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Stickit2me
2012-05-21, 05:21 PM
I have been toying with some play testing of the following changes to the rules of D&D (PF in particular).

1. No AOO - they seem to be more of a pain than they are worth
2. Only 2 modifiers - CA and Cover. Everything from concealment to nauseated only does one of the above. Much easier to speed up play.
3. One one action per turn, you can move, cast, attack, charge, but one one at a time. Makes for a very fast turn which keeps my players engaged and keeps the combat flowing much more like real combat. Was very interesting.
4. If you only move, you get a defense bonus = to 2 + Shield bonus or your Dex mod (whichever is higher)

There are dozens of changes I am making to the classes and feats, but the above has made a very interesting and easy game to play.

I welcome any ideas or problems you run into which you play or think about this alternate ruleset.

Thanks!

LordErebus12
2012-05-21, 05:26 PM
the single action rule is interesting, however, it means in your game, characters move at 0.6 normal speed, (normal: 6 seconds a round, 10 rounds a min) meaning all players get far less done at cost of your combat speed. this also means full round actions are moot, as well as several abilities and spells.

Stickit2me
2012-05-21, 05:34 PM
Players do not get mutliple attacks at higher levels. A character with 2 weapons does get 2 attacks, but the mechanics are not much different than a character with a 2-handed weapon swinging once. The full round spells are just single round spells. You can reduce the time from from 6sec to 3sec. At higher levels, instead of the extra attacks, the character gets a base damage increase. This also helps melee to scale with the DPS of the caster classes. My playtesting thoughts have been +4 damage per extra attack (i.e. + 4 dmg at lvl 6 for fighters, etc.)

Please continue to critique. :)

Stickit2me
2012-05-21, 05:42 PM
Forgot the other big change -

No more saving throws. I did like the change in 4e (one of the only one's i liked) that had casters using to-hit rolls. However, I am trying to take it a bit farther and having the to-hit roll replace the saving throw and the duration. Tracking duration is not fun for the player or the DM, so if the player simply has to-hit with the spell each round, the duration is moot. You can also have spells effect lower level creatures for longer than higher level creatures, not just based upon the caster level.

Biggest problem i have found on this during my testing is with spells like monster summoning or shield where there is no particular target to hit with the spell, so the caster makes a "caster check" vs a DC each round to keep the spell up.

Concentration from taking damage, weather, etc acts as a penalty to hit on all concentration checks for all active spells.

What do you think?

LordErebus12
2012-05-21, 05:43 PM
i guess my point is this... why complicate an already complicated thing, like combat. most players have trouble with the standard rules anyways, but what im saying is: why make them learn a completely new system that WILL have negative consequences, especially at higher levels, where rules tend to be bent anyways.

you have removed about 30% of the game material with just a few of these rules. id think on why these rules are in place (as they've been playtested to death and found to work just fine) rather than how you can remove or change them.

besides this, the rules are quite balanced in pf, as is. (3.5, not so much...)

Stickit2me
2012-05-21, 05:51 PM
The simple answer is - to make it more fun and LESS complicated. (hopefully)

You're absolutely correct in that these changes are going to totally screw something up at some point, but quick combat with fast decisions and very few modifiers seems like a good thing to look at. What the screw ups are is what I'd like to figure out.

Do i really need a third attack at +1 BAB at 12th level to hit the Glabraazu with a 28 AC? etc.

LordErebus12
2012-05-21, 05:57 PM
The simple answer is - to make it more fun and LESS complicated. (hopefully)

You're absolutely correct in that these changes are going to totally screw something up at some point, but quick combat with fast decisions and very few modifiers seems like a good thing to look at. What the screw ups are is what I'd like to figure out.

