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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 5506060" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p><u><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Combat </span></strong></u></p><p></p><p><strong>HOW YOU CAN DIE</strong></p><p> </p><p>There are several ways to die. These include being reduced to a negative hit point total equal to your Constitution score plus your level. However, hit point loss never kills you until you reach -10, even if you have a lower combined Con + level.</p><p></p><p>Another way to die is through lethal ability damage. Constitution damage is always lethal; other ability damage specifies when it is lethal, and otherwise is nonlethal. If an ability score is reduced to 0 via lethal ability damage (or drain), you die. </p><p> </p><p>You can also be killed outright by certain effects, such as high severity critical hits, death magic, drowning, etc. The dm must adjudicate these on a case by case basis- for instance, decapitation will kill a human or orc, but won't kill a golem.</p><p></p><p><strong>NONLETHAL DAMAGE</strong></p><p></p><p>Most attacks deal lethal damage (unarmed strikes are generally an exception). However, when you make a melee attack, you may take a -4 penalty to attack in order to do nonlethal damage instead.</p><p> </p><p>Nonlethal damage works essentially as it did in 3e: You keep a running total of nonlethal damage, and when it exceeds your present hit points, you lose consciousness. Nonlethal damage is recovered at a rate of 1 point per ten minutes if you are resting; if you are active or unconscious in an uncomfortable place, it instead returns at a rate of 1 point per hour. If you are affected by a healing power or effect while you have nonlethal damage, your nonlethal damage heals first at a rate of two points of nonlethal damage per point of healing.</p><p></p><p><strong>ABILITY DAMAGE AND DRAIN</strong></p><p> </p><p>Similar to 3e, your ability scores can be damaged or drained. The difference is that drained ability scores do not return on their own. Ability damage heals at the rate of 1 point per damaged ability per day of complete rest. If you do not take a day of complete rest, ability damage will not heal on its own.</p><p></p><p><strong>RECOVERING DAMAGE</strong></p><p> </p><p>Every time you take an extended rest, you recover 1 Hit Die worth of hit points. (You roll your highest type of hit die when checking this, so a fighter/wizard regains 1d10 hit points after an extended rest.) As stated, nonlethal damage is recovered at a rate of 1 point per ten minutes if you are resting; if you are active or unconscious in an uncomfortable place, it instead returns at a rate of 1 point per hour. If you are affected by a healing power or effect while you have nonlethal damage, your nonlethal damage heals first at a rate of two points of nonlethal damage per point of healing. Ability damage heals at the rate of 1 point per damaged ability per day of complete rest. If you do not take a day of complete rest, ability damage will not heal on its own.</p><p></p><p><strong>ACTION POINTS</strong></p><p> </p><p>Each character starts with one action point. A character can only have one action point at a time until he is 5th level; then he can have two at a time. Once he is 10th level, a character can have three action points at a time; at 15th level he can have four at a time; etc. A character cannot spend another action point until he rolls a recharge check (action point use recharges on an 16+); however, a character can regain an action point long before he can spend it. A character regains an action point in any of the following ways:</p><p> </p><p><em>Cleric:</em> Drop an enemy, cast a prayer with a positive effect on an ally</p><p><em>Fighter:</em> Hit an enemy</p><p><em>Rogue: </em>Drop an enemy, sneak attack an enemy, succeed at a skill check</p><p><em>Wizard:</em> Drop an enemy, hit an enemy with a spell</p><p> </p><p>A character may spend his action point in three ways:</p><p> </p><p>-Take an extra action: The character spends his action point during his turn to take an extra standard action.</p><p> </p><p>-Make an extra saving throw or recharge roll: The character rolls one extra recharge roll or saving throw. </p><p> </p><p>-Second wind: Once per day a character can spend an action point to take a second wind. This allows you to roll regain hit points equal to one hit die of your highest type. </p><p></p><p><strong>Monsters and Action Points:</strong> In general, a group of monsters has a pool of action points equal to the number of monsters in the group. Tiny creatures, swarms and creatures that have an initiative penalty do not provide action poitns to the pool, while those with an initiative bonus of +2 or higher provide 2 action points. </p><p> </p><p>Monsters can use their action points to take extra actions or make extra saving throws or recharge rolls. Since they share a pool of action