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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RobShanti" data-source="post: 6861323" data-attributes="member: 82745">Gentlemen,I humbly request your help to Please Evaluate And Critique Honestly my combat outline for Ars Magica: COMBAT CHEAT SHEETBEFORE COMBAT: Decide to roll Initiative each round, or just the first round "and when people try to change range" (Init. is hugely important when changing range!)  Suggestion: Initiative every round. Very few fights are going to go all that long.  1) Initiative: Stress die plus init. (it's stress, NOT quality! You can botch.) Get someone else to keep track. 2) Movement: Everyone declares what they want to do. If two enemies want to be at the same range, there is no engagement contest, they just do it. 2a) Distance: You can half-move + fight, or whole-move. 2b) Sub-melees: Set up on pieces of paper in "PC vs NPC" format, with room next to each side for a couple rounds of attack/defense rolls. A sub-melee is just "people that are only dealing with each other this round," whether that be one grog vs. the ogre opposite him, a Redcap vs. three ogre-dogs, etc.NB:  You could even set it up as an abstract "quasi map" so you know who's facing whom and whether people can get around the line of battle and surround someone. The numerical "this is how many paces someone takes up with this weapon" rules are unnecessary; close enough is good enough. 2c) Engagement Contest: If people don't want to be at the same range, figure out who wins the "engagement contest" with highest initiative. THAT PERSON GETS A FIRST STRIKE BONUS EQUAL TO THE INITIATIVE DIFFERENCE. They can use that for ONLY ONE of attack or defense on THIS round. 2d) Missiles:  Choose to "engage" an archer (allowing you to dodge) without knowing if they're going to shoot at you or not. Mass archery is probably very bloody. 3) First missiles: Compare archer’s Attack roll to target’s Defense roll, using first-strike bonus if applicable. 4) Melee:  Compare attacker’s Attack roll to target’s Defense roll, using first-strike bonus if applicable.4a) Attack/Defense:  Everyone gets ONE roll and that sets both their attack and defense. Write for both sides "Attack#/Defense#" next to each character in the submelee or tell the player, "Make your roll, do your math" and then work out who hits who in what order. 4b) Multiple Opponents:  The side with fewer people has -3 to Attack & Defense per extra opponent, limited by number of people in the line of battle, unless you get surrounded or the line breaks. 4c) Multiple Opponent Damage:  You might damage each multiple opponent with a good enough roll. 4d) Using a weapon INSIDE its range imposes -6 for each range class (Pike at Touch is -12; you can usually use a fist or sword pommel like a gauntlet to Brawl, but you'd have to drop a pike or bill hook to fight at close or touch range). 4e) Successful attack: “The difference” (attack-defense) can either be used for damage or saved up for next round as an advantage. You can only use a saved-up advantage for attack OR defense, not both. 4e.1) Damage: “The difference” + damage bonus – soak, rounded down (no separate roll) 4e.2) Less than 4 pts. of damage: inflicts no real wound (but can be saved up as an advantage) 5) Second missiles: For those quick-as-lightning really-high-initiative Robin Hood types. Rarely comes up.6) Spells: If people are going "spell vs. spell" spell Initiative = Qik + Finesse + Enc. 7) Fatigue:  Everyone rolls fatigue, 6+ to avoid it. 8) Bookkeeping:  The ship gets that much closer to sinking, Wounds that Weep bleed some more, etc.*If someone is on a horse they have several huge advantages: ● +3 attack/defense/init for higher ground● zero encumbrance so they can wear heavy armor and still fight perfectly well● lances● adding their Ride scores to initiative (so they tend to a powerful First Strike)</blockquote>

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