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Combat and what you can do in 1 round

Here's a quick primer on what you can do in combat and in 1 round of combat. Many of the rules I use are variations and come from sources that supersede the DM's Guide and Player's Handbook. Most come from the Player's Option series of books.

How I do combat:

The first step in combat and any round of combat is to declare what actions each individual involved in the battle are going to (attempt) to make. Based on that, Initiative is rolled to determine the order of battle.

I use a combination of ways to determine initiative. Each PC and each unique individual acts by themselves. In this instance, a group initiative is not used. However, group initiative is used for groups of like monsters.

For example a party of adventurers encounter a group of orcs led by a shaman. Each of the adventurers and the shaman get individual initiative rolls, as they are unique. The rest of the orcs are rolled as a group. For more than 1 group of monsters are involved, say orcs and ogres, then each of those groups get a separate roll.

To determine initiative, a d10 is rolled and this gets added on to the base value of the character's action. Here is a list of outside factors that can modify initiative:

Situation	Modifier
Hasted:	-2
Slowed:	+2
On higher ground:	-1
Set to receive a charge:	-2
Wading or slippery footing:	+2
Wading in deep water:	+4
Foreign environment:	+6
Hindered (tangled, climbing):	+3
Waiting (Player's Handbook):	+1

Optional Modifiers to Initiative

Situation	Modifier
Attacking with weapon	Weapon speed
Breath weapon	+1
Casting a spell	Casting time
Creature size (monsters with natural weapons only)*
Small	+3
Medium	+3
Large	+6
Huge	+9
Gargantuan	+12
Innate spell ability	+3
Magical items**
Miscellaneous magic	+3
Potion	+4
Ring	+3
Rods	+1
Scroll	Casting time of spell
Stave	+2
Wand	+3

* This applies only to creatures fighting with natural weapons--claws, bites, etc. Creatures using weapons use the speed factor of the weapon, regardless of the creature's size.

** Use the initiative modifier listed unless the item description says otherwise.

Once the order of combat for that round is determine, the battle is run and the results may change or prevent the actions of those characters acting later in the battle. A mage might find his spell ruined or an archer's target may drop before firing and so on.

In each round of combat, there are three different types of actions a character may take: No-Move Actions, Half-Move Actions, and Full Move Actions.

No-Move Actions

No-move actions are just that; the character performs some sort of action during her proper action phase, whether it is fighting an opponent or using a wand, without moving significantly during the round. Even if a character chooses any one of the no-move actions, however, she can still adjust her position during her action phase. She can move one square in any direction and choose any facing as a free adjustment to her position. If the character is threatened, she can adjust her position without provoking an attack of opportunity by making sure that her adjustment does not take her out of the enemy's front squares or turn her back to him. No-move actions include:

* Attack
* Cast a Spell
* Cover
* Fire/Throw Missiles (normal ROF)
* Guard
* Parry
* Unarmed Combat
* Use a Magical Item

(House Rules have modified this a bit. A character can move up to 1/5th of his movement rate and still qualify for a No-Move Action. This can be used to get into a better position for fighting or casting spells.)

Half-Move Actions

Half-move actions allow a character to move up to half his normal movement rate and still perform some other action, such as attacking with a weapon or firing missiles. There are, however, limits to what can be done or how far a character can move and still accomplish these actions. Half-move actions include:

* Attack
* Charge
* Fire/Throw Missiles (half the normal ROF)
* Guard
* Unarmed Combat
* Withdraw

(House Rule: The distance the character moves is added to his initiative to simulate them acting later in the combat round. If a characters moves 6" than he gets a +6 to his initiative. Those half-moving and attacking hand to hand lose any extra attacks for that round, provided they have them. The character always gets at least one attack with a half-move and attack.

To figure out how far a character can half-move and still successfully attack, just divide the number of attacks available for that round by their movement rate. A character with 2 attacks that can move 12" can therefore move up to 6" and still get 1 attack in. The second attack is lost due to the earlier movement.

Should a character have 3 attacks, then divide their movement by 3. Using the above example, the 12" moving character could move 4" and get 2 attacks in, or move 8" and get one in.)

Full-move Actions

Full-move actions involve a character moving his full normal movement rate (or even more, in some cases) before attempting other actions. Full-Move actions include:

* Charge
* Move
* Run
* Sprint

The Actions

Below are listed each of the actions available to a character and how they are resolved.

Attack

This is the basic action for characters and monsters in a fight. When a character chooses to attack, he makes his normal hand-held weapon attacks. Characters and creatures can make a half-move and attack or they can stand their ground and attack as a no-move action.

Attacks of opportunity do not count as a character's attack for the round. It is possible for a creature to get more attacks than normal if its opponent provides it with an opening for an attack of opportunity.

Characters and monsters may choose a number of attack options, such as grab, block, trap, or disarm.

Cast a Spell

Wizards and priests may choose to cast spells during combat. All spells are assigned a Casting Time and that determines how fast they act in combat. If the spellcaster is injured by an attack during the casting, the spell is lost. (Though the Concentration NWP may prevent this.)

When a character casts a spell, she loses any Dexterity benefit to her Armor Class, since she must hold still and concentrate to make the spell work. After the spell has been cast, the mage or priest may apply her Dexterity bonus to her Armor Class again.

Charge

Characters and monsters can charge to rapidly close for combat and make an attack. Charging is a full-move action, but a charging character may move 1.5 times his base movement when he charges. A knight with a movement of 6 can charge an enemy up to 9 spaces away.

