Combat Systems

Combat and warfare are likely to be central to many Dark Ages: Vampire chronicles, be they associated with the mortal conflicts that Plague Europe or the War of Princes between Cainites. The following mechanics attempt to capture the drama and feel of combat without bogging the game down in unnecessary detail. They are, by necessity, somewhat abstract, but they are intended to be true to the limitations and dynamics of combat. The same mechanics apply to both mortal and Cainite characters, though the latter can bring their own unique traits to bear in the martial arena.

As with all aspects of Dark Ages: Vampire, the Storyteller should be flexible. Combat systems are meant to add depth to the game, not detract the from experience.

Types of Combat[]

Close Combat[]

Unarmed combat can cover a down-and-dirty barroom brawl or an honorable test of skill. Opponents must be withing touching distance (one yard) to engage in unarmed combat. Melee involves hand-held weapons such as maces and swords, and it is the principal form of combat in Dark Ages: Vampire.

Unarmed:

Dice pool: Dexterity + Brawl
Range: 1 yard (touching distance)

Melee:

Dice pool: Dexterity + Melee
Range: 1-2 yards

Ranged Combat[]

Archery (Bows & Crossbows):

Dice pool: Dexterity + Archery
Range: Weapon range
Must have sight of the target

Thrown weapons:

Dice pool: Dexterity + Athletics
Range: Weapon range
Must have sight of the target

Combat Turns[]

A combat turn is thought of to last 3 seconds. Each combat turn has three stages:

Stage One: Initiative
Stage Two: Attack
Stage Three: Resolution

Stage One: Initiative[]

Players roll initiative, and the player with the highest score acts first, then the others in descending order.

Initiative Score: Initiative rating + 1 die roll

Initiative rating: Dexterity + Wits

Actions are nominated in reverse order to reflect the ability of faster characters to react to slower ones.

If two characters have the same score, the one with the higher basic initiative rating goes first. If initiative ratings are also tied, the characters act simultaneously.
Wound penalties subtract directly from a character's initiative rating.

Action[]

An action can be

Attack
Movement
Activation of a Discipline
A player can move his walking speed and still attack

Delayed action[]

Actions can be delayed until any time after their order in the initiative, or conditional on other events. If two characters delay their action to the same point, the one with the higher initiative score for the turn acts first.

Multiple Actions[]

Every player can take multiple actions. The player declares the total number of actions he wants his character to attempt. He then subtracts a number of dice from his first dice pool equal to the total number of actions. Additional actions lose an extra die from their pools, and the penalty is cumulative. If a dice pool is reduced to 0 or below in this manner, the character may not attempt the action.

Per action: Base dice pool - total actions - sequence penalty

Example with 3 actions
	Action 1	Action 2	Action 3
Base dice pool	x	x	x
Sequence penalty	0	1	2
Total action penalty	3	3	3
Total dice pool	x - 3	x - 4	x - 5

Vampires with Celerity may take multiple actions without subtracting dice from their dice pools. These extra actions may not themselves be divided into multiple actions, though

Multiple actions occur after every character has had their first action. If two or more characters take multiple actions, they take place in order of initiative. Exceptions are defensive actions (such as multiple dodges), which happen as needed to avert an attack. All second actions must take place before any third actions take place, and so on.

Stage Two: Attack[]

Players roll a dice pool of Attribute + Ability. The difficulty for most attacks is 6. If the player rolls no successes, the attack fails and inflicts no damage. If the result is a botch, adverse effects may occur.

Brawl: Dexterity + Brawl

Melee: Dexterity + Melee

Bows & Crossbows: Dexterity + Archery

Thrown weapons: Dexterity + Athletics

Special conditions apply to ranged combat based on the weapon and conditions.

Stage Three: Resolution[]

Base damage dice pool: Strength + Weapon / Maneuver

Extra damage dice: +1 for each success above the first on the attack roll

Difficulty: 6

Damage rolls cannot be botched, but zero successes means no damage is inflicted.

