Post by Darth Kairos on Mar 10, 2019 13:16:34 GMT
The Galaxy is a dangerous place, and sometimes you have to fight to survive. Whether the enemy takes the form of battle droids or stormtroopers, a Force-user or a rampaging rancor, you need to be able to defend yourself. Using blasters, vibroblades, and lightsabers, heroes regularly get caught up in blazing firefights, wild cantina brawls, and mesmerizing lightsaber duels. You can try to bluff your way out of a tough situation, attempt to sneak away when your opponent is distracted, or even dazzle an enemy with your charming personality. But when all else fails, nothing beats having a good blaster at your side.
This document details the combat rules, covering the basics first.
Red sections indicate House Rules and modifications. If a piece of information or a rule is missing, it has been removed from the rules of play.
Table of Contents
1. Combat Sequence
2. Combat Statistics
3. Initiative
4. Types of Actions
5. Special Combat Rules
Combat Sequence
Combat takes place in a series of rounds, with each character taking one turn each round. Generally, combat runs in the following way:
1. The GM determines which characters are aware of their opponent at the start of the battle. If at least some combatants are unaware of their opponents, a Surprise Round happens before regular rounds begin. If there is a Surprise Round, each combatant starts the battle Flat-Footed. A Flat-Footed character doesn't add a Dexterity bonus to their Reflex Save. Once combatants act, they are no longer Flat-Footed.
2. The combatants who are aware of the opponents can act in the Surprise Round, so they make an Initiative check. In Initiative Order, combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a single Action (A Standard Action, a Move Action, or a Swift Action; no Full-Round Actions allowed) during the Surprise Round. Combatants who were unaware do not get to act in the Surprise Round.
3. Combatants who have not yet made an Initiative check do so. All combatants are now ready to begin the first regular round. If all combatants were aware of their opponents when the battle began, there is no Surprise Round and this is the first step in the Combat Sequence. If there is no Surprise Round, no one starts Flat-Footed (Everyone was alert enough to be ready for a fight).
4. Combatants act in Initiative Order.
5. When everyone has had a turn, the combatant with the highest initiative acts again, and Steps 4 and 5 repeat until combat ends.
The Combat Round
Each round represent 6 seconds in the game world. In the real world, a round is an opportunity for each character involved in Combat to take one or more Actions. Anything a person could do reasonably in 6 seconds, your character can do in 1 round.
Each round uses the same Initiative Order. When a character's turn comes up in the Initiative Order, that character performs their entire round's worth of Actions. For almost all purposes, there is no relevance to the end of a round or the beginning of a round. The term "Round" works like the word "Month." A month can mean either a calendar month, or a span of time from a day in one month to the same day the next month. In the same way, a round can be a segment of game time starting with the first character to act and ending with the last, but it usually means a span of time from one round to the same Initiative number the next round. Effects last a certain number of rounds end just before the same Initiative number that they began on.
Rolling the dice
Generally, the player should try to roll whenever they can. After all, many abilities grant the player to re-roll the dice, including Inspiration (a player may declare they are using their Inspiration after they roll their d20 to take advantage, effectively allowing them to re-roll), while Force Boons allow a player to add 1d6 to the result of any d20 roll; at level 5 they instead roll 2d6 and take the better result, and at level 13 roll 3d6 and take the best result.
In combat, a player should declare their actions and also make any rolls they believe they need to for their turn; if attacking, unless their attack will clearly fail (such as rolling a natural 1) they should also roll damage dice to save the GM time and to allow the player the option to reroll (if possible and desired). If the player uses a limited-use ability to reroll their damage roll but the attack itself does not hit, the limited-use ability is not used up on that turn (after all, the attack never connected).
Sometimes, however, the player will get it wrong, and when that happens there are two options. Generally, the GM will contact the player and inform them of their mistake, and sometimes a second dice roll will be necessary. However, if the player cannot be contacted the GM may re-roll in their stead when they resolve the round; in such cases, limited-use abilities (such as Inspiration) cannot be spent by the GM.
As a rule-of-thumb, the player should always be the one to roll, if they can.
