Ultra-Bastard D&D: Combat and Initiative

Michael Foreman

When combat begins, roll initiative to determine the order in which combatants act. Ultra-Bastard supports two options for resolving turn-order in combat.

On their turn, each combatant can cast a spell or attack, and move. Other significant actions like climbing a ladder or lighting a lamp could replace the attack. Minor actions like dropping an item do not prevent the combatant from attacking.

Attacks: When a player attacks, they make an ability check, rolling a d20 and adding any applicable modifiers. If the result is equal to or higher than their opponents armor class they hit and roll for damage as indicated by their weapon type, adding any applicable damage modifiers.

Some optional rules like bows and thrown weapons may allow an extra attack.

Casting Spells: Each spell description will detail how to cast it and the resulting effects. For detailed rules on casting spells consult the spell casting rules (in a future post).

Blogger scrambled my formatting. My apologies for the rough reading.

Tsutomu Nihei

Option 1: Individual Initiative

·       Each character (or group of NPCs) rolls a d20 and adds any applicable modifiers. Turn order proceeds from highest result to lowest. 

     On their turn, characters can move and make an attack or cast a spell.

·         Movement can be before or after the attack, or both. 

·         Ranged attacks and castings spells are impossible for creatures engaged in melee.

·         Some spells are cast on your turn but resolved at the end of the round.

·         Spells that have been cast but not resolved can be interrupted.

·         Optional rule for reach: When two creatures first enter into melee, if either has a significantly longer weapon than the other, she attacks first, regardless of initiative.

·         

     When everyone has had their turn, resolve any round-end effects simultaneously.

·         Follow-up attacks (like archers)

·         Ongoing effects and spell resolutions

·         Morale checks, etc.

·

         Roll for initiative again at the start of each round.

H. J. Ford

Option 2: Group Initiative

A representative for each group involved in the combat (typically all Players vs. all Monsters) rolls a d20 and adds any applicable modifiers.

The group that won initiative resolves first in each of three phases:

·         Phase 1: Ranged attacks and spells.

·         Some spells are cast in this phase but resolved in Phase 3.

·         Ranged attacks and castings spells are impossible for creatures engaged in melee.

·         Phase 2: Movement and melee attacks.

·         Movement can be before or after the attack, or both.

·         Spells that have been cast but not resolved can be interrupted.

·         Optional rule for reach: When two creatures first enter into melee, if either has a significantly longer weapon than the other, she attacks first, regardless of initiative. 

·         Phase 3: Follow-up attacks and Resolution

·         Follow-up attacks (like archers)
·         Ongoing effects and spell resolutions

War for the Overworld

Special rules, mostly optional

Surprise:

·         · Each player rolls d20 + alertness vs. a target number set by the DM, anyone that succeeds rolls initiative as usual. If they fail, they don’t act in the first round.

·         · If monsters might be surprised, players roll a stealth ability check. If they succeed the monsters do not act in the first round or automatically get a zero for initiative depending on the circumstances. DM discretion.

Special Actions:

·         ·      Help: Instead of making an attack on your turn, you can assist an ally to give them advantage on their role.

·         ·    All-out defense: Instead of making an attack you have advantage on your saving throw the next time you are attacked this round.

Opportunity attacks: If a creature moves through an enemy’s melee reach, they provoke an out-of-turn attack. This includes disengaging from melee. Creatures can only make one out-of-turn attack per round.

Flanking: If allies engage an opponent in melee from opposite directions, they have advantage on their attack rolls.

Thrown Weapons: If you have a throwable weapon in hand and are not engaged in melee at the start of your turn, you can throw it while moving into melee (in the Ranged Attack phase if using group initiative) and still make a melee attack. 

Two-Weapon Fighting: When wielding a weapon in each hand, make one attack role. If you hit, roll damage for both weapons and keep whichever is higher.

The sum of the dice you roll cannot be higher than 12. I.e. you are limited to a d4 weapon and a d8 weapon, or two d6 weapons.

  

Nihei again.