How to: Battle

## Tabletop Battles

Tabletop RPGs provide the players with many fun and exciting situations and all of them have their separate confusing components.  This is one of the things that we have tried to focus on reducing in the tabletop Sound Crisis universe.

With many tabletop RPGs there are many common factors and also many unique factors.  We have tried to simplify the battle mechanics so that battling can be more appropriately understood as well as interacted within.  This How to will walk you through the basics of battle as well as some of the more advanced components of battles in our world.

* **Pre-battle 1: Making sure you are equipped for battle**

I know this seems pretty basic or unnecessary to point out, but preparing yourself for battle before the battle is crucial.  If you are in town or near a vendor, stop by and see if there is any new equipment for purchase, and if you do purchase or obtain new equipment, make sure that you equip it before leaving on your quest.  If you forget to equip new items before battle, it will take an turn action to equip the items.

* **Pre-battle 2: Making sure your battle bag is stocked up**
One of the elements of this tabletop that we wanted to focus on was streamlining battle encounters and making them more intuitive.  One of these ways was to have two separate inventories, one for general items and materials and one for battle items.  When in town make sure that you are stocked up on potential curatives and other consumables.  In this game the consumables range from potions or food all the way to throwable weapons and ammunition.  Make sure to communicate with your party to determine what consumables will need to be a focus in your party.
* **Pre-battle 3: Rest**
One of the most simple and effective ways to restore any negative factors to ones character is to simply rest.  If you don't have time to sleep at an inn you should at least grab a warm, cooked meal and stop by an altar to pray (if you're into that kinda stuff).  This will make sure to restore any missing HP or SP from previous encounters.  Resting can also garner buffs or unique rewards.
* **STEP 1: Starting an encounter**
The first step to any encounter will fall onto the GM.  The GM will roll to determine whether or not either party is receiving initiative bonuses.  Perhaps if your party surprised a group of mobs, you will receive a guaranteed turn prior to any enemy actions, or vice versa.  **Secondly, and as aforementioned**all creatures involved in the encounter roll for initiative.  Players will roll a d20 to determine action order and will be placed in order by the GM. The GM will also roll initiative for creatures and assign them in order as appropriate.

If there are any ties in initiative rolls the players will determine who goes first between them.  If there are tied GM controlled monsters, the monster with highest agility stat will go first.

* **STEP 2: Planning an attack**
Many encounters can be approached in a number of different fashions and this is oftentimes determined by the players in it.  However as a suggestion, it is recommended to take a step back and observe.  Oftentimes the GM will include subtle hints or suggestions of how the battle could be easier for the party, or perhaps more difficult.  If the battlefield has no major cover, and is properly illuminated then the party may be able to identify the enemy party.  However in the opposite of this, the party may not be able to identify the location of any enemies so a more reserved approach may be necessary.

All battles are broken into rounds, which are comprised of turns.  Under normal conditions, each character gets one turn per round (unless time-stopped or completely dead).  Each player has a 3 action turn.  Movement, action, bonus action.  Movement and action can be broken up or taken in any order. Example: If you have a movement of 5, you can move 2 tiles, perform an action then move the remaining 3 tiles.  [/i]Bonus actions are reserved for special skills, perks, and siels.

* **STEP 3: Movement**
One of primary changes that we have made to this engine is the primary measurement of movement.  In most traditional tabletops the measurement of speed in battle is based on a measurement of feet.  To simplify matters we have changed that fit a standard grid.  The benefit of this is that the calculations are already done for and the only things you need to worry about as a player is how far you can move and on what terrain.

As previously mentioned if you have a movement range of 5, then you can move a total of five positions on the grid.  To keep things even simpler, **you are only able to move in cardinal directions, forward, backward and side to side. You are not permitted to move in diagonals directly.**  You are able to move diagonally, but it is the equivalent of moving forward one and then to the side one, equal to 2 movements.

The other type of movements that cost more than one move is traverse climbable terrain.  If you approach an elevated terrain that is one square elevated you are able to traverse it, no penalty.  However if you approach a terrain that is 2 more more units tall and move to that space, it is considered 2 movements.  Anything more than two squares elevated you are typically unable to traverse unless:

1. you have a skill that enables you to,
2. you are carrying a tool that allows you to,
3. you have an equipped item that allows you to or
4. a teammate has taken a react action in place of a direct action their turn, in vicinity.

Traversing down one or two units of terrain bears no penalties, but more than two in not possible without potential penalties.  **When a unit moves down a terrain at a drop of more than 2 units tall in one move the player must succeed at a d20 roll + agility modifier - height of fall above 2 (rolling a 10 or higher) or the player will take 1d4 of damage per unit above 2 and will lose all remaining movement.  The player is still able to perform an action, if not yet taken this turn.**This throw can be negated with skills, siels or items.

