Combat and Tactical Actions

Changes and extensions to the OSE game rules
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Overview

• Tactical Actions govern that part of the game when time matters the most and every decision counts
• The game only moves to Tactical Movement and Tactical Actions when warranted by fictional positioning
• Two different combat rulesets are presented below, one that offers a lot of detail at the cost of time spent resolving the combat and a looser system that focuses on less detail and faster resolution
• Regardless of the choice of combat ruleset, it may be helpful to read the Detailed ruleset to get a better understanding of the kinds of things a character can attempt in combat. If unsure if something is doable, make a proposal or ask the Referee!

Transitioning to Tactical Actions or Tactical Movement

• Typically, the party will be using either the Exploration or Overland Movement rules when a situation arises that requires Tactical Actions (the appearance of a foe, a natural disaster or the like)
• Transitioning to Tactical Actions might also occur when the party is in Downtime and some unforeseen event arises that requires precise measurement of time (the inn catches fire, a thief steals an item from someone)
• Transitioning to Tactical Actions may be necessary as a Pursuit resolves

Process

1. The Referee determines which groups / sides are involved in the action
2. The Referee makes a determination regarding Surprise
3. A game Round begins:
   1. All sides declare pre-Initiative Actions (see below for list)
   2. Determine order of actions by rolling Initiative
   3. The side with the highest Initiative acts first according to a specific order of actions (see below)
   4. All other sides act in Initiative order
   5. Morale is checked for any and all sides subject to Morale
   6. Continue with these steps until a victor is established (via surrender, all foes dead, one of the participants flees etc.)
4. As soon as practical or when it becomes important, a Resource Die is rolled for any ammunition expended in the battle

Surprise

• The Referee determines if one or more sides surprises another. This determination is based on the current fictional position of all sides
• The effect of surprise is to grant the surprising side Initiative on the first round of combat. No initiative dice are rolled
• A surprised side cannot cast spells in response to the surprise actions of a side since spells must be declared before initiative is rolled and initiative is not rolled when surprise occurs

Initiative

• Each side rolls 1d12 with no modifiers. Note this roll is per side not per character or actor
• In the case of a tie, all tying sides re-roll their dice
• Higher values are better, with the highest value 'winning' initiative for that round
• Note that this method might permit a side to act back-to-back by losing initiative in round 1 (and thus acting last in the prior Round) and then winning initiative (and thus going first) in the new Round
• This represents the inherent chaos and unpredictability of battle

Declaring Pre-Initiative Actions

• The following Actions must be declared before Initiative dice are rolled
• Cast a Spell: See below for further information
• Full Defense: The actor immediately takes the Full Defense Action (only meaningful if using the Detailed Combat Rules below)
• Brace: The actor immediately takes the Brace Action (only meaningful if using the Detailed Combat Rules below)

Spells Declared Before Initiative

• Spells must be declared by name before initiative dice are rolled
• The spellcaster need not have a target in view at this time
• Once a spell is declared to be cast and initiative dice are rolled, the choice of spell cannot be changed
• Remember that spellcasting is a full-round action - not even movement is allowed during spellcasting. Refer to Spellcasting for details and other requirements and to the Spellcasting Action below
• Remember that if the spellcaster takes damage (among other things), the spell is lost. Losing initiative as a spellcaster is a dangerous proposition
• Once initiative dice are rolled, spellcasting begins regardless of who wins initiative. Once this occurs, the spell is cast and the spell slot expended. There is no way to prevent this commitment
• The caster can, when the spell reaches completion, choose not to cast the spell (for example, the intent was to cast fireball on the enemies but all are now dead) but the spell slot is still expended and the spell is lost from memory
• Of critical importance to note is that healing magic must be declared to be used before initiative is rolled. It cannot be cast in response to a friendly actor being disabled in the current round!

Combat Option 1: Loose Combat Rules
The following rules provide a loose version of combat. This approach is often called Theater of the Mind (TotM). In this approach, details are less important and the Referee and players cooperate to tell a frantic story of battle. The rules are much less strict, so good communication and imagination are key. The Referee will make many rulings on the fly to keep things moving while still maintaining a sense of balance about what is possible on a player's turn given the overall fictional position as combat progresses.

