Combat is the heart of any roleplaying game system.  Stefan gives us some thoughts on the T & T system.

Combat Moves

By Stefan Jones

T&T has what might be called a “schematic” combat system. Rather than try to simulate a melee on a blow-by-blow, parry-and-dodge, move-here-and-there basis, it boils things down to who took damage on a round-by-round basis. Plenty of factors go into determining combat totals, so combat results are not totally random.

While the combat system is part of the ease of the game’s easy of play, it might lack something for young people who are used to video games where their character’s can employ “moves” (often implemented by intricate joystick moves) that result in extra damage and on-screen “eyeball hits.”

T&T’s Magic-using characters do have some turn-by-turn decisions to make, in spell choice and target. Warriors, not so much. They’re assumed to be doing their best each turn.

So, what can we do about that? I’d like to suggest the introduction of combat moves that effect the course of combat in interesting ways without changing combat totals or unbalancing the game.

Combat moves, like spells, can be traditional, packaged techniques taught by combat schools, or new moves worked out by the fighter or taught by a martial arts master. Some samples are provided below.

General Rules

Success Roll: All moves have a saving roll associated with them; some require more than one saving roll. To pull off the move, the warrior has to make the roll. The difficulty of the roll, and the attribute tested, depends on the nature of the move and sometimes the opponent. The details are included with the description of the move.

Effect: Every move has an effect. Moves that cause extra damage, reduce damage, or otherwise change _overall_ combat results are frowned upon, but they can change the distribution of damage, whether the warrior (or a companion) makes a successful escape, surprise or negate surprise, and so on. The effect may only make sense in the context of a complex combat situation, rather than a simple slug-fest with a wandering monster.

Cost: Moves can have a cost. This can be expending a point of Strength, the loss of a weapon, or so on. The cost of a move depends on the magnitude of its success.

Failure Penalty: Moves can have a failure penalty. . . what happens if the warrior doesn’t make the success saving roll. This can be expending Strength, taking extra damage, or not being able to participate in the next round of combat.

Amateurs: Rogues, Civilians, and Wizards can try to make a combat move, but the difficulty level is increased by one. Any Strength cost is increased by one as well, because these amateurs don’t know how to fight as efficiently as a trained warrior. The GM can rule that especially exotic moves are simply beyond the capabilities of non-warriors.

Sample Moves

Take One For The Team

This is a standard move that every warrior learns at the academy.

Usually, damage from combat (either from spite damage or having the lower combat total) is divided evenly among the adventurers. This move lets the warrior take an extra “share” of the damage. The player declares that his or her character will try the move at the beginning of the turn.

Generally, a L2SR against DX is required to pull this move off.

Increase the level of the roll if there are significantly more opponents, or if the “terrain” the combat is on would make if hard for the warrior to defend his companions, or if the opponents are trained warriors who want to hurt the team’s worker members.

Decrease the level of the roll if there are significantly fewer opponents, or if the combat venue makes it easy for the warrior to stand before the enemy.

There’s not cost to this move.

If the roll succeeds, the character takes an extra share of damage. The _overall_ damage the party takes isn’t increased; it is simply distributed differently. (See example below.)

If the roll fails, the character takes bonus damage equal to his normal share of damage that turn. This does mean the overall damage dealt the party has increased!

Example One

Lars and Magda are escorting a young monk — supposedly the avatar of a noted spiritual leader — and his aged tutor. They are ambushed by a large rabble of bandits on a country lane bordered by hedgerows.

Both of the warriors decide to Take One For the Team, in hopes of reducing the wounds suffered by the monks. The GM rules that the SR would increase to level three because there are so many bandits . . . but the hedgerows effectively act as walls, allowing the warrors to keep their opponents from sneaking around and swinging at the monks. So just a L2SR vs. DX is required after all.

On the first turn, both Lars and Magda make their success rolls. The adventurers lose the combat round by 16 points. Normally each member of the party of four would take 4 points of damage. Employing Take One For The Team means the damage is divided by 6 (one extra share each), and that the two warriors take two shares. The GM decides to round things in their favor; the monks take 16/6 = 3 points apiece, while the warriors take 5 points of damage apiece.

On the second turn, Lars doesn’t make the roll, while Magda succeeds. The adventurers lose the combat round by 12 points. Normally, each party member would take 12/4 = 3 points of damage. Magda’s efforts mean the damage is divided by 5, with Magda taking two shares. She takes 6 points of damage (the GM “awards” her the odd point). The others need to split 6 points. In addition to the 2 points of “normal” damage, Lars takes two points of penalty damage. Fortunately, he has enough armor to deal with it.

Strike Your Mark

Another standard move.

This move is the flip side of Take One For The Team. The warrior tries her or her best to target one particular enemy. That enemy takes an extra share of damage, should his side lose. In addition, any Spite Damage that the warrior making the move does is applied just to the targeted enemy.

