There is no thing as "initiative". All characters act simultaneously, in order of the type of action they take. That order is -
1) Ranged or Missile attacks
2) Melee attacks, in descending order of weapon reach or size
3) Grappling, both attempts to start and resolving of existing
4) Spellcasting, potion use, item activation, etc
Missile or ranged attacks are simple attacks made against AC. Cover applies I guess, I'll write rules for that eventually.
Melee attacks are more complicated. If both combatants are using weapons of the same size, then attacks are made as normal, like ranged attacks. If there is a mismatch, though, then the party with the larger or longer-reach weapon goes first, choosing whether to attack (as normal) or to guard. If they attack, the other party may attack as normal, assuming of course they survive.
If they choose instead to guard, though, the shorter-reach combatant must choose either to attack despite the guard - thereby guaranteeing that the guarding party lands a hit on them in the process, and taking damage as normal - or attempt to parry, wherein both attacking and defending party make contested attack rolls, and the winner chooses then either to strike the defeated one or attempt to disarm them, in either case making another attack roll, though this time not a contested one.
Of course, on a tie, neither party does anything. Shields grant boosts to parry attempts, parrying unarmed is impossible unless you know kung-fu or something, and guarding only works against attacks from in front of you so being flanked bypasses. Oh also if an attack against you lands you have to move back at least a few feet or the damage roll gets +2 so don't get backed into a corner ig.
Grappling is obviously even more complicated, though not much more. Technically speaking treat the actual grappling attempt like a melee attack except one where even unarmed melee outranges (you can "guard" against someone trying to grab you by punching them) and instead of dealing damage if you hit you grapple them.
Also, if you hit a grapple you immediately do a maneuver, applying an armlock, strike, choke, or attempting to flip, throw, or pin them (all of which take another, opposed grappling roll). An armlock holds one of their arms, and prevents them from attacking with it or any weapon in it - if you already have someone in an armlock, you can progress it to a full disarming with an opposed grappling roll, ending the armlock and taking the weapon away, then do another maneuver that turn (if you fail the disarm that's all you do though). A strike is a normal melee attack, except it always hits since you're in a grapple. A choke is what it sounds like, just choking them out for d8 damage a turn.
Flipping someone means you're attacking them from behind (they are automatically flipped if you grapple someone while flanking them), which means they can't strike you, though they can still try to throw you or seize control of the grapple (though they make all such attempts at -2). Pinning means you knock someone to the ground, getting +3 to all grappling rolls as long as you remain on-top. If you already have someone pinned, you can progress it to a hold, which totally disables them, with another opposed grappling check. Throwing someone throws them a few feet away, landing prone and taking d4 damage, and ends the grapple.
If you're being grappled, you can attempt to seize control of the grapple with an opposed grappling roll at the beginning of your next turn, and in addition while in it can strike your grappler (still auto-hit).
I'm not writing spell procedures, literally just cast the spell and it does what it says in the description, same with potions and scrolls and amulets and wands and whatever else you're using.
...I should make a flow-chart.
|