Do i really need a third attack at +1 BAB at 12th level to hit the Glabraazu with a 28 AC? etc.

instead of all this fluff above (no disrespect meant), make a rule that they have all the time between their turns and 10 seconds during their turns to decide their actions, if they still cannot deal with the time restrictions, SKIP THEM (count it as a held action, they may move after everyone is finished with the round (if they still cant figure out after all this time wasted, move to next round))

i always keep a stopwatch (in this case its in my actual watch) to keep time.

as for the glabrezu, tell players that if they have no chance of hitting it with three attacks, dont roll three and waste time. roll what actually has a chance of hitting. (also, a natural 20 will auto hit, no matter the BAB or AC)

Yitzi
2012-05-21, 06:08 PM
I have been toying with some play testing of the following changes to the rules of D&D (PF in particular).

1. No AOO - they seem to be more of a pain than they are worth

If there's no AoO, that will make casting in melee even easier than before and will mean that you can move past a fighter to the guy he's guarding more easily than before, so it will exacerbate some existing problems.


2. Only 2 modifiers - CA and Cover. Everything from concealment to nauseated only does one of the above. Much easier to speed up play.

It will simplify things, but not by all that much (as you already only have 3: attack bonus, AC, and concealment; the real complexity is from the numerous different sources of modifiers, and that doesn't seem to be changing).


One one action per turn, you can move, cast, attack, charge, but one one at a time. Makes for a very fast turn which keeps my players engaged and keeps the combat flowing much more like real combat. Was very interesting.

Now this could be interesting...it does make movement far more "expensive" in terms of action economy...not sure that's a bad thing, though.


4. If you only move, you get a defense bonus = to 2 + Shield bonus or your Dex mod (whichever is higher)

Very interesting...definitely requires playtesting, but could work.

LordErebus12
2012-05-21, 06:11 PM
If there's no AoO, that will make casting in melee even easier than before and will mean that you can move past a fighter to the guy he's guarding more easily than before, so it will exacerbate some existing problems.

Agreed, and there is more complications, too

Stickit2me
2012-05-21, 06:23 PM
This was the solution I have written up in the rules document for the enemy being close to the caster.

Maintain a Spell
Maintaining a spell is a normal action; however, you may maintain a spell as a free action with penalties.

Concentrate: Many spells have the duration of “Concentration”. You may spend an action to continue the duration of this spell. This action may require an additional attack roll if it is a targeted spell. So long as you take no other actions other than concentrating on this spell, you may make this attack with no
penalties. If you move, cast another spell, maintain another spell, or take any other action, you make your concentration spell at -2 to-hit. This effect is cumulative, so if you are maintaining 3 spells, you will have -4 to-hit on all 3 of them (-6 if you move as well). You may maintain a concentration spell for as long as you continue to hit the target. Spells that do not have targets such as walls or zones, do not require an additional attack roll to maintain.

Adjacent enemies: you have a cumulative -2 to-hit for each enemy adjacent to you while you cast a spell. This is in addition to any penalties for concentration.

Disrupted Concentration: If you are damaged or interrupted in any other way while maintaining a concentration spell, you must make an immediate check using your caster bonus for all spells currently in play. The DC for this check is 20 and is effected by all adjacent enemies and any penalties for concentration. If you lose concentration on a spell, its effects stop at the end of the interrupting creatures turn.

Line of Sight: You must maintain line of sight with your targets of your spells while maintaining them. If a target leaves your line of sight, the effect ends immediately at the end of the targets turn.

Stickit2me
2012-05-21, 06:24 PM
Doesn't really seem "easier" when I read it on the forum, but this is a work in progress.

The spell caster can no longer "shift" or 5'-step out of trouble and cast a spell.

LordErebus12
2012-05-21, 06:25 PM
This was the solution I have written up in the rules document for the enemy being close to the caster.

Maintain a Spell
Maintaining a spell is a normal action; however, you may maintain a spell as a free action with penalties.

Concentrate: Many spells have the duration of “Concentration”. You may spend an action to continue the duration of this spell. This action may require an additional attack roll if it is a targeted spell. So long as you take no other actions other than concentrating on this spell, you may make this attack with no
penalties. If you move, cast another spell, maintain another spell, or take any other action, you make your concentration spell at -2 to-hit. This effect is cumulative, so if you are maintaining 3 spells, you will have -4 to-hit on all 3 of them (-6 if you move as well). You may maintain a concentration spell for as long as you continue to hit the target. Spells that do not have targets such as walls or zones, do not require an additional attack roll to maintain.

