Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Imperialus" data-source="post: 3543745" data-attributes="member: 893">I've found that it helps to abstract the combat system even further to allow for better descriptions. Just because your fighter is swinging a +2 sword doesn't mean that every blow that does damage has to come from it. Depending on how desperate the fight is fists, knees, elbows and foreheads can be used as weapons too. For example, say the fighter rolls a one on his damage, that could mean that he was unable to get a good swing in with his sword so instead opted to kick at his opponent instead or drive the rim of his shield into his face. Also the rules as written assume that unless you actually attempt to grapple your opponent you simply sit there politely trading blows until one of you falls down. Real combat would see a lot of grappling. The easiest way to control a sword is to control the sword arm so I tend to assume that a certain amount of grappling occurs during the course of normal combat. Only when you are literally rolling on the ground wrestling do I use the grappling rules.19) You parry his blow with your sword and pivot into it smashing the crossguard into his face, blood and broken teeth erupt from his mouth as you mangle his jaw.20) he brings his forearm up and uses his gauntlet to block the blow, you still hear a grunt of pain and the gauntlet is now deformed with a thin trickle of blood flowing between his fingers.21) you twist your body, avoiding his swing and use the momentum to drive your spear into his stomach.22) Your hammerblow smashes into his shield, splintering the oak, you also hear the distinctive crack of a forearm bone breaking.23) discarding the style your fencing masters taught you, you drive his sword to one side, stepping inside his guard and driving your knee into his groin.24) He overextended himself on his last swing so you smash your heel into his knee and drive your sword into the unprotected side of his torso when he doubles over in pain.25) You manage to catch his blade in your gauntlet so you step into his guard and drive the point of your dagger into his unprotected belly.26) You scream as you grasp your sword in both hands and swing with all your might, your shout startled him and he doesn't even have a chance to get his guard up as your blade carves clean through his helmet and into his brain.27) You hear the sickening crunch of ribs being broken as your mace crushes his breastplate and the organs that it was supposed to protect.28) He flinched out of the way at the last moment so what would have been a leathal blow is deflected by his pauldron, he seems to be favoring that arm now though so you've probably done some damage.29) You put your shoulder behind your shield and use it to force his guard open, your opponent's own shield is forced out of position and you thrust the point of your sword into the opening cutting deep into his thigh.</blockquote>

Verification