I had this idea on how to make combat more fluid. Please feel free to tell me if i missed anything or if this doesn't work with a feet or something.
How Combat Works
Combat is cyclical; everybody participates in a action based cycle. Combat follows this sequence:
1. When combat begins, all combatants roll initiative.
2. Determine which characters are aware of their opponents. These characters can act during a surprise round. If all the characters are aware of their opponents, proceed normally. See the surprise section for more information.
3. After the surprise round (if any), all combatants are ready to being the first normal round of combat.
4. Combatants choose to make 1 action, such as a move or standard action, they can choose to make a longer action such as a full round action but not all effects occur until later in the combat round.
In a round of combat, you can do either :
1 Full-round action OR
1 Standard action plus 1 Move action (in any order) OR
2 Move actions (effectively trading your Standard action for a Move action)
Plus a combination of :
1 Swift or Immediate Action and 5 Free Actions
5. When the two subrounds have occurred, the next combat round begins with the combatant with the highest initiative, and steps 4. and 5. repeat until combat ends.
The Combat Round
Each round represents 6 seconds in the game world; there are 10 rounds in a minute of combat. A round normally allows each character involved in a combat situation to act.
Each round's activity begins with the character with the highest initiative result and then proceeds in order. When a character's turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character decides what his action is and then waits for the action sequence to end. Everything in 1 subround occurs all at once. A character can stop an 2 action sequence and is refunded whatever is left of his action.
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Initiative
At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check. Each character applies his or her Dexterity modifier to the roll, as well as other modifiers from feats, spells, and other effects. Characters act in order, counting down from the highest result to the lowest. There are 2 action based subrounds in every round. The combatants act together simultaneously, yet the first in the initiative has right of way in combat or entering a square.
Flat-Footed: At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your action in the initiative order), you are flat-footed. You can't use your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) while flat-footed. Barbarians and rogues of high enough level have the uncanny dodge extraordinary ability, which means that they cannot be caught flat-footed. Characters with uncanny dodge retain their Dexterity bonus to their AC and can make attacks of opportunity before they have acted in the first round of combat. A flat-footed character can't make attacks of opportunity, unless he has the Combat Reflexes feat.
Inaction: Even if you can't take actions, you retain your initiative score for the duration of the encounter.
Surprise
When a combat starts, if you are not aware of your opponents and they are aware of you, you're surprised.
Sometimes all the combatants on a side are aware of their opponents, sometimes none are, and sometimes only some of them are. Sometimes a few combatants on each side are aware and the other combatants on each side are unaware.
Determining awareness may call for Perception checks or other checks.
The Surprise Round: If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs.
Unaware Combatants: Combatants who are unaware at the start of battle don't get to act in the surprise round. Unaware combatants are flat-footed because they have not acted yet, so they lose any Dexterity bonus to AC
Miscellaneous Actions
The following actions take a variable amount of time to accomplish or otherwise work differently than other actions.
Take 5-Foot Step
You can move 5 feet in any round when you don't perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can't take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can't take a 5-foot step in the same round that you move any distance.
You can take a 5-foot step before, during, or after your other actions in the round.
You can only take a 5-foot-step if your movement isn't hampered by difficult terrain or darkness. Any creature with a speed of 5 feet or less can't take a 5-foot step, since moving even 5 feet requires a move action for such a slow creature.
You may not take a 5-foot step using a form of movement for which you do not have a listed speed.
Use Feat
Certain feats let you take special actions in combat. Other feats do not require actions themselves, but they give you a bonus when attempting something you can already do. Some feats are not meant to be used within the framework of combat. The individual feat descriptions tell you what you need to know about them.
Use Skill
Most skill uses are standard actions, but some might be move actions, full-round actions, free actions, or something else entirely.
The individual skill descriptions in Using Skills tell you what sorts of actions are required to perform skills.
Immediate Action-No action
Much like a swift action, an immediate action consumes a very small amount of time but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. However, unlike a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any time—even if it's not your turn. Casting feather fall is an immediate action, since the spell can be cast at any time.
Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action and counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn). You also cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed.
Free Action-No action
Free actions don't take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn. Free actions rarely incur attacks of opportunity
Cease Concentration on Spell
Drop an Item
Drop Prone
Speak
Swift Action- No Action
A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that regard, a swift action is like a free action. You can, however, perform only one single swift action per turn, regardless of what other actions you take. You can take a swift action anytime you would normally be allowed to take a free action. Swift actions usually involve spellcasting, activating a feat, or the activation of magic items.
