lsfreak
2010-06-08, 02:06 AM
As the title says. I've been looking for something a bit more realistic than standard D&D (okay, a lot more), without having to have me learn something that's not D&D (because my friends will almost certainly not want to learn that many new rules). Due to another thread, I was reminded of E6, and I decided to try starting something from there.
The default assumptions of this, so far, are E6, and a wound point system. I may clarify the exact system, including new rules for it, in the near future.
Note that this is in the very rough stage. I'm looking for critiques, ideas, anything else anyone has to say about this. I'm really not that great at balance, so please point out pitfalls, things that are obviously broken, things that are not-so-obviously broken, and whatever else might be a concern.
Rough Overview:
- 2-second rounds are divided into segments, and happen simultaneously, including active defense
Corollary: No more stupid standard-action attacks versus full-round-action attacks, and no AoO's.
- Successfully parried, blocked, or dodged attacks slowly wear down the target's endurance, while any successful attack becomes extremely dangerous.
As a total result, combat becomes more gritty. Tactics should play a big role.
Casters must think more tactically about spells, due to the distinct possibility of being hit during casting
More historically-realistic weaponry, mainly in the form of two-weapon fighting and shield fighting (I hope. Most of my knowledge has been leeched off other playergrounders, and this is one of the big areas I'd like critique on).
Alacrity, the Seventh Ability Score
I'm unsure I like this as an ability score, but it seemed the best way, as I wanted it something that could be potentially boosted and controlled by the player.
Alacrity is a character's mental and physical speed. While Dexterity is agility, Alacrity is the quickness in which they process information on the battlefield and how quickly to execute attacks. It determines how many segments each character gets in a round:
1-7: 1
8-11: 2
12-15: 3
16-19: 4
20+: 5
Note that there are very, very few ways of altering Alacrity or number of segments. No normal ability score increases (items, spells); some exceptions are flurry, two-weapon defense, hustle, and slow.
Another option entirely could just be that everyone gets a flat 3 segments per round, possibly with primary-melee characters getting one more (to represent fast muscle memory and hand-eye that comes with hand-to-hand training, and because casters get enough already). Or keep it as an ability, and give melee an extra segment by default of being melee (including the MADness therein).
Examples of Actions:
Parry an attack: One segment
Swift-action spell: Two segments
Attack+Defend: Three segments
Move 10 feet: Three segments
Draw and use a potion: Four segments
Cast a standard-action spell: Six segments
Rounds and Segments:
Each round is now a 2-second period of time, split up into segments.
At the beginning of a round, all players announce their intended actions. Examples: Abby: I'm going to attack+parry against Bob, moving 5 feet towards him if he moves away. Bob: I'm going to spend all my actions dodging any incoming blows, taking a 5-foot step away from Abby at the beginning of the round.
Initiative is then rolled, d10+Alacrity+other modifiers.
Between two interacting characters, the character with the higher Initiative modifier is allowed to attack or retreat first, but otherwise the actions take place simultaneously.
If a character's action is invalidated before the action happens (for example, someone is moved too far away to attack), they spend 1 segment doing nothing but may then on-the-fly pursue a new course of action (moving into attack range, or changing targets to attack).
Attacking, Defending, and Actions within the Segments:
Changes to Attack, AC and Damage:
Attacking: As normal, except add both Str and Dex to the attack roll.
Normal AC: Armor Bonus + Shield Bonus + Dex + special modifiers (luck, insight, etc) [Note: NO base of 10]
Parry AC: d20 + BAB + Str + Dex + Normal AC (Dex bonus is added in twice)
Dodge AC: d20 + BAB + Dex + Alc + Dodge Bonuses + Normal AC (Dex bonus is added in twice)
Block AC: d20 + BAB + Str + Double Shield Bonus + Normal AC (Shield bonus is added in triplet)
An attack or defense roll of 20 is treated at +10, and a roll of 1 is treated as -10.
If an attack does not hit your Normal AC, it is a clear, easily-avoidable miss.
If an attack is between your Normal AC and whatever you rolled against the attack, the attack was successfully negated. Take vitality damage equal to half the damage the attack would have dealt, as you expended energy in order to dodge/parry/block the attack.
If the attack hits, it goes directly to wounds (unless it is a spell, in which case it goes to vitality).
New Actions:
Attack: Takes three segments. Roll a normal attack roll, at highest BAB. You may alter this attack by making it Focused (+1atk), Reckless (+2atk, -2AC), Powerful (+2dmg, -2atk), or Guarded (-2atk, +2AC), and these modifiers apply for the duration of this round (for example, on parry rolls if you made a Guarded Attack + Parry action combination). Penalties or additions to AC do not affect your Normal AC, but affect all defensive rolls. Once you reach 4BAB, these bonuses and penalties may be doubled. This type of attack is called an Augmented Attack. [Note that this assimilates Fighting Defensively, Power Attack, and the like, but see below]
Parry+Attack: Takes three segments. If your opponent attacks you first due to a higher initiative, you may use your Parry AC to defend against the attack, and then make your own attack (which may be in turn parried, blocked, or dodged). If you go first, you may instead attack, and then defend against one of your opponent's attacks.
