Chapter 8: Combat

Combat Options

Combat options are player selected stances and manoeuvres. Combat options include using dual weapons, fighting defensively, grappling, charging an opponent, and more.

Combat options are discussed in detail below.

Defend Another

As a standard action you can add +4 AC to a nearby ally. It requires that you have a melee weapon or the Guarded Unarmed Attack feat if the threatening character has a melee weapon. If attacked with a ranged weapon, the defending character’s efforts are spent keeping the protected character out of the line of fire as needed. The defending character’s AC remains the same as normal.

The protected character must be in an adjacent square for the benefit to apply. The protected character may perform actions as normal, although they lose the AC bonus while not in an adjacent square.

Charge

Charging is a special full-round action that allows you to move up to twice your speed and attack during the action. However, it carries tight restrictions on how you can move.

Movement during a charge

You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent.

You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). Here’s what it means to have a clear path: First, you must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. (If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can’t charge.) Second, if any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can’t charge. (Helpless creatures don’t stop a charge.)

If you don’t have line of sight to the opponent at the start of your turn, you can’t charge that opponent. You can’t take a 5-foot step in the same round as a charge.

Attacking on a charge

After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and damage. Even if you have extra attacks, such as from having a high enough base attack bonus or from using multiple weapons, you only get to make one attack during a charge.

A charging character gets a +2 bonus on the Strength check made to bull rush an opponent (see Bull Rush, below).

Bull Rush

You can make a bull rush as a standard action (an attack) or as part of a charge (see Charge, above). When you make a bull rush, you attempt to push an opponent straight back instead of damaging him. You can only bull rush an opponent in ultra armour if you are also in ultra armour.

Initiating a Bull Rush

First, you move into the defender’s space. Doing this does not provoke an attack of opportunity in the Spellchrome RPG when part of a bull rush (although attacking a melee armed opponent without a melee weapon or the Guarded Unarmed Attack Feat will).

Strength Check

Next, you and the defender make opposed Strength checks. You get a +2 bonus if you are charging. Other bonuses may be gained, at the GM’s discretion, based on the circumstances (perhaps one character is incredibly large).

Bull Rush Results

If you beat the defender’s Strength check result, you push him back 5 feet. If you wish to move with the defender, you can push him back an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which your check result is greater than the defender’s check result. You can’t, however, exceed your normal movement limit.

If you fail to beat the defender’s Strength check result, you move 5 feet straight back to where you were before you moved into his space. Then make a Reflex save DC 12. Failure means you fall prone in that space. A successful reflex save means that you stay on your feet.

Disarm

As a standard action, you may attempt to disarm your opponent. If you do exceedingly well you end up with the disarmed weapon.

When attempting to disarm a melee weapon or item, follow the steps outlined here. If the item you are attempting to disarm isn’t a melee weapon the defender may still oppose you with an attack roll.

Step 1: Attack of Opportunity

If you attempt to disarm an opponent of their melee weapon without a melee weapon yourself or the Guarded Unarmed Attack Feat, you are subject to an attack of opportunity.

As long as you have a melee weapon, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity in the Spellchrome RPG. If the target does not have a melee weapon, you do not provoke and attack of opportunity in any case.

Step 2: Opposed Rolls

You and the defender make opposed attack rolls with your respective weapons. (If the target was holding a pistol, they should roll using their melee attack bonus.) The wielder of a two-handed weapon on a disarm attempt gets a +4 bonus on this roll. Exceptionally large creatures or characters may gain a bonus as well.

Step 3: Consequences

If you beat the defender, the defender is disarmed and their weapon or object is on the ground in the defender’s square. If you succeed by 10 or more, the weapon or object is in you possession, providing you have a free hand to grasp the weapon or object.

If you tie or do worse than the defender on the disarm attempt, the defender remains armed.

