Combat

In this chapter we provide the rules for resolving a combat encounter.

library(sfrpg)

Combat Fundamentals

In Square Fireballs, a combat encounter represents a short, violent conflict between an adventuring party of Player Characters and a group of Monsters controlled by the Game Master.

**Tip**:Note that we use **Monsters** as shorthand for "bad guys", and it is perfectly possible to have a Monster team composed of non-monstruous mundane characters like human bandits or wolves. Or they can also be, you know, many-eyed tentacled abominations.

In combat, each character (whether a Player Character or a Monster) takes turns to carry out actions such as moving, attacking enemies, or healing or assisting allies. Some actions succeed automatically, whereas others require the character to make a successful die roll. For example, movement through normal terrain is resolved automatically, with the player stating the character's movement path and changing the character's position accordingly. On the other hand, attacking requires the character to roll against the enemy's defense to determine if the attack hits, and then rolling again to determine the damage dealt by the attack.

**Tip**: Generally, to make a die roll in the game a player rolls a 20-sided die (aka. d20), adds the appropriate bonus from their Character Sheet, plus any modifiers that apply, and tries to beat a target number, like a Check Difficulty or an enemy defense stat. Another common type of die roll is the damage roll, which is made after hitting with an attack. In a damage roll, the player rolls several dice of a type determined by the attack, adds a damage bonus and uses the total as the amount of inflicted damage.

The goal of a combat encounter is incapacitate all enemy characters, typically by inflicting enough damage to reduce them below 0 Hit Points. A combat can also end when either the monsters or the Player Characters decide to flee.

The Combat Map

Distances

The following figure illustrates how distances work. The number in each square represent the distance between the Wizard and that square.

Map distances

This figure shows some specific examples of squares that are 1,2,3,4, and 5 units away from the Wizard

Map distance examples

Lines

Due to the way that distances are defined in our maps, certain geometrical elements like lines are not as straightforward as one would expect. In the game map, a Line is:

For any two points in the map, there will be one or two Lines that meet this definition.

This figure shows the simplest types of lines, composed of a single horizontal (1), vertical (2) or diagonal (3, 4) segment. Note that when two points can be joined by a single-segment Line, there will only be a single Line between these points.

Line definition

This figure shows examples of two-segment lines. When two points can be joined by a two-segment line, there will always be two such lines between these points.

Line examples

Close and Area powers: Burst, Blast, Line

Area Burst

Area Burst

Range of Area Burst powers

Area Burst range

Close Burst

Close Burst

TODO: Blast TODO: Line

Line of Sight and Cover

Basic cover

Cover basics

Basic cover examples with attacking characters

Cover basic examples

Cover for large creatures

Cover for large creatures

Examples of cover for large creatures with attacking characters

Cover for large creatures - examples

Basic Line of Sight

Line of Sight

Examples of Line of Sight with enemy characters

Line of Sight - examples

Examples of Line of Sight with walls and doors

Line of Sight - advanced

Combining Line of Sight, Cover, Superior Cover

Line of Sight and Cover

Light and Concealment

Light

Light basics

more light

More Light

Yet more light

Yet More Light

Flanking

Flanking basics

Flanking basics

Flanking for large creatures

Flanking for large creatures

Combat Sequence

The combat sequence can be summarized as follows:

Definitions:

Grouping monsters

Unlike PCs, who roll for initiative individually, monsters are often grouped together to speed up the flow of combat. GMs have freedom to arrange monster groups as they see fit, but they should apply the following guidelines:

Defending at the start of combat

At the start of combat, and before any character takes an action, all characters use Total Defense as a Free Reaction, unless they are Surprised (see [Ambushes] below):

df_total_defense <- read_df_power() %>% dplyr::filter(Name=='Total Defense') %>% clean_df_power()
df_total_defense$htm_power %>% cat()
**Tip**: This rule is meant to compensate for the advantages of going first in combat. Characters that haven't acted yet will be much harder to hit. Remember, if your character is acting early in combat and you can find no favorable attacks, there is no shame in moving and using Total Defense yourself!

Ambushes

By default, at the start of a combat encounter all combatants are ready and aware of their opponents. However, it is possible for a group of characters to sneak on their enemies and catch them totally or partially by surprise - we call this an Ambush. There are two types of Ambush, depending on their degree of success:

Status | Downgrade | Effects | - | - | -------- | Surprised | No Downgrade | - Cannot use Full Defense at the start of combat.
- Condition ends when attacked.
- When this character would take the turn, they use Full Defense, end the turn, and are no longer considered Surprised.

