Open Debate for Clarity on Versatility of Proficiency House Rule
X and I, behind the Note function admittedly, were discussing the finer details of how the mechanics of the switch on Proficiency might work. I'm talking about the House Rule that allows for use of Proficiency Bonus to be either used "Offensively" (as a Bonus to Attack efforts, this is the default and the traditional way of the rules as written) OR "Defensively" (as a Bonus positive adjustment to gain a higher AC, this is in essence the adjusted House Rule allowance option).
But how does it work? When does it take effect? When can you shift it? Good questions. I have been thinking of it, want to post what I think is the correct ruling, but also open it up to the crowd for debate if necessary, and for clarity. Especially want to hear from Ez, because 1) he is the author of this rule really, and 2) I think he and I may be at opposite ends of interpretation at the moment.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): I think the Offense or Defense Proficiency choice must be "set" during 1 round with a decision, but does not take effect until the following round, and that the setting either way must be "locked" within the confines of each complete round. I disagree that the Proficiency choice can be used in a manner similar to Movement, to be distributed anywhere in the sequence of a Bottom or Top segment of a round, and takes application at any time that the player chooses (before attack, after attack, etc.)
within his part of the "Half Round" fragment.
The reason why is that the "setting" offense or defense spans across both "fragments" or "halves" of the round, both the Top and the Bottom, and effects both the PC and the opponent. I feel like that means it has to be static fixed to the whole round.
Here is a copy of what I wrote to X as an initial shot at explaining with example...
DMJ says:
Yes, Proficiency adjustment from Offense to Defense has to be locked with entire full rounds, announced first before all actions in that round (as in you could wait to see results of this BR14 Action set and then say it.). The reason I think is because opponent has already tried to hit at you with stats as they are (were for him).
EDIT: I'll hear arguments the other way. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think it works if you use it within the same working round (like Movement, and I think this is what Ez is talking about above). Think of this scenario: What if someone was cautious as they investigated a scary place, set their Proficiency adjustment on Defense, getting a +2 AC but accepting a little less chance to hit someone. Then a bad guy jumps out of the darkness, no Surprise, but bad guy wins initiative. He Attacks good guy with the adjusted AC. In the luck of it, Bad Guy misses by only 1 point. Round shifts to good guy. Good guy says "I use my Proficiency switch this round from Defense to Offense, like my Movement". All the sudden Good Guy gets an additional +2 to hit BUT his AC just went down all in the same instant? Now retroactively Bad Guy gets robbed of a would-have-been hit? Not fair. It just doesn't work unless it is locked to full rounds I don't think (although the announcement sort of comes during the previous round I guess). I think if not it could even, taken to extreme, be abused to a point of switching it back and forth every single round and thereby getting the chance of denying an opponent an extra few hits and always having the attack bonus (moving it either at the beginning of your series or the end, depending). Maybe I'm missing something though, so keep it coming if there is a better way of looking at it.
Another example could go the other way. Picture again, Player vs. Opponent. This time Player wins Initiative. It's Round 1. Player is Level 1, so has a +2 Proficiency.
Player is at the default setting of Offense, the Proficiency will be used as a +2 to hit Opponent. Player has control of Top of Round 1. He takes the shot, needs a 14, rolls a 15. That's a hit.
Still within TR1, Player decides to adjust Proficiency setting to Defense. That means a -2 to AC. But when? Different answers have different effects.
Interpretation 1: Like Movement, the Proficiency setting shift can be used any time and applies during the part of the round controlled by the Player. In the example, Player's AC shifts up 2 slots right then and there during TR1. Let's say it moves from 15 to 17.
So the Round Moves from Top to Bottom. In BR1, Opponent tries to hit. He rolls a 16. That's a miss.
Result: Player scored a hit that was dependent on the Offensive Proficiency adjustment, BUT Opponent scored a Miss that was dependent on the Defensive Proficiency adjustment, and it all happened in the same round. I think that is "double dipping", "having cake and eating it too" can't think of other cheesy metaphors...but just not what we were intending with this rule adjustment.
Interpretation 2: The decision to shift can occur in TR1 (or even any time before Round 2), but the shift to/from Offense to/from Defense does not take effect until the following round. In the same situation above, Player rolls attack against opponent with Offense setting, so Proficiency applies to Attack. He needs 14, rolls 15. That's a hit. Fair.
Then Player says "I want to switch to a more Defensive stance as I fight. Converting Proficiency to Defense." Fair enough, but Opponent needs to get a chance to face Player in the same manner that Player came at him, which was with more aggression and a little less concern with avoiding hits. Same as above, Opponent rolls a 16. Player's AC is still a 15. That is a hit for Opponent against Player. And it should be. Starting in Round 2 though, Player will be not quite as good at scoring a hit, but he will be harder to hit as a target. When BR2 rolls back around, if Opponent rolls a 16, that will be a miss.
So there it is. Long-winded, but hoping to be as clear as possible to make the case.
Open for rebuttals.
