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Striking Range |
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"To Hit" Bonuses |
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Close
To Striking Range:
This merely indicates that
the party concerned is moving at base SPEED to engage the opponent.
The base SPEED is inches,
indicating tens of feet in the dungeon or similar setting indoors,
tens of yards outdoors.
All normal activity and
bonuses are permitted when so doing.
This action is typically
taken when the opponent is over 1" distant but not a long distance away.
Play goes to the next round
after this, as melée is not possible, although
other activity can, of course,
take place such as that
detailed above.
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Against Possible Opponent Charge |
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This action brings the charging
party into combat on the charge round,
but there are a # of considerations
when it is taken.
Charge
\ Movement Rate Outdoors:
Movement bonus for charging in normal outdoor settings is 33% of base SPEED
for bipedal creatures, 50% for quadrupeds.
(Cf. TSR's SWORDS
& SPELLS.)
Charge
\ Movement Rate Indoors:
The indoor/dungeon rate is greatly reduced due to the conditions.
Therefore, all movement
of the charge is double base SPEED,
remembering that encumbered
creatures are not allowed the charge.
Note: The opponent
must be within 10' distance at the termination of the charge in order for
any blows to be struck during that round.
Charge
\ AC of Charging Creatures:
There is no DEX bonus allowed for
charging creatures.
Creatures with no DEX
bonus become 1 AC lower, i.e. easier to hit.
Thus on AC 3 creature becomes
AC 4.
There is no penalty to AC
10 creatures for charging, however.
Charge
\ Mêlée At End of Charge:
Initiative is NOT checked at the end of charge movement.
The opponent with the longer
weapon/reach attacks first.
Charging creatures gain
+2 on their "to hit" dice if they survive any noncharging or charging opponent
attacks which occur first.
Weapon length and first
strike are detailed under Strike Blows.
Only one charge move can
be made each TURN;
thus an interval of 9 rounds
must take place before a second charge movement can be made.
Q: When do charging
characters attack?
What are the effects of
a charge?
A: Charging monsters
or characters may
attack normally at the end
of their charge;
exactly when depends on
the reach of the
weapons being used (longer
weapons attack
first). The charge movement,
initiative, and
affects chance to hit. See
the DMG, page 66,
for more details on charging.
(150.36)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray
Mouser
Gary, I have a question
for you regarding combat, specifically the charge. IMO, it owuld seem that
the only people being able to attack/get attacked at the end of a charge
would be the first rank. However, I suppose it would be possible for the
first rank to continue their advance (supposing they survived, that is)
and the second and following ranks could attack as well. The DMG doesn't
specify regarding this, saying simply that:
The following note on Melee
at the End of Charge doesn't specify either. I was hoping you could give
a young, non-war gamer a hand 
Most RPGs are not meant
to be cmbat suimulations, and that is true of
AD&D.
A pike
charge (advance at full formed movement rate) will have four ranks attacking
the front rank of the defender.
They will have four ranks
countering if the defenders are likewise pikemen.
Otherwise, the front rank
attacks the front rank, with the charging attackers moving into space left
by wounded/killed drfenders, and second rank attackers moving up as well
to attack still standing defenders.
The rest really depends on the rules being used, return attacks and morale checjs.
Cheers,
Gary
Charge \ Set Weapons Against Psb. Opponent Charge:
Setting weapons is simply
a matter of bracing such piercing weapons as spears,
spiked pole arms, forks, glaives,
etc. so as to have the butt of the
shaft braced against an
unyielding surface. The effect of such a weapon
upon a charging (or leoping,
pouncing, falling, or otherwise onrushing)
opponent is to cause such
opponent to impale itself and take double
normal damage if a hit is
so scored.
Example: Character
A sets her spear
with its butt firmly braced
upon the floor just as a giant toad hops at her
(attocking); if the spear
impales the creature, it will score double indicated
damage (d8 X 2). Note that
in this case initiative is automatically given to
the set spear as it will
obviously take effect prior to any attack routine of
the toad, and that two dice
are not rolled, but the result of the d8 roll is
multiplied by 2.
garhkal wrote:
Not sure if this got asked
before (and have little time to go through the entirity of this and the
other threads)..
Would a person get more than
one attack when charging??
EG fulsia the elvin warrior
has specialized in the spear.
He now has (due to hitting
8th level) 2 attacks a round. If he charges, would he get to make both
attacks???
What if they are wielding
2 weapons? Does that change anything??