Adjacent enemies: you have a cumulative -2 to-hit for each enemy adjacent to you while you cast a spell. This is in addition to any penalties for concentration.

Disrupted Concentration: If you are damaged or interrupted in any other way while maintaining a concentration spell, you must make an immediate check using your caster bonus for all spells currently in play. The DC for this check is 20 and is effected by all adjacent enemies and any penalties for concentration. If you lose concentration on a spell, its effects stop at the end of the interrupting creatures turn.

Line of Sight: You must maintain line of sight with your targets of your spells while maintaining them. If a target leaves your line of sight, the effect ends immediately at the end of the targets turn.

i wouldnt recommend any of this, it gives me a headache just looking at it. too many new rules with this. you might as well make your own system with all the tiem you've put into this. :smallconfused:

Stickit2me
2012-05-21, 06:28 PM
LOL. That is sad but true.

I have 78 pages and 8 chapters.

The combat system is the big one I am tweaking. I will try to post it here now.

Chapter 8 – Combat


Combat is cyclical; everybody acts in turn in a regular cycle of rounds.

Combat follows this sequence:
1. When combat begins, all combatants roll initiative.
2. Determine which characters are aware of their opponents. These characters can act during a surprise round. If all the characters are aware of their opponents, proceed with normal rounds. See the surprise section for more information.
3. After the surprise round (if any), all combatants are ready to begin the first normal round of combat.
4. Combatants act in initiative order (highest to lowest).
5. When everyone has had a turn, the next round begins with the combatant with the highest initiative, and steps 3 and 4 repeat until combat ends.

Initiative
At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. If two or more combatants have the same initiative check result, the combatants who are tied act in order of total initiative modifier (highest first). If there is still a tie, the tied characters should roll to determine which one of them goes before the other.

Surprise
When a combat starts, if you are not aware of your opponents and they are aware of you, you’re surprised. Sometimes all the combatants on a side are aware of their opponents, sometimes none are, and sometimes only some of them are. Sometimes a few combatants on each side are aware and the other combatants on each side are unaware. Determining awareness may call for Perception checks or other checks.

The Surprise Round: If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take an action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs.

Unaware Combatants: Combatants who are unaware at the start of battle don’t get to act in the surprise round. Unaware combatants grant combat advantage.

Attack Roll
An attack roll represents your attempt to strike your opponent on your turn in a round. When you make an attack roll, you roll a d20 and add your attack bonus. (Other modifiers may also apply to this roll.) If your result equals or beats the target’s Armor Class or Defenses, you hit and deal damage or cause the desired effect (if a spell or special ability).

Automatic Misses and Hits: A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on an attack roll is always a miss. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a hit. A natural 20 is also a critical hit if the total attack with bonuses is enough to hit the target. If a 20 plus attack bonuses is not enough to hit, then there is not critical

Attack Bonus

Your attack bonus with a melee weapon is the following:
Base attack bonus + Strength modifier

With a ranged weapon, your attack bonus is the following:
Base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier + range penalty

For spell casting, your attack bonus is the following:
Caster Level + Stat Modifier

Defenses
Your defenses represent how hard it is for attacks to land a solid effect on you. They are the attack roll result that an opponent or effect needs to achieve to hit you.

Armor Class: Your Armor Class (AC) represents how hard it is for opponents to land a solid, damaging blow on you. It’s the attack roll result that an opponent needs to achieve to hit you with a weapon.

Your AC is equal to the following:
10 + armor bonus + shield bonus + Dexterity modifier + other modifiers

*Note that armor limits your Dexterity bonus, so if you’re wearing armor, you might not be able to apply your whole Dexterity bonus to your AC (see Table 6–6).

Fortitude: Your fortitude (Fort) represents your ability to stand up to physical punishment or attacks against your vitality and health

Your Fort is equal to the following:
10 + Fortitude bonus (by class) + Constitution modifier + other modifiers

Reflex: Your Reflex (Ref) tests your ability to dodge area attacks and unexpected situations.

