D3. MELEE

Use of this term during a combat round is special. “Melee” describes a general scrum of combatants locked in hand-to-hand (or claw-to-hand or whatever) close-quarters combat.

MELEE RANGE

Melee range is 10 feet from any participant and anyone entering this radius (per the GM!) is considered to be entering that melee (see below for rules). 

While in melee range, hand-held (“melee”) or natural weapons may be used normally. Missile weapons can be used but could have consequences (see Missile actions).

Exceptions. In certain circumstances, the Game Master will allow you to determine whether you wish to become embroiled in a particular melee or stay just outside of it. Typically, this will occurs when an ally already in melee has control of an area between you and the enemy. This does not change rules for entering a melee but allows you to move closer to an ongoing melee without the fear of becoming caught within it. 

THE "FOG OF MELEE"

Melee is dangerous, with each combatant looking for openings, feinting, defending, and striking. It is chaotic with individuals jumping about, ducking, pushing each other and sometimes working together. 

Each round being a minute, positions will change every second as combatants circle each other. Thus, even when using a battle mat, grid map, and figures, once two individuals are locked in melee, rules regarding their relative positions will change!

• Firing or Throwing Missiles into a Melee. Targets will be randomly assigned (including allies). See Firing into Melee.

• Area Attacks that Bisect a Melee. It is not possible to cleanly target a portion of combatants in a melee unless the GM determines circumstances allow for it. Thus, area attacks that partially overlap an existing melee will have a chance of affect some, none, or all combatants. 

This is typically done by rolling a d% to determine the percentage of the entire group affected (rounding down to whole creatures). Then, based on the number affected, the GM rolls to determine which creatures are in the area. The GM may assign weighted ratios for each roll if some creatures are much larger than others.

ENTERING MELEE OR LEAVING MELEE

Entering Melee. [other] (special major action, time spent moving) 

"Entering Melee" allows you to come into melee range of a wary opponent without risk of exposing yourself to free attacks by all opponents in melee range. Thus, any movement that brings you into melee range (typically within 10 feet) of ANY participant of a melee is considered to be a special major action and causes you to be considered a participant of that melee (unless the GM rules otherwise due to restricted space or other factors).

This means you cannot simply move up to an opponent and take an attack (unless you use a charge attack). 

You must move close to the opponent (or ongoing melee) and announce your intent to "enter melee" (this does not need to be declared but you must announce it during your movement on your turn in initiative). This action then takes the rest of the round before you are considered to be engaged in melee.

Thus, you are not actually engaged "in melee" until the round ends. You cannot be targeted by melee attacks from opponents you are entering melee with until you have fully entered melee (the next round). Likewise, anyone you are entering melee with can simply move away without granting you a free attack (but remember, it is a major action to move). If a creature attempts to move after you have begun to enter melee, you are allowed to move with them to the limit of your speed (your total movement per round cannot exceed your speed).

This particular rule is one of the defining rules of the game. It is not done specifically for realism, although it make sense in certain situations. The rule is to support game balance and it "cools down" melee combat somewhat due to the time cost of entering melee. This is also why the charge attack can be used only once per 10 rounds. This rule helps the side with fewer combatants (in most situations, the PCs) reducing the number of (undeclared) charge-strike opportunities especially against softer target PCs. This rule also has a side benefit of protecting spell casters from any enemy within hearing range from simply walking up and slapping them in mid-spell-cast (enemies can still use missile weapons of course, but range adjustments balance this a bit). So, yes, you may not have moved very far to enter melee, but it will still take you the balance of the round to complete the action (and is consistent in the fact that any material movement beyond repositioning is a major action).

Leaving Melee

If anyone within melee range attempts to leave melee, they will normally have four options:

1. 1. Fall Back. [flee] (declared, major) You carefully back out of melee moving up to half speed. See Fall Back.

   2. Flee Melee. [flee] (declared, major) You turn and run out of melee as fast as you can. See Flee Melee.

   3. Charge. [charge] (declared, major) You charge in a direction that takes you out of melee. Treat this movement as 2. Flee Melee. A benefit to this movement is increased speed moving away (and is subject to all restrictions and adjustments for a regular charge). See C. Charge.

   4. Move. [other] During your group's initiative, you simply move away from melee. This activity does not need to be declared. You have two options:

      • These two options are different from the others as you lose the initiative benefit (acting before group initiative) by not declaring your movement.

      • Back Away. You face your opponents, and back away up to half your speed. Opponents gain free attacks as if you were Falling Back. Your AC is based on combat facing (and number of opponents) but you'll keep your normal AC. You cannot parry while backing away (unless you declared that you are parrying).