Dodge+Attack: As Parry+Attack, but use your Dodge AC instead of Parry AC.
Block+Attack: As Parry+Attack, but use your Block AC instead of Parry AC.
Parry/Dodge/Block: Takes one segment. Use the relevant AC against an attack.
Total Defense: If you take no actions this round other than Parry, Dodge, or Block actions, plus possible 5-foot step, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to Normal AC.
Old Actions, Updated:
Moving:
5-foot-step: Can be taken once in any round in which you take at least 3 segments of actions, during those actions
10-foot move: Takes 3 segments
20-foot run: Takes 3 segments. The next 3 segments must be a further run action, a 10-foot move, a Reckless Attack, or taking no actions and losing your Dex to AC against the first attack made against you after you complete your run.
Retrieving an Easily-Accessed Item: 1 segment, or as part of a 3-segment move
Retrieving a Stowed Item: 4 segments
Using an Item (potion, etc): 4 segments
Most Unmentioned Move-Equivalent Actions: 3 segments
Attacking and Such:
Attacking with a Melee Weapon: Its up there!
Drawing a Properly-Sheathed Weapon: 1 segment, or as part of a 3-segment move
Firing a Ranged Weapon: 3 segments
Drawing and Notching an Arrow: 1 segment
Loading a Crossbow: help me here.
Coup de Grace: 6 segments
Spell-Related Stuff:
Casting a Swift-Action Spell: Generally 2 segments
Casting a Standard Action Spell: Generally 6 segments
Casting a Full Round Action Spell: Generally 9 segments
Redirecting a Spell: 3 segments
Concentrating on a Spell: Must maintain at least 3 of every 6 segments and cannot attack or cast other spells during
Other Rules:
Actions may cross over to new rounds. Thus if two people are fighting, and one of the people has 4 segments, they may make a completed Parry+Attack action, and begin a second Parry+Attack action. If the person trying to complete the action goes first in the next initiative, it is completed as normal. If the person against whom the action is being completed goes first, they may begin their action and the actions take place simultaneously.
Abby takes an action to attack+parry against Bob. However, she has only 1 of the 3 segments left to use this round. Next round, Bob rolls a higher initiative. He can could declare he is going to dodge+attack, in which case Abby makes her attack roll and Bob his opposed Dodge roll, and Bob may attack after. Alternatively, Bob can choose to dodge the attack and move 10 feet away. Abby rolls her attack as he dodges and moves.
Attacks of opportunity are completely removed.
Spells with durations of rounds should be made durations of 3 rounds. (?)
If you are under half of your total vitality, you may spend 5 consecutive segments in order to heal vitality equal to your class level. This can never bring you above half your total vitality.
Out of combat, vitality heals at 1/lvl/5 segments when below half, and 1 per 10 minutes above half. This represents a quick boost in vigor with even a short break, but in order to be a full once must spend much more time. However, it allows for faster recovery after combat compared to the normal rules, unless there has been wounds dealt.
Combat Style Changes:
Two-Handed Fighting: As normal.
One-Handed Fighting: You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls, parry rolls, and dodge rolls.
Two-Weapon Fighting: Gain a +2 bonus on parry rolls.
TWF, Sword-and-Board: You may make an attack with your offhand instead of your mainhand with no penalty. No penalty to AC when using your shield to bash. Can make an attack with each hand plus a single defensive move as a 5 segment action, taking the normal penalties.
A Few Examples of Special Changes:
Power Attack (requires Str13): You may make a Powerful Attack as part of an attack+defense action. In addition, the penalties for using the enhanced version are reduced to -3 attack.
Combat Expertise (requires Int13): You may make a Guarded Attack as part of an attack+defense action. In addition, the penalties for using the enhanced version are reduced to -3 attack.
Two-Weapon Defense (requires Dex13): You gain an additional segment that can be used only for parrying or blocking (if using a shield in the offhand).
Improved Two-Weapon Defense (requires Dex15): You gain a second bonus segment that can be used only for parrying or blocking.
Two-Weapon Offense (requires Dex15, Str15): Reduces TWF penalties to the normal -2/-2, if using a light weapon or a shield in the offhand. Can make an attack with each hand plus a single defensive move as a 4 segment action.
Two-Weapon offense (requires Dex17, Str17): You may make an attack with each hand plus a single defensive move as a 3 segment action.
Flurry: You gain two extra segments and you must spend all segments this round taking attack or attack+defense actions.