Damage types[]

Soak[]

Soaking damage is reflexive, and it neither requires the expenditure of an action nor has its pool reduced by other dice pools ( or wound penalties for that matter). Any soak successes reduce the net damage successes.

Base difficulty: 6 (subject to weapon and situational modifiers)

Soaking dice pool per damage type
	Vampires	Vampires with Fortitude	Mortals
Bashing	Stamina	Stamina + Fortitude	Stamina
Lethal	Stamina	Stamina + Fortitude	N/A
Aggravated (fire & sunlight)	N/A	Fortitude	N/A
Aggravated (other)	N/A	Fortitude	N/A

Armor[]

Adds the Armour Rating to the soak dice pool. Some protective equipment, such as shields, only adds to the soak pool in certain conditions.

Light armour provides scant protection but has little impact on the character's movement. Heavier armor provides greater protection but also hinders the actions of all but the strongest or most skilled characters. Characters with either a melee rating of 3 or higher, or those with a Strength (or Strength + Potence) that doubles what is required to use the armor suffer only half the indicated Dexterity penalties when wearing armour.

See Armor for more details.

If the damage rolled in a single attack equals twice the armor's rating against that type of attack (excluding any bonus for helmets), the armor is destroyed.

Step-By-Step Combat Turn[]

Preliminaries[]

Spend Blood: Vampires burn blood reflexively (up to their generation limit) to augment Physical Attributes or heal damage.
Activate Celerity: Vampires with Celerity can burn blood to take additional physical actions this turn, on one-for-one basis, up to their Celerity rating. This expenditure ignores generation limit.
Delcare Multiple Actions and Turns Spent Parrying: All characters can announce taking multiple actions. Declare the total number of actions to be taken (excluding Celerity) but not the nature of these actions. At the same time, characters who intend to do nothing except parry this turn declare so.
Roll Initiative: Everyone rolls one die and adds the total to their initiative rating (Dexterity + Wits). Wound penalties subtract from initiative, but not penalties for multiple actions.

Declaration[]

Declare First Actions: Every player declares his first action. The player with the lowest initiative score declares first, and others do so subsequently based on their scores. Since those with higher initiative scores will act first, however, they can delay their actions to any time later in the order of initiative - as long as they announce it now.

Action[]

Target Announces Active or Passive Parry: A character who is about to be the subject of an attack (the first action in this part of the turn) and has the choice between parrying passively or some other form of defense should declare which option he is using.

Fastest Character Takes First Action: The character with the highest initiative acts (unless he is delaying the action). If the action is an attack, the player rolls the appropriate dice pool. The difficulty is usually 6, modified by conditions such as range and passive parrying. If this action one of several taken without the benefit of Celerity, subtract the total number of actions to be taken from the dice pool.

Target Defends: In a resisted action, the target acts reflexively, and the player rolls the appropriate dice pool. His successes are subtracted from the attacker's successes to determine the net successes. If the target is being attack and has an unused action remaining this round, he may abort to a defensive action (dodging or parrying, as appropriate). The defending player first rolls Willpower reflexively to abort (difficulty 6). If successful, he rolls his defensive action (Dexterity + Dodge or the appropriate weapon Ability) and subtracts her successes from the attacker's.

Resolution[]

Action Takes Effect: Unless the action's specific description says otherwise, the actions takes effect immediately if
- the action is not an attack / the action does not otherwise cause damage
- and
- the acting player is left with net successes / the action is automatic
Determine Damage: Determine the attack's base damage and add any net attack successes beyond the first (unless the attack is with a thrown weapon, in which case the additional successes are ignored for damage). Roll that many dice against a difficulty of 6.
Roll Soak: The defending character rolls soak (assuming there are any damage successes). Any soak successes reduce the net damage successes.
- Vampires
  - Bashing: Stamina
  - Lethal: Stamina
  - Aggravated damage: N/A
- Vampires w/ Fortitude
  - Bashing: Stamina + Fortitude
  - Lethal: Stamina + Fortitude
  - Aggravated (fire & sunlight): Stamina + Fortitude
  - Aggravated (other): Fortitude
- Mortals
  - Bashing: Stamina
  - Lethal: N/A
  - Aggravated: N/A

