bormanp@stolaf.UUCP (07/21/83)
Greetings all you FRPers, seems as we died down a bit. We had
some good stuff going about a month and a half ago (Even tim
blessed us with is words of wit! :-) ) Anyhow, back then I said
I was going to release a my own version of a FRP game. Well, I
kinda got delayed in working with it (it's a long story and my
fishing rod broke besides), but I have been working on it. This
is actually the second version of it (The first did not work so
well). Please send me comments. Oh, some info which might help,
I use twelve stats: Strength, Intelegence, Wisdom, Const., Dexterity,
Charisma, Comeleness, Ego, Agility, Swim Ability, Mechanical Ability,
and Stamina. I use 3D4+1D8 to determine each one.
Paul R Borman /* Yes, this */
St. Olaf College /* is my FULL */
Northfield MN 55057 /* US mail addr */
ihnp4!stolaf!bormanp
--------- Cut here -----------
Paul's Adventures In Fantasy
Combat Module
Among the technical aspects of a FRP game is that
annoying little thing called combat. A variety of solutions
have been proposed, and I, like many others I am sure, have
not been satisfied. It seems as though all systems have to
fight between playability and realism. Proponents of the
first ask "what is real in fantasy anyhow?" Proponents of
the second claim "but how can it be fun if it is not realis-
tic?" I agree and disagree with both. First: Yes, it is
fantasy and hence we are allowed liberties in making it
playable. Second: If it is too simplistic and non-real, it
just isn't fun.
In trying to reconcile this problem, I have come up
with A system of combat. I am sure it is not the system for
everyone, but I do feel that it has some merit. I have
tried to do several things with my system. First, give the
guy who has spent his life wielding a sword a break.
Second, give even super-heros mortal traits. Third, if you
have never used a sword before do you really expect to hit
that guy with the armor? Enough with this rationalization,
on with the guidelines.
Combat is divided into two distinct parts, Attack and
Defense. As with most FRP games, every being has hit
points. When they are hit, they lose hit points. At zero
hit points they go unconscience. At negative hit points
they are unable to heal without outside help. At some given
negative constant, they die. This constant may be arbi-
trarily set to -10, although with characters at least, I use
negative their constitution. A characters Maximum Hit Point
value is rather constant, only increasing by one for every
level of experience gained in the art of combat. To calcu-
late a characters Maximum hit points, use the following for-
mula:
MHP = Constitution
+ Stamina Bonus
+ Combat Level
+ Racial Bonus
+ Misc. Bonuses
+ 8 (Combat Level
> 0)
Note, a character receives an additional 8 hit points after
achieving the first level in some sort of combat. This is
rationalized by the fact that a person trained in combat can
sustain damage better than one not trained.
When injured, a character will gain two hit points a
July 21, 1983
- 2 -
day if he is not exerting himself (just walking), three a
day if he is in bed, but only 1 a day if he is subject to
combat or hard work (mountain climbing, door busting, etc).
These numbers can also be converted to hours per hit point
recovered. 8 per hour if resting, 12 if normal, 24 if
exerting one's self.
ATTACK
Each character has an Attack Factor, this is a measure
of how well he can hit a normal human with a weapon. This
rating is based on the pretence that a human has about a
fifty percent chance of hitting his opponent (barring any
defensive measures the opponent has taken). The Attack Fac-
tor of a character is calculated as follows:
AF = Natural Base
- 4% / Combat Level
- Strength Bonus
(- Dexterity Bonus
Missiles only)
- Misc. Bonuses
The Natural Base for a character is 50 +/- 10% (30 + 1D20).
A side note about missiles, the Strength Bonus only applies
if the weapon was made for that strength.
DEFENSE
Akin to the Attack Factor is the Defense Factor. The
Defense Factor is a measure of the characters ability to
parry blows, and also any defensive measures he has taking
(like putting on that +5 Plate (who was his GM?)). As with
the previous two stats, there is a simple little formula to
use to calculate the Defense Factor for a character.
