One more system: Combat

#1

Combative science

Shame on you! Why do you always have to fight, eh? Maybe those aggressive instincts, or some hidden inferiority complex? Only those that fail to reason must fight. So, why do you point your sword at me? Need to prove yourself, but have not enough of a brain? Hah... hey, stop that! Don't forget, the truth will stay on my side, whatever you try! Hey, don't... get... no! Aahblarghgrfmmm...

Your tutor for The Arts of War has just been replaced.

You wanna fight? There are three things that decide who wins:
Initiative, Offense and Defense.

Initiative
(will be explained later)

Defense

Usually 1/2 the weapon skill, with the shield skill if a shield is used, and of
course, Dextrousness. (Plus any relevant modifiers.)

Example: Shield skill(3) + 1/2 Sword skill(4) + Dex.(5) + 1 (large shield bonus) = 11

A few weapons can be used defensively at their full potential, like a staff. These are counted with full skill.

Offense

Always the weapon skill and Dextrousness. (Plus any relevant modifiers.)

Example: Sword skill(4) + Dex.(5) + 1(sword bonus) = 10

One more system: Combat

#2

WEAPONS

In some way, these rules consider all weapons equal. What is much more important, is the skill one wields the weapon with. Surely a better sword improves your chances to win, but a master can fight well with any weapon in his chosen weapon-group. Yes, weapons will be divided into groups. You won't need a skill for every single weapon, but you can't have some generic 'Combat' skill, that makes you fight well with everything.

(Or not? WILL we have a generic Combat skill for our online game, to simplify things?)

A very short (and probably wrong and incomplete) list of categories of weapons:

Unarmed (no weapon besides you!)
Little sharp cutting and stabbing things (daggers etc.)
Blunt things (Hammers etc.)
Swords (fantasy classic)
Axes (dwarwen classic)
Staves (weapons equally good for defense as offense) (+)
Two-handed heavy things
---
Shield (defensive instalment, may deal limited subdual damage)
---
Shooting things (bows n' crossbows, may need to be separated)
Throwing unspecified items (rocks, bottles, clubs, ...)
Throwing knives (maybe even throwing stars)
Large throwing items (spears)

Note: Will we use missile weapons at all? These can 'slightly' complicate things. For now I do not recommend this. Besides, these weapons may need special rules for combat.

Actual weapons can have modifiers to anything. Some usual modifiers to average weapons:
Unarmed (none)
Little sharp etc. (none)
Blunt (none)
Swords +1 to attack
Axes +1 to damage
Staves +1 to defense
Two-handed +1 to damage
Small shield (none)
Large shield +1 to defense

Note: Of course, much depends on the quality of the weapon. Some could have actually penalties, masterwork or even magical weapons can have pluses to anything.

Subdual damage
At any time, you can choose to switch to dealing subdual damage. Most weapons can deal only half the damage they could for "real". Blunt weapons and staves can but deal full damage, as can be done in unarmed combat. A shield can deal subdual damage at half the shield skill.

One more system: Combat

#3

Initiative

Speed in combat is a relative term... it does not matter how fast you are, only whether you are faster than your opponent. The only thing that counts is only who acts right now.

The Simple Way
Make a Dextrousness roll for every combatant. Then begin with the countdown. The 'highest number' acts first, then follow the slower participants. If two rolls are same, these actions are considered to happen at the same time. Everone gets one attack, and defends as many times as needed. The GM may assign bonuses if the situation dictates so (like four attacking one person...). Use common sense.

This rolls are kept until the combat ends, or something disrupts the order of actions/attacks.

Anyone said the system is nice and simple? Heh. :twisted: See this:

The Complicated Way
The most important thing is 'the root' of the initiative roll. It is composed of Dextrousness, the weapon skill used, and (if available) a relevant skill that improves initiative, or speed. Any skill or bonus you want to include into the 'root', must influence the whole combat.

Calculating the initiative for a given combat-turn

Step 0. To make it clear: the Steps 1-3 must be made for each combatant separately.

Step 1. Take what remains of the previous turn.

Step 2. Add the 'root' and any possible bonuses that apply to this turn only.

Step 3. Roll.

Step 4. You have now the initiatives and so the sequence of actions. Use the countdown, whoever has the highest number, goes first.

Step 5. If any combatant gets a result double or higher as the initiative of all enemy combatants, (s)he gets a second attack in this combat round. If so, subtract the 'root' from his/her initiative. This extra attack happens after all enemies made their attacks.

Step 6. Now, pick the lowest result from all combatants. Subtract it from every result.

See the example and picture below, it will hopefully make things clearer.

Note: Both luck and skill are cummulative. The order of actions/attacks has a tendency to stay the same, but is NOT guaranteed.

Note: In the first turn of combat, the 'remains' of the last turn are usually zero, but don't have to be. Surprise may give one side of the conflict a significant edge. It is a question of both luck and skill, whether the surprised side can turn the situation...

Note: There may be even a 'Medium way', roll for Dex+Weapon_Skill+Init_Skill for everyone, and keep it like in the 'Simple way'.

Note: Change 'root' into some other, nicer word. base?

Example:
A fight breaks out between two heroes and three thugs. Stats follow:

Hero 1 (marked as H1)
Dex: 4
Weapon skill: 6
Initiative skill: 2
---
Makes a total of 12.

Hero 2 (marked as H1)
Dex: 4
Weapon skill: 4
---
Makes a total of 8.

Three thugs, all have the same stats (marked as t1, t2, t3)
Dex: 2
Weapon skill: 2
---
Makes a total of 4.

So the 'roots' for initiative are 12 and 8 for the heroes, and 4, 4 and 4 for the thugs. The combat below takes 5 rounds, even if the low-skill thugs would be most likely dead or knocked out by the time.

Combat: In all turns, the skilled heroes could attack first, and had some extra attacks due to their speed.

Picture: The doubly highlighted number is the lowest initiative in that turn.

One more system: Combat

#4

Wow! Fascinating but so complex it'd slow down the combat to MERP-like levels of play! I'd stick with the simple method as a pragmatic alternative, with the "complicated method" as a piece of art, only for use with players who have extraordinary quick numerical powers and a good memory!

ephe!

One more system: Combat

#5

I agree with ephe. For MOST, not ALL, of players, combat should be quick and easy, rules-wise. If the combat system is too complex, then nobody will want to fight anything. Of course, the majority of games are more exciting with at least a little combat.

One more system: Combat

#6

Of course, yes. There is the 'Easy way', there is even the 'Medium way', that could be programmed-in.

But hey, it is MY first system, and I wanted it precise and great, and so it is!

...too bad even I am too afraid to try it. :roll: