COMBAT AND OTHER RULES OF PLAY Page 23 of 24
COMBAT AND OTHER RULES OF PLAY
THE REFERENCE CHARTS 3
PROCEDURES OF PLAY 4
Phases of Play 4
Book keeping 4
Informal interaction 4
Combat 4
Setting Watches 5
Alertness Checks 5
Encounter Distance 5
Effects of Spells and Abilities 5
Waking Up 6
Tracking 6
Searching 7
PHYSICAL HEALTH 7
Hit Points 7
Fatigue 7
Healing And Rest 8
Medical Attention 9
PHYSICAL COMBAT 9
Normal Attack (H) 9
Strong Attack (Hs) 9
Weak Attack (Hw) 9
Missile Attack (Hm) 9
Hand to Hand (HtH) 10
Basic Defense (Db) 10
Melee Defense (Dp or Ds) 10
Weak Defense (Dw) 10
Missile Defense (Dm) 10
Engaging And Disengaging Combat 10
Critical Hits 11
Fumbles 11
Spearsmen 12
Multiple Swings 12
Missile Attacks 12
Distance Effects On Missiles 12
Rate Of Fire 12
Cover 13
Missile Fire Into Melee 13
Hand To Hand Combat 13
Hand To Hand Combat Initiation 13
Hand To Hand Attacks 14
Keeping A Weapon 14
Multiple Combatants On A Side 14
Pin And Disarm Maneuvers 14
Disengaging From Hand-To-Hand Combat 15
Swinging Into A Hand-To-Hand 15
Summary Of Hand To Hand Options 15
Special Actions 15
Move Through 15
Spear Charge 16
Trip and Opponent Running By 16
Enchanted Fighters And Champions 16
Berserkers 16
WEAPONS, ARMOR AND SHIELDS 17
Armor 17
Weapons And Shields 17
ENCUMBRANCE 19
FORCED MARCHES AND INVERTED SCHEDULES 19
ALERTNESS CHECKS AND SLEEP 20
Waking Up 20
ABBREVIATIONS 21
THE REFERENCE CHARTS
The Reference Charts for Cold Iron are laid out on a single page. This page provides most of the tables needed for play. Here is a summary diagram to make it easy to find sections:
Chance Adjustment / Fumbles / Spell Casting and Counter ModifiersMultiple Damage (Crit) Chart / Missile Ranges
Effects of Damage / Multiple Hand to Hand (HtH) Chart
Encumbrance
Many actions have only a chance of success while others may vary in effectiveness according to luck. There is a function used in statistics called the normal distribution. It represents the probability of an event as a function of deviation from the average result. It assigns a finite probability to any event, no matter how deviant. This function makes a beautiful combat result table. This is the upper left section of the Chance Adjustment Table.
When a success roll is necessary, the player will generate a Chance Adjustment (or CA) and then usually add it to some base skill or attribute to be compared against some target difficulty. This is a relatively simple process. The player will roll a pair of d10s, specifying one to be the first. This would appear to be like a d100 in other game systems, but there is a slight difference, in that the chance adjustment may require additional precision. If the roll begins with a leading zero or nine, more d10 will need to be rolled to generate additional digits. For example, if the first two dice produce 91, a third die must be rolled to determine if the roll is a 910, 911, 912, or better. A roll of a 910 or 911 will result in a +8 Chance Adjustment while a roll of 912 to 919 will result in a +9 CA. The simple rule is that two additional dice are rolled beyond a string of leading zeros or nines. Thus, an incredible roll of six nines in a row will require still two more d10 rolls (and at least a +31).
With practice, you may memorize the most important part of the chart (from +0 to about +7 or so) where most rolls fall (you don't need to remember the negative portion as much since generally you need a +0 or better to succeed). In addition, since your opponent's defense doesn't tend to change much, something that missed last turn will probably miss this turn (though in a long combat, fatigue will come into play).
