Drinking & Dragons

User:Askewnotion/FistFulla6/Combat

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Revision as of 23:09, 7 September 2008 by >Askewnotion (melee done... ranged next)

This is the basic layout of the events that will happen in combat and things that need to be known to successfully run a fight.

HP

HP is short for Hit Points. This is the lifeblood that keeps your character alive in combat. As you lose HP, your ability to perform at full capacity diminishes.

On the second page of the character sheet, at the bottom, is your HP track. Your available HP is calculated by counting from top to bottom, left to right. For example, having 23 HP would give you 5 full rows and a 0, -2, and -4 HP dot.

If you have a dot filled in at a row with a negative modifier, all rolls you make suffer that penalty.

If you are brought below 0 HP due to lethal damage you are dying. If you are brought below 0 HP due to non-lethal damage you are unconscious.

  • Dying – Your damage overflow is equal to your build save. During your turn you make a stabilization check (a build save without the -6 wound penalty) with a TN equal to your negative HP. If you succeed, you lose no further HP and are stabilized. If you fail, you lose 1 HP and must roll the save again next round.
  • Unconsciousness – You regain HP as per resting while unconscious (roll BODY + CONSTITUTION for every hour of rest for non-lethal damage, every six hours for lethal damage.)

Actions

The number of actions a character can take each round is limited by the amounf of Action Points (AP) they possess. All characters start with 1 AP, and this value can be increased through traits, magic, and MagiTek grafts.

Table: AP cost

Action AP cost Description
Activate an Item (spellcraft) 1AP An item that requires a spellcraft check to activate takes 1AP. If the item relies on a command word, it is a free action to activate the item.
Attack 1AP The act of swinging your weapon or releasing a projectile.
Cast special Casting most spells are a FR action. Specific spells take longer to cast and some traits can reduce the time it takes to cast a spell.
Charge Full Round (FR) This is a combination of the run and attack action.
Control Mount 1AP The act of making your mount change it's current actions or having it attack an individual.
Draw Item 1AP This is the act of drawing an item or weapon. Projectile weapons already have this figured into their load value.
Drink/Use Potion 1AP The act of applying a potion to your skin or imbuing it.
Move Free Action (FA) A character can move up to it's speed as a free action once every round.
Open/close Object 1AP This includes opening or closing an object that does not take much force.
Run Full Round (FR) You move your speed + run skill in a straight line.
Stand From Prone special You may either spend 1AP or your movement for that round to stand from prone.
Use Skill varies Depending on the circumstance, skills can range from free actions to taking hours per check.

Special Actions

  • Delay - When you delay, you wait in the initiative order and let the GM know the moment you wish to act. During the round in which you end your delay you may either make move action or you may move half your speed and spend 1AP, though you may not take a FR action.
  • Hold - You may declair an AP to be spent any time later in the as long as you declair what the AP will be spent for. Taking a held action does not change your place in initiative. Options are described below;
  • Move - You may move up to a number of hexes/square that you did not spent on your previous turn. You must delcair when you are going to move. I.e. "I will more to intercept a charger" or "I will move to get close to a enemy caster."
  • Attack - You can declair to attack someone or when an event happens. I.e. "I will attack when an enemy moves within range" or "I will attack when an enemy I can reach when the enemy beings to cast."
  • Aim - You may spend an AP to get better aim on your opponent. For every AP you spend, you gain a +1 bonus to hit the opponent. You may not get a bonus greater than your skill with the weapon. If you more more hexes/squares than your alertness stat in a round, you lose all of your bonuses.
  • Guard - You may spend an AP to better defend yourself against your opponents. For every AP you spend, your gain a +1 bonus to all of your defenses for the round.
  • Called Shot - You can make called shot at an opponent, causing damage to their vital points. Listed below are common areas that called shots will often be taken at. If you are attacking an object, look for something that would be of the appropiate size below.
Name Dice subtracted Effects
Limb (arm, leg) 1/4 If your attack hits, you damage your target normally. Be sure to keep track of the damage seperately, though. If this damage ever is greater than or equal to 1/2 your opponents HP total, that limb is disabled. An disabled arm can no longer be used for offense or defense. A disabled leg reduces their speed to 1/4 and applies a -3 to all defenses.
Vital (head, groin) 1/3 If your attack hits, you damage your target normally. Be sure to keep track of the damage seperately, though. If this damage ever is greater than or equal to 1/3 your opponents HP total, that character may be rendered temporarily unconscious. For every damage over the above threshold, the character must make a build save or be knocked unconscious for 1-11 rounds (2 dice - 1).
Miniscule (eye, heart) 1/2 If your attack hits, you damage your target normally. Be sure to keep track of the damage seperately, though. If this damage ever is greater than or equal to 1/4 your opponents HP total, your opponent is faced with a great disability. In the examples above, this would result in blindness in one eye or death (though note that the heart would also benefit from having total concealment in most circumstances.) For every damage over the above threshold, the character must make a build save or face appropiate circumstances.