Things to Consider When Using This Approach

• Communication is key: the Referee has to keep a clear picture of the battle in his mind and share the current situation with the players in succinct and dramatic terms. This approach is a dialog based on shared understanding with dice added to keep things uncertain
• Less Fidelity and Detail: the players and Referee will need to work together to know what is possible - who is inside the blast of a mighty spell and who is just outside the radius, if it is possible for a charging character to reach the enemy shaman this round or not, etc.
• Faster Play: less detail means less time spent worrying about the small things and more time spent resolving the actions of the participants. Combats will resolve faster

General Combat Rules

• Most melee weapons use PHYS to modify to-hit and damage rolls
• Most ranged weapons use DEX to modify to-hit and damage rolls
• Thrown weapons use PHYS or DEX, whichever is higher, to modify to-hit and damage rolls

Using Melee Weapons

• One-handed weapons (e.g. sword): no special effect on combat, but the character has a hand free for other uses
• Two-handed weapons (e.g. greatsword): -1 to AC, +1 to damage
• Reach weapons (e.g. polearm): -1 to AC, can be used from the second rank, may give "first strike" in some situations as determined by the Referee
• Two weapons (e.g. sword and dagger): Roll only 1 to-hit die but this roll is at +1 to-hit
• Sword and Shield: gain the benefit of the shield to AC and the Shields Shall Be Splintered special shield ability

Using Ranged Weapons

• Bow (e.g. short bow): no special effect on combat
• Thrown weapons (e.g. hand axe): use PHYS or DEX for the to-hit and damage rolls, whichever is better
• Crossbow: -2 to AC, roll twice for damage and use the higher roll, then +1 to damage. The character cannot move between shots as this time is spent reloading unless special circumstances apply
• Sling: Sling stones are -1 to damage, but always deal at least 1 damage after all modifiers are applied

Spellcasting

• Spellcasting is handled as described above
• Spells must be declared before Initiative is rolled
• Violent motion, damage, silence and the like will disrupt spellcasting and will interrupt spells that are already cast that require concentration

All Other Actions

• Just describe what you want your character to do and the Referee will decide if it is possible and what checks, conditions or risks should be applied to the action
• Keep in mind that heavily encumbered characters move slower and are not as agile in combat - travelling light has its advantages

Combat Option 2: Detailed Combat Rules
The following rules provide a more detailed version of combat. Every move matters, every action is measured.

Things to Consider When Using This Approach

• Increased Fidelity and Detail: helpful if miniature combat and exact location tracking are important to the situation. Attempts to provide a more detailed simulation of combat (and still isn't a very good simulation, of course)
• Explicit Actions: provides players a defined actions list to base their decisions on. May be helpful to new players or players that have trouble understanding how much can be done "on their turn". May lead to "analysis paralysis" since there are many actions available
• Slow Play: this is a slower, more detailed type of play. Combats will take longer to resolve with no real change in the outcome of the combat

General Combat Rules

• Movement can be split around the first and only Manipulation Action (as this is a free action)
• Most melee weapons use PHYS to modify to-hit and damage rolls
• Most ranged weapons use DEX to modify to-hit and damage rolls
• Thrown weapons use PHYS or DEX, whichever is higher, to modify to-hit and damage rolls
• Movement within, through or out of threatened areas provokes Attacks of Opportunity. There is no limit to the number of such attacks any one defender can make
• All actors on a side can act in any order. The Referee may limit discussions or planning before Initiative or within the Combat Round in order to maintain fictional positioning
• Some of these rules are in place to ensure that Combat of any kind is dangerous - dangerous to get into, dangerous to escape once started. This is to reinforce the concepts that Combat is War, it should not be entered into lightly and every advantage should be gained before committing to a battle

Specific Order of Actions

• The acting side take actions in the following, precise order without exception. Each member of the acting side takes each sub-step effectively simultaneously. That is, all Movement of all actors occurs first, then all missile fire and so on
• Move: the actor can move up to its Tactical Movement Rate
• Missile: the actor may fire missile weapons or use thrown weapons
• Magic: the actor may cast any spells they began before initiative was declared
• Melee: the actor may attack with hand-held weapons
• Of critical importance to note is that healing magic must be declared to be used before initiative is rolled. It cannot be cast in response to a friendly actor being disabled in the current round!

