Hangman
10-04-2010, 10:48 PM
Continuous combat allows battles to progress in a free-flowing manner, without the limitation of fixed number of actions per round. Actions therefore occur more frequently, and faster weapons and spells strike more often.
I have been playing with this continuous combat house rule to AD&D for a couple of years; I believe most of the bugs are worked out of it, but I would like to hear your comments. It was originally based on the Weapon Speed Factor rules in AD&D 1st Ed (page 66) which state that a faster weapon strikes twice or even three times depending on the difference in WSF.
Initiative is a running total that starts at zero. Combatants declare their actions, and for each a die is rolled and added to the speed factor of the action resulting in the action’s initiative. The lowest initiative acts first. After completing the action, a new action is declared, and initiative is rolled and added to the running total.
Speed Factors
All actions have speed factors. Weapons have WSF, spells have CT, and all other actions have a speed factor that reflects the number of seconds required to complete them. The maximum speed factor is 12 (12 seconds is the new round, based on the Combat & Tactics player’s option). Longer actions are parcelled out into groups of 12.
Combat actions include all actions with a hostile enemy. The speed factor is based on the weapon or spell used. The minimum WSF is 2, unless hasted.
Interactions include external actions that do not directly involve an enemy. This includes moving, binding wounds, picking up a dropped weapon, casting spells with no hostile target, and delivering a coup de grace to a helpless foe. The speed factor is the duration of the action, usually 6 or 12, or half the WSF for readying a weapon or delivering a single blow (e.g. to cut a rope).
Immediate actions include all actions that affect only the character himself. This includes dropping an item, drawing a ready item (not a weapon), speaking a command word, crouching, and hitting the dirt. The speed factor is always 1, and can usually be done concurrently with other actions at no penalty.
Ready items are small items that are easily accessible, either worn on the belt, in a pocket, or anywhere accessible. These items are very quick to draw, but also highly visible and easy to lose, damage and pick pocket.
Initiative Die Rolls
To simulate the chaos of combat, a die roll adds a random amount of time to the speed factor. This simulates cautious progress and unforeseen events. The minimum die roll is d2.
Combat actions use a die type based on the level of the character: d10 for 1st-6th, d8 to 12th, and d6 at 13th+. It is affected by ROF and specialization. When using weapon without proficiency, increase to the next higher die type. For monsters, the die type is based on either morale, HD and number of attacks.
Interactions use a die type that depends of the speed factor. A full round (12 seconds) for a thief looking for traps actually takes 12+d10 while in combat. Removing an item from a pack and lighting a torch each take 6+d6 (half the speed and half the die type, rounded up), but these related actions can be combined to take 12+d10.
Immediate actions have no die roll added.
Concurrent Action
Multiple actions can take place at the same time, such as moving and firing a bow or attacking with two weapons. In these cases, calculate the initiatives independently. Add 2 to the speed factor of each action and increase the die type by 1.
Readying an Action
Half of a missile weapon’s initiative is readying the weapon, such as notching an arrow, loading a crossbow or drawing a throwing dagger (for a heavy crossbow, it is ¾). This readying can be preformed separately from an attack, even outside of combat. Once a missile weapon is readied, its initiative is cut in half for the first attack (¼ for heavy crossbows).
Thrown weapons that are being used as melee weapons are considered readied for throwing at all times. This includes axes, clubs, daggers and spears. Drawing a replacement weapon requires a readying action.
When a bow or crossbow specialist readies an attack, the entire initiative can be transferred to the readying stage, reducing the attack initiative to 0 with no die roll.
Aborting an Action
Changing your mind about an action can be done at any time. The current action is simply stopped and a new action is declared – any time spent on the aborted action is not recovered, but a portion of the aborted action may be completed. It is bad form to immediately abort an action simply to re-roll a bad initiative.
Multiple Attacks per Round
Multiple attacks per round affect both the WSF and the initiative die roll. The base rule is each additional ½ attack per round lowers the initiative die type by 1 (no lower than d2) and the WSF is divided by the attack rate (no lower than 2). Multiple attacks can be normally gained in these ways:
• All classes drop the die type rolled for initiative by 1 step at levels 7 and 13. Only warrior classes gain the added bonus of reduced WSF (2/3 at level 7, and 1/2 at level 13).
