Eulalios
2014-07-14, 11:48 AM
S")[/B][/TD]
[/TR]
1
Simple
0
2
Standard
+1
3
Expert
+2
5
Master
+3
8
Superb
+4
13
Epic
+5
[/TABLE]
D give the base number of successes required, and the base number of d20 to roll "N".
For the final number of d20 to roll, add your character's bonus "B" based on relevant positive attribute "A", skill "S", and any other relevant factors: B = A + S; N = D + B. If your character has any talent or focus or skill at all, then they will have a Standard bonus. If you somehow have double-dipped into a skill or focus at char gen, your character will have an Expert bonus. Note: wherever your character starts in a skill, it takes the same number of xp to reach Standard, Expert, or Master; char gen may give you a head start like a hare, but the tortoise still will catch you if they try.
Now roll Nd20. Count the total number "T" of rolls > 13 (successes). Rolls > 18 should also be rolled again. But note that a relevant negative attribute, or a bad circumstance, should be treated as a circumstantial penalty ("-b") that bumps off 1 or more successes. (T - b) >= D, you succeed.[/SPOILER]
The main idea is that combat is brutal, binary, and fast.
In melee, your character may attempt one action and may attempt to evade the efforts of others to injure them. All these attempts are combined in a flurry of action, represented by a single roll of dice against all opponents.
The difficulty "Dh" of hurting someone in melee depends on their relevant attribute (Cun / Dex / Str), armor, weapon, and weapon skill: Dh = A + Arm + W + S, as well as a possible tactical adjustment "X." Before first contact I will apprise you of this stuff.
The difficulty "Dm" of moving one arena, in combat, is Simple, except in hazardous terrain, which is Standard. Moving an additional arena raises difficulty.
Difficulty of pushing or impeding someone is just the same as hurting them, except that success results in tactical advantage rather than damage.
The difficulty "Ds" of shooting someone with a ranged weapon, or hitting them with a thrown weapon, typically is Standard (+1 per arena distance) + Arm.
Circumstances (terrain, weapon choice, and position) may give a bonus or bump, of which I will inform you.
The difficulty "De" of evading an injury depends on the attacker's (Cun / Dex / Str) + W + S, with a possible tactical adjustment "X." Again, I will inform you of this before you decide your actions.
Your character's bonus dice "B" = (Cun / Dex / Str) + Arm + W + S - except for moving, where Spd is the relevant attribute.
So, for this total flurry of action, N = (Dh / Dm / Ds) + sigma(De) + A + Arm + W + S.
Before rolling, you must pick your character's priority of actions for the round. Successes (d20 > 13) will be first assigned to what you choose. Any excess will roll over to the lesser priorit(ies). The highest die you roll corresponds to your character's first priority; next highest to the next priority; and so on.
[B]Armor
"Arm"
Weapon Type
W
Leather
+1
Brawling / Light Blade / Thrown
+1
Light Mail
+2
Axes / Heavy Blade / Stave / Ranged
+2
Heavy Mail
+3
Two-handed (inclg. spears) / Crossbow
+3
Plate
+4
Example: You are a Fereldan Warrior, Str +2, clad in light mail, armed with a heavy blade and skilled in its use (Standard skill). You face two unskilled and ragged bandits armed with spears. I inform you that they are about to attack. You determine that your first priority is to hurt one of them, your second and third priorities are to evade being hurt. You roll Dh + De + De + Str + Arm + W + S = +3 +3 +3 +2 +2 +2 +1 = 16d20 = [17][16][2][5][10][1][17][17][11][11][20][14][11][3][13][6]. In that mess of dice are a total of 6 successes, with one 20 to roll again = [8]. You manage to hurt the first bandit, and to evade his spear-strike, but the second bandit catches you flat-foot.
When you succeed in hurting someone, your (Cun / Dex / Str) + W + S determine the severity of the wound (how hard will it be to heal - something I typically don't bother to track for NPCs) while the die corresponding to the attempt determines its impact (how many hp are lost). Similarly, when you fail in evading an injury, your assailant's (Cun / Dex / Str) + W + S determine the severity of the wound, while the die corresponding to the attempt determines its impact.
So in this example, you inflict on the first bandit a wound of severity 5 (2 + 2 + 1) for 20 hp, and you suffer from the second bandit a wound of severity 3 for 17 hp. Neither of you will recover those lost hp until you recover from the wound.
Also, you lose 11 hp fatigue (the number of failures that you rolled) - this can be recovered by taking a round of "rest" (no action other than evading injury).
The main idea is that your choices determine how combat will flow. I apprise you what the NPCs appear to intend; you declare your character's action; then things unwind in the order shown.
Defend or Protect. Both options deny pre-selection of a target to hit, but afford you a follow-on counter-attack (new roll!) against the first opponent that you fail to block.
Defend: N = sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + 2 x S.
Protect: attackers who want to target a chosen friend in your arena, attack you instead. N = sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + S.
Shoot or Throw. Use a ranged weapon to attack someone in your arena or an adjacent arena. N = Dh + Cun + S. Ranges per Dragon Age rules. Dh increases by range increment and by target terrain. Cannot effectively shoot or throw through intervening, non-adjacent tight or dense terrain.