*Example: a player has a movement of 8.  The player moves two units forward to a rock face that is 2 units high.  The player has 6 remaining movement.  The player elects to climb the rock face and does so.  The player has 4 remaining movement.  The player moves forward two more units to a drop of 4 units.  The player has 2 remaining movement.  The player elects to jump down from the face so must roll a saving d20.  The player rolls a 8.  The player has an agility modifier of +3. This is 11, this is sufficient not to take injury, but because it is a drop of 4 (2 above 2 units) this is subtracted and therefore the saving throw fails.  The player rolls 2d4 to determine damage taken from this fall.  The player rolls a 2 and a 3.  The player takes 5 damage and loses the remaining movement for the turn.*

* **STEP 3.5: Actions in movement**
One of the most important things to consider when playing a tabletop RPG is the amount of freedom that players have in their actions.  This can be utilized to the parties advantage when considered appropriately.  Many none official actions are able to be made while moving.  Things such as opening doors or lighting a candle or handing an item to a party mate.  Consider these sub actions to take full advantage of the battle mechanics.  Any and all sub movements will be considered subject to GM's final judgement, but the most reasonable way to determine if it is an action or a sub action is to determine if there is a **direct**action taking place to **yourself**or **SOMEONE**else.  You grab a book from a bookshelf. Sub action.  You throw said book at an enemy. Action.
* **STEP 4: Actions**

In battle the most important component is actions.  Swinging of swords, firing of bows, the concussive blasts of Siels being cast.  These are all the "common" actions you may come to expect.  But there are other, strategically crucial actions.

* **Attack**: A common action in which a player utilizes their equipped weapon (or fists) to attempt to aggressively damage an enemy character. When making an attack:

* **Choose a target.**Your target must be within your characters range, so know your range.  Ranged weapons are treated like movement.  Diagonal range is counted as if you are attack up one, over one.
* **Determine Modifiers.**The GM will tell you if the target has cover or whether or not you have an advantage (the target doesn't see you, etc.) or disadvantage (the target is in the shadows, etc.).  Skills and Siels can add modifiers to your attack, don't forget them!
* **Make the attack.** Roll to hit. Determine if your proficiency with your weapon and stats means you overcome the enemies ability to dodge, or parry.  Roll for damage.  Calculate your AtS (attack score[weapon base dice +proficiency modifiers+stat modifier]) and roll for damage.

\**If during an attack you roll a natural 20 the attack hits regardless of modifiers or an enemies ArS.  You will also roll twice the number of **all** attack dice for a critical hit.  If you roll a natural 1 the attack misses regardless of modifiers or an enemies ArS.  There are some skills or attacks that will provide other bonuses with critical attacks.*

* **Cast a spell:** As many characters are proficient in the art of Siels, the primary damage dealing for them is not in the form of a standard attack.  Every spell has different Siel Point (SP) cost and casting time.  Most tabletop games have a varied number of casting times, but in the spirit of optimization there are only casting times based on turns in this engine.  Movements, bonus actions and taking damage will cancel a Siel being cast.  **If a Siel has a 1 turn casting time, then the spell is cast on an action and is activated on that characters bonus action. If a Siel has a 2 turn casting time, then the spell is cast on the characters action, and will not be activated until the players next action, on its next turn. 3 turns will be the players next bonus action, so remember that actions, movements or damage taken will cancel casting.**

* **Sprint:** The player that elects to use sprint as their action moves double their movement at the expense of a primary action.  Characters with a skill that uses their bonus action are still able to use this secondary action.

* **Dodge:** This action prepares your character to avoid any incoming attacks.  When an attack is used against you by a character you are able to see (if they are not hidden or unseen), you will roll an agility saving throw to avoid all damage.

* **Assist:** As aforementioned a character can utilize an action on their turn to assist another character in many ways.  This can be effectively anything, but primarily things with an ability or stat check.  For characters within one space of you, you can assist with other, non check, actions.  This could be boosting a character up a wall, distracting a creature they are attacking and giving advantage (no hit roll) or nearly anything other thing that the GM deems appropriate.

* **Prepare:** When preparing your character, you are setting your character up to get a jump on your opponent the next round, or even their next turn.  This could be something such as, "If a creature approaches me I step back or out of range"(if you still have the movement to) or "I want to ready my bow so that if a creature moves into range, I will release the arrow."  Use these actions to your advantage.

* **Search:** You search something.  A bookshelf, a drawer, a chest.  The GM is in charge of identifying the nature of your search (Perception, Siels, Luck, etc.) and assign a check for it.

* **Use object:** This would typically count as the second part of an action in movement. *Example: I move my character two spaces forward and reach onto the ground and grab a handful of sand.  I stop and throw the sand in the face of the monster.*

* **STEP 5: Bonus Actions**

* **STEP 6: Battle End**

* **Miscellaneous Battle Info**

Enemy movements are facilitated by the GM, and follow the same procedures as listed above.

Critical Rolls - If a d20 roll of any kind has a face value of 20, it is called a natural 20 critical and many wonderful things can arise based on the GM's discretion.  If a d20 roll of any kind has a face value of 1, it is called a natural 1 critical fail and many horrible, horrible things will occur with this.  Don't do this.