FIGHT!

D&D is fantasy combat, and should look awesome, but for some reason a lot of the way combat is set up leaves it feeling like this, which I believe sucks ass.

Defense and Attack

Several refferences to "target" will be made in this section. Your target is the thing you attacked last, and is very much a facing rule. While you take no attck penalties when attacking multiple targets, only the last target counts as your target. If it is a space due to an area effect, your target is a space. This also goes for non-attack actions; a lock is your targwet while picking it, your friend is your target while healing him, etc. Attacks from things that are not your target result in a -2 penalty to defense, while attacks that come from directly oppisite your target always target your Surprise Defense.

Making an attack is resolved normally. Absolutely no changes here. Sorry for the lett down, but I'm finding nothing wrong with attacks. A few additions have been made to melee attacks to get people moving: every melee attack allows the character to take a five foot step. This will be important in regards to defense. This is for a main (single at full BAB) attack.

Under this sytem iteratives attacks (all attacks past the first one) are move actions. If you have multiple iterative attacks, all of them count as one move action. In this combat system, iterative attacks represent desparate flurries and sucker punches, intended to deal damage quickly in a short space of time.

Armor CLass, however, has been killed and scattered into three parts of awesome- Parry, Dodge, and Surprise Defense. Armor itself will also be covered in this segement, as well as how to get around it.

Each for attack a character is subjected to that does not surprise him he can Dodge or Parry. Each has it's restrictions, both both require the character to be able to react to the attack and be mobile. An immobolized or unaware character can only use his Surprise Defense.

Parry Defense

Parry uses the following formula- 10+BAB+Str mod+Shield bonus+universal defense mods. To use your Parry Defense, you must be armed and take a simultaneous actions every round to keep your relative position to your target. This include free 5 foot steps as he takes them, but you may have to sacrifice move actions to keep up with him. Parry is ineffective against porjectile attacks and touch attacks that originate from outside melee reach, and attempting to use Parry on such attacks result in an automatic hit. Also, equipment tends to get chewed up in a Parrying defense, as each missed attack results in a sunder attack against the defenders choice of his weapon or shield. There are two exceptions to this rule- shields and Improved Unarmed Strike. Shield allow the use of Parry against porjectile attacks, but misses always sunder the shield. More detail on object damage can be found in chapter 2. Improved Unarmed Strike allows a character to Parry armed attacks and take no damage. Natural attacks that are used in Parry also follow this rule.

Dodge Defense

Dodge uses the following formula- 10+BAB+Dex mod+Dodge bonus+universal defense mods-Armor Check Penalty. Using your Dodge requires that you take a 5 foot step for each attack you are subjected to. This step can provoke an attack of opportunity, but never from your target. If you can not take a 5 foot step, you can not Dodge. However, Dodge is effective against all attacks that you are aware of and attack that misses as you Dodge is a total miss.

Uncanny Dodge Rewrite: Whenever subject to an attack that would normally target your Surprise Defense, you may instead Dodge, though all the restrictions for Dodge still apply, including the 5 foot step.

Surprise Defense

Surprise uses the following formula- 10+Armor+Natural Armor/DR+Universal defense mods. Unlike damage that was dealt by blasting through othe forms of defense, Surprise is when you are unaware of an attack and the attacker is free to work around your armor, utilizing the chinks and flaws. As a result, your natural armor and armor do not porvide Damage Reduction against attacks that target Surprise Defense. Any condition that leaves you flat-footed reduces you to your Surprise Defense. The only exception is touch attacks, which still target your Suprise Defense but without any of the Armor or Natural Armor bonuses. Yeah, it would suck to be you...

Minor Sneak Attack Rewrite: Whenever an attack would target Surprise Defense, you deal extra damage. That's it.

Universal Defense Bonuses

These apply to all your Defense traits- Circumstantial, Deflection, Sacred, Profane, Size, Cover, and Insight. Racial and Alchemical bonuses are gone and change into one of the other types, probably natural armor or insight...

What Happened to Armor?

Armor and Natural Armor now provide Damage Reduction equal to their protective value on Parry and Dodge. In the case of creature with Natural Armor and Damage reduction, use the higher of the two values and tack the result on to Surprise Defense when that comes up. "But Spaz, what about DR that comes from fast healing rates?" Bullshit, DR should always be from toughness of exterior. If you want a creature to have freakish healing rates, I recommend Fast Healing. DR and Natural armor are the same in this system. A Barbarian does not have an unsual healing rate upon gaining DR, he just has skin like a leahter pancake as a result of his life style.

