Combat

Combat is when physical altercations need to be resolved. This is done through a turn based system in which dice are rolled to determine the outcome of such a conflict. The following rules will explain how to do this and all the nuance involved.

Basics

Health Points (HP)

Your character has a number a health points that represent their current condition in combat. Lose HP doesn't necessarily mean that they've been cut or hit but just a decrease in their overall stamina to fight. HP is determined by a character's chosen progression chart and their constitution. When damage is taken it is subtracted from your current HP total. If your character's HP reaches 0 they fall unconscious and gain an injury. From here follow the rules on death.

Hit points recover at a rate of Constitution modifier x Hit Dice per day without medical treatment.

Non-Lethal Damage (NLD)

Your character can take hits and affects that are intended to render them unconscious. When NLD is taken it is added to the character starting from 0. If your character's NLD is equal to or greater than your character's current HP total, they faint.

NLD heals at a rate five times faster than HP.

Weapons/Focuses/Shields

Your character has two hands and can wield a weapon in one, a shield in one, or a focus in one. In the case of a two-handed weapon, a character can wield a shield and a two handed weapon at the same time. To cast spells a caster must have a hand free or be holding a focus in one hand.

This system does not support dual wielding normally, in the future there might be some alternative rules for it.

Use of weapon/armor untrained: A character wearing armor that is not trained will take a check penalty to attacks, movement skills, riding, and have a 50% spell failure chance. When untrained with a weapon. A character does not threaten square and suffers a -3 training penalty to attack and damage.

Death

Your character has hit 0 HP and is now wounded. To die your character needs to fail 3 death-saves (see options below). If they are hit by an opponent during this time, it is considered Instantaneous death. If your character has taken enough damage from a single hit to equal one-half their HP, and it reduces them to zero, they are counted as having failed 2 death-saves. If they take damage equal to their HP total and are reduced to zero, it is considered Instantaneous death.

Death-saves can be done in several ways. Check below for options that best suite your group.

In death, all are equal: Roll a d% and if the number is 51 or higher it is a save. If it is 50 or lower, it is a fail. Every failure makes the next roll 10% more difficult. A new attempt can only be done once a round if in combat.

Stats matter!: A fortitude save must be made. DC is equal to 10 + Character Hit Dice - Constitution modifier.

Brutality: A fortitude save must be made. DC is equal to 10 + damage dealt that dropped your character to 0.

Initiative Roll

Start combat with an initiative roll. This should be done by rolling 1d20 and adding your character's initiative bonus to the roll.

If there is a conflict of two rolls being the same, have the conflicting characters roll against each other and arrange them by high to low before slotting them into your initiative order.

As a suggested rule, divide your bonus by 100 and add it to the end as a decimal to help reduce the amount of initiative conflicts. Example: 1d20+8 with a roll of 12 would be 20.08*

Combat Round

A combat round is when all of the turns have been taken and the current initiative order is back at the top. The duration of a combat round is approximately 6 seconds.

Space

Space is the amount of squares a character takes up. For most characters this will by 5 ft., or one square. Please note, small characters take up 5 ft as well.

Reach

Reach is how many squares a character threatens. Medium and Small size creatures with non-reach weapons threaten all adjacent squares. Smaller than small size must occupy the same square as an opponent.

If a medium size creature has a reach weapon their reach expands out another set of squares out. A small size creature using a reach weapon does the same, but loses the corners of the larger square. Diagram Pending

Size Modifiers

For many combat maneuvers size effects quite a few different rolls. Depending on the size of the creature the size modifier might change. Sometimes size helps sometimes it hinders depending on the rolls.

Opposed Rolls

For advanced combat maneuvers they will often make mention of opposed rolls. These are rolls where the aggressor and defender during a maneuver must roll against each other. whichever of the two rolls highers is the winner.

Turn and Actions

A character's turn is broken down into action types, things here can get a bit granular. Primarily a turn is broken into a move action, a standard action, free actions, and a swift action should they have any. A standard action can instead be replaced with a character's attack action(s).

Move Action

A move action is typically limited to readying a weapon, moving up to your character's movement. Most move actions provoke attacks of opportunity, a feature explained later.

In place of a move action a five-foot step can be taken in its place, which provokes no attacks of opportunity.

