roguemetal
2012-12-24, 11:45 PM
Conditional Turn Based Battle System for 3.5
I’ve always wanted to try my hand at converting one of these to table rpg format, and never really got around to doing so. A conditional turn-based battle system was a term coined by Square Enix relating to FFX, though a game called Grandia by Game Arts was more likely the first instance. Essentially the system is turn based, with variable speeds of characters executing their actions, and relies on the idea that actions can be interrupted depending on damage dealt, resistances, weaknesses, and status effects. Generally, the system is simply too variable and complicated to bring to the table rpg, since scaling by level or statistical increases would need to be measured in the hundreds to avoid a character specializing in speed from reducing action penalties to zero, or else based on percentages which are no easier for our purposes. Then a number of tactical rpgs came out utilizing a form of this system, which inspired me to take a second look at how it might play out converting D&D to this.
Action Sequence: Characters begin combat rolling for initiative. In the initiative stack players take turns acting in combat. Each action a character takes decreases their initiative by an amount dependent on their action/actions (see below) plus 15 minus their Agility, a new statistic. These decreases in intiative are known as Wait Time or WT. Each character sets their actions for a round, to a maximum of 40 + level x2 Wait Time taken each turn with the exception of magic which can exceed this Wait Limit if it is the character's only action. The actions of the character execute during their next turn, and can be redirected or canceled if the target of their actions no longer exists. If a character is dealt damage while waiting for their action to execute, that character adds the amount of damage – their Constitution modifier x2 to their Wait Time.
Move Action 10 WT
Defensive Action 15 WT, executes immediately, adds DR = 1 +level/2, cannot be combined with any other action
Quick Attack 10 WT, new form of attack with ½ damage
Single Attack 15 WT, any action that could be taken as an attack action
Strong Attack 25 WT, new form of attack with +1 damage/level
Full Attack Action 30 WT
Standard Skill 15 WT
Magic Casting 15-80 WT, dependent on spell, so far DM discretion, metamagic increasing casting time
Swift Action = 5 WT, usable only if setting at least 20 WT not including Swift Action
Feats or items might be added to reduce the WT of metamagic, specific combat actions, specific spells, etc.
Example of Play
Gerard encounters two goblins ambushing him in the woods. Characters roll for initiative. Gerard gets a 12, Goblin A gets an 11, Goblin B gets 3. Gerard gets to act first. He sets a Move and Single attack action against goblin A. He has 3 agility, and is level 5, so he calculates his wait time as 20 - Agility(3) + Move(10)+Attack(15)=42 WT, so with his prior initative of 12-42 his attacks will execute at -30. Goblin A goes next with 11 initiative, and sets only a single attack for a total of 20-1+15=34 WT so he will execute at -23. Goblin B goes next and begins casting empowered ice storm for 20-0 + 25(empowered) + 40 = 85 WT executing at -82. Goblin A goes next at -23 and executes a throwing axe attack at Gerard, hitting for 4 damage. Gerard’s Con modifier is 1, so his initiative falls to -32. Goblin A then sets a defensive action against Gerard, which executes immediately, then with 20+15 = 35 WT at initiative -58 he can act again. Gerard goes next at -32, moves and attacks Goblin A with a charging greatsword attack with damage 14, killing it despite the goblin’s defense. He sees the caster is still trying to cast, so he sets a swift action to quick draw a longbow and a quick attack to hopefully fire it before the goblin’s turn. His WT is 37, so he executes at -69, beating the goblin. Gerard hits and does 7/2=4(round up) damage to the goblin. Goblin B has Con 1, so reduces initiative by 2, to -84, then makes a concentration check vs. DC 10+4, and passes with a natural 15. Gerard tries his quick action again, WT 37, initiative -106. Goblin B goes next and casts empowered icestorm, annihilating Gerard. Battle is over.
In my experience these rules work for reasons of balance, but are tedious to calculate at times. I think it can be made to work, pending your feedback or testing, and would love to hear if anyone has made something similar in any system. Successfully or unsuccessfully.