      • Run Away. You turn and move out of melee as fast as you can. Opponents gain free attacks as if you were Fleeing Melee.

TYPES OF MELEE ATTACKS

A melee attack is defined as striking at a creature with a limb or hand-held weapon. Such attacks can only be executed within melee range. Typically, such attacks (the attack roll and/or damage roll) are modified by a creature's Strength score. 

Most melee attacks represent one attack routine and can target a single opponent. See Attacking above. Some creatures have the multi-attack ability which allows them to attack using more than one attack routine.

MELEE WEAPON ATTACK

Melee Weapon Attack. [melee] (major, weapon speed) 

Many creatures, particularly humanoids, will use manufactured melee weapons. See Weapons for types of weapons and their attributes. Creatures using a manufactured weapon must be trained in its use to use it effectively. See Weapon Proficiency. 

Improvised Weapons. Many hard/strong objects can be used as improvised weapons giving a wielder a proficiency penalty to attack rolls (weapon speed/damage will be determined by the GM; 2/1d3, 3/1d4, 5/1d6, etc.).

NATURAL WEAPON ATTACK

Natural Weapon Attack. [melee] (major, 1 segment) 

Natural weapons include bodily weapons such as tusks, claws, and biting attacks or, for humanoids, fists or hands. If a creature is attacking with more than one natural weapon (e.g. a claw/claw/bite), the attack will be considered one attack routine unless the creature description states otherwise. These attacks (other than humanoids using their fists) ignore Armor Defense adjustments. Very large and/or slow creatures may have a natural weapon attack that takes longer than 1 segment (typically 8 segments). If this is the case, the attack will noted the time required.

MELEE CONTACT ATTACK

Contact Attack. [melee] (major, 1 segment or weapon speed) 

Sometimes an attack form requires a touch which ignores physical protections. Opponents are considered AC 10 unless they use magic or Dexterity. 

For example, a fighter wearing +2 chain mail, with a +1 small shield, wearing a ring of protection +1 and has a Dexterity of 16 will be AC 4 against the creature’s attack (10-2-1-1-2 = 4). If the attack hits, the victim is affected.

For spells with the range of "touch" also refer to Touch Spells in Combat.

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING

For fighting with two-weapons, see Two-weapon Fighting in Special Melee Attacks.

OFF-HANDED ATTACKS (SECONDARY HAND ATTACKS)

If attacking with a secondary hand (or off-hand) but not two-weapon fighting, you suffer a penalty as if two-weapon fighting, but the penalty is as if the hand were your primary hand.

INITIATIVE TIES (MELEE VS. MELEE)

In the case of tied initiative or fighting alongside allies, melee weapons with the lowest weapon speed will attack first. If using more than one weapon, use the weapon with the highest weapon speed. If the weapon speeds are the same, the GM may break ties using highest Dexterity reaction modifier or simply have the weapons strike simultaneously.

Fast Melee Weapons versus Slow Melee Weapons. If initiative is tied and one combatant in melee wields a manufactured melee weapon (with the appropriate weapon proficiency) with a speed factor that is 5-9 (or 2x) lower than their opponent's manufactured weapon speed factor, they may strike TWICE (as one attack routine). If the opponent's weapon speed is 10 or over (or 5x), the combatant with the faster weapon gains THREE attacks as if they had the multi-attack (+1) ability (2 primary and 1 iterative). 

• • Multi-attack Exception. Creatures using multi-attack ignore this rule. This exception includes opponents attacking them. ie. A fighter wielding a two-handed sword (weapon speed 10) that is using multi-attack ties initiative versus a fighter (not using multi-attack) using a dagger (weapon speed 2); The dagger wielder will not gain any extra attacks against the wielder of the two-handed sword (and if both fighters were using the multi-attack ability the "fast weapon" rule is also ignored).

  • Large Creatures Exception. A Large creature using a Large or smaller weapon is not subject to this rule. A Large creature using a Huge or larger manufactured weapon will have a weapon speed of the normal sized weapon (per the GM). ie. A hill giant using a huge one-handed club uses a weapon speed of 4.

USING GRIDS OR BATTLE MATS

When using a grid or battle map, and each token/figure represents one individual, each square will be equal to a 5-ft. by 5-ft. area. While it is possible for two or more creatures to squeeze into such an area, unless they are very small or have a special ability, combat cannot take place while in the same square. Allied creatures can move past each other using the same space. This does cause some jostling, so any concentration (i.e. spell casting) will be broken.

