View source for Book:Combat

When the going gets rough, the rough get going.  Sometimes all that can be done in a situation is to throw down the gloves and beat the snot out of someone.  In the world of combat, some practice an art, some just love a good fight, and still others turn tail and hide.

Combat in the Elysium game is a turn-based encounter where the players face a common foe or group of foes, or possibly even each other.  Combat begins when a hostile force is presented to the characters and ends when all hostile threats have been in some way subdued.  Combat is divided into rounds: five second intervals within which the characters' actions take place.  Combat may last one round (a very brief, possibly brutal combat) or many rounds (a drawn-out, attritional beat-down). When a character can take action in a combat depends on the results of a [[Reaction]] Check.  When the GM announces that a combat has begun, the first thing to do is establish the result of all the combatants' Reaction checks.  

==Reaction Order==
{{:Initiative}}

==Rounds==
{{:Combat round}}

==Actions in Combat==

In the thick of things, the actions your character can perform are only limited by your imagination.  Any offensive action is guaranteed to need a roll, as are activities which would require the use of a skill.

{{:Action Points}}
Here is a brief list of things a character might want to do in combat.

* Attack another combatant
* Go on the defensive
* Move somewhere
* [[Health Points|Aid]] an injured ally
* Talk your way out of the situation
* Cast a [[Spells|spell]]
* Use a [[Special Power]]
* Retrieve and use an [[Equipment|item]]
* Run away from battle
* [[Charge]] at a combatant
* [[Disarm]] a combatant of a weapon
* Perform a [[Feint]]
* [[Grab]] another combatant
* [[Intimidate]] another combatant
* [[Taunt]] another combatant
* [[Trip]] another combatant

This is by no means a complete list.  You will ultimately come up with far more creative things to do while in combat than we can list here.

==Attacking==

As simple as it sounds, there are actually several ways to martially attack another combatant.

===Using a weapon===

This is by far the simplest type of attack.  To attack another combatant using a weapon, you must make an [[Attack Roll]], which is composed of the following.

{{Roll
|caption = Attack Roll
|bonus1 = [[Cunning|CUN]]
|bonus2 = [[Weapon skill]]
|bonus3 = [[Accuracy]]
|bonus4 = − [[Size]]
}}

''Accuracy'' is a bonus added by the weapon itself. Certain modifications can be made to weapons to make them more accurate: expert craftsmanship, a magic spell, or a mounted scope, for example. Check the [[Book:Equipment|Equipment]] chapter for more details.

When creatures of different sizes engage in combat, the smaller one is harder to hit and inversely, the larger one is a bigger target. The [[Size]] gets subtracted from Attack Rolls. Therefore, a positive number is a penalty and a negative number is a bonus.

A straightforward Attack Roll is opposed by the opponent's [[Evasion Roll]] (see the next section on ''Defending''). If the attacker's result is larger than the defender's, the attack hits, otherwise the defender evades.

Upon a successful hit, a second opposed roll occurs: the [[Damage Roll]], which is composed of the following.

{{Roll
|caption = Damage Roll
|bonus1 = [[Muscle|MUS]]
|bonus2 = [[Might]]*
|bonus3 = Harm
|bonus4 = Muscle Modifier
}}

The ''harm'' bonus comes from the weapon itself. Check the Equipment chapter for the specific harm a weapon can deal.

<nowiki>* </nowiki> As mentioned in the [[Might]] skill, if the combatants have different Size scores, each should add its Size Muscle Bonus to Damage Rolls.

Ranged weapons which make use of a mechanism for firing ammunition (e.g. bows, crossbows, firearms) do not allow for the attacker's Muscle score, nor Might ranks, nor Muscle Modifier in the Damage Roll. Any ranged weapon which is ''thrown'' does not carry this limitation.

A Damage Roll is opposed by the opponent's [[Guard Roll]] (see the next section on ''Defending''). The difference between the attacker's roll and the defender's (if positive) is the amount of Health Points lost.

{{examplePlay
|caption=Example Attack Roll
|when=Jon's character Akare angrily swings his short sword at James' character Nox.
|action1=Jon's Attack Roll is 19.
|action2=James' Dodge Roll is 17.
|action3=Since the attack hits, Jon rolls Damage for 21.
|action4=James' Guard Roll is 16.
|result=Nox takes 5 points of damage.
}}

Each weapon lists a different amount of AP that is needed to use it.  Large weapons require lots of AP to use.  Small weapons, like daggers and knives, take very few AP.  Speed and damage are trade-offs when choosing a weapon style.  Smaller weapons can be used more but incur less damage.  Larger weapons deal out higher damage, but take much longer to use.

{{sidebar|caption=Mashed Together|text=You might find that two separate rolls for any attack slows down the game. You might ''not!'' Two separate rolls definitely lends a hand in increased instances of "You hit him. Roll damage," but then the defender aces the Guard Roll, and "Clang. No damage."

We performed numerous tests — thousands, actually — of what happened if the attacker added together the Attack and Damage Rolls and the defender added together the Evasion and Guard Rolls. We found that consistently, about 55% of the time, the result was ''exactly the same'' as when the Attack Roll was compared to the Evasion Roll, then the Damage Roll was compared to the Guard Roll. And about 20% of the time, the attack was still successful, but the amount of damage was different.

