TTRPGs with simultaneous instead of turn-based combat

[jdrakeh]

I believe that the original Warlock (the OD&D 1974 hack, not the game released in the past two years or so) uses simultaneous combat.

 

[soviet]

Not sure if you'll agree it fits, but some editions of Rolemaster have a missile phase, movement phase, and a melee phase so all actions of each type occur in a cluster, with individual initiative rolls or similar within the phase if needed

 

[aramis erak]

Tunnels and Trolls has a multi step turn...
step 1 is only for surprise rounds.
step 2 Magic phase, simultaneous. Written suggested for avoiding "Me, Too"
Step 3 Missiles
Step 4 pick your battles (often overlooked and mistakenly turning the whole battle into one big melee)
Step 5
5 a dice for magic (if needed)
5 b Dice for missile fire
5 c Dice for melee(s)
6 total the score for each melee (including attack magic or missiles targeted at individuals; higher does difference to lower.
7 share out the damage in each melee - evenly.
8 Figure effects of hits (in other words, apply armor and protective magics)
9 Figure poison effects
10 directed damage effects of missiles and magic
11 changes in Con and Str now apply

Stunting is usually declared before magic and resolved before magic.
Ken St. Andre often lets stunts affect shares of damage, do directed damage with melee, pull dirty tricks to reduce the opponent's rolls...
It has no initiative since none is needed. Each phase is simultaneous.
No individual turns within the round.

In practice, it's simpler
1 Declare stunts
2 Declare spells
3 Declare missiles
4 Declare melees
5 Roll it in any sensible order, total up the Magic and Melee damages (missiles don't count for combat total, and are rather potent).
6 do the math and mark it.

 

[aramis erak]

Yes, any game which has opposed roll combat resolution is generally simultaneous. Like Pendragon. Or Warlock!

Pendragon is NOT simultanous overall...
Initiative, "when it matters," is Movement rate in descending order. Ties broken by higher Dex deciding on whether to go first or last, when actually figuring out from the declarations. (4e, p 152-153)
Combat declaration is a definite case of it mattering.

More importantly, the declarations, for clarity, make it matter.

 

[Nikosandros]

Chivalry & Sorcery (at least up to 4th edition) has a hybrid system with combat rounds and "action points" expenditure with near simultaneous action resolution.

 

[ichabod]

The Fantasy Trip uses movement based on (per side) initiative, but then the attacks are treated as simultaneous.

Turns out I was wrong about this. I'm surprised nobody nailed me for it, I must be the only TFT fan on the board. "Nothing in Melee happens simultaneously." (Melee, p.3) "Figures attack in the order of their ADJUSTED DX, highest first. (Melee, p.4, emphasis theirs)

 

[aramis erak]

Turns out I was wrong about this. I'm surprised nobody nailed me for it, I must be the only TFT fan on the board. "Nothing in Melee happens simultaneously." (Melee, p.3) "Figures attack in the order of their ADJUSTED DX, highest first. (Melee, p.4, emphasis theirs)

I hadn't noticed it. But, yeah it's also not simultaneous.

 

[rgard]

Not a TTRPG, but Starfleet Battles uses simultaneous movement. I could see using that and weaving in actions as part of the movement chart.

 

[aramis erak]

Not a TTRPG, but Starfleet Battles uses simultaneous movement. I could see using that and weaving in actions as part of the movement chart.

There are a lot of fiddly timing/sequence specific bits.

Like Champions, Car Wars, and GW's Judge Dredd, movement is spread across the turn's fixed impulses... (Early editions had optional 8 and 16 impulse charts, but officially, Captain's Edition makes it 32 impulses only, at least outside the sublight battles era.

Unlike those 3, SFB's got serious procedural sequencing, and it often matters in play, so the simultaneity is not as obvious in play as the Sequence of Play chart makes it look. And the Simultineity has a huge issue which got a couple pages explanation - what facing get hit when two ships are in the same hex...

 

[Staffan]

Starfinder's space combat system is partially simultaneous. Each round is split into three phases:

1. Engineering. This is where ship crew try to mess around with shields and repairs and stuff. This is simultaneous since, for the most part, no-one is directly affecting anyone else.
2. Helm. Decidedly not simultaneous. Every ship involved has its pilot make a skill check, and the lowest result moves first (so a good pilot can react to their opponent's maneuvering and get into a good position). Crew can also scan their opponents in this phase, either before or after their pilot moves.
3. Gunnery. Rolling is done in the same order as movement, but effects are applied simultaneously (so two ships can blow one another up).