Post by Jaymz on Dec 2, 2013 1:38:21 GMT
The following is a step by step tutorial as to the basics of combat in Rifts Ultimate Edition with hopefully some clarification.
Step 1 - Initiative
This is pretty straight forward. You just roll a d20 and add any bonuses to initiative your character may have to it. Highest roll gets to go "first" and then each person in decending order follows after.
Step 2 - Attacker Rolls to strike
Unfortunately this is the one step that seems to be the worst explained. While generally in combat, the person with the highest initiative roll will attack first, not everyone may want to attack right way but do something else.
In actuality, step 2 is really the person with initiative gets to take an action. Now that action can be to attack another character, cast a spell, use a special ability, use a psionic power, or just dive for cover. Whatever it is they choose to do, it isn't alway to "attack" but they do get to choose/declare what their "action" is.
Now some "actions" may take more than one "attack" to perform. (power punches, some spells etc). If this is the case, it is up to the GM as to whether the action occurs right away or only occurs on the last action it takes (3rd action if it takes 3 to do). Different GMs do things differently so it is always a good idea to discuss this ahead of time if you are dealing with a new GM.
Now if you choose to attack someone then the rest of the explanation is pretty straight forward. You roll a d20 and add any strike bonuses you may have based on the type of attack you may be performing (a punch, a sword slash or firing a gun for example) and subract any penalties there may be. You need to roll higher than a 4 in most cases in order to hit your intended target.
In cases where the target is wearing armour with an AR then in order to damage them you must roll higher than the AR of the Armour. Equal to or lower and the armour takes the damage.
Rolling a natural 20 is always a successful hit and a critical one. These can only be defended by another natural 20.
Step 3 - Defender may dodge/parry/entangle
Like Step 2, this step is not quite properly explained.
If you are being attacked then you get to defend yourself. When you are under attack you have a few options available to you depending on the attck being made.
If you are being shot at then you can either dodge or parry. In this case you roll a d20 adding in any bonuses you may have (and subracting any penalties there may be). You have to at least match the attackers roll to successfully defend against it. Against a natural 20, as mentioned above, you must roll a natural 20 to defend against it as well.
Using a parry is typically a "free" action to perform. Dodging, however is not and costs you one of your "attacks" for that melee round. Choosing to make a dodge uses up your next "attack". Some GMs allow you to just take it off the total you have for the round. Discuss this with your GM. However, if you have no "attacks remaining for that melee, entangle is no loner an option. Only dodging allows you to borrow "attacks" from the next melee.
Now against a melee attacks (sword slash or punch for instance) you may also choose to entangle. Again, however, you must equal or exceed your attackers roll. Entangling, like a dodge, uses up your next "attack". However, if you have no "attacks" remaining for that melee, entangle is no longer an option. Only dodging allows you to borrow "attacks" from the next melee.
There is another option that is available to players when being attacked regardless of the attack type. This is the simultaneous attack. In this option you forego taking any defensive actions and take a simultaneous "action" against your attacker. This could be casting a spell or using a psionic ability etc. The advantage here is that your attacker cannot defend themselves either (unless they have some special ability like autododge). However, like entangle, if you have no "attacks remaining for that melee, simultaneous attack is no longer an option.
This is also the step where you make any saving throws against spell and psionic effects etc.
From here on things are back to being relatively straight forward.
Step 4 - Attacker rolls for damage
This is probably the most straightforward part of the entire process. On a successful attack you roll the damage you do to apply against the armour of your target or the target itself.
Step 5 - defender may roll for impact
Here the defender may opt to roll with impact to lessen the damage attack to half. This can only done to lessen the damage from "physical" attacks. This option, like entangle and dodge, uses up one of your "attacks". Whether or not it is your next "attack" is up to the GM as it does not specify one way or the other.
At this point you repeat steps 2-5 as you go down the initiative order until everyone has taken an "action". Then you start at the top of the initiative order again. This continues as long as players have attacks left to use up.
Once everyone has used their attacks up, everyone rerolls initiative (Step 1) and everyone's attacks are reset full. You then go through the process again of steps 2-5 down the initiative order. This continues and repeats itself until combat is resolved and done.
Special note - once you are out of attacks, while you can still dodge, it will start using attacks from the next melee round leaving you with less actions once everyone resets. The only things that do not use attacks up are parrying (for most) and special abilities like auto-dodge or auto-flip etc. Keep this in mind when making your decisions.