Assuming the system is OAD&D:
If charge movement were short, I would give the character two attacks, but in the case of something like half charging distance was used, I'd limit it to a single attack on that round.
Whether one or two weapons were being employed is not {material} IMO, as the question pertains to effective strikes.
Cheers,
Gary
Spears,
sabers, or any other sort of weapon can be used in a mounted charge.
The lance
just allows for attack contact sooner than do such other weapons.
Most charge attacks were done at a trot or a canter, not a gallop, except perhaps two mouned units having at each other.
A quarter of a move should suffice for the charging unit to pass through and turn the mount. for example, a charge of 24", with impact after 12" distance has been covered, would ene 8" beyond the point of impace, with the figure wheeling to the left or right if so desired. Otherwise, the move would end 12" beyond the point of impact.
That isn't perfect, but at best such things are loose simulations of actual combat.
Cheers,
Gary
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As previously stated, initiative
is the key factor as to which side strikes blows first each melee round.
This is modified by creatures
with multiple attack routines, whether by natural or magical ability (such
as haste).
It is also modified by weapon
length when one opponent is charging (or otherwise closing precipitously)
into melee contact.
Parrying: A character
who parries cannot attack, but may
subtract his or her "to
hit" bonus from his or her opponent's
attack roll. Parrying may
be used in combination with a fighting
retreat. Parrying only has
value to a character with a STR
or specialization-related
bonus "to hit". - OSRIC, page 122
Strike
Blows \ Simultaneous
Initiative:
When opponents in melee have tied for initiative,
blows (attack routines included)
occur simultaneously, except when both opponents are using weapons.
Each weapon has a speed
factor, and in the case of otherwise simultaneous blows,
the opponent with the weapon
which has the lower SPEED factor will strike first.
Thus, a blow from a fist
occurs before a blow with a dagger
(1 to 2 ),
a dagger before a short
sword ( 2 to 3), a short sword prior to a hammer (3 to 4), and so on.
Strike
Blows \ Weapon
SPEED Factor:
This number is indicative of the wieldiness of any particular weapon,
how long it takes to READY
the weapon against an opponent,
or how long it takes to
recover and move it in its attack mode.
A pike,
for example, is a 13, as it must be lowered, grasped, and then held/thrust
firmly.
Such a weapon is not
usable in dungeon settings, or anywhere else without masses of other pikes
to support it.
In the latter case,
an opponent surviving the
first attack from the bearer of the pike will likely be able to strike
several times before recovery of the pike for a second thrust.
This is further detailed
below.
A two-handed
sword, with a 10 SF,
likewise requires a lengthy
readying time and recovery period after its attack due to its size and
weight.
When weapon speed factor
is the determinant of which opponent strikes
first in a melee round,
there is a chance that one opponent will be entitled
to multiple attacks.
Compare the score of the lower-factored weapon with
that of the higher. If the
difference is at least twice the factor of the lower,
or 5 or more factors in
any case, the opponent with the lower factored
weapon is entitled to 2
attacks before the opponent with the higher
weapon factor is entitled
to any attack whatsoever.
(Awl)
Pikes only: If the difference is 10 or greater, the opponent with the
lower-factored weapon is entitled to 2 <check OA weapons>
attacks before the opponent is allowed to attack, and 1 further attack
at the
same time the opponent with the higher-speed-factored weapon finally is
allowed to attack. <added italicization & indentation>
Note that such speed factor
considerations are not applicable
when either closing or charging
to melee, but after on initial round of combat,
or in cases where closing/charging
was not necessary,
the speed factor considerations
are applicable.
Strike
Blows \ Other
Weapon
Factor
Determinants:
[aka 'Attacks
of Opportunity / Melee
Weapon
vs.
Spell
Caster
/ Option 2: Complex Version'] [also see
Option
1: Simple Version]
The SPEED factor of a weapon
also determines when the weapon strikes during the course of the round
with respect to opponents who are engaged in activity other than striking
blows.
Thus, suppose side A, which
has achieved initiative (action) for the round, has a magic-user engaged
in casting a spell.
Compare the speed factor
of the weapon with the number of segments which the spell will require
to cast to determine if the spell or the weapon will be cast/strike first,
subtracting the losing die roll on the initiative die roll from the
weapon factor and treating
negative results as positive.
Note that even though a
spell takes but 1 segment to complete, this is 6 seconds,
and during that period a
reacting attacker might be able to attack the magic-user or other spell
caster prior to actual completion of the spell!
If combat is simultaneous,
there is no modification of the weapon speed factor.
