Combat Mechanics: Goal: Reduce opponent's HP to zero before yourself.For DM
(skip to For Player section if not DMing) Turn order: Turn orders are dictated by the DM. Usually turn orders are 1 per player/NPC in combat. You compile the list arbitrarily based on each player. Sometimes players can have more than 1 slot in the turn order which doubles, or up to triples the amount of times they can respond. They must be of sufficient level and class to have this option. Levels (speed slayer tree, crossbowman, javelineer, knife-thrower; all others do not receive additional turn orders): 1: 1 turn order 2: 1 turn order 3: 1 turn order 4: 2 turn orders 5: 2 turn orders 6: 2 turn orders 7: 2 turn orders 8: 2 turn orders 9: 3 turn orders 10: 3 turn orders Scaling mechanics: Calculate for the health pool for NPC fights. A health pool is the total amount of health shared among all the monsters. It is calculated as follows: (health of all melee/missile players) + (mana of all magus users / number of magus users) = health pool When the health pool is calculated, you divide this total number among all the monsters created. It does not have to be evenly spread. Monsters/NPCs, what if players are leveled heavily against one another? For this, it is best to illustrate the problem in an example: Level 8 player: can deal around 150-170 damage + 29 increase * 3 effects per item. Players have 17 wearable pieces of equipment. Level 8 potentially can deal, in a single attack: 170 + (29*3)*17= 1649 damage. This number is only reflected as being fully equipped with the respected level of gear and that all of it goes to damage. Level 1 player: can deal about 5-8 damage + 3-4 increase with 1 effect per item. Players have 17 wearable pieces of equipment. Level 1 potentially can deal in a single attack: 5 + (3)*17= 56 damage. This number is only reflected as being fully equipped and all of that is going to damage. Of course, if you make a level 8 monster fit with resistances: 800 phys defense 800 phys damage 400 magus damage This is perfect for a level 8, but horrible for a level 1 and only serves to kill the level 1. You would then introduce a level 1 monster to match the level 1 partied with the level 8. Additionally, any AOE (area of effect) that could potentially affect the level 1 is negated to 0 damage. Example of a level 8 attack skill: Bash (strike at foe, anyone within 2 block radius of foe takes 250 damage physical) Of course if the level 1 is next to the level 8 and the level 8 is hit, it would not hit the level 1 as the fight is not intended for the level 1. However, if the level 1 decides to attack the level 8, or if the level 8 has nothing else to attack other than the level 1, then all bets are off. The level 1 can be targeted and killed by the level 8. It happens vice versa, the level 8 can attack the scaled level 1 monster: So you made the level 8 monster. But maybe you wanted a level 1 peon for the level 1 to fight. You made it, and it has 22 health. Of course, the level 8 can simply look at it and it would most likely be enough to kill it. So to mitigate this, the level 1 peon wouldn't take damage, just as the leve 1 player wouldn't take damage from the level 8. However, the level 8, at any point can target the level 1 monster and kill it. But this wouldn't be very satisfying, and would leave the level 1 with nothing to do. Informing the player of this mechanic is important so they know not to target things not scaled to their level. Of course, if the level 8 monster died, the level 8 can now target the level 1 to make quick work of it. Monster attack skill creation: Monster/NPC resistance calculation: Take into account for the total resistances and damage given by the party and apply resistances of the monster/NPC accordingly. It is not a good idea to make it exactly the same as equipment bonuses (because the equipment won't matter at that point), but usually much lower, or slightly lower depending on how difficult. To make fights more difficult, simply increase the resistances that make them much harder to kill. Sometimes balancing can be fun where you make them immune to certain damage, but very weak in others. Be creative! Example: Players: Melee: 22 phys(physical) damage, 12 magus def.(defense), 12 phys def. Missile: 45 magus damage, 0 magus defense, 0 phys def. Missile (2): 25 magus damage, 15 magus def., 15 phys def, 15 poison def. I could look at each of these and get a gauge for the party. For example, the 1st missile player deals a lot of damage in magus. So if I wanted to give them a hard time, I could make something immune to magus damage but little to no resistance for melee. Or I could do the opposite, giving all the glory to that 1 missile player and the others would have difficulty. Or neither, and just make it an easy fight to show the players how much better they have become over time. For these examples, I will only use 1 monster to illustrate the point, but this can be varied and with multiple monsters to make use of each player's strengths and weaknesses.For Player
Turns are composed of the usage of actions. Actions are dictated as "things I can do in a short period of time." A list of things you can normally do in combat: • Attack: Hit for base damage. You can only use 2 attacks in a turn. Base damage is calculated in the variants guide. (DMs use the variants guide to determine number calculations) • Block: Block with a weapon or shield. If it is a shield, it won't break, but weapons have a chance to break sometimes. • Dodge: Move out of the way, then go back into position avoiding an attack. • Move: Move a position from one block to another. You can target something or someone and follow or you can describe where you are going. You must describe where you are going prior. Normally you can move up to 5 blocks, including diagonally. If someone tries to hit you in the middle of a move, you have a 1/2 chance to avoid it completely, or get hit anyway. • Talk: You can say up to 4 words without using a single action per turn. • Attack skill: You can use up to 2 attack skills per turn. Attack skills are special abilities you can perform that is different from the usual moves you see here. • If/Then: if (insert first action here), then (insert action here). It is an IMMEDIATE response and always takes presidence over any other action. It is deliberately attempting to predict what will happen. You can also use if [attack skill], if the monster has seen the attack skill before. • Use item: items that can be used. Some (such as Shirra stones) imply use of 1 turn. • Special action (it can have its own name dictated by