Tactical Action Types

• Main: This action takes roughly a half of a Round (5 seconds) to perform and represents a significant effort on the part of the actor. Only one action of type Main is permitted per Round
• Move (or Secondary): This action takes roughly a half of a Round (5 seconds) to perform and is usually reserved for movement but can be used for other things. Only one action of type Move is permitted per Round
• Free: This action takes little time or concentration. Theoretically, an actor can perform as many of these types of actions as desired. The Referee may limit the number of Free actions to maintain fictional position
• Full-round: This action takes roughly a full Round (10 seconds) to perform and is reserved for particularly time-consuming tasks like spellcasting

Tactical Actions Summary
In general, any actor can attempt any sort of action they can conceive of. No special abilities, feats or the like are required. In practice, the Tactical Actions available to any actor are limited by various things:

• The current fictional positioning
• The items currently held in hand (alternately, the number of free hands)

This table summarizes the types of actions available. See below for more detail

Melee Attacks and Stances

• Melee attacks are governed by the 'stance' of the attacker
• Stance in this case refers to an approach to fighting with one or more melee weapons that have various qualities
• Stance is almost always defined by the type of weapon(s) being brought to bear
• Each stance provides various advantages and disadvantages

Brace (Full Round)

• Brace is used when an actor believes his side will be the target of a Charge Action
• This action must be declared before Initiative is rolled
• The actor must be wielding a weapon with the Brace quality
• If an opponent charges into the threat range of the wielder of such a weapon that has taken the Brace action, the actor may make an immediate, free attack against the charger. If the attack hits, it does double damage
• Hitting on the Brace attack stops the movement portion of the Charge Action
• Advantage: Brace allows an actor to defend himself and allies from a Charge
• Disadvantage: the actor loses his ability to attack or take another Main action on his turn

Charge (Full Round)

• The actor must move toward the nearest enemy up to twice his Tactical Movement rate. This movement must be at least 15 feet but need not be in a straight line
• Nearest in this case is defined as the least movement that would bring the actor into the threat range of his current weapon of any enemy
• Charging allows the actor to avoid any Attacks of Opportunity he might otherwise encounter as he moves in this fashion unless his target or enemies along his route have taken the Brace action
• Charging allows the actor to make a single melee attack against the nearest enemy at the end of the move
• Advantage: the actor can cover ground and still attack without threat of Attacks of Opportunity
• Disadvantage: only the nearest enemy can be attacked, Brace actions are a devastating response to a Charge, the actor may be surrounded in later rounds

One-Hand Fighting (Main)

• The actor makes a melee attack with a one-handed melee weapon with nothing in his off hand
• Advantage: The actor has a free hand to perform Manipulation actions
• Disadvantage: the actor does not gain the benefits of any other melee stance

Reach (Main)

• Reach is used when the actor is wielding a weapon with the Reach quality
• Advantage: The threatened area of such a weapon is extended by 5 feet, reach weapons can be used from the second rank
• Disadvantage: Reach weapons require two hands, wielding a Reach weapon lowers Armor Class by 1, Reach weapons do not gain the benefits of Two handed weapons

Two-Handed Fighting (Main)

• Two-Handed Fighting is used when the actor is wielding a weapon with the Two-Handed quality
• Some weapons may require two hands to wield (e.g. Reach weapons) but they are not considered Two-handed weapons in this case
• Advantage: If the actor hits, he adds +1 to damage. If the wielder chooses, he may forego use of the weapon to make use of his free hand
• Disadvantage: the actor does not have a hand free to perform Manipulation or other actions if the weapon is to be used this Round, wielding a two-handed weapon lowers Armor Class by 1

Two Weapon Fighting (Main)

• Two Weapon fighting is used when the actor is wielding a one-handed weapon in one hand and weapon with the Off-hand quality in the other hand
• Despite wielding two weapons, only one attack roll is made
• Advantage: the actor receives a +1 to hit
• Disadvantage: the actor does not have a hand free to perform Manipulation or other actions

Weapon and Shield Fighting (Main)