Your Ref is equal to the following:
10 + Reflex bonus (by class) + Dexterity modifier + other modifiers

*Note that armor limits your Dexterity bonus, so if you’re wearing armor, you might not be able to apply your whole Dexterity bonus to your Reflex (see Table 6–6).

Will: These saves reflect your resistance to mental influence as well as many magical effects.
Your Will is equal to the following:
10 + Will bonus (by class) + Wisdom modifier + other modifiers

Defense Bonus
Your character has a defense bonus which can be used in various circumstances to improve your AC and Reflex. Your defense bonus cannot be applied to Fortitude or Will. Your defense bonus can reflect either your shield bonus or your dodge bonus, but not both.

Your Shield Defense Bonus is the following:
2 + Your shield bonus

Your Dodge Defense Bonus is the following:
2 + Your Dexterity bonus

*Note that armor limits your Dexterity bonus, so if you’re wearing armor, you might not be able to apply your whole Dexterity bonus to your Dodge Defense Bonus (see Table 6–6)

See total defense action on page XX for more information on your defense bonus.


Damage
If your attack succeeds, you deal damage. The type of weapon used determines the amount of damage you deal. Damage reduces a target’s current hit points.

Minimum Damage: If penalties reduce the damage result to less than 1, a hit still deals 1 point of non-lethal damage (see page 191).

Strength Bonus: When you hit with a melee or thrown weapon, including a sling, add your Strength modifier to the damage result. A Strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies on damage rolls made with a bow that is not a composite bow.
Off-Hand Weapon: When you deal damage with a weapon in your off hand, you add only 1/2 your Strength bonus. If you have a Strength penalty, the entire penalty applies.
Wielding a Weapon Two-Handed: When you deal damage with a weapon that you are wielding two-handed, you add 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus (Strength penalties are not multiplied). You don’t get this higher Strength bonus, however, when using a light weapon with two hands.

Multiplying Damage: Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. Note: When you multiply damage more than once, each multiplier works off the original, un-multiplied damage. So if you are asked to double the damage twice, the end result is three times the normal damage. Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are never multiplied.

Hit Points
When your hit point total reaches 0, you’re disabled. When it reaches –1, you’re dying. When it gets to a negative amount equal to your Constitution score, you’re dead.

Attacks of Opportunity
There are no attacks of opportunity in this combat system. You’re Welcome.

Speed
Your speed tells you how far you can move in a round, such as attack or cast a spell. Your speed depends mostly on your size and your armor.

Action Types
There are only two types of actions: normal actions, and free actions. In a normal round, you can perform a single normal action. You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, there are reasonable limits on what you can really do for free, as decided by the GM.

Actions in Combat

Attack

Melee Attacks: With a normal melee weapon, you can strike any opponent within 5 feet. (Opponents within 5 feet are considered adjacent to you.) Some melee weapons have reach, as indicated in their descriptions. With a typical reach weapon, you can strike opponents either 5 or 10 feet away.

Unarmed Attacks: Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except for the following:
Unarmed Strike Damage: An unarmed strike deals 1d3 points of bludgeoning damage (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). All damage from unarmed strikes is non-lethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light weapons (for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and so on). Dealing Lethal Damage: You can specify that your unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before you make your attack roll, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, you can deal lethal damage with an unarmed strike without taking a penalty on the attack roll.

Ranged Attacks: With a ranged weapon, you can shoot or throw at any target that is within the weapon’s maximum range and in line of sight. The maximum range for a thrown weapon is five range increments. For projectile weapons, it is 10 range increments. Some ranged weapons have shorter maximum ranges, as specified in their descriptions.

Multiple Attacks: A character who can make more than one attack per round may do so with a normal action.

Shooting or Throwing into a Melee: If you shoot or throw a ranged weapon at a target engaged in melee, the target is considered to have cover (-2 to hit). Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and they are adjacent. (An unconscious or otherwise immobilized character is not considered engaged.) If your target is two size categories larger than the friendly characters it is engaged with, this penalty is negated. Precise Shot: If you have the Precise Shot feat, you don’t take this penalty.