Move Action-1 Action
Move - Equal to movement speed
Closing the gap(The character follows a target, equal to it's movement speed)
Control Frightened Mount
Redirect an Active Spell
Draw a weapon -- If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may draw a weapon as a free action combined with a regular move. If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can draw two light or one-handed weapons in the time it would normally take you to draw one.
Drawing ammunition for use with a ranged weapon (such as arrows, bolts, sling bullets, or shuriken) is a free action.
Load a hand crossbow or light crossbow
Open or close a door
Mount/dismount a steed
Move a heavy object
Pick up an item
Sheathe a weapon
Stand up from prone
Ready or drop a shield -- If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you can ready or drop a shield as a free action combined with a regular move.
Retrieve a stored item
Standard Action-1 Action
Attacks - (Ranged, Melee, Magic)
Charge - You are able to take only a standard action, you can still follow the target and charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed. (instead of up to double your speed).
Aid Another
Activate a magic item
Cast A Spell
Channel Energy
Concentrate on spell
Concentrate to maintain an active spell
Dismiss a spell
Drink a potion or apply an oil
Escape a grapple
Feint
Light a torch with a tindertwig
Lower spell resistance
Read a scroll
Ready (triggers a standard action)
Stabilize a dying friend (see Heal skill)
Total defense
Use extraordinary ability
Use spell-like ability
Use supernatural ability
Full-Round Action - 2 Actions
A full-round action consumes all your effort during a round. You can take a 5-foot step before, during, or after the action.
Charge - Charging is a special full-round action that allows you to move up to twice your speed following the target and attack during the 2nd action. After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and take a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn. A charging character gets a +2 bonus on combat maneuver attack rolls made to bull rush an opponent.
Full Attack You can choose to fight defensively when taking a full attack action. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round.
Deliver Coup De Grace
Escape Net
Extinguish Flames
Light Torch
Load a heavy or repeating crossbow
Lock or unlock weapon in locked gauntlet
Throw splash weapon
Run - When you run, you can move up to four times your speed in a straight line (or three times your speed if you're in heavy armor). You lose any Dexterity bonus to AC unless you have the Run feat.You can run for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score, but after that you must make a DC 10 Constitution check to continue running. You must check again each round in which you continue to run, and the DC of this check increases by 1 for each check you have made. When you fail this check, you must stop running. A character who has run to his limit must rest for 1 minute (10 rounds) before running again. During a rest period, a character can move no faster than a normal move action.
Use touch spell on up to six friends
Withdraw
Could you summarize in just a few lines what you're trying to accomplish, and why?
I am splitting combat into 2 subrounds, the objective is to make the combat a little less linear and a little more life like, each subround occurs all at once, characters takes actions "together" but the first in the initiative has right of way. As well i added a feature to allow people to follow a target to the best of their ability, i call it closing the gap.
Why exactly would someone want to full attack in this system? Or rather, how could someone full attack in this system?
By splitting the combat into two "subrounds," what's to prevent the person I'm trying to full attack becoming an invalid target when they just move out of my reach?
As well, this could lengthen how long combat takes. Something to keep in mind.
Why exactly would someone want to full attack in this system? Or rather, how could someone full attack in this system?
By splitting the combat into two "subrounds," what's to prevent the person I'm trying to full attack becoming an invalid target when they just move out of my reach?As well, this could lengthen how long combat takes. Something to keep in mind.
When making a full attack you make half or your attacks in the first round. The second round you may decide to take the other half or not. "A character can stop a 2 action sequence and is refunded whatever is left of his action."
When play testing melees immediately charge, a ranged based character makes a decision to either A. Run or B. Fire before the brute reaches him. If the ranged character decides to take a move action out of the full attack actions which i assume is a threatened space the melee can make an attack of opportunity and gets refunded an action Or if ranged takes a five foot step then the melee can make the same 5 foot step after him. As per normal rules of pathfinder.
So, how is this "closing the gap" different from normal move-action movement?
Closing the gap - Allows characters to follow a target in motion. For example if a cleric plans on running south and a fighter wants to intercept but is coming east, Ordinarily you would hold your action until after the cleric has acted so you may properly guess where he is going to be his next turn. Yet that is not how real life works. We adapt our choices at a moments notice. Closing the gap is like saying "Im going to take my move action on your turn."
