Random Combat Rules I Don't Know How to Organize

Range
Every weapon has a range, the weapon’s approximate length in yards. Combat begins at the range of the longest weapon. A weapon can only be used to attack at its range, although it can be used to parry if the attacker is using a weapon with greater reach. Thus, two combatants are at range 2 from one another. One has a spear (range 2) the other a sword (range 1). Combat begins at range 2. The spearman can attack with the spear. The swordsman can parry the spear, but not attack—his weapon doesn’t reach.

Normal attacks are considered to include a step forward and normal parries and blocks are considered to take a step back, even if the maneuver fails. This means in regular combat the range between the two combatants stays the same. If a parrying character chooses not to step back (or cannot) there is a –2 modifier to his parry. Conversely, an attacker choosing not to step forward has a –2 modifier to his attack.
If a character attacks normally and his opponent does not use a maneuver that includes a step back (such as a parry with a –2 modifier) then the range is increased by one. If a character parries his opponent does nothing that register the range does not change. The opponent is considered to simply step forward to maintain the range.

There are also two special ranges, 0 also called close range, and wrestling range. At close range the combatants are near enough to touch one another barehanded. At wrestling range the combatants are effectively on top of one another. These ranges are discussed in more detailed in hand-to-hand combat, below.

There are certain maneuvers which will change the range in addition to these rules.

Shields, Parrying Daggers & Off-hand Weapons
It takes special skill to use a shield, parrying dagger or a second weapon in your off hand. A character using one of these secondary skills during combat draws a number of cards equal to either his main weapon skill, or the secondary skill, which ever is lower. The character may take a total number of maneuvers equal to the highest of the maximum maneuvers of the two weapons plus one, but may use neither weapon more times than its individual maximum maneuvers allows.

For Example:
For some bizarre reason, Devon is fighting with a medium axe (2 maneuvers, skill 4) and a poinard (3 maneuvers, skill 6). He draws four cards (his parrying dagger skill) and may take a total of 4 maneuvers. However, he may not take more than 2 maneuvers with the axe, nor 3 with the poinard. In this instance he would attack twice with the axe and, should his opponent seize the initiative, parry up to twice with the dagger.

Shield Bash
Small shields can also be used to attack at range 0 with a maneuver called shield bash. Shields have a maximum damage of 1 but get no benefit for hit location. All shield bashes are done to the head. Only one shield bash can be performed per round and the shield can not be used to parry that round.

Special Situations
Hit Location
Melee weapons can also be used to call shots. Called shots to an area of an opponent’s body have the same modifiers as in ranged combat.
Hit Location Attack Modifier
Head -5
Head Vitals -8
Torso Vitals -6
Legs -3
Arms -3

Changing Weapons
A character can not change the weapon he is using during a combat round and then use the new weapon during that round. To change a weapon the player must have a card from his draw remaining. The player uses that card to drop the old weapon and draw a new one. After a player changes weapons he can take no other action that combat turn. At the beginning of the next round the player draws a hand for the new weapon using either the weapon skill or his fast draw skill, which ever is lower. On the second round the player draws his weapon skill for the new weapon normally.

For Example:
Devon has been dueling with a young noble using a long sword (range 1). The noble got the better of him and reduced the range from 1 to 0. Since the range is too low to use his sword effectively, Devon drops his sword to draw his dagger.
During round one, Devon, using the sword, has initiative. The noble doesn’t step back while parrying, reducing the range to 0. During the second register Devon changes weapons. Even if he has more cards in his hand he may take no further actions this turn.

During the second register Devon still has the initiative, but since he switched weapons last turn he uses either his dagger skill or his fast draw skill to draw his hand, whichever is lower. Devon doesn’t have the fast-draw skill at all, so he defaults to one card.

When the third round starts Devon has had the dagger in his hand from the beginning and may draw his hand based on his dagger skill as he normally would.

Show Downs
In situations where characters have to draw their weapons to start combat, the fast-draw skill is used instead of combat training to determine initiative.

Charging
A character who charges another runs towards the foe and then ends in combat. The charge is the only action the attacker may take that turn. At the end of the turn both he and his opponent can make one (and only one) melee maneuver. The character who charged has the initiative (unless the opponent’s weapon has greater range). Next round the combat proceeds normally. The character who charged retains the initiative unless he lost it to the opponent by a maneuver.

Charging adds 1 to the maximum damage doable that turn.

Surprise
If one character surprises the other, either by an ambush or because they attacked before the other character was expecting it, the GM can declare that the target is surprised. The attacker then gets one attack which the opponent can not defend against. If the defender has the combat training skill, me may make an opposed skill check to see if he can avoid being surprised.

Hesitating
At any point a player with the initiative may hesitate and relinquish the initiative to his opponent. If both players hesitate, combat ends.

Multiple Opponents
When a character faces more than one opponent at once he must face them with his hand as normal and may never have initiative on more than one opponent at a time. If a character has the initiative over one foe and seizes the initiative from another, he automatically yields the initiative to the first foe.