Charging (which might more accurately be called the reckless attack) gives characters several advantages but also imposes some penalties. The charging character gains a +2 bonus on his attack roll. Some weapons, such as lances, are suited for charging and inflict double damage when used in a charge.

Because they are so intent on the attack, however, charging characters are at a disadvantage defensively. They lose all Dexterity bonuses to Armor Class and suffer a +1 penalty to AC in addition to that. Guarding characters with weapons longer than the chargers automatically strike first. In addition, characters can set spears (see Guard) against charges.

Cover

A character with a cocked and loaded crossbow, or an arrow nocked and drawn in a bow, can announce that he is covering an opponent within his weapon's short range. Only characters with a weapon proficiency slot in bow or crossbow can cover someone in this manner. Covering situations usually are created by the circumstances of the initial encounter; for example, an archer may surprise his enemy, cover him, and order him to drop his weapon. Characters can also declare a combat action to cover someone.

Since the arrow or bolt is ready to be fired, the covering characters automatically can fire before his target can act in combat.

The character can hold his cover until later in the round, if he wants to see what his target is going to do. He can fire first at any time in the round. After the first shot has been loosed, the covering character can perform the rest of his missile fire at the regular initiative and rate of fire.

The covering shot itself is made with a +2 bonus to the attack roll. Covering is handy for freezing opponents in their tracks, since everybody knows how quickly an arrow or bolt can be released once it is drawn.

Covering can also be used with any hand-held bladed weapon. Basically, the character puts her sword to an opponent's throat in a single adjacent square and menaces him. The victim must be stunned, dazed, pinned, unconscious, or surprised for a character to cover him with a melee weapon. As with bows and crossbows, the covering character automatically wins initiative against her target and can attack first. The attack is made with a +2 bonus to hit, and the critical number drops to a 16.

Fire/Throw Missiles

Firing missiles and throwing hand-held weapons (including splashing holy water or oil) is another basic action that is very common in combat. The character can stand still and attack at his full rate of fire, or he can make a half-move and fire or throw missiles at 1/2 his normal rate.

Firing or throwing missiles is dangerous when another creature threatens a character, since it creates an attack of opportunity. The only exception to this rule is during the same combat round that the threatening creature actually moves up to threaten the character. The character can get his shots in while his enemy closes, but after that he had better switch to a melee weapon.

Some monsters, such as manticores, may have multiple missiles that are fired simultaneously.

Guard

When a character guards, she waits for her opponents to come to her. Guarding is a half-move action, or a no-move action if the character stands her ground. A guarding character strikes the moment an attacker moves into the guarding character's threatening squares, regardless of her actual initiative. The only way an enemy can attack a guarding character first is with a longer-ranged weapon.

If a guarding character is attacked by a charging character, the character that won initiative attacks first (unless one of the characters has a longer-ranged weapon than the other). If both the charging and guarding characters have weapons of equal range, then the character with the larger weapon strikes first. Guarding characters are considered to be set for charge, and spears and spear-like polearms inflict double damage against charging creatures.

If no one attacks a guarding character, she can abort to an attack at the end of the round and take a half-move to reach someone.

Move

Moving allows a character to cover a lot of ground without dropping his defenses. Moving is normally a full-move action, but if a character only moves half his maximum move or less, he can consider it a half-move action instead.

Parry

Sometimes the best thing to do is take cover and try not to get clobbered. Any character can choose to parry as a combat action. Parrying is a no-move action that is in effect for the entire combat round. If a character parries, he cannot move, attack, or cast spells.

Parrying reduces a non-warrior character's Armor Class by one-half his level. A 6th-level wizard with an AC of 5 who parries reduces his AC to 2. Warriors who choose to parry reduce their AC by one-half their level, plus one. A 6th-level fighter gets an AC bonus of 4 by parrying.

Run

A character can double his base movement by running. Running is considered a full-move action; the character can't do anything else in the same combat round that he runs. Running on a battlefield is dangerous; the character loses all Dexterity bonuses to his Armor Class and suffers a +1 AC penalty on top of that. In addition, he is considered to be charging if he runs into an opponent with a set spear.

Sprint

A character can triple his base movement by sprinting. Like running, sprinting is a full-move action that drops the character's defenses for the round.

Unarmed Combat

Any character may choose to make an unarmed attack instead of attacking with his weapons. There are four basic types of unarmed combat: punching, wrestling, overbearing, and martial arts.

A character can perform an unarmed attack on his base initiative if he doesn't have to move to reach his target, or he can take a half-move action to close for combat. Attacking armed opponents (including monsters with natural attacks) is dangerous for an unarmed fighter; if the character attacks an armed creature that is threatening him, he suffers an immediate attack of opportunity from his intended victim. The armed defender gains a +4 bonus on his attack roll and his damage roll against an unarmed attacker.

Monsters with natural weaponry almost never make unarmed attacks. However, it is possible for intelligent creatures to "pull in their claws" and try to batter a character into unconsciousness. Monsters without natural attacks may resort to unarmed combat if they are disarmed or want to capture their enemy.

Use A Magical Item

Generally, a character can use a magical item as a No Move Action. Some magical items take more or less time, as noted in the table above.

Withdraw

Withdrawing is the only safe way to leave a square that is threatened by an opponent. When a character withdraws, he backs carefully away from his opponent without turning his back or creating an attack of opportunity for his opponent.

Withdrawing is a half-move that takes place on the character's base initiative. A withdrawing character cannot attack or cast spells, although he can still get attacks of opportunity.