I've been playing Alien: The Roleplaying Game for a long time now, but lately, I’ve noticed a few things that I find interesting, that could potentially overhaul how I play the game as a player and GM for other people. It all has to do with pushing rolls, so any clarity (ideally [but not exclusively] from Free League developers should they actively read forum threads) on it beyond just opinions would be much appreciated.
First off, armor. I looked in the combat chapter’s little paragraph on how armor works, I looked at the list of available suits of armor, and I looked at the section early in the core rulebook that talks about what pushing means and how it works; I also did keyword searches on my .PDF viewer that came up blank. I didn’t see anything saying you’re forbidden to push armor rolls, yet I’ve been under that impression for the past two years. Was this intentional? Given how (at least with the RNG of VTT platforms) armor is often of minimal benefit (especially against armor-piercing attacks, because even then, the best body armor in the game gets reduced to three dice, and your odds of surviving with just three dice aren’t high), pushing would actually give armor some level of benefit again.
Second, blocking. Blocking doesn’t explicitly identify itself as an opposed roll in its text, meaning that on one hand, using RAW means that you could push (and narratively, it makes sense since you’re putting extra effort into not dying), but logically, it would be opposed (since you're defending yourself from an attack). I’m curious about whether or not you can actually push blocking rolls, if the lack of direct phrasing “it’s opposed” at least implies if not outright confirms that you can in fact push block rolls or not.
Lastly is Stamina rolls for resisting diseases; I know opposed rolls usually can’t be pushed unless said otherwise, but I want to know whether you can push sickness rolls, especially given that there are some powerful diseases in this game and it would make sense for you (or your body in this case) to really be pushing yourself/itself to the limit, especially if you have talents like True Grit or Past the Limit that let you push Stamina twice.
So what say you, Free League and/or anybody with very sufficient knowledge on the game?
Re: Some pushing-related rules or lack thereof that I've noticed
You can only push skill rolls, armor rolls are not a skill rolls and can't be pushed.I didn’t see anything saying you’re forbidden to push armor rolls <>
Only active part (called "attacker" which is not good, active is better) in an opposed roll can push his roll, the passive (called "defender") can't. So if you sneak around, you make an opposed roll, your Mobility vs. the Observation for whoever it is that you are sneaking around, you only, the sneaker can push, since you are the active part, the observer can't. Blocking is not considered an opposed roll (it is a reaction, the blocker spends an action to do it) for the purpose of pushing the skill roll, you can push blocking rolls. I think that the alien rulebook doesn't say that blocking isn't considered an opposed roll for pushing purposes but this is how all the other YZE-games works so it is up to you and your group. Personally I think it is something that they just have missed and I allow it..I’m curious about whether or not you can actually push blocking rolls <>
“Thanks for noticin' me.” - Eeyore
Re: Some pushing-related rules or lack thereof that I've noticed
I am not sure how correct I am playing it in my game, but anything you have agency over, attributes and skills, you can push. Anything passive, armor and explosive damage from a grenade, can't be pushed. Blocking I allow to be pushed but not the other opposed rolls. It is unclear but since blocking takes an action I consider it a different case.
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