Often, damaging the "called target" to where is no longer works requires immediate attention to for there to be a full recovery. In extreme cases a MagiTek graft will be needed as a replacement. The called target is considered lost if a second build save is not successful on a TN equal to the damage over the disabled threshold.

For example, Marthos has 20HP. A brutal called shot to his left arm deals 16 damage. The limb is now considered disabled and is lost if a build save with a TN of 6 is not made.

  • Load - All ranged weapons have a stat called load. This represents the time and concentration it takes to draw ammo, load it into a firing mechanism, or any other variable the equipment in question may have. You must spend a number of AP equal to the load of the weapon before you can use it again. Note that having the Quick Draw trait reduces load times by 1.
  • Special Attack - Depending on how skilled you are with a weapon, you are able to perform special maneuvers with weapons from that category.

For every 3 points you have in a weapon skill, you may choose a special attack for that weapon. Not all weapons have the option of all special attacks listed below. Also, note that these special attacks often have an increased AP cost. You can only use the special attack if you have enough AP in the round to perform it.

Table: Melee Special Attacks

Name Weapons AP Description
Armor Piercing Blow All +1 Ignore 1/2 the opponents armor with this attack.
Bloody Wound Edged +2 Target bleeds out 1 damage a turn until healed. The creature is easier to track (+2 to those tracking). Effects of multiple Bloody Wounds are cumulative.
Close the Distance Chains and Polearms +1 Pull in a creature up to one size larger than you up to the minimum reach of the weapon.
Combat Challenge All +1 If the opponent is damaged by your attack, they must attack you at least once during their next turn or suffer your charisma score as a penalty to their attacks.
Combat Feint All +1 Your attack roll must score more successes than your opponents intelligence score. Your opponent is considered unaware for your next attack.
Concussion Attack Blunt +1 A hit opponent takes a penalty on all mental and magic based skills equal to their damage taken for one turn.
Disarming Attack All +1 If your net successes to hit your opponent is greater than their dexterity + size modifier to damage, their weapon is disarmed. Weapons held in 2 hands adds 3 to the characters effective dexterity.
Hamstring Edged +1 Your opponents speed is reduced by 1/2 until they receive at least 1 HP of healing. Multiple Hamstrings are not cumulative. This attack only works on living bipeds.
Knock the Wind Out Blunt +2 Opponent is treated as wounded (players are treated as 1 step worse [max -6]) unless they do nothing but compose themselves for a round (take no actions or moves). This attack only works on living targets.
Knockdown Blow All +1 If damage is greater than your opponents reflexes + size modifier to damage, the opponent knocked prone.
Launching Swing Blunt +1 For every damage that exceeds the opponents body + size modifier to damage, the opponent is moved 1 square back from the origin of attack.
Riposte All FR You may counter-attack an opponent whose melee attack you have successfully parried. Your number of attacks you can make in this stance are equal to twice your AP total.
Stunning Strike All +2 If your net successes to hit your opponent is greater than their constitution, your opponent has a number of stun points equal to the difference.
Sunder All +1 You may attack an item on someone's person. Your opponent defends with an opposed attack roll, a parry, or a dodge. Determine damage to the item as you would normally in combat.
Tagging Edged +1 A light mark on the enemy to show your superior fighting style. All damage on this attack, after reduction, is reduced to 1, but you are +2 on all future attack rolls against the opponent. This is ineffective your initial damage on this attack didn't exceed their reduction. The effects of multiple Tagging is not cumulative.