Apply Attack Damage: Apply any net damage successes as lost health levels to the defender.
- Vampires halve this number for bashing damage.
- Wound penalties take effect immediately.
- Characters who reach Incapacitated collapse (or may even die).
- Dazed: When suffering more damage than Stamina + 2 (for mortals, Stamina).
Repeat for Subsequent Actions: For each additional action, repeat the steps under Declaration, Action and Resolution, and the previous point. Players keep their Initiative scores but now declare their second actions, take them and resolve them. Those without further actions cannot act - although they may suffer at the hands of those who can.
Extended and Delayed Effects: Extended actions that end this turn, and any action that says it takes effect at the end of the turn, takes effect.

Combat Complications[]

Players can carry out maneuvers with their respective Attribute + Ability dice pools.

Accuracy: Indicates how many dice are added to the the dice pool for the maneuver.

Difficulty: Is added to the base difficulty of 6

Damage: The damage pool for the maneuver

Basic Modifiers[]

These modifiers reflect situations and maneuvers that can occur in any type of combat.

Ambush:

The attacker automatically wins initiative
Ambushed characters make a Perception + Alertness roll against difficulty 8
The number of successes indicates the number of dice available that first turn
Preparing an ambush generally requires a Wits + Stealth roll (difficulty 6) as well as proper cover

Blind Fighting:

Darkness, impaired vision (blindness, dirt in eyes)

+2 difficulty on Brawl and Melee attacks
Cannot make ranged attacks
Can be negated by some disciplines (Heightened Senses, Witness of Darkness)

Blindsiding:

+1 attack die when flanking or rearing
Shields provide no protection against rear attacks and only protect one flank
Storytellers may allow the target to make a Wits + Perception roll to avoid being blindsided
- Flank: difficulty 6
- Rear: difficulty 8
To avoid giving the attacker this advantage, they must gain a number of successes equal to the attacker's Stealth Ability (minimum one success)

Immobilized Targets:

Target is immobilized but still struggling: +2 dice to attack pool
Target is completely immobilized: +2 dice to damage pool

Movement:

A character may move up to his walking distance and still take an action in a turn
More complex movement may be distinct actions or impose difficulty penalties on actions

Multiple Opponents:

Suffer cumulative +1 difficulty penalties to attack and defense rolls for each opponent after the first
maximum +4

Targeting:

A skilled warrior can target a specific location, accepting increased difficulty in favor of heightened damage or targeted effects.
The difficulty is dependent on the size of the target and the Storyteller should consider additional effects, depending on the attack and the target

Targeted Attacks
Target Size	Difficulty	Damage	Note
Large (door)	0	0
Medium (limb, chest)	+1	0
Small (hand, head)	+2	+1
Tiny (eye, heart, lock)	+3	+2	Not applicaple in a staking attempt

Defensive Maneuvers[]

Soaking damage is all well and good, but it's better yet to get out of harm's way all together. Combatants who are under attack can do several things to escape damage, from ducking out of the way, to limiting an enemy's options or attack with a shield, block her strikes blow for blow.

Aborting to Defense [Willpower]: A character may abandon his declared action in favor of a defensive maneuver provided he has an action remaining this turn.

Make a reflexive Willpower roll, difficulty 6, or
Spend a Willpower point

Blocking [Dexterity + Brawl]: A block is an interception of an incoming attack with the defender's bare hands or another body-part.