points, they don't have to roll to recharge their action point use, but the group of monsters can only use 1 action point per round (so only one monster per round can use an action point). </p><p> </p><p>A group of monsters regains an action point whenever they drop an enemy. Some groups of monsters may have other specific conditions upon which they regain action points. </p><p></p><p><strong>DEFENSES</strong></p><p> </p><p>Base defenses for a creature are: </p><p> </p><p><em>AC:</em> 10 + armor bonus + shield bonus + helm bonus</p><p><em>Fortitude:</em> 10 + 1/3 Constitution score</p><p><em>Reflex:</em> 10 + 1/3 Dexterity score</p><p><em>Will:</em> 10 + 1/3 Wisdom score</p><p></p><p>Magic, class bonuses, etc. can all improve (or sometimes worsen) these.</p><p></p><p><strong>OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS</strong></p><p> </p><p>If an enemy lowers its guard while you threaten it, you may make a free melee attack against it as a reaction. Two things typically trigger opportunity attacks: moving (not shifting) out of a threatened space and making a ranged attack or a spell attack at range.</p><p></p><p><strong>STACKING</strong></p><p> </p><p>Everything stacks (except with itself). Absolutely everything... except things that say they don't. That said, you can only be in one stance and one fighting style at a time.</p><p> </p><p><u><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>THE COMBAT SEQUENCE</strong></span></u></p><p> </p><p>Combat is broken up into rounds, each of which is approximately 6 seconds long. Unlike 3e and later, initiative is per side and is rerolled each round. </p><p></p><p><strong>INITIATIVE:</strong> Each side rolls for initiative (players should take turns). Initiative is rolled on 1d10, and each side adds all appropriate modifiers for each creature on its side. </p><p> </p><p><strong>TIMING:</strong> Combat is fast and furious. If a creature can't decide what to do in ten seconds, it holds its action. If it has not gone by the start of its next turn, it loses its held action. Likewise, if a character can't decide on stance and fighting style within 10 seconds, it remains in its current stance and fighting style.</p><p></p><p>Each person's turn goes like this:</p><p></p><p>1. Beginning of round effects</p><p>2. Make recharge rolls</p><p>3. Choose changes to stance and fighting style, if any</p><p>4. Roll initiative for the round.</p><p>5. Take actions</p><p>6. End of turn effects</p><p>7. Make saving throws</p><p></p><p><em>Beginning of Turn Effects:</em> Some effects happen at the start of your turn, including ongoing damage. If you have multiple beginning of turn effects on you, you choose which order to apply them.</p><p> </p><p><em>Make Recharge Rolls:</em> Roll a recharge check for each applicable power. This is a 1d20 roll; if a power requires a recharge roll, it specifies the DC.</p><p> </p><p><em>Choose Changes to Stance and Fighting Style:</em> You must decide whether to change stance or fighting style now, since it can affect your initiative modifier. If you cannot decide within 10 seconds, your stance and fighting style remain the same as they were the last round.</p><p> </p><p><em>Roll Initiative for the Round: </em>One person from each side rolls for initiative for their side. The roll is 1d10; all modifiers that any member of that side have apply. (For example, if a group of pcs fight a group of three ghouls that each have a +1 initiative bonus, the ghouls' initiave has a +3 bonus.)</p><p> </p><p>There are sometimes more than two sides to a fight, and sometimes one or more creatures will switch sides in the middle of a fight. In all cases, initiative works the same. When a creature switches sides, it uses the other side's initiative, and adds any bonuses or penalties to initiative it might have to that side's initiative as normal. If a combatant betrays its side but does not join another, it may end up being its own side in the initiative. However, as long as creatures are fighting on the same side, they should use the same initiative. </p><p> </p><p><em>Take Actions: </em>The winning side goes in whichever order they prefer, one at at time. Each creature may take either a full action, which uses up its entire turn, or one standard, one move and one minor action in a round. A character may trade its actions down; for example, a creature can use a minor or move action in place of a standard action, or a minor action in place of a move action, but not vice-versa. </p><p> </p><p>A creature may also hold its action, in which case it defers its turn until later. It can take its turn at any point later before its next turn, even interrupting another creature's actions; however, it cannot take a full action and may only take two actions (a standard and a move).</p><p> </p><p>Once the winning side goes, the next side goes, and so on until all sides have gone.</p><p> </p><p>Actions are discussed in more detail below.