We're all for shortcuts, and if you find that an attacker mashing their rolls together and a defender mashing their rolls together actually saves time, and you like the results, then by all means, do it all the time. It's po-tay-to/po-tah-to and we ''do'' like mashed potatoes.}}

====Called Shot====
{{:Called Shot}}

===Two Weapons===
{{:Two weapons}}

===Hand-to-Hand Combat===
Hand-to-hand (H2H) denotes when one or more combatants are not armed with a separate weapon.  Instead, they opt to fight with their own fists, feet, head and body.  Hand-to-hand works exactly the same as using a weapon, save that certain maneuvers are only possible when fighting hand-to-hand and some actions are only possible when armed with a weapon.  When making a hand-to-hand attack, the character uses the Hand-to-hand [[weapon skill]]. 

Also, hand-to-hand combat isn't literal: it's quite possible to square off against someone with an ax or other weapon in this manner.  Your opponent does not need to be fighting hand-to-hand as well.

===Ranged Combat===
{{:Ranged combat}}

==Defending==
Any offensive action taken against you in combat is countered by an '''Evasion Roll''', which is either a [[Dodge]] or a [[Evasion Roll#Parry|Parry]] at your option, although some hazards in combat and the environment specifically require one or the other.  However, any impending attack allows for an Evasion Roll unless your character is paralyzed or unconscious. If the attacker's Attack Roll is higher than the defender's Evasion Roll, the hit lands and then the attacker rolls for Damage (see the Guard section below).

When creatures of different sizes engage in combat, the smaller one is harder to hit and inversely, the larger one is a bigger target. The [[Size]] gets subtracted from Evasion Rolls. Therefore, a positive number is a penalty and a negative number is a bonus.

===Dodge===
A character who is quick on her feet can try to remove their person from the path of an opponent's attack or hazard.  

{{Roll
|caption = Dodge Roll
|bonus1 = [[Agility|AGI]]
|bonus2 = [[Dodge]]
|bonus3 = − [[Size]]
}}

===Parry===
A character who may not be fleet of foot but is adept with a weapon can attempt to parry an attack or hazard out of the way.

{{Roll
|caption = Parry Roll
|bonus1 = [[Agility|AGI]]
|bonus2 = [[Weapon skill]]
|bonus3 = [[Accuracy]]
|bonus4 = − [[Size]]
}}

The defending character may use any attack-related bonuses but ''not'' damage related bonuses.  Some weapons grant a bonus when used to parry, and some actually present a penalty. Check the [[Book:Equipment|Equipment]] chapter for the parry bonus or penalty a weapon provides.

These rolls usually occur outside of your turn and therefore they take no [[Action Points]] to perform; they are a free response to an incoming attack.

===Guard===
{{:Guard Roll}}
===Shields===
{{:Shields}}
===Degradation===
{{:Degradation}}

===Going on the Defensive===
At times, one's only option is to brace for impact.  You can defend yourself in combat and gain a bonus to your [[Evasion Roll]].  You can resolve yourself to taking no offensive action if only to cover your behind.  For every [[Action Points|Action Point]] you spend buckling down and defending yourself, you can add 1 to your evasive rolls until your next turn.  For instance, if on your turn you spend 4 AP defending, you can add +4.

===Wide-eyed===
{{:Wide-eyed}}

===Cover===
Cover refers to overturned tables, piles of debris, rows of barrels, columns, trees, castle crenelations, and just about anything large enough to partially hide behind.  Cover can protect you from incoming attacks and hazards.  When behind cover, you receive a bonus to your Dodge Rolls.  Small cover, such as a barrel or short wall, which might only cover part of your character, grants a +2 bonus to Dodge.  Large cover, such as would cover most of your character, grants a +4 bonus to Dodge.  Anything which completely obscures a character prevents him or her from being targeted by most attacks unless that character emerges from behind it.   

==Tactics==
There's more to the art of warfare than simply taking turns making each other bleed. This section details some alternate methods of attack and defense.

===Charging===
{{:Charge}}

===Disarming===
{{:Disarm}}

===Feinting===
{{:Feint}}

===Grabbing===
{{:Grab}}
====Cast a Net====
{{:Casting Nets}}
====Whips and Chains====
{{:Whips and Chains}}

===Tripping===
{{:Trip}}

==Socializing==
While "sticks and stones" may break their bones, words are pretty good, too. This section details some actions in combat that aren't strictly physical in nature.

===Diplomacy===
{{:Diplomacy in combat}}

===Intimidating===
As detailed in the Skills chapter, [[Intimidate]] can be used to instill fear into a single opponent. The target of a successful Intimidate check incurs a −2 penalty to all rolls during an encounter. Intimidating another combatant takes 4 AP. If the target's Guts check is a Critical Failure, they'll flee the fight.

===Taunting=== 
Also detailed in the Skills chapter, [[Taunt]] can be used to incite anger and make an opponent flustered. The target of a successful Taunt check incurs a −2 penalty to all rolls during an encounter. Instead of imposing this penalty, Taunt can alternatively be used to draw an opponent's attention away from an ally. In either case, Taunting another combatant takes 4 AP. If the target's Virtue check is a Critical Failure, they'll be considered wide-eyed against anyone but the Taunter.

==Casting Spells==
There are two kinds of spells: Attack Spells, those that deal damage, and Support Spells, those that cause effects (both beneficial and detrimental).

Attack Spells call for the mage to aim the spell, and for a defending character to attempt to get out of the way. Wielding an Attack Spell in combat is very similar to attacking with a weapon, in fact, a character buys ranks in the [[Weapon skill]] for ''Magic'' just like any other weapon. Support Spells do not require aiming or evasion.

See the Magic chapter for details on how to casts spells, both in and out of combat.

==Items==
{{:Items in combat}}

==Moving==
{{:Movement}}

==Running Away==
[[image:andyfight.jpg|400px|right]]
{{:Running away}}

==Mounted Combat==
{{:Mounted combat}}

==Vehicle Combat==
{{:Vehicle combat}}

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