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COMBAT RULES AND RULINGS

Initiative

Grab a deck of standard playing cards (make sure to leave both Jokers in) and deal one to each player including the GM. Now count down from the Joker to the Ace and on down from there. To resolve ties, Spades come first, then Hearts, Diamonds, and lastly Clubs. When a player's card comes up, they may take a turn for their character and all NPC retainers. The GM may choose to draw different cards for different individuals or groups of monsters.

A player who draws a Joker can go whenever they want, but may not interrupt another player's turn. They may reroll one die of their choice during the turn (attacks, saves, or damage)! After a turn where one or more Jokers are dealt, the deck is reshuffled for the next turn's initiative.

Mounted Combat

  • You need Knightly Combat proficiency (all Knights and Templars automatically have this) or else suffer Disadvantage when making melee attacks from horseback.
  • All characters suffer Disadvantage when making a ranged attack from a moving horse.
  • Men on foot suffer disadvantage when attacking a mounted man in melee, unless the footmen are using a Long Spear or a Bill.
  • A rider proficient in Knightly Combat scores double damage when charging with a lance from a Heavy Warhorse.
  • A rider proficient in Knightly Combat attacks a footman in melee with advantage unless that footman is in a shield wall, or is using a long spear or bill.
  • A rider proficient in Knightly Combat attacks with advantage against any footman who attacked his horse on his last attack.
  • A riding horse, mule, pony or draft horse must make a morale check before closing with an enemy and every round of combat to avoid bolting away from the fight. These mounts will only attack if they are attacked, cannot flee, and have no rider.
  • A warhorse will attack with its hooves (trample) when the rider makes a charge, and will strike out with its hooves any combat round when it does not move.
  • Mounting a horse takes a full turn's action. Dismounting from a horse takes a move action. You can attempt to mount or dismount from a horse as a quick action, but must make a Riding or Acrobatics check. If you fail the check you fall prone and forfeit the rest of your turn.

Tactical Advantages

  • A prone target is attacked with advantage in melee, but with disadvantage in ranged combat.
  • Getting up from a prone position, while carrying combat arms, takes an entire turn's actions. If one leaves one's weapons/shield on the ground, it only takes an active action. You can attempt to leap to one's feet fully armed as a quick action, but must make an Acrobatics check; but if you fail, you forfeit your turn and remain prone.
  • An unconscious or incapacitated target is hit automatically in melee (not ranged)
  • 2 or more attackers gain advantage if they attack a lone footman.
  • 4 or more human attackers gain advantage when attacking a large monster, the size of a horse, grizzly bear, hooger or ogre.
  • Human sized attackers cannot gain advantage from numbers alone when attacking huge monsters such as dragons or titans. Neither do numbers grant advantage when fighting Constructs.
  • 5 or more attackers gain advantage if they attack 2 footmen who are side-by-side or back-to-back.
  • 2 or more horsemen or footmen with Long Spears or Bills get advantage attacking a lone horseman.
  • If footmen make a close formation that is at least 4 men wide, and all of them are wielding round shields, they are said to be in a Shield Wall. All attacks (ranged or melee) made against a Shield wall are made with disadvantage.
  • If someone is scaling a wall, fence, or stockade, he will attack at disadvantage and be attacked with advantage. Also, when scaling he may attack (no 2-handed weapons) or use a shield, not both.

Ranged Attacks

  • Ranged and thrown weapons are noted as such in their descriptions.
  • Thrown weapons have a maximum range of 50' (10“) while ranged weapons may reach the entire battlefield.
  • Ranged attacks are at disadvantage at 150' (30”), while thrown attacks are at disadvantage at 25' (5“).
  • Targets with cover also impose disadvantage on ranged or thrown attacks.
  • In addition to the targeting disadvantage, a target in a roofed area through a window, is automatically minimum AC 17.
  • In addition to the targeting disadvantage, a target behind an arrow slit is automatically minimum AC 21.
  • Shooting into a melee that includes an ally is at disadvantage, and roll of a 1 hits the ally.

Two-Weapon Combat

  • Instead of fighting with a shield or two-handed weapon, some fighters use a weapon in each hand.
  • Neither weapon may be a two-handed weapon (obviously), neither weapon may be a spear. Only one of the weapons may be a martial weapon. This technique cannot be used on horseback.
  • With the exception of a few class archetype features and special feature abilities, two weapon fighting usually does not grant a second attack.
  • The dual wielder, instead, gains +1 to attack and gets to use the better of the two weapons' damage ratings and which of the two damage types (piercing, slashing or bludgeoning) might be more advantageous.

Disembodied Spirits, General Notes

  • Spirits, such as ghosts, demons, etc. are not corporeal and thus cannot attack or be attacked by physical means. No weapons, even magical ones can do any damage to them. Holy Blessed weapons (see the 5th level Divine spell Holy Weapon) are the only exception.
  • Spells that do physical damage do not effect Spirits. Examples:
  • Divine Magic spells that do points of damage, however, do inflict damage on non-corporeal spirits.
  • When they attack, they attack their target's INT, WIS or CHA. When a character's INT is reduced to 0, he becomes feeble minded. When a character's WIS is reduced to 0, he becomes stark-raving mad. When a character's CHA is reduced to 0, he has been possessed by the Spirit, who now controls his body.
  • Spiritual creatures will have a standard attack and damage listed, but this is only used when fighting other spirits.

Spiritual Attack Procedure

  1. Spiritual Attacker rolls an attack using his Strong modifier. The defender rolls a check with his Wis/Int/or Cha modifier depending on what is being attacked, no proficiency bonus, at disadvantage. If the attacker wins, he inflicts the listed damage to the defenders ability score.
  2. The defender's disadvantage is negated if he has been baptized, or is a circumcised Jew, or is carrying Muslim prayer beads or wearing a hammer of Thor amulet. The defender gets his proficiency bonus if he has been confirmed in the Church or undergone Bar Mitzvah. The defender gets advantage to defense if he has undergone Communion in the last week.

Design Notes

combat.1577711858.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/12/30 13:17 by dave