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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    United States
    Gender
    Male

    Default (PEACH) An RPG combat system.

    This combat system is part of a larger fantasy RPG that I've been designing for fun and personal use. Looking for critique both of the system itself and of my presentation thereof.

    Spoiler: General Dice Mechanics
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    This is part of the broader game.
    Skill Tests: The system is d10 based. Each character has seventeen skills, with a numerical rank ranging from 3-10. When a skill test is called for, the character rolls a number of d10s equal to his or her skill rank. Each 10 rolled on the dice is considered a single success. Out of combat, number of successes is often relevant, but less so in combat.

    The Skills: The seventeen skills are divided into four categories. For combat, the most important are typically the five physical skills: Balance, Endurance, Speed, Strength, Precision. The Mental (Insight, Analysis, Recall, Understanding, Resilience), Personal (Articulation, Charm, Abasement, Poetics, Grandeur), and Sensory (Sight and Lower Senses) skills do still have some combat interaction.

    Opposed Tests: When an opposed test is called for, both participants roll off, and compare number of successes; greater number of successes wins. A tie results in victory for the defender (even non-combat skill tests will refer to a "defender.")

    Bonuses and Penalties: Bonuses and Penalties to tests fall into one of three types: Skill Bonus/Penalty, Result Bonus/Penalty, and Success Bonus/Penalty. These terms are always capitalized when they show up.
    • A Skill Bonus/Penalty increases or decreases the number of dice rolled for the skill in question. The most common bonus/penalty type, and the one which is used to represent the advantages of weapons and armor in combat. Regardless of Bonuses/Penalties, the effective skill rank can never be raised higher than 10 or lower than 1, with a notable exception for Kill Attempts.
    • Result Bonus/Penalty: These bonuses and penalties modify the number needed on the dice to count as a success; a +1 Result Bonus means that you score successes on a 9 or 10. Result Penalties apply only to the highest die roll of a test, since otherwise they would make many skill tests impossible. These are the rarest Bonus/Penalty type; they can usually only be acquired at character generation. Natural 1s and 2s on the dice are failures regardless of Result Bonuses.
    • Success Bonus/Penalty: Adds or subtracts a number of successes to the total rolled. Cannot reduce a number of successes to 0, cannot apply if no successes are rolled to begin with.


    Combat Cards: Each player and the GM has five Combat Cards for use in battle, to represent the five physical skills and their role in attacks and defenses.

    Tile System: Combat occurs on a grid, with squares referred to as spaces or tiles. Tiles are counted by direct adjacency; two tiles that share a corner diagonally are not adjacent. Movement and distance calculations are accordingly counted via tiles that directly share a side.

    Health & Morale numbers: Typically, at character creation, a character will have 14-16 points (depending on certain character options and random traits) distributed between their Health and Morale. A character cannot put less than 3 or more than 10 into health or morale at character creation



    Spoiler: Combat Structure
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      1. Determine Positions & Sides: The system uses a simple grid-based map, like graph paper. It is declared which participants are on which side, the Players' Side or the GM's Side.
      2. Determine Turn Order: Each Side determines its own turn order. Then they roll off, and the winner decides whether to go first or second.
      3. Take Turns: Each side alternates turns; the first actor of the first side goes, then the first actor of the second side, then the second actor of the first side, et cetera. If the sides have uneven numbers, then the last remaining members of the larger side take their turns one after another, until all participants in the combat have acted. Each turn consists of up to one Attack and one Special Action.
      4. Resolve Combat: Combat continues, repeating turns until one side is entirely slain, fled due to Morale Loss, or surrenders.



    Spoiler: The Attack
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    The primary system represents hand-to-hand fighting with weapons; missile attacks have their own system, see below.
    When an actor declares an attack on their turn, the following procedure is used:

    1. Choose Attacking Skill: Each attack is made with one of the five physical skills (Balance, Endurance, Speed, Strength, Precision). Which kind of attack you use helps paint a narrative picture of your character's fighting style. Unless a rule states otherwise, attacks can be made only against adjacent (side-sharing) tiles. You select which type of attack you are making in secret, by placing one of your five combat cards face-down on the table.
    2. Choose Defending Skill: Every melee attack is contested with a Defense. Like attacks, defenses can be mounted with any one of the five physical skills. The defender likewise places one of his five combat cards face down on the table.
    3. Show Cards and Roll Attacks and Defenses: Attacker and defender show their cards simultaneously; they then check to see if the Attack type is Effective, Ineffective, or neither with respect to the chosen Defense. Penalties and bonuses are applied accordingly (see below). Both players then roll an opposed test with the two skills in question; if the attacker has more successes than the defender, the attack hits.
    4. Wound, Kill, and Retaliate: If the attack hits, the attacker chooses whether to Wound or Kill the target. If the attacker chooses to Wound, the target automatically loses one Health Point.
      If the attacker chooses to Kill, the attacker then rolls a test using the skill with which he made the attack, suffering a Skill Penalty equal to the target's current Health Points. If this penalty would reduce the effective skill to 0, he cannot attempt to Kill, and must choose to Wound instead. If the test scores any number of successes, he successfully slays his foe.
      If the Defender wins the opposed test by a margin of two or more successes, he is entitled to a free Retaliation against the attacker. The effect of this Retaliation is determined by the defending skill used.




