Combat: Difference between revisions

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Combat is the process of getting into a fight with bad guys, and resolving how that fight turns out.
Combat is the process of getting into a fight with bad guys, and resolving how that fight turns out.


While we hesitate to say that combat is the main "fun" in Epic Path, in truth, getting into and winning fights is the source of a lot of fun in the game.   
While we hesitate to say that combat is the main "fun" in Epic Path, in truth, getting into and winning fights ''is'' the source of a lot of fun in the game.   


After all, who doesn't like slaying the dragon and rescuing the maiden?  This is the stuff of epic songs, legends, and mythology world wide, and has been for thousands of years.  So, fighting the bad guys is a big part of playing Epic Path.  Yes, role playing encounters with the other elements in the game world can be huge fun, and every referee should strive to make all aspects of the game enjoyable, but combat is the place where many of the most 'white-knuckle' moments come from.  Many of the player character classes and races have many elements which relate to combat as well.   
After all, who doesn't like slaying the dragon and rescuing the maiden?  This is the stuff of epic songs, legends, and mythology world wide, and has been for thousands of years.  So, fighting the bad guys is a big part of playing Epic Path.  Yes, role playing encounters with the other elements in the game world can be huge fun, and every referee should strive to make all aspects of the game enjoyable, but combat is the place where many of the most 'white-knuckle' moments come from.  Many of the player character [[classes]] and [[Character_Creation#Playable_Races | races]] have many elements which relate to combat as well.   


So how does it work?
Now, to be fair, in Epic Path, there are actually TWO ways to fight. We encourage new players to get familiar with basic combat, as explained in fine detail on this page, first. Once you are comfortable with how fights work, the standard mechanics, we would direct your attention to the [[Combat Maneuver]]s page, for all the crazy, wacky, swashbuckling ways to ALSO fight.
 
But you should definitely be familiar with the basics, before you look at that stuff.
 
So how does Combat work? Read on!


==How Basic Combat Works==
==How Basic Combat Works==
Combat in Epic Path, and indeed in all D20 system games, is taken one person at a time in a step-wise fashion.  At the beginning of the combat, each person rolls an initiative number by rolling a D20 and adding their initiative modifier. The person (or monster) with the highest initiative number goes first, then the person with the next highest number goes next, etc.  This process repeats until every person and monster and other creature in a given conflict has had a turn. (It is HIGHLY recommended to have a whiteboard, display monitor, or even a plain old sheet of paper where all the initiative numbers for each creature can be kept track of.)
Combat in Epic Path, and indeed in all D20 system games, is taken one person at a time in a step-wise fashion.  At the beginning of the combat, each person rolls an initiative number by rolling a D20 and adding their initiative modifier (a [[Movement]] skill check). The person (or monster) with the highest initiative number goes first, then the person with the next highest number goes next, etc.  This process repeats until every person and monster and other creature in a given conflict has had a turn. (It is HIGHLY recommended to have a whiteboard, display monitor, or even a plain old sheet of paper where all the initiative numbers for each creature can be kept track of.)


The Game Master may keep track of the initiative count, or, the players may keep track of it, depending upon the work load of the game master.
The Game Master may keep track of the initiative count, or, the players may keep track of it, depending upon the work load of the game master.
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At the bottom of the round the game master will announce that the first round is over and then reset the initiative count to the highest number again, and once more, each person and monster gets their turn to act.   
At the bottom of the round the game master will announce that the first round is over and then reset the initiative count to the highest number again, and once more, each person and monster gets their turn to act.   


In this step-wise fashion, each player, monster, and other creature acts, one at a time, moving around the battlefield, making attacks, casting spells, etc.  Each character and creature accrues damage in this process.  If any creature loses all their hit points, they are either unconscious or dead and are then skipped in the initiative order.  This process continues until all the monsters are dead or defeated, or in the case of disaster, all of the players are dead or defeated.
In this step-wise fashion, each player, monster, and other creature acts, one at a time, moving around the battlefield, making attacks, casting spells, etc.  Each character and creature accrues damage in this process.  If any creature loses all their hit points, they are either unconscious or dead and are then skipped in the initiative order.  This process continues until all the monsters are dead or defeated, or in the case of [[Glossary_of_Terms#Total_Party_Kill | disaster]], all of the players are dead or defeated.