• Expertise and specialization grant a fighter both a lowered die type and WSF for that one weapon. For daggers and darts, specialization only adds ½ attack per round.
• Missile weapons with a ROF greater than 1 modify the WSF and die type as normal. Very fast and very slow weapons are an exception: Darts (ROF 3) reduce the die type by 3 (not 4), and heavy crossbows (ROF ½) roll two dice and have a WSF of 14.
For example, a 7th level fighter specialized in dagger. When thrown, the dagger gives him a ROF of 2/1. His level increases that to 5/2, and his specialization increases it to 3/1. The die type used is d3, and the WSF is 2 (the lowest possible).
Surprise
When a character is surprised (rolls 1, 2 or 3 on a d10 check) he can do nothing until the initiative running total reaches the surprise roll + 4. At that point, the character is no longer surprised and declares his action.
Dropping your Guard
While the initiative die is being used, the character’s guard is considered up. He gains the following bonuses:
• He is never caught unawares
• Attacks are never fumbled
• Missile attacks never risk hitting an ally
• Spells are never interrupted
Whenever a character acts outside of combat (or in rare instances where he chooses to ignore enemies around him in an act of courage or desperation) the initiative die is not used, and the character’s guard is considered down. If his guard is down while an enemy can attack him, he can be caught unawares. While his guard is down, all initiative die rolls result in a 1.
Sacrifice
It may become unclear when to raise or drop your guard. The survival instinct of the character chooses to remain on guard if there is any threat, including visible archers and spellcasters. If he is convinced that there is no possible way harm could befall him, he may drop his guard.
He may also choose to sacrifice himself to perform an action if that action is more important that his safety. For example, immediately casting feather fall to stop a boulder from crushing an ally, or running heedless to the aid of a fallen comrade.
Caught Unawares
A character that is acting with his guard down will occasionally be caught unawares by an unexpected enemy. He suffers a +2 AC penalty, loses dexterity and shield bonuses, is vulnerable to backstab, and has a -2 penalty to all saving throws.
A character with his guard down will be perceived as vulnerable by all within eye shot. Any enemy within range may abort his current action to make an attack against the vulnerable character. He is vulnerable to attacks of opportunity.
If hit, the unawares character aborts his action and loses d6 seconds while he recovers from the onslaught and gathers himself for battle.
Other Changes to Combat
In order to balance this pretty radical new house rule, some other changes need to be made. I encourage the Heavy Weapons and Light Weapons rules in any situation, even without continuous combat.
Weapon Balancing
Some modification to weapon stats must be made to balance weapon potential:
Axe, 2-handed: Removed (use Bardiche)
Bow, long: WSF 9 (with 2/1 attack rate, cut in half to 5)
Crossbow, heavy: WSF 14 + 2 initiative dice
Dart: Reduce normal initiative die type by 3
Spear: WSF 7 (2-handed)
Sword, bastard: WSF 7 (1-handed) / 8 (2-handed)
Sword, short: WSF 4
Trident: WSF 8 (2-handed)
Engaging and Passing Attacks
When engaging in combat, the larger weapon becomes a boon. If one combatant has a larger weapon than the other (i.e. large vs. medium, medium vs. small), he does not add a die roll to his initiative and uses half the WSF for the first attack.
For passing attacks, initiative for both attacks is 0, but the larger weapon’s attack is rolled first.
Heavy Weapons
Heavy weapons rely on their weight to do damage. When a strong arm is wielding these heavy weapons, they become faster. For weapons of 10 lbs or more, reduce the WSF by the character’s to-hit bonus, to a minimum of 5.
Light Weapons
Light weapons do not rely on strength as much as speed. The strength damage bonus that they can carry cannot exceed the WSF/ROF (minimum of 2). A dagger, for example, can have a +2 damage bonus maximum due to strength.