DF = Race Base
+ Agility Bonus
+ Armor Bonus
+ 2.5% / Combat Level
+ Misc. Bonuses
(Like that tree in
the way)
THE MELEE
In melee combat, initiative is taken for each melee
round. My method is to have each combatant role 1D6 and the
higher role wins (ties imply simultaneous attack). During
the melee round, which I have set to 10 seconds, a combatant
may either move or attack. Movement is the given movement
base divided by ten (12" -> 1.2" movement). If the comba-
tant chooses attack, and he is indeed close enough to his
July 21, 1983
- 3 -
adversary to strike him, add the the combatants attack fac-
tor to the defendants defense factor to attain the percen-
tage chance the attacker has of missing his opponent.
The attacker rolls percentile dice, if his roll equals
or exceeds his percentage needed to miss, he has effectively
damaged his opponent. To calculate the damage, the type of
weapon used is crossed with size of the defender (small,
medium, or large) to determine the type of dice to roll to
calculate the damage actually done.
During an attack, it is possible that the attacker may
either due exceptional well or poor on a given blow. This
is reflected in the Critical Hit and Fumble tables. If a
roll is below 10% or above 90%, a Fumble or Critical hit may
have occurred. To find if one actually did occur, check the
"To Critically Hit" and "To Fumble" tables and see if one
did occur. If one did, then move to the appropriate table
(Fumble, or one of the three Critical Hit tables), roll per-
centile dice and find the result.
Magical Bonuses from other systems are converted on a
one to four basis (+1 -> +4%) for attack and on a one to two
and a half basis (+1 -> +2.5%) for defense.
NON-LETHAL COMBAT
In the area of non-lethal combat there are three main
subdivisions. The subdivisions are Pummeling, Grappling,
and Overbearing. To the man of the street these are Slug-
ging, Wrestling, and Plowing Over Thy Opponent. All of
these attacks proceed much as normal attacking goes,
although each have their own attack and defense factors. By
adding the attack factor of the oppressor with the defense
factor of the oppressed, a base chance of missing is found.
Then by using the modification table listed for each one,
the final number which the attacker must match or exceed is
found. If he acquires a high enough roll he may further
check to see what type of damage was done. To do this, sub-
tract what the attacker needed to roll from what he did and
then add in damage modifications. Index this resulting
number into the appropriate damage table to find the
results. If not all the damage is actual, recovery will
start after 10 melee rounds and will be at a rate of 1 point
per round.
PUMMELING
July 21, 1983
- 4 -
PAF = 100
- Agility
- Strength
- 4% / Combat Level
PDF = 2 * Armor Bonus
+ Agility
+ 2.5% / Combat Level
To Hit Modifications:
Defender Slowed -10%
Stunned -20%
Helpless HIT
Hastened +10%
For every 6" over 12"
Movement Base of
Defender +5%
Damage Modifications:
Wooded Butt or
Mailed Fist +5%
Metal Pummel +10%
Defender has
Open Faced Helm -5%
Nasaled -10%
Visored -20%
Damage Table (25% damage Actual)
<01 Total Miss
01-20 Ineffective, Strike Again
21-40 Glance, 2 + Str Bonus
41-60 Glance,. Strike Again 4 + Str Bonus
61-80 Solid Punch 6 + Str Bonus
81-00 Solid Punch, Strike Again 8 + Str Bonus
>00 Crushing Blow, Stunned Opponent
(Opponent Cannot Attack) 10 + Str Bonus
GRAPPLING/OVERBEAR
July 21, 1983
- 5 -
GOAF = 3 * Armor Bonus
- Agility
- Strength
- Weight/10 (Lbs)
Note: Magical Armor bonuses
do NOT apply
GODF = Agility
+ Strength
+ Weight/10 (Lbs)
- Armor Bonus
Note: Magical Armor bonuses
do NOT apply
To Hit Modifications:
Defender Slowed -10%
Stunned -20%
Helpless -30%
Hastened +20%
Per 3" movement Base
over Attacker +10%
GRAPPLING
Damage Modifications:
Defender Plate or Banded Mail -10%
Helmet -10%
Shield -10%
Damage Table (25% actual Damage)
<21 Waist Clinch,
Opponent May counter 1 + Str Bonus
21-40 Arm Lock//Forearm/Elbow Smash 2 + Str Bonus
41-55 Head/Finger Lock//Bite 3 + Str Bonus
56-70 Bear Hug//Trip 4 + Str Bonus
71-85 Headlock//Flip or Throw 5 + Str Bonus
86-95 Strangle Hold//Head Butt 6 + Str Bonus
>95 Kick/Knee/Gouge 8 + Str Bonus
& Stunned
July 21, 1983
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Damage to the left of the // is what the attacker does, to
the right is what the defender does. For A Defender to
break a hold he must tie or exceed the attackers category.