And that's it!  The basic process of combat in a D20 game is very simple and fast moving...in its basic form.  Of course, as you gain experience with the game and the game master adds more complex challenges, things get much more complicated.
And that's it!  The basic process of combat in a D20 game is very simple and fast moving...in its basic form.  Of course, as you gain experience with the game and the game master adds more complex challenges, things get much more complicated.
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{{:Total Defense}}
{{:Total Defense}}
{{:Charge}}


{{:Stance}}
{{:Stance}}
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When it is your turn in a combat, you can only attack a creature which is within the reach, or within range, of your weapon, ability, spell, or other attack.  Most melee weapons (like a sword) can only attack figures you are adjacent to. [[Reach (Quality)|Reach weapons]] are melee weapons that grant the ability to attack creatures two or more squares away, though often at the cost of not being able to attack adjacent creatures (unless it has [[Inclusive Reach (Quality) | inclusive]] reach).  Most ranged weapons, either thrown weapons (like a spear) or projectile weapons (like a bow) have a range increment listed.  You can attack enemies far away with a ranged weapon, but the further you are, the harder it is to hit. Melee weapons never take a penalty to-hit due to range, even if they have a lot of reach.   
When it is your turn in a combat, you can only attack a creature which is within the reach, or within range, of your weapon, ability, spell, or other attack.  Most melee weapons (like a sword) can only attack figures you are adjacent to. [[Reach (Quality)|Reach weapons]] are melee weapons that grant the ability to attack creatures two or more squares away, though often at the cost of not being able to attack adjacent creatures (unless it has [[Inclusive Reach (Quality) | inclusive]] reach).  Most ranged weapons, either thrown weapons (like a spear) or projectile weapons (like a bow) have a range increment listed.  You can attack enemies far away with a ranged weapon, but the further you are, the harder it is to hit. Melee weapons never take a penalty to-hit due to range, even if they have a lot of reach.   


Each square on the combat board is considered to be five feet across. it is pretty much interchangeable to talk about distance in terms of feet or squares, at five to one. So a thirty foot range is the exact same as a six square range.
Each square on the combat board is considered to be five feet across. It is pretty much interchangeable to talk about distance in terms of feet or squares, at five to one. So a thirty foot range is the exact same as a six square range.


Once you have determined that your target is within your reach or range, or you have moved to a position where this is true, you may use a standard action to make a single attack, or you may use a standard action plus a move action to make a 'full' attack.  IE, you stand there and just go nuts on the guy.  The higher level you are, the more attacks you get in a full attack action, so this is a good way to do more damage, assuming you can get your target to stand still for you.
Once you have determined that your target is within your reach or range, or you have moved to a position where this is true, you may use a standard action to make a single attack, or you may use a standard action plus a move action to make a 'full' attack.  IE, you stand there and just go nuts on the guy.  The higher level you are, the more attacks you get in a full attack action, so this is a good way to do more damage, assuming you can get your target to stand still for you.


When fighting size Large or larger foes, you can choose which square of their space within your reach to target once per round. This usually doesn't matter, but it is important for some feats, such as [[Cleave (Feat)]] or [[Darting Viper (Feat)]], when it is important to determine what foes, if any, are adjacent to the foe you are attacking. Which space you attack within a foe never has any impact on whether or not you are threatening a space, that depends solely upon your weapon and your reach.
When fighting size Large or larger foes, you can choose which square of their space within your reach to target once per round. This usually doesn't matter, but it is important for some feats and combat maneuvers, such as the Cleave [[combat maneuver]] or [[Darting Viper (Feat)]], when it is important to determine what foes, if any, are adjacent to the foe you are attacking. Which space you attack within a foe never has any impact on whether or not you are threatening a space, that depends solely upon your weapon and your reach.
 
===Melee Attacks===
A Melee Attack is an attack made with a weapon that remains attached to the creature making the attack at all times. The target of a melee attack must be within reach of the creature performing the attack, which is nearly always an adjacent space to the attacking creature's own space (unless their weapon has some form of reach).  The classic example is a swung sword. At no point does the sword leave the firm grip of the attacker. Note that bare hands and gauntlets are defined as weapons for this reason.
 
Melee attacks can be made with any melee weapon, including thrown or ranged weapons that feature the [[Melee Capable (Quality)|Melee Capable]] or [[Poor Melee (Quality)|Poor Melee]] qualities, and also any attack defined as a melee attack in a monster write-up.  There are hundreds of ways to make a melee attack, and if there is ever any confusion about some weird circumstance, the GM adjudicates as they see fit. Melee attacks obviously do not require ammunition or any other special accoutrements to make, except that you have to be able to reach the bad guy to hit them.
 
[[Reach (Quality)|Reach]] is a weapon quality that allows you to hit things further away than adjacent to your space. All melee weapons are assumed to have 5-feet of reach unless they specifically list a quality that states that their reach is greater than 5 feet. Five feat of reach is the minimum required reach to attack a creature in an adjacent space.  If a weapon or creature has less than 5-feet of reach, they must be in the same space as the creature they are attacking in order to perform a melee attack against them (as in the case of Swarms).  Some melee weapons (such as the great whip) have quite a bit of reach as a weapon quality, that is baked right into the weapon.  You can also get reach from feats (like [[Monkey Lunge (Feat)|Monkey Lunge]]), or from weapon properties (like [[Shadowy (Melee Weapon Magic Property)|Shadowy]]). If you add up a lot of sources of reach, you can reach quite a long way (maybe as much as fifty feet if you ''really'' lean into it). No matter how much reach you stack up, that is always considered a melee attack, and follows all rules for melee attacks, and is not a ranged attack, and never takes range penalties, penalties from soft cover (see ranged attacks, below).
 