    Spoiler: Attacks and Defenses
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    If an attack type is stated to be Effective vs. a specific defense type, the attacker gains a +2 Skill Bonus and a +1 Success Bonus against that defense type. If an attack type is stated to be Ineffective vs. a specific defense type, the attacker suffers a -2 Skill Penalty and a -1 Success Penalty against that defense type.

    Balance. Balance in combat manifests in carefully composed stances, masterful footwork, and intimidating acrobatic movements. A balanced fighter attacks with long lunges and defends with graceful retreats. Superior control of distance makes Balance Attacks Effective vs. Speed Defense. Such wide actions have trouble finding gaps in armor, however, making Balance Attacks Ineffective vs. Endurance Defense. A defender who scores a Retaliation using Balance Defense can Trip his opponent, forcing him to stumble. Test Balance: on any number of successes, the opponent trips, and the next melee attack against him hits automatically.

    Endurance. Endurance fighters are patient, using constant but cautious attacks to keep pressure on their enemies and wear down their stamina. Defensively, they have the nerve to trust in their armor and native toughness to absorb blows. Since they are designed to hammer down direct defenses, Endurance Attacks are Effective vs. Strength Defense. However, since they tend to be slow and conservative, Endurance Attacks are Ineffective vs. Speed Defense. A defender who scores a Retaliation using Endurance defense can Dishearten his opponent, making him realize how little his attack did. Test Endurance: on any number of successes, the opponent loses one Morale Point.

    Speed. A speed-focused moveset is highly aggressive, focused on swift barrages of strikes. A speedy fighter exposes himself to danger, relying on his reflexes to allow him to twist away at the last second. Fast attacks leave little time for accurate redirection, making Speed Attacks Effective vs. Precision Defense. However, the blows are usually light and direct enough to be easily met head-on, making Speed Attacks Ineffective vs. Strength Defense. A defender who scores a Retaliation using Speed defense can make a lightning-quick Riposte. Test Speed: on any number of successes, the opponent loses one Health Point.

    Strength. A fighting style that emphasizes Strength uses direct, powerful strikes, which aim to break through an opponent's guard and make him lose his footing. On the defensive, it uses direct blocking, which is easy to adopt at a moment's notice. The use of sheer power can overwhelm all but the most perfect stances, making Strength Attacks Effective vs. Balance Defense. However, the force of a blow is meaningless if redirected, making Strength Attacks Ineffective vs. Precision Defense. A defender who scores a Retaliation using Strength Defense can Grapple an opponent, impeding his limbs. Test Strength: on any number of successes, the opponent trips, and the target cannot make an attack on its next turn.

    Precision. Accuracy and efficiency are the hallmarks of Precision-oriented fighters. They offend with deliberately placed cuts and thrusts, and use expertly angled deflections and leaning dodges to defend. The ability to find vitals and gaps in armor makes Precision Attacks Effective vs. Endurance Defense. Since its attacks are often deliberate and reliant on careful timing, they are Ineffective vs. Balance Defense. A defender who scores a Retaliation using Precision defense can Disarm his opponent. Test Precision: on any number of successes, the target cannot benefit from weapons in his attacks or defenses until the end of his next turn. Note that this affects weapons that are part of a creature's anatomy, like fangs or claws.


    Spoiler: Missile Attacks
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    Attacks with missile weapons can be made with any of the five physical skills. They are not contested by any defense; rather any number of successes constitutes a hit; the missile attacker may then Wound or Kill as normal. Some armaments, namely armor and shields, impose penalties on missile attacks.
    Missile Attacks suffer some additional restrictions. Firstly, they cannot be made if the attacker has an enemy in an adjacent space.
    Secondly, missile attacks cannot be made in the same turn as any of the following special actions: Move, Escape, Maneuver, Cripple, Knock Down, First Aid, Guard.
    Finally, Missile Attacks have limited range; each ranged weapon has an Accurate Range value and a Maximum Range value. Multiply each of these values by the attacker's unmodified Sight skill to determine actual Long Range and Maximum Range in tiles. Missile attacks against targets outside the Long Range value suffer a -1 Skill Penalty and -1 Success Penalty. Missile Attacks cannot be made against targets outside the Maximum Range.