A L2SR vs. DX is required to pull off this move.

Increase the difficulty of the roll if the target is of significantly higher level (say, two or more levels) than the warror; also increase it if there are significantly more opponents on the enemy team.

Decrease the difficulty if the opponents are relatively inexperienced, or are few in number.

This move requires the warrior to expend one point of Strength.

If the move succeeds, the designated enemy takes an extra share of damage.

If the move fails, the warrior making the move takes an extra share of bonus damage.

Example One
Lars and Magda have successfully escorted the two monks to their sanctuary. Unfortunately, the head priest of the monastery turns out to have been behind the plots against the young avatar. He orders the young acolytes of the welcoming party to attack the adventurers and their charges. Magda surmises that if the head priest is slain, the acolytes (who seem noticably uncertain about their orders, and a little afraid of the priest) will break ranks. The warrior both decide to use Strike Your Mark, targeting the head priest.

There are a dozen acolytes. The GM decides this increases the difficulty level of the move to L4. However, because most of their opponents are youngsters who have just begun their warrior-monk training, she decreases the difficulty down to L4.

Both warriors make the roll, but the acolytes win the combat round. However, Lars and Magda managed to roll 5 “sixes,” meaning the head priest takes that many points of spite damage.

Plow On Through

This is a standard move that trained warrors have practiced during training.

The warrior attempts to burst through a line (or crowd!) of defenders to reach some goal.

A L3SR vs. ST is required to pull off this move. Increase the level of the roll if the adventurers are badly outnumbered, if the “terrain” is unfavorable (e.g., the warrior is charging uphill), or if the opponents are especially skilled warriors.

The warriors gets a saving roll bonus equal to the armor rating of his shield . . . assuming he has one!

If the roll is made, the warrior expends a point of Strength for each level of saving roll was required. She breaks through the enemy line to the destination. She is still part of the general combat this round, and may take damage, but next turn is free to do what needs to be done.

If the roll fails, the warrior expends Strength and takes bonus damage equal to the damage he’d normally recieve (if there is any).

Example One
The party faces a line of the local constabulary guarding the wharf of the ferry out of town. The vessel is about to leave, but if one of the party can reach it he can menace the ferryman into waiting.

The guardsmen actually outnumber the party, but they are not especially good warriors. The GM rules that a straight L3 SR is required.

Barro Bigaxe is picked to run the line. He makes the roll, expending 3 Strength. While the rest of the party battles the constables Barro leaps on the ferry and has a chat with the operator.

Example Two

Lorilar rushes into the D’Krkinai temple, plows through a hall full of chanting worshippers, and races toward the altar where her young ward is about to be sacrificed by the lich who leads the cult.

A narrow staircase leads to the platform where the lich-priest chants and guestures his way through the last steps of an infernal ritual. Barring her way are two hightly skilled, utterly fanatical temple guardians.

Lorilar could try to defeat the guardians, but there may not be time to finish them off. Her player decides she should try to Plow On Through. The GM increases the level of the SR by 1 because Lorilar is outnumbered, another 1 because they are experienced warriors who know how to handle this sort of assault, and another 1 because there is just one way up to the altar. That’s a L6SR vs. ST! Fortunately, Lorilar has a heater shield, which adds 5 to her roll.

On the first turn of combat, Lorilar fails the Plow On Through roll, but wins the combat round, only taking two points of Spite damage. She loses 6 points of ST, and takes an additional two points of Spite damage.

On the second round of combat, Lorilar manages to roll doubles twice in a row, and makes the Plow On Through roll. She expends six points of Strength. The combat doesn’t go in her favor this turn — she takes 18 points of damage, but the armor to deal with all but two points — but she breaks away from the guardians and races up the stairs to rescue her friend. The guardians may still try to pursue, but for the next turn or so the only enemy she’ll need to deal with is the lich-priest and his glowing black magic dagger.

Flee You Fools

Another standard move.

The warrior plants herself in a defensible position and does her best to keep the enemy at bay while her companions flee.

Two success rolls are required to pull this move off: One L2SR against Speed (to successfully intercept pursuers), one L2SR against DX.

Increase the level of the roll if there are significantly more opponents, or if the “terrain” the combat is on would make if hard for the warrior to defend his companions, or if the opponents are trained warriors who want to hurt the team’s worker members.

Decrease the level of the roll if there are significantly fewer opponents, or if the combat venue makes it easy for the warrior to stand before the enemy.

The warrior must expend two points of Strength to perform this move.

If the rolls succeed, the warrior successfully keeps all of the other party members out of the fight. He or she must as well fight the entire enemy party single handed!

If just one roll is made, the enemy splits its forces; half engage in combat with the warrior making the Flee You Fools move, the others are free to deal damage to the helpless fleeing adventurers.

If both rolls are missed, ONE enemy engages the warrior while the rest of the attackers are free to mete out damage on the party.

