COMBAT FUNDAMENTALS

This broad heading covers all forms of attack and fighting. It includes clerical turning undead, magical control, spell attacks, breath and gaze weapon attacks, magical device attacks, missile discharge, and melee (hand-to-hand combat). Combat occurs when communication and negotiation are undesired or unsuccessful. The clever character does not attack first and ask questions (of self or monster) later, but every adventure will be likely to have combat for him or her at some point.

Combat is divided into 1 minute period melee rounds, or simply rounds, in order to have reasonably manageable combat. “Manageable” applies both to the actions of the combatants and to the actual refereeing of such melees.

One-minute rounds are devised to offer the maximum of choice with a minimum of complication. This allows the DM and the players the best of both worlds. The system assumes much activity during the course of each round.

THE "TO-HIT" ROLL [ATTACK ROLLS & DAMAGE ROLLS]

Envision, if you will, a fencing, boxing, or karate match. During the course of one minute of such competition there are numerous attacks which are unsuccessful, feints, maneuvering, and so forth. During a one minute melee round many attacks are made, but some are mere feints, while some are blocked or parried. One, or possibly several, have the chance to actually score damage. For such chances, the dice are rolled, and if the “to hit” number is equaled or exceeded,  the attack was successful, but otherwise it too was avoided, blocked, parried, or whatever.

Most magical combat and breath weapons do not require the attacker to determine if the weapon hits, but the target creatures are allowed saving throws (see Saving Throws) to see if they avoided the attack or at least partially negated it.

Damage scored to characters or certain monsters is actually not substantially physical - a mere nick or scratch until the lost handful of hit points (see Hit Points) are considered - it is a matter of wearing away the endurance, the luck, the magical protections. With respect to most monsters such damage is, in fact, more physically substantial although as with adjustments in armor class rating for speed and agility, there are also similar additions in hit points.

So while a round of combat is not a continuous series of attacks, it is neither just a single blow and counter-blow affair. The opponents spar and move, seeking the opportunity to engage when an opening, in the enemy’s guard presents itself.

Because of the relatively long period of time represented by the round, Dexterity (Dexterity, agility, speed, quickness) is represented by a more favorable armor class rating rather than as a factor in which opponent strikes the first blow.

The 1 minute melee round assumes much activity—rushes, retreats, feints, parries, checks, and so on. Once during this period each combatant has the opportunity to get a real blow in. Usually this is indicated by initiative, but sometimes other circumstances will prevail.

ARMOR CLASS

As stated before, armor, along with the use of a shield, is the basis for determination of how easily a character can be struck by an opponent’s weapon. The type of armor worn, the inclusion of a shield, magical factors, and Dexterity are inclusions in overall armor class.

Do not confuse armor which is worn with the armor class (AC) rating of a monster. Although a creature might be given a very high armor class because of its exceptionally thick hide, armor plating, chitinous exoskeleton, or the like, other factors are considered in such ratings. For example, the size of the creature, its speed, its agility, and perhaps its supernatural (extra-dimensional or multi-planed existence) aspects are considered in the armor class of all non-human type monsters. Therefore, a monster with an armor class of 2 will not be carrying a shield.

The size ratio is also important at times, i.e. a dwarf adds 4 factors to his armor class if his opponent is a giant. For example, splint mail is armor class 4, and if a shield is added the armor class becomes 3, but suppose it is a magical +1 shield; then armor class becomes 2. Now assume that the character has a displacer cloak, so the armor class becomes 0, and furthermore, because the char-acter has a 16 Dexterity, a final bonus of +2 is given, and the armor class of this character is -2. If the character is a dwarf, a giant attempting to hit him or her would have to hit AC -6, because of the size differential penalty. Now let us take this character through a few attacks.

First the dwarf is engaged in melee against a band of 7 hobgoblins. His shield bonus is good only against a maximum of 3 opponents, so 4 hobgoblins would attack at armor class 0. Furthermore, as the dwarf can only see and react to opponents before him, these same 4 hobgoblins would also attack the dwarf without the latter getting Dexterity bonuses, so their attacks would be against armor class 2. Similarly, if giants hurled boulders at the dwarf, rather than struck at him with their weapons, his Dexterity and size bonuses would not accrue to him, so instead of AC -6, the boulders would attack a target with AC 0.

Armor class below 10 is not possible except through cursed items. Armor class above 2 is easily possible due to magical bonuses and Dexterity bonuses. (DMG p.73)

DEXTERITY ARMOR CLASS BONUS

This bonus is in addition to that given by any other forms of protection. The type of armor worn by the character with a Dexterity armor class bonus does not adversely affect this bonus, for it is assumed that his or her physical conditioning and training compensate otherwise. (This is particularly applicable with regard to magic armor which is assumed to possess an enchantment which makes it both light and flexible.) 

The penalty for wearing armor is already subsumed in the defensive bonuses given for it, and if it were further to penalize the character by denying Dexterity armor class adjustments, it would be totally invalid.

Modifiers To Dexterity Armor Class Adjustment: Neither penalty nor bonus due to Dexterity (the Defensive Adjustment) is considered when the character is subjected to the following attack forms:

— Attacks from the rear flank, rear, or strikes from behind (where the character is virtually unable to see the attack coming).

— Large missiles such as those hurled by a giant or some form of engine (where the trajectory and speed and size of the missile negate Dexterity considerations).

— Magical attacks by spell, device, breath weapon, gaze, etc. (note that Defensive Adjustments DO apply to saving throws for these attack forms).

WEAPON TYPES, "TO-HIT" ADJUSTMENTS

If you allow weapon type adjustments in your campaign please be certain to remember that these adjustments are for weapons versus specific types of ARMOR, not necessarily against actual armor class. In most cases, monsters not wearing armor will not have any weapon type adjustment allowed, as monster armor class in such cases pertains to the size, shape, agility, speed, and/or magical nature of the creature.

Not excluded from this, for example, would be an iron golem. However, monsters with horny or bony armor might be classed as plate mail if you so decide, but do so on a case-by-case basis. Naturally, monsters wearing armor will be subject to weapon type “to hit” adjustment.

"TO-HIT" ADJUSTMENTS FOR SPELL EFFECTS

Certain spells such as curse, prayer, and protection from evil adjust the chance “to hit” of either the attack or the defender or both. 

— Such changes must be made to the armor class of the figure concerned, not to the dice score rolled in attacking.

Example. A reverse bless, a curse, is cast upon opponents. Therefore, the effective armor class of the side which cast the spell will be raised by one category, so that a figure normally of armor class 4 will be treated as 3, 3 as 2, etc. By so doing it is still possible for opponents to roll natural 20s and thus score hits.