Level Up (A5E) Level Up Playtest Document: #18: Combat

This is a big one, folks. If any playtest document needed playing rather than just reading, this is it. What we are giving you here is the entire combat chapter. You can use this chapter in your regular 5E combats (or you can use our previous playtest documents, like Combat Maneuvers); it’s the same game you know and love, the same system you’re familiar with, but with upgrades and tweaks. We can’t wait to find out what you think of it!

Take this and use it on your 5E games. Then come back and tell us how it went. Thank you!

Level Up Playtest Document: #18: Combat — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

This is a big one, folks. If any playtest document needed playing rather than just reading, this is it. What we are going you here is the entire combat chapter.

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[Faolyn]

And just making sure: even though this is all nice and formatted, things can be changed if they need to be, right?

 

[Sacrosanct]

The combat section starts on page 800?

Wow. This is gonna be a monster book.

 

[Morrus]

The combat section starts on page 800?

Wow. This is gonna be a monster book.

Hah. No, placeholder page numbers.

 

[Zaukrie]

Very well written for a beginner to understand, imo. I have a few ideas for world actions, so I can see a future PDF.....also what I call combat conditions....good stuff overall. No surprise, I've liked most everything about this book so far.

 

[Steampunkette]

On the one hand I'm sad that this was released while I was on my way to work. On the other hand I'm glad that I get to read this at work!

I love what you've done with initiatives! I like that you're bringing back flanking and other combat maneuver type stuff. There is so much good stuff here!

 

[tetrasodium]

I love all the player advice & narrator might choose to type gm empowerment in this.

 

[Stalker0]

A lot to absorb! I'm going through it, but something I caught right off the bat.

Fall Back, is basically the only thing in that entire section that is not actually an action (or part of an action)....its a Reaction. So it feels very strange to be right smack in the middle of the action section. I think that could cause some confusion.

A couple of things I've noted as I did my first skim.

• TWF: You get 2 attacks with your bonus action if they have Extra Attack.
• Crits: Now do a full double damage (rolls + base damage), not just rolls.
• Mounted Combat now explicitly gives you cover bonuses to AC. One thing that's unclear is that do you get the expertise dice for being on "higher ground".... as there is a section for that, but since its not covered in mounted combat I'm left to wonder.
• Attackers can choose to inflict a death fail OR give you fatigue/strife instead. Interesting idea for DMs that don't want to kill players but do want them to fell the pain, or for interrogration/torture. Crits now do 1 fatigue + 1 death fail/fatigue/strife....so there is no 2 death save attacks anymore that I see.
• The rules for killing you by damage has changed, its now the more old school "massive damage" type mechanic.
• Doomed is a cool mechanic, I like it.
• I like a player can turn a critical hit into a regular one by gaining fatigue. For a cinematic moment its great....though the fatigue in generally is much harder to heal so its not something just would just do willy nilly.
• One confusion on Fatigue: It says you get fatigue "when you fall unconscious 2+ times in combat". So on the third unconscious, do I get a new fatigue or is it one time per encounter? That part is not clear to me.

 

[Morrus]

I think that could cause some confusion.

That’s easily answered. Are you confused? You don’t sound it!

 

[Stalker0]

That’s easily answered. Are you confused? You don’t sound it!

Is the long standing DM who love to dig in to rules minutiae confused, no.

Would a more casual player reading through the section be confused.... maybe.