Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars Dangly
could you tell us how its basic mechanics (char gen; task resolution; combat) compare with similar games, such as Ars Magica?
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Let me sumamrise the combat system for you (take a deep breath).
Combat is fought in two second rounds, with turns based on a initiative die roll (1d10) plus a modifier based on weapon use or surprise. A character attacks, rolls under their skill and if they hit their opponent reacts with either a parry or a dodge, the latter negating attacks in response. If a hit is scored, roll for general location (e.g., head) if missile or choose if melee, and then roll for specific location (e.g., nose) then roll for damage, subtract armour and roll extra damage if the blow gets through by cross-referencing the location with the attack type. After this determine the severity level of the wound (which does not scale whether you have twenty hit points or two hundred). Multiply damage by the trauma level, which determines the total number of hit points lost. The person hit must roll under their stun value and check for critical and disabling wounds and bloodless. Check for weapon breakage; wood weapons will break 50% of the time and iron weapons 25% (also, wooden weapons cost the same as iron ones).
In addition to this standard procedure (which requires a minimum of
eight rolls of the die per action on a successful hit), there are also additional rules for various special combat actions (feint, disarm, sever, break shield, strike & dodge, special rapier maneuvers (they get two pages), use of firearms, unarmed combat procedures, boxing and wrestling actions, and various close combat techniques.