A character that is not surprised can warn Surprised allies with the Raise the Alarm maneuver:

df_alarm <- read_df_power() %>% dplyr::filter(Name=='Raise the Alarm') %>% clean_df_power()
df_alarm$htm_power %>% cat()

Use the rules in the [Skills] chapter to determine whether the PCs can successfully ambush their enemies... or are ambushed by them.

**Tip**: Characters carrying out an ambush have a significant advantage, but this is not quite the same as getting a free turn. Try to focus your fire on a few targets, and be aware that an enemy raising the alarm may ruin your plans.
**GM Tip**: Ambushes should be relatively rare. Unless the PCs are unusually stealthy, or the monsters are extraordinarily oblivious, assume that an ambush is a hard task that will fail most of the time.

Rolling Initiative

At the start of combat, each PC or group of monsters Rolls Initiative as follows:

Initiative Value = 1d20 + Initiative Modifier

After rolling initiative, put all PCs and groups of monsters in a list, ordered by Initiative Value (higher values first). This list will be used as reference to determine the order of actions for this combat encounter. In case of a tie, sort the characters tied in initiative as follows:

Combat Escalation

See [Escalation Die] in the [Introduction] chapter. To summarize: each combat round starting with the third, add 1 to the Escalation Die. All characters gain a bonus to Hit Rolls equal to the Escalation Die.

Rolling Initiative mid-combat

If new combatants enter an encounter, the GM can use one of the following options:

Regardless of the method used, any active powers, cooldowns or status effects remain unaffected.

The GM can choose a solution for rolling initiative mid-combat as they see fit. We recommend using the Start Over option only when many new characters enter combat - the equivalent of 2 Standard monsters or more.

Resource Management

At-Will, Encounter and Daily powers

Action Points

Damage, Incapacitation and Healing

Actions

Types of action:

Reaction Keywords: The following keywords can apply to Reactions, Free Reactions, and to Free Actions with a trigger, to grant them special properties:

Resolving Interrupts:

Opportunity Attacks : The most common type of Reaction is the Opportunity Attack, a combat maneuver that all characters can make to attack adjacent enemies moving or making ranged attacks:

library(sfrpg)
read_df_power() %>% dplyr::filter(type=='maneuver', Name=='Opportunity Attack') %>%
      dplyr::select(-type) %>% clean_df_power()  %>% .$htm_power %>% cat()
Compatibility Note: Automatic actions were known as No Action in legacy rules.

Limits to actions:

*Compatibility Note:* Legacy rules have granted actions as Free Actions. They are now Free Reactions. Example: "an ally can make a basic attack as a Free Action" becomes "an ally can make a basic attack as a Free Reaction.
*Note:* Effects that prevent a character from taking Reactions also stop Free Reactions.
*Note: *Unless otherwise stated, reactions cannot trigger further reactions. Notably, Taunted characters making Opportunity Attacks will not trigger Reactions from the taunting characters.

Movement

Attacking

Range and Targeting

Hit Roll{#attack-roll}

Hit Modifiers

Condition | Modifier ------------- | ------------- Defender grants Advantage to Attacker | +2 Defender has any Cover from Attacker | -2 Defender has Superior Cover from Attacker | -3 Defender has any Concealment from Attacker, attack is Melee or Ranged | -2 Defender has Superior Concealment from Attacker, attack is Melee or Ranged | -3 Attacker is Hindered | -2 Ranged attack at Long Range | -2

Note: Characters with Superior Cover also benefit from regular Cover, so attacks against them will have a total modifier of -5. Likewise, Characters with Superior Concealment also benefit from regular Concealment, and attacks against them have a total modifier of -5.

Critical Hits

Damage Roll

Miss Damage

Status Effects

Some powers or abilities can apply status effects on characters. A character afflicted by a status effect suffers penalties that depend on the type condition - see the table below for details.

Normally, the effect creating a status effect states its duration, which is often a combat turn, but can also last until the character saves against the effect, or even indefinitely, depending on the case. Certain status effects have special rules affecting their duration, typically in the form of conditions that end the effect prematurely.

It is possible for a character to be affected by multiple instances of a status effect. The penalties from instances of the same condition don't stack unless otherwise stated.