Breaking Down the Round

To amke combat a bit more uncertain, exciting, and less like my first sample of boring combat, have actions in a round break down this way:

Initiative- either roll initiative round by round or have any actions that change initiative order be declared at the beginning of the round, then record the order.
Actions- everyone declares and performs their actions, but under no circumstances let the final results be known yet. If they hit, tell them so but don't roll damage yet; if an area effect is used, pick the target space but don't reveal actual area of effect or damage, and so on.
Total- final effects are revealed, including new circumstances. This is where people record their total damage taken for the round, saves are rolled, and effects that alter the field of battle are set.

Manuevers

This section will introduce major rewrites to existing actions as well as some new actions. The below action type is added:

Simultaneous Actions are reactions to a stimulous and can only be applied to that particualar set of stimuli. These represnt reactions (attack of opportunity), or side by side actions (the free attack gained on a successful trip). Unless stated otherwise, a simultaneous action may only be taken once per turn and is essentially a swift action. Once a simultaneous action is taken another one can not be taken until the next round.

Each manuever listed is made as a substitution of an attack, and unless stated otherwise uses the attack bonus of the attack you sacrificed to use the manuever. Keep in mind your first attack is always a standard action, and all iterative attacks are taken together as a move action.

Attack

The attack is pretty stright forward- you strike at your opponent and either deal damage or don't. However, we can make things fun with unlockable options like these:

Power Attack- Heavy Assault

By taking Power Attack and shifting accuracy for damage, your attacks become Heavy Assaults. Aside from increased damage, you can send opponents flying. If damage done to a target no more than one size larger than you equals or exceeds the creatures Strength, he gains the Airborne condition and is sent back a number of feet equal to the ammount of damage dealt- his Strength. If this would send him flying into a hard surface, he takes and deals damge to the object equal to the remainder of the feet he should have flown.

Combat Expertise- Counter Attack

By taking combat expertise and using it to fight defensively you can set up your foe, gaining a bonus to attack rolls on your target equal to the ammount he misses your Dodge or Parry Defense, up to a maximum of the ammount of attack you currently have placed in Defense.

Weapon Finesse- Finesse Attack

Taking this feat allows you a special combat option- by purposely including your foes Armor and /or Natural Armor bonuses into his current Defense against your attacks you may ignore the related Damage Reduction on a hit.

Disarm

If this manuever is used, it can provoke an attack of opportunity on a miss. If the attack hits you deal no damage, but the opponents currently employed weapon is on the ground in your space. If the target has multiple items in his hands, the character must choose one, and the target gains a +2 to his defense if he is holding the target is holding the item in both hands. If you have a free hand you may use another attack to grab it as per a moving object. Alternatively, you may cause the weapon to fly a number of feet in a direction of your choice equal to the ammount your attack exceeded your targets defense. If this flight would cause the weapon to hit a potential target, the object attacks with an effective roll equal to the ammount you attack exceeded your original targets defense.

Natural and unarmed strikes can not be disarmed.

Fient

This manuever substitutes your attack roll with a Bluff check, which must hit either your defenders Defense or, on an aware target, his Sense Motive bonus +10, whichever is higher. A hit does not deal damage, but instead causes the next attack to target him to use his Surprise Defense. This manuever does provoke an attack of opportunity on a failure.

You take a -10 penalty on Fients against creature of animal (2 or lower) Intelligence, as these creature effectively have no brain or thought process to disrupt.

Grapple

To initiate a grapple you must make a melee touch attack against your opponent, with a hit establishing the Held condition on both you and your opponent. This provokes an attack of opportunity. In addition to already existing manuevers, new options open up:

Move

You forcibly move the thing you are holding or is holding you by beating it's defense, moving the target a number of feet equal to the ammount you beat the defense by. If decide to move the creature beyond your reach, you must let go or be let by the thing holding you (free action). If either you or your foe refuses to let go, than move can not move the target beyond your reach unless your attack exceeds your targets defense +5. This attack deals normal damage is successful.

Pin

By succeeding on an attack against the thing you are bound to your render your foe completely immoblized, unable to take any action other than an escape manuever. This attack deals no damage, can only be performed on a target no more than one size larger than you, and diables you from taking any actions other than move actions or the move and attack manuevers unless your target is two or fewer sizes than you. All attacks that target a pinned target use the targets Surprise Defense.

