New Combat Rules (CFH)

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Here are some optional rules you can add to combat in your campaign.
==Off-Hand Weapons Use==
All characters are presumed to be better with one hand than the other—in real life, most people are right-handed, quite a few are left-handed, and only a very few are truly ambidextrous.
When a character is first created, the player should specify his handedness (right or left). If he does not specify one, the DM should assume the character is right-handed.
If a character, for whatever reason, fights with his off-hand instead of his good hand, he suffers a –2 penalty to attack rolls with all attacks. For example, should a character find himself with his right hand chained to a wall, and yet he needs to draw and throw a dagger and must use his off-hand, he'll then suffer the –2 penalty to attack rolls.
If you wish a character to be ambidextrous, consult "Ambidexterity," below, under "Weapon Proficiency Slots."
==Kneeling and Sitting==
A character who is kneeling or sitting (for example, because he's been knocked down or injured) is at a disadvantage in combat. He can't move around as effectively and so cannot dodge incoming attacks. For that reason, whenever someone attacks a victim who is kneeling, the attacker gets a +1 to attack rolls; when someone attacks a victim who is sitting, the attacker gets a +2 to attack rolls; and when someone attacks a victim who is flat on his back (but aware of the attack and trying to avoid it), the attacker gets a +4 to attack rolls.
Attacking a character who is held (by magic) or asleep is automatically successful, causing normal damage.
When a character is kneeling, sitting, or on his back, he can get to his feet one of two ways. If he still has an attack left to perform this round, he can give it up, not make an attack, and stand up instead. Or, he can wait until after initiative is rolled for the next round: When it comes time for him to describe his action, he can stand up then, without losing any of his attacks for that round.
==Range and Initiative==
Here's a rule to give some advantage to those characters and parties (and monsters) which always have ranged attacks ready.
When two groups first come within sight of one another at distances of 20 feet or less (here a "group" can consist of only one person or creature, or can have more), and only one group has missile capability already in hand, that group gets a "free shot" with its ranged weapons.
This isn't a full combat round, not a bonus round from surprise: It's a split second of instinctive reaction on the part of the missile throwers in the group. While they're firing, mages and priests can't cast spells, other characters can't ready weapons. A knife expert can't draw a knife and throw it in this split second; he can only throw it if he already has it in hand. In this split-second, characters can take no action other than, perhaps, to talk or shout something brief to one another.
Once that free shot is taken, on the first full combat round of the fight, roll initiative normally. The party that was fired upon gets a +2 modifier for being slightly disadvantaged by the enemy's missile superiority.
Remember that this option can only be taken when one side, and not the other, has ready missile weapons (i.e., bows or crossbows in hand with arrows and quarrels already nocked, or throwing weapons such as spears, javelins, axes and knives already in hand). Also, the party which can take this option doesn't have to; the group does not have to fire upon another person, group or monster the instant it sees its target. If the group chooses not to, the opportunity is lost and the characters have the usual options to talk to the other group; if they choose to fight, initiative is rolled normally. The side without the missile weapons doesn't get the +2 modifier this time.
If the party is wandering around in conditions of poor visibility (such as a dungeon), the DM can rule that the target is barely visible and that the party cannot recognize many details about the target: "Ahead of you in the corridor, about 60 feet up, you see a group of human size silhouettes moving your way. As you spot them, they spot you, too, and slow down. You can't tell what they are . . ." At this point, if the PCs have missile weapons and the NPCs don't, the PCs can take this free shot, but are faced with the prospect of attacking an unknown quantity. They could be firing upon the High King and his adventuring retinue, for all they know.
When two groups both have ready missile weapons, neither gets this option. Roll initiative normally. (If two groups both have ready missile weapons, and one group spots the other without the other group realizing it, that group wins initiative, but doesn't get the "free shot." Picture it this way: When the first group looses its volley, the missilers of the second group immediately turn around and loose theirs. So we're put in a position of normal combat.)
Finally, for this option, remember that spell-type missile abilities don't count, but "natural" ones do. A dragon's breath acts as a ready missile weapon, as do a manticore's tail-spikes. However, a gold dragon's spells don't count, nor does a vampire's charming, for example.