Fighting Defensively: You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a –4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain your defense bonus to AC and reflex until the start of your next turn.

Activate Magic Item
Unless otherwise noted, activating a magic item requires an action.

Cast a Spell
Most spells require 1 action to cast.

Melee Touch Attack Spell: Some spells require that you touch a target to complete the spell. You may touch the target in the same turn you cast the spell as a single action. Make a melee attack vs. Reflex to determine if you hit the target. If you miss the target, you may continue to make melee touch attacks as normal actions until you hit or the encounter is over.

Ranged Touch Attack Spell: Some spells require that you aim and hit a target to complete the spell. You may aim and fire the spell in the same turn you cast the spell as a single action. Make a ranged attack vs. Reflex to determine if you hit the target. If you miss the target, you may not continue to make attacks until you hit as with a melee touch attack. If you miss, the spell may or may not have miss effects; see the spell description for more details.

Critical Hits: A spell that requires an attack roll can score a critical hit. A spell attack that requires no attack roll cannot score a critical hit. If a spell causes ability damage or drain (see Appendix 1), the damage or drain is doubled on a critical hit.

Maintain a Spell
Maintaining a spell is a normal action; however, you may maintain a spell as a free action with penalties.

Concentrate: Many spells have the duration of “Concentration”. You may spend an action to continue the duration of this spell. This action may require an additional attack roll if it is a targeted spell. So long as you take no other actions other than concentrating on this spell, you may make this attack with no
penalties. If you move, cast another spell, maintain another spell, or take any other action, you make your concentration spell at -2 to-hit. This effect is cumulative, so if you are maintaining 3 spells, you will have -4 to-hit on all 3 of them (-6 if you move as well). You may maintain a concentration spell for as long as you continue to hit the target. Spells that do not have targets such as walls or zones, do not require an additional attack roll to maintain.

Adjacent enemies: you have a cumulative -2 to-hit for each enemy adjacent to you while you cast a spell. This is in addition to any penalties for concentration.

Disrupted Concentration: If you are damaged or interrupted in any other way while maintaining a concentration spell, you must make an immediate check using your caster bonus for all spells currently in play. The DC for this check is 20 and is effected by all adjacent enemies and any penalties for concentration. If you lose concentration on a spell, its effects stop at the end of the interrupting creatures turn.

Line of Sight: You must maintain line of sight with your targets of your spells while maintaining them. If a target leaves your line of sight, the effect ends immediately at the end of the targets turn.


Total Defense
If you only move on your turn, you may choose to activate your defense bonus until your next turn. You may choose either your shield defense bonus or your dodge shield bonus.

Use Special Ability
Unless mentioned otherwise, using a special ability is always a normal action.

Move
You may move your speed as an action

Squares: all squares count as a single move. There are no diagonal penalties. You’re Welcome.

Moving through an enemy space: You may move through an enemy space with a successful DC 20 acrobatics check or by using the overrun action as part of your move.

Terrain & Obstacles: Difficult Terrain is counted as 2 squares. Obstacles (such as small stautes or firepits) are also counted as 2 squares. Flying and incorporeal creatures are not hampered by difficult terrain or obstacles.

Squeezing: Squeezing counts as difficult terrain.

Draw or Sheathe a Weapon or Shield
You may draw or sheathe a weapon/shield as a normal action. You may drop a weapon as a free action. You must use a normal action to drop a shield that is equipped.

Stand Up
You may stand up as a normal action/

Use a Feat or Skill
Certain feats and most skills require a regular action.

Special Attacks

Aid Another : If you choose to aid another on an attack, you may choose to either grant a +2 bonus to their attack roll or you can both roll a skill check and choose the higher result. This latter option is treated as a single attack for all purposes. In many cases, a character’s help won’t be beneficial, or only a limited number of characters can help at once. You choose to aid another on defense, you may choose to grant a +2 bonus to all of their defenses or grant your shield defense bonus to their AC and Reflex.

