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A little while ago someone inquired as to how they could run Pathfinder games without using maps and minis, and the consensus was either "you can't" or "wing it", more or less. It got me thinking, and the result is the following system. As always, feedback is welcome, and there's always room for improvement:
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NoMin Combat System
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The NoMin (No Miniatures) combat system is designed to allow groups to have a miniatures-free/no combat map based Pathfinder game without sacrificing the use of existing feats and combat maneuvers, and without giving up the strategic feel of the normal combat system.
NoMin does not use maps or miniatures, but does require a bit more mental book-keeping for the DM and players. It modifies how certain combat actions work, and introduces some new (optional) combat actions and feats. If the NoMin system is not being used exclusively, the feats should be completely ignored.
Relative Combat Conditions (RCCs)
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Relative Combat Conditions are a type of temporary condition that exists only in relation to one other combatant. These conditions may (and likely will) change, be added and be lost during the course of a combat. Each RCC that a combatant has is specific to one other combatant, and needs to be noted as such. For example, the "adjacent" RCC of Player 1 may be "adjacent to Orc 2". These RCCs are the basis for the NoMin system.
Combat Conditions
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[Far]
A combatant that is Far is not in the melee combat fray. This is a general Combat Condition rather than a Relative Combat Condition, as it applies to the combat as a whole. This condition affects certain movement and attack options.
[Close]
A combatant that is Close is near enough to other Close enemy combatants that they can be moved to with a 5-foot step. Like Far, this is a general Combat Condition, not relative to a specific enemy or ally.
[Adjacent] (RCC)
A combatant that is Adjacent to another combatant is within weapon's (or assistance) reach of that combatant.
[Guarding] (RCC)
A combatant that is guarding another combatant is actively attempting to prevent enemies from reaching and attacking the person they are guarding. Any movement that adds or removes the Close or Far conditions, or which removes the Adjacent RCC relative to the ally they are Guarding, removes the Guarding RCC. Being rendered prone also removes this RCC.
[Flanked]
Any combatant that is Adjacent to two or more enemies that are not denied their ability to threaten squares, is considered Flanked, as per the normal PF status.
Movement
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The following actions may be used for movement during combat.
[5-foot-step]
The NoMin 5-foot step follows the same rules as the normal PF 5-foot step. When a combatant uses a 5-foot step they may do one of the following:
- Give themselves and another combatant the Adjacent RCC, as long as both they and the target have the Close condition, or both they and the target have the Far condition and are allies.
- Remove the Adjacent RCC from themselves and another combatant as long as the acting combatant has a reach equal to or greater than that of the target combatant.
[Move Action]
Any movement action that uses a move action provokes attacks of opportunity from any enemy that is Adjacent to the acting combatant. The acting combatant has the option to use acrobatics to mitigate these attacks of opportunity.
- Trade the Far condition for the Close condition.
- Give themselves and another combatant the Adjacent RCC and the Close condition. This provokes attacks of opportunity from any combatant that is Guarding the target combatant.
- Trade the Close condition for the Far condition, and remove any Adjacent RCCs that he or she has. This provokes attacks of opportunity from any Adjacent combatants before the RCCs are removed.
- Give themselves the Guarding RCC relative to one target ally that is Adjacent.
[Full-Round Action]
- Trade the Close condition for the Far condition, and remove any adjacent RCCs that he or she has. This provkes attacks of opportunity from all but one (acting combatant's choice) Adjacent combatants before the RCCs are removed.
Attack and Casting actions
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Attack actions are carried out as normal. Any enemy that is Adjacent to an acting combatant is considered to be within melee range of any attacks. All enemies are considered to be within range of ranged attacks and spells (unless they are Far and the DM judges them to be *too* far for a given attack).
[Ranged Attacks]
Any target that is Adjacent to a combatant that is hostile to them, is considered to be engaged in melee combat for the sake of ranged attacks. Ranged attacks provoke attacks of opportunity from any Adjacent enemies.
