Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Frank's Combat Overhaul

• This system was designed and tested by me with a lot of help [and willing, sometimes unwilling] test subjects in the form of my first campaign group, for which I was DM. It is designed to provide a number of options to flesh out the basic combat structure, and is referred to as the "PBD system."
  
  "PBD" stands for "Parry/Block/Dodge." As you can imagine, these are the three main choices for the overhualed system. These are provided as alternatives to simply relying on Armor Class [AC] as your defense; A good swordsman should be able to parry the attacker, a paladin could easily deflect the heaviest of blows with the right placing of his shield, and an infamous thief would dodge between the strikes of his enemies with grace, rather than taking them all on the chin and thanking the gods for low rolls.

As of 7.31.14, these rules only apply to melee (with the exception of blocking to ranged weapons by the DM's discretion).

THE STRUCTURE

• Under the PBD system, a normal attack turn occurs in this order:
  
  1-Attacker rolls to attack target
  2-Modifiers calculated and added to the Attacker roll
  3-Target, if able, selects a defense [P/B/D]
  4-Target makes selected defense roll
  5-Target calculates modifiers, adds the sum [+/-] to the final defense roll.
  6-Target compares it's score to the Attacker
  7-Highest score wins the combat
  7A---> If defense roll is higher, the attack is negated
  7B---> If Attacker roll is higher, attack carries through the defense.
  7BA----> If Attacker roll wins, the sum of the roll is compared to the Armor Class of the Target
  7BAA----> If higher, damage is rolled and applied to the target
  7BAB----> If lower, there is no damage in the hit.
  8-Attack resolved.

This may seem like a lot of work, but in reality to make these rolls takes about ten seconds. I've calculated a large combat between 15 different characters [npc's and pc's] in less than ten minutes. The ease and realistic system that the PBD structure introduces to any campaign allows players to really capitalize on their strengths, and for DM's to press their weaknesses. A dex-based character really needs to watch where they fight, as if they don't have enough room for a proper dodge things may get messy. A Fighter may struggle to make a proper stance to parry an incoming mace when he's knee-deep in thick mud. A shield is only as effective as the direction it's facing when it comes to blocking spear thrusts.

Alternatively, when the conditions are right for characters to practice their trade, be it dex or str, the practice and skill in combat that can only be achieved by someone who lives it become quite apparent.


DEFENSE ROLLS

Defense rolls are made by characters, creatures, or sometimes objects, to defend themselves against an attack. A defender is referred to as a "target" in this module, unless specification is made. This section specifically deals with when Defense rolls can be made, what kind of roll is made, and who rolls it anyway.

There are limits to when defense rolls can be made, however. The following are the scenarios where the vast majority of defense rolls can be hindered-

• - DEXTERITY MODIFIER
  A target can only make as many defense rolls in a round equal to the number of his/her/it's dexterity modifier. Every target that is an NPC, Player Character, or Creature will always have a base defense roll-per-turn of 1, regardless of actual Dex modifier. This can be changed to the GM's discretion.
  
  A number of modifiers may reduce the defense roll count of a target. Here is just a small list of factors that may have an effect on the sum:
  • -Weather/Environmental factors [Mud, unstable ground, precarious positioning, so on]
    -Physical limitations [Exhaustion, being grappled, etc.]
    -Weapon limitations [Weapon is too short/too long, too heavy]
    -DM's discretion
  A number of other modifiers may also INCREASE the amount of defense rolls a character can make, such as:
  • -Being well-rested [at DM's discretion]
    -Having a natural advantage over the target [also at DM's discretion]
    -Working as a team [effectively fighting as a single unit, i.e spearmen in a formation, knights in a charge, so forth.]
  A note on Surprise
  
  A target is "Surprised" when it fails it's surprise saving-roll on a d6, as per the Core Rulebook listings. When a target is surprised, the target loses one defense roll for the first turn of the combat [assuming combat has been initiated by this point.] Conversely, the Attacker gains ONE whole attack move on top of it's regular attack, so long as it is against a target that has been surprised.
  
