Metal Carapace and Shield Block timing

[Ravingdork]

If I take a crit while using Metal Carapace, can I Shield Block with my rusty shield? Or does the effect end prior to the reaction?

[Finoan]

The only rule I know of to handle this is this one from Player Core. It is from the section on Triggers, so it can be argued that it doesn't apply. But it is still the best that I know of.

Limitations on Triggers. pg 415 wrote:

If multiple actions would

be occurring at the same time, and it’s unclear in what
order they happen, the GM determines the order based
on the narrative.

[TheFinish]

Metal Carapace states "If you take damage from a critical hit, the metal shatters and the impulse ends."

Shield Block says "While you have your shield raised, you would take
physical damage (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing) from
an attack."

Maybe it's because English isn't my first language, but when I read these two I'd rule that the Impulse only ends after the shield block, since shield block can't be used when you've actually taken damage ("you would take" means you've not taken any damage yet) and the impulse ends when you do actually take damage.

[Ravingdork]

That makes sense. Though unlikely, it's entirely possible the Shield Block could prevent taking any damage altogether, and therefore prevent Metal Carapace from going down.

Since you can Shield Block after knowing how much damage you're going to take, but before you actually take any of the damage, that means you would do that before taking any damage from the crit (which is a prerequisite for losing Metal Carapace).

I think I've got it figured out now.

Thanks everyone!

[Easl]

TheFinish wrote:

Maybe it's because English isn't my first language, but when I read these two I'd rule that the Impulse only ends after the shield block, since shield block can't be used when you've actually taken damage ("you would take" means you've not taken any damage yet) and the impulse ends when you do actually take damage.

Your English is fine! "If you would" is a future hypothetical - talking about something that might happen in the future. So you are correct (as far as I can tell), the block happens before the damage...and could prevent the damage from the crit, resulting in no loss of the impulse.

"If you would join me for tea, I would serve you biscuits" does not mean you get the biscuits before the tea, and you might not get biscuits at all :)

[Ectar]

Ravingdork wrote:

That makes sense. Though unlikely, it's entirely possible the Shield Block could prevent taking any damage altogether, and therefore prevent Metal Carapace from going down.

I mean, this seems fine? If your shield's hardness prevents you and the shield from taking damage, why would the carapace break?

[Ravingdork]

Ectar wrote:

Ravingdork wrote:

That makes sense. Though unlikely, it's entirely possible the Shield Block could prevent taking any damage altogether, and therefore prevent Metal Carapace from going down.

I mean, this seems fine? If your shield's hardness prevents you and the shield from taking damage, why would the carapace break?

As taking damage is one of the requirements for the carapace being disabled, it wouldn't get disabled in situations where you took no damage.