Hustle: Take a segment, grants three segments which cannot be used for attack actions.
Haste/Slow: Gain or lose one segment.
The default assumptions of this, so far, are E6, and a wound point system. I may clarify the exact system, including new rules for it, in the near future.
Note that this is in the very rough stage. I'm looking for critiques, ideas, anything else anyone has to say about this. I'm really not that great at balance, so please point out pitfalls, things that are obviously broken, things that are not-so-obviously broken, and whatever else might be a concern.
Rough Overview:
- 2-second rounds are divided into segments, and happen simultaneously, including active defense
Corollary: No more stupid standard-action attacks versus full-round-action attacks, and no AoO's.
- Successfully parried, blocked, or dodged attacks slowly wear down the target's endurance, while any successful attack becomes extremely dangerous.
As a total result, combat becomes more gritty. Tactics should play a big role.
Casters must think more tactically about spells, due to the distinct possibility of being hit during casting
More historically-realistic weaponry, mainly in the form of two-weapon fighting and shield fighting (I hope. Most of my knowledge has been leeched off other playergrounders, and this is one of the big areas I'd like critique on).
Alacrity, the Seventh Ability Score
I'm unsure I like this as an ability score, but it seemed the best way, as I wanted it something that could be potentially boosted and controlled by the player.
Alacrity is a character's mental and physical speed. While Dexterity is agility, Alacrity is the quickness in which they process information on the battlefield and how quickly to execute attacks. It determines how many segments each character gets in a round:
1-7: 1
8-11: 2
12-15: 3
16-19: 4
20+: 5
Note that there are very, very few ways of altering Alacrity or number of segments. No normal ability score increases (items, spells); some exceptions are flurry, two-weapon defense, hustle, and slow.
Another option entirely could just be that everyone gets a flat 3 segments per round, possibly with primary-melee characters getting one more (to represent fast muscle memory and hand-eye that comes with hand-to-hand training, and because casters get enough already). Or keep it as an ability, and give melee an extra segment by default of being melee (including the MADness therein).
Examples of Actions:
Parry an attack: One segment
Swift-action spell: Two segments
Attack+Defend: Three segments
Move 10 feet: Three segments
Draw and use a potion: Four segments
Cast a standard-action spell: Six segments
Rounds and Segments:
Each round is now a 2-second period of time, split up into segments.
At the beginning of a round, all players announce their intended actions. Examples: Abby: I'm going to attack+parry against Bob, moving 5 feet towards him if he moves away. Bob: I'm going to spend all my actions dodging any incoming blows, taking a 5-foot step away from Abby at the beginning of the round.
Initiative is then rolled, d10+Alacrity+other modifiers.
Between two interacting characters, the character with the higher Initiative modifier is allowed to attack or retreat first, but otherwise the actions take place simultaneously.
If a character's action is invalidated before the action happens (for example, someone is moved too far away to attack), they spend 1 segment doing nothing but may then on-the-fly pursue a new course of action (moving into attack range, or changing targets to attack).
Attacking, Defending, and Actions within the Segments:
Changes to Attack, AC and Damage:
Attacking: As normal, except add both Str and Dex to the attack roll.
Normal AC: Armor Bonus + Shield Bonus + Dex + special modifiers (luck, insight, etc) [Note: NO base of 10]
Parry AC: d20 + BAB + Str + Dex + Normal AC (Dex bonus is added in twice)
Dodge AC: d20 + BAB + Dex + Alc + Dodge Bonuses + Normal AC (Dex bonus is added in twice)
Block AC: d20 + BAB + Str + Double Shield Bonus + Normal AC (Shield bonus is added in triplet)
An attack or defense roll of 20 is treated at +10, and a roll of 1 is treated as -10.
If an attack does not hit your Normal AC, it is a clear, easily-avoidable miss.
If an attack is between your Normal AC and whatever you rolled against the attack, the attack was successfully negated. Take vitality damage equal to half the damage the attack would have dealt, as you expended energy in order to dodge/parry/block the attack.
If the attack hits, it goes directly to wounds (unless it is a spell, in which case it goes to vitality).
New Actions:
Attack: Takes three segments. Roll a normal attack roll, at highest BAB. You may alter this attack by making it Focused (+1atk), Reckless (+2atk, -2AC), Powerful (+2dmg, -2atk), or Guarded (-2atk, +2AC), and these modifiers apply for the duration of this round (for example, on parry rolls if you made a Guarded Attack + Parry action combination). Penalties or additions to AC do not affect your Normal AC, but affect all defensive rolls. Once you reach 4BAB, these bonuses and penalties may be doubled. This type of attack is called an Augmented Attack. [Note that this assimilates Fighting Defensively, Power Attack, and the like, but see below]
Parry+Attack: Takes three segments. If your opponent attacks you first due to a higher initiative, you may use your Parry AC to defend against the attack, and then make your own attack (which may be in turn parried, blocked, or dodged). If you go first, you may instead attack, and then defend against one of your opponent's attacks.