  • • DM Note: when I manage ambushes or the like in my campaigns, I usually keep whatever target is surprised a secret, unless a high perception roll is made on the spot. This makes the combat seem a lot more hectic. If I am running an ambush on behalf of NPC's against the Party [the player's characters] I will just charge the ambushers in without regards for who is surprised, as it seems more realistic to me.
  Simply put, a defense roll may be made when the following criteria are met:
  - The target has not made up to it's max in defense rolls during this turn
  - The target [at DM's discretion] is feasibly able to make the roll in the first place.
  
  Obviously a figher cannot parry a massive weapon, such as a dragon's bite. Defense rolls can be made depending on the weapon/ type of attack used at the DM's discretion. Most attacks can be P/B/D'd however.

TYPES OF DEFENSE ROLLS

A defense roll falls into three categories: Parry, Block, or Dodge. Each one of these defense rolls has the Primary base, and the Secondary base.

A Primary base is what the roll is usually made from. A Secondary base is the stat the roll relies on the most after the Primary base. The Secondary base is optional- If the target chooses to use the Secondary base stat for the roll, then any modifiers he/she/it may have are halved, rounded down as always [if 0, then it remains 0. If 1, it remains 1].



Parry [DEX Primary, Str secondary]

• A parry defense roll is when the target attempts to catch the Attacker's weapon in his own, and thus deflect the attack. The Primary roll of this causes the target to artfully parry the attacker's blow. The secondary roll of this is more like the target is just swinging it's weapon forcefully into the attacker's weapon's trajectory to interrupt it, causing a violent clash of steel, rather than masterful swordplay.

• • DM's Note: Parrying particularly large weapons with smaller arms may yield some interesting results. When one of my players makes a roll to parry, say, a troll's mace, I make them perform three rolls: a dex. roll to even make the parry in the first place, a strength roll to see if they can even hold back the weapon itself, and a final roll on a d20 to a number I make up to see if their weapon breaks, or at least takes damage.

Block [STR Primary, Con secondary]

• A block is the roll a target would make to use it's shield. The Primary roll of this causes the target to set it's feet, raise it's shield up to block the incoming blow(s), and staunchly deflect each one with all the training of a stalwart defender. Alternatively, the Secondary roll of this causes the target to simply throw his shield into the trajectory of the incoming weapon, causing a loud bang as each blow reverberates off the shield.

• • DM's Note: I usually rule that when blocking, a character must have their shield positioned correctly; sometimes they are faced away from the attacker, sometimes they are braced. If they are not facing the target [or are being flanked], I usually make them roll a Dex-based test, needing lower than their dex score with no modifiers, to pass in order to swing their shield around to face the enemy. Then they roll as normal. I also use the same logic when they are fighting a larger enemy- Strength to make the block, Constitution to not break their arm, and Dex to see exactly how well the blow is deflected. If they pass the first two, I usually rule that no damage is dealt, but they can be knocked off balance [stunned or negative modifiers]. A block roll may also be made against ranged weapons at the DM's discretion.

Dodge [DEX Primary, Con secondary]

• A dodge roll is just that- a roll for the target to duck out of the way of an incoming blow. A Primary roll takes a bit more than just a simple d20 roll to pass; The target must also roll a d6 [if successful] to see where they move to. The Secondary roll of this represents the target's natural survival instincts- instantaneous reactions that happen without thought. A successfull roll of this is likely to simply be the character falls backwards to avoid a weapon.

• • DM's Note: On a Dodge roll, a few things must be taken into account- the free space around, what's being dodged, so forth. It's obviously incredibly difficult to dodge a blow if the target is in a crowded hallway, or being attacked when cornered. I personally rule that on a Constitution roll for dodge, my players have to roll a d6; on a roll of 4 or higher, the character is knocked down [stunned] until next round, and must make a half-action move to get back up. Also, a dodge may be performed against ranged weapons at the DM's discretion.

D6 ROLLS FOR DODGES-
1- Square to the left
2- Square to the right
3- Square behind
4,5- stays put
6- switches places with the Attacker, assuming they are in melee range. If they are not, it counts as a 4,5 roll.


