Monday, March 18, 2013

Roleplaying Mechanics: Combat

Sorry i have been so busy lately.  I have work going and I have been a bit sick of the computer.  I have been just trying to do and learn other stuff that is either productive or at least new.  I will post a write up on the catapult i built via a kit latter on.

This post is related to the oft mentioned and never finished roleplaying game project I have been working on.  I don't think I ever got around to doing a real combat system so I have been working on it.  I still don't have a healing and recovery set of mechanics but I guess that will have to be next.

I am going to come up with a label so it's easier for everyone to find stuff, game mechanics or something goofy like that.  But  the general dice used in my system are D10 +D4 which are exploding or open ended.  These are added to an attribute modifier which is 1-3 and you skill value which is 0-7.  This is compared vs. task difficulty.  The real heart of my system is that for every 7 points above the task difficulty you gain an extra success. These extra successes can be used to buy effects.  As character improve their skills actually include a number of automatic success in addition to the skill value.

That is all fine and seems to work in basic task resolution, but combat is always more complicated in any gaming system.  Taking what I like and dislike in games I have come up with something, I am not sure if it works , i guess we will see Thursday night.

Ignoring Initiative, which is my goal, I am just worrying about hitting and inflicting damage here.   The two hit role is going to be either a contested roll for melee or a straight target number for ranged combat.  Specifics may crop up for parrying thrown weapons but this is very high level sketch of the rules.

Taking the melee situation first.  Any Dodge, parry or unskilled person can attempt to get way from an attack.  This will probably focus on physical manipulation but a shield parry may come down to physical strength.  The attacker makes an attack roll while the defender rolls his skill or attribute.  Once successes and roles are determined we nullify the success across the attacker and defender.  If this ends with no one having success, we are done. Attack Failed.  If the defender ends up with successes and they have a special maneuver perhaps they can spend their successes to riposte or bind the attacker.  Should the attacker end up with one or more successes the attack hits.  If there are no extra successes just move on to damage.

If you have extra successes you can do more with your attack.  Using the successes to purchase effects. Here are a few I am working with in my playtest.

  • Armor Defeating: 2 success over allows you to ignore armor
  • Extra Die:  1 success ads an extra d4 to damage.
  • Wound Check: 2 Successes forces the defender to save vs. taking a wound.  The target number is their current damage.  Extra successes can be added one for one to increase the difficulty of this save. 

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