First things first: Rule Zero is in full effect here. The GM is the final arbiter of how things happen in the game. I'm open to reasoned discussion and creative problem solving. I'm not open to argument once a decision has been reached, even if it contradicts the rules as written.
Arbitrary Bonuses and Penalties: The GM may apply various bonuses or penalties to any and rolls in accordance with creative role-playing or detailed combat posts. Generally, these will be a swing of +/- 1 or 2, with a limit of +/- 4, in extradordinary circumstances. These may be in addition to, or in lieu of, other bonuses and penalties.
Creative Skill Use: The rules as written say certain skills apply for certain activities. I think it's more interesting to allow players room to come up with creative solutions to problems. Example: In combat, a PC wants to bypass a mess of guards by leaping from a table to swing across the room on a chandelier. All right, an Acrobatics checks seems like an obvious thing to roll. But, maybe the player wants to try instead to roll a check using Survival, or Profession: Sailor, or Knowledge: Engineering. With a well reasoned argument supported by excellent role-playing, I would be okay with allowing the attempt. Arbitrary bonuses/penalties
Combat
Positioning: Combatants will be divided up into ranks: Front, middle and rear. Generally, you can't close to melee with someone in a further rank without somehow engaging the nearer rank(s) as well. Generally, this will mean they take opportunity attacks as you pass them by, although the use of certain skills, feats, and/or combat manuevers may mitigate this somewhat. (Through Acrobatics checks, etc.)
Distance: Combatants will be either far away, nearby, or adjacent (i.e., engaged in melee). Foes which are far away can only be engaged with long ranged attacks. Nearby enemies can be reached with a regular move action. Upon engaging in melee, it is difficult to disengage without incurring opportunity attacks (no 5 foot steps, in other words)
Escalation Bonus: Starting in the second round of combat, all attack rolls will gain +1 for both PCs and their foes. For each successive round of combat, the escalation bonus will increase by an additional +1. This should help combats get more exciting and more dangerous the longer they go. Ity should also help the game not to get bogged down with combats that last exceptionally long.
Initiative: The game will use Block Initiative. I will roll all intiative dice at the start of a combat encounter to save time. Then, I will list the combatants in initiative order. For example:
18: Merisiel
15: Valeros
13: 6 Goblins
10: Harsk
9: Goblin Leader
6: Amiri
At this point, Merisiel and Valeros should post their combat actions. Whomever of those two PCs posts first will have their actions resolve first. Then, the actions of the 6 goblins will resolve, followed by actions for Harsk. Then the Goblin Leader, and then Amiri can post, along with actions for Merisiel and Valeros to start off round 2. If a PC and a foe make attacks on the same initiative count, they will both happen simultaneously.
Critical Hits and Misses: Rolls of natural 20 are automatic successes, and will be probably be accompanied by something truly awesome happening. Likewise, natural 1's always miss, and will be accompanied by something very unpleasant happening.
Protocol
All dice rolls should be done on the Paizo site using the dice script.
Writing Tense: Please use third person present for all posts. "Valeros punches the orc..." would be correct. "Valeros punched the orc..." is not preferred. "I punch the orc..." will set my teeth on edge and incite a violent response.
Detailed Combat Rolls: In order to make sure nothing has been omitted, please break down bonuses for all rolls. In other words, don't just type Attack roll 1d20+6...include a parenthetical (Base +3, Flanking +2, Bless spell +1) so I know at a glance whether all relevant modifiers are in place.
Whenever an attack roll is made, please also roll relevant damage dice, even if it appears that you probably missed.