The hold continues until loosened or broken.
OVERBEAR
Damage Modifications:
Opponent Braced -10%
Rushing of Leaping to
Attack +15%
Opponent per Foot Held +10%
Damage Table (50% actual)
<21 Bounced off or avoided,
Opponent may counter
21-40 Slid Down, Grab Leg
41-60 Opponent Staggered,
Attack Again 1 + Str Bonus
61-80 Opponent Knocked to Knees 2 + Str Bonus
81-00 Opponent Knocked to Hands
& Knees 3 + Str Bonus
>00 Opponent Knocked Flat 4 + Str Bonus
& Stunned
______________________________ ______________________________
_|_______C_r_i_t_i_c_a_l__H_i_t_s__________| _|__________F_u_m_b_l_e_s_____________|
| Normal Critical | | Normal Fumble |
_|_____________________________| _|_____________________________|
| 0-10% 91% | | 0-05% --- |
| 11-20% 92% | | 06-10% 1% |
| 21-30% 93% | | 11-15% 2% |
| 31-40% 94% | | 16-17% 3% |
| 41-50% 95% | | 18-19% 4% |
| 51-60% 96% | | 20-24% 5% |
| 61-70% 97% | | 25-34% 6% |
| 71-80% 98% | | 35-40% 7% |
| 81-90% 99% | | 41-70% 8% |
| 91-99% 100% | _||__7_1_-_1_0_0_%_______________9_%_____||
_||____1_0_0_%________________-_-_-____||
July 21, 1983
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_________________________________________________________________
|__________________C_r_i_t_i_c_a_l__H_i_t_s__(_B_l_u_n_t__W_e_a_p_o_n_s_)___________________|
| Roll Affect |
|_________________________________________________________________|
| 01-31% double damage |
| 32-64% triple damage |
| 65-66% shield broken (no effect if no shield) |
| 67-68% shield broken (roll again if no shield) |
| 69-70% shield arm struck (no shield defense for 1-6 rounds) |
| 71-72% shield arm broken, lose shield |
| 73-74% weapon arm struck, hit probability -2 |
| 75-76% weapon arm struck, hit probability -4 |
| 77-78% weapon arm broken, no attacks |
| 79-80% hand struck, dexterity down 1-5 pts. until healed |
| 81-82% hand struck, dexterity down 1-5 pts. |
| 83-84% chest struck, stunned 1-6 rounds |
| 85-86% chest struck, ribs broken, lungs punctured, no movement|
| 87-88% chest struck, ribs broken, heart punctured, death |
| 89-90% leg struck, fall to ground |
| 91-92% leg struck, movement halved |
| 93-94% leg broken, no movement |
| 95% head struck, lose 1-6 pts. intelligence (no effect if|
| helmed) |
| 96% head struck, lose 1-6 pts. intelligence |
| 97% head struck, lose 2-12 pts. intelligence (no effect if|
| helmed) |
| 98% head struck, lose 2-12 pts. intelligence |
| 99% skull crushed, dead (no effect if helmed) |
||_____0_0_%__s_k_u_l_l__c_r_u_s_h_e_d_,__d_e_a_d______________________________________||
July 21, 1983
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_________________________________________________________________
|__________________C_r_i_t_i_c_a_l__H_i_t_s__(_E_d_g_e_d__W_e_a_p_o_n_s_)___________________|
| Roll Affect |
|_________________________________________________________________|
| 01-31% double damage |
| 32-62% triple damage |
| 63% shield destroyed (no effect if shielded) |
| 64% shield destroyed (roll again if no shield) |
| 65% helm removed (lose ear, stunned 1-6 rounds if no helm) |
| 66% helm removed (lose ear, stunned 1-6 rounds) |
| 67% voicebox punctured, no talking (no effect if helmed) |
