action if it is bad.

[Legate of Mineta]

Graham;

 

That is an excellent point: you may not avoid a Claw result in that fashion. In your example you could choose to Attack, or to not Attack, but either way you will suffer a Claw.

[Graham Hart]

Fair enough; and that has at least saved me from the guilt of masterminding a glorious campaign only to realise at the end that I've been inadvertently cheating all the way through.