| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
So these are some house rules I developed for combat without using the combat grid. Basically, you use the map to give a description of the fighting area and players can incorporate the scenery.
Combat Adjustments for Grid-less Combat
Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i' th' receiving earth,
For ’tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there, jumping o'er times,
-Henry V, Shakesphere
Zones
Instead of tracking where individuals are in terms of 5 foot squares, we keep track of a simple relative positioning system. Each Side of the combat (normally only the PC’s and whoever is opposing them, but possibly more if there are combatants who are not associated with either) has 3 zones.
Melee: Where the core action of the fight is taking place.
Near: This is where people who are involved in the combat but not trading blows toe-to-toe are.
Far: These characters are only marginally involved in the combat at all.
Each player identifies which zone there character is in. If there are no enemies in the melee zone then players in the melee zone may make full attacks against enemies in the near zone. Players in the far zone may flee from combat by taking a run movement action.
Actions
Players still receive 1 standard, 1 move, and 1 swift action each turn. Players may use their actions exactly as in combat with a grid. However, when they attack with weapons or spells use the chart below to determine where they can attack.
Attacker Zone Action
Full Attack Standard Attack Reach Attack Ranged Attack (Thrown) Ranged Attack (Non-Thrown Spell
Melee Melee Melee, Near (1) Melee, Near Melee (1), Near, Far (3) Melee (1), Near, Far (-2) Melee (1), Near (1), Far (1)
Near None None Melee Melee, Near (2) Melee, Near , Far (-2) Melee, Near
Far None None None Melee (3) Melee, Near (2), Far (3) Melee
Notes:
1) Causes an Attack of Opportunity
2) -2 Range Penalty
3) -5 Range Penalty
Other Adjustments
Attacks of Opportunity: When a player performs an action that provokes an attack of opportunity and they are in the Melee zone one player of an opposing side in the melee zone may make an attack of opportunity.
Movement Between Zones: Players use the rules below to move between zones.
A player can move from the Melee zone to Near zone. A player in the Far zone must first move into the Near zone. A player in the near zone may move into either the Melee or Far zone. A character who moves out of the melee zone provokes an attack of opportunity.
Movement Category: Players have a movement category based on their speed as per the chart below.
Movement Speed Movement Category
0-5 ft. Lumbering
10-15 ft. Very Slow
20-25 ft. Slow
30-35 ft. Normal
40-45 ft. Fast
50 ft. + Very Fast
How many move actions it takes to move between zones, what zones you may fight into when you move into the melee zone, and what zones you may fight into when you charge are determined by the table below.
Movement Category Movement Actions
Move Between Zones Moved into Melee Charge into Melee
Lumbering 2 Move Actions None None
Very Slow 2 Move Actions None Melee
Slow 1 Action Melee Melee, Near
Normal 1 Action Melee, Near Melee, Near
Fast 1 Move action to any zone. Melee, Near Melee, Near, Far
Very Fast 1 Action to move to any zone Any Any
New Combat Actions
Encircle: You can encircle your opponents. A player must be in the melee zone and it takes 2 move actions to encircle. Encircling provokes an attack of opportunity. After completing the encircling action the combatant becomes a new Side that treats its encircled opponents Near zone as the melee zone and the melee zone as the near zone. Encircling a second time undoes this. Players may attempt a tumble check
Overrun: An overrun, pounce, or ride-by attack has the effect of encircling foes after the attack. Players may choose to count as encircling their opposition after any of these attacks.
Lurk: A player may lurk in the melee. This takes 1 move action but the lurker cannot be attacked except by the last person the lurker attacked. Players must make a stealth check or Acrobatics check to lurk in close combat. As long as there is at least 1 other allied player in the melee zone a lurker may count as flanking any target they attack.
Shift Combat: This move action can only be taken in the melee zone. It requires 1 move action. The player may shift the close combat towards some terrain feature or obstacle of their choice. They may use this to establish higher ground or make use of some other beneficial terrain feature.