Charge: You may charge an opponent as a standard action. You may move up to your speed and make a single attack against the target. This attack may be any melee attack, including special attacks such as grab or trip. You do not gain any bonuses for charging. You grant combat advantage until your next turn. There is no minimum amount of squares you must move to charge.


Combat Maneuvers
During combat, you can attempt to perform a number of maneuvers that can hinder or even cripple your foe, including bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, sunder, and trip. Although these maneuvers have vastly different results, they all use a similar mechanic to determine success.

Combat Maneuver Bonus: Each character and creature has a Combat Maneuver Bonus (or CMB) that represents its skill at performing combat maneuvers.

A creature’s CMB is determined using the following formula:
CMB = Base attack bonus + Strength modifier

Creatures that are size Tiny or smaller use their Dexterity modifier in place of their Strength modifier to determine their CMB. Some feats and abilities grant a bonus to your CMB when performing specific maneuvers.

Performing a Combat Maneuver: Many combat maneuvers are performed as an attack action, and others are performed as part of a charge. If your target is immobilized, unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated, your maneuver automatically succeeds (treat as if you rolled a natural 20 on the attack roll). When you attempt to perform a combat maneuver, make an attack roll and add your CMB in place of your normal attack bonus. Add any bonuses you currently have on attack rolls due to spells, feats, and other effects. These bonuses must be applicable to the weapon or attack used to perform the maneuver. The DC of this maneuver is your target’s Combat Maneuver Defense. Combat maneuvers are attack rolls, so you must roll apply cover and take any other penalties that would normally apply to an attack roll.

Combat Maneuver Defense: Each character and creature has a Combat Maneuver Defense (or CMD) that represents its ability to resist combat maneuvers.

A creature’s CMD is determined using the following formula:
CMD = 10 + Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + Dexterity modifier

Some feats and abilities grant a bonus to your CMD when resisting specific maneuvers. A creature can also add any circumstance, def lection, dodge, insight, luck, morale, profane, and sacred bonuses to AC to its CMD. Any penalties to a creature’s AC also apply to its CMD.

Determine Success: If your attack roll equals or exceeds the CMD of the target, your maneuver is a success and has the listed effect. Some maneuvers, such as bull rush, have varying levels of success depending on how much your attack roll exceeds the target’s CMD. Rolling a natural 20 while attempting a combat maneuver is always a success (except when attempting to escape from bonds), while rolling a natural 1 is always a failure.

Bull Rush: You can make a bull rush as part of a charge, in place of the melee attack. You can only bull rush an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. A bull rush attempts to push an opponent straight back without doing any harm.. If your attack is successful, your target is pushed back 5 feet. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD you can push the target back an additional 5 feet. You can move with the target if you wish but you must have the available movement to do so. If your attack fails, your movement ends in front of the target. You cannot bull rush a creature into a square that is occupied by a solid object or obstacle. If there is another creature in the way of your bull rush, you must immediately make a combat maneuver check to bull rush that creature. You take a –4 penalty on this check for each creature being pushed beyond the first. If you are successful, you can continue to push the creatures a distance equal to the lesser result. For example, if a fighter bull rushes a goblin for a total of 15 feet, but there is another goblin 5 feet behind the first, he must make another combat maneuver check against the second goblin after having pushed the first 5 feet. If his check reveals that he can push the second goblin a total of 20 feet, he can continue to push both goblins another 10 feet (since the first goblin will have moved a total of 15 feet).

Disarm: You can attempt to disarm your opponent in place of a melee attack. Attempting to disarm a foe while unarmed imposes a –4 penalty on the attack. If your attack is successful, your target drops one item it is carrying of your choice (even if the item is wielded with two hands). If your attack exceeds the CMD of the target by 10 or more, the target drops the items it is carrying in both hands (maximum two items if the target has more than two hands). If your attack fails by 10 or more, you drop the weapon that you were using to attempt the disarm. If you successfully disarm your opponent without using a weapon, you may automatically pick up the item dropped.

