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 Reaction order takes place. When a character can take action in a combat depends on the results of a Reaction Check.

Reaction Order

Each player or NPC will make a Reaction Check.

Reaction Check

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Reaction (AGI+CUN)

The higher the resultant number, the more on top of things the character is considered to be. Starting with the lowest number, each participant announces what he or she will do. This way, the participants higher up in the order can decide their actions based on the intended actions of combat participants lower in the order. In layman's terms you see what other folks are doing and you act just a fraction of time ahead of them.

Some GMs prefer that initiative is rolled only at the beginning of the combat encounter. Others enjoy a new initiative roll at the beginning of every round. Your results may vary.

Players should pay attention during combat. Your GM hates nothing more than to be asked "What do I see?" when it's your turn. Having players announce their actions at the beginning of the turn is also a good way of preventing lengthy decision making at the beginning of a player's turn. As soon as your turn is over, start thinking about what to do next turn so that when the next round of combat comes around, you can announce your decision with authority!

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.

Every action you perform costs a specified number of Action Points. Characters start off with 6 AP, but more can be earned through the Speedy Combatant trump.

Here is a brief list of things a character might want to do in combat.

• Attack another combatant
• Go on the defensive
• Aid an injured ally
• Talk your way out of it
• Cast a spell
• Use a Special Power
• Retrieve and use an 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
• Move somewhere

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. A straightforward Attack Roll is opposed by the opponent's Defense Roll (either a Dodge or a Parry). The difference of these two rolls (if positive) is what the defending character takes as damage.

Jon's character Akare attacks Dustin's character Vhaeol. Jon's attack roll is 19. Dustin's defense roll is 14. Vhaeol takes 5 points of damage.

Each weapon lists a different amount of AP that is needed to use it. Large weapons, like an executioner's axe, take a full 6 AP to use. Small weapons, like a dagger, take 2 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 lots of damage, but take much longer to use.

Defending

Any offensive action taken against you in combat is countered by a Defense Roll. This is either a Dodge or a Parry at your option. Some spells call for a Spell Defense roll.

When normal attacks come your way, be it from a sword, an arrow, you name it, you get a free chance to get out of the way. Quick characters can opt to Dodge, and clever weaponists can try to Parry.

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

At times, one's only option is to brace for impact. You can defend yourself in combat and gain a bonus to your Defense Roll. You can resolve yourself to taking no offensive action if only to cover your behind. For every Action Point you spend buckling down and defending yourself, you can add 1 to your defensive rolls. For instance, if you spend 4 AP defending, you can add +4.

Charging

Throwing caution to the wind, you can take up arms and run full-speed at an opponent, using the additional momentum to deal extra damage. To charge, you must have enough AP to use your weapon and move the distance between you and the opponent at full speed. If you don't have enough, you can run during one turn and attack the next.

James' character Ogre wants to charge at Dustin's character Kharza. Unfortunately, Ogre must use 4 AP to close the distance between him and Kharza, but using his greatsword takes 5 AP. James decides to have Ogre charge, using one turn to close the distance, and his second turn to make the attack.

Charging adds +2 to the damage dealt.

Overrun

Instead of attacking at the end of the charge, a character can attempt to Trip the defender. This is called an overrun. The bonus to damage normally offered from charging can go towards the Trip attempt as a bonus to Muscle.

Defending Against a Charge

If a defending character wields a polearm, he or she can attempt to parry the charge and deal damage. Using other weapons to parry a charge can potentially ward off the attack, but they deal no damage to the attacker. If the parry is successful (i.e. the difference between the Attack Roll and Defense Roll is negative) this number is taken from the attacker's Health Points. Note that dealing damage in this manner does not require the defender to have the Counterattack trump.

If a defending character with the Sidestep trump manages to completely dodge out of the way of a charge, he or she can make a free trip attempt against the attacker.

Diplomacy

Sometimes words will work where swords cannot. If this is the case, a character can try to make a Negotiate check

Diplomacy is especially useful when you and your companions are outnumbered, outgunned, weak and weary from previous combats, or all of the above.

Items

What's an adventurer without useful crap? Ammunition, magic salves and potions, enchanted objects, and adventuring gear are all things characters can have on their person and want to pull out and use during combat.

Retrieving an item from a handy location, such as a belt pouch or a bandoleer, takes 1 AP. An inconvenient location, such as a backpack, takes 3 AP. Having to take the pack off and dig through it would take 6 AP or more. Pulling arrows from a quiver takes no time at all and is figured into the AP required for using a bow. If, however, one had extra ammunition in a place that isn't immediately available, it would take AP to retrieve it.

Using a consumable item (quaffing an elixir, dropping a smoke grenade, etc.) will generally take 1 AP. Some items may take longer to use and it will be noted in their descriptions.

As a general rule, activating a supernatural or magic object takes 4 AP unless noted in the item's description.

See Also

• List of Armor
• List of Weapons