Dodge+Attack: As Parry+Attack, but use your Dodge AC instead of Parry AC.
Block+Attack: As Parry+Attack, but use your Block AC instead of Parry AC.
Parry/Dodge/Block: Takes one segment. Use the relevant AC against an attack.
Total Defense: If you take no actions this round other than Parry, Dodge, or Block actions, plus possible 5-foot step, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to Normal AC.
Old Actions, Updated:
Moving:
5-foot-step: Can be taken once in any round in which you take at least 3 segments of actions, during those actions
10-foot move: Takes 3 segments
20-foot run: Takes 3 segments. The next 3 segments must be a further run action, a 10-foot move, a Reckless Attack, or taking no actions and losing your Dex to AC against the first attack made against you after you complete your run.
Retrieving an Easily-Accessed Item: 1 segment, or as part of a 3-segment move
Retrieving a Stowed Item: 4 segments
Using an Item (potion, etc): 4 segments
Most Unmentioned Move-Equivalent Actions: 3 segments
Attacking and Such:
Attacking with a Melee Weapon: Its up there!
Drawing a Properly-Sheathed Weapon: 1 segment, or as part of a 3-segment move
Firing a Ranged Weapon: 3 segments
Drawing and Notching an Arrow: 1 segment
Loading a Crossbow: help me here.
Coup de Grace: 6 segments
Spell-Related Stuff:
Casting a Swift-Action Spell: Generally 2 segments
Casting a Standard Action Spell: Generally 6 segments
Casting a Full Round Action Spell: Generally 9 segments
Redirecting a Spell: 3 segments
Concentrating on a Spell: Must maintain at least 3 of every 6 segments and cannot attack or cast other spells during
Other Rules:
Actions may cross over to new rounds. Thus if two people are fighting, and one of the people has 4 segments, they may make a completed Parry+Attack action, and begin a second Parry+Attack action. If the person trying to complete the action goes first in the next initiative, it is completed as normal. If the person against whom the action is being completed goes first, they may begin their action and the actions take place simultaneously.
Abby takes an action to attack+parry against Bob. However, she has only 1 of the 3 segments left to use this round. Next round, Bob rolls a higher initiative. He can could declare he is going to dodge+attack, in which case Abby makes her attack roll and Bob his opposed Dodge roll, and Bob may attack after. Alternatively, Bob can choose to dodge the attack and move 10 feet away. Abby rolls her attack as he dodges and moves.
Attacks of opportunity are completely removed.
Spells with durations of rounds should be made durations of 3 rounds. (?)
If you are under half of your total vitality, you may spend 5 consecutive segments in order to heal vitality equal to your class level. This can never bring you above half your total vitality.
Out of combat, vitality heals at 1/lvl/5 segments when below half, and 1 per 10 minutes above half. This represents a quick boost in vigor with even a short break, but in order to be a full once must spend much more time. However, it allows for faster recovery after combat compared to the normal rules, unless there has been wounds dealt.
Combat Style Changes:
Two-Handed Fighting: As normal.
One-Handed Fighting: You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls, parry rolls, and dodge rolls.
Two-Weapon Fighting: Gain a +2 bonus on parry rolls.
TWF, Sword-and-Board: You may make an attack with your offhand instead of your mainhand with no penalty. No penalty to AC when using your shield to bash. Can make an attack with each hand plus a single defensive move as a 5 segment action, taking the normal penalties.
A Few Examples of Special Changes:
Power Attack (requires Str13): You may make a Powerful Attack as part of an attack+defense action. In addition, the penalties for using the enhanced version are reduced to -3 attack.
Combat Expertise (requires Int13): You may make a Guarded Attack as part of an attack+defense action. In addition, the penalties for using the enhanced version are reduced to -3 attack.
Two-Weapon Defense (requires Dex13): You gain an additional segment that can be used only for parrying or blocking (if using a shield in the offhand).
Improved Two-Weapon Defense (requires Dex15): You gain a second bonus segment that can be used only for parrying or blocking.
Two-Weapon Offense (requires Dex15, Str15): Reduces TWF penalties to the normal -2/-2, if using a light weapon or a shield in the offhand. Can make an attack with each hand plus a single defensive move as a 4 segment action.
Two-Weapon offense (requires Dex17, Str17): You may make an attack with each hand plus a single defensive move as a 3 segment action.
Flurry: You gain two extra segments and you must spend all segments this round taking attack or attack+defense actions.
Hustle: Take a segment, grants three segments which cannot be used for attack actions.
Haste/Slow: Gain or lose one segment.