Topic: What house rules for combat do you use?

[Druss_the_Legend]

What house rules for combat do you use?

[EltonJ]

I have yet to run combat according to the rules as written, but I'd like to adopt a better way of handling initiative.

[Druss_the_Legend]

I have yet to run combat according to the rules as written, but I'd like to adopt a better way of handling initiative.

here is what I use... its not 100% tested but its developed out of the need to streamline actions and allow for some more movement options during combat.

Movement & Combat Rules 
Movement happens first and then combat.
Combat Rounds are now split into a MOVEMENT PHASE and COMBAT PHASE. After individual initiative is rolled lowest initiative will Declare MOVEMENT, then MOVE. Higher initiative combatants can react and move before an enemy. After all movement has been resolved, the COMBAT PHASE starts. All combatants declare attacks then each attack is resolved. The lowest initiative declares attacks first and attacks last, highest initiative declares last and attacks first.

COMBAT ROUND SUMMARY:
1) Roll Initiative (2d10+ 1/5 Qu/Ag)
2) Declare Movement in reverse initiative order
3) Resolve Movement and use movement rolls if needed
4) Check for reaction movement (higher initiative can react to lower initiative)
5) Declare Attacks in reverse order of initiative
6) Resolve Attacks in initiative order with highest initiative attacking first.

Note#1. Once your movement is declared you cant change it, same for attacks. If the target you were about to attack is killed before your attack comes up, you miss the opportunity to act for that round.
Note#2. Spell casters may use their highest mental Stat for initiative.
Note#3. Combat penalties take effect immediately. If an attack gives the target a penalty, it is applied to their next attack.
Note#4. Spells, missiles and melee attacks are all simultaneous.
Note#5. Non combat actions are declared on your initiative and then resolved in reverse order. Highest initiative first. Lowest initiative last.

Reaction Movement (Movement Phase).
During the MOVEMENT phase a combatant can react and move in response anyone moving who has a lower  Initiative Score. eg. cutting off the escape of a fleeing enemy or rushing to the aid of an ally. To react, you must have line of sight on the enemy. This might require snap perception roll (GMs decision).
Movement and Maneuver Table. If during the MOVEMENT PHASE a combatant attempted  a movement action using a skill such as acrobatics, leaping, swinging, a Movement and Maneuver Table roll is needed. A 100 result on the Movement and Maneuver is automatic success. A result of 90 or less means partial success and a -10 penalty to their attack roll.  A less than 100% successful Maneuver may result in the loss of attack (GMs decision).

[Druss_the_Legend]

Think of movement as a separate round (100% activity) and combat as a separate round (another 100% activity) but...
Id probably allow a character to move again in the COMBAT PHASE instead of attacking but they might suffer opportunity from enemy attackers in melee range at the start of combat. Enemies might also be able to respond to your movement if their initiative roll is higher than yours. So a quick enemy could still move in response to your double move and attack you, perhaps requiring a maneuver roll to do so.

this system opens options of movement up for characters, especially in the first round of combat where combatants are using strategic movement to gain a positional advantage of some kind eg. stalking to get a rear attack  or surprise attack or positioning for a flank or 2v1 situation or helping out an ally by moving to support them.

[jdale]

I do a simple round where each character does 100% of their action in initiative order. Characters can delay their entire action but not part of it. Effects apply immediately. No declaration phase. It's pretty quick.

It seems to me that you are calling on each player four times -- there are two declarations and two actions per round. That doesn't seem very streamlined. And while I like the idea of separating movement and action, in practice my players forget what they did for movement which will impact their action (less activity or pace penalties), so it's created fewer issues to just do them all at once.

I do roll initiative every round (automated) which adds a little chaos. It would resolve faster to keep the initiative order consistent through the battle (so the players always know who is next and that person can plan ahead better).

