The systems used in roleplaying games to resolve conflict through violent means, often to the death of one or more characters. Combat often involves several subsystems that determine whether harm is inflicted (to-hit) and the extent of that harm (damage).
12
votes
4answers
6k views
How can Rogues maintain combat advantage?
I get that if you are hidden from an opponent, you gain combat advantage against them.
I get that if you make a point of it, and you're not getting surprised by the opposition, you should be able to ...
12
votes
3answers
705 views
What is the significance of a Basic Attack vs. any other sort of attack?
On the one hand, this is a pretty newb question: I’m not familiar with 4e and do not actually know what a Basic Attack is. That sort of question, however, I could answer by simply opening the ...
12
votes
3answers
649 views
Does flanking always grant advantage, or is it up to discussion?
The rules packet does not provide any specific rules about flanking. However the rule do say that the DM has lots of leeway in deciding when to give advantage or disadvantage in combat. Should it be ...
12
votes
7answers
485 views
How do I make my overpowered character more fun to play
My friend is running a modified cyberpunk campaign, where we are fighting zombies during WWII in germany. Fun stuff.
However, I made my charachter a Martial arts, boxer, giving them a 10 in reflex, ...
12
votes
3answers
330 views
Non-combat objective: Delay larger enemy force
I'm re-writing the "Battle of Albridge" encounters from The DM-kit's Reavers of Harkenwold. As supplied they are mostly just a rehash of earlier fight-to-the-death skirmishes on re-used maps. Instead ...
12
votes
6answers
489 views
How does d20 Modern handle having someone at gunpoint?
How does d20 Modern handle the common situation of having someone at gunpoint, or entering a room with your firearm in hand, cocked and ready to fire?
I'm asking because I notice that to draw a ...
12
votes
2answers
262 views
Does going prone stack with having cover?
Suppose I'm playing a ranged character. I am standing with an ally between me and my enemies, which grants "+2 defenses" for cover. I decide to further go prone. Do I now have a "+4 defenses", 2 ...
12
votes
2answers
324 views
How do you know if two monsters can move at the same time in DnD4e?
Can monsters in Dungeons and Dragons 4.0 share turns?
In the first encounter of the Dungeons and Dragons 4e Redbox it states that you should make one initiative roll for the two goblins and one for ...
12
votes
4answers
736 views
How to kill yourself in 4e?
Warning: spoiler about P2: King of the Trollhaunt Warrens. The following explains why I want rules on killing yourself, but isn't critical to the question (with the edit), so don't read it if you will ...
11
votes
4answers
411 views
Do weapons damage themselves?
Weapons have explicitly listed hardnesses and hit points:
Damaging Objects – PFSRD
Many medieval weapons were known for breaking; most notably, in jousting, breaking a lance scored points:
...
11
votes
1answer
334 views
Do players get full XP from encounter if enemies break and run?
First, I don't know of any specific morale rules for NPC's/monsters, but I would say based on modern army tactics, a unit has lost its effectiveness at 33% losses, and at 50% its a rout. So if the ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
AC differences between AD&D 1E and Basic D&D?
I understand that there are differences between the way Armor Class works in AD&D (first edition) and Basic D&D (the boxed sets, Rules Cyclopedia, etc.), but I don't have the books to check it ...
11
votes
5answers
323 views
Tricks allowing continuous narration during a fight
I used a lot of tricks that allowed to skip the counting of every swing and blow and dodge.
I think people should share such solutions. My favourite tricks:
Roll a bunch of dice and just take look at ...
11
votes
2answers
272 views
How do I make a physical challenge for Dawn-caste Solar Exalted?
I'm currently running an Exalted (2.5e) game (set in the West around Wavecrest, if it's relevant). The Dawn caste Solar in the party is carving through things incredibly fast - using Iron Whirlwind (6 ...
10
votes
8answers
458 views
What's the maximum number of minions for an encounter?
What is the maximum number of minions that can be pitted against a party 0f 5 characters of equal level without being overwhelming (as defined by the DMG)?
ie: How many Kobold minions can I pit ...
10
votes
3answers
259 views
How do I make headshot rules interesting?
I'm working on a unified conflict system for a lightweight setting-agnostic RPG ruleset. The beta version is available on my website, although I have changed a lot of rules since that was released. My ...
