I tried to make a slightly less abstract system than the standard D&D system that still requires as few dice rolls as possible. At most it needs 2 rolls.
I think it does a good job of resolving nearly as easily as the standard system, but incorporates damage to equipment, bodily injury, temporary and permanent.
I think the "grittiness" of this combat system goes hand-in-hand with lowered HP to make the whole combat experience much more harrowing and deadly for the PCs. Maybe it'll even teach them to use their heads to solve quests.
NEW COMBAT RULES
Melee
Attack
d20 + BAB + DEX + MISC
Damage
dX + STR + MISC
Ranged
Attack
d20 + BAB + DEX + MISC – Range Increment – Target Penalties
Damage
dX + MISC (+ STR for thrown weapons)
Target Penalties
If stationary 0
If walked last turn -5
If ran last turn -10
If surrounded by non-targets -5 (stacks with other penalties)
Defence
Dodge
10 + DX + All bonuses not included in other two groups
Cannot dodge an attacker that target is denied DEX bonus to
Parry
BAB + Shield + Shield Bonus
Parry functions as a bonus applied to the base dodge rating, which can be applied according to rules of BAB in attack, ie. If character has BAB of 15/10/5 then they may add 15 plus other Parry bonuses to the first attack they do not dodge, 10 plus to the next, 5 plus to the last. A character’s parry opportunities only reset at the beginning of each round. Parry bonus is applied as character wishes to legally parry-able attacks.
W/o shield characters cannot parry missiles (w/o deflect arrow feat), and cannot parry a weapon two sizes larger than their largest weapon.
Shields can parry projectiles and any weapon size (although they incur damage), and function as an off-handed weapon for BAB purposes (see below)
If character has two weapon fighting ability shield can be used to bash, but cannot parry until beginning of following round
If a shield is being used it parries on the standard BAB progression, the weapon on the bonus attempts(s); despite the extra attempts coming from the shield’s presence
Off-handed/Double weapons
These weapons, including shield, which is treated as an off-handed weapon, provide an extra parry attempt at the highest BAB (an extra parry at second highest BAB if character has improved two weapon fighting); doesn’t carry usual –2 penalty as attacks do
Cannot parry an attack from someone target is denied DEX bonus
Armour
Damage Reduction based on armour
Side Effects
Dodge
If attack misses, none
Parry
If an attack is parried, then weapon or shield, whatever does the parrying, receives damage (follows standard chart for item hardness and HP);
Armour
Any damage above what can be reduced could potentially lead to physical disability
Also armour receives damage following standard chart for item hardness and HP)
Defensive Equipment
Armour
(Names do not matter)
Dmg Red, Max Dex, Amr Chk, Speed (Walk/Run)
Light
1/-, 9, 0, 30/3
2/-, 8, 0, 30/3
3/-, 7, -1, 30/3
Medium
4/-, 5, -3, 30/2 (a Hide armour equivalent)
4/-, 6, -2, 30/2
5/-, 5, -3, 30/2
Heavy
6/-, 4, -4, 20/2
7/-, 3, -5, 20/2
8/-, 2, -6, 20/2
Helms
Dmg Red, Penalty (applies to Spot, Listen, and BAB)
1/-, -1
2/-, -2
Shields
Parry Bonus, Arm Chk
1, -1
2, -2
3, -3
Damage Tables
Appeal to this only for damage above what armour has reduced; damage amount is negotiable, but proper numbers would make it so most attacks on the heavily armoured would have no further effect, whilst light armour leaving one open to death reasonably often, but not guaranteed on connecting blows.
Damage, Effect
1-3, No further effect
4-6, temporary damage
7-9, permanent damage
10+, Death
If temporary or permanent damage is attained roll d10 to see effects.
1 Right Hand
2 Left Hand
3 Right Arm
4 Left Arm
5 Right Leg
6 Left Leg
7 Torso
8 Torso
9 Torso
10 Head
For 1-6, temporary damage amounts to a breakage or similar loss of function until repair, permanent damage means the limb is either cut off or similarly beyond repair except through magic
If hand is injured, character drops anything in that hand
If leg is temporarily damaged, character is reduced to walking at half speed and cannot jump; if leg is permanently maimed then character can only crawl
For 7-10, temporary damage stuns the target (partial action only; no complex actions, like spellcasting, w/o a concentration check of 20 + amount of damage above current HP), permanent damage stuns target and causes severe bleeding (loss of 1 HP/round until healed)
Further, if 10 is rolled an target is not wearing a helm, then the result is death.