</p><p> </p><p><em>End of Round Effects:</em> Some effects take place (or expire) at the end of the round. Those happen now. As with start of turn effects, if you are subject to multiple end of round effects, you decide in what order they apply.</p><p> </p><p><em>Make Saving Throws:</em> Make any appropriate saving throws. (Note that you may not make saving throws until after all other end of round effects have been applied.)</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px">Actions</span></strong></p><p></p><p><strong>SUSTAINING</strong></p><p> </p><p>Many effects allow you to sustain them by spending an action, often a minor action. Typically, each power or effect that you wish to sustain requires its own action. Many actions state that they last until the end of the next round and also mention that you can sustain them until the end of the next round. Typically, the user spends the sustain action the round after activating the power; thus, the power lasts an extra round. A creature may sustain a power as long as it has the actions to do so, but over a long period (such as an hour) this becomes fatiguing and difficult to maintain. The dm must use common sense to adjudicate this.</p><p></p><p><strong>ACTION TYPES</strong></p><p> </p><p>There are seven types of actions in D&D Jazz: free, minor, move, standard, full, interrupt and reactions. On its turn each round, a creature typically can take either a full action or three actions- one each standard, move and minor- and may “trade down” a standard for a move or minor action or a move for a minor action.</p><p> </p><p>Interrupts and reactions can happen at any time. There is no limit on how many interrupts or reactions you may take at a time, though you can take only of each for each trigger. (For instance, if you have two reactions that trigger on being hit and an interrupt that triggers on being hit, when an enemy hits you you can use the interrupt and then one of the reactions.)</p><p> </p><p>An interrupt happens before the trigger, and can conceivably negate it. For instance, if you have a power that lets you shift 15' as an interrupt when an enemy makes a melee attack on you, if you get to a position where the attacker cannot reach you with that attack, it automatically misses you. A reaction happens after the trigger.</p><p> </p><p>Free actions are often triggered, but not always. A creature can take any number of free actions in a round, subject to common sense (after all, a round is only six seconds long!).</p><p> </p><p>Here are some examples of actions: </p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>MINOR ACTIONS</strong></p><p>Open or close a typical door</p><p>Draw a weapon</p><p>Sheath a weapon</p><p>Ready a shield</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>MOVE ACTIONS</strong></p><p>Walk</p><p>Run</p><p>Shift</p><p>Crawl</p><p>Stand up</p><p></p><p><strong>STANDARD ACTIONS</strong></p><p>Attack</p><p>Charge</p><p>Maneuver</p><p>Trick attack</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Movement</u></strong></p><p> </p><p><em>Walk:</em> You move up to your speed. For simplicity, when using a battlemat, count every other diagonal as 2 squares.</p><p> </p><p><em>Run:</em> You move up to double your speed. Until the end of the next round, you grant combat advantage and suffer a -4 penalty to attacks.</p><p> </p><p><em>Shift:</em> You move 5' without provoking opportunity attacks.</p><p> </p><p><em>Crawl: </em>You must be prone to crawl. You move 5'.</p><p></p><p><strong>MOVING THROUGH OTHER CREATURES</strong></p><p> </p><p>You can always move through the space of prone creatures or creatures 2 or more sizes bigger or smaller than you. You can also move through other creatures' spaces unless they choose to contest you. If a creature contests you, you may use a trick attack (see below) to try to force your way through, but unless you are shifting, the creature will get an opportunity attack at the least. The trick attack takes your standard action, but it takes place in the midst of your movement; this is one of only a very few instances in which you can resume an action (your movement) when you have spent an action other than an interrupt or reaction in the middle of it.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Attacks: What Can I Do?</u></strong></p><p></p><p>In combat, characters usually have various options they can try involving their fighting styles, stances, spells, etc. But sometimes they want to get tricky- instead of killing the goblin, they want to knock it unconscious; instead of defeating the death knight, they just want to knock him down and get past him; instead of killing the barbarian chieftain, they need to humiliate him by knocking him down.</p><p> </p><p><em>Charge: </em>When you charge, you move up to your speed (minimum of 2 squares) in a straight line and make a melee attack with a +2 bonus against a creature within reach at the end of your charge. Until the end of the next round, you grant combat advantage.