DM): Special actions are stated by the DM and will be indicated if there is a need for that combat. This list is by no means exhaustive, but represents 99% of what you will be doing in terms of actions. Specifying actions do not matter. It simply operates on the properties of the action alone. For example: "I try to attack them in the neck" is simply translated to "attack" and variants are applied. On your turn: Start by choosing a target, if any. if not choosing a target, let the DM know so they do not need to make a response. Rules: You can use up to 3 actions. It is not required to use all 3. You can only have 2 attacks max (anything intended to deal damage) in a turn. 2 attack skills max on your turn. You can choose to not attack something. If you don't attack something, you won't be targeted in a counter. Targeting someone guarantees the target an ability to use 2 actions against you. You do not know what the target will do until you send your attacks. Example of a turn: Move up to the foe. Attack if attack back, dodge. Foe counter (you would not be aware of this until you have posted your turns): dodge attack In this situation, the turn orders and where it aligns is up to the DM. Whatever seems to be the most intuitive (in terms of alignment of what goes to what) will be what the DM decides. What would happen is: You move up to the foe and attack, but the foe dodges out of the way. it attacks back in response, to where you dodge. But let's change the order a bit and see what happens. Move up to the foe. Attack if attack back, dodge. Foe counter (you would not be aware of this until you have posted your turns): attack dodge The only difference between this and the previous is switching attack and dodge in the counter. So you move up to the foe and he goes to attack you, but you dodge out of the way in response (immediate action of if/then statements). You then attack back, but the foe dodges. Attack skills: Attack skills are abilities that you can only use in combat. You are not allowed to specifically game the system to go into combat, use an attack skill, then exit combat. The purpose is that you have skills, separate from attack skills, that can be used outside of combat. They are only to be used outside of combat, whereas attack skills are designated for "in-combat" only purposes. Attack skills are designed to be understood as they are read, and if there is ambiguity, it is up to the DM to interpret it. It is also possible for an attack skill, when combined with other attack skills, cause an unbreakable issue or "game-breaking" moment. These are defined as "yata-locking" (an infamous card in Yu-Gi-Oh referred to as "Yata Garasu" where when the card attack an opponent, they skip their draw phase. This causes the player unable to draw, which causes the player to attack with a Yata Garasu again, only for them to not be able to draw, and therefore be able to do nothing in an infinite loop.) If moments like this are found, attack skills are modified to resolve the issue. This is not intended to punish the player by "nerfing" (making it not nearly as powerful as it once was) the attack skill, but merely to maintain balance in the game and keep the game interesting. 1trn attack skills (1trn): 1trn means that it takes 3 actions to perform. Meaning, they cannot be used in a counter. Usually 1trn have special properties to be able to use the spell without being hit and is usually specified with the exception of base spells. Base Spells: Scalable moves (based on variants) that change their name meeting the "Final Fantasy" spell naming convention (namely: Fire, Fira, Firaga (continues forward beyond Aga)) • Fire, Water, Thunder, Blizzard (these scale up and do not indicate they are 1trn, but it is implied through the property of the spell) • Light (Lles), Arcanum (Curr) (these scale up and do not indicate they are 1trn, but it is implied through the property of the spell) • Cure (these scale up and do not indicate they are 1trn, but it is implied through the property of the spell) 1trn moves: Shirra Stones Shirra stones are the answer to health potions, mana potions, and resurrect potions. They are limited items where you only have 3 of and are enchanted at the end of the tutorial. Rules of Shirra Stones: They are enchanted once after the tutorial You can only have 3. A shirra stone is enchanted with one the following properties: • Health (Heal an alive player/NPC from whatever health they are to full health, provided they are not dead. Health Shirra Stones do not work on the dead) • Mana (Restores mana 100% whatever the mana was. You can restore mana even if you are at 0 mana) • Rez (Resurrects a dead ally/NPC with 1 health) Once enchanted, shirra stones cannot be unenchanted unless you do the following: • Turn enchanted shirra stone into health: Plead to the cult of Tega-ruhn in Southern Province. They may ask a favor and are cults of blood and worship. • Turn enchanted shirra stone into mana: Northern province. Dip your stone into the mana lake by the Shirra Mountains • Turn enchanted shirra stone into rez: Southern province. Endless village. Dip your stone into the Endless Village lake. Counters (You're being targeted, come up with your counter): A counter is when you have been targeted, and you must come up with 2 actions to determine what will happen. Actions: • Attack: Hit for base damage. You can only use 2 attacks in a counter. Base damage is calculated in the variants guide. (DMs use the variants guide to determine number calculations) • Block: Block with a weapon or shield. If it is a shield, it won't break, but weapons have a chance to break sometimes. • Dodge: Move out of the way, then go back into position avoiding an attack. • Move: Move a position from one block to another. You can target something or someone and follow or you can describe where you are going. You must describe where you are going prior. Normally you can move up to 5 blocks, including diagonally. If someone tries to hit you in the middle of a move, you have a 1/2 chance to avoid it completely, or get hit anyway. • Talk (You cannot speak during your counter, nor use 4 words to speak) • Attack skill: You can use up to 2 in a counter. • If/Then: You cannot use if/then statements in a counter. • Special action (it can have its own name dictated by DM): Special actions are stated by the DM and will be indicated if there is a need for that combat. Rules for counters: You cannot talk You cannot use an if/then statement. You only have 2 actions, not 3, putting you at disadvantage. You cannot use 1trn moves (due to the counter being 2 actions)