If you have indecisive players who already take too long on their turns this mechanic is not for you. =)
Keeping what has been talked about in mind i would love to hear different rules and actions that would balance this mechanic.
Suggested rules from my gaming party.
It is totally okay to start a full round action on the second subround, it is completed on the end of your next subround.
You may 5 footstep with a charge if a character has used a 5 footstep to move out of your threat range.
I totally agree with the second one but the first one i am a little iffy about.
Adding tid bits of changed content, but the more this is used the better it seems.
Examples: Those with spears can actually use the brace ability. Casters have a chance to flee from some fights but not all. Those with movement capabilities have a chance to use them in combat. As we all know this changes the way a magical/melee caster is played, you get one free attack as part of casting a touch spell within the same round you cast it. So you can cast (Standard), next subround move up to your speed (Move), then touch something (Free). Or cast defensively in a threatened square (Standard), then touch something (Free), then taking a movement next subround which will provoke an attack of op. Everyone seems to execute fullround action abilities as good as before if not better. Though it has been brought to attention that a summoning type character has a slightly more difficult time, that was until i mentioned that they should cast invisibility.
The table Concentration Check DCs is applied a lot more often.
Cast defensively 15 + double spell level
Injured while casting 10 + damage dealt + spell level
Affected by a non-damaging spell while casting DC of the spell + spell level
Grappled or pinned while casting 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level
Vigorous motion while casting 10 + spell level
Violent motion while casting 15 + spell level
Extremely violent motion while casting 20 + spell level
Entangled while casting 15 + spell level
The Additions
Readying an Action: You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Anytime before your next subround, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character's activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.
You can take a 5-foot step with part of your readied action, but only if you don't otherwise move any distance during the round.
Your initiative result does not become the count on which you took the readied action. If you come to your next subround and have not yet performed your readied action, you can hold it for the current subround.
Delay: By choosing to delay, you take no action and then act normally on whatever initiative count you decide to act. When you delay, you voluntarily reduce your own initiative result for the rest of the combat. When your new, lower initiative count comes up later in the same round, you can act normally. You can specify this new initiative result or just wait until some time later in the round and act then, thus fixing your new initiative count at that point.
Tiny update but adds a lot to the system..
You may not stop a charge then start a full attack action within the same round. You may choose to start a Run action at any time if the charge action cannot be completed.
I removed Closing The Gap. Adding this new rule got the same effect that everyone was looking for.
Movement in Combat: Whenever you choose to dedicate any amount of actions to movement you may decide to take your movement anytime during the initiative order that the action takes place, these movements may or may not invoke attacks of opportunity depending on the circumstances.
Update to full attacks, just a clarification really.
A magus casts his spell first and attacks(only with half if given more than one attack.) in the 1st subround.
In 1st edition, initiative was handled differently. More realistically... maybe? GG devoted a lot more brain power to working out this part of the game out than modern developers have. Your suggestion reminds me of old school weapon speeds and casting times, which I could never completely wrap my head around at that age. I don't neccessarily think it is wrong, just that PF is a different game, and that there are appropriate places for simplicity and complexity. It depends on our tastes and where we prefer gamism vs realism. I feel that standard PF initiative - and the built-in benefits of standardized turns - is a boon to the game.
In 1st edition, initiative was handled differently. More realistically... maybe? GG devoted a lot more brain power to working out this part of the game out than modern developers have. Your suggestion reminds me of old school weapon speeds and casting times, which I could never completely wrap my head around at that age. I don't necessarily think it is wrong, just that PF is a different game, and that there are appropriate places for simplicity and complexity. It depends on our tastes and where we prefer gamism vs realism. I feel that standard PF initiative - and the built-in benefits of standardized turns - is a boon to the game.
Pathfinder is a great game i have played many wondrous gaming sessions in the "vanilla" world, to put it simply this is just a house rule that rounds also include subrounds, and i totally agree that it is about realism, my groups makes decisions often enough about the realism of the game, but i dont believe that any of us think we have broken it.And some pathfinder rules are not exactly optimal. "Wings are also considered to be arms for purposes of a called shot." I really hope they meant legs, it would make a lot more sense.
All in all I still call the game i play pathfinder, i use the same content that everybody else does to develop the characters and story.