Table: Ranged Special Attacks

Name Weapons AP Description
Arced Shot Non-gun +1 Double the range of thrown/shot weapon.
Arrow Stab Non-gun, Non-blunt +0 Use an arrow or thrown weapon in melee. 1E damage, -1 hit, -3 parry. An arrow breaks after parry attempt, successful or not.
Deadeye All FR You spend an entire round lining up your target. Next round you have no penality on your first called shot.
Followthrough Shot Non-thrown FR The projectile goes through the opponent if all damage not absorbed (i.e. opponent is dropped or the projectile overcomes an objects armor and HP). The projectile continues in line until all damage is blocked. Each additional hit and damage is at -2. These -2 modifiers are cumulative.
Ladder Shot Non-gun, Non-blunt +0 The projectile thrown/fired may be used to climb on, creating impromptu stairs. This can be used on walls or creatues at least 2 sizes larger than you. Every 2 projectiles used lets you transverse 1 hex/square in height.
Pierce Concealment All +1 You reduce the penality from cover and concealment by 1/2. This does not effect total cover or concealment, however.
Pistol Whip Gun +0 You can use your gun as melee weapon. Pistols do 2B, -1 hit, -3 parry. Rifles do 4B, -1 hit, -1 parry.
Ranged Pin Non-gun, Non-blunt +1 Your sharp projectile pins a target to a wall or floor. Your opponent must spend 1 AP to remove a projectile holding them down or they are immobilized.
Ranged Disarm All +1 You make an opposed attack roll or your opponent may dodge normally. If your successes are greater than the individuals dexterity score + size modifier to damage + 2, you disarm your opponent. If your opponent is holding the weapon in two hands, their effective dexterity score is increased by +3.
Ranged Sunder Gun +1 You make an opposed attack roll or your opponent may dodge normally. If you succeed, you damage the item that you were aiming for on their person.
Rapid Reload All +0 You may reduce the load time of a weapon to a minimum load of zero. For each reduction to your load time, your attack is -2 hit and damage.
Ricochet Shot All +0 You may split your dice pool for a ranged attack against two opponents that are adjacent to each other.
Twin Projectile Non-gun +0 You may throw/shoot two projectiles at the same target. Your dice pool is split between these two missiles.

Movement

Characters have a standard base speed equal to twice their movement stat. This movement can be broken up over multiple actions over your turn.

For example, if you have a speed of 9 and you have 2AP, you can move forward 4 hexes/squares and swing at an opponent, slide 2 more hexes/squares to you right to attack another opponent, and move back 3 hexes/squares toward your origional position.

Melee

Swinging at someone in range constitutes a melee attack.

To engage in melee combat you roll your Strength or Dexterity (depends on the handedness of the weapon) + skill + weapon accuracy + modifiers.

When you hit your opponent, you deal damage equal to your Strength + weapon damage + successes.

Listed below are highlights of what immediately effects you in your effectiveness in melee combat.