All maneuvers occur simultaneously during each register, so if two opponents attack a character at the same time he could parry one attack, letting the other attack get through. The player can choose to parry multiple attacks during a single register, but each parry uses a maneuver and a separate card from his hand. The player declares which card parries each individual attack. The attack-parry combinations are resolved separately even though they all occur during a single register. This means to parry three attacks during the first register he would have to use three cards from his hand. This is the only way a player can use more than one card in a register.

Unopposed Actions
Any unopposed maneuver automatically succeeds. This gives a character with more maneuvers and greater skill than his opponent a significant advantage.

Unusual Foes
All of the maneuvers listed so far have assumed two combatants of equal size. But in the fantasy worlds of Karmic foes can come in all shapes and sizes. The following maneuvers may only be applied to foes of the appropriate size.

Large Creature Maneuvers
A creature is considered a “large creature” if it is twice the size of the attacker. Large creatures have different modifiers to hit on called shots.

Large Creature To-Hit Modifiers
Hit Location Attack Modifier
Head -5
Head Vitals -6
Torso Vitals -4
Legs 0
Arms -2

Flank (special): A character must have the initiative to flank. This maneuver is used to get around a larger creature. The modifier is equal to the target’s finesse. Once an attacker successfully flanks a target the target may not attack or dodge blows from the attacker next round or for the remainder of the current round. A flank can be prevented by a successful dodge.

Cling (-4): A character must have the initiative to cling. This maneuver allows a character to grab onto an enemy. Having clung onto an opponent the character may attack with any weapon he wishes while his opponent cannot use any attack with a range greater than 0 against the clinging character. If the attacker successfully flanked the target before clinging the target can not attack the character at all.

Chop (special): Occasionally, creatures will have some way of entangling its victims. A successful chop maneuver will free someone entangled by a limb. The modifier is equal to the vitality of the entangling appendage.

Small Creature Maneuvers
Any thing less than half the size of the attacker is considered a “small creature.” Small creatures have different modifiers to hit on called shots.

Small Creature To-Hit Modifiers
Hit Location Attack Modifier
Head -8
Head Vitals N/A
Torso Vitals -10
Legs -6
Arms -5

An attacker can not call a shot against the head vitals of a small creature.

Swipe (special): A character must have the initiative to swipe. A swipe maneuver allows a character to attack multiple small creatures at once. The negative modifier is the number of creatures being attacked. Each target gets a normal defense against the swipe. The damage done is applied normally to each target that does not successfully defend against the attack.

Swat (0): Resolve immediately. A swat is used to push a smaller creature away from the attacker. A swat does no damage but pushes the target back a number of feet equal to the damage the weapon would have done.

Smash (-2): A character must have the initiative to perform a smash. A smash attack uses the superior size and strength of a larger attacker to make an impact weapon more effective. A smash maneuver can only be used with an impact weapon (clubs and maces, for example). The damage and damage total from a smash maneuver is tripled. After executing a smash maneuver the attacker can take no other actions and surrenders the initiative to his opponent.

Buck (0): A buck maneuver throws off a target clinging to the attacker. A successful buck will counter a cling.

For Example:
Devon is facing an enemy soldier. Both are using swords with maximum manuevers of 3. Devon’s skill is 3, the soldier’s is 2.
1. They both draw for initiative. Devon draws from his combat training skill and gets +2. The soldier draws the default of one card and gets –4. Devon has the initiative.
2. Devon draws a hand from his sword skill and gets +3 (hit), -2, and +10. The soldier draws a –2 (hit) and +5.
3. Declare maneuvers. Devon has the initiative, so he declares first. He puts the +3 (hit) face down in front of him and declares an attack maneuver. This is his first register. In the soldier’s first register he declares a parry and puts the +5 face down. Devon’s sword allows two more maneuvers and he has the cards in his hand, so he continues. Devon declares another attack and puts down his –2, effectively a feint. The soldier puts down the –2 (hit) and declares another parry. Devon has both another card and another free maneuver, so he plays his +10 face down and declares a disarming attack. The guard has no more cards left to play so he can not defend against the last attack.
4. Resolve maneuvers. First register. Devon’s total combat modifiers are +1 (finesse +0, force +1), the guard’s total is 0 (finesse +0, force +1, armor modifier –1). The soldier’s parry total is +5 (+5 for card value, +0 for modifiers, +0 for maneuver difficulty). Devon’s total is therefore -1 (+3 for card value, +1 for modifiers, +0 for maneuver difficulty, -5 opponent’s parry total). The attack total is less than 1, so the attack fails. Second register. The soldier has a –2 parry total (he chooses not to hit when he sees Devon’s card revealed). His parry total isn’t positive so it doesn’t modify the attack total. The attack total is –1, though (-2+1+0) and misses. Third register. The soldier couldn’t take an action this turn. Devon reveals his +10. His attack total this turn is +6 (+10 card value, +1 for modifiers, -5 for maneuver difficulty). The modified total is above 0, so Devon successfully flings the soldier’s sword away from his grasp. This doesn’t necessarily end the combat, but the round is over.