</p><p> </p><p><em>Maneuver:</em> Sometimes it pays to move your enemy instead of attacking him. You must be adjacent to an enemy to maneuver him. Make opposed attack rolls; if you win, you may move the enemy 5'. If you win by 5, you may move the enemy 10'. If you win by 10, you may move the enemy 15'. If you win by 15, you may move the enemy 20'. At the end of the maneuver, you shift adjacent to the enemy. </p><p> </p><p>If you attempt to maneuver an enemy into terrain that will harm it, such as a raging fire or off a cliff, the enemy receives a saving throw (succeeds on a 10+); if it succeeds, it instead falls prone in the last square before it enters the hazardous terrain.</p><p> </p><p><em>Trick Attacks:</em> Characters attempting such creative attacks use the Trick Attack mechanic. The character describes the attack he is performing, the dm assesses which defense it attacks, the attacker rolls and if he hits makes an opposed roll against the target to successfully pull of the trick attack. Trick attacks usually inflict a significant disadvantage against the enemy but are hard to pull off and don't deal damage.</p><p></p><p>Four examples of trick attacks are the disarm, feint, pass through and the trip attack.</p><p> </p><p><em>Disarm:</em> A successful disarm causes an opponent to lose its weapon, implement or similar object. It is hard to disarm an enemy, as retaining one's weapon is a very basic consideration in combat. It is also harder to disarm a target holding a weapon in both hands. Make a melee attack vs. Reflex; if you hit, you and the target make opposed attack rolls (the target gets a +4 bonusn and an additional +2 if it is holding the weapon in both hands). If you win, you cause the enemy to drop its weapon in its square. If you beat the enemy by 5 or more, you may knock the weapon 5' away from it; if you beat it by 10, you may knock the weapon 10' away from it; and so on.</p><p> </p><p><em>Feint:</em> A successful feint causes the enemy to misdirect its guard for a short time. Make a melee attack vs. Will; if you hit, make a Charisma check opposed by the enemy's Wisdom check (you choose the dice). If you win, the enemy grants you combat advantage until the end of the next round.</p><p> </p><p><em>Pass Through:</em> A successful pass through lets you move through the space of an enemy that is contesting your movement (see Moving through Other Creatures above). This takes your standard action, but it takes place as an interrupt triggered by a creature contesting your movement through its space. Make a melee attack vs. Reflex or Fortitude, your choice; if you hit, you and the target make opposed checks, each of you choosing Strength or Dexterity against the other (you choose the dice). If you win, you may move through the enemy's space with the rest of your move action. You must be able to reach an unoccupied space with your remaining movement. Note that this is a very rare case in which you can start your move, take a standard action and then complete your movement.</p><p></p><p><em>Trip: </em>A successful trip attack knocks the enemy prone. Make a melee attack vs. Reflex; if you hit, you and the target make opposed Dexterity checks (you choose the dice). If you win, the enemy falls prone. </p><p></p><p><strong><u>Conditions</u></strong></p><p> </p><p>There are quite a few possible conditions that one can suffer in D&D Jazz. These, along with their effects, include the following:</p><p></p><p><em>Dazed</em></p><p>A dazed creature can take only one action on its turn and may not take a full action. It cannot take interrupts or reactions.</p><p></p><p><em>Dying</em></p><p>A creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points is dying. While dying, each round the creature must make a death saving throw; this succeeds on a 10+ and stabilizes the character on a 20+. If the creature fails three death saves, it dies. It must continue to make death saves every round until it dies or stabilizes. A creature can be stabilized by an ally that makes a 1d20 Wisdom skill check to apply first aid. If this check fails, the dying creature still gets a +2 bonus on its next death save. A dying creature also stabilizes if it regains a hit point.</p><p></p><p><em>Helpless</em></p><p>A creature is usually helpless because it is unconscious or paralyzed. A helpless creature is unable to defend itself. Enemies gain a +5 bonus to melee attacks against it and can spend a full action to perform a coup de grace on it. A helpless enemy counts as granting combat advantage.</p><p></p><p><em>Immobilized</em></p><p>An immobilized creature cannot move from its space (but can be maneuvered). It can still take other actions normally.</p><p></p><p><em>Paralyzed </em></p><p>A paralyzed creature cannot move its body. It cannot take any actions that require even the slightest mobility, but if it has any actions that are strictly mental, it can still use those. A paralyzed creature is helpless.