Only brawling attacks that cause bashing damage can be blocked
The Storyteller may allow skilled combatants (Brawl 3+) to block bashing melee attacks
Fortitude or armor: Able to block lethal attacks.
Successes on a blocking attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack

Dodging [Dexterity + Dodge]: A dodge is an effort to avoid an incoming attack altogether, and it is useful against any attack the defender can sense coming (Storyteller's discretion).

Can even dodge missile weapons if seeing the archer taking aim
Base difficulty: 6

**Dodge Modifiers**
Situation	Difficulty Modifier
Multiple attackers	+1 per extra attacker
Close Combat
Attacker unarmed	-1
Limited mobility	+1
Ranged Combat
Full cover withing half a step	-4
Full cover within diving distance	-2
Partial cover only within three yards	+1
Flat and featureless terrain	+2

Successes on a dodging attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack
Suffering multiple attacks a player can divide success from a single Dexterity + Dodge roll between the attackers.
+1 difficulty for every attacker past the first

Parrying [Dexterity + Melee]: A parry is a block using a melee weapon or shield.

Successes on a parrying attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack

Useful against bashing and lethal melee attacks
Can block brawling attacks
- Weapons doing this suffer +1 difficulty penalty (shields excluded)
Base difficulty: 6
It is not possible to parry missile attacks (Storyteller's discretion)

Passive Defense[]

Full Defense[]

Shield Damage[]

Hand-To-Hand Combat[]

Bear Hug/Clinch [ Strength + Brawl]: The attacker attempts to wrap his arms around the target and crush the life from him.

Strength + Brawl to get a grip on the target
In each subsequent round: resisted Strength + Brawl
If the defender wins, the bear hug ends
If the attack wins, he may choose to continue or end the attack
Variant: Clinch
- Both characters attempt to crush each other
- Both suffer damage
- The payer with most successes decides if the attack continues or ends
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength (bashing)

Bite [Dexterity + Brawl]: There are two forms of Bite, the Kiss and a combat bite intended to inflict damage. To use either form of bite, the Cainite must first make a successful bear hug, grapple or tackle maneuver. On the following turn, the player may declare a bite attempt and make a roll.

Must first make a successful bear hug, grapple or tackle maneuver
On the following turn, the player may declare a bite attempt and make a roll
The Kiss: drain blood (see The Kiss)
Combat bite: If successful on the roll, the attack inflicts Strength +1 aggravated damage
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: +1
Damage: Strength +1 (aggravated)/Special

Claw [Dexterity + Brawl]: Can be used by Talons of the Beast and Bone Spurs from Rend the Ossean frame. Also supernatural creatures.

Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: +1
Damage: Strength +1 (lethal [Bone Spurs] / aggravated [Others])

Grapple [Strength + Brawl]:

Initial roll: Strength + Brawl
If successful

Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: None

Kick [Dexterity + Brawl]: Kicks in the Dark Medieval are not the roundhouse blows or aerial spins of the Middle Kingdom or the Final Nights but rather simple front-kicks (though a Cainite may experience such attacks if she strays too far East). The base difficulty of a kick is one higher than normal, and the kick inflicts Strength + I , though Storytellers may modify these values to better suit the circumstances. As a rule, however, the complexity (and thus difficulty) of a kick increases in parallel with its damage rating.

Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength +1 (bashing)

Combat Systems

Contents

Types of Combat[]

Close Combat[]

Ranged Combat[]

Combat Turns[]

Stage One: Initiative[]

Action[]

Delayed action[]

Multiple Actions[]

Stage Two: Attack[]

Stage Three: Resolution[]

Damage types[]

Soak[]

Armor[]

Step-By-Step Combat Turn[]

Preliminaries[]

Declaration[]

Action[]

Resolution[]

Combat Complications[]

Basic Modifiers[]

Defensive Maneuvers[]

Passive Defense[]

Full Defense[]

Shield Damage[]

Hand-To-Hand Combat[]

Melee Maneuvers[]

Mounted Combat[]

Ranged Attacks[]

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