Combat SkillsThere are 11 broad categories of weapons: 3) Clubs, Maces, Flails, and Staffs 4) Daggers, Knives, and Short Swords 5) Lances, Spears and Javelins 6) Martial Arts Weapons, Rope, Chain, Nets, and Slings 7) Polearms 10) Unarmed Combat (below) 11) Mounted Combat (below) And a twelfth combat skill: 12) Combat Defense A weapon proficiency allows a character to use all of the weapons within that broad category without penalty. The more skill ranks you have with a particular weapons group, the more likely you are to hit the target’s armor rating. You may attempt to use a weapon without being proficient in that weapon, but this will raise the effective armor rating of the target by +4. All characters are considered to be proficient in the use of club, or makeshift club, both as a melee weapon and as a thrown weapon. There will be no non-proficiency penalty when using a club, but there will be no attack bonus either without specific training gained by purchasing at least one rank in the weapon group clubs, maces, flails, and staffs. Each of 10 broad group of weapons would be considered a separate skill category and ranks in these skills are advanced individually. During melee or missile combat a character adds his dexterity modifier to his ranks of skill in a particular weapon group to determine his attack test roll. Specifically in combat an attack roll is 1d20 + skill ranks in that weapon + dexterity bonus + miscellaneous modifiers + situational modifiers versus the target’s armor rating. The base damage caused by a weaopn is as described in the weapon description. This base damage generally ranges from 1d4 to 1d8 points of damage. In addition when using melee weapons or thrown missile weapons, one additional point of damage is done for each rank of the character’s strength attribute. Additional damage may result from critical hits, magical bonuses, or special attack forms. Critical Hits: Critical hits will do additional damage. A roll of a natural 20 is always a success and may be a critical hit. If a character rolls a natural 20, he then rolls again. If the second roll also would be a hit, then he achieves a critical hit and causes twice the rolled base damage for the weapon, plus strength and magic damage bonuses. Some special magic weapon effects may be triggered by a critical hit. A roll of 2 or less on the d20 attack roll is an automatic failure. Combat Rolls Summary: Attack Roll = 1d20 + ranks in that weapon group + dexterity attribute. Melee Damage = weapon damage + strength attribute + misc modifiers Bow, Crossbow, Sling damage = weapon damage + misc modifiers Thrown Weapon Damage = weapon damage + strength modifier + misc modifiers Mounted Combat: Mounted Combat is a special case. Without the mounted combat skill the character will suffer a -4 penalty to their attack roll when attacking from a mount. This is because the character must try to control his mount, stay mounted, and attack with a weapon at the same time. One rank of mounted combat will give you the ability to attack while mounted with a steed of your choice using a lance or spear. Each additional rank will allow to attack using weapons from another weapons group of your choice, and allow you to choose another type of mount in which you are proficient. You must have training in the mounted combat for each different type of mount you choose. If the training is not available, or a mount to train with is not available at the time you add the additional rank in mounted combat, simply choose your additional weapon group mounted combat proficiency and save the slot for the additional mount until such time as a new mount and training becomes available. Using unarmed combat or natural weapons A claw/claw or punch/punch attack is one combat action. A bite or kick is one combat action. Special attack forms, like a scorpions sting, may only be used once per round, or less as specified in the monster description. If a specific attack form is the creatures only attack form, it is considered to be its standard attack and may be used once every combat action, unless otherwise prohibited. Armor
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