</p><p></p><p><em>Prone </em></p><p>A prone creature takes a -4 penalty to attacks and grants combat advantage to adjacent enemies. It gains a +2 bonus to AC and Reflex against attacks from non-adjacent foes. Sometimes an effect will make prone a creature that, on the surface of it, does not seem like it should be able to be knocked down. In these cases, the prone condition actually consists of the victim being tangled up in itself and unable to move properly without spending a move action to right itself. When you are prone, you can crawl but not walk or shift.</p><p></p><p><em>Slowed</em></p><p>A slowed creature moves at half speed and grants combat advantage. All of its movement modes are affected.</p><p></p><p><em>Stunned</em></p><p>A stunned creature drops what it is holding and can take no actions, even strictly mental ones. It grants combat advantage.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em>(NOTE: I have more conditions to work up, obviously... neither blinded nor deafened are up there yet.)</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 5506060, member: 1210"] [U][B][SIZE="4"]Combat [/SIZE][/B][/U] [B]HOW YOU CAN DIE[/B] There are several ways to die. These include being reduced to a negative hit point total equal to your Constitution score plus your level. However, hit point loss never kills you until you reach -10, even if you have a lower combined Con + level. Another way to die is through lethal ability damage. Constitution damage is always lethal; other ability damage specifies when it is lethal, and otherwise is nonlethal. If an ability score is reduced to 0 via lethal ability damage (or drain), you die. You can also be killed outright by certain effects, such as high severity critical hits, death magic, drowning, etc. The dm must adjudicate these on a case by case basis- for instance, decapitation will kill a human or orc, but won't kill a golem. [B]NONLETHAL DAMAGE[/B] Most attacks deal lethal damage (unarmed strikes are generally an exception). However, when you make a melee attack, you may take a -4 penalty to attack in order to do nonlethal damage instead. Nonlethal damage works essentially as it did in 3e: You keep a running total of nonlethal damage, and when it exceeds your present hit points, you lose consciousness. Nonlethal damage is recovered at a rate of 1 point per ten minutes if you are resting; if you are active or unconscious in an uncomfortable place, it instead returns at a rate of 1 point per hour. If you are affected by a healing power or effect while you have nonlethal damage, your nonlethal damage heals first at a rate of two points of nonlethal damage per point of healing. [B]ABILITY DAMAGE AND DRAIN[/B] Similar to 3e, your ability scores can be damaged or drained. The difference is that drained ability scores do not return on their own. Ability damage heals at the rate of 1 point per damaged ability per day of complete rest. If you do not take a day of complete rest, ability damage will not heal on its own. [B]RECOVERING DAMAGE[/B] Every time you take an extended rest, you recover 1 Hit Die worth of hit points. (You roll your highest type of hit die when checking this, so a fighter/wizard regains 1d10 hit points after an extended rest.) As stated, nonlethal damage is recovered at a rate of 1 point per ten minutes if you are resting; if you are active or unconscious in an uncomfortable place, it instead returns at a rate of 1 point per hour. If you are affected by a healing power or effect while you have nonlethal damage, your nonlethal damage heals first at a rate of two points of nonlethal damage per point of healing. Ability damage heals at the rate of 1 point per damaged ability per day of complete rest. If you do not take a day of complete rest, ability damage will not heal on its own. [B]ACTION POINTS[/B] Each character starts with one action point. A character can only have one action point at a time until he is 5th level; then he can have two at a time. Once he is 10th level, a character can have three action points at a time; at 15th level he can have four at a time; etc. A character cannot spend another action point until he rolls a recharge check (action point use recharges on an 16+); however, a character can regain an action point long before he can spend it. A character regains an action point in any of the following ways: [I]Cleric:[/I] Drop an enemy, cast a prayer with a positive effect on an ally [I]Fighter:[/I] Hit an enemy [I]Rogue: [/I]Drop an enemy, sneak attack an enemy, succeed at a skill check [I]Wizard:[/I] Drop an enemy, hit an enemy with a spell A character may spend his action point in three ways: -Take an extra action: The character spends his action point during his turn to take an extra standard action. -Make an extra saving throw or recharge roll: The character rolls one extra recharge roll or saving throw. -Second wind: Once per day a character can spend an action point to take a second wind. This allows you to roll regain hit points equal to one hit die