[MisterK]

What I plan to do :
- remove initiative. There are five AP ranks in a round, and all actions that occur in the same rank occur simultaneously. When you perform an action, you "go down" to that AP rank.
- actions are not pre-declared, except for intention to engage in melee (either full or defensive) during the round, for OB/DB allocation. Actions occur when the expected number of APs are spent. The action is not declared when it begins, rather when it takes place, which means that no one commits before actual execution (and you can change an action on the fly as long as you have not rolled for it).
- no combat tables. Attacks are resolved as usual (OB - DB + roll + modifiers), with weapon and armor providing modifiers. 101+ is a hit, 100- is a miss. Increased effects obtained by getting above 125 and 150. There are four defense actions : block (the usual DB allocation), dodge/evade (which is not a melee action), ignore (and pray, I guess), and counter. Counter is a risky defense which gives the opportunity for the defender to hit the attacker if the attacker roll fails - this opportunity being *in addition* to their own attack. Inspired by Harnmaster.
- no critical tables, although there is a damage roll. I use a modified version of the Harnmaster impact and wound resolution, with effects being a result of impact, hit location and attack type. For simplification, attacks that are not aimed at specific body parts have default hit locations.
- GM does not roll. All rolls are on player side, which means that when an NPC attacks a PC, the player rolls "for defense" and the attack result is obtained by subtraction. Same thing for impact.
- haste reduces the number of APs required for an action, down to 1 AP (not possible to get to 0). slow and concentration increase the number of APs required for an action. It is possible to execute up to 5 APs worth of actions in a round, but if a character executes five APs worth of actions, they begin the next round reeling and must spend an action recovering. If they end the round having spent 3 APs or less, they gain Focus for the following round. It is possible to perform an action "hastily", applying one level of haste but with a -30 modifier (if the action is automatic, such as an unchallenged combat move, the modifier is transferred to the next action). It is also possible to perform an action carefully, applying one level of slow but getting a +10 modifier. It is possible to benefit from up to two levels of haste overall (so up to three  - haste spell, hasty action, and Adrenal Speed - if you also suffer from a level of slow).
- spellcasting is either a 1 AP action for "instantaneous" spells, or a 3 AP action for standard ones. The limit of 1 spell per round still applies.

And that's all. I have a specific mechanism for formal duel resolution, but this is not combat (dueling, in my RM hack, is not a combat skill - I hesitated between athletic and social, and it ended up as an athletic skill, since there is already a social dueling skill - Rhetoric).

Ah, and there is no ambush anymore. Rather, there is a Neutralisation skill, which cannot be used in combat and which does not use a combat resolution either.

[Druss_the_Legend]

I do a simple round where each character does 100% of their action in initiative order. Characters can delay their entire action but not part of it. Effects apply immediately. No declaration phase. It's pretty quick.

It seems to me that you are calling on each player four times -- there are two declarations and two actions per round. That doesn't seem very streamlined. And while I like the idea of separating movement and action, in practice my players forget what they did for movement which will impact their action (less activity or pace penalties), so it's created fewer issues to just do them all at once.

I do roll initiative every round (automated) which adds a little chaos. It would resolve faster to keep the initiative order consistent through the battle (so the players always know who is next and that person can plan ahead better).

good points. im thinking the movement declaration is resolved immediately. so you state what your movement is and its executed right away. you can respond to someones movement and react and move at the same time as them if you want. Its like holding your action. If this happens you act 'out of order'.

previously i allowed movement and attack on your initiative without declarations and found it unsatisfactory as low initiative combatants can get to attack people who have already parried someone else.

still tweeking this system. prob still needs refining. movement should mostly be used in round one when combatants are pairing off. after that there should be less movement and i expect we will just jump to declaring combat actions and resolving them.

whatever system u use, you have to decide whether you want realism and options or simplicity. more options adds more complexity and can slow things down too much. its a balancing act and each GM has their own setup that works for their group.

[Hurin]

I use a system almost identical to JDales, though I keep initiative from round to round rather than rolling anew each round.

I have to say I find combat goes much faster and is easier for the players to follow when you do away with different types of phases for different types of actions, and when you do away with declarations altogether.

