Combat Encounters

Initiative

Combat encounters start by rolling Initiative. Initiative is determined by rolling 1d20 + Dexterity Modifier to the result. The player or enemy with the highest Initiative roll gets to start their turn first, and then initiative continues by taking turns clockwise until the encounter is resolved, or alternatively, you may have the players and opponents act as once so as long as one player rolls above the opponents then the party goes before the opponents (and vice versa).
The beginning of the Initiative starts the Encounter round. A round passes after everyone has taken their turn and the next round begins at the top of the initiative.

Actions

Each turn the players have a Standard Action, a Minor Action, a Move Action, and a Reaction. A list of general actions are provided below;

Standard Actions

• Melee or Ranged Attack. Make a basic melee or ranged attack or a Combat Maneuver.
• Casting a Spell. Spend MP in order to conjure magic.
• Full Defense. Using a shield you increase your AC by an additional +3.
• Helping an Ally. Assist another character in their actions, potentially giving them an advantage.
• Dashing. Move an additional distance on the battlefield equal to your current movement speed.
• Shifting. Reposition yourself 5 ft strategically without provoking attacks of opportunity from enemies.

Minor Actions

• Off-Hand Attacks. Utilize an off-hand weapon for a basic attack.
• Casting a Spell. Spend MP in order to conjure magic.
• Sustaining a Spell. Keep a sustainable spell active.
• Shoving. Push or knock an opponent back a distance of 5 ft x Str. Modifier (or one square/hex) – 5 ft x opposing Str. Modifier (or one square/hex), minimum 5 ft
• Item Interaction. Use an object on your person, or handle another object, sheathe and unsheathe a weapon.

Movement Actions

• Move. Move your character up to your character’s maximum movement.
• Stand. Stand up from being Prone.
• Reload. Reload a weapon that has the Reloading property.
• Tumble. Using the Acrobatics skill creatures may move between two hostile creatures as difficult terrain. Upon a failure the creature spends the movement of the Tumble but does not move and is Prone.
• Climb. Using the Climbing skill check a creature may climb in order to scale a vertical surface or to Mount a larger creature.
• Jump. Using the Jumping skill check a creature may maneuver across elevated terrain or to Mount a larger creature.

Reactions

• Attack of Opportunity. Make a basic melee attack against an opponent moving away from your character’s melee range.
• Stay Mounted. Using an Endurance check in order to stay on a creature a character is climbing on or perhaps using a Jump from one to avoid being slammed into a wall, etc.

Rolling to Hit and Critical Hits

Actions such as making a basic melee or ranged weapon attack and casting spells often require the players to hit a target number, often being the Defense of another creature or object. In order to determine whether the Action is a hit or a miss 1d20 + Ability Modifier of the selected Action is calculated together in order to meet or beat the Defense that the selected Action targets.

Critical hits are granted when the player rolls a 20 on their roll to hit, or within their Critical range if lower than just 20. Upon a critical hit the target takes double the damage rolled.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Advantage and Disadvantage in combat encounters gives the characters a +3 or a -3 to their respective rolls. Like skill checks, Advantage and Disadvantage can stack (if playing with stacking rules), leading to more complex combat situations.

Mounted Combat

When creatures who attempt to Grapple another creature that is up to two sizes larger than them Mount the creature instead. Successful Climbing and Jumping skill checks targeting a larger creature’s AC Mount a creatures. The creature who is Mounting may move on the Mounted creature for half their movement provided they’re able to maintain the Mount. Movement while Mounting takes twice the amount of movement and attacks are at a Disadvantage as long as the creature is actively attempting to Dismount the attacker. 

Creatures who are Mounted may take half of their Movement to attempt to shake off the Mounting creature(s) or may otherwise target the Mounting player in an attempt to Dismount them by successfully attacking them. Mounting creatures are susceptible to other means of being Dismounted by special actions from creatures such as attempting to Eating, Coiling, or perhaps having a hand which to Grapple them by, or other horrific means.

Damage Types

The type of damage you deal may be the determining factor of an easy encounter and a tough encounter. Dealing damage can also come with several benefits, such as a Condition or a Weakness, however, there are also damage types that are overall ineffective toward certain targets with as Resistance or Immunity to those damage types.

• Slashing damage. Often dealt by sharp edged weapons or natural weapons such as claws.
• Piercing damage. Often dealt by pointy ended weapons or natural weapons such as teeth or talons.
• Bludgeoning damage. Often dealt by blunt weapons or natural weapons such as hooves or a headbutt.
• Fire damage. Often dealt by natural elements, torches, open flame, or elemental magic.
• Water damage. Often dealt by extremely hot or cold water, natural elements, or by elemental magic.
• Earth damage. Often dealt by natural elements such as quicksand or by elemental magic.
• Wind damage. Often dealt by natural elements such as tornadoes or by elemental magic.
• Radiant Damage. Often dealt by Aberrations or by means of holy or godly power.
• Dark Damage. Often dealt by Aberrations and the Undead or by means of unholy or ungodly power.
• Psychic damage. Often dealt by Aberrations and Monstrosities or by means of attacking the mind.
• Poison damage. Often dealt by Beasts and Monstrosities or by means of applying to a weapon.
• Force damage. Often dealt by conditions such as being crushed or swallowed, or by ancient magic.
• Lightning damage. Often dealt by natural elements such as a storm or conduits or by ancient magic.