PERFECT SUCCESS [20] AND ABSOLUTE FAILURE [1] [Optional rules]

After the first session with this new system, we decided to throw some fun in the mix- extra actions for a natural 20 or a natural 1 roll on a d20. If the target or attacker score a natural 20 on their attack/defense rolls, a tertiary phase of combat will begin- a bonus round depending upon the type of defense roll. During this phase, all extra-actions are rolled as normal attack rolls against the original attacker's Armor Class, unless the Attacker can

• Parry

On a natural 20:

• • The parry is so well-performed that the target is in a position to perform a counter-riposte to the attacker's blow.
    
    The target is allowed to do one of the following:
    -Make a half-action movement,
    -Attack the original attacker with a temporary +1 modifier to his/her/it's attack bonus for this specific action.
    
    The original attacker may make a defense roll against this, providing the original attacker has a defense roll left to make.

On a natural 1:

• • The target, through either bad luck or bad form, loses control of it's weapon. It must perform a Saving Throw vs. Death Ray or lose it's grip of it's weapon, dropping it [or throwing it 1d4 spaces with Str. modifier added, in the case of Secondary roll].
    
    Optional rule: The Attacker may make an additional attack or half-movement as a result of the target's failure.

• Block

On a natural 20:

• • The block is so skillfully done that the target barely feels the blow against his shield at all. He/she/it uses this opportunity to press the advantage.
    
    The target is allowed to do one of the following:
    -Make a half-action movement
    -Attempt to shield-bash the original attacker, to either [Stun] it or [Push] it back 1d4 spaces [minus the Original Attacker's strength bonus modifier to the d4 roll]. On a successful bash, 1d4 damage is dealt, as is the chosen effect.
    
    The original attacker may make a defense roll against this, providing the original attacker has a defense roll left to make.

On a natural 1:

• • The target failed to properly set it's stance- the shield is placed, but the body is not. The blow knocks the target off balance, and the strike carries through. The target is [Stunned] for 1 round or pass a Save vs. Death Ray. The attacker deals damage also.
    
    Optional rule: The Attacker may make an additional attack or half-movement as a result of the target's failure.

• Dodge

On a natural 20:

• • The dodge is so well timed that the target is able to do one of the following:
    -A free half-movement
    -A free grapple against the attacker
    - Avoid rolling a d6 to move to an adjacent space.

On a natural 1:

• • The target is caught off-guard, and must make an immediate Save vs. Death Ray to avoid being knocked onto the ground, and must make a half-action next turn to get back up again. After this, the target must make another Save vs. Death Ray or be stunned for 1 round.
    
    Optional: Optional rule: The Attacker may make an additional attack or half-movement as a result of the target's failure.

• ATTACKING ACTIONS

Once more, we decided that fighters weren't... fighter-y enough. With having very few special skills, they weren't fairing as well [or doing as many awesome things] as the magic-users or the other supplemental classes we had in the party. To fix this, we added the "All-Out-Attack" rule.

All-Out-Attack

• • An All-Out-Attack may be performed by the following:
    -Fighters, and Fighter-based supplemental classes
    -Fighter/Magic-Users
    -Thieves that specialize in melee, as well as thief-based supplemental classes that focus on melee.
    
    To perform an all out attack, the target must be in melee range with the target, and must not have made a move action. The All-Out-Attack allows the attacker to attack twice, rather than once. The negative to this, however, is that the attacker must sacrifice it's movement for that round.
    
    The attacker will receive a +2 attack bonus to it's first attack over all other modifiers, while it's second attack will not have any modifiers added on aside from what it would normally get.

Charge Exception
The Charge Exception is a ruling that allows the character to declare a charge, and still be able to attack after that as the other half of it's turn.

Charge
An attacker may declare a charge against a target, so long as it has a full action left, and is reasonably able to navigate to the target without major obstructions [i.e. a crowd, barricade, so forth] in the way. A charge is meant to either close the gap between the target and the attacker, or to disrupt it's movements and engage it. Alternatively, it can also be used to ambush a target and deal great damage.

• A charge gives the attacker:
  - +2 to attack bonus
  - Upon impact, an attack roll.
  
  An attacker may charge a distance up to 3x it's Dex modifier in spaces.
  
  • DM's note: In my campaigns, 1 square inch = 5 feet. Someone with a dex modifier of 2 can charge 6 spaces, or rather 30 feet, assuming they have open ground and are moving in a straight line, and aren't weighed down by armor. Feel free to modify this distance as needed.