  • Weapon Sizing
  • Light – Weapons are considered light if they weigh less than your Strength. A light weapon used in two hands is +2 to damage.
  • One-handed – A weapon is one handed if it weights between your Strength and two times your Strength. A one handed weapons used in two hands is +1 to damage.
  • Two-handed – A weapon is two handed if it weights more than twice your Strength, but no more than three times your Strength.
  • Awkward – A weapon is awkward if it weighs more than three times you Strength. For every pound (or fraction thereof) it is over three times your Strength you are -1 to hit, parry, and damage.
  • Splitting Attacks – You can split your dice pool between different targets while in melee. Note that any mana applied to your dice pool affects your dice pool before the dice are split. You may not split attacks against the same target unless fighting with two weapons.
  • Flanking – For every ally that threatens your target in melee you get a +1 bonus to hit your opponent. You do not have to be on the opposite side of the opponent to be considered flanking.
  • Two Weapon Fighting – When fighting with two weapons you can split your dice to attack the same target two times with one action. As with splitting attacks, mana applied to your dice pool affects your dice pool before the dice are split.
  • If the weapon in your off hand is light you take no penalty. If it is medium, all of your attacks take a -2 penalty.
  • If using two different weapon types, use the lowest ranked skill to determine your dice pool.
  • You use the weapon with the lowest accuracy on attacks.
  • Note how many dice are allocated to each weapon in your dice pool. Each dice pool corresponds to a certain weapon, using that weapons base damage if the hit is confirmed.
  • You may use your main or off hands defense for parry attempts.
  • The Ambidexterity trait gives bonuses to attacking with two weapons.
  • Fumbles when Rolling to Hit
  • When you roll a fumble on an attack roll see the table below. Roll a die to determine the result of your fumble. If you can not do the action you rolled, then there is no ill effect beyond the failure.
  • 1 – Hit self – You take damage as if you hit yourself with 1 success.
  • 2 – Hit friend – You hit an ally that you threaten and they take damage as if you hit them with 1 success. If you can not hit a friend you will instead hit yourself as above.
  • 3 – Break – Your weapon gains a break tic. Your weapon can have a number of break tics equal to its enchantment bonus +1. Any more break tics casue the weapon to break. Removing a break tic cost 10% of the weapons total cost, including enchantment.
  • 4 – Drop – You drop your weapon at your feet.
  • 5 – Trip – You fall prone to the ground in the square you are standing.
  • 6 – Stunned – You gain a point of stun.
  • Grappling
  • Initiating – To initiate a grapple the attacker must first make a touch attack ([STRENGTH or DEXTERITY] + UNARMED). If successful, you can roll an unarmed attack vs. the defenders opposed grapple roll. You need at least one hand free to initiate a grapple.
  • Opposing/Defending Grapple – The defender may roll ([STRENGTH or DEXTERITY] + [UNARMED or BODY]).
  • Size – For every difference in the opponents sizes the larger adds six dice per size difference in favor of the larger creature. You can only initiate a grapple on a creature that is one size larger than you or smaller.
  • Resolving Grapple – If the defender rolled more successes then the attacker, the grapple fails. If the attacker rolls more successes than the defender, take note of the number of the successes and either move the defender into your hex/square or move into the defenders hex/square.
  • Attacker Options in Grapple
  • Attack – The attacker may attack with a weapon that has a range of 0.
  • Maintain Hold – The attacker may make another opposed grapple check vs. the defender. If the attacker gets more successes, add that to the total successes. If the defender gets more successes, subtract them from the total successes.
  • Release Grapple – The attacked may end the grapple at any time as a free action.
  • Cast – You may cast a spell as per normal, though you take a penalty equal to the number of successes that you have in the grapple. Halve the penalty if the spell requires no somatic component.
  • Defender Options in Grapple
  • Attack – The defender may attack with a weapon that has a range of 0. The defender takes a penalty equal to the attacker’s successes on the attack roll.
  • Break Grapple – Roll an opposed grapple roll. If the attacker wins, then the total doesn’t change. If the defender wins, remove an amount of successes in the grapple equal to your successes. If it makes the total number of successes equal to 0 or less, the grapple is broken.
  • Cast – You may cast a spell as per normal, though you take a penalty equal to twice the number of successes the attacker has in the grapple. Halve the penalty if the spell requires no somatic component.
  • Attacking into a Grapple – When attacking into a group that is grappling roll a dice. If you roll a 1, you hit someone you were not intending to. Roll your attack roll as normal. Using a ranged weapon in a grapple also means that both grapplers provide each other ½ cover. The penalty to cover may be ignored if the ranged attacker gives even chances to hit any participate in the grapple.
  • Defending in a Grapple – The attacker gets his full defense against someone he is grappling. The defender takes a penalty to defend against the grappler equal to the successes in the grapple. All people in the grapple take a penalty equal to the success in the grapple against attacks from outside the grapple.