Interesting Weapon & Combat model

[Water Bob]

I've been reading the Codex Martialis, which is a d20 supplement that offers a different combat system that is totally compatible with d20 games.

It would be fantastic in the Conan game. I don't think I'm going to use it, sticking with RAW, but that's not because I wasn't damn tempted.

In its simplest terms, each character gets a dice pool of 4 d20's. This is called the character's "Martial Pool". Everything the the character does spends these d20's, and when the character is out of d20's, his actions for the round are complete.

For example, movement costs one die. A character can move up to his speed rating, spending one die from his Martial Pool. If he runs that round, he spends all 4 dice (can do nothing else during the round), moving 4x his Speed (just like in RAW).

The rules use Active Defense, meaning that, in order to defend himself, the character throws a d20 and adds in all his defence modifiers, whether parrying or dodging. If this throw is greater than the attack throw, the attack is either dodged or parried. So, when spending dice from his Martial Pool, the character has to figure how many times he'll have to defend himself that round from blows. When his MP is zero, he can't roll a die for his defense, and he's much, much easier to hit.

So, when playing out the round, the player has to manage his character's resources. He's only got 4 dice. If he moves, that leaves 3 dice for attacks and defensive moves.

A character can also throw all his dice together, blowing his entire wad, but taking the best number from the lot. For example, let's say a character does not have initiative, has 2 HP left, and is about to be attacked by an Ymirsh Frost Giant. He wants to ensure he gets missed when the giant attacks, allowing him to live one more round. When the Ymirsh attacks, the defender throws all 4 d20, taking the highest roll to represent his defense, thereby giving him the best chance at blocking the incoming blow. Of course, this comes at the expense of being able to do anything else during the round. If you think about it, this is akin to Full Defense in RAW.

Pretty neat combat system, huh? Very versatile. You don't know what's coming. You've got to manage your resources.

I think it would make fights extremely interesting. Tactical.

There's lots more you can do with the system. I'm just explaining the highlights here.

I just think its neat.

Man, am I tempted to use it in the game.

 

[Water Bob]

The Codex brings to d20 a lot of things that aren't in normal d20 games but are already in Conan. For example, if you're playing D&D, you can use the Codex to bring in Finesse combat, where a character can avoid armor, making a type of called shot to strike at a character's weak points. It changes armor so that it absorbs damage rather than make a character harder to hit. And, there's several other rules that, if you play Conan, you'll recognize, but if you only play D&D, you might want to bring into your game.

I'm sticking with the Conan versions of these things.

One thing I do like about the Codex, though, is that is recognizes weapon speed. Some weapons are quicker and easier/quicker/faster to weild in combat. Other weapons have a long reach that give the user of that weapon a short-loved advantage at the beginning of combat.

I like this because it makes weapon selection a more thoughtful process.

How this is implemented mechanically is that each weapon is given four new values: Modifiers for Reach, Speed, and Defense. Don't confuse this "Reach" with "Reach" weapons in Conan. "Reach" here just means a longer weapon.

You use the Reach modifier on the very first attack of the combat--the first time that weapon is used. This gives long weapons, like a spear, an advantage over something like an arming sword.

After the first time the weapon is used, the Speed modifier is used for the rest of the combat. This gives smaller, lighter weapons an advantage over bigger, bulkier weaons.

But, the big, bulky weapons aren't to be left out! Those weapons have big defense modifiers. It's hard to get in there and cut a guy swinging a two-handed sword at you if you only have a dagger in your hand!




For example, a Hunting Spear has these mods

Reach +8
Speed +0
Defence +2

And an Arming Sword has these

Reach +3
Speed +3
Defence +3



Thus, if Cyrus the Aquilonian, with initiative, uses an arming sword to attack Grule the Pict, who is using a hunting spear....

Cyrus would get +3 on his first attack.
Grule would get +2 to defend that blow.
(So, Cyrus, in effect, gets a +1 to hit Grule with his arming sword.)

A Hunting Spear is a decently long weapon, and the bonus shows that. When it's Grule's turn to act...

Grule will get +8 to hit Cyrus
Cyrus will get +3 to his defense.
(In effect, Grule is getting a +5 to hit on that first round)



But, on the second round, things change in favor of the arming sword...

Cyrus get a +3 to attack.
Grule gets his +2 to defense.

Then

Grule gets +0 to attack.
Cyrus gets +3 to defense.






See what this brings to the game? If you're the type of fighter who can kill in one blow, then you want to use a long weapon with a heavy reach bonus. But, all of a sudden, this combat system makes using a knife or a dagger a much more dangerous proposition than before--since the weapon may have a better bonus than a heavier, more unweildly weapon, and hit more often.

That's pretty neat, huh?



And, before you start wondering about how much time it will take you to conert for your Conan game--it won't take long at all becaus one of the Codex supplements focuses on weapons. You just transplant to the numbers to your Conan weapons. No work at all.