[katastrophe]

I do a simple round where each character does 100% of their action in initiative order. Characters can delay their entire action but not part of it. Effects apply immediately. No declaration phase. It's pretty quick.

It seems to me that you are calling on each player four times -- there are two declarations and two actions per round. That doesn't seem very streamlined. And while I like the idea of separating movement and action, in practice my players forget what they did for movement which will impact their action (less activity or pace penalties), so it's created fewer issues to just do them all at once.

I do roll initiative every round (automated) which adds a little chaos. It would resolve faster to keep the initiative order consistent through the battle (so the players always know who is next and that person can plan ahead better).

Essentially the same here.

For initiative we use the standard 2d10 (exploding 10s) + Qu bonus

There are some differences. We definitely dont bother with declared actions, even though it looks like it might allow some slight advantage to the slower actors. We have not found that to be the case in practice in nearly all instances. The faster actors tend to move and act putting slower actors on the defensive tactically.  Generally speaking when an actors turn comes, they use all of their activity except that which they reserve for casting instants or some other activity which requires 20% or less, except movement.

Most movement has to used first during the action and attacks after. So you move then attack/cast spell/etc.   

Interrupting Movement

If two actors are close on the initiative counter it could result in an interruption. ie PC1 decides to move (40% activity) and attack (60%) activity but V1 is only one initiative counter off from PC1, V1 can counter attack against PC1 with 60% as well for their action.  If PC1 has 2+ initiative on V1 this does not occur.

Holding Actions are not Free

An Actor can choose to hold their action but they move to the next initiative counter. ie PC1 moves on 21 (rolls 9,7 and has Qu 5) but decides to hold.  The next counter is V3 at 17 (rolls 4,6 and Qu 7), therefore PC1 can choose to move on 17. He could also opt to hold again and move at the next counter which is at 15. However, he cannot move between counters once he decides to hold.

If PC holds until V3 charges, he does not get to automatically go first though he does get the advantage. They both roll an d10exploding + Qu bonus + the held initiative counter points (for the holding actor) and the highest number acts first. is PC1 holds from 21 to 17 and V3 charges to attack. PC decides to attack when V3 closes, he rolls d10 + 5 (quickness) + 4 (difference from initial initiative and when he actually moved), the opponent V3 rolls d10 + 7 (Qu).  This has worked very well and makes delaying both an advantage (battlefield control and observation) but risky since you could wait too late allow someone to still get an advantage on you for waiting.

Instants

we allow the casting on multiple instants in round but not non-instants.  Also, no spells can be cast within 4 initiative points of another.  We have not found this to be overpowering. Casting of instants breakaway from the normal activity and initiative in a couple of ways.

A player can cast an instant on their initiative counter and then hold. is PC casts shield at 21 and then chooses to hold from there. He will have 90% remaining activity. If he wants to cast another instant such as blur he cannot do so until 17 (4 initiative points later). We do allow the actor to choose to move at that time to cast the instant even if there is no initiative counter at that number (exception to the above rules of waiting until the next initiative counter).

Also instants can be cast defensively even if it is before ones initiative counter (unless a spell was cast less than 4 points prior). ie PC2 doesn't move until initiative counter 19 but is attacked by V4 on 21. PC2 can defensively cast blade turn on 21 (out of order) as a defensive instant. PC2 cannot cast another spell of any type until 17 so decides to hold when his initiative counter at 19 comes around since he cannot cast any spells and would have to wait until the next initiative counter at 15.

Fate Points

Any actor (PCs and npc/villains) can expend a fate point to move to the top of the initiative counter. Since fate points are rare (you start with a number equal to your background options and get 1 additional after a full adventure, a level up and if you do something particularly heroic), this usually only occurs in times of desperation.

For the most part, that is how we play. Generally combats move along quickly and have a dynamic flow to them. I am sure there are some other little things we do as part of combat initiative but I cannot think of them right off hand.  We believe in trying to make combat go as quickly as possible.