I have been looking at the Basic Move Block and I think an example of how it is supposed to work would be helpful.
Okay, I will try to clear things up a bit
I understand the number you need to roll for the block to work however several things aren't clear.
Such as?
1) Is the Block rolled in response to a successful attack or an announced attack?
The thing to keep in mind is that a block is what, in Champions, would be called an "Abort Action" that may be declared upon "Cancelling An Action". This means that once the other attack has been rolled (i.e. once resolution has started), it is too late to attempt to block it.
While a character may declare a Block before the round, most often it will be used as the new action after the character has Cancelled their previously declared action (usually after finding out that their foe will get to resolve his attack first).
2) If the Defender Blocks does it completely stop the attack?
Yes, that was the intention here.
Now, some of the stuff I have recently worked on has me
considering revising the Block slightly so that the TN of the Block is increased by 2 if the attacking weapon is 2 or more steps (in size categories) larger than the blocking weapon (i.e. it is more difficult to block a broadsword with a dagger than it is with a short sword or other broadsword).
3) If the Attacker is blocked does thier attack roll matter?
It could matter. I would let the attacker roll because, quite simply, they might still earn Boon Points. Now, they wouldn't be allowed to use those Boon Points for extra damage, but there are other options that could be selected, and if they earn enough Boon Points, this could allow them to make a second attack roll (which the defender would NOT be able to block because he will have already performed his action for the round already).
Speaking of which, a canny attacker might split his attack into multiple attacks (if his AB were high enough), using his first attack as sort of a feint to draw off the block to the first attack, allowing the second attack to go through without worry about a Block. (And yes, the AB modifier from the Combat Move, Feint, would apply to the TN of the Block if the Feint was successful.
4) Can a Blocked Attacker cancel thier Attack and do something Else?
That is kinda of a tricky question. As far as the attacker knows, until he actually starts his attack and the Block is begun, he won't actually know that the Defender is doing a Block. As far as he can tell, the foe is simply going to be Fighting Defensively (putting some of his AB into DEF, which he actually may be doing as well).
So, while he may always Cancel his action to do something else at any point prior to starting the resolution of he declared action, the nature of the Block itself is that technically, it cannot be resolved UNTIL the attacking character STARTS his attack. So if the attacker cancels and does something else, that will allow the defender (who was waiting to perform a Block) the opportunity to do the same. And in both cases, that new actions CANNOT include against the foe that they were facing before the cancelled action.