Two or more warriors can cooperate on this move. This effectively splits the enemy into two groups.

Example

A band or eight uruks pours into the cavern where a worn-out party of adventurers is trying to recouperate. Lemule cries Flee You Fools and positions himself between the mass of enemy and his companions.

The opponents are of roughly equal numbers, and the canyon is neither especially wide or narrow, so the two saving rolls are made at L2. Lemule makes one roll, and misses the other. Four uruks attack him; the other roll for damage which is divided among the party members trying to flee.

A little while later, two uruks and one party member lay dead or dying. Lemule, this time joined by Cyra, try again to hold the line while the other five adventurers flee. Cyra makes both rolls; she faces off with three uruks. Lemule manages to miss both rolls. He faces off with one uruk while two others are left free to attack the rest of the party.

Pin Fast
This difficult, exotic move allows the warrior to pin an enemy to a wall or tree by spiking a fold of clothing or a cape with a spear, dagger, or small sword. Of course, it can only be performed in a room with wooden walls, or plentiful trees.

This is not a standard move; it is the sort of thing a warrior would have to practice and refine, or perhaps learn from a martial arts master.

One L3SR versus DX and one L2SR versus DX are required. The L3 roll may be increased or decreased in difficulty, on the GM’s discretion, depending on how much loose clothing is available to thrust a weapon through. The other roll may be increased if the player wishes to make the move from a distance . . . the L2 assumes the warrior is in close combat.

If both rolls are made, the target’s clothing is pinned, rendering him immobile unless he takes time to pull out the weapon or shed the garment. How long this takes depends on the type of clothing. Being pinned also cuts the victim’s Speed and DX adds in half.

If one roll is made, the move fails but the warrior retains his or her weapon.

If both rolls are missed, the warrior making the move loses his weapon . . . it is stuck in a wall or tree and must be pried loose!

A Thousand Cuts
This exotic, risky maneuver is an extension of Strike Your Mark. The warrior tries to strike at vulnerable points of a single opponents, deliberately trying to cause Spite Damage.

The warrior must be armed with a single-handed, pointed weapon, such as a dagger, short sword, or javelin.

There is a cost two points of strength for this move.

In addition to the DX roll required to strike a particular target (as described and modified in Strike Your Mark), A Thousand Cuts requires either a L2SR versus IQ or Luck.

If both rolls are made, the warrior rolls his normal weapon dice, and additional “spite dice” equal to his adds divided by three. This roll is only for the purpose of generating Spite Damage. The total does not add to the party’s combat total.

If one roll is missed, the target takes no damage.

If both rolls are missed, the warrior takes an extra share of bonus damage.

Example

Rushfor, Madga, and G’kargok are facing off against a stone badger. This exotic creature is covered in a pebbly skin . . . literally pebbles, which it eats and extrudes through its flesh from within. The armor rating of 20 will make it difficult for the party to deal with the beast based on combat rolls alone. Magda, who is armed with a spike shield and a gladius, decides to try A Thousand Cuts in an attempt to wield enough Spite Damage to wear the beast down.

Because there is a single target, and the beast is not especially smart, the GM rules that only a L1SR versus DX is required. Magda is far luckier than smart, so she chooses a L2SR versus that attribute for the second success roll.

Magda makes both rolls. She rolls 2d6 for the spike shield and 3d6 for the gladius. Her adds, and the two from the gladius, total 15. Magda rolls another five dice, for a total of ten “spite” dice. Three of the rolls come up six, so the badger takes at least three points of damage.

Weasel Whirl
This is an exotic defensive move that is used to escape from helpless situations. It is usually used when the warrior is on his own, but a character who doesn’t have a problem with leaving companions in a scrape are free to use it. It needs plenty of room to pull off (a 20′ x 20′ room, much less a cramped dungeon corridor, is not enough space) and an escape route. The warrior cannot wear armor heavier than cuirboilli.

Attempting the Weasel Whirl costs three Strength points.

The warrior must make a L2SR against Luck, a L2SR against Speed, and a L2SR against DX. The difficulty of each of the rolls is increased a level if the warrior is outnumbered 3:1 to just short of 5:1, or by two levels if outnumbered by 5:1 or more.

If the Luck roll is failed, the other rolls don’t matter. A normal round of combat is fought, but if the warrior has the higher total the enemy takes no damage (even Spite Damage).

If the Luck roll and the DX roll are both made, but the speed roll is failed, the combat round is fought. Neither side takes any damage except Spite Damage.

If the Luck roll and the Speed roll succeed, but the DX roll does not, the warrior escapes the combat but the enemy rolls to see if any Spite Damage is dealt.

If all three rolls are made, the warrior escapes without harm.  Yes, I did swipe the excellent illo at the start of this blog from Dan’s earlier effort.  Thank you, Dan!

END

 

For another excellent article about spicing up T & T combat, look here:

3 ways to make T&T combat more awesome by The Trollish Delver.