| 68-69% ear removed (no effect if helmed) |
| 70% ear removed (helm removed if helmed) |
| 71-72% eye removed (no effect if helmed) |
| 73% eye removed |
| 74% knee split, movement base halved |
| 75% knee split, no movement |
| 76% fingers removed, dexterity reduced 1-5 pts. |
| 77% leg removed at ankle |
| 78% leg removed at knee |
| 79% leg removed at hip |
| 80% shield arm removed at wrist (no effect if shielded) |
| 81% shield arm removed at elbow (no effect if shielded) |
| 82% shield arm removed at shoulder (no effect if shielded) |
| 83% shield arm removed at wrist |
| 84% shield arm removed at elbow |
| 85% shield arm removed at shoulder |
| 86% weapon arm removed at wrist |
| 87% weapon arm removed at elbow |
| 88% weapon arm removed at shoulder |
| 89% abdominal injuries, carrying capacity halved |
| 90% chest injuries, carrying capacity halved |
| 91% abdominal injuries, death in 1-6 days |
| 92% chest injuries, death in 1-4 days |
| 93% abdominal injuries, death in 2-12 turns |
| 94% chest injuries, death in 2-8 turns |
| 95% abdominal injuries, immediate death |
| 96% chest injuries, immediate death |
| 97% throat cut, immediate death (no effect if helmed) |
| 98% throat cut, immediate death |
| 99% decapitated, immediate death (no effect if helmed) |
||_____0_0_%__d_e_c_a_p_i_t_a_t_e_d_,__i_m_m_e_d_i_a_t_e__d_e_a_t_h_____________________________||
July 21, 1983
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_________________________________________________________________
|_________________C_r_i_t_i_c_a_l__H_i_t_s__(_M_i_s_s_l_e__W_e_a_p_o_n_s_)___________________|
| Roll Affect |
|_________________________________________________________________|
| 01-34% double damage |
| 35-70% triple damage |
| 71-72% shield arm struck (no effect if shielded) |
| 73-74% shield arm struck |
| 75-76% weapon arm struck, hit probability -2 |
| 77-78% weapon arm struck, hit probability -4 |
| 79-80% weapon arm struck, no attacks |
| 81-82% struck in abdomen, death in 1-6 days |
| 83-84% struck in chest, death in 1-4 days |
| 85-86% struck in abdomen, death in 2-12 turns |
| 87-88% struck in chest, death in 2-8 turns |
| 89-90% struck in abdomen, immediate death |
| 91-92% struck in chest, immediate death |
| 93% blinded in eye (no effect if helmed) |
| 94% blinded in eye |
| 95% larynx punctured (no effect if helmed) |
| 96% larynx punctured |
| 97% struck in head, lose 1-6 pts. intelligence (no effect|
| if helmed) |
| 98% struck in head, lose 1-6 pts. intelligence |
| 99% struck in head, immediate death (no effect if helmed) |
||_____0_0_%__s_t_r_u_c_k__i_n__h_e_a_d_,__i_m_m_e_d_i_a_t_e__d_e_a_t_h__________________________||
July 21, 1983
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_________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________F_u_m_b_l_e_s______________________________|
| Roll Affect |
|_________________________________________________________________|
| 01-19% slip, roll dexterity or less on d20 or fall stunned for|
| 1-4 rnds. |
| 20-33% stumble, roll dexterity or less or fall stunned for 1-6|
| rnds. |
| 34-39% trip and fall, stunned for 1-6 rounds |