Some status effects care about the source of the effect. For example, in the case of the Taunt status effect, the Taunted character does not suffer penalties when attacking the Taunting character. If multiple instances of such an effect are affecting a character, it is important to keep track of the source of each one.

Downgrading status effects

Some abilities allow a character to downgrade a status effect. To downgrade a status effect, check the Downgrade column in the status effect table: the character treats the status effect as if it was the downgraded one for the duration of the downgrade. Note that a downgrade may have a shorter duration than the status effect it applies to - in that case, the original effect applies again when the Downgrade ends.

If the downgrade for a status effect is listed as No Effect, the effect is completely ignored while Downgraded. Likewise, if it is listed as No Downgrade, the effect cannot be downgraded.

A status effect can only be downgraded once at any given time. Notably, this means that abilities that downgrade multiple types of status effect do not stack with themselves. As an example, consider a character with the ability to downgrade the Slowed and Immobilized status effects. If that character becomes Immobilized, the downgrade would allow them to act as if they were Slowed instead - but it wouldn't let them ignore the Slow.

Standard Status Effects

Status | Downgrade | Effects | - | - | -------- | Blinded | Dazzled | - Grants Advantage (+2 to be hit)
- Cannot Flank
- Treats other characters or objects as having Superior Concealment (-5 to hit them).
- No line of sight to other characters or objects
- +1 DC to Perception Skill Checks. | Charmed | No Effect | - Cannot attack enemies Charming the character.
- A character may be Charmed by multiple enemies at a time.
- Automatically ends if attacked by an enemy Charming the character. | Dazed | Shocked | - Grants Advantage (+2 to be hit)
- Cannot Flank
- Cannot use Opportunity or Immediate Actions
- Each turn, can use a Minor Action and either a Standard Action or a Move Action. | Dazzled | No Effect | - Treats all enemies as having Concealment (-2 to hit them) or, if already in Concealment, as having Superior Concealment (an additional -3 to hit them). | Dominated | Charmed | - Cannot take actions
- Cannot Flank
- When damaged, can roll a Save to end this condition.
- The dominating character can spend a move action to make the dominated character move its speed. (This counts as forced movement)
- The dominating character can spend a standard action to make the dominated character use an at-will attack. (This counts as a forced attack) | Flanked | No Downgrade | - Grants Advantage on Melee attacks (+2 to be hit) | Grabbed | No Effect | Cannot move
-When grabbed, the character is pulled to a square adjacent to the grabbing character.
-The condition ends if at any time the grabbed character is not adjacent to the grabbing character.
-Grabbed character can use the Escape combat maneuver to end the condition. (Move Action, roll save to end grab from one enemy)
-If forced movement would cause the grabbed character and the grabbing character to no longer be adjacent, the grabbed character can roll a Save to end this condition. If the condition doesn’t end this way, the forced movement is negated
-A character may be Grabbed by multiple enemies at a time. | Helpless | No Downgrade | - Grants Advantage (+2 to be hit)
-Melee Attacks against the character gain +10 Crit Range | Hindered | No Effect | -2 Hit | Immobilized | Slowed | Cannot move | Taunted | No Downgrade | - -2 Hit on attacks that ignore the Taunt (see sidebar)
- A character may be Taunted by multiple enemies at a time. | Petrified | Stunned | - Grants Advantage
- Cannot take actions
- Cannot Flank
- Gains Resist (all). | Prone | No Downgrade | Condition lasts indefinitely until the character stands up (e.g. by spending a move action on the Stand Up maneuver)
-Cannot make any movement other than crawling (e.g. by having a Crawl Speed, or by using the Crawl combat maneuver: Move Action, crawl 1)
-Hindered (-2 Hit)
-Grants Advantage against melee attacks (+2 to be hit)
-Against non-melee attacks, gains Cover (-2 cover penalty to attack rolls) or, if already in Cover, gains Total Cover (an additional -3 cover penalty to attack rolls) | Restrained | Grabbed | - Cannot move
- Ignores forced movement
- Grants Advantage (+2 to be hit)
- Hindered (-2 Hit) | Shocked | No Effect | - Cannot Flank
- Cannot use Opportunity or Immediate Actions
| Slowed | No Effect | - For each square moved, must spend an additional square of movement | Stunned | Dazed | -Cannot attack
-Cannot move
-Can only take one action per turn
- Cannot Flank
-Cannot use Reactions
-Grants Advantage (+2 to be hit) | Unconscious | No Downgrade | - When a character falls unconscious, they are knocked prone.
-When damaged, if the character has 1 or more remaining hit points after receiving the damage, the condition ends.
- Helpless (+2 to be hit, enemy melee attacks gain +10 Crit Range)
- Cannot take actions
- Cannot see. | Weakened | Partially Weakened | - Damage dealt is halved
- Healing granted or received is halved
- Shield Points granted or received are halved | Partially Weakened | No Effect | - Damage dealt is reduced by 1/4
- Healing granted or received is reduced by 1/4
- Shield Points granted or received are reduced by 1/4 | Surprised | No Downgrade | - Cannot use Full Defense at the start of combat.
- Condition ends when attacked.
- When this character would take a turn, they use Full Defense, end the turn, and are no longer considered Surprised.