10
votes
5answers
263 views
Awarding XP for combat encounters in Dnd 4e
I am a very inexperienced DM. I have here what must be an obvious question, but I can't seem to find any solid clarification.
How is XP rewarded after a combat encounter? Is the total monsters' XP ...
10
votes
4answers
293 views
Can I Coup de Grace and/or make a death attack with a touch spell?
This question has two components: firstly, can a character with Assassin levels trigger their Death Attack (after the three rounds of study, of course) by making a Coup De Grace against the helpless ...
10
votes
4answers
223 views
How can I improve damage for a 2e rogue? (Particularly a Kender handler)
I'm roleplaying a 2nd Ed. Dragonlance Kender Handler. I had no experience in roleplaying, and kender sounded like a great opportunity to do fun stuff. In particular, my hiding / sneaking stats are ...
10
votes
9answers
571 views
How to make combat deadlier?
I was thinking of reducing all hit points by 1/2 (pc, npc and monster) to make combat deadlier and less Hp crunching. Is this a good approach or is there a better way to do this or would it be better ...
10
votes
2answers
685 views
Flanking and swarms in 4e
Can swarms be flanked by two PCs? What if the swarm is occupying the same square as a PC?
Does a PC grant combat advantage to a swarm if a regular mob is adjacent in a flank? Does it matter if the ...
10
votes
2answers
454 views
How can characters with low Fighting and Shooting contribute in combat?
I've run a few rounds of Savage Worlds, and I like the quick character generation and minimal bookkeeping. I'm a little frustrated with a phenomenon which is hardly unique to the system: in combat, ...
10
votes
1answer
285 views
Greater Feint Clarification
I don't understand the benefits of Greater Feint feat in Pathfinder.
Its Benefit states:
Whenever you use feint to cause an opponent to lose his Dexterity bonus, he loses that bonus until the ...
10
votes
3answers
515 views
Close burst from a large creature — one square origin or all of them
If a large or larger creature uses a close burst, does the burst have to emanate from a single square of the large creature's space, or does it act as if the creature is the source (all squares)?
The ...
10
votes
1answer
366 views
Do underwater opponents have cover from someone in the water?
Someone under the water has total cover from someone on the land. If you are in the water but not under it you have partial cover from a land based opponent. What I'd like to know is if you are in ...
10
votes
1answer
143 views
With a negative Strength value, how much damage can I do?
When skipping through the All Flesh Must Be Eaten rulebook, I noticed that you can create PCs with negative strength values (e.g., children). As hand weapons do damage based on that strength value, ...
9
votes
6answers
531 views
Is there one type of combat system considered to be more deadly than other alternatives?
I've frequently heard the Basic Role-play system and Dark Heresy described as deadly from a combat perspective. I think those are both percentile systems. Is that typical of percentile systems or is ...
9
votes
9answers
401 views
How can I speed up combat with a large number of enemies?
I'm DMing for a campaign where the player characters will sometimes face small squads of creatures, most recently six ground troops and two archers helping out. In this setting, these creatures ...
9
votes
4answers
312 views
Making epic combat interesting and challenging but not complicated
I'm running up on the tail end of a year-and-a-half 4e campaign, and epic levels are exhausting to GM. Everyone has more weird powers than you can shake a dragon at, and that includes the NPCs ...
9
votes
2answers
245 views
Simulating grenade explosions in a stairwell
What would be a fair way to adjudicate the detonation of a grenade in an enclosed space, such as a stairwell?
I have used the rules for blowback in games such as Shadowrun before, but recently ran a ...
9
votes
4answers
225 views
What to do in Labyrinth Lord when both PCs and Foes are surprised?
In Labyrinth Lord, when there is a possibility of surprise for both PCs and foes, both sides roll 1d6. A 1-2 indicates that side is surprised for the first round. If both sides roll a 1-2, both ...
9
votes
3answers
314 views
Reducing Damage as an Interrupt
A friend of mine's assassin just got Sunspray Heritage which includes an encounter power- when hit by a radiant or fire damage, the triggering damage is reduced to 0. When he's in Shade form he's ...
9
votes
1answer
137 views
Does the Critical Hit threshold keep rising as skill goes up?