of your highest type. [B]Monsters and Action Points:[/B] In general, a group of monsters has a pool of action points equal to the number of monsters in the group. Tiny creatures, swarms and creatures that have an initiative penalty do not provide action poitns to the pool, while those with an initiative bonus of +2 or higher provide 2 action points. Monsters can use their action points to take extra actions or make extra saving throws or recharge rolls. Since they share a pool of action points, they don't have to roll to recharge their action point use, but the group of monsters can only use 1 action point per round (so only one monster per round can use an action point). A group of monsters regains an action point whenever they drop an enemy. Some groups of monsters may have other specific conditions upon which they regain action points. [B]DEFENSES[/B] Base defenses for a creature are: [I]AC:[/I] 10 + armor bonus + shield bonus + helm bonus [I]Fortitude:[/I] 10 + 1/3 Constitution score [I]Reflex:[/I] 10 + 1/3 Dexterity score [I]Will:[/I] 10 + 1/3 Wisdom score Magic, class bonuses, etc. can all improve (or sometimes worsen) these. [B]OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS[/B] If an enemy lowers its guard while you threaten it, you may make a free melee attack against it as a reaction. Two things typically trigger opportunity attacks: moving (not shifting) out of a threatened space and making a ranged attack or a spell attack at range. [B]STACKING[/B] Everything stacks (except with itself). Absolutely everything... except things that say they don't. That said, you can only be in one stance and one fighting style at a time. [U][SIZE="3"][B]THE COMBAT SEQUENCE[/B][/SIZE][/U] Combat is broken up into rounds, each of which is approximately 6 seconds long. Unlike 3e and later, initiative is per side and is rerolled each round. [B]INITIATIVE:[/B] Each side rolls for initiative (players should take turns). Initiative is rolled on 1d10, and each side adds all appropriate modifiers for each creature on its side. [B]TIMING:[/B] Combat is fast and furious. If a creature can't decide what to do in ten seconds, it holds its action. If it has not gone by the start of its next turn, it loses its held action. Likewise, if a character can't decide on stance and fighting style within 10 seconds, it remains in its current stance and fighting style. Each person's turn goes like this: 1. Beginning of round effects 2. Make recharge rolls 3. Choose changes to stance and fighting style, if any 4. Roll initiative for the round. 5. Take actions 6. End of turn effects 7. Make saving throws [I]Beginning of Turn Effects:[/I] Some effects happen at the start of your turn, including ongoing damage. If you have multiple beginning of turn effects on you, you choose which order to apply them. [I]Make Recharge Rolls:[/I] Roll a recharge check for each applicable power. This is a 1d20 roll; if a power requires a recharge roll, it specifies the DC. [I]Choose Changes to Stance and Fighting Style:[/I] You must decide whether to change stance or fighting style now, since it can affect your initiative modifier. If you cannot decide within 10 seconds, your stance and fighting style remain the same as they were the last round. [I]Roll Initiative for the Round: [/I]One person from each side rolls for initiative for their side. The roll is 1d10; all modifiers that any member of that side have apply. (For example, if a group of pcs fight a group of three ghouls that each have a +1 initiative bonus, the ghouls' initiave has a +3 bonus.) There are sometimes more than two sides to a fight, and sometimes one or more creatures will switch sides in the middle of a fight. In all cases, initiative works the same. When a creature switches sides, it uses the other side's initiative, and adds any bonuses or penalties to initiative it might have to that side's initiative as normal. If a combatant betrays its side but does not join another, it may end up being its own side in the initiative. However, as long as creatures are fighting on the same side, they should use the same initiative. [I]Take Actions: [/I]The winning side goes in whichever order they prefer, one at at time. Each creature may take either a full action, which uses up its entire turn, or one standard, one move and one minor action in a round. A character may trade its actions down; for example, a creature can use a minor or move action in place of a standard action, or a minor action in place of a move action, but not vice-versa. A creature may also hold its action, in which case it defers its turn until later. It can take its turn at any point later before its next turn, even interrupting another creature's actions; however, it cannot take a full action and may only take two actions (a standard and a move). Once the winning side goes, the next side goes, and so on until all sides have gone. Actions are discussed in more detail below. [I]End of Round Effects:[/I] Some effects take