Example:
A fighter with an 11 attack (H, typical of a 3rd level fighter) swings at a goblin with a D of 14. The fighter rolls an 89, which is a +8, so hit net attack is 19, since this is greater than the goblins D the fighter hits. Later the fighter rolls a 999985, which is a +27, and will probably smear the goblin all over the floor! Shortly thereafter, he rolls a 00045 (23) which will cause him to fumble. The fighter needs a +3 (67) or better to hit the goblin.
Attacks that are much better than necessary to hit may score critical damage. This represents skilled or lucky fighters hitting in important places. A normal damage hit is just a cut. On the average, it takes 10 normal damage sword hits to kill a normal man in chain mail. Double damage is a solid hit. Triple and better damage represents hits in important places. Double damage is equally probable in any physical attack but edged or pointed weapons may more easily score triple or greater damage. Some monsters attack only to hit and do not go for important spots. They are usually very strong and therefore have an attack greater than the defense of their opponents. However, for the purposes of determining critical hits they attack with the same attack as their opponent's defense. This gives them a 15% chance of scoring a critical that represents the chance of hitting an important spot at random. When these monsters attack something with a defense greater than their attack, they attack normally. The Multiple-Damage Chart is used for this. Compare Hit Defense Crit Pro to the first line and then take a multiple of damage from the second or third line depending upon the type of weapon used.
PROCEDURES OF PLAY
The central theme to Cold Iron play is combat, but the characters do not fight every minute of their lives. Characters will travel, they will sell treasure, they will buy stuff, they will talk to people, and more. The GM is responsible for the pacing of the game, but the players can help by paying attention and by being ready to declare their actions.
Phases of Play
Cold Iron play can be structured into the following distinct phases of play:
Book keeping
The GM is not keeping track of where everyone is, what they are doing, or what they are saying. Bookkeeping phases occur when characters go on a spending spree in town, when characters level up, or when characters are resting, and the GM has indicated that time is passing uneventfully. Another instance of bookkeeping is when the players are planning an assault.
During book keeping, spell casters need not roll for spell success, they are assumed to be taking plenty of time and avoiding distraction.
Informal interaction
The characters may be talking to NPCs, they may be searching an area for treasure or tracks, or they may just be traveling from one city to the next. The GM may not be keeping strict track of time. The GM will either tell you yes you can do something, or no, that just isn’t possible, or will call for a roll. The GM may periodically update how much time has been spent.
Combat
This is the meat of a Cold Iron game. If an hour or two of play has passed and combat isn’t occurring, the GM may want to consider throwing in a challenge. When combat is occurring, the GM will be keeping track of time turn by turn. The GM will generally follow this order of action:
(1) Full defense declaration
(2) Initial spell declaration
(3) Other movement declarations
(4) Initiate HtH declaration
(5) Attack declarations
(6) Movement
(7) Spells less than ¼ AML, or spells more than ½ AML and less than ¾ AML, or 1st charged item
(8) Missile attacks & Breath weapons
(9) Spells less than ½ AML, or spells more than ½ AML and less than AML, or 2nd charged item
(10) Long weapon attacks
(11) Normal weapon attacks
(12) Dagger and unarmed/natural attacks
(13) Hand to hand init and attacks
(14) Spells equal to ½ AML, or spells equal to AML, or 3rd charged item
(15) Regeneration/healing
Note that within each step, all characters act simultaneously. Obviously, the players can’t all shout our their intentions or results at once and the GM should go around the table, or some other logical order. The GM should set the tone for how strict he will be and how much table talk is allowed while making declarations. In general, the GM should allow a little bit of wiggle and changing of options, and should allow some table talk. Strict GMs might not allow players of spell casters to talk while casting.
In particular, characters should have some leeway to change movement declarations. The GM may choose to have the character take part of their move in the initially declared direction. If characters are intending to close with each other, the GM should allow such a declaration, and indicate where the characters meet. Characters may adjust facing to react to movements of known opponents.