| 40-44% off balance, roll dexterity or less or no action next|
| round |
| 45-49% lose grip on weapon, roll dex. or less or no attack|
| next round |
| 50-54% lose grip, roll dex. or less or drop weapon |
| 55-59% lose grip, drop weapon |
| 60-61% shield tangled with opponent (no effect if no shield) |
| 62-63% shield tangled with opponent, neither attacks next|
| round. |
| 64-65% weapon tangled with opponent, no attack next round |
| 66-69% weapon knocked away, roll d8 for direction, d10 for|
| foot distance |
| 70-74% weapon breaks (base 100% chance -20% for each "+" of|
| weapon) |
| 75-76% hit self, half damage |
| 77-78% hit self, normal daamage |
| 79-80% hit self, double damage |
| 81-82% hit friend, half damage |
| 83-84% hit friend, normal damage |
| 85-86% hit friend, double damage |
| 87-88% critical hit, self |
| 89-90% critical hit, friend |
| 91-92% twist ankle, half speed for 1 turn, roll dex. or less|
| or fall |
| 93-95% helm slips, roll dex. or less to fix, hit prob. -6 till|
| fixed |
| 96-97% helm slips, roll dex. to fix, no attacks until fixed |
| 98% distracted, opponents next attack is at +3 |
| 99% roll twice, ignoring rolls of 99 or 00 |
||_____0_0_%__r_o_l_l__3__t_i_m_e_s_,__i_g_n_o_r_i_n_g__r_o_l_l_s__o_f__9_9__o_r__0_0_________________||
July 21, 1983
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_________________________________________________________________
|__________W_e_a_p_o_n_s__W_e_i_g_h_t__a_n_d__D_a_m_a_g_e_______________________________|
|Weapon Weight Small Large Min. Str Misc. |
| /Medium |
|_________________________________________________________________|
|Arrow 2 1-6 1-6 |
|Axe, Battle 75 1-12 1-12 10 Requires Two Hands|
|Axe, Hand 50 1-6 1-4 |
|Bo Stick 15 1-6 1-3 |
|Club 30 1-6 1-3 |
|Cudgel 20 1-4 1-3 |
|Dagger 10 1-4 1-3 |
|Dart 5 1-3 1-2 |
|Flail, Footmans 130 2-7 2-8 15 |
|Flail, Horsemans 35 2-5 2-5 |
|Fork 75 1-8 2-8 |
|Hammer, Lucern 150 2-8 1-6 14 Requires Two Hands|
|Hammer 50 2-5 1-4 |
|Javelin 20 1-6 1-6 |
|Jo Stick 40 1-6 1-4 |
|Lance, Light 50 1-6 1-8 |
|Lance, Medium 100 2-7 2-12 12 |
|Lance, Heavy 150 3-9 3-18 15 |
|Mace, Footmans 100 2-7 1-6 10 |
|Mace, Horsemans 50 1-6 1-4 |
|Morning Star 125 2-8 2-7 13 |
|Quarl, Light 1 1-4 1-4 |
|Quarl, Heavy 2 2-5 2-7 |
|Scimitar 40 1-8 1-8 |
|Sling, Bullet 2 2-5 2-7 |
|Sling, Stone 1 1-4 1-4 |
|Spear 40-60 1-6 1-8 8 |
|Staff 50 1-6 1-6 |
|Sword, Bastard 100 2-8 2-16 13 Requires Two Hands|
| As Bastard 1 Hand|
|Sword, Broad 75 2-8 2-7 9 |
|Sword, Great 275 1-12 2-20 18 Requires Two Hands|
|Sword, Long 60 1-8 1-12 8 |
|Sword, Short 35 1-6 1-8 |
||S_w_o_r_d_,__T_w_o_-_H_a_n_d_e_d_____2_5_0____1_-_1_0___3_-_1_8_____1_7____R_e_q_u_i_r_e_s__T_w_o__H_a_n_d_s__||
July 21, 1983
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_________________________________________________________________
|____________________M_i_s_s_l_e__R_a_t_e__a_n_d__D_i_s_t_a_n_c_e______________________|
| Weapon #/Rnd | Small Medium* Long** |
|__________________________________|_______________________________|
| Axe 1 | 1 2 3 |
| Bow, Composite, Long 2 | 6 12 21 |
| Bow, Composite, Short 2 | 5 10 18 |
| Bow, Long 2 | 7 14 21 |