    Spoiler: Special Actions
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    The special action can be taken either before or after that turn's attack.
    Move: You move up to five tiles. You cannot perform this action while adjacent to an enemy.
    Change Weapons: You change which of your weapons you are holding. This action can also be used to retrieve thrown weapons or ammunition.
    Escape: You may only perform this action while adjacent to enemies. Roll a Speed test; you may immediately move a number of tiles equal to your number of successes. If this movement takes you to a space with no adjacent enemies, you may immediately take a Move action for free.
    Maneuver: Pick an enemy adjacent to you, and roll a Balance test defended by that enemy's own Balance. If you win, you may move that enemy to any other unoccupied space adjacent to you.
    Cripple: Pick an enemy adjacent to you, and roll a Precision test defended by that enemy's own Precision. If you win, that enemy suffers a -1 Success Penalty on the next attack it makes.
    Knock Down: Pick an enemy adjacent to you, and roll a Strength Test contested by that enemy's own Strength. If you win the contest, the next attack against that enemy gains a +1 Success Bonus.
    Catch Breath: Test Endurance at a -1 Skill Penalty. On any number of successes, you regain 1 lost Health Point. Any Health Points regained this way are lost when combat ends.
    Center Self: Test Resilience at -1 Skill Penalty. On any number of successes, you regain 1 lost Morale Point. Any Morale Points regained in this way are lost when combat ends.
    First Aid: Pick one ally adjacent to you. Test Recall at -1 Skill Penalty. The ally regains lost Health Points equal to your number of successes. Any Health points regained in this way are lost when combat ends. You cannot take this action if you or the ally have an enemy in an adjacent space.
    Inspire: Pick on ally who can see or hear you. Test Poetics or Grandeur at -1 Skill Penalty. That ally regains lost Morale Points equal to your number of successes. Any Morale Points regained in this way are lost when combat ends.
    Threaten: Pick one enemy who can see or hear you. Test Grandeur or Poetics defended by the target's resilience. If you win the contest, the enemy loses 1 Morale Point.
    Guard: Choose one ally adjacent to you. Test Analysis or Insight at -1 Skill Penalty. On any number of successes, you can choose to have the next attack against that ally target you instead, so long as that ally remains adjacent to you when said attack occurs.
    Assess: Pick one enemy you can see, and choose whether to assess Attack or Defense. Test Analysis or Insight, Defended by the enemy's Abasement or Charm. If you win the contest, the next time that opponent make an Attack or Defense (depending on which you chose), the player controlling that enemy must begin by declaring what type of Attack or Defense it will use, rather than picking it in secret. If both an attacker and a defender are simultaneously subject to a successful Assess action, they both select in secret as normal.



    Spoiler: Armory
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    Weapons and armor provide an indispensable edge in combat; they provide crucual bonuses to certain attacks and defenses. Note that all listed bonuses of weapons are Skill Bonuses, and apply only to Attacks and Defenses; they do not apply to Retaliations, Kill attempts, rolls made as part of a special action, or tests that otherwise use the corresponding skill.

    A one-handed weapon requires the use of the primary hand.
    An off-handed weapon can be used in the off-hand, with either a one-handed weapon or another off-handed weapon (but not a shield) in the primary hand. You may attack or defend with either weapon, but may only benefit from one weapon per attack or defense.
    A two-handed weapon requires the use of both hands. If it is a melee weapon, you may use it to attack enemies who are two tiles (or one tile diagonal) away from you. You are not considered to be adjacent to said enemies.
    Armor requires no hands to use.

    Dagger, Off-Handed Melee Weapon: Speed Attack +2, Precision Attack +2, Speed Defense +1, Precision Defense +2
    Special: This weapon may be thrown as a missile weapon, with an Accurate Range value of 1 and a Maximum range value of 2.