Standard Action

A standard action is something that takes more thought and energy, such as lighting a lantern, casting a spell, using abilities, and so on. If something is labeled as a standard action, it takes the entire standard action to do it.

Your character's standard action can be given up for another move action, but not vice-versa.

In place of standard actions a character can instead take all of its attack actions. Most characters start with one attack action, though as their base attack bonus increases the number of attack actions will increase. This will be denoted in the attack curve chart as +x/+y/+z... when there is a slash and a number that tells you the base attack bonus used with that attack. If your character has three attacks, they can get three attack actions in a round.

Please note if attack actions are used, no standard actions can be taken.

Free Action

A free action is something that can be done with little to no thought and at the same time as other actions. This would include speaking, grabbing something from a readily available place on the character's person, drawing a weapon while moving, and whatever else might fit. No two free actions can be the same action, but a character is allowed as many free actions as they can use.

Swift Action

A swift action, sometimes called a bonus action, are actions that can occur with everything else happening. These are often spells or abilities, rarely any kind of physical or martial combat maneuver. If a spell or ability is labeled as a swift action, it is one. A character can only use a single swift action per round.

Full Round Action

A full round action takes the entire round, so it begins on a characters turn, and ends at the beginning of the next character's turn. This means the character on the following term can act normally again. No move, swift, standard or immediate actions can take place during a Full Round Action. Often times these are slow casting spells, such as summons, slow to execute abilities like charge or trample.

Immediate Action

The rarest kind of action is an immediate action, sometimes called a reaction. These actions can be used at any point during a round by a character. A character can only use one immediate action per round.

Move Actions

Moving: Moving up to character's movement is considered a move action. When moving out of a threatened square, this provokes an attack of opportunity.

Item Retrieval: Getting an item from a well-organized bag is a move action and provokes an attack of opportunity.

Activating Motion based items: Items that require it be moved or twisted or otherwise manipulated in less than a button or command word, are move actions. This would be something like a Rod of Sealing, where the rod has to be moved in a square around the target. This provokes an attack of opportunity.

Drawing a weapon: When drawing a weapon during movement is not specified, or the character is standing still, it is a move action. This provokes an attack of opportunity.

Standing/Dropping: Standing up or dropping to prone is a movement action. This provokes an attack of opportunity.

5-foot step: a 5-foot step is a special move action where a character carefully moves to avoid being struck. This can sometimes be called a shift or a reposition.

Drinking a Potion: Drinking a potion is a move action

Standard Actions

Attack(s): Using your attack, or multiple attacks, takes the place of your standard action slot. Somethings are considered attack actions that must be used with an attack roll. This would be some spell touch attacks, trips, shatter, and disarms.

Casting a Spell: Most spells are standard actions and casting one provokes an attack of opportunity.

Grappling: Grappling is a standard action and provokes an attack of opportunity. See Advanced Combat Actions for further details on Grappling.

Shove: Pushing a creature into another square.

Use Activated items: Items that are use-activated. This would be something like a

Free Actions

Speaking: Speaking is a free action, try to keep it to a 6 second blurb or simple thought in combat.

Simple item retrieval: If an item is on a belt hoop, in a very easily accessed pocket, or stored for quick usage, retrieving it is a free action.

Command word/thought activated items: Some magical items are activated through thoughts or command words, activating these are free actions.

Swift Actions

Ability/Spell Specified: The only kinds of swift actions are specified in abilities and spell entries. No swift action provokes an attack of opportunity.

Immediate Action

Attack of Opportunity: If at any point during your round a creature leaves one of your threatened squares, and isn't using a 5-foot step, you can make an attack of opportunity on them as an immediate action. Other actions can also allow for an attack of opportunity as specified in their entries. Without feats, a character only gets one attack of opportunity in a round.

Use of a held action: A character can hold its move or standard action until a condition is met. When/If the condition is met they can act immediately with the prepared action. This will move their turn to that point in the initiative.

Combat Actions

Below are the rules for each combat action that can be taken, both advanced and standard.

Attack: A normal attack is done by rolling 1d20 + Base Attack Bonus + Strength/Dexterity Mod + size modifiers + other modifiers. It is then compared to the opponents Armor Class (AC). If your attack is equal to or greater than the opponents AC it is considered a hit.