I’ve always wanted to try my hand at converting one of these to table rpg format, and never really got around to doing so. A conditional turn-based battle system was a term coined by Square Enix relating to FFX, though a game called Grandia by Game Arts was more likely the first instance. Essentially the system is turn based, with variable speeds of characters executing their actions, and relies on the idea that actions can be interrupted depending on damage dealt, resistances, weaknesses, and status effects. Generally, the system is simply too variable and complicated to bring to the table rpg, since scaling by level or statistical increases would need to be measured in the hundreds to avoid a character specializing in speed from reducing action penalties to zero, or else based on percentages which are no easier for our purposes. Then a number of tactical rpgs came out utilizing a form of this system, which inspired me to take a second look at how it might play out converting D&D to this.
Action Sequence: Characters begin combat rolling for initiative. In the initiative stack players take turns acting in combat. Each action a character takes decreases their initiative by an amount dependent on their action/actions (see below) plus 15 minus their Agility, a new statistic. These decreases in intiative are known as Wait Time or WT. Each character sets their actions for a round, to a maximum of 40 + level x2 Wait Time taken each turn with the exception of magic which can exceed this Wait Limit if it is the character's only action. The actions of the character execute during their next turn, and can be redirected or canceled if the target of their actions no longer exists. If a character is dealt damage while waiting for their action to execute, that character adds the amount of damage – their Constitution modifier x2 to their Wait Time.
Move Action 10 WT
Defensive Action 15 WT, executes immediately, adds DR = 1 +level/2, cannot be combined with any other action
Quick Attack 10 WT, new form of attack with ½ damage
Single Attack 15 WT, any action that could be taken as an attack action
Strong Attack 25 WT, new form of attack with +1 damage/level
Full Attack Action 30 WT
Standard Skill 15 WT
Magic Casting 15-80 WT, dependent on spell, so far DM discretion, metamagic increasing casting time
Swift Action = 5 WT, usable only if setting at least 20 WT not including Swift Action
Feats or items might be added to reduce the WT of metamagic, specific combat actions, specific spells, etc.
Example of Play
Gerard encounters two goblins ambushing him in the woods. Characters roll for initiative. Gerard gets a 12, Goblin A gets an 11, Goblin B gets 3. Gerard gets to act first. He sets a Move and Single attack action against goblin A. He has 3 agility, and is level 5, so he calculates his wait time as 20 - Agility(3) + Move(10)+Attack(15)=42 WT, so with his prior initative of 12-42 his attacks will execute at -30. Goblin A goes next with 11 initiative, and sets only a single attack for a total of 20-1+15=34 WT so he will execute at -23. Goblin B goes next and begins casting empowered ice storm for 20-0 + 25(empowered) + 40 = 85 WT executing at -82. Goblin A goes next at -23 and executes a throwing axe attack at Gerard, hitting for 4 damage. Gerard’s Con modifier is 1, so his initiative falls to -32. Goblin A then sets a defensive action against Gerard, which executes immediately, then with 20+15 = 35 WT at initiative -58 he can act again. Gerard goes next at -32, moves and attacks Goblin A with a charging greatsword attack with damage 14, killing it despite the goblin’s defense. He sees the caster is still trying to cast, so he sets a swift action to quick draw a longbow and a quick attack to hopefully fire it before the goblin’s turn. His WT is 37, so he executes at -69, beating the goblin. Gerard hits and does 7/2=4(round up) damage to the goblin. Goblin B has Con 1, so reduces initiative by 2, to -84, then makes a concentration check vs. DC 10+4, and passes with a natural 15. Gerard tries his quick action again, WT 37, initiative -106. Goblin B goes next and casts empowered icestorm, annihilating Gerard. Battle is over.
In my experience these rules work for reasons of balance, but are tedious to calculate at times. I think it can be made to work, pending your feedback or testing, and would love to hear if anyone has made something similar in any system. Successfully or unsuccessfully.