Conditions

Conditions are additional effects from attacks, items, and other things within the game. There are two types of Conditions with each having their own list of Conditions that yield specific disadvantages. A creature can be effected by multiple Conditions.

Elemental Conditions

• Burned. The target is set on fire. At the beginning of the target’s turn it takes Fire damage at the beginning of each turn. The target may fall Prone to extinguish the flame, or wet themselves with a nearby water source.
• Frozen. The target is engulfed ice and cannot move or act. The next slashing or bludgeoning damage to the target is automatically a critical hit and breaks the target out of its Frozen state.
• Muddied. The target is muddied and can only take one Action on its turn. Invisible creatures who are Muddied do not gain the benefits of Invisibility while Muddied. The creature may clean itself with a natural source of water or a spell.
• Windswept. The creature is deafened and silenced, unable to cast verbal spells/abilities and their movement is cut in half.

Status Conditions

• Blinded. The target cannot see, granting total concealment for all creatures against it. The target automatically fails checks that rely on sight.
• Bloodied. The target is at 50% health or below and now looks visibly worse for wear.
• Charmed. The target is friendly to the one who Charmed them, taking inaction against them in combat and becoming hostile to anyone who is hostile toward them.
• Deranged. The target has lost their head, attacking the nearest creature to it, whether it be friend or foe.
• Dizzied. The target may only take one Action per turn and loses concentration on any spell they’ve Sustained. The target may not take Reactions, including Attacks of Opportunity.
• Drowning. You’re fully submerged in water, unable to breathe, and fighting in order to stay afloat and keep swimming or break out of being encased in water. The Drowning creature must make an Endurance check to not breathe in liquid and must attempt to move or swim out until they can break for air, using all Actions in order to do so. In addition, the Drowning characters are Deafened, Silenced, Suffocating and most likely also Wet.
• Deafened. The creature cannot hear, losing all bonuses that require verbal components. The target automatically fails checks that rely on hearing.
• Dying. The creature is in a completely unstable state and struggling to not pass out. The creature is making Death Saves in order not to die.
• Dead. The target is no longer in the land of the living, starting a new life in the ascension of Death.
• Enraged. The creature is angered, taking Disadvantage to hit any creature that is not the source of its Enrage.
• Flanked. The creature has at least one enemy on the opposite side of each other, yielding a Disadvantage to their attack rolls and the creature may not take a Full Defense.
• Frightened. The target must move away from the source they’re Frightened by until they have exhausted their movement or if the source is out of sight.
• Grappled. The target is being held by someone or something. They cannot take any movement actions while Grappled and yields Advantage when attempting to be attacked, Tripped, or Disarmed. Opponents who are Grappled and Prone yield a Disadvantage to break the Grapple.
• Lacerated. The target is bleeding profusely, dealing Lacerating damage at the start of the target’s turn equal to the average damage die of the source of Laceration.
• Mounted. The target has a creature(s) that is two sizes smaller or more are climbing on it.
• Poisoned. The target takes Poison damage at the beginning of their turn based on the average damage die of poison as well as other effects of the poison.
• Prone. The target has fallen to the ground, yielding Disadvantage to their attacks and Advantage on attacks against the target. The target may use half of their movement to get up, ending the condition. Targets who are also Grappled cannot get up unless they break the Grapple.
• Rend. The target’s armor has been temporarily compromised, dropping the AC bonus to the armor.
• Silenced. The target is mute both externally and internally and is unable to cast verbal spells or communicate verbally or telepathically.
• Sleeping. The target is rendered unconscious and helpless, unable to take actions and is also most likely Prone.
• Slowed. The target’s maximum movement is cut in half and they may not benefit from bonuses to movement or take actions that grant additional movement.
• Stunned. The target cannot take Actions. Any attack against it yields Advantage, the target doesn’t count toward flanking, and if it is a target with natural flight it falls.
• Suffocating. The target cannot breath, resorting to Endurance checks to fight being imposed with Sleep once they’ve run out of breath.
• Surprised. The target cannot take any Actions until the beginning of their next turn. Any attack against it yields Advantage and the target doesn’t count toward flanking.
• Weakened. The target is weakened, dealing half damage on their spells and attacks. Ongoing damage is unaffected.
• Wet. You are completely drenched in liquid, rendering you to a Weakness to Lightning (unless the creature has a natural immunity). You do not gain the benefits of Invisibility while Wet.

Immunity, Resistance, and Weakness

Some tactics may be ineffective or overall impossible on some creatures, but some creatures may have a weakness for certain conditions.

• Absorption. The creature is healed by the damage taken.
• Immunity. The creature cannot be affected by these Conditions/Damage under any circumstances with the exception of skills that would ignore Immunity.
• Resistance. The creature takes half the damage of the attack if damage occurs. On a Condition Resistance the attacker must roll again on their attack to confirm the Condition, otherwise the target is unaffected.
• Weakness. The attacker has an Advantage on the attack and a hit is treated as a Critical. If the roll would be a Critical hit regardless of Weakness, then roll one additional damage die.