Since a disarm attempt is a standard action, it may only be attempted once per round by an individual character. If the attacking character has two melee weapons and the Dual Melee Weapons feat, she gains a +2 bonus on her single disarm attempt.

Grapple

As a standard action you may make a single grapple attempt. First you will need to succeed in a melee touch attack and then make an opposed grapple check.

Starting a grapple

To start a grapple, you need to grab and hold your target. Starting a grapple requires a successful melee attack roll against your opponent's touch Armour Class. Touch AC uses a character's dexterity bonus and Combat Awareness Feat (if taken), but not their equipment bonus, such as from worn armour.

Making a grapple attempt on its own does not provoke an attack of opportunity in the Spellchrome RPG, although attacking a melee armed opponent without a melee weapon or the Guarded Unarmed Attack Feat will.

If you fail to hit the target, the grapple attempt fails. If you succeed, continue.

Opposed grapple checks

A grapple check is the same as a normal a melee attack roll:
your Melee Base Attack Bonus + Strength modifier.
Large size differences and some equipment can add a grapple bonus.

Both character's involved make the grapple check as a free action.

Whoever exceeds the other’s grapple check can choose to maintain the grapple hold or break away. (Both sides should re-roll ties.) Whoever succeeds and maintains a hold can cause 1d4 damage to their opponent (Damage reduction applies one half). Alternatively, the grappler can move both characters 10 feet (two squares) in any valid direction.

Escape artist

On future grapple checks, either side may use the escape artist skill to break the grapple. If they choose to use this skill and succeed, breaking the grapple is their only option (forfeiting damage or moving both characters). The escape artist check is opposed by a new grapple check from the opponent.

Failing a grapple check you initiated uses up your turn’s actions. Escaping a grapple check you initiated check only uses up a move action.

Grappling consequences

While you’re grappling, you cannot attack other opponents. You can’t take any attack of opportunity. Your movement is limited (see above).

Melee Weapons

If a weapon is at hand and appropriate to the situation (smaller is easier to use), the GM can allow the weapon on a grappling success.

Pinning a character

If one side exceeds the other in a grapple check by 10 or more, they can choose to pin their opponent. A pinned character cannot be moved as a grapple option. A character suffers a -10 penalty to future grapple checks while they are pinned.

Helping with a grapple

If an additional character, using their standard action, participates in a grapple, they add their strength modifier to their friend’s grapple checks. The GM should restrict the amount of participants based on the situation.

Trip

You may make a single trip attempt as a standard action. Some characters or creatures may be too large to be tripped.

Beginning a trip attack

Make a melee touch attack against your target.
(Touch AC uses a character's dexterity bonus and Combat Awareness Feat (if taken), but not their equipment bonus, such as from worn armour.)

Making a trip attempt on its own does not provoke an attack of opportunity in the Spellchrome RPG, although approaching a melee armed opponent without a melee weapon yourself (or the Guarded Unarmed Attack Feat) will.

Opposed checks

If your melee touch attack succeeds, make a Strength check opposed by the defender’s Dexterity or Strength check (whichever ability score has the higher modifier).

Larger characters or equipment may give a bonus in some situations.

Trip results

If you meet or exceed your opponent's check, your opponent is tripped. A tripped character is prone. Standing up is a move action.

If your opponent exceeds your check, you do not trip them.

Tripping a mounted opponent

You may make a trip attack against an opponent on a mount or a fusion bike.

The initial step is the same (although being in position adjacent to the opponent may be more difficult). The defender may make a Ride or Drive check in place of his Dexterity or Strength check.

If you succeed, you pull the rider from his mount or vehicle.

Mounted Combat

Mounts and vehicles can be used in combat. For the most part it is similar to normal combat, except your move action is used to direct a mount or drive a vehicle.

Movement

Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. It is a move action to direct a mount or drive a vehicle.

If you have the appropriate drive or ride skill (both under the Basic Dexterity skill set), you don’t have to make checks (DC 15) to direct your mount or drive a vehicle in combat.