===Ranged Attacks===
A Ranged Attack is an attack made with a thrown or projectile weapon that you let go of in order to make the attack. They are sorted into thrown weapon attacks (like a throwing axe) in which case you throw the entire weapon at the bad guys, or projectile weapon attacks (like a bow that you hold that shoots arrows, the projectiles). In both cases, once the weapon has left your hands, you have no further control over it. The good news is, ranged weapons can be used to make attacks a long way away (see range penalties and range increments below). The bad news is, you have to get the weapon back somehow, or, have more weapons, or have more ammunition, if you want to keep attacking. There are magic items and properties which can alleviate all of these problems...for money.
 
Ranged attacks can reach a ''long'' way. How far is defined by range bands and range increments, detailed in the weapon or ammunition write-ups.  With very high-end weapons and good magical properties and lots of feats, it is entirely possible to shoot an arrow a thousand feet and hit the bullseye every time...but you have to be very good to do that. Thrown weapons tend to have much shorter ranges than projectile weapons, but projectile weapons usually need both hands to use and require ammunition to-boot, so there are tradeoffs for everything.
 
Since a ranged attack is uncontrolled for at least a portion of its attack path, ranged attacks must deal with obstacles in the way. These obstacles are abstracted in the rules as '[[cover]]', and are detailed elsewhere in these rules. In general, anything that exists between you and your target, that does not completely break line of effect (like a solid wall), can instead inflict a cover penalty. Cover comes in various flavors, ranging from total cover to soft cover. Soft cover is when there are friends of yours in between you and your target, partial cover is where there's a low wall or a corner, etc.


===Attack Roll===
===Attack Roll===
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The term "partial cover" is interchangeable with the more general term, "cover".
The term "partial cover" is interchangeable with the more general term, "cover".


To determine whether your target has cover from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target's square passes through a square or border that blocks line of effect or provides cover, or through a square occupied by a creature, the target has cover (+2 to AC).
To determine whether your target has cover from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target's square passes through a square or border that blocks line of effect or provides cover, or through a square occupied by a creature, the target has cover (+4 to AC).


Cover also grants you a +1 bonus on Reflex saves against attacks that originate or burst out from a point on the other side of the cover from you. Note that spread effects can extend around corners and thus negate this cover bonus.
Cover also grants you a +1 bonus on Reflex saves against attacks that originate or burst out from a point on the other side of the cover from you. Note that spread effects can extend around corners and thus negate this cover bonus.


When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from any corner of your square to the target's square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn't adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks.
When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target ''only'' has cover if any line from any corner of your square to the target's square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn't adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks.
 
=== Soft Cover ===
If you attempt to make a ranged attack against a creature, and there are one or more creatures in the path between you and your target (whether those intervening creatures are enemies or allies) they are said to be "soft cover" for your target.  If your target has soft cover, you suffer a -2 penalty to-hit.  This penalty is always -2, even if there are multiple creatures in the way.  Note that this penalty can be stacked with the AC bonus from partial cover, if your target also has partial cover, which would make them quite difficult to hit.  Some feats, such as [[Point-Blank Shot (Feat)|Point-Blank Shot]], allow you to ignore the soft cover penalty when making ranged attacks under certain circumstances.


===Low Obstacles and Cover===
===Low Obstacles and Cover===
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===Improved Cover===
===Improved Cover===
In some cases, such as attacking a target hiding behind an arrow slit, cover may provide a greater bonus to AC and Reflex saves. In such situations, the normal cover bonuses to AC and Reflex saves can be doubled (to +6 and +3, respectively). Improved cover counts the same as total cover for purposes of initiating a [[Stealth]] stance.
When attacking a target that is behind a source of cover that was designed for that very purpose, it may provide a greater cover bonus to AC and Reflex saves. In such situations, the normal bonuses increase to +6 and +2, respectively, or even go as high as +8 and +3, respectively, depending on just how little of the attacker is exposed when they attack.  Examples of improved cover are the merlons on top of a castle wall (+6 cover bonus), or attacking through an arrow-slit or murder hole (+8 cover bonus). The GM is the final arbiter of what constitutes improved cover, and just how good that cover is.
 
Improved cover counts the same as total cover for purposes of initiating a [[Stealth]] stance.


===Total Cover===
===Total Cover===

Revision as of 17:24, 9 January 2021