Two-handed Specialization
The effects of specializing with the two-handed fighting style are slightly reduced. When using a large-size weapon, WSF is reduced by 2. When using a medium-size weapon with two hands, WSF is reduced by 1.
I have been playing with this continuous combat house rule to AD&D for a couple of years; I believe most of the bugs are worked out of it, but I would like to hear your comments. It was originally based on the Weapon Speed Factor rules in AD&D 1st Ed (page 66) which state that a faster weapon strikes twice or even three times depending on the difference in WSF.
Initiative is a running total that starts at zero. Combatants declare their actions, and for each a die is rolled and added to the speed factor of the action resulting in the action’s initiative. The lowest initiative acts first. After completing the action, a new action is declared, and initiative is rolled and added to the running total.
Speed Factors
All actions have speed factors. Weapons have WSF, spells have CT, and all other actions have a speed factor that reflects the number of seconds required to complete them. The maximum speed factor is 12 (12 seconds is the new round, based on the Combat & Tactics player’s option). Longer actions are parcelled out into groups of 12.
Combat actions include all actions with a hostile enemy. The speed factor is based on the weapon or spell used. The minimum WSF is 2, unless hasted.
Interactions include external actions that do not directly involve an enemy. This includes moving, binding wounds, picking up a dropped weapon, casting spells with no hostile target, and delivering a coup de grace to a helpless foe. The speed factor is the duration of the action, usually 6 or 12, or half the WSF for readying a weapon or delivering a single blow (e.g. to cut a rope).
Immediate actions include all actions that affect only the character himself. This includes dropping an item, drawing a ready item (not a weapon), speaking a command word, crouching, and hitting the dirt. The speed factor is always 1, and can usually be done concurrently with other actions at no penalty.
Ready items are small items that are easily accessible, either worn on the belt, in a pocket, or anywhere accessible. These items are very quick to draw, but also highly visible and easy to lose, damage and pick pocket.
Initiative Die Rolls
To simulate the chaos of combat, a die roll adds a random amount of time to the speed factor. This simulates cautious progress and unforeseen events. The minimum die roll is d2.
Combat actions use a die type based on the level of the character: d10 for 1st-6th, d8 to 12th, and d6 at 13th+. It is affected by ROF and specialization. When using weapon without proficiency, increase to the next higher die type. For monsters, the die type is based on either morale, HD and number of attacks.
Interactions use a die type that depends of the speed factor. A full round (12 seconds) for a thief looking for traps actually takes 12+d10 while in combat. Removing an item from a pack and lighting a torch each take 6+d6 (half the speed and half the die type, rounded up), but these related actions can be combined to take 12+d10.
Immediate actions have no die roll added.
Concurrent Action
Multiple actions can take place at the same time, such as moving and firing a bow or attacking with two weapons. In these cases, calculate the initiatives independently. Add 2 to the speed factor of each action and increase the die type by 1.
Readying an Action
Half of a missile weapon’s initiative is readying the weapon, such as notching an arrow, loading a crossbow or drawing a throwing dagger (for a heavy crossbow, it is ¾). This readying can be preformed separately from an attack, even outside of combat. Once a missile weapon is readied, its initiative is cut in half for the first attack (¼ for heavy crossbows).
Thrown weapons that are being used as melee weapons are considered readied for throwing at all times. This includes axes, clubs, daggers and spears. Drawing a replacement weapon requires a readying action.
When a bow or crossbow specialist readies an attack, the entire initiative can be transferred to the readying stage, reducing the attack initiative to 0 with no die roll.
Aborting an Action
Changing your mind about an action can be done at any time. The current action is simply stopped and a new action is declared – any time spent on the aborted action is not recovered, but a portion of the aborted action may be completed. It is bad form to immediately abort an action simply to re-roll a bad initiative.
Multiple Attacks per Round
Multiple attacks per round affect both the WSF and the initiative die roll. The base rule is each additional ½ attack per round lowers the initiative die type by 1 (no lower than d2) and the WSF is divided by the attack rate (no lower than 2). Multiple attacks can be normally gained in these ways:
• All classes drop the die type rolled for initiative by 1 step at levels 7 and 13. Only warrior classes gain the added bonus of reduced WSF (2/3 at level 7, and 1/2 at level 13).