Tip - Hindered: Many types of action can cause a character to be Hindered for a turn. These include combat maneuvers like Shift, Charge, Stand Up, Quick Draw,
Sidebar: ignoring Taunts An attack by a Taunted character ignores a Taunt if it targets an enemy not taunting the character. The following exceptions apply: - If the attack targets multiple characters, and all enemies taunting the character are already targeted, any additional targets do not ignore the Taunt. - If multiple attacks are made in sequence as part of the same attack power _(e.g. primary and secondary attacks)_, once all enemies Taunting the character have been targeted at least once, any additional targets do not ignore the Taunt. - If an attack originally does not ignore the Taunt, and the attack targets are somehow changed by an enemy action or other effect, this does not cause the attack to ignore the Taunt. - If an attack originally does not ignore the Taunt, and the attacker becomes Taunted during the attack _(e.g. by an enemy reaction)_, this does not cause the attack to ignore the mark.
**Compatibility Note**: Defender Aura Some characters in compatible books have the Defender Aura power. The effect of this power should be replaced with the following: “Enemies in the aura are Taunted by you.”
**Compatibility Note**: ignoring Taunts Any reference from compatible books to effects that trigger when a Taunted character 'makes an attack that does not include the Taunting character as a target' should use the rules for ignoring Taunts described above.

Stealth status effects

These effects are used by characters trying to hide in combat. Unlike other status effects, these are mostly beneficial and often entered voluntarily.

Status | Effects | Ends | -- | -------- | ----- | Shrouded | Cannot be targeted by Ranged attacks, or Reaction attacks
-Cannot be Charged
-Cannot make Reaction attacks |Condition is lost:
-After attacking
-After moving
- If, at the end of a character’s action, the Shrouded character doesn’t have Cover (other than Body Cover) or Concealment against all enemies. | Hidden | Cannot make Reaction attacks
-Gains Advantage when attacking
-Cannot be targeted by Melee or Ranged powers
-Cannot be targeted by a Close or Area power unless it targets a non-Hidden character.
-Location unknown to other characters
| Condition is lost:
- After attacking
- After moving
- If, at the end of a character’s action, the Hidden character doesn’t have Cover (other than Body Cover) or Concealment against all enemies.

Tip: Although a Hidden character´s current location is unknown, other characters can guess it based on context: where the Hidden character was last seen, what suitable hiding locations are in the area, etc.
Clarification: Actions that grant the Shrouded or Hidden condition do not cause the loss of that condition if they include attacks or movement.

Special Status Effects

These effectsare rarely used, typically by monsters.

Status | Downgrade | Effects | --- | --- | ------ | Swallowed | Grabbed | -When swallowed, a character disappears from its current position. When the condition ends, the character reappears in a square of his choice as close as possible to the swallower.
- Can spend a move action to make an Escape Check (see sidebar). If successful, condition ends.
- Does not occupy a space.
- Can only take one action per turn.
- Only has line of effect and line of sight to and from the swallower, and other characters and objects swallowed by it.
- The inside of the swallower, and swallowed characters and objects, are in total darkness unless otherwise specified. Swallowed characters can use any light source to illuminate the inside of the swallower and all characters and objects swallowed by it.
- When using a burst or blast power while swallowed, the swallower and all characters and objects swallowed by it are included in the burst or blast. | Exiled | Grabbed | - When exiled, a character disappears from its current position.
- When the condition ends, the character reappears on this position or, if not possible, in the closest ground square of his choice, unless the exiling effect states otherwise.
- Does not occupy a space.
- No line of sight to and from other creatures or objects unless the exiling effect states otherwise.
- No line of effect to and from other creatures or objects unless the exiling effect states otherwise.