place (or expire) at the end of the round. Those happen now. As with start of turn effects, if you are subject to multiple end of round effects, you decide in what order they apply. [I]Make Saving Throws:[/I] Make any appropriate saving throws. (Note that you may not make saving throws until after all other end of round effects have been applied.) [B][SIZE="3"]Actions[/SIZE][/B] [B]SUSTAINING[/B] Many effects allow you to sustain them by spending an action, often a minor action. Typically, each power or effect that you wish to sustain requires its own action. Many actions state that they last until the end of the next round and also mention that you can sustain them until the end of the next round. Typically, the user spends the sustain action the round after activating the power; thus, the power lasts an extra round. A creature may sustain a power as long as it has the actions to do so, but over a long period (such as an hour) this becomes fatiguing and difficult to maintain. The dm must use common sense to adjudicate this. [B]ACTION TYPES[/B] There are seven types of actions in D&D Jazz: free, minor, move, standard, full, interrupt and reactions. On its turn each round, a creature typically can take either a full action or three actions- one each standard, move and minor- and may “trade down” a standard for a move or minor action or a move for a minor action. Interrupts and reactions can happen at any time. There is no limit on how many interrupts or reactions you may take at a time, though you can take only of each for each trigger. (For instance, if you have two reactions that trigger on being hit and an interrupt that triggers on being hit, when an enemy hits you you can use the interrupt and then one of the reactions.) An interrupt happens before the trigger, and can conceivably negate it. For instance, if you have a power that lets you shift 15' as an interrupt when an enemy makes a melee attack on you, if you get to a position where the attacker cannot reach you with that attack, it automatically misses you. A reaction happens after the trigger. Free actions are often triggered, but not always. A creature can take any number of free actions in a round, subject to common sense (after all, a round is only six seconds long!). Here are some examples of actions: [B] MINOR ACTIONS[/B] Open or close a typical door Draw a weapon Sheath a weapon Ready a shield [B] MOVE ACTIONS[/B] Walk Run Shift Crawl Stand up [B]STANDARD ACTIONS[/B] Attack Charge Maneuver Trick attack [B][U]Movement[/U][/B] [I]Walk:[/I] You move up to your speed. For simplicity, when using a battlemat, count every other diagonal as 2 squares. [I]Run:[/I] You move up to double your speed. Until the end of the next round, you grant combat advantage and suffer a -4 penalty to attacks. [I]Shift:[/I] You move 5' without provoking opportunity attacks. [I]Crawl: [/I]You must be prone to crawl. You move 5'. [B]MOVING THROUGH OTHER CREATURES[/B] You can always move through the space of prone creatures or creatures 2 or more sizes bigger or smaller than you. You can also move through other creatures' spaces unless they choose to contest you. If a creature contests you, you may use a trick attack (see below) to try to force your way through, but unless you are shifting, the creature will get an opportunity attack at the least. The trick attack takes your standard action, but it takes place in the midst of your movement; this is one of only a very few instances in which you can resume an action (your movement) when you have spent an action other than an interrupt or reaction in the middle of it. [B][U]Attacks: What Can I Do?[/U][/B] In combat, characters usually have various options they can try involving their fighting styles, stances, spells, etc. But sometimes they want to get tricky- instead of killing the goblin, they want to knock it unconscious; instead of defeating the death knight, they just want to knock him down and get past him; instead of killing the barbarian chieftain, they need to humiliate him by knocking him down. [I]Charge: [/I]When you charge, you move up to your speed (minimum of 2 squares) in a straight line and make a melee attack with a +2 bonus against a creature within reach at the end of your charge. Until the end of the next round, you grant combat advantage. [I]Maneuver:[/I] Sometimes it pays to move your enemy instead of attacking him. You must be adjacent to an enemy to maneuver him. Make opposed attack rolls; if you win, you may move the enemy 5'. If you win by 5, you may move the enemy 10'. If you win by 10, you may move the enemy 15'. If you win by 15, you may move the enemy 20'. At the end of the maneuver, you shift adjacent to the enemy. If you attempt to maneuver an enemy into terrain that will harm it, such as a raging fire or off a cliff, the enemy receives a saving throw (succeeds on a 10+); if it succeeds, it instead falls prone in the last square before it enters the hazardous terrain. [I]Trick Attacks:[/I] Characters