• Expertise and specialization grant a fighter both a lowered die type and WSF for that one weapon. For daggers and darts, specialization only adds ½ attack per round.
• Missile weapons with a ROF greater than 1 modify the WSF and die type as normal. Very fast and very slow weapons are an exception: Darts (ROF 3) reduce the die type by 3 (not 4), and heavy crossbows (ROF ½) roll two dice and have a WSF of 14.
For example, a 7th level fighter specialized in dagger. When thrown, the dagger gives him a ROF of 2/1. His level increases that to 5/2, and his specialization increases it to 3/1. The die type used is d3, and the WSF is 2 (the lowest possible).
Surprise
When a character is surprised (rolls 1, 2 or 3 on a d10 check) he can do nothing until the initiative running total reaches the surprise roll + 4. At that point, the character is no longer surprised and declares his action.
Dropping your Guard
While the initiative die is being used, the character’s guard is considered up. He gains the following bonuses:
• He is never caught unawares
• Attacks are never fumbled
• Missile attacks never risk hitting an ally
• Spells are never interrupted
Whenever a character acts outside of combat (or in rare instances where he chooses to ignore enemies around him in an act of courage or desperation) the initiative die is not used, and the character’s guard is considered down. If his guard is down while an enemy can attack him, he can be caught unawares. While his guard is down, all initiative die rolls result in a 1.
Sacrifice
It may become unclear when to raise or drop your guard. The survival instinct of the character chooses to remain on guard if there is any threat, including visible archers and spellcasters. If he is convinced that there is no possible way harm could befall him, he may drop his guard.
He may also choose to sacrifice himself to perform an action if that action is more important that his safety. For example, immediately casting feather fall to stop a boulder from crushing an ally, or running heedless to the aid of a fallen comrade.
Caught Unawares
A character that is acting with his guard down will occasionally be caught unawares by an unexpected enemy. He suffers a +2 AC penalty, loses dexterity and shield bonuses, is vulnerable to backstab, and has a -2 penalty to all saving throws.
A character with his guard down will be perceived as vulnerable by all within eye shot. Any enemy within range may abort his current action to make an attack against the vulnerable character. He is vulnerable to attacks of opportunity.
If hit, the unawares character aborts his action and loses d6 seconds while he recovers from the onslaught and gathers himself for battle.
Other Changes to Combat
In order to balance this pretty radical new house rule, some other changes need to be made. I encourage the Heavy Weapons and Light Weapons rules in any situation, even without continuous combat.
Weapon Balancing
Some modification to weapon stats must be made to balance weapon potential:
Axe, 2-handed: Removed (use Bardiche)
Bow, long: WSF 9 (with 2/1 attack rate, cut in half to 5)
Crossbow, heavy: WSF 14 + 2 initiative dice
Dart: Reduce normal initiative die type by 3
Spear: WSF 7 (2-handed)
Sword, bastard: WSF 7 (1-handed) / 8 (2-handed)
Sword, short: WSF 4
Trident: WSF 8 (2-handed)
Engaging and Passing Attacks
When engaging in combat, the larger weapon becomes a boon. If one combatant has a larger weapon than the other (i.e. large vs. medium, medium vs. small), he does not add a die roll to his initiative and uses half the WSF for the first attack.
For passing attacks, initiative for both attacks is 0, but the larger weapon’s attack is rolled first.
Heavy Weapons
Heavy weapons rely on their weight to do damage. When a strong arm is wielding these heavy weapons, they become faster. For weapons of 10 lbs or more, reduce the WSF by the character’s to-hit bonus, to a minimum of 5.
Light Weapons
Light weapons do not rely on strength as much as speed. The strength damage bonus that they can carry cannot exceed the WSF/ROF (minimum of 2). A dagger, for example, can have a +2 damage bonus maximum due to strength.
Two-handed Specialization
The effects of specializing with the two-handed fighting style are slightly reduced. When using a large-size weapon, WSF is reduced by 2. When using a medium-size weapon with two hands, WSF is reduced by 1.