    Sword, One-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +2, Speed Attack +2, Strength Attack +1, Precision Attack +1, Balance Defense +1, Speed Defense +1, Strength Defense +1, Precision Defense +1

    Falchion, One-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +1, Endurance Attack +2, Speed Attack +2, Strength Attack +2, Balance Defense +1, Speed Defense +1 Strength Defense +1

    Longsword, Two-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +2, Endurance Attack +1, Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +1, Precision Attack +2, Balance Defense +2, Speed Defense +1, Strength Defense +1, Precision Defense +2

    Hatchet, Off-Handed Melee Weapon: Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +2, Precision Attack +1, Speed Defense +1, Strength Defense +1, Precision Defense +1
    Special: This weapon may be thrown as a missile weapon, with an Accurate Range value of 1 and a Maximum range value of 2.

    Axe, One-Handed Melee Weapon: Endurance Attack +2, Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +3, Precision Attack +1, Speed Defense +1, Strength Defense +1, Precision Defense +1

    Great Axe, Two-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +2, Endurance Attack +3, Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +3, Balance Defense +2, Strength Defense +1, Precision Defense +1

    Club, Off-Handed Melee Weapon: Endurance Attack +2, Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +2, Balance Defense +1, Precision Defense +1
    Special: This weapon may be thrown as a missile weapon, with a Accurate Range value of 1 and a Maximum range value of 2.

    Staff, One-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +2, Endurance Attack +2 Strength Attack +1, Balance Defense +2, Strength Defense +1, Precision Defense +2
    Special: This weapon may be wielded two-handed. It gains no additional bonuses,, but does benefit from additonal reach.

    Mace, One-Handed Melee Weapon: Endurance Attack +3, Strength Attack +3, Precision Attack +1, Balance Defense +1, Speed Defense +1, Strength Defense +1.

    Maul, Two-Handed Melee Weapon: Endurance Attack +3, Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +3, Precision Attack +1, Balance Defense +2, Strength Defense +2, Precision Defense +1

    Spear, One-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +3, Speed Attack +2, Strength Attack +1, Precision Attack +1, Speed Defense +1, Balance Defense +2
    Special: This weapon may be thrown as a missile weapon, with an Accurate Range value of 2 and a Maximum range value of 3.

    Pike, Two-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +3, Endurance Attack +1, Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +1, Precision Attack +1, Balance Defense +2, Strength Defense +2

    Halberd, Two-Handed Melee Weapon: Balance Attack +2, Endurance Attack +1, Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +2, Precision Attack +1, Balance Defense +2, Speed Defense +1, Strength Defense +2, Precision Defense +1

    Small Shield, Off-Handed Melee Weapon: Endurance Attack +1, Speed Defense +2, Precision Defense +2
    Special: This weapon imposes a -1 Skill Penalty to Missile Attacks against the bearer.
    Special: This weapon may be used to defend at the same time as another weapon, making its defense bonuses cumulative with those of a main-hand weapon.

    Medium Shield, Off-Handed Melee Weapon: Endurance Attack +1, Strength Attack +1, Endurance Defense +1, Speed Defense +1, Strength Defense +1, Precision Defense +1
    Special: This weapon imposes a -1 Skill Penalty to Missile Attacks against the bearer.
    Special: This weapon may be used to defend at the same time as another weapon, making its defense bonuses cumulative with those of a main-hand weapon.

    Large Shield, Off-Handed Melee Weapon: Endurance Attack +2, Strength Attack +2, Endurance Defense +2, Strength Defense +2
    Special: This weapon imposes a -2 Skill Penalty to Missile Attacks against the bearer.

    Hunting Bow, Two-Handed Missile Weapon: Speed Attack +1, Strength Attack +1, Precision Attack +2. Accurate Range value 6, Maximum range value 10.

    War Bow, Two-Handed Missile Weapon: Balance Attack +1, Strength Attack +2, Precision Attack +1. Accurate Range value 8, Maximum range value 12.

    Sling, One-Handed Missile Weapon: Endurance Attack +1, Speed Attack +1 Strength Attack +1, Precision Attack +1. Accurate Range Value 3, Maximum range value 8.

    Javelin, One-Handed Missile Weapon: Balance Attack +2 Strength Attack +1, Precision Attack +1. Accurate Range Value 4, Maximum Range value 6.
    Special: This weapon can be used as a melee weapon. Treat it as a Spear with all of its attack and defense bonuses reduced by one.

    Light Armor: Endurance Defense +1
    Special: This armor imposes a -1 Skill Penalty to Missile Attacks against the wearer.
    Special: This armor's defense bonus is cumulative with defense bonuses from weapons and shields.

    Medium Armor: Endurance Defense +2, Strength Defense +1
    Special: This armor imposes a -2 Skill Penalty to Missile Attacks against the wearer. It also causes the wearer to suffer a -1 Skill Penalty to Balance, Endurance, Speed, and Precision tests other than Attacks, Defenses, Retaliations, Special Actions, and Kill Attempts.
    Special: This armor's defense bonus is cumulative with defense bonuses from weapons and shields.