Alternatively, the Attacker can switch our a roll to deal damage to a roll to knock over, stun, grapple, what have you, and use the +2 attack bonus for that roll instead.


CLOSING STATEMENT

This combat system is certainly not for everyone; it has a lot of rules, but a small amount of rolls. We find this a lot more fun than simply rolling a d20 to penetrate armor. It provides character to fights.

One of our favorite memories as a group was when our Fighter, who is 100% about beating the hell out of things without remorse, tried to kill a goblin on a bridge. This should of been a near-instant success roll no matter what, as he should of been well-able to kill it without fuss. He rolled a 1, and it rolled a 20 on a dodge. It grappled with him, and made them both fall off the bridge into a river below... 20 feet below.

It was a good laugh all around.

So, if you think that you'd like some more variety in your game, then feel free to print these rules, spread them around, quote them, modify them, cut-and-paste them, I don't care. These are for free and I enjoyed making them, and finally putting them up for everyone to use.

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Hey everyone,

So it's been a while since I last stopped by and commented asking about rulebooks.

Since then, I've been the DM of a campaign involving eight other people over the past month, with an average of two sessions a week, sometimes three. It's been damn good fun, as most of us aren't new to RPG's, and I myself am involved in a number of other campaigns on Rogue Trader.

That all said, here's my impression of Basic Fantasy.

Overall, it's fantastic, but has one flaw: combat. To me, the system of rolling a d20, adding dex/str to the hit, and rolling higher than AC just doesn't seem fluid to me. I know BF is meant to be just that [basic], but that doesn't mean you can't add spice where it needs it. A fight between two knights is supposed to be a battle of maneuvers, clever thinking, and well-placed attacks and timely parries. Two knights hacking away at each other's sides until one dents it enough don't cut it for me.


Over the course of the first two weeks of the Campaign, I have devised a mechanic for combat that I call the "Parry/Block/Dodge System."

In PBD, players get a lot more choice with attacking/defending. Here's the process as I have it now:

Player initiates attack
Player rolls attack
Add modifiers [penetration if any, str/dex, so forth]
If target is able, target may make a P/B/D roll.
->Parry: Dex roll (sometimes str if a large weapon)
->Block: Strength (sometimes dex if swinging shield around)
->Dodge: Flat dex roll, but causes movement of the player to a random space as defined on a further d6 roll.

Modifiers are added, attacker/target rolls are calculated into a final total
Highest roll is deemed the winner.
If attack is successful, roll total is applied to AC
If higher than AC, damage is scored
Roll damage.



This is a tad more complicated, but to me allows for MUCH more variation in combat styles. Now if you carry a shield, you can do certain things that otherwise those without a shield cannot [block]. A high dex-user can now put this to use and dodge numerous blows equal to their dex bonus. A skilled swordsman can attempt to parry, and possible score a riposte, if they roll it.

I'll post mechanics in an edit later if people are interested in using this sort of system. As of now, I have no formal writing of it aside from a text document on my computer that is pure mechanics and no fluff. If you guys do want this though, just ask and I'll immediately edit this bit and throw it up here for all to use.



Let me know what you guys think. I've got rules for ambushes, surprise rolls, sneak attacks, charges, bracing weapons, formations, bonuses for a natural 20 roll, as well as the PBD system described above.

I just let each player describe any maneuver and make a roll or use a modifier.
They can take some points form AB and add to AC (parrying)
They can roll a die and add it to the AC (blocking)
They can Dodge and gain a flat bonus.
They can use an attack penalty and get an extra benefit or made an attack roll against a difficulty class to do a maneuver.

There are lots and lots of option that BFRPG does not include in the game so each GM can allow and rule them as he likes

That sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind having a look at it if/when you post it up here.

I'll post them in the OP in an edit. Expect them before the end of today, I'm just going to run through and edit them to make them understandable.

Hey everyone, hate to be that guy and double post, but this is taking a bit longer than anticipated to write. I'll be done by the end of today. Sorry for the delays.

Alrighty I reaaaallly hate to be that guy that triple-post-bumps his own thread, but for the record I've finished editing and posting my updated mechanics on the top of the OP. Enjoy.