[Spellcasting]
Any target that is Adjacent to a combatant that is hostile to them, is considered to be engaged in melee combat for the sake of ranged touch attacks. Spellcasting provokes attacks of opportunity from any Adjacent enemies unless the spell is cast defensively.
[Area Effect]
Any effect that affects an area (area spells, splash weapons, etc) must target a specific combatant. For each 5 feet of maximum width of an area effect (radius of a spell, or distance of a cone, or width of a line) an additional target that has the same distance condition as the original target (Close or Far) may be included as a target. Any combatants that are Adjacent to one of the targets of the effect is also affected. The combatant that is attacking with/casting the effect may choose to exclude one (only one) of the combatants that will be affected. In the case of splash attacks, the targetted combatants are affected by the primary effect and those Adjacent to them are affected by the secondary/splash effect.
Combat Maneuvers
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[Bull Rush]
- The bull rush maneuver gives the acting combatant the Close condition and removes the Far condition. It also gives them the Adjacent RCC relative to a target of his or her choice. If the maneuver is successful against the target, the acting combatant may choose to remove the Adjacent RCC between the target and any number of other combatants, including the acting combatant.
[Overrun]
- The overrun maneuver targets an enemy that is Guarding another enemy. If the maneuver is successful, the acting combatant gains the Close condition and the Adjacent condition relative to one of the combatants that the target was Guarding, but does not provoke an attack of opportunity in the process. If the target chooses to avoid you during your overrun attempt, that target also loses the Guarding RCC relative to the combatant you choose to become Adjacent to.
[Drag]
- If the maneuver succeeds you may remove one Adjacent RCC from the target (and the RCC's target) plus one additional Adjacent RCC for each 5 by which your attack exceeds the target's CMD. If your attack allows you to remove more than one Adjacent RCC, you may choose to apply and Adjacent RCC removal (except the first) to yourself instead. All other rules for the Drag maneuver remain the same.
[Reposition]
- The Reposition maneuver, if successful, allows you to force your target into the Adjacent RCC with any one other combatant that has the Close condition, or remove the Adjacent RCC from that target and the RCC's target. For each 5 by which your attack exceeds the target's CMD, you may force the target into (or out of) an additional Adjacent RCC (subject to the Close requirement). All other rules for the Reposition maneuver remain the same.
[Guarding]
- The Guarding RCC is entered into using a move action as detailed above. You may only be Guarding one target at a time. You grant the target of your Guarding with a +1 dodge bonus to AC, and may, as an immediate action, take an attack that is targetting your Guarding target. You must do this before the attack is rolled. The attack targets you instead. In the case of an area attack that allows a Reflex save, you are considered to have failed your save while the target of your guarding is considered to have succeeded at his or her reflex save automatically.
NoMin Feats
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[Improved Guarding] (Combat)
Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise
You grant the target of your Guarding an additional +1 dodge bonus to AC. Additionally, you are not considered to have automatically failed your Reflex Save when actively Guarding your target against an area effect - you may roll your Reflex Save normally.
Optional Reach Rules
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If you want to include reach as a concept, you can simply alter the rules as follows:
- If a combatant uses a move action to give themselves and a target with a higher reach the Adjacent RCC, the acting combatant provokes an attack of opportunity from their target.
- A combatant with a higher reach than its target may give itself the Adjacent RCC relative to the target without granting the Adjacent RCC to the target, using any of the above actions that would normally grant the Adjacent RCC to both.
- If a combatant with a lower reach than a target may grant itself the Adjacent RCC with a 5-foot step if that target already has the Adjacent RCC relative to the acting combatant.
Like it!
rename 5-foot step as [Disengage]
'findel
Like it!
rename 5-foot step as [Disengage]
'findel
Well, you can use the 5-foot-step to get closer to an enemy as well as to move away from one, without provoking attacks of opportunity. To that end, it remains similar to the minis rules.