| Bow, Short 2 | 5 10 15 |
| Club 1 | 1 2 3 |
| Crossbow, Light 1 | 6 12 18 |
| Crossbow, Heavy 1/2 | 8 16 24 |
| Dagger 2 | 1 2 3 |
| Dart 3 | 1 1/2 3 4 1/2 |
| Hammer 1 | 1 2 3 |
| Javelin 1 | 2 4 6 |
| Sling, Bullet 1 | 5 10 20 |
| Sling, Stone 1 | 4 8 16 |
||_S_p_e_a_r__________________________1___|______1____________2__________3___||
* +10% Attack Modification
** +25% Attack Modification
________________________________________________________________
|___________________C_h_a_r_a_c_t_e_r_i_s_t_i_c__A_d_j_u_s_t_m_e_n_t_s____________________|
| Score Additional Saving Missle Defense Reaction Hitpoints|
| Languages Throws |
| (Int) (Wis) (Dex) (Agi) (Cha) (Sta) |
|________________________________________________________________|
| 4 0 +15% +15% -12% -25% -2 |
| 5 0 +11% +11% -11% -21% -1 |
| 6 0 +8% +8% -10% -18% -1 |
| 7 0 +5% +5% -8% -15% 0 |
| 8 0 +4% +4% -7% -12% 0 |
| 9 1 +3 +3% -5% -9% 0 |
| 10 1 +2% +2% -3% -6% 0 |
| 11 2 +1% +1% -2% -3% 0 |
| 12 2 0% 0% 0% 0% 0 |
| 13 3 -2% -2% +2% +4% 0 |
| 14 3 -4% -4% +3% +8% 0 |
| 15 4 -5% -5% +5% +15% +1 |
| 16 4 -8% -8% +7% +20% +2 |
| 17 5 -11% -11% +8% +25% +3 |
| 18 6 -14% -14% +19% +30% +4 |
| 19 7 -17% -17% +11% +35% +5 |
||____2_0___8____________-_2_0_%_____-_2_0_%_____+_1_2_%______+_4_0_%_______+_6________||
July 21, 1983
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_________________________________________________________________
_|_____________________S_t_r_e_n_g_t_h__A_d_j_u_s_t_m_e_n_t_s________________________|
| Attack Damage Weight Open Bend Bars/|
|Strength Bonus Adjustment Allowence Doors Lift Gates|
_|________________________________________________________________|
| 4 +15% -1 -350 17% 0%|
| 5 +10% -1 -250 19% 0%|
| 6 +7% 0 -150 21% 0%|
| 7 +5% 0 -100 23% 0%|
| 8 +4% 0 -50 25% 1%|
| 9 +3% 0 0 27% 1%|
| 10 +2% 0 0 29% 2%|
| 11 +1% 0 +50 31% 3%|
| 12 0% 0 +100 33% 4%|
| 13 -1% 0 +150 35% 5%|
| 14 -2% 0 +200 37% 7%|
| 15 -3% 0 +275 40% 9%|
| 16 -4% +1 +350 45% 10%|
| 17 -5% +1 +500 50% 13%|
| 18 -7% +2 +750 55% 16%|
| 19 -8% +3 +1000 60% 20%|
_||___2_0_________-_1_0_%____________+_3________+_1_2_5_0______6_5_%___________2_5_%__||
______________________________
_|_____H_i_t__P_o_i_n_t_s__(_R_a_c_e_)________|
| Race Bonus |
_|_____________________________|
| Dwarf +2 |
| Elf -1 |
| Gnome +1 |
| Half-Elf 0 |
| Half-Ork +1 |
| Hobbit -1 |
_||__H_u_m_a_n___________________0____||
July 21, 1983
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MONSTER CONVERSION CHART
Level Attack Factor Monster MHP
1-1 56% Orc 11+D10
1 52% Kobold 4+D4
1+ 48% Goblin 6+D4
2 44% Gnoll 12+D12
3 40% Ogre 20+D12
4 36% Bear, Brown 22+D10
5 32% Bear, Black 12+D8
6 28% Bear, Cave 25+D12
7 24% Giant, Cloud 50+D20
8 20% Giant, Fire 45+D20
9 16% Giant, Frost 40+D20
10 12% Giant, Hill 30+D20
11 8% Giant, Stone 35+D20
12 4% Giant, Storm 55+D20
13 0% Horse, Light 10+D6
14 -4% Horse, Lt War 12+D6
15 -8% Horse, Med War 14+D6
16 -12% Horse, Hvy War 18+D6
Defense Factor = (10 - AC)*3 + 2*LVL - 10 + D20
NOTE: The hit points above are just some that I threw
together one night. They look about right to me, but more
play may prove wrong (I have no players here for the summer
(bletch)). Have Fun!