attempting such creative attacks use the Trick Attack mechanic. The character describes the attack he is performing, the dm assesses which defense it attacks, the attacker rolls and if he hits makes an opposed roll against the target to successfully pull of the trick attack. Trick attacks usually inflict a significant disadvantage against the enemy but are hard to pull off and don't deal damage. Four examples of trick attacks are the disarm, feint, pass through and the trip attack. [I]Disarm:[/I] A successful disarm causes an opponent to lose its weapon, implement or similar object. It is hard to disarm an enemy, as retaining one's weapon is a very basic consideration in combat. It is also harder to disarm a target holding a weapon in both hands. Make a melee attack vs. Reflex; if you hit, you and the target make opposed attack rolls (the target gets a +4 bonusn and an additional +2 if it is holding the weapon in both hands). If you win, you cause the enemy to drop its weapon in its square. If you beat the enemy by 5 or more, you may knock the weapon 5' away from it; if you beat it by 10, you may knock the weapon 10' away from it; and so on. [I]Feint:[/I] A successful feint causes the enemy to misdirect its guard for a short time. Make a melee attack vs. Will; if you hit, make a Charisma check opposed by the enemy's Wisdom check (you choose the dice). If you win, the enemy grants you combat advantage until the end of the next round. [I]Pass Through:[/I] A successful pass through lets you move through the space of an enemy that is contesting your movement (see Moving through Other Creatures above). This takes your standard action, but it takes place as an interrupt triggered by a creature contesting your movement through its space. Make a melee attack vs. Reflex or Fortitude, your choice; if you hit, you and the target make opposed checks, each of you choosing Strength or Dexterity against the other (you choose the dice). If you win, you may move through the enemy's space with the rest of your move action. You must be able to reach an unoccupied space with your remaining movement. Note that this is a very rare case in which you can start your move, take a standard action and then complete your movement. [I]Trip: [/I]A successful trip attack knocks the enemy prone. Make a melee attack vs. Reflex; if you hit, you and the target make opposed Dexterity checks (you choose the dice). If you win, the enemy falls prone. [B][U]Conditions[/U][/B] There are quite a few possible conditions that one can suffer in D&D Jazz. These, along with their effects, include the following: [I]Dazed[/I] A dazed creature can take only one action on its turn and may not take a full action. It cannot take interrupts or reactions. [I]Dying[/I] A creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points is dying. While dying, each round the creature must make a death saving throw; this succeeds on a 10+ and stabilizes the character on a 20+. If the creature fails three death saves, it dies. It must continue to make death saves every round until it dies or stabilizes. A creature can be stabilized by an ally that makes a 1d20 Wisdom skill check to apply first aid. If this check fails, the dying creature still gets a +2 bonus on its next death save. A dying creature also stabilizes if it regains a hit point. [I]Helpless[/I] A creature is usually helpless because it is unconscious or paralyzed. A helpless creature is unable to defend itself. Enemies gain a +5 bonus to melee attacks against it and can spend a full action to perform a coup de grace on it. A helpless enemy counts as granting combat advantage. [I]Immobilized[/I] An immobilized creature cannot move from its space (but can be maneuvered). It can still take other actions normally. [I]Paralyzed [/I] A paralyzed creature cannot move its body. It cannot take any actions that require even the slightest mobility, but if it has any actions that are strictly mental, it can still use those. A paralyzed creature is helpless. [I]Prone [/I] A prone creature takes a -4 penalty to attacks and grants combat advantage to adjacent enemies. It gains a +2 bonus to AC and Reflex against attacks from non-adjacent foes. Sometimes an effect will make prone a creature that, on the surface of it, does not seem like it should be able to be knocked down. In these cases, the prone condition actually consists of the victim being tangled up in itself and unable to move properly without spending a move action to right itself. When you are prone, you can crawl but not walk or shift. [I]Slowed[/I] A slowed creature moves at half speed and grants combat advantage. All of its movement modes are affected. [I]Stunned[/I] A stunned creature drops what it is holding and can take no actions, even strictly mental ones. It grants combat advantage. [I](NOTE: I have more conditions to work up, obviously... neither blinded nor deafened are up there yet.)[/i] [/QUOTE]
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