The maximum all out cruising speed and the combat speed of a vehicle or mount are different. Use the table below as a guide to determine your base speed in combat on a mount or driving a vehicle.

A vehicle or mount can move twice if the diver or rider uses both move actions. Under certain circumstances a skill check can be made for even greater distance.

Penalty to hit

An attacker suffers a -4 penalty to hit if firing a ranged weapon from a moving vehicle or mount. The penalty is negated if the character has the Riding Attack feat.

Charging

You can use a vehicle or mount to charge and make a single melee attack. The rules are the same a normal charge (see above), except you get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and +4 to damage.

Overrun

If a character tries to overrun (trample) another character using a mount or vehicle, the targeted character can make a Reflex save (DC 15) to avoid the attack. Damage from a successful overrun attack is determined by the GM (using a guideline of around 2d6, more or less depending on the situation).

When mounts attack

Some mounts, as mentioned in their descriptions, can make a free attack, providing the mount is within melee range of a target and has not used both of its actions moving twice. (The rider also must have the ride skill.) Without you to guide it, your mount likely avoids combat.

Dual weapons

Using Dual weapons in the Spellchrome RPG is intended to be fairly simple. If you can get 1 attack with your primary handed weapon (using a standard action), you get a second attack using your off handed weapon, using the same standard action.

If you get multi-attacks due to experience and utilizing a full-round action with one weapon, you gain the same amount of attacks with the second weapon in your off hand once all of the primary weapon’s attacks are complete.

Dual penalties to hit

If using two melee weapons a character suffers a -4 penalty to hit with both attacks. This penalty is negated if you have the Dual Melee Weapons Feat.

If using two ranged weapons a character suffers a -4 penalty to hit with both attacks. This penalty is negated if you have the Dual Ranged Weapons Feat.

When using two weapons, you can strike with either weapon first. Each attack can be any target within range, and does not have to be declared ahead of time.

Separate attacks

Each successful attack’s damage is rolled separately. The Strength bonus for an offhanded melee weapon is the same a primary handed melee weapon.

Melee and ranged?

There is nothing stopping a character from carrying a melee weapon and a ranged weapon at the same time, although the most common uses would be defensive or opportunistic in nature. In order to make a melee and ranged attack in the same round without penalties, you need multiple feats.

The first feat a character would want is the Guarded Ranged Attack feat, which negates the -4 penalty to shoot while engaged in melee. It also negates the chance of an attack of opportunity from shooting while engaged in melee. (Without the feat, circumstances can still allow for a penalty free attack. A character may shoot, take a five foot step into melee and then attack. Or an initial melee attack could be fatal, removing the melee threat and allowing for a ranged attack at a distant target.)

A character would also need the Dual Melee Weapons Feat and the Dual Ranged Weapons Feat. If for example, you only had Dual Ranged Weapons, your sword attack would be at -4 to hit.

With or without the penalties, the ranged target can be anyone within range, including the melee target.

Fighting Defensively

You can choose to fight defensively when attacking as a Standard Action. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC starting on your action and remaining until the beginning of your next action in the next round.

Total Defence

You can defend yourself as a standard action. You get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC starting on your action and remaining until the beginning of your next action in the next round. You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defence. Because you are defending yourself as your standard action, you cannot attack, etc, but you can move or withdraw.

You can’t combine Total Defence and Fighting Defensively at the same time.

Acrobatics and Tumbling

By spending your standard action on Acrobatics and Tumbling, you can raise your Armour Class starting on your action and remaining until the beginning of your next action in the next round. First use your standard action to tumble, and then make a skill test:

You can’t combine Acrobatics and Tumbling with Total Defence or Fighting Defensively at the same time. Acrobatics and Tumbling cannot be used to raise your AC untrained. (In other words, if you don’t have the advanced dexterity skill set, this is not an option.) You may add a skill point to the Tumbling Result, like any other skill test.