The Proficiency Modifier
The Proficiency Modifier is a measure of the character's overall skill, experience, and talent developed over time.
Your Proficiency Modifier is determined by your level and is as follows:
Level 1-4: 1
Level 5-8: 2
Level 9-12: 3
Level 13+: 4
When making an attack roll or difficulty check, you multiply your Proficiency Modifier by your Rank in the relevant Ability and add it, along with your Core Stat Modifier and any Miscellaneous Modifiers, to the result of the d20. When a situation calls for a character to make a Core Stat DC or Save (for example a DC15 Agility Save to change lightsaber forms), add your Proficiency Modifier to result instead of multiplying it by any Ranks.
Force Boons
Force Boons are the renamed variant of the 'Force Point' mechanic in SWSE; the name Boon is used to differentiate between this mechanic, the Force Power Points used to purchase ranks in Force Powers, and Force Well. Force Boons may be used to provide a number of benefits, but the most common is spending one to add 1d6 to the result of any d20 (this may be done after the die has been rolled, but before the result of the check is known). Force Boons are also used to activate the special techniques/effects of Force Powers, Skills, and Lightsaber Forms, and may be required to activate or improve select Perks and Special Abilities. Finally, if you are reduced to 0 Hit Points and would be killed, you can spend a Force Boon to avoid death and instead fall unconscious.
When you reach 5th level, you instead roll 2d6 and take the best result. This increases to 3d6 when you reach level 13.
The Force touches all life, and you do not need to be Force-sensitive to use Force Boons. At the start of every instance of roleplay, a character receives Force Boons equal to half their level (round down) + their Spirit Modifier (overall minimum of 1).
Actions in Combat
Every round, on your character's turn, you may take a Standard Action, a Move Action, and a Swift Action (In any order). You may take a Move Action or a Swift Action in place of a Standard Action, but not the other way around. You may also take a Swift Action in place of a Move Action, but not the other way around. Finally, you may sacrifice all three of these Actions to perform a single Full-Round Action on your turn.
Full-Round Action: A Full-Round Action consumes all of your effort during a given round, effectively replacing all other Actions on your turn. Some uses of Skills require a Full-Round Action to complete. Examples include bypassing a lock (Using the Mechanics Skill), searching an area for clues (Using the Awareness Skill), and activating Force Immunity (Using the Force Immunity Force Power). A Full-Round Action can't span multiple rounds; for example, you cannot perform a Full-Round Action that replaces your Move Action and Swift Action in the first round and your Standard Action in the following round.
Standard Action: A Standard Action is usually the most important Action you'll take in a round, and it often consists of some sort of attack - swinging a Lightsaber, firing a blaster, throwing a punch, hurling a Grenade, and so on. You can perform one Standard Action on your turn.
Move Action: A Move Action represents physical movement. The most common Move Action is moving up to your speed score. Standing up from a Prone position, opening a door, and drawing a weapon in the middle of a fight are also Move Actions. You can perform one Move Action on your turn, or two if you give up your Standard Action.
Swift Action: Most Swift Actions enable you to perform your Standard Action. Examples include switching a weapon's mode and dropping a held item. You can perform one Swift Action on your turn, or two if you give up either your Standard Action or your Move Action, or three if you give up both your Standard Action and your Move Action.
Free Actions and Reactions
Some Actions take such a negligible amount of time that they can be performed in addition to other Actions or they can happen out of turn:
Free Action: Free Actions consume almost no time or effort, and you may take one or more Free Actions even when it isn't your turn. Examples include calling out to your friends for help and taunting a foe. The GM puts reasonable limits on what counts as a Free Action. Reciting the epic history of the Rodian hunter clans takes several minutes (Or more) and therefore isn't a Free Action. You can't take Free Actions when you're Flat-Footed.
Reaction: A Reaction is an instantaneous response to someone else's Action, and you can use a Reaction even if it is not your turn. Examples of Reactions include making a Perception check to notice a bounty hunter sneaking up behind you and instantly activating a Force Power to absorb damage from an incoming blaster bolt. You may only take a single Reaction to any one Action or effect. A Reaction is always resolved after the Action that triggered it, though some Reactions (Such as the Negate Energy Force Power, or the Block and Deflect Talents) can affect the outcomes of the Action that triggers a Reaction. You may only take one Reaction per round, but you may take it even if your turn has not passed yet.