Grapple: As an action or as part of a charge, you can attempt to grapple a foe, hindering his combat options. Humanoid creatures without two free hands attempting to grapple a foe take a –4 penalty on the combat maneuver roll. If successful, both you and the target gain the grappled condition (see the Appendices). Although both creatures have the grappled condition, you can, as the creature that initiated the grapple, release the grapple as a free action, removing the condition from both you and the target. If you do not release the grapple, you must continue to make a check each round, as an action, to maintain the hold. If your target does not break the grapple, you get a +5 circumstance bonus on grapple checks made against the same target in subsequent rounds. Once you are grappling an opponent, a successful check allows you to continue grappling the foe, and also allows you to perform one of the following actions (as part of the standard action spent to maintain the grapple).
Move: You can move both yourself and your target up to half your speed. At the end of your movement, you can place your target in any square adjacent to you. If you attempt to place your foe in a hazardous location, such as in a wall of fire or over a pit, the target receives a free attempt to break your grapple with a +4 bonus.
Damage: You can inflict damage to your target equal to your unarmed strike, a natural attack, or an attack made with armor spikes or a light or one-handed weapon. This damage can be either lethal or nonlethal.
Pin: You can give your opponent the pinned condition (see Appendix 2). Despite pinning your opponent, you still only have the grappled condition,
Tie Up: If you have your target pinned, otherwise restrained, or unconscious, you can use rope to tie him up. This works like a pin effect, but the DC to escape the bonds is equal to 20 + your Combat Maneuver Bonus (instead of your CMD). The ropes do not need to make a check every round to maintain the pin. If you are grappling the target, you can attempt to tie him up in ropes, but doing so requires a combat maneuver check at a –10 penalty. If the DC to escape from these bindings is higher than 20 + the target’s CMB, the target cannot escape from the bonds, even with a natural 20 on the check.

If You Are Grappled: If you are grappled, you can attempt to break the grapple as an action by making a combat maneuver check (DC equal to your opponent’s CMD or an Acrobatics check (with a DC equal to your opponent’s CMD). If you succeed, you break the grapple and can act normally. Alternatively, if you succeed, you can become the grappler, grappling the other creature (meaning that the other creature cannot freely release the grapple without making a combat maneuver check, while you can). Instead of attempting to break or reverse the grapple, you can take any action that doesn’t require two hands to perform, such as cast a spell or make an attack or full attack with a light or one-handed weapon against any creature within your reach, including the creature that is grappling you. See the grappled condition for additional details. If you are pinned, your actions are very limited. See the pinned condition in Appendix 2 for additional details.

Multiple Creatures: Multiple creatures can attempt to grapple one target. The creature that first initiates the grapple is the only one that makes a check, with a +2 bonus for each creature that assists in the grapple (using the Aid Another action). Multiple creatures can also assist another creature in breaking free from a grapple, with each creature that assists (using the Aid Another action) granting a +2 bonus on the grappled creature’s combat maneuver check.

Overrun: As part of a charge, you can attempt to overrun your target, moving through its square. You can only overrun an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. If your overrun attempt fails, you stop in the space directly in front of the opponent. When you attempt to overrun a target, it can choose to avoid you, allowing you to pass through its square without requiring an attack. If your target does not avoid you, make a combat maneuver check as normal. If your maneuver is successful, you move through the target’s space. If your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD by 5 or more, you move through the target’s space and the target is knocked prone. If the target has more than two legs, add +2 to the DC of the combat maneuver attack roll for each additional leg it has.

Sunder: You can attempt to sunder an item held or worn by your opponent as an attack action. If your attack is successful, you deal damage to the item normally. Damage that exceeds the object’s Hardness is subtracted from its hit points. If an object has equal to or less than half its total hit points remaining, it gains the broken condition (see Appendix 2). If the damage you deal would reduce the object to less than 0 hit points, you can choose to destroy it. If you do not choose to destroy it, the object is left with only 1 hit point and the broken condition.