Critical Hits
Critical hits no longer guarantee damage, but if a hit is connected then base weapon damage is multiplied by critical factor (modifiers are left out because of the premium set on damage levels due to injury charts)
Subdual Damage
0 to Current HP
No special effect
Above Current HP to Twice current HP
Character stunned next round (partial action only; no complex actions, like spellcasting, w/o a concentration check of 20 + amount of damage above current HP); the stun effect is reapplied each time target suffers subdual damage that puts them in this range
Above Twice current HP
Character must pass a constitution check of 20 + amount of damage above current HP to avoid becoming unconscious; if check is passed they are stunned (as above) until subdual heals or are hit again when they must pass another constitution check (essentially they are punch drunk at this level)
Special Rules for Damage by Weapon Type
Applies to damage on equipment only
Piercing: Base weapon and permanent magic enhancement (ie. +1 rapier) damage only
Slashing: Normal damage on metal; twice damage on wood
Bludgeoning: Normal damage on wood; twice damage on metal
In general
Weapon hit dice will be rearranged so that on average slashing and bludgeoning of similar size and category (eg. Martial) will have similar damage and critical ranges, while piercing weapons will do less base damage but more on criticals
Sneak Attacks
Sneak attacks cannot add damage amounts as that would result in constant decapitations by injury chart
Instead, each level of sneak attack adds 1 to critical range (never multipliable, though, by feats like improved critical or magic)
Hit Point Rules
To make combat extra deadly, characters are given HP based on creature type and size, not class (keeping in mind magical damage and healing will have to be reformulated to match this)
Medium-Sized Humanoids
Level 1: 100% of d8 + CON
All other levels: CON modifier only
(this makes the toughness feat look a lot better no?
Small-sized Humanoids
Level 1: 50% of d8 + CON
All other levels: CON modifier only
Dying Effects
Since HP is so much less, the 0 to –10 range has to be better used
Once character’s Current HP is below 1 they don’t start dying until a failed constitution check. Each round character must beat 10 + amount below 1. If failed use standard dying rules. If passed character is treated as Punch Drunk (see subdual damage above) and must continue checks each round until dying or HP goes above 0.
That’s it. A bit long, but what’s the general impression?
I think it does a good job of resolving nearly as easily as the standard system, but incorporates damage to equipment, bodily injury, temporary and permanent.
I think the "grittiness" of this combat system goes hand-in-hand with lowered HP to make the whole combat experience much more harrowing and deadly for the PCs. Maybe it'll even teach them to use their heads to solve quests.
NEW COMBAT RULES
Melee
Attack
d20 + BAB + DEX + MISC
Damage
dX + STR + MISC
Ranged
Attack
d20 + BAB + DEX + MISC – Range Increment – Target Penalties
Damage
dX + MISC (+ STR for thrown weapons)
Target Penalties
If stationary 0
If walked last turn -5
If ran last turn -10
If surrounded by non-targets -5 (stacks with other penalties)
Defence
Dodge
10 + DX + All bonuses not included in other two groups
Cannot dodge an attacker that target is denied DEX bonus to
Parry
BAB + Shield + Shield Bonus
Parry functions as a bonus applied to the base dodge rating, which can be applied according to rules of BAB in attack, ie. If character has BAB of 15/10/5 then they may add 15 plus other Parry bonuses to the first attack they do not dodge, 10 plus to the next, 5 plus to the last. A character’s parry opportunities only reset at the beginning of each round. Parry bonus is applied as character wishes to legally parry-able attacks.
W/o shield characters cannot parry missiles (w/o deflect arrow feat), and cannot parry a weapon two sizes larger than their largest weapon.
