Combat Rules (D&D 3.5)

This article contains rules specifically regarding combat.
==Critical==
A 20 on the dice is also automatically a hit. There is no need for hit-confirmation.
==Out-of-turn Dodge==
Any time you are about to be attacked, you can give up your next standard action to gain a +1d6 dodge bonus to your AC.
You must be able to apply your Dexterity bonus to AC against the attack (so you can’t use it when flat-footed, for instance), and you declare this before the attack roll is made. Your initiative does not change; you simply do not take a standard action on your next turn. You gain this dodge bonus until and throughout the "skipped" turn, but it ends with the next turn.
This rule gives a character the option of defending himself, providing an additional element to combat tactics. It also provides adventurers with addition tactical options, such as a “wolf pack” tactic: When a group attacks a single target, whoever the target retaliates against uses the out-of-turn dodge to aid his AC, while each of the others attacks the opponent on his or her turn.
==Weapons and Armour==
Several things about weapons and armour has changed.
== Damage Conversion ==
Armour, in addition to adding a bonus to AC, also converts lethal damage from physical attacks into nonlethal damage. (Shields provide a shield bonus to AC, as normal, but do not convert damage.)
== Use Shield as Cover ==
A shield can be raised to take the brute of an attack.
==Reserve Points==
This capacity, measured as reserve points, replenishes lost hit points quickly after a fight. Thus, characters may be wounded and near death by the end of a fight but then recover to full strength (or nearly full strength) before the next fight begins. Reserve points can be seen as a form of willpower or simply a character giving (literally) 110% in the face of danger, trying to ignore pain inflicted in battle.
A character’s quantity of reserve points equals his full normal hit point total. After a character becomes injured (by losing hit points), reserve points begin automatically converting to hit points at the rate of 1 per minute of nonstrenuous activity (such as resting or hiking, but not climbing, swimming, or fighting). Thus, for each minute of nonstrenuous activity, the character regains 1 hit point and loses 1 reserve point.
For example, Tordek has 22 hit points, so he also has 22 reserve points. In a battle with orcs, he takes 6 points of damage, dropping his hit points to 16. After the fi ght, Tordek’s reserve points begin to “convert” to hit points. Over the course of the next 6 minutes, his reserve point total drops by 6 and his hit point total increases by 6, up to his maximum of 22. During the next fight, Tordek takes 24 points of damage, dropping him to –2, and is then dying for 5 rounds before stabilizing, leaving him at –7 hit points. Over the next 16 minutes, his remaining 16 reserve points convert to hit points. After 7 minutes he’s conscious but disabled (0 hp). After 8 minutes he’s back on his feet (1 hp), and after all 16 minutes he’s up to 9 hit points and 0 reserve points.
===Nonlethal Damage===
Reserve points can also reduce a character’s nonlethal damage total. For each reserve point that converts to a hit point, a character also subtracts 1 point from his nonlethal damage. In addition, a character can take a standard action to “spend” a number of reserve points equal to or less than his HD to reduce his nonlethal damage an equal amount. (If a character has the Endurance feat, this a move action, to reflect the fact that such characters can more easily persevere through exhausting situations.)
===Replenishing Reserve Points===
Characters naturally regain lost reserve points at twice the rate that they naturally heal lost hit points (see Healing, page 146 of the Player’s Handbook).
===Healing===
===Constitution Changes===
If a character’s Constitution modifier goes up or down, his reserve points go up or down just as his hit points do. If a decrease in Constitution would drop a character’s reserve points below 0, any excess reduction is deducted from his current hit points.
==Massive Damage==
The Massive Damage rule has been changed to the following.
===Massive Damage Thereshold===
If a hit (before Damage Conversation) does more damage than a character's Massive Damage Thereshold, the character has to roll a DC 15 or else suffer the Massive Damage Effect.
The Massive Damage threshold is calculated by
:10+(Size Modifier)+(Con × 2)+(HD × 2).
*Size Modifier is plus or minus 10 points for every size category larger or smaller than medium.
*Constitution modifier times 2.
*Hit Dice the character has times 2.
Example:
For example, a 5th-level human fighter has a massive damage threshold of 26 (10 + 0 + [3 × 2] + [5 × 2]).
A dire bear has a massive damage threshold of 52 (10 + 10 + [4 × 2] + [12 × 2]).
===Massive Damage Effect===
If a character fails his Fortitude save against massive damage, he rolls 1d10 to determine his negative hit point total.
A roll of 2 means -2 hitpoints, a roll of 6 means -6 hit points, etc.
==Death and Dying==
===Negativ hitpoints===
The maximal amount of negative hitpoints a character can have depends directly on his Constitution Score plus his modifier.
Example:
A Constitution score of 15 means a character is dying, but not dead, between -1 and -17 hp, at -18 he's dead.
A Constitution score of 10 means a character is dying, but not dead, between -1 and -10 hp, at -11 he's dead.
===Fight to the death===
A character in the negative hit points can continue to fight. However, every time he wants to take any action, he has to beat a DC 15 fortitude or will save (choose one), which increases by +2 for every -10 hitpoints and +2 for every consecutive round.
If he succeeds, he stays conscious and can possibly repeat it the next round if he chooses to do so.
If he fails, he immedialty takes 30 points of damage and is stunned for this round.
If the character goes into a fight for survival and has the ability to rage, he goes into rage, regardless if he already used his daily limit and he can not choose to end this rage prematurely.
Example:
Tordek has a Constitution score of 15 and he is at -13 hp. If he wanted to continue fighting or if he wanted to flee or drink a potion, he would need to beat a DC 17 (15 + 2). If he fails, he takes 30 points of damage which puts him at -43, way below his maximum, and therefore kills him (and also technically would stun him, but he's dead anyways). If he succeeds, he can drink a potion to heal himself or continue hitting enemies. However, next round he would need to beat a DC 19, assuming he didn't take any further damage in the mean-time.
If a character refuses to continue fighting, he starts dying and normal dying rules apply.
You can bluff to be dying yet still continue to fight to stay concious.
==Class Abilities==
This section covers class abilities that have changed.
===Turning Undead===
Turned Undead are not fleeing as much as they can. They cower at a certain distance from the cleric. The distance is his Turn Check result rounded down to the closest 5 plus 10 feet. So with a turn check result of 17, the undead will cover at a distance of 25 feet of the cleric.
If an undead is being attacked by anyone (including the cleric himself), that undead will break out of his state of cowering and attack.
::I might further change how rebuking works, but I'll need more time to plan and balance it. --Araxiel 1911 (talk) 20:58, March 7, 2014 (UTC)
Category:D&D 3.5
Category:D&D 3.5 New Players
Category:D&D 3.5 Rules