In GURPS Campaigns (p381) it states that a skill of 15+ means that a roll of 5 counts as a critical, and 16+ means that a 6 counts as a critical. Does this threshold continue to rise?
Ex: Does ...
9
votes
2answers
167 views
What do characters know about the battlefield?
The PCs generally know where all enemies are and vice versa (except those who are Hidden). They also know the effects of all zones and other buffs that are in effect. This is part of the "all the ...
9
votes
1answer
64 views
Does telekinesis do Bashing or Lethal?
I'm trying to figure out what type of damage a direct physical assault with telekinesis would result in. (From NWoD)
From pg. 212 of World of Darkness:
Alternately, the ghost can make a direct ...
9
votes
2answers
156 views
How do you handle Reach in Dungeon World?
How does reach actually work?
If I am wielding a long spear against a goblin with a dagger ("Staying far out of its reach, I make quick thrusts at the goblin's head!"), do I roll Hack and Slash? Do ...
9
votes
1answer
262 views
Is there a limit to how many extra attacks I can have in D&D 3.5?
I'm playing a fighter/warblade with the Lightning Maces and Power Critical feats, and the Blood in the Water stance, so every time I score a crit, I have an immediate additional strike with the same ...
8
votes
3answers
244 views
Was psionic combat removed from Pathfinder?
I have the 3.5 edition of the Psionic Handbook that covers psionic combat. But reading through the Pathfinder I have found nothing so far.
If changing to Pathfinder, will I no longer need psionic ...
8
votes
3answers
350 views
How many spears can fit in one pincushion
In The Riddle of Steel on page 77 it notes that the maximum number of combatants that can surround a single opponent is three, except "groups of spearmen and the like, who may gather tightly together ...
8
votes
1answer
200 views
How hard is it to stake a vampire?
For staking a vampire through the heart in Pathfinder, what type of DC value or combat method should be used in order to perform the staking?
8
votes
2answers
177 views
What happens to aquatic creatures when they're pulled onto land?
A dire piranha swarm, for obvious reasons, has only a swim speed and no other available movement modes.
The warden in our party, while standing next to a lake, used Warden's Lure, which pulled all ...
8
votes
3answers
146 views
Rules for delaying action?
Does Advanced Dungeons & Dragons have rules for holding/delaying action in combat?
8
votes
1answer
992 views
How many rays can a beholder use in one full-attack action?
What it says on the tin. Beholders and beholder kin are given a number of rays that they can use. The entry for the Beholder-kin: Watcher notes that each eye can use one of its powers every round, ...
8
votes
2answers
275 views
Does ranged magic that requires line-of-sight also require line-of-effect?
This came up during a combat last week. The party had barricaded themselves behind double doors and the wizard was peering through the keyholes, dropping Scorching Bursts on anything foolish enough ...
8
votes
2answers
328 views
Combat Challenge vs Opportunity Attack - which happens first?
If a fighter has marked an enemy, and the enemy does a ranged attack against someone other than the fighter, I believe the fighter can attack using Combat Challenge as the enemy is making an attack ...
7
votes
6answers
247 views
How do you come up with attribute values and skills for your NPCs
I have been playing PnP for some years now and also had one session GMing (my first) and I discovered that my biggest problem wasn't creating a world, inventing scenes or reacting fast if my players ...
7
votes
2answers
236 views
Do two standard actions equal a full round action?
If a character was somehow able to get two extra standard actions on their round in combat, could those actions be used as an extra full attack action or full round action?
Elaboration: In the first ...
7
votes
4answers
508 views
“Epic Level” Shadowrun
Recently I've run into an issue with my Shadowrun campaign for a number of reason, the most key of which is that my players have hit the 180-250 karma level where they've started to ascend to levels ...
7
votes
2answers
135 views
If I am using 2 weapons, can I trip with one and attack the tripped target in the same round?
I'm playing a dual wield fighter and I was wondering is it possible to, when using a full round action to attack and you have more then one strike, can you trip with your first hit and then proceed to ...
7
votes
1answer
484 views
Does 2 handed multiplier apply to Dex mod with Weapon Finesse?
I have a rogue with Weapon Finesse.
This allows me to:
When making a melee attack with a light weapon or rapier, you may use your DEX Mod instead of your strength Mod on the attack roll.
Since ...
