Attacks and Parrys

[Tinker Dragoon]

1. Yes, although it makes little sense for most normal animals, especially quadrapeds. Also, since many monsters (and all real-world animals) lack hand to hand combat training, parrying costs an attack per melee, so there's no particular advantage to parrying instead of dodging unless the creature in question has a parry bonus.

2. Yes, although if you're using more recent combat rules, this is done without any bonuses.

[mrloucifer]

1. Parrying - Can an unarmed monster or animal parry an armed attack? Example, I swing my sword at a tiger, can the tiger "parry"? If monsters and animals cannot parry, they must (if I am correct) give up a dodge to avoid the attack, which seems to be a bit limiting to me (do they have more SDC to make up for that?)

2. Parry/Block - I swing my sword at an evil cultist. The cultist is unarmed. Can he "Parry" my swing? What about block? Can an unarmed defended block/parry armed attackers?

#1. Quadruped creatures with animal intelligence are dangerous in my game for one simple reason... Simultaneous Attacks. As animal intelligence, they're more likely to simultaneous strike than dodge something (unless the players are swinging,hurling something large enough that they would feel they have to dodge). Their natural A.R. gives them some protection against the player characters already, and most players in my game get nervous enough to where they go on the defensive and let the creatures attack first as a few free hits via simultaneous strike can wipe them out fast. They've gotten especially wary of the ones that like to pounce on them (like hell hounds).

#2. The cultist can parry by blocking the attacker at the wrist. And HTH skill (basic and up) would have this kind of training (I recall all of my Martial art/ defensive classes in the day teaching this against armed attackers.) Sword fighting only works well in the movies in my experience as its easy to lose leverage.
Going for the hands, wrists or forearms of the attackers works better, or they could try a defensive disarm in this manner, do a simultaneous strike via Body block/Tackle or a body flip/throw on the attacker (a favorite of mine as the attack loses initiative, which means the one who just flipped can strike again right way, putting the swordsman on the defensive suddenly) or the defender could go a step further and try to perform an arm hold, or if they have telekinetic abilities they could try to parry that way.
Point being, don't let combat be a stale thing "dodge,dodge,wash, rinse, repeat" ordeal. Sneaky, tricky or just smart fighters make the combat a lot more interesting for the players. The easiest way to determine the villains fighting prowess would be to look at the available attacks in the HTH details on page 164-165 and get creative.

[Tinker Dragoon]

OK, so if I understand correctly here, parrying does not neccessarily mean "clanging weapons" against each other, it's more like a "combat dodge" so if your trained, you don't lose an attack when attempting to avoid one (like you would with dodging) is that correct?

In the context of Palladium's combat rules, parrying means physically deflecting an attack by interposing something (a weapon, a shield, your arm, a psionic force field, etc.) between yourself and the opponent's strike, whereas dodging means moving one's body out of the way of the opponent's strike.

The text in bold...the advantage would be that dodging using up an attack (but since monsters and animals are not trained, they would lose an attack anyway)??? Is that correct?

Correct, characters with a Hand to Hand combat skill are able to use a so-called "automatic parry," i.e. a parry that doesn't cost an attack, while everybody else (animals, demons, slimy horrors, etc.) has to use an attack to parry.

Is there a seperate "block" maneuver?

In Ninjas & Superspies there's a Power Block/Parry maneuver which lets you simultaneously block and damage the opponent.

Also, ATB2's Hand to Hand: Bull Fight skill provides an Automatic Shoulder Block maneuver which allows a four-legged character to fend off an attack by body-checking the opponent.

In BTS1, however, there is no specific "block" maneuver, at least, not one that is differentiated from a parry.

[mrloucifer]

Just seemed, I dunno, like monster and animals were "too easy" to hit (without being able to parry, etc and not lose attacks), but without being trained, and with them often having ARs, I guess that makes sense. Still kinda tough to wrap my head around, heh, heh.

I promise you, a few good simultaneous attacks with power lunges, and some mauling, add in some wolf tactics (multiple beasts working together to surround the players and strike from the rear) and your players will become more terrified of the wild things than the more intelligent ones, just as it should be.

My players learned long ago that several Hell Hounds working together are more deadly and dangerous than several of any other kind of creature together. Study up on "Simultaneous attacks" (page 164) and let the wild creatures maul and pounce your players to bits!