    Heavy Armor: Endurance Defense +3, Strength Defense +2
    Special: This armor imposes a -3 Skill Penalty to Missile Attacks against the wearer. It also causes the wearer to suffer a -2 Skill Penalty to Balance, Endurance, Speed, and Precision tests other than Attacks, Defenses, Retaliations, Special Actions, and Kill Attempts.
    Special: This armor's defense bonus is cumulative with defense bonuses from weapons and shields.


    Spoiler: Health
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    When an Attack succeeds in overcoming the target's Defense, the attacker chooses whether to Wound or to attempt to Kill. If the attacker chooses to Wound, the target loses one Health Point. If the attacker chooses to Kill, he rolls a Skill Test using the same skill he used to make the attack. This roll suffers a Skill Penalty equal to the target's current Health Points. If the attacker scores any number of successes, the target is slain at once! In contravention to the usual rule, if this Penalty would reduce the Skill to 0 or lower, the Kill Attempt cannot be made, and the attacker must choose to Wound instead.

    It is possible for a character to be reduced to negative Health Points, thus granting Skill Bonuses to Kill Attempts against that character!

    In the heat of battle, characters can generally overcome most pain and injury and power on through, but once their blood has cooled they may experience more severe setbacks from their wounds. At the end of a combat during which a character lost Health Points, that character must make an Endurance test, with a Skill Bonus equal to that character's remaining Health Points (or penalty, if that character is at negative Health Points.) On a failure, the character suffers a random effect from Table A: Wounds. The effects of all Wounds are cleared when the character is restored to full Health Points; temporary Health Point gain, such as from Special Actions in combat, does not count towards this restoration.

    Of course, perils other than attacks, such as nasty falls, hostile weather, or hazardous substances may cause loss of Health Points. As a general rule, sources of Health Point loss outside of combat do not cause injury, though certain exceptions may apply.


    Spoiler: Morale
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    If a character's Morale Points are reduced to 0 in combat, the strain becomes too much. The character becomes ineffective in combat; it is either too despondent, too terrified, or too excited to contribute meaningfully to the fight. The target cannot make attacks, and it can take no Special Actions other than Move or Escape. If the target gains 1 Morale Point, it can contribute and act normally again.

    Targeting enemy morale can be crucial to victory in a fight where enemy strength overwhelms one's own.

    If a character's side is defeated while it is incapacitated due to Morale Point loss, the character either surrenders, flees, or simply slumps down in despair.

    Outside of combat, a character at 0 Morale suffers a -1 Success Penalty to all tests. This penalty goes away if the character regains 1 Morale Point. Should the character be at 0 Morale when combat begins, the character immediately goes back into an ineffective state until Morale Points are regained.

    In combat, a number of different experiences may put strain upon the mind, taxing it and bringing someone near his breaking point. Morale Points may be lost from any of the following:

    A character that is reduced to 0 Health Points also suffers the loss of 1 Morale Point.
    A character that sees one of its allies incapacitated by Morale Point loss suffers the loss of 1 Morale Point.
    A character that sees one of its allies killed suffers the loss of 2 Morale Points.

    Any time a creature would suffer Morale Point loss from one of those three sources, it may attempt a Resilience test, with a skill penalty equal to the loss. If it scores any number of successes, it does not lose those Morale Points.

    Unlike with Health Points, a character cannot be reduced below 0 Morale Points.

    While physical wounds show quickly and heal shortly, injuries of the mind take longer to set in and can take far longer to heal. Whenever a character rests, if that character was reduced to 0 Morale Points at any time since its last rest, the character must make a Resilience test at +1 Skill Bonus. If the character scores no successes on this test, the character suffers a random effect from Table B: Sorrows. Sorrows are less overtly detrimental than Wounds, but have no definitive way of healing and removing them. Some mental magics can help ease and suppress them, but it is ultimately up to the GM to determine what kind of steps your character must take to move past the Sorrow. Strength can be drawn from this, however; a character that successfully removes a Sorrow gains a permanent +1 Result Bonus on all future Resilience tests made to resist Sorrows
    Last edited by Catullus64; 2021-03-05 at 04:17 PM.
    The desire to appear clever often impedes actually being so.

    What makes the vanity of others offensive is the fact that it wounds our own.

    Quarrels don't last long if the fault is only on one side.

    Nothing is given so generously as advice.

    We hardly ever find anyone of good sense, except those who agree with us.

    -Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

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