Step 1 - Initiative
This is pretty straight forward. You just roll a d20 and add any bonuses to initiative your character may have to it. Highest roll gets to go "first" and then each person in decending order follows after.
Step 2 - Attacker Rolls to strike
Unfortunately this is the one step that seems to be the worst explained. While generally in combat, the person with the highest initiative roll will attack first, not everyone may want to attack right way but do something else.
In actuality, step 2 is really the person with initiative gets to take an action. Now that action can be to attack another character, cast a spell, use a special ability, use a psionic power, or just dive for cover. Whatever it is they choose to do, it isn't alway to "attack" but they do get to choose/declare what their "action" is.
Now some "actions" may take more than one "attack" to perform. (power punches, some spells etc). If this is the case, it is up to the GM as to whether the action occurs right away or only occurs on the last action it takes (3rd action if it takes 3 to do). Different GMs do things differently so it is always a good idea to discuss this ahead of time if you are dealing with a new GM.
Now if you choose to attack someone then the rest of the explanation is pretty straight forward. You roll a d20 and add any strike bonuses you may have based on the type of attack you may be performing (a punch, a sword slash or firing a gun for example) and subract any penalties there may be. You need to roll higher than a 4 in most cases in order to hit your intended target.
In cases where the target is wearing armour with an AR then in order to damage them you must roll higher than the AR of the Armour. Equal to or lower and the armour takes the damage.
Rolling a natural 20 is always a successful hit and a critical one. These can only be defended by another natural 20.
Step 3 - Defender may dodge/parry/entangle
Like Step 2, this step is not quite properly explained.
If you are being attacked then you get to defend yourself. When you are under attack you have a few options available to you depending on the attck being made.
If you are being shot at then you can either dodge or parry. In this case you roll a d20 adding in any bonuses you may have (and subracting any penalties there may be). You have to at least match the attackers roll to successfully defend against it. Against a natural 20, as mentioned above, you must roll a natural 20 to defend against it as well.
Using a parry is typically a "free" action to perform. Dodging, however is not and costs you one of your "attacks" for that melee round. Choosing to make a dodge uses up your next "attack". Some GMs allow you to just take it off the total you have for the round. Discuss this with your GM. However, if you have no "attacks remaining for that melee, entangle is no loner an option. Only dodging allows you to borrow "attacks" from the next melee.
Now against a melee attacks (sword slash or punch for instance) you may also choose to entangle. Again, however, you must equal or exceed your attackers roll. Entangling, like a dodge, uses up your next "attack". However, if you have no "attacks" remaining for that melee, entangle is no longer an option. Only dodging allows you to borrow "attacks" from the next melee.
There is another option that is available to players when being attacked regardless of the attack type. This is the simultaneous attack. In this option you forego taking any defensive actions and take a simultaneous "action" against your attacker. This could be casting a spell or using a psionic ability etc. The advantage here is that your attacker cannot defend themselves either (unless they have some special ability like autododge). However, like entangle, if you have no "attacks remaining for that melee, simultaneous attack is no longer an option.
This is also the step where you make any saving throws against spell and psionic effects etc.
From here on things are back to being relatively straight forward.
Step 4 - Attacker rolls for damage
This is probably the most straightforward part of the entire process. On a successful attack you roll the damage you do to apply against the armour of your target or the target itself.
Step 5 - defender may roll for impact
Here the defender may opt to roll with impact to lessen the damage attack to half. This can only done to lessen the damage from "physical" attacks. This option, like entangle and dodge, uses up one of your "attacks". Whether or not it is your next "attack" is up to the GM as it does not specify one way or the other.
At this point you repeat steps 2-5 as you go down the initiative order until everyone has taken an "action". Then you start at the top of the initiative order again. This continues as long as players have attacks left to use up.
Once everyone has used their attacks up, everyone rerolls initiative (Step 1) and everyone's attacks are reset full. You then go through the process again of steps 2-5 down the initiative order. This continues and repeats itself until combat is resolved and done.
Special note - once you are out of attacks, while you can still dodge, it will start using attacks from the next melee round leaving you with less actions once everyone resets. The only things that do not use attacks up are parrying (for most) and special abilities like auto-dodge or auto-flip etc. Keep this in mind when making your decisions.