• The actor is wielding a one-handed weapon in one hand and a shield in the other
• The shield hand is fully occupied and cannot be used to hold the weapon or perform other Manipulation actions
• The shield grants Shields Shall Be Splintered
• Advantage: the actor gains the benefit of the shield
• Disadvantage: the actor does not have a hand free to perform Manipulation or other actions

Ranged Attacks and Stances

• Ranged attacks are governed by the 'stance' of the attacker
• Stance in this case refers to an approach to fighting with ranged weapons that have various qualities
• Stance is almost always defined by the type of weapon(s) being brought to bear
• Each stance provides various advantages and disadvantages
• Most Ranged weapons consume one or more Manipulation Actions used to draw ammunition and load the weapon
• Ranged attacks require two hands free unless specified below
• Ranged attacks cannot be made if any opponent of the actor is within 5 feet of the actor

Bow (Main)

• The actor makes a ranged attack with a bow. The actor must also have arrows to make the attack
• Manipulation actions: One to both both draw an arrow and load the bow (this permits a Move)
• Advantage: A good balance between range and mobility
• Disadvantage: none, this is the default stance against which others are measured

Crossbow (Full Round)

• The actor makes a ranged attack with a crossbow. The actor must also have bolts to make the attack
• Crossbows cannot be kept loaded except for short periods of time
• Manipulation actions: Two. One to crank the crossbow and one to draw a bolt and load the crossbow (this prevents a Move)
• Advantage: the actor rolls twice for damage, takes the higher result and adds 1 to damage
• Disadvantage: the wielder receives a -2 to Armor Class, the crossbow precludes movement as it is time consuming to reload

Sling (Main)

• The actor makes a ranged attack with a sling. The actor must also have sling stones to make the attack
• In almost all situations, sling stones are readily available and need not be tracked as a Resource unless the Referee decides otherwise
• Manipulation actions: One to both both draw a sling stone and load the sling (this permits a Move)
• Advantage: slings are cheap, lightweight weapons that almost always have ammunition
• Disadvantage: the sling has a limited range, sling stones do -1 to damage (but always at least 1 point)

Thrown Weapon (Main)

• The actor makes a ranged attack with a thrown weapon
• This action requires only one hand to execute
• Manipulation actions: One to draw a suitable weapon (this permits a Move)
• Advantage: The actor has flexibility to decide to throw a weapon or take some other action, thrown weapons may use PHYS or DEX
• Disadvantage: Thrown weapons have a limited range

Non-Attack Actions

Cast a Spell (Full Round)

• The spellcaster is subject to all the limitations in the Magic Rules
• Spells must be named, cast and expended before Initiative is rolled
• Spells are subject to disruption before they are cast or while the caster is concentrating on an effect
• Spellcasters cannot move in the round they cast a spell and are thus limited to a single Manipulation action (but read on)
• Spellcasters can decide to cancel a spell before it completes, but the spell is still lost from memory exactly as if it had been cast. However, in such cases, the spellcaster may take any other actions in that round
• Spellcasters can decide when in the Round they complete their spell
• The Spellcasting action begins and the caster is subject to disruption from the moment Initiative is rolled until the spellcaster completes or cancels the spell. This is especially important if a Spellcaster decides to Delay the completion of his spell (see below for more on Delay)

Flee (Special)

• The purpose of the Flee action is to end Combat or some other disadvantageous tactical situation for the actor
• It is critical to understand that once an actor Flees, they are no longer tracked on a map - they are running at high speed, pushing their body to exhaustion in a panicked chance to escape. If a more orderly withdraw is desired, break off melee using a Withdraw or Tactical Movement (and suffer any AoO's from this movement) and hope your enemies do not advance to follow you in subsequent rounds
• Successfully using the Flee action effectively gives control of the actor to the Referee who may then institute Pursuit Movement against the fleeing actor, depending on fictional positioning. The Fleeing character cannot direct their movements or location in a tactical sense and may head into unexplored areas or otherwise act in a sub-optimal manner in their panicked attempt to save their skin
• Fleeing is not possible if the actor is in a dark area and does not have the means to see where they are going
• Because an actor that Flees is no longer in a Tactical situation (they are using Pursuit Movement), relative positioning, Tactical Movement rates, Tactical Actions and the like are no longer applicable, either by the actor that is Fleeing or by others that are still acting tactically.
• Opponents are still entitled to AoOs. These AoO's do not reduce the defender's movement rate as they would normally do since the Fleeing defender is no longer operating with Tactical Movement