Setting Watches
Generally it is assumed characters travel 10 hours in a day, spend 2 hours eating and such, and rest for 12 hours. The 12 hours of rest are generally broken up into three 4-hour watches. Some characters may only need 4 hours of rest, and may stand two watches. Characters with the Short Sleep ability may stand either the first or third watch. They will also be awake the first or second half (respectively) of the second watch.
It is advised that every character stand watch as they are able. Night encounters are much more deadly.
Alertness Checks
The GM will call for Alertness checks when there is a need for characters to perceive something. It should be rare that characters are truly unaware before melee is engaged, unless they are asleep. Generally all characters are allowed an Alertness check. Some sample Alertness checks:
Encounter Distance
The most common Alertness check is to determine encounter distance. Each player should make an Alertness check for his character, the best result is used. Encounter types are divided into three categories: stealth, normal, and obvious. Generally, each creature fits into one of these categories, but the GM may apply terrain (so humans setting an ambush in good ambushing terrain count as stealthy). Invisibility without silence counts as stealthy. For the distance, multiply the number of turns by the creatures broken MA. Generally PCs travelling do not have their weapons and shields readied. A large horde of creatures will generally count as one stealth-category worse (add +5 to the check against a horde of obvious creatures).
Condition / DC / Failure / Success / +1 TurnInvisible and Silent / 30 / The encounter may strike the PCs unawares / PC is not struck unawares
Stealthy (desire melee) / 20 / The encounter can close with the PCs in turn 1
(creature is ½ broken MA away) / PCs gets 1 turn of warning / Per +3
Stealthy (desire missile) / 20 / PC only gets stationary defense / PCs gets 1 turn of warning / Per +3
Normal / 15 / The encounter is spotted 2 turns out / The encounter is spotted 3 turns out / Per +3
Obvious / 10 / The encounter is spotted 2 turns out / The encounter is spotted 3 turns out / Per +2
Night / +10
Effects of Spells and Abilities
Condition / EffectObscurity or Silence / Normal creature becomes stealthy, stealthy creature gets +5 DC
Obscurity and Silence / Normal creature becomes stealthy (DC 25), stealthy creature gets +10 DC
Invisibility / Normal creature becomes stealthy (DC 25), stealthy creature gets +10 DC
Chameleon / Counts like Obscurity but is not defeated by See Invisible
See Invisible / Negates Invisibility, Obscurity, Silence. Grants +2 to checks against Chameleon
Night Vision / +5 to checks at night
Infra-vision / +10 to checks at night
Night Fighting / Add the Dark ALT to counter night penalties
Scent or Enhanced Smell / +5 to checks if creature is approaching from upwind (against an invisible and silent creature, count as stealthy instead of gaining the +5).
Wazoo stakes / These get an alertness check with a 2 ALT, if they go succeed, the warning is given relative to their position
Sleeping / A sleeping character may check with a –30, don’t count any vision effects (spells, vision, night, etc.), do count scent
Enhanced Vision / +6 to alertness checks
Enhanced Hearing / +6 to alertness checks
Note that obvious creatures aren’t helped by stealth magic other than invisibility with silence. These creatures are just too big and lumbering.
Waking Up
In a night encounter, invariably some characters will be asleep. A character with a really high Alertness may have woken up as the encounter comes in based on their –30 Alertness check as mentioned above. Otherwise, characters will need to be awakened. Each sleeping character should make an Alertness check with the following results as soon as someone yells, or combat is engaged. Any character that is kicked or struck will wake up the following turn (if they were going to wake up the next turn anyway, they will wake up this turn and may roll out of covers, and may defend with Db–4).
Alertness Check Result / Effect+10 or worse / The character will wake up in 3 turns
+11 to +15 / The character will wake up in 2 turns
+16 to +20 / The character will wake up in 1 turn
+21 or better / The character will wake up this turn, may roll out of covers
Tracking
There are two situations tracking will be of interest. The first is tracking a fleeing enemy, or back tracking a foraging party back to their lair. In these situations, it is generally assumed the GM wants the PCs to find the quarry. The other situation is where the PCs hope to find additional treasure in the creature’s lair.