Shield Bashing: Shield Bashing is an attack action that can be performed in place of any of your characters attacks. The attack roll is 1d20 + Base Attack of that attack action + Strength or Dexterity (whichever is higher) + any other modifiers. Bucklers do 1d4 damage, Full Shields deal 1d6 damage, and Tower Shields deal 1d10 damage.

Ranged Attack: A ranged attack is done by rolling 1d20 + Base Attack + Dexterity + size modifiers + any other modifiers. Like normal attacks it also compares against AC to determine if a hit happens. If in a threatened square this will provoke an attack of opportunity. When shooting through ally squares there is up to a 50% chance you hit your ally by accident depending on how much of the allied square the shot goes through. This is done by ear and there are no hard and fast rules on the percentages.

Multiple Attacks: When a character has more than a +5 base attack bonus they gain another attack action at 5 less attack bonus, up to a maximum of four attacks. So if a character's base attack is +11 they get a second attack at +6 and a third attack at +1. This will be shown in charts as +11/+6/+1. This means when attacking the first attack in a round is the most likely to hit, and the last attack is the least.

Note: Typically advanced combat maneuvers that are attack actions use the bonus from the attack order. So if a character does a disarm as their second attack. The melee touch attack uses the bonus for the character's second attack.

Damage: Damage is rolled after hitting an opponent. Each weapon has it's own die type, which will be listed in the weapon entry. Then you add in strength and other modifiers after the roll.

Reckless Fighting: This is an option when attacking to take a -4 dodge penalty to AC and gain a +2 circumstance bonus to damage.

Defensive Fighting: This is an option when attacking to take a -4 circumstance penalty to attack and gain a +2 circumstance bonus to AC.

Full Defensive Posture: This is a full round action in which your character does not attack, but instead focuses on defending themselves. When in Full Defensive Posture a character gains +4 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex Saves.

Melee Touch Attack: This is usually a component to a spell, but it's an attack where armor does not matter since the effect need only make contact. Roll like any ranged attack but the target does not apply any Shield, Parry, Armor, or Natural armor to their AC. Dexterity, Deflection, Dodge, Insight and Luck bonuses still apply. As a special note if a spell requires a melee touch attack, the spell does not provoke an attack of opportunity even if in a threatened square.

Weapon Fixation (Unarmed) and its follow up feats, apply to melee touch attacks when rolling to hit.

Ranged Touch Attack: This is usually a component to a spell, but it's an attack where armor does not matter since the effect need only make contact. Roll like any ranged attack but the target does not apply any Shield, Parry, Armor, or Natural armor to their AC. Dexterity, Deflection, Dodge, Insight and Luck bonuses still apply.

Casting a spell/using an ability: A spell being cast is simply called out, the DM will then check to see if you are in any threatened squares. Once done then the effect of the spell is explained by the player the monster must save against the spell. Please note some spells incorporate an attack, see attack rules above.

Advance Combat Maneuvers

There are things that can be done in combat that are a bit more involved than simply rolling an attack and damage. These things tend to have alternate outcomes that allow for the martially minded to control the combat arena a bit more. Much of these attacks work the same way, but will be explained as fully as they can be.

Disarm: This is an attack action. To initiate a disarm, the aggressor must have as free hand or a disarming weapon. The aggressor will make a melee touch attack against the defender. This attack uses the attack bonus of the current attack, not always the highest. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the defender. If the defender is successful in dealing damage the aggressor takes a -4 penalty on the following opposed roll. The targets must then make opposed dexterity rolls. If the aggressor succeeds, the defender's weapon drops to the floor in an adjacent square. If the defender succeeds, the attempt fails. Size modifiers apply.

Note: Attack of opportunity only applies if the aggressor is in the defender's threatened squares.

Feigned Strike: As a standard action your character can chose to do a feigned strike. The opponent must make a level check (1d20 + HD + Wisdom modifier) or discern motive against your bluff roll. If they lose, they will be considered flat-footed for the rest of the round.

Full Defense: This is a full round action where in the character only defends themselves. So from the beginning of the turn it is used, to the beginning of their next turn a character using full defense will have a +4 dodge bonus to AC.

Grapple

Grabbing another foe and holding onto them is a grapple. This is done through a few simple steps. This is a standard action.