Full Defense (Full Round)

• The Full Defense action imposes Disadvantage on all melee and ranged attacks against the actor until just before the actor acts again
• The Full Defense action may provide some saving throw bonus from certain spells and effects if it makes sense within the fictional potion
• This action must be declared before Initiative is rolled

Manipulation (Varies)

• Manipulation actions refers to any action an actor may take that is unopposed and is not subject to any sort of meaningful failure
• Examples of Manipulation actions include drawing or stowing an item, picking up a dropped weapon, opening a door, lighting a torch, handing an item to an ally or the like
• Manipulation actions requires at least one hand free and may require both hands free depending on what is being attempted
• The first Manipulation an actor performs in a Round is a Free Action, the Second such action consumes the actor's Move action and the Third consumes the actor's Main action
• There are a few exceptions to this rule:
• Shields require a Move action to ready or stow
• Backpacks and anything inside them cannot be used or accessed with Manipulation actions

Move (Move)

• The Move action enables the actor to move up to his tactical Movement rate
• The actor may choose to utilize their Main action to conduct further movement in the Round
• Movement through or out of (but not into) a threatened area will provoke an Attack of Opportunity (but see Withdraw and Charge actions)
• Special terrain or spell effects may reduce or prohibit movement

Attacks of Opportunity (Special)

• An Attack of Opportunity (AoO) is a special attack granted to one or more enemies because of an actor's dangerous movement within or out of a threatened area
• A threatened area is any location that an enemy could reach with a melee attack. Long necks or arms, large weapons and other factors may make this area large indeed
• An opponent only threatens an area if they actually have a melee weapon in hand or natural weapon that could strike the location the actor is 'leaving
• AoO's interrupt the actor's movement and must be resolved before movement is allowed to continue
• The attack is resolved using normal attack procedures for the opponent. If the opponent has multiple attacks, they may choose which attack is used for the AoO
• An opponent may attempt a Stunt in lieu of a melee attack if desired
• If the AoO hits, the moving actor is dealt damage normally and is returned to the location (square) that he was attempting to leave. Any movement used to leave the area (square) is lost
• The moving actor is free to make additional attempts to depart the same area (square) again as long as the moving actor has available Tactical Movement remaining, but each such attempt this will provoke subsequent AoO's
• All opponents that threaten an area may make an Attack of Opportunity for a given movement
• A given opponent may make as many AoO's as the moving actor causes by his movement; there is no limit to the number of attacks an opponent may make in a Round
• The AoO rules are intentionally harsh to better reflect the principle that Combat is War. Actors that "run through enemy lines" to achieve some tactical position (attack vulnerable archers or wizards for example) may be cut to ribbons or tied up in melee before they can accomplish their goal
• Clever use of stunts may negate attacks of opportunity!

Stunt (Varies)

• A Stun is any action a character can think of that is designed to change the fictional position and that has a chance of failure or is opposed by some other actor or story element
• Examples of Stunts include: grappling, disarming, tripping, misdirecting/fooling/feinting, acrobatic positioning or tricks, pushing enemies into pits/onto traps/off cliffs and any other creative tactical move the actor can suggest
• Some Stunts may be limited by other rules like the information presented in Athletics
• When an actor wishes to perform a Stunt, the actor and Referee will usually engage in a brief mutual discussion that covers these points:
• What is being attempted and what is the desired outcome?
• What specifically is the actor doing, how will they accomplish their goal?
• Does the attempt make sense within the current fictional position?
• What do success, failure and partial success look like? That is, how will the fictional position be changed in each case?
• Is the Stunt best expressed as a Main action, a Move action or some other action type?
• What forces oppose the actor?
• How will the Stunt be resolved? What Trait Check, Save or other mechanic should be used to resolve the Stunt?
• Once all of the above is understood, the Stunt is resolved
• Note that the Referee may indicate that no check is necessary or that the attempt automatically succeeds or will have a certain outcome to keep the game moving