Focus or Impede. Actions that take longer to manage.
Focus: Announce what you are starting to do for a focus action; if unharmed until the end of the turn, it happens.
Impede: Pick an opponent and attempt to prevent them Moving, Attacking, or Pushing anyone other than you. N = Dh + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + Spd, but you inflict no damage on a successful "hit."
Move. From the arena you are in to an adjacent arena. This works only if you are not Impeded. If you are Impeded, you must attack the Impeder in order to get free. You can move Dm additional arenas, up to your Spd, by rolling N = Dm + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + Spd.
Attack, Assist, or Aimed Shot. Attack anyone in your present arena (or other arenas for ranged weapons), except that if you were Impeded, you only can attack that opponent.
Attack: This is the straight up N = Dh + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + S.
Assist: Add your relevant attribute (Str or Dex or Cun) and skill (if using a weapon) to any action rolled by an ally in the same arena.
Aimed shots: strike their targets on successful attack rolls.
Push. Move one or more opponents to an adjacent arena, by rolling N= Dh + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + (Str or Dex or S).
Focused Actions. Focused actions (spell casting, other skill uses) take place if the focuser remains unwounded. A target who remains Impeded to this time, now is Cornered and cannot move until after they successfully attack the impeder.
The main idea is that magic is risky, even if you're not messing with demons or blood.
Starting spells are Standard tasks, while you start with Standard skill at casting those spells: N = 2 + Mag + 1. Any other spells you might pick up, or try to invent, you will have only Simple skill but they still will be Standard (or harder) tasks. We can discuss spell descriptions and effects in the Characters thread; I like my magic a bit more open-ended and flexible for the caster, than what Green Ronin provided. Unusual targets may bump (or mitigate) difficulty, but I will apprise you of that before you roll.
If you succeed in casting a spell, it takes effect, and you lose (N - 2 x T) mana. If you fail in casting a spell, you lose mana = highest die rolled. If you go below zero mana a nearby demon will attempt to take you. If you remember to ask, your mage has a continual vague impression as to the potence of the local demons.
If someone casts a spell at you, I roll the dice to determine is the event effectual. This annoys me. That's my problem.
In combat, or really at any appropriate time, Mages may choose to Defend/Protect against spells and/or demons in addition to the corporeal dangers against which other characters may shield themselves or their comrades.
Eventually, someone's gonna ask about this, and take their character on a quest to learn more, and then I'll fill in the rules I've already worked out for Thedan usages of demons and blood.
[/TR]
1
Simple
0
2
Standard
+1
3
Expert
+2
5
Master
+3
8
Superb
+4
13
Epic
+5
[/TABLE]
D give the base number of successes required, and the base number of d20 to roll "N".
For the final number of d20 to roll, add your character's bonus "B" based on relevant positive attribute "A", skill "S", and any other relevant factors: B = A + S; N = D + B. If your character has any talent or focus or skill at all, then they will have a Standard bonus. If you somehow have double-dipped into a skill or focus at char gen, your character will have an Expert bonus. Note: wherever your character starts in a skill, it takes the same number of xp to reach Standard, Expert, or Master; char gen may give you a head start like a hare, but the tortoise still will catch you if they try.
Now roll Nd20. Count the total number "T" of rolls > 13 (successes). Rolls > 18 should also be rolled again. But note that a relevant negative attribute, or a bad circumstance, should be treated as a circumstantial penalty ("-b") that bumps off 1 or more successes. (T - b) >= D, you succeed.[/SPOILER]
The main idea is that combat is brutal, binary, and fast.
In melee, your character may attempt one action and may attempt to evade the efforts of others to injure them. All these attempts are combined in a flurry of action, represented by a single roll of dice against all opponents.
The difficulty "Dh" of hurting someone in melee depends on their relevant attribute (Cun / Dex / Str), armor, weapon, and weapon skill: Dh = A + Arm + W + S, as well as a possible tactical adjustment "X." Before first contact I will apprise you of this stuff.
The difficulty "Dm" of moving one arena, in combat, is Simple, except in hazardous terrain, which is Standard. Moving an additional arena raises difficulty.
Difficulty of pushing or impeding someone is just the same as hurting them, except that success results in tactical advantage rather than damage.
The difficulty "Ds" of shooting someone with a ranged weapon, or hitting them with a thrown weapon, typically is Standard (+1 per arena distance) + Arm.
Circumstances (terrain, weapon choice, and position) may give a bonus or bump, of which I will inform you.
The difficulty "De" of evading an injury depends on the attacker's (Cun / Dex / Str) + W + S, with a possible tactical adjustment "X." Again, I will inform you of this before you decide your actions.
Your character's bonus dice "B" = (Cun / Dex / Str) + Arm + W + S - except for moving, where Spd is the relevant attribute.
So, for this total flurry of action, N = (Dh / Dm / Ds) + sigma(De) + A + Arm + W + S.