This document details the combat rules, covering the basics first.
Red sections indicate House Rules and modifications. If a piece of information or a rule is missing, it has been removed from the rules of play.
Table of Contents
1. Combat Sequence
2. Combat Statistics
3. Initiative
4. Types of Actions
5. Special Combat Rules
Combat Sequence
Combat takes place in a series of rounds, with each character taking one turn each round. Generally, combat runs in the following way:
1. The GM determines which characters are aware of their opponent at the start of the battle. If at least some combatants are unaware of their opponents, a Surprise Round happens before regular rounds begin. If there is a Surprise Round, each combatant starts the battle Flat-Footed. A Flat-Footed character doesn't add a Dexterity bonus to their Reflex Save. Once combatants act, they are no longer Flat-Footed.
2. The combatants who are aware of the opponents can act in the Surprise Round, so they make an Initiative check. In Initiative Order, combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a single Action (A Standard Action, a Move Action, or a Swift Action; no Full-Round Actions allowed) during the Surprise Round. Combatants who were unaware do not get to act in the Surprise Round.
3. Combatants who have not yet made an Initiative check do so. All combatants are now ready to begin the first regular round. If all combatants were aware of their opponents when the battle began, there is no Surprise Round and this is the first step in the Combat Sequence. If there is no Surprise Round, no one starts Flat-Footed (Everyone was alert enough to be ready for a fight).
4. Combatants act in Initiative Order.
5. When everyone has had a turn, the combatant with the highest initiative acts again, and Steps 4 and 5 repeat until combat ends.
The Combat Round
Each round represent 6 seconds in the game world. In the real world, a round is an opportunity for each character involved in Combat to take one or more Actions. Anything a person could do reasonably in 6 seconds, your character can do in 1 round.
Each round uses the same Initiative Order. When a character's turn comes up in the Initiative Order, that character performs their entire round's worth of Actions. For almost all purposes, there is no relevance to the end of a round or the beginning of a round. The term "Round" works like the word "Month." A month can mean either a calendar month, or a span of time from a day in one month to the same day the next month. In the same way, a round can be a segment of game time starting with the first character to act and ending with the last, but it usually means a span of time from one round to the same Initiative number the next round. Effects last a certain number of rounds end just before the same Initiative number that they began on.
Rolling the dice
Generally, the player should try to roll whenever they can. After all, many abilities grant the player to re-roll the dice, including Inspiration (a player may declare they are using their Inspiration after they roll their d20 to take advantage, effectively allowing them to re-roll), while Force Boons allow a player to add 1d6 to the result of any d20 roll; at level 5 they instead roll 2d6 and take the better result, and at level 13 roll 3d6 and take the best result.
In combat, a player should declare their actions and also make any rolls they believe they need to for their turn; if attacking, unless their attack will clearly fail (such as rolling a natural 1) they should also roll damage dice to save the GM time and to allow the player the option to reroll (if possible and desired). If the player uses a limited-use ability to reroll their damage roll but the attack itself does not hit, the limited-use ability is not used up on that turn (after all, the attack never connected).
Sometimes, however, the player will get it wrong, and when that happens there are two options. Generally, the GM will contact the player and inform them of their mistake, and sometimes a second dice roll will be necessary. However, if the player cannot be contacted the GM may re-roll in their stead when they resolve the round; in such cases, limited-use abilities (such as Inspiration) cannot be spent by the GM.
As a rule-of-thumb, the player should always be the one to roll, if they can.
The Proficiency Modifier
The Proficiency Modifier is a measure of the character's overall skill, experience, and talent developed over time.