Grapple

• Grappling is a special Stunt that will occur often so it helps to have the rules codified ahead of time. In effect, these rules represent the outcome of the process above when the Stunt in question is to wrestle or hold an opponent
• Grappling is an opposed Ability Check
• Success means the actor either grabs/holds the target or escapes from such a grab or hold if that was the intent. There is no partial success in this case
• Successfully holding/grabbing a creature imposes the Grappled Condition on it
• Some creatures are especially good at grappling and may have a bonus to do so, others are very difficult to grapple because of their sturdiness or other aspects
• Three successful Grapple checks against the same target also imposes the Pinned Condition on the target

Turn Undead

• Only a Warpriest can Turn Undead
• The Warpriest must be holding his deity's holy symbol or the deity's favored weapon to Turn Undead
• Undead turned by the Warpriest must use all subsequent actions to move as far away from the Warpriest as possible
• Attacking a turned undead with weapons, missiles or spells will 'break' the turning effect for that undead only
• Undead stay turned for 1d4 minutes. This roll is secretly performed by the Referee
• Undead may return to the area they were first turned, may hunt the Warpriest or his allies or respond in other ways depending on their intelligence, degree of free will and instructions
• Undead unaffected by a Warpriest (either because the Warpriest failed his Turn Undead roll or failed to affect all of the undead in a group) cannot be turned again by the same Warpriest for 24 hours
• Any undead turned by a Warpriest may be subsequently turned by the Warpriest. The Warpriest may Turn Undead as often as desired to keep the same group at bay
• The ability to repeatedly Turn Undead against a given group of undead will only work until the Warpriest fails a Turn Undead roll or fails to affect some members of the undead group. Any undead that were not turned are no longer subject to that Warpiest's Turn Undead ability for 24 hours

Turn Undead

• The Warpriest rolls 2d6 and consults the table below
• If the result is successful (not a dash), the Warpriest rolls a second 2d6 to determine the number of hit dice affected
• A T means the turning attempt automatically succeeds (the first roll is not needed / can't be a failure)
• A D result is like the T result but the undead are actually destroyed completely rather than turned
• A T or D result effectively means that the first 2d6 roll is not needed but the first roll must still be made in mixed groups that contain higher level undead
• In mixed groups, the weakest hit dice are always affected first
• This implies that even a high-level Warpriest will struggle against a horde of undead of mixed hit die as only 2d6 hit die can be affected each Turning attempt regardless of whether the outcome of the attempt is T, D or a basic Turn
• If an attempt at Turning Undead is successful and more undead remain, the Warpriest may Turn them again. Once a failure to Turn occurs, further attempts by that Warpriest will have no effect for 24 hours
• If a turning attempt succeeds but insufficient hit dice are rolled on the second 2d6 to affect even one undead, then one undead is affected
• A Warpriest can Turn Undead as many times as desired each day
• A group of undead affected by a Warpriest can be Turned again and again until the Warpriest fails on a Turning check
• This implies that a high level Warpriest can repeatedly destroy portions of a large group of low level undead, but each Turn attempt will only destroy 2d6 HD worth of undead

Use an Item

• The Use an Item action encompasses the use of most magic items like rings, wands or any other item that does not fit into one of the other action types
• Note that Scrolls are covered under the Spellcasting Rules and the 'Cast a Spell' action above
• Note that potions are treated as 'Manipulation actions' describe above
• Most magic item use will require a Main action but some might be used as a Move or even a Manipulation action. The Referee will inform the maigc item owner of the type of action needed to use the item in question

Withdraw (Main)

• The Withdraw action is a measured retreat from melee designed to protect the actor and remove him from a dangerous situation
• The first area (square) the actor exits is counted as not threatened for the purposes of determining Attacks of Opportunity
• The actor receives a +2 bonus to Armor Class for any Attack of Opportunity caused by the actor's subsequent movement this round
• The Referee will tightly constrain the movement of the actor to ensure the actor is not Withdrawing to gain a tactical advantage on his opponents through repositioning. Both the letter and spirit of this rule will be tightly enforced