Before rolling, you must pick your character's priority of actions for the round. Successes (d20 > 13) will be first assigned to what you choose. Any excess will roll over to the lesser priorit(ies). The highest die you roll corresponds to your character's first priority; next highest to the next priority; and so on.
[B]Armor
"Arm"
Weapon Type
W
Leather
+1
Brawling / Light Blade / Thrown
+1
Light Mail
+2
Axes / Heavy Blade / Stave / Ranged
+2
Heavy Mail
+3
Two-handed (inclg. spears) / Crossbow
+3
Plate
+4
Example: You are a Fereldan Warrior, Str +2, clad in light mail, armed with a heavy blade and skilled in its use (Standard skill). You face two unskilled and ragged bandits armed with spears. I inform you that they are about to attack. You determine that your first priority is to hurt one of them, your second and third priorities are to evade being hurt. You roll Dh + De + De + Str + Arm + W + S = +3 +3 +3 +2 +2 +2 +1 = 16d20 = [17][16][2][5][10][1][17][17][11][11][20][14][11][3][13][6]. In that mess of dice are a total of 6 successes, with one 20 to roll again = [8]. You manage to hurt the first bandit, and to evade his spear-strike, but the second bandit catches you flat-foot.
When you succeed in hurting someone, your (Cun / Dex / Str) + W + S determine the severity of the wound (how hard will it be to heal - something I typically don't bother to track for NPCs) while the die corresponding to the attempt determines its impact (how many hp are lost). Similarly, when you fail in evading an injury, your assailant's (Cun / Dex / Str) + W + S determine the severity of the wound, while the die corresponding to the attempt determines its impact.
So in this example, you inflict on the first bandit a wound of severity 5 (2 + 2 + 1) for 20 hp, and you suffer from the second bandit a wound of severity 3 for 17 hp. Neither of you will recover those lost hp until you recover from the wound.
Also, you lose 11 hp fatigue (the number of failures that you rolled) - this can be recovered by taking a round of "rest" (no action other than evading injury).
The main idea is that your choices determine how combat will flow. I apprise you what the NPCs appear to intend; you declare your character's action; then things unwind in the order shown.
Defend or Protect. Both options deny pre-selection of a target to hit, but afford you a follow-on counter-attack (new roll!) against the first opponent that you fail to block.
Defend: N = sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + 2 x S.
Protect: attackers who want to target a chosen friend in your arena, attack you instead. N = sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + S.
Shoot or Throw. Use a ranged weapon to attack someone in your arena or an adjacent arena. N = Dh + Cun + S. Ranges per Dragon Age rules. Dh increases by range increment and by target terrain. Cannot effectively shoot or throw through intervening, non-adjacent tight or dense terrain.
Focus or Impede. Actions that take longer to manage.
Focus: Announce what you are starting to do for a focus action; if unharmed until the end of the turn, it happens.
Impede: Pick an opponent and attempt to prevent them Moving, Attacking, or Pushing anyone other than you. N = Dh + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + Spd, but you inflict no damage on a successful "hit."
Move. From the arena you are in to an adjacent arena. This works only if you are not Impeded. If you are Impeded, you must attack the Impeder in order to get free. You can move Dm additional arenas, up to your Spd, by rolling N = Dm + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + Spd.
Attack, Assist, or Aimed Shot. Attack anyone in your present arena (or other arenas for ranged weapons), except that if you were Impeded, you only can attack that opponent.
Attack: This is the straight up N = Dh + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + S.
Assist: Add your relevant attribute (Str or Dex or Cun) and skill (if using a weapon) to any action rolled by an ally in the same arena.
Aimed shots: strike their targets on successful attack rolls.
Push. Move one or more opponents to an adjacent arena, by rolling N= Dh + sigma(i=1..n)Dbi + (Str or Dex) + (Str or Dex or S).
Focused Actions. Focused actions (spell casting, other skill uses) take place if the focuser remains unwounded. A target who remains Impeded to this time, now is Cornered and cannot move until after they successfully attack the impeder.
The main idea is that magic is risky, even if you're not messing with demons or blood.
Starting spells are Standard tasks, while you start with Standard skill at casting those spells: N = 2 + Mag + 1. Any other spells you might pick up, or try to invent, you will have only Simple skill but they still will be Standard (or harder) tasks. We can discuss spell descriptions and effects in the Characters thread; I like my magic a bit more open-ended and flexible for the caster, than what Green Ronin provided. Unusual targets may bump (or mitigate) difficulty, but I will apprise you of that before you roll.
If you succeed in casting a spell, it takes effect, and you lose (N - 2 x T) mana. If you fail in casting a spell, you lose mana = highest die rolled. If you go below zero mana a nearby demon will attempt to take you. If you remember to ask, your mage has a continual vague impression as to the potence of the local demons.
If someone casts a spell at you, I roll the dice to determine is the event effectual. This annoys me. That's my problem.
In combat, or really at any appropriate time, Mages may choose to Defend/Protect against spells and/or demons in addition to the corporeal dangers against which other characters may shield themselves or their comrades.
Eventually, someone's gonna ask about this, and take their character on a quest to learn more, and then I'll fill in the rules I've already worked out for Thedan usages of demons and blood.