Your Proficiency Modifier is determined by your level and is as follows:
Level 1-4: 1
Level 5-8: 2
Level 9-12: 3
Level 13+: 4
When making an attack roll or difficulty check, you multiply your Proficiency Modifier by your Rank in the relevant Ability and add it, along with your Core Stat Modifier and any Miscellaneous Modifiers, to the result of the d20. When a situation calls for a character to make a Core Stat DC or Save (for example a DC15 Agility Save to change lightsaber forms), add your Proficiency Modifier to result instead of multiplying it by any Ranks.
Force Boons
Force Boons are the renamed variant of the 'Force Point' mechanic in SWSE; the name Boon is used to differentiate between this mechanic, the Force Power Points used to purchase ranks in Force Powers, and Force Well. Force Boons may be used to provide a number of benefits, but the most common is spending one to add 1d6 to the result of any d20 (this may be done after the die has been rolled, but before the result of the check is known). Force Boons are also used to activate the special techniques/effects of Force Powers, Skills, and Lightsaber Forms, and may be required to activate or improve select Perks and Special Abilities. Finally, if you are reduced to 0 Hit Points and would be killed, you can spend a Force Boon to avoid death and instead fall unconscious.
When you reach 5th level, you instead roll 2d6 and take the best result. This increases to 3d6 when you reach level 13.
The Force touches all life, and you do not need to be Force-sensitive to use Force Boons. At the start of every instance of roleplay, a character receives Force Boons equal to half their level (round down) + their Spirit Modifier (overall minimum of 1).
Actions in Combat
Every round, on your character's turn, you may take a Standard Action, a Move Action, and a Swift Action (In any order). You may take a Move Action or a Swift Action in place of a Standard Action, but not the other way around. You may also take a Swift Action in place of a Move Action, but not the other way around. Finally, you may sacrifice all three of these Actions to perform a single Full-Round Action on your turn.
Full-Round Action
↓
Standard Action
↓
Move Action
↓
Swift Action
Full-Round Action: A Full-Round Action consumes all of your effort during a given round, effectively replacing all other Actions on your turn. Some uses of Skills require a Full-Round Action to complete. Examples include bypassing a lock (Using the Mechanics Skill), searching an area for clues (Using the Awareness Skill), and activating Force Immunity (Using the Force Immunity Force Power). A Full-Round Action can't span multiple rounds; for example, you cannot perform a Full-Round Action that replaces your Move Action and Swift Action in the first round and your Standard Action in the following round.
Standard Action: A Standard Action is usually the most important Action you'll take in a round, and it often consists of some sort of attack - swinging a Lightsaber, firing a blaster, throwing a punch, hurling a Grenade, and so on. You can perform one Standard Action on your turn.
Move Action: A Move Action represents physical movement. The most common Move Action is moving up to your speed score. Standing up from a Prone position, opening a door, and drawing a weapon in the middle of a fight are also Move Actions. You can perform one Move Action on your turn, or two if you give up your Standard Action.
Swift Action: Most Swift Actions enable you to perform your Standard Action. Examples include switching a weapon's mode and dropping a held item. You can perform one Swift Action on your turn, or two if you give up either your Standard Action or your Move Action, or three if you give up both your Standard Action and your Move Action.
Free Actions and Reactions
Some Actions take such a negligible amount of time that they can be performed in addition to other Actions or they can happen out of turn:
Free Action: Free Actions consume almost no time or effort, and you may take one or more Free Actions even when it isn't your turn. Examples include calling out to your friends for help and taunting a foe. The GM puts reasonable limits on what counts as a Free Action. Reciting the epic history of the Rodian hunter clans takes several minutes (Or more) and therefore isn't a Free Action. You can't take Free Actions when you're Flat-Footed.
Reaction: A Reaction is an instantaneous response to someone else's Action, and you can use a Reaction even if it is not your turn. Examples of Reactions include making a Perception check to notice a bounty hunter sneaking up behind you and instantly activating a Force Power to absorb damage from an incoming blaster bolt. You may only take a single Reaction to any one Action or effect. A Reaction is always resolved after the Action that triggered it, though some Reactions (Such as the Negate Energy Force Power, or the Block and Deflect Talents) can affect the outcomes of the Action that triggers a Reaction. You may only take one Reaction per round, but you may take it even if your turn has not passed yet.