Combat Mechanics

## **Defining a Round/Turn**

Within d20 a round is defined as 6 seconds in the game world. A round presents an opportunity for each character involved in a combat situation to take an action. A single round is the events that occur between the first character's post until the last character's post, in a session.

Each round’s activity begins with the character with the highest initiative result and then proceeds, in order, from there. If combat ensues, each round of combat uses the same initiative order. When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his entire round’s worth of actions

Using initiative to determine the post order with which each character in the session can act is optional. Players are free to establish the post order themselves without rolling initiative.

## **Action Types**

There are 6 broad categories of actions in the d20 system, which are used in this RP:  Standard Actions, Move Actions, Full-Round Actions, Free Actions, Swift Actions, and Immediate Actions.

In a normal round, you can perform a standard action and a move action, or you can perform a full-round action. You can also perform one or more free actions. You can always take a move action in place of a standard action.

Standard Action

A standard action allows you to do something, most commonly make an attack or cast a spell. See Table: Standard Actions for other standard actions.

Move Action

A move action allows you to move your speed or perform an action that takes a similar amount of time. See Table: Move Actions.

You can take a move action in place of a standard action. If you move no actual distance in a round (commonly because you have swapped your move for one or more equivalent actions), you can take one 5-foot step either before, during, or after the action.

Full-Round Action

A full-round action consumes all your effort during a round. The only movement you can take during a full-round action is a 5-foot step before, during, or after the action. You can also perform free actions (see below).

Some full-round actions do not allow you to take a 5-foot step.

Some full-round actions can be taken as standard actions, but only in situations when you are limited to performing only a standard action during your round. The descriptions of specific actions, below, detail which actions allow this option.

Free Action

Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort. You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, there are reasonable limits on what you can really do for free.

Swift Action

A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. You can perform only a single swift action per turn.

Immediate Action

An immediate action is very similar to a swift action, but can be performed at any time — even if it's not your turn.

## **Combat Conditions and Special Actions**

Both in and out of combat, there are conditions that can be applied to a character. These conditions all affect that character in a particular way. See this list for the various conditions in d20. A character can also perform certain actions called special attacks within the d20 system. These special attacks can be found on this list.

## **The Ability Scores**

**Strength (Str)**

Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for fighters, barbarians, paladins, rangers, and monks because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.

You apply your character’s Strength modifier to:

* Melee attack rolls.
* Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon (including a sling). (Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive only one-half the character’s Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive one and a half times the Strength bonus. A Strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies to attacks made with a bow that is not a composite bow.)
* Climb, Jump, and Swim checks. These are the skills that have Strength as their key ability.
* Strength checks (for breaking down doors and the like).

**Dexterity (Dex)**

Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light or medium armor (rangers and barbarians) or no armor at all (monks, wizards, and sorcerers), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.

You apply your character’s Dexterity modifier to:

* Ranged attack rolls, including those for attacks made with bows, crossbows, throwing axes, and other ranged weapons.
* Armor Class (AC), provided that the character can react to the attack.
* Reflex saving throws, for avoiding fireballs and other attacks that you can escape by moving quickly.
* Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Tumble, and Use Rope checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key ability.

**Constitution (Con)**

Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.

You apply your character’s Constitution modifier to:

* Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1—that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he or she advances in level).
* Fortitude saving throws, for resisting poison and similar threats.
* Concentration checks. Concentration is a skill, important to spellcasters, that has Constitution as its key ability.
* If a character’s Constitution score changes enough to alter his or her Constitution modifier, the character’s hit points also increase or decrease accordingly.

**Intelligence (Int)**

Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.

You apply your character’s Intelligence modifier to:

* The number of languages your character knows at the start of the game.
* The number of skill points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level.)
* Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery, Knowledge, Search, and Spellcraft checks. These are the skills that have Intelligence as their key ability.
* A wizard gains bonus spells based on her Intelligence score. The minimum Intelligence score needed to cast a wizard spell is 10 + the spell’s level.

An animal has an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. A creature of humanlike intelligence has a score of at least 3.

**Wisdom (Wis)**

Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for clerics and druids, and it is also important for paladins and rangers. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.

You apply your character’s Wisdom modifier to:

* Will saving throws (for negating the effect of charm person and other spells).
* Heal, Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key ability.
* Clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers get bonus spells based on their Wisdom scores. The minimum Wisdom score needed to cast a cleric, druid, paladin, or ranger spell is 10 + the spell’s level.

**Charisma (Cha)**

Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. It is also important for clerics, since it affects their ability to turn undead. Every creature has a Charisma score.

You apply your character’s Charisma modifier to:

* Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Use Magic Device checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key ability.
* Checks that represent attempts to influence others.

* Turning checks for clerics and paladins attempting to turn zombies, vampires, and other undead.
* Sorcerers and bards get bonus spells based on their Charisma scores. The minimum Charisma score needed to cast a sorcerer or bard spell is 10 + the spell’s level.

When an ability score changes, all attributes associated with that score change accordingly. A character does not retroactively get additional skill points for previous levels if she increases her intelligence.

## **Additional Information**

Everything stated/listed above are the basics all players will need to know. For those wishing to gain further information pertaining to combat, it can be found on the d20 site. For a breakdown of combat and examples of how it would work IC, refer to this guide.