Further options to be explored in combat:
...crossed-out options were already written down...
Stances (
neutral, defensive, offensive, charging, advanced)
Terrain rolls (evading multiple opponents, difficult fighting conditions, movement in combat including pushing & luring opponents)
Skills in combat (style analysis, acrobacy, body language)
Favouring (defensive) - preparing for enemy's attack
Advanced manuevers - single weapon (
beat, disarm, hook, stop-short, toss, expulsion, evasive attack)
Advanced manuevers - double weapon/weapon & shield (bind & strike,
simultaneous block&strike)
I will slowly post these here.
Let's start with...
Basic Stances
At the beginning of combat or after a break in combat you can compose yourself and select a stance.
Basic stance is
neutral (something like the Plow) - it doesn't give you any specific advantages but it doesn't hinder your actions. If you don't state your stance, I will assume this one.
Aggressive stances - these provide +2 dice at beginning of round that can be spent on offensive maneuvers, however, increase activation cost of all defensive manuevers by 2.
Defensive stances - provide +2 dice at beginning of round that can be spent on defensive maneuvers, but increase activation cost of all offensive maneuvers by 2.
Charge is considered an offensive stance...
The benefits and drawbacks of stances are gone at the end of the first round. They last only for the first round of the combat - during combat, when the blades are flashing, there is no time to pick a stance.
However, if there is a pause in combat (after full evasion...), you can select a stance...
The character with lower REF selects the stance first (giving chance to the "quicker" one to adapt his stance and tactics).
Terrain rolls
If you are fighting in the arena, which is flat, without any hindrances or terrain unevenness, you usually can ignore the terrain.
However it is not always so. You can fight on ice-covered lakes, tight spaces, have to move among trees in forests, and even fight against several opponents.
For these, there are terrain rolls.
Terrain rolls is a catch-all title for all actions that happen within the combat not covered by maneuvers. Usually by terrain rolls you:
- attempt to overcome difficult fighting conditions (e.g. footing, space)
- attempt to select your opponent for a round from multiple opponents
- force movement beyond the standard movement in combat
- attempt to hold the line or do anything that is not covered by rules for manuevers (e.g. retrieve weapon, jump on the table, etc.)
Difficult fighting conditions
Your PCs will notice that they are fighting on ice, or slippery cathedral roof in rain, or in small, cramped space. Thus the GM will tell you what roll you need to pass each round.
The target number is set by GM (usually following guidelines on p. 53 of Flower of Battle) and your actions (attacker moves as hurried, defender as normal - and thus has lower TN).
You have to allocate dice from your CP to overcome these conditions. If you fail to do so, it is assumed that you allocated 0 = failed the roll, usually landing on ground/losing 1/2 of your CP for the duration of the round.
These rolls are usually done at the beginning of the round.
Multiple opponents
Fighting 2 or even 3 opponents is a risky matter even for experienced warriors due to the fact, that you need to split your dice pool to deal with the multiple opponents. If you however have some space for moving around, you can confuse them and make them get in each other's way so that you face only one or, in the worse case, two of them.
Against 2 opponents the TN is 6 (or 7 if you "sprint", giving you more fatigue)
Against 3 opponents and more TN is 8 (or 6 if you sprint).
Usually no more than 3 opponents can attack you at one round (only if long reach weapons are used...or ranged combat). Trained opponents may oppose the terrain rolls.
Pressing opponents
Usually you move back and forth during combat - the specific amount of movement can be checked by comparing the MO of both opponents. This is usually not necessary, but in case you want to get your opponent into disadvantageous terrain, there is an opportunity for pressing & luring.
To press opponent, make a terrain roll (usually opposed) with any amount of CP. The TN is 3 while attacking and 4 while defending. Net successes of combat roll determine how far in feet the combatants move during the exchange. Successes in pressing terrain roll then add to whichever side rolled them.
Example: A soldier swung his blade at Kate (6 dice), who attempted to block a soldier's strike with her shield (4 dice). Soldier got 2 successes, Kate got 3 successes. They moved 1 feet forward, as the initiative switched. If the soldier invested 3 dice to press her and got 2 successes, they would have moved 1 foot backwards (from Kate's point of view). Now if they fought on a battlement, and Kate was 3 feet from the end of battlement...
Other kinds of movement
The fencer lost his weapon due to wounded arm. How can he retrieve it? Terrain roll, TN 7.
A team-member is throwing you his sheated sword so you can fight back, while dodging the enemy? Terrain roll, TN 8, limited by your REF attribute.
You want to jump on the table so you gain a height advantage? Terrain roll, TN is equal to acrobacy skill.
You want to swing on the chandelier...? Ok, you got my drift.