Shields can parry projectiles and any weapon size (although they incur damage), and function as an off-handed weapon for BAB purposes (see below)
If character has two weapon fighting ability shield can be used to bash, but cannot parry until beginning of following round
If a shield is being used it parries on the standard BAB progression, the weapon on the bonus attempts(s); despite the extra attempts coming from the shield’s presence
Off-handed/Double weapons
These weapons, including shield, which is treated as an off-handed weapon, provide an extra parry attempt at the highest BAB (an extra parry at second highest BAB if character has improved two weapon fighting); doesn’t carry usual –2 penalty as attacks do
Cannot parry an attack from someone target is denied DEX bonus
Armour
Damage Reduction based on armour
Side Effects
Dodge
If attack misses, none
Parry
If an attack is parried, then weapon or shield, whatever does the parrying, receives damage (follows standard chart for item hardness and HP);
Armour
Any damage above what can be reduced could potentially lead to physical disability
Also armour receives damage following standard chart for item hardness and HP)
Defensive Equipment
Armour
(Names do not matter)
Dmg Red, Max Dex, Amr Chk, Speed (Walk/Run)
Light
1/-, 9, 0, 30/3
2/-, 8, 0, 30/3
3/-, 7, -1, 30/3
Medium
4/-, 5, -3, 30/2 (a Hide armour equivalent)
4/-, 6, -2, 30/2
5/-, 5, -3, 30/2
Heavy
6/-, 4, -4, 20/2
7/-, 3, -5, 20/2
8/-, 2, -6, 20/2
Helms
Dmg Red, Penalty (applies to Spot, Listen, and BAB)
1/-, -1
2/-, -2
Shields
Parry Bonus, Arm Chk
1, -1
2, -2
3, -3
Damage Tables
Appeal to this only for damage above what armour has reduced; damage amount is negotiable, but proper numbers would make it so most attacks on the heavily armoured would have no further effect, whilst light armour leaving one open to death reasonably often, but not guaranteed on connecting blows.
Damage, Effect
1-3, No further effect
4-6, temporary damage
7-9, permanent damage
10+, Death
If temporary or permanent damage is attained roll d10 to see effects.
1 Right Hand
2 Left Hand
3 Right Arm
4 Left Arm
5 Right Leg
6 Left Leg
7 Torso
8 Torso
9 Torso
10 Head
For 1-6, temporary damage amounts to a breakage or similar loss of function until repair, permanent damage means the limb is either cut off or similarly beyond repair except through magic
If hand is injured, character drops anything in that hand
If leg is temporarily damaged, character is reduced to walking at half speed and cannot jump; if leg is permanently maimed then character can only crawl
For 7-10, temporary damage stuns the target (partial action only; no complex actions, like spellcasting, w/o a concentration check of 20 + amount of damage above current HP), permanent damage stuns target and causes severe bleeding (loss of 1 HP/round until healed)
Further, if 10 is rolled an target is not wearing a helm, then the result is death.
Critical Hits
Critical hits no longer guarantee damage, but if a hit is connected then base weapon damage is multiplied by critical factor (modifiers are left out because of the premium set on damage levels due to injury charts)
Subdual Damage
0 to Current HP
No special effect
Above Current HP to Twice current HP
Character stunned next round (partial action only; no complex actions, like spellcasting, w/o a concentration check of 20 + amount of damage above current HP); the stun effect is reapplied each time target suffers subdual damage that puts them in this range
Above Twice current HP
Character must pass a constitution check of 20 + amount of damage above current HP to avoid becoming unconscious; if check is passed they are stunned (as above) until subdual heals or are hit again when they must pass another constitution check (essentially they are punch drunk at this level)
Special Rules for Damage by Weapon Type
Applies to damage on equipment only
Piercing: Base weapon and permanent magic enhancement (ie. +1 rapier) damage only
Slashing: Normal damage on metal; twice damage on wood
Bludgeoning: Normal damage on wood; twice damage on metal
In general
Weapon hit dice will be rearranged so that on average slashing and bludgeoning of similar size and category (eg. Martial) will have similar damage and critical ranges, while piercing weapons will do less base damage but more on criticals
Sneak Attacks
Sneak attacks cannot add damage amounts as that would result in constant decapitations by injury chart
Instead, each level of sneak attack adds 1 to critical range (never multipliable, though, by feats like improved critical or magic)
Hit Point Rules
To make combat extra deadly, characters are given HP based on creature type and size, not class (keeping in mind magical damage and healing will have to be reformulated to match this)
Medium-Sized Humanoids
Level 1: 100% of d8 + CON
All other levels: CON modifier only
(this makes the toughness feat look a lot better no?
Small-sized Humanoids
Level 1: 50% of d8 + CON
All other levels: CON modifier only
Dying Effects
Since HP is so much less, the 0 to –10 range has to be better used
Once character’s Current HP is below 1 they don’t start dying until a failed constitution check. Each round character must beat 10 + amount below 1. If failed use standard dying rules. If passed character is treated as Punch Drunk (see subdual damage above) and must continue checks each round until dying or HP goes above 0.
That’s it. A bit long, but what’s the general impression?
