Sunday, June 8, 2008

What Price Glory part Two


What Price Glory is a collection of Rules Packets for combat. Each collection of rules or packets may be used alone, or with any combination of the other modular pieces of What Price Glory. As a whole, these Rules Packets present a detailed, advanced combat model for D&D encounters. What Price Glory is presented in this segmented, modular format to allow referees to pick and choose from amongst these alternate rules, and to fine tune and alter them to taste.

Here I present the second five of the 15 Rules Packets for What Price Glory.

Part Two comprises Rules Packets 6-10.




What Price Glory
Packet 6: Engagement


Engagement is simply the act of moving to within 5’ of an opponent during an encounter, and physically occupying that target by attacking him or her. Characters may only engage a single target, while certain Monsters might be able to engage two, three or more Characters, as determined by the referee, due to sheer size, reach or multiple attacks.

Targets who are engaged may not fire missiles, cast spells or move without a penalty. No spell may be begun once a spell-caster is engaged. If a Character is engaged after he has begun casting a spell, the spell will still resolve provided the spell-caster is not hit by an attack. If a spell-caster is hit after beginning a spell, the spell is interrupted and will not resolve, although it has not been expended. All movement immediately ceases when a combatant is engaged. In order to move, or continue moving, a combatant must Disengage. Disengaging awards the foe engaged with the combatant a free attack at +1 to hit.

Certain Weapons with Reach may not be used against an engaged foe who is 5’ or closer. The act of engaging might be hindered by certain factors, such as Fend with Reach, Intercept and Evade.


What Price Glory
Packet 7: Roll To Hit


Roll To Hit (RTH) is the act of determining whether a combatants missile or melee attack has connected and done damage to a target. A number between 1 and 20 is generated using 1d6 and 1d10 together. Rolls of 0 on the d10 equate to 10.

If the d6 is odd (1,3 or 5) add zero to the d10 and use that result.

If the d6 is even (2,4 or 6) add 10 to the d10 and use that adjusted result.

For d10 rolls of 2-9, the result of the d6 is irrelevant, except for noting whether it was odd or even. When the d10 comes up with a 1 or 10, it is important to note what the exact result is on the d6.

Rolls of One are Fumbles and always miss, rolls of Twenty are Critical Hits* and always hit.

* If a 20 is the lowest roll with which the combatant will score a hit, there is no extra damage, and the result is a standard hit.

Fumble with a 5 on the d6 means a miss.
Fumble with a 3 on the d6 means Weapon Dropped.
Fumble with a 1 on the d6 means Weapon Breaks (Refer to the Fumbles Rules Packet for optional specifics).

Critical Hit with a 2 on the d6 means a hit with +2 damage.
Critical Hit with a 4 on the d6 means a hit with +4 damage.
Critical Hit with a 6 on the d6 means a hit with +6 damage (OR a roll on the Critical Hit Table if using that Rules Packet).


What Price Glory
Packet 8: Staggering Blows


Any single physical attack which deals 10 or more Hit Points in damage is considered a Staggering Blow. Staggering Blows only effect members of Races, Characters and other humanoid targets (including Giants, Trolls, Ogres, etc).

The victim of a Staggering Blow must make a Saving Throw vs. Dragon Breath or be staggered by the sheer power of the blow. This Saving Throw is at -1 for every point of damage above 10 dealt in this single massive blow, up to -4 at 14 or more. If the Saving Throw is made, the victim suffers no side effects from the damage. If the Saving Throw is missed, the victim is sent reeling back away from the attacker 5’, loses his or her next attack (either this round, or in the following round) and has a 3in6 chance to drop whatever weapon he is holding.


What Price Glory
Packet 9: Critical Hits


Critical Hits are particularly lethal attacks upon a member of a Race, a Character or any other humanoid (Giant, Troll, Ogre, etc.). Other targets will receive just the extra damage based upon the severity of the Critical Hit, and ignore the tissue damage results of the roll.

Critical Hit Table (3d6)

3: Head +15: Head severed/caved in, instant death.
4: Head +12: Skull cracked/crushed, victim's brains spilling out, staggering/reeling, death in 1-3 rounds unless healed for 12 HP.
5: Neck +12: Neck Gashed/Smashed, spinal damage, paralyzed until magically regenerated.
6: Shoulder +12: Arm severed/maimed to a pulp, victim grasps at spraying bloody stump. Shock for 1d6 rounds. 1in6 chance to bleed to death while in shock.
7: Arm +10: Arm severed/crushed at elbow. Victim writhing in pain. Stunned for 1-3 rounds, no action.
8: Groin +9: Telling blow. Victim doubled over in pain for 1d3 rounds.
9: Head +8: Massive blow, lose 1 attack.
10-11: Torso +6 damage.
12: Chest +8: Forceful blow, lose 1 attack.
13: Knee +9: Leg severed/crushed at knee. Victim falls over. Stunned for 1-3 rounds, no action.
14: Hip +10: Leg severed/maimed to a pulp. Victim falls over in pool of blood. In shock for 1d6 rounds. 1in6 chance to bleed to death while in shock.
15: Stomach +12: Disemboweled, victim trips in entrails, bleed to death in 1-3 rounds unless healed for 12 HP. In shock.
16: Ribs +12: Ribs splintered and cracked, internal organs ruptured, blood and guts spewing forth. In shock and death in 1-2 rounds unless healed for 12.
17: Neck +12: Artery severed/crushed, blood sprays forth. Victim grabs at wound, writhes on ground, in shock. Death in 1-2 rounds unless healed for 12 HP.
18: Heart +15: Heart crushed/impaled, instant death.


What Price Glory
Packet 10: Fumbles


Fumbles are particularly inept attempts to attack. A Fumble is always a miss, and involves a chance to either drop a weapon, or potentially break a weapon.

Depending upon the rules for combat being used, the referee will determine when one of these two circumstances arises.

Drop Weapon: a dropped weapon will require 1 full round’s actions to retrieve.

Break Weapon: Break a weapon is the worst possible result, and involves missing so badly that the attacker hits the wall, floor, a tree or shield or something which forces him to make an item Saving Throw for his weapon. To avoid breaking, the Saving Throw required is a 16, adjusted by each magic item plus. If missed, a normal non-magic weapon is broken and useless. A magic weapon will lose a single ‘+’. If a +1 magic weapon is reduced to +0, it looses all of it’s magic and is considered a normal weapon.


~Sham, Quixotic Referee

3 comments:

  1. I liked the staggering one, but I would do it a save vs. paralysis or stone (can't remember if they are the same) just because it sounds more logical an it's easier to remember.

    - Zulgyan

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  2. I picked Dragon Breath strictly because it seemed to be a column (in OD&D) that the FM excelled in, when compared to the other classes.

    I will admit that I considered Stone, and that ultimately, Paralization (sic) makes the most sense thematically. I'm wide open to suggestions on these right now, and I will be play-testing some in a few weeks. Some are rehashed versions of my old melee house rules, but Staggering Blows is new.

    As always, thanks for the comment!

    ~Sham

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  3. I'm trying to keep the packets small and easily modular in scope. I figure that if a prospective referee likes 3 or 4 of the 15, then it was worth the effort.

    Heck, I'n not even sure I will use them all at one time. Some are very basic and logical even for standard OD&D, while others are fairly over the top.

    As my campaign progresses, I'll be able to not only fine tune these rules, but also add further packets.

    ~Sham

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