User Tools

Site Tools


combat_maneuvers

COMBAT MANEUVERS

BONUS ATTACK–20+: Any time a fighter, cleric, thief or magic-user classed combatant rolls a modified 20 or above using a melee attack, hurled weapon (if another weapon is in ready reach) or bow (But not crossbow or sling) the character gains a bonus attack against any target in reach. A character can gain only 1 extra attack per round for rolling 20+.

CHANGING WEAPONS AND PICKING UP OBJECTS: if an object is dropped onto the ground, a combatant must use both his Attack and his Move for the round to pick it up. If he wishes to change weapons or draw a weapon from his belt etc., he must forfeit either his Attack or his Move for the round. If he has the Quick Draw Skill, he can change or draw a weapon without giving up either move or attack on a successful skill roll.

CHARGE: during a movement phase, a combatant can declare a Charge if he has not yet used his Attack. He must move at least 15’ and up to Twice his normal movement rating but must end in contact with an enemy. A combatant may not charge two turns in a row. If he charges he will gain +1 to his “to hit” roll and +1 on his “damage” roll, on the next melee phase, except if he is using a lance from a medium or heavy horse in which cases he will still get the +1 to hit, but will roll double weapon dice. If a charging combatant is hit in melee by an opponent using a Spear, Dismounted Lance or Pike on the round his charge bonus would be gained, the opponent will double his rolled weapon damage. You do not gain any benefit from a charge uphill or upslope. You gain an additional +1 damage and an additional 5' of movement if you charge down a significant slope or hill.

FIGHTER RAMPAGE ATTACK Any time a fighter-classed character drops an enemy to 0 hit points or below in hand-to-hand combat, he may make a bonus melee attack against any opponent in reach. He may repeat this each time he drops an enemy to a maximum of 1 extra attack per experience level or 8, whichever is lower, in any given round. Ogres, Giants, Demons, Angels,Trolls and Vampires can also make such bonus attacks (HD equaling levels).

GETTING UP FROM PRONE, MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING: getting up from a prone position or mounting or dismounting from a horse requires a character to use his entire Movement phase. A thief or fighter can attempt to get up from prone or mount/dismount a horse and still move by rolling STR or less (Fighters) or DEX or less (thieves) on a d20. If they fail the roll, they forfeit all their actions until the next movement phase, if they pass they can make a full movement after standing up or mounting/dismounting. A prone character can make melee attacks but not with Heavy Weapons or 2-handed Normal weapons. He is at a -4 penalty on those attacks. Enemies get a +2 to hit him with melee weapons, but minus 2 with ranged attacks. Certain weapons have an additional +4 when used against a prone target in plate armor.

IMROVISED MANEUVERS: a combatant may try anything else he may think of not covered here. If it's reasonable it will probably need an Ability Check on 1d20, and then either a to hit roll, or an ability check on the target's part. If it's preposterous, make the combatant's ability roll on a d100. Example 1: “I throw a barrel at him”: Rocko wants to pick up a barrel, half filled with pickle brine, and throw it from a balcony onto a charging Ogre below. Judge decrees Rocko roll STR or less on 1d20 to pick it up and throw it, then a “to hit” roll to land it on the Ogre, at that point the Ogre takes 1d6 damage and must roll DEX on less on d20 or fall prone.
Example 2: “Whirling Attack”: Dervish Tom decides to use his sword and swing around in a complete circle to try to hit all 6 enemies in contact with him at once. Judge declares he roll his DEX or less on 1d100 or he's wasted his turn. If he makes it, he can roll 6 to hit rolls, one against each enemy.

MOUNTED COMBAT:

  • Horses (whether mounted or not) can either move or attack in the same round, never both.
  • Heavy Warhorses are the only mounts that can attack while mounted by a rider
  • Lances from a medium or heavy warhorse do double damage on a charge.
  • A rider gets a +1 to hit when attacking an opponent on foot that is armed with a weapon with a lower SR
  • Unmounted combatants suffer a -2 to hit when attacking a Fighter-classed opponent mounted on a horse

MISSILES, SPELLS AND MELEE: a combatant in melee contact may not shoot a sling, bow or crossbow (but may throw hurled weapons). A combatant in melee contact may not cast a spell or use a scroll, unless the spell description allows for it. He may, however, use a wand or similar magic device, or use natural inborn magic abilities. If a caster is hit for damage in the Surprise Phase, or earlier in the Magic Phase (by a caster with higher DEX than he) he cannot cast a spell or use a scroll. If you shoot into a melee containing friendlies, you suffer a minus 2 penalty on your attack roll, and if you roll a natural 1 or 2 you will hit a friendly target instead of your desired target.

PARRY: Any combatant wielding a weapon or shield can give up his attacks to make a parry, giving the enemy a -2 to hit in melee attack, but Light Weapons cannot parry Heavy Weapons. The parrying combatant can apply this defense against a number of melee attacks in a round equal to his Level or HD. If the defender is using a shield, increase the parry to -3 (doubling shield’s normal effect).

PARRY–FIGHTERS Fighter-classed combatants, only, have several additional parry abilities. First, if they are currently using a shield, they can apply their parry bonus against missile attacks. Secondly, their parry defensive bonus increases with level, equaling their damage bonus on the Fighter Progression Table in the Blueholme Book. So, a level 10 fighter has a -4 Parry instead of a -2.

SHIELD SACRIFICE A combatant who is currently using a shield in his hand, and is allowed to use it, can sacrifice his shield in order to save himself from an attack. If an attack hits, the shield-user calls “shield sacrifice” in which case he suffers no damage from the attack, but his shield is destroyed, broken to bits.

WITHDRAW FROM MELEE: if an enemy moves out of melee contact with a combatant during the Movement Phase, that combatant is entitled to a bonus Free Attack, with a +2 to hit against the moving enemy. Most combatants only may make one such Free Attack, which goes against the first enemy to withdraw during the round, but a Fighter-class combatant gets 2 such Free Attacks, one each against the first 2 who leave.

If a combatant has not made an attack by the time the Movement Phase comes, he can make Fighting Withdraw, moving half his movement rate without provoking a Free Attack.

If a combatant has a higher DEX score than an opponent who breaks melee contact in the Movement phase, he cannot move in response to the moving combatant's move. He may still do a Free Attack.

Ganging Up If a group of 4 or more attackers in melee attack a single target, who is not adjacent to any of his own allies, then the attackers all gain a +2 on their hit rolls. This does not apply to attacking large creatures like dragons, purple worms, dinosaurs and giants.

combat_maneuvers.txt · Last modified: 2021/03/10 00:14 by dave