Legacy status effects

In legacy rules, status effects are referred to as conditions.

Some status effects have been renamed from legacy rules:

Forced Attacks

Certain powers or effects allow one character to force an enemy to make an attack. Such attacks are considered forced attacks, and use the following rules:

Forced Movement {.newPage}

Certain powers or effects allow one character to force an enemy to make a move. Such movements are considered forced movement, and use the following rules: - Forced Movement can be caused by Push, Pull and Slide effects. In these cases, the amount of squares of forced movement is indicated in the effect causing the forced movement. - If a Push, Pull or Slide effect ends before the full distance is moved because the moved character collides with an obstacle or another character, each character involved in the collision takes Forced Movement Damage. This damage scales with the tier of the source of the forced movement as follows: 1d4 for Heroic sources, 2d4 for Paragon effects for Paragon sources, and 4d4 for Epic sources. - Forced Movement can also be caused by effects that force the character to take an action to move in a particular direction. In this case, the amount of squares of forced movement depends on the character's speed unless otherwise stated, and is affected by any status effects or other conditions that restrict movement. - Forced movement never triggers opportunity attacks or other character powers that would trigger on movement. Traps and hazardous terrain trigger normally.

Push

Push a single unit

Push 1

Push a single unit, showing Lines

Push 1

Push multiple units

Push multiple squares

Push multiple units, showing Lines for path

Push multiple squares

Push single unit at range, showing Lines

Push at range

Push multiple units at range, showing Lines

Push at range

Pull

Pull at range

Pull

Slide

Slide a single unit, at range (1) and in melee (2)

Slide

Slide multiple units, at range (1) and in melee (2)

Slide

Saving against Forced Movement

Characters can use Forced Movement to get their opponents into a damaging area, or to crash them into a wall. This is considered fair game, and no saves are normally allowed. However, there is an exception to this: whenever forced movement would move a character off a cliff (or equivalent) and cause them to fall, that character is allowed to make a save to avoid the effect. The character takes a penalty to the save equal to the remaining squares of Forced Movement. On a successful save, the Forced Movement stops before the character is moved off the cliff, and the character is knocked prone.

At the GM's discretion, PCs (but not monsters) can also benefit from this rule whenever Forced Movement would put them in a particularly deadly position, such as a pool of lava.

Example 1: A goblin is adjacent to a precipice. A PC uses an attack with Push 1 to try to make the goblin fall: the goblin can attempt a save without penalties to avoid this effect and become Prone instead. Example 2: A goblin is 1 square away from a precipice. A PC uses an attack with Push 4 to try to make the goblin fall: the goblin can attempt a save to avoid this effect and become Prone instead. Since there are 4 squares of forced movement and 2 are spent to move the character over the precipice, the excess distance is 2 squares, and the goblin takes a -2 penalty to the save.

Combat Maneuvers

df_maneuver <- get_df_maneuver()

PC Maneuvers

df_class_build = get_class_build(df_maneuver, 'Maneuver', 'PC Maneuvers')
df_class_build$htm_power %>% cat()

Core Maneuvers

df_class_build = get_class_build(df_maneuver, 'Maneuver', 'Core Maneuvers')
df_class_build$htm_power %>% cat()

Miscellaneous Maneuvers

df_class_build = get_class_build(df_maneuver, 'Maneuver', 'Miscellaneous Maneuvers')
df_class_build$htm_power %>% cat()

Move Maneuvers

df_class_build = get_class_build(df_maneuver, 'Maneuver', 'Move Maneuvers')
df_class_build$htm_power %>% cat()

Stealth Maneuvers

df_class_build = get_class_build(df_maneuver, 'Maneuver', 'Advanced Stealth Maneuvers')
df_class_build$htm_power %>% cat()

Advanced Miscellaneous Maneuvers

df_class_build = get_class_build(df_maneuver, 'Maneuver', 'Advanced Miscellaneous Maneuvers')
df_class_build$htm_power %>% cat()

Advanced Move Maneuvers

df_class_build = get_class_build(df_maneuver, 'Maneuver', 'Advanced Move Maneuvers')
df_class_build$htm_power %>% cat()


capelastegui/sfrpg documentation built on June 13, 2022, 1:38 a.m.