To initiate a grapple attempt, the aggressor must make a melee touch attack. This attack uses base attack + Strength or Dexterity, whichever is higher. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the defender. If the defender is successful in dealing damage the aggressor takes a -4 penalty on the following opposed roll.

Next the aggressor and defender make opposed grapple rolls. This will be the grapple modifier on your character sheet. Typically this roll is 1d20 + Highest Base Attack Bonus + Strength + Size modifiers. The defender can instead substitute an escape artist for the opposed grapple roll. If the defender wins the grapple fails.

If the aggressor wins the opponent is now grappled. At the beginning of every turn the defender can make another opposed grapple (or escape artist) as a free action to try to escape.

The defender does not threaten any squares, and is flat footed against every opponent except the aggressor. They cannot move unless the aggressor is the one that moves them. Only weapons considered as unarmed can be used in the grapple. The defender can attack normally with unarmed attacks.

The aggressor has a lot of options. Below is a small list of options that the aggressor can do. Except using non-lethal unarmed attacks, all the rest require opposed grapple checks. If the defender succeeds the technique fails, but they remain grappled.

Attack with non-lethal unarmed attacks: Attacking can be done normally with unarmed strikes.

Break: This applies a broken bone injury to the defender.

Expose: Exposing can only be done to a pinned defender. This makes them helpless to an attacker's ally allowing a kill-shot.

Move: This allows the aggressor to move the defender up to half their movement speed.

Submission: Holding a defender in a way that will make them faint. If successfully held for three rounds the user takes their max HP in non-lethal damage and falls unconscious. If the defender succeeds in an opposed grapple here, the submission is broken, but they are still grappled.

Pin: Pinning a defender makes them unable to attack or move, but are not helpless.

Charge: This is a full-round action in which your character moves up to twice their movement, and at least 10 ft. of movement, in a straight unobstructed line towards a foe. If they end the move with a target in a threatened square they can make a single attack. During a round where your character charges they gain +2 circumstantial bonus to damage (+4 with a two handed weapon) and -2 circumstantial penalty to AC until the beginning of their next turn.

Shatter: This is an attack action made against their opponent's weapon. Making a shatter attempt gives the aggressor a -4 circumstance penalty to AC until the beginning of their next turn. The aggressor and defender must roll opposed attacks. This attack uses the attack bonus of the current attack. If the aggressor wins the target's weapon, shield, or armor takes damage. If the defender wins the shatter attempt fails.

Shove: This is a standard action in which you push your opponent out of their square into another. The aggressor must make a melee touch attack. This attack uses base attack + Strength or Dexterity, whichever is higher + any other specified bonuses. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the defender. After this both the aggressor and defender must make opposed strength checks Size modifiers apply. If the aggressor succeeds they push the defender back 5 ft. and up to 5 ft per 5 higher it rolled than the defender. If the defender winds the shove fails.

Swallow Whole: This is a standard action wherein the attacker swallows the defender. The defender gets an opposed grapple or escape artist roll against the attacker's grapple. If the defender fails they are swallowed. Once swallowed the defender can attempt to slice their way out with a piercing or slashing weapon and dealing at least 20% of the attacker's health. After 3 rounds of being swallowed the defender will become unconscious, if not retrieved within 2 minutes, the defender will die. To attempt this the attacker must be 3 size categories larger than the defender, or have a feat allowing them to swallow bigger foe.

Trample: This is a full round action in which you run through enemy squares at twice your move speed. The aggressor must make a melee touch attack. This attack uses base attack + Strength or Dexterity, whichever is higher + any other specified bonuses. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the defender. After this both the aggressor and defender must make opposed strength checks Size modifiers apply. If the aggressor succeeds they run through the defender's square and knock the defender prone. Any defender that is trampled takes damage equal to the creatures unarmed damage plus twice their strength modifier as crushing damage.

Trip Attack: This is an attack action. To initiate a trip attempt, the aggressor must make a melee touch attack. This attack uses the attack bonus of the current a ttack, not always the highest. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the defender. If the defender is successful in dealing damage the aggressor takes a -4 penalty on the following opposed roll. After the attack of opportunity both parties must make opposed strength rolls, Size modifiers apply. If the aggressor succeeds, the defender is knocked prone. If the defender succeeds, the trip attempt fails.

Note: Attack of opportunity only applies if the aggressor is in the defender's threatened squares.