<
[A
= initiative (modified) of weapon wielder in melee]
[B
= casting time] <et al.?>
[WS
= weapon speed]
[LI = losing initiative
roll]
[WS
- LI = A]
[if
A
is negative, then A
= positive]
[if
A
is less than
B,
then A strikes
first]
>
Example: A sword with
a factor of 5 (broad or long) is being used by an opponent of
a magic-user attempting
to cast a fireball spell (3 segment casting time).
If the sword-wielding attacker
was represented by a losing initiative die roll of 1,
the spell
will be cast prior to the sword's blow.
A 2 will indicate that the
spell and the blow are completed simultaneously.
A 3-5 will indicate that
the blow has a chance of striking (if a successful "to hit" roll is made)
before the spell is cast,
arriving either as the spell
is begun or during the first segment of its casting.
[Example 2]: Suppose
instead that a dagger were being employed.
It has a speed factor of
only 2,
so it will strike prior
to spell completion if the initiative roll which lost was 1-4
(the adjusted segment indicator
being 1, 0, 1, 2 respectively)
and simultaneously if the
die score was a 5.
[Example 3]: If the
weapon being employed was a two-handed sword
(or any other weapon with
a speed factor of 10, or 9 for thut matter)
there would be no chance
far the reacting side to strike the spell caster prior to completion of
the fireball.
ScottyG wrote:
Hey Gary, this is probably
one of the most debated facets of the AD&D combat mechanics. I know
the AD&D questions can be quite tiresome, but I've never seen this
one asked, and it really would settle many, many debates, so here goes.
The DMG lists 2 methods for determining when in a round an attack against
a spell caster will occur. The first is simple enough, the relevant initiative
result is compared to the casting time of the spell, whichever is lower
occurs first. In this instance, regardless of who wins initiative, there
is a good chance that a spell with a short casting time will occur first.
The second involves using
a weapon's speed factor. The example in the book has an attacker that lost
initiative subtracting his initiative from the speed factor of his weapon,
and yadda dadda da, to determine if the attack can still occur first. In
the second method, is it always assumed that if the attacker wins initiative
the blow will come first, or does the caster still have a chance to get
the spell off.
Scott
-----
Gary wrote:
Aargh!
Forget weapons speed factors. I must have been under the effect of a hex when I included them in the bloody rules :?
The first
system for determing what happens is the best one, the only one I ever
used.
If the weapin-wielder has
the initiative and strikes the spell caster, the spell is blown.
If he mosses, or the spell
caster wins, the casting time allows, then the spell is activated and takes
effect.
Cheers,
Gary
-----
ScottyG wrote:
I dropped speed factor long
ago, and the first method is the method I use. I just see the discussion
come up so often that I wanted to have an 'official' take on the rule to
point out to those interested.
Scott
-----
Gary wrote:
Yes!
Scott, a true master GM
Cheers,
Gary
Strike
Blows \ Striking
To Subdue:
This is effective against some monsters
(and other creatures of
humanoid size and type) as indicated in the MONSTER MANUAL (under
DRAGONS)
or herein.
Such attacks use the flat,
butt, haft, pommel,
or otherwise non-lethal
parts of the weapons concerned but are
otherwise the same as other
attacks.
Note that unless expressly
stated otherwise, all subduing damage is 75% temporary, but 25% of such
damage is actually damaging to the creature being subdued. This means
that if 40 HP of subduing
damage has been inflicted upon an
opponent, the creature has
actually suffered 10 hit points of real damage.
The above, of course, does
not apply to player characters.
Strike Blows \ Grapple And Hold: See NON-LETHAL AND WEAPONLESS COMBAT PROCEDURES.
opponent, the creature has
actually suffered 10 hit points of real damage.
The above, of course, does
not apply to player characters.
Special
"To Hit" Bonuses:
The following general rules
will be of assistance when you must adjudicate melee combat or missile
fire:
| Opponent encumbered, held by one leg, off balance, etc. | +2 |
| Opponent stunned, held by both legs, slowed, partially bound, etc. | +4 |
| Opponent magically asleep, held, paralyzed, or totally immobile | Automatic |
(Cf. MELEE, Magically Sleeping or Held Opponents.)
Apply bonuses to the chance
of the opponent being struck.
The opponent will gain no
dexterity bonus, of course.
In totally immobilized and
powerless situations, the opponent can be fully trussed, slain,
or whatever in 1 round,
so no bonus need be given.
See also MELEE, Flank And Rear Attacks.
