Forgotten Realms Campaign: Combat Rules

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Forgotten Realms Campaign - Combat Rules

For details of actions possible in combat, see the combat moves page.

1) Initiative

At the beginning of each combat, everyone rolls for initiative to determine the order of action from highest to lowest. This order applies until the combat is over - it isn't rerolled every round.

2) Surprise

At the beginning of combat, if some combatants are unaware of their opponents, a surprise round occurs. This consists of a single standard action, plus any free actions, for those who are aware only. At the end of this round all unaware combatants are considered to become aware.

3) Being Flat-Footed

Until the beginning of your first move in each combat, you are flat-footed. You lose your Dex bonus to AC (unless you have the uncanny dodge ability) and are vulnerable to sneak attacks.

4) Critical Hits

Rolling a natural 20 (or 19-20, etc., depending on your weapon) results in the possibility of a critical hit. You then make a second hitroll. If successful the damage dice are rolled multiple times (the multiple also being dependent on the weapon).

4) Attacks of Opportunity

A character performing certain actions in combat (including firing ranged weapons and casting spells; see the list of combat moves for full details) provokes attacks of opportunity from all opponents within melee range. They receive an additional, immediate melee attack against that character. A character can only make one attack of opportunity each round unless they have the Combat Reflexes feat.

Moving out of a square threatened by (within melee range of) an opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from that opponent, unless a move that specifically avoids attacks of opportunity (such as withdraw, or a 5' step) is being used.

5) Getting killed

If you are reduced to zero hit points, you are disabled - not dead (yet). Your move is reduced to one standard action or one move action per round. Performing any standard action or any other strenuous action deals one point of damage.

Between -1 and -9 HP inclusive, you are unconscious and dying, and your condition is unstable. You may not take any actions. At the end of each round, you have a 10% chance to become stable. If not, you take one point of damage and repeat the process on the next round. A successful Heal check (DC15), or any amount of magical healing, makes a dying character stable. Stable characters are no longer taking damage each round but remain unconscious until they are raised to 0 HP or above. -10 HP and you're dead. Sorry...

6) Subdual damage

This is nonlethal damage, which you can elect to deal instead of normal damage (suffering a -4 penalty to hit). Unarmed attacks (and some specific others) are subdual by default. When subdual damage exceeds current hit points, the character is unconscious (but basically unharmed). Subdual damage heals at the rate of 1 point per hour per character level.

7) Flanking

If you manage to maneuvre so that an opponent is directly between, and within melee range of you and an ally, the opponent is flanked. You both receive +2 to hit them, and the opponent is vulnerable to sneak attacks.

8) Cover

If you are able to take cover behind something (pretty much any obstacle, including the corner of a wall or other creatures) you gain several advantages against opponents from whom you have cover. You gain +4 to AC vs. their attacks, do not provoke attacks of opportunity from them, and (unless your cover is another creature) gain +2 to Reflex saves vs. relevant attacks (such as damaging spells or dragon's breath) originating from the other side of your cover.

A creature completely behind an obstacle has total cover, and cannot be attacked at all.

9) Concealment

If your opponents can't quite tell where you are, you have concealment, and receive a 20% chance that any successful attack will simply miss. Concealment is typically provided by low light, fog, tall grass, or specific magical effects.

If your opponents can't see you at all, due to total darkness or invisibility, you have total concealment and cannot be attacked directly (instead an opponent must attack a square they think you are in). In addition, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and the miss chance increases to 50%.

10) Favourable and Unfavourable Conditions

Various conditions give bonuses or penalties to your hitroll. These include being invisible, being on higher ground, or your opponent being frightened, shaken, dazzled, entangled or prone.

11) Helpless Defenders

A character is helpless if they cannot defend themself at all (being unconscious, paralysed, or otherwise incapacitated). Their Dex is treated as being 0 (modifying AC by -5) and they are vulnerable to sneak attacks and the coup de grace action. Their AC vs. standard melee attacks is further reduced by 4.