Trip: You can attempt to trip your opponent in place of a melee attack. You can only trip an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. If your attack exceeds the target’s CMD, the target is knocked prone. If your attack fails by 10 or more, you are knocked prone instead. If the target has more than two legs, add +2 to the DC of the combat maneuver attack roll for each additional leg it has. Some creatures—such as oozes, creatures without legs, and f lying creatures—cannot be tripped.


Feint
Feinting is an action. To feint, make a Bluff skill check. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + your opponent’s base attack bonus + your opponent’s Wisdom modifier. If your opponent is trained in Insight, the DC is instead equal to 10 + your opponent’s Sense Motive bonus, if higher. If successful, the target grants you (and only you) combat advantage on the next melee attack you make against the target. This attack must be made on or before your next turn.

Two-Weapon Fighting
If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. You suffer a –6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a –10 penalty to the attack with your off hand when you fight this way. You can reduce these penalties in two ways. First, if your off-hand weapon is light, the penalties are reduced by 2 each. An unarmed strike is always considered light. Second, the Two-Weapon Fighting feat lessens the primary hand penalty by 2, and the off-hand penalty by 6. Table 8–7 summarizes the interaction of all these factors.

Double Weapons: You can use a double weapon to make an extra attack with the off-hand end of the weapon as if you were fighting with two weapons. The penalties apply as if the off-hand end of the weapon was a light weapon.

Thrown Weapons: The same rules apply when you throw a weapon from each hand. Treat a dart or shuriken as a light weapon when used in this manner, and treat a bolas, javelin, net, or sling as a one-handed weapon.











Special Initiative Actions
Ready and Delay are not used in this system. You’re Welcome.

Combat Modifiers
A number of factors and conditions can influence an attack roll. Many of these situations grant a bonus or penalty on attack rolls or to a defender’s Armor Class. However, all of these modifiers are bundled into only two catagories, Cover and Combat Advantage.

Cover: If a creature has cover, it gains +2 AC and Reflex To determine whether your target has cover from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target’s square passes through a square or border that blocks line of effect or provides cover, or through a square occupied by a creature, the target has cover. When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from any corner of your square to the target’s square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn’t adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks. Cover does not stack, so if multiple effects are granting cover, you still only get +2 AC and Reflex.

Prone: Being prone grants you cover from ranged attacks

Cover and Stealth Checks: You can use cover to make a Stealth check.

Big Creatures and Cover: Any creature with a space larger than 5 feet (1 square) determines cover against melee attacks slightly differently than smaller creatures do. Such a creature can choose any square that it occupies to determine if an opponent has cover against its melee attacks. Similarly, when making a melee attack against such a creature, you can pick any of the squares it occupies to determine if it has cover against you..

Total Cover: If you don’t have line of effect to your target (that is, you cannot draw any line from your square to your target’s square without crossing a solid barrier), he is considered to have total cover from you. You can’t make an attack against a target that has total cover.

Concealment: Concealment is treated the same as cover.

Combat Advantage: If a creature grants combat advantage, all creatures have +2 to-hit that creature. There are many effects that grant combat advantage, but the most common are flanking and prone. Combat advantage does not stack, if multiple effects are granting combat advantage, you still only get +2 to-hit.

Flanking: When making a melee attack, you gain combat advantage if your opponent is threatened by another creature on its opposite border or opposite corner. When in doubt about whether two characters flank an opponent in the middle, trace an imaginary line between the two attackers’ centers (if you are on the corner, all squares opposite the enemy grant flanking.) If the line passes through opposite borders of the opponent’s space (including corners of those borders), then the opponent is flanked. Only a creature that threatens the defender can help an attacker get a flanking bonus.

Prone: Being prone grants combat advantage to melee attacks

Helpless Defenders
A helpless opponent is someone who is bound, sleeping, paralyzed, unconscious, or otherwise at your mercy. Helpless defenders always grant combat advantage.

Coup de Grace: As an action, you can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless opponent. You can also use a bow or crossbow, provided you are adjacent to the target. You automatically hit and score a critical hit. You can’t deliver a coup de grace against a creature that is immune to critical hits