Take Cover: Players may take cover or concealment in their surroundings. If you take cover in the melee any target that fights you will have the same cover. This takes 1 move action.
Flying: A player who can fly can attack enemies in any zone. They can be struck back foes they attack until their next turn. Players can only attack a flying foe by charging or with ranged weapons.
Burrowing: A burrowing creature can go back to lurking after attacking without making a check.
Swim/Climb: If a combat takes place in or underwater or while climbing, or with all combatants flying recalculate movement category based on this new movement type and run as normal.
Spells
Range
The range of spells effects which zones they can be cast into.
The table below is for Offensive spells.
Attacker Zone Offensive Spell Listed Ranged
Touch Close Medium Long Unlimited
Melee Melee Melee, Near Melee, Near Melee, Near, Far Any
Near None Melee Melee, Near Melee, Near, Far Any
Far None None Melee Melee, Near Any
The Table below is used for the range of beneficial effects
Attacker Zone Offensive Spell Listed Ranged
Touch Close Medium Long Unlimited
Melee Melee, Near Melee, Near Melee, Near, Far Melee, Near, Far Any
Near Melee, Near Melee, Near Melee, Near, Far Melee, Near, Far Any
Far Self Far, Near Melee, Near, Far Melee, Near Any
Spell Area
Without absolute positioning the area a spell effects is abstracted. Spells can be aimed at targets based on the range rules above.
Cones: A cone cast from the Melee zone may target only foes. A cone cast from the Near or far zone must target 1 ally in the melee for every 2 enemies targeted. A cone may target 1 person at 5 ft., 3 people at 10 ft, 6 people at 15 ft. Etc.
Burst: A burst targets 4 people for every 5 ft. of radius. A burst must target 1 ally for every 3 enemies target. A burst may into any range into which it can be cast.
Line: A line may affect a number of foes equal to its length (Subject to DM discretion). However, if any enemy in Melee is targeted the line must also target the last person to attack that target.
Shapeable Spells: Shapeable spells never need hit allies.
Actually, this system eliminates miniatures as well. The system above is more like final fantasy combat. Its not just grid-less its representation-ally minimalist. No miniatures, no spaces, no absolute tracking of distances.
When I first got back into the game (with pathfinder) I was shocked that people used grids. Now I don't know how we ever lived without them. I also go without grids for simplicity's sake at times. And I have gotten in e habit of not using the grid fr simple combats.
Oh! Allowing players to describe how they decimate easy encounters has been great too. Makes folks feel their characters are bad asses as well as cutting through great swaths of tedious battles where the outcome was already set in stone.
I'd just use a system like Numenera's.
I don't have Numenera. I bet it is probably something similar to this but the idea here is to have very little difficulty incorporating anything with a standard pathfinder layout.
I just got done running the first part of "Snows of Summer" using the above and it worked great. I was able to run each of the combats for a party of 6 in about 15 minutes an encounter. Players had turns often enough that nobody was disengaged and there were no concerns that anything was OP/broken without the grid.
I just wish I could figure out how to post tables, that would clarify a lot.
Numenera breaks down distance into three categories: immediate (10ft/3m), short (11-50ft/3-15m), and long (51-100/15-30m). Any distance greater is measured precisely. If you take an action, you can move up to an immediate distance. If you don't take an action, you can move up to a short distance. I think you can also move a long distance, but take penalties for it.
My system works similarly. Distance is measured in reach, close (25ft), short (50ft), and long (100ft). How far you can move depends on your actions.
You can easily do the same with Pathfinder since spells are already measured in Touch, Close, Medium, and Long range.
1) Any effect's range gets generalized to the appropriate range.
2) 15-30 foot cones target all creatures in an area between you and a primary target as well as all creatures near the primary target.
3) An effect radius of 20 targets all creatures in a Close range. Lower than that targets a creature and all creatures adjacent to them.
4) Creatures with a movement speed 20 or higher can move to a location within Close range as a move action. Taking the run action allows you to move to a location within Medium range.