Homerules for combat

[Mugen]

Here are some of the modifications to the combat rules I'd use :

I would drop combat matrices for those simpler ones :

Attack

*Failure : nothing occurs
*Success : normal damage
*Critical success : double damage

Parry

*Failure : nothing occurs
*Success : adds weapon's AP to character's AP
*Critical success : adds double the weapon's AP to character's AP

Dodge

*Treat as a skill vs skill contest with the attacker's attack roll.

I would also treat combat actions differently.

I think "Combat Actions" should be the maximum number of combat actions in one turn.

The actual number of actions a character performs would be set after Initiative determination. For each action after the first, a cumulative -20% would be applied to all skill checks.

First reaction in a round should be treated normally, but subsequent reactions should get a cumulative -20% malus.

One additional parry without malus should be allowed with an off-hand weapon.

Example : Rolf is a 14-DEX character with 3 CA. As he is a skilled warrior with 90% in Swords, he decides to do his 3 allowed combat actions, getting a -40% malus to all 3 attacks.

During the round, he is forced to parry twice with his sword. The first reaction is done with the original -40% due to his 3 actions. The second one, however, is only at -60%. This malus will also be inflicted to all actions he has not performed yet.

 

[simonh]

Example : Rolf is a 14-DEX character with 3 CA. As he is a skilled warrior with 90% in Swords, he decides to do his 3 allowed combat actions, getting a -40% malus to all 3 attacks.

During the round, he is forced to parry twice with his sword. The first reaction is done with the original -40% due to his 3 actions. The second one, however, is only at -60%. This malus will also be inflicted to all actions he has not performed yet.

So a character only gets a full-chance parry or dodge if they only do one attack in the round. If they do any more attacks, they get the penalty on their first defence roll? That seems a little harsh. With subsequent defence actions suffering further penalties it means if a characetr deos 3 attacks, and is required to roll 3 defences as well that round, their defences will be generaly much worse than their attacks (all attacks at -40%, parries at -40, -60 and -80).

How would all this mesh with flurry, or wouldn't it? What ranks would the attacks go off at?

Simon Hibbs

 

[Mugen]

So a character only gets a full-chance parry or dodge if they only do one attack in the round. If they do any more attacks, they get the penalty on their first defence roll? That seems a little harsh. With subsequent defence actions suffering further penalties it means if a characetr deos 3 attacks, and is required to roll 3 defences as well that round, their defences will be generaly much worse than their attacks (all attacks at -40%, parries at -40, -60 and -80).

This system was developped with the idea in mind that 1 action and 1 reaction would be the standard, and that multi-action should be for highly skilled fighters.

In fact, there is only one "multiaction modifier" (let's call it MAM) that is dependent on the number of actions declared and the number of reaction done and is applied to all rolls in a given round.

It means that if you're forced to parry twice between 2 attacks, the second attack will have the same modificator than the second parry :

Attack 1 : MAM = -20%
Parry 1 : MAM = -20%
Parry 2 : MAM = -40%
Attack 2 : MAM = -40%

If you attack, parry, attack, parry then your MAM will evolve in this way :

Attack 1 : MAM = -20%
Parry 1 : MAM = -20%
Attack 2 : MAM = -20%
Parry 2 : MAM = -40%

Note that this system is greatly influenced by Elric!'s combat system and a french game named Prophecy.

How would all this mesh with flurry, or wouldn't it? What ranks would the attacks go off at?

In my mind, using a flurry would add an additional -20% to all attacks.
So, if I try a 3-attacks flurry, those will be at -60%. Pretty difficult, I know, but still worth considering with this system.