Escape

By beating your opponents defense with either an attack roll or a Escape Artist check, you end the held condition on both you and your opponent. Escape,provokes attacks of opportunity.

Trip

Using this attack provokes and attack of opportunity, and failure results in a simultaneous trip attack against you that does not carry the preceding risks. However, if the attack hits you target becomes prone and you get a simultaneous free attack aginst your target. This attack deals normal weapon damage, plus an extra +1 damage for every two points your attack exceeded defense. This extra damage does not apply to the follow-up attack, only the trip attack itself.

Steal

Using this manuever requires a free hand to use, provokes an attack of opportunity and takes a penalty depending on the target object, but on a successful attack you take one item visible on your targets body, which is now in your free hand. Characters with 10 or more ranks in Slight of Hand leave the target unaware of the theft. Characters with 15 or more ranks in Slight of Hand immediately pocket the item as a free action, leaving the free hand open. Items in the targets hands can not be targeted with this manuever, those are covered by disarm.

Free sitting item in character space- familiars (paralyzed or stuffed), ioun stones, etc. -1
Loosely worn items- neclaces, bracelets, crowns, hats, etc. -2
Closely worn or secured items- weapons in sheath, anything in a targets mouth, gloves, shoes, etc. -4
Tightly worn items- rings, bracers, chokers, panties, etc. -6 and target must be pinned

Dirty Trick

This is a catch all for cheap tricks that deal no damage but infflict conditions on your target, like throwing mud in the eyes, pantsing foes, and sack taps. On a sucessful attack any one of the following conditions are applied for one round- blind, deaf, dazed, sickened, entangled. Using this attack provokes an attack of opportunity and is subject to GM veto, though the GM must consider the environment and character capabilities; you can't really pants a dragon, but you could shit in your hand (move action) and fling it into his eye. (eww... XP)

Charge

This is a full round action that can only be taken if your target is more than 10 feet away but no farther than you can run in a single round. You close the distance by sprinting and make a single (standard) attack. On a hit this attack deals extra damage equal to the distance you ran in feet divided by 5 and is a Heavy Assault (see above) for the purposes of extra effects.

Coup De Grace

If an attack beats your targets Defense by 10 or more you can instead choose to have him covered. A covered target can take no action without provoking an immediate initive check between the target and his assailant. If the target wins, the assailent deals normal weapon damage automatically. If the assailent wins, the target must succeed on a fortitude save at DC 15+ the assailents attack bonus, taking normal weapon damage without the benefit of DR, or die instantly.

Creatures immune to critical hits or lacking a constitution score can be covered, but are immune to coup de grace. If the assailent was fighting the targets Surprise Defense, he may cover upon exceeding Defense +5.

Lock Blades

On a successful attack roll that provokes an attack of opportunity, the character can lock blades with his target, inflicting the held condition on both himself and the target. This attack works by targeting a weapon aith an attack, thus if the target has multiple weapons or attacks he must choose which one to lock. The assailents own weapon is also locked, thus if he has multiple weapons or attack he must chosse which one he is using to lock. A locked weapon can not be used to attack or parry, but otherwise, locking blades opens up the same manuevers as grappling does.

Conditions

New additions to the list of possible conditions that could afflict your character.

Airborne

You are flying through the air with absolutely no control over flight path or rotation. All attacks target your Surprise Defense. Situations that inflict the Airborne condition in the SRD include (but are not limited to) falling and jumping.

Burning

You have caught fire, and are now taking damage as per catching fire. This damage is increased by +1 per die if you take a move or standard action. This condition may be removed by taking a move action to roll a reflex save. If you take a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity you roll twice and take the better result.

Held

You are in a hold of some kind, bound to what ever is holding you. This has the following effects:

You may not move beyond your current position without succeeding on an opposed Stregnth check with whatever is holding you. Movement is cut in half while held unless the target is two or more sizes larger than you, in which case it is cut to 1/10. If bound to a thing that is samller than you, you may move at full speed. Double moves and running are only possible if the thing you are bound to is two sizes smaller than you or less.
You can only use light weapon without penalty, though a one handed weapon can be used at -4 penalty.
You may not use Dodge Defense unless you are bound to something two sizes smaller than you or less.

User:Spazalicious Chaos/The Book of Frenzied Warfare (3.5e Sourcebook)/FIGHT!

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