Measuring Distance. Distance is measured from "center-to-center". So ranges for missile fire or spells, will be calculated from the center of the wielder's or caster's square to the center of the target's square.

Melee and Grids. Because "melee" (hand-to-hand fighting) is best thought of as a conceptual "zone", grids give a false sense of placement for creatures in melee. Once a creature enters melee, placement in a grid become largely irrelevant unless fighting in restricted quarters. In these cases, the GM will adjudicate how the environment affects movement and ability to attack.

Space Required. Each melee weapon has a listed space requirement for the weapon to be used in restricted quarters. Any weapon requiring more than 4-ft. of space to use requires at least one open adjacent square. This could have an effect on number of allies in a rank (see line ranks below) and could make a weapon unusable if attacked by many enemies. Some weapons can be used in more than one mode, for example a halberd can be used spear-like as a piercing weapon with only 2-ft. of space, but must have at least 6-ft. of space to be used as a chopping weapon.

ZONE OF CONTROL

In restricted quarters, a man-sized creature can limit opponent's movement through one adjacent square (or 5-ft. area) selected during declaration (this is not considered an action). 

Thus, a creature not in melee attempting to move through the zone of control, will draw a free attack and, if this hits, the movement will be stopped. Large creatures have a zone of control of 10-ft. (or two contiguous 5-ft. squares).

Creatures in melee can exit melee in any direction desired as long as there is an unoccupied space available for movement. A creature that is fully surrounded cannot leave melee.

Creatures cannot move through an enemies space unless using an Overbear or Rush (charge) attack.

Line Ranks. Using this rule, a "front rank" can restrict an opponent's movement (through occupied squares/space) and a "second rank", wielding long weapons (8-ft.+ and 2-ft or under in space requirement) can attack opponents in melee with the front rank without fear of reprisal unless the opponents are also using long weapons. In open areas, all creatures attacking in melee are considered to be in melee and can be attacked by any opponent in that melee.

COMBAT FACING

In melee, opponents will typically face each other, constantly shifting position in order to better avoid attacks. This movement allows a shield bearer the ability to intercept attacks allowing the shield to increase their defensive measures (adjusting armor class and armor defense).

However, in certain circumstances, a defender may be hindered in a way that affects their ability to reposition themselves or their shield. Additionally, if facing a large number of opponents and the defender cannot use a barrier to protect their back, attackers have the ability to strike from the flank (side) or from behind.

Number of Opponents per Figure. Physical size and space will dictate the limitation upon the number of opponents able to engage a single figure in melee.

As the number of attackers per defender rises, so does their ability to gain rear attacks or flanking attacks. See the diagrams provided. Unless a defender is fully surrounded, the defender can normally choose which attacker attacks their rear and the attackers determine who attacks from any flank.

Selecting an attacker for the rear attack is done during the declaration phase of combat (otherwise it is random). Mindless creatures will select available attack directions randomly (or intelligent attackers/defenders can select until completely surrounded).

Walls, Barriers or Obstructions. If any melee participant is within 10-ft. of a wall or other obstruction, a defender can use this to eliminate attacks from the rear or rear flanks.

Even Numbers of Defenders. Even numbers of intelligent creatures (Intelligence rating of Low or higher) will fight “back to back” eliminating rear attacks.

Line of Sight and Spell Casters. A spell caster can change their facing using a minor action but doing so while in melee range could open the caster to rear attacks (per the GM). Otherwise, facing is set by last creature attacked by the caster or the creature attacking the caster (whichever occurred most recently). Creatures with gaze attacks can change their facing when using the ability without opening themselves to rear attacks (unless surrounded).

Combat Facing Definitions

Front. Any creature attacking from the front will engage a creature’s normal shielded armor class.

Rear. An opponent attacking from the rear cannot be seen (although the defender is aware of it's position), gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls, and the defender gains no adjustment to AC for a shield or bonus due to a high Dexterity. 

Back Stab. If the attacker has the back stab ability and can attack an opponent's rear, up to one attack per round can be selected to deliver a back stab attack (chosen before the attack is attempted). A back stab attack against a defender with the surprised condition gains an additional +2 bonus to the attack roll (for a total adjustment of +4).

Flank. An attacker that can attack a defender’s flank will normally face the defender’s shielded flank assuming the defender employs a shield. If circumstances allow, the attacker can attack the unshielded flank which simply means the defender does not add the shield to their AC or AD with regards to that attack.

Rear Flank. A creature attacking from the rear flank can be seen only peripherally. The defender gains no adjustment to AC for a shield or bonus due to a high Dexterity. A back stab cannot be used against a creature’s rear flank.