Novus 2.0 Tidbits -- Actions & the Combat Round

[imported_Rasyr]

Had forgotten that the first version of Novus used Action Points. While it was a decent system, there were some issues with it where things did not work out perfectly. So for Novus 2, I wanted to move to something a bit simpler/easier to handle.

So this would be the "Combat Action System" (CAS).

A round is still 5 seconds long and you have Actions and Initiative.

There are currently 4 types of Actions -- Full, Half, Snap, and Abort.
(note that there are also 3 levels of Stun -- Dazed, Stunned, Staggered -- Dazed can only perform 1 Half Action and 1 Snap Action, Stunned can only perform Abort Actions, and Staggered can only perform Snap Actions)

Players would roll Initiative using the Initiate Secondary Stat, and their total is their "Initiative Point" (IP).  Actions are declared lowest IP to highest. They are resolved from Highest to lowest. This simulates that those with a high IP are having a quicker  grasp of events and thus can adjust better (i.e. declaring actions after slower characters)

Players are able to select a limited number of Actions per round. The following does not include the proposed changes I made in the other thread.

Players may select Actions in the following combinations
each round:

• 1 Full Action and a Snap Action OR
• 2 Half Actions and a Snap Action OR
• 1 Half Action and 2 Snap Actions

Full Action

• 1/2 Reload Light or Heavy Crossbow
• Reload Hand Crossbow
• Melee Attack (Full AB, Multiple attacks if available, etc)
• Cast Spell
• Move up to 5 x Base Movement
• Move 3x Base Run (-10 to all other actions)
• Concentrate on Spell or other activity
• Control Mount (if scared/spooked/injured)
• Pick Lock/Disarm Trap (requires 1 round per difficulty above Medium)

[/list]


Half Action

• Attack w/ Ranged Weapon (Missile or Thrown)
• Attack w/ (non-Tiny)Melee Weapon or Unarmed Attack (-4 to Attack Roll)
• Attack w/ Tiny Weapon
• Unarmed Attack (Punches only)
• Reload Bow or Sling (any type)
• Defensive Action (Block, Dodge, or Dive for Cover; cannot be declared in same round as an Attack Action)
• Prepare (used for various actions/abilities)
• Move up to 3x Base Movement
• Move 3x Base Run (-6 to all other actions)
• Pick up item from ground/floor (no roll required)
• Cast Counterspell
• Quick Cast a Spell (-4 to Casting Roll)
• Fast Cast a spell
• Full Perception (Search roll)
• Draw a Weapon
• Get up from Prone Position
• Control Mount (Mounted Combat)

[/list]


Snap Action
Snap Actions are quick actions that can be done during a round. Snap Actions are also the only Actions that can be performed should you cancel a previously declared Half Action (see Cancelling an Action, p. xx).

• Defensive Action (Dodge or Dive for Cover only; cannot be declared in same round as an Attack Action; may only be declared in response to Cancelling a Half Action)
• Move Base Movement
• Move Base Run (-2 to all other actions)
• Snap Cast a spell
• Drop to ground
• Pick up item from ground/floor (requires Reflexes Save)
• Quick General Perception (Insight roll)
• Take Herb/Drink Potion

[/list]


Abort Action
Abort Actions are actions that can be performed should you cancel a previously declared Full Action (see Cancelling an Action, p. xx). Abort Actions are also the only Actions that may be performed if your character is Stunned.

• Fight Defensively w/Melee Weapon (-5 to Attack Bonus before moving points from Attack Bonus to DT)
• Move 2x Base Movement
• Move 2 x Base Run (-4 to all other actions)
• Perform non-combat action with -5 modifier
• Cast Counterspell
• Defensive Action (Block, Dodge, or Dive for Cover)
• Pick up item from ground/floor (no roll)
• Full Perception (Search roll)
• Take Herb/Drink Potion

[/list]



What can be done in a round
Types of Actions

• 1 Maximum Action OR
  
• 1 Full Action and 1 Snap Action OR
• 1 Full Action and 1 Snap Action OR
• 2 Half Actions and 1 Snap Action OR
• 1 Half Action and 2 Snap Actions

Maximum Action
[/list]

• Melee Attack (Full AB; add Str to Damage)
• Multiple Melee Attacks (full AB)

Full Action
[/list]

• Melee Attack (Full AB)
• Melee Attack w/ Tiny Weapon (Full AB, add Str to damage)
• Unarmed Attack (punch/kick only, add Str to damage)

HalfAction
[/list]

• Attack w/ (non-Tiny)Melee Weapon or Unarmed
  Attack (-4 to Attack Roll)
• Attack w/ Tiny Weapon (full AB)
• Unarmed Attack (Punches/kicks only, full AB)
• Defensive Action (Block, Dodge, or Dive for Cover;
  cannot be declared in same round as an Attack Action)

[/list][/list]

[kenbert]

Are all your actions taken at your initiative or are they staggered based on the type of action? For example, I would think that snap actions should generally be resolved  before full actions unless you are fighting something really fast.

[imported_Rasyr]

Combat has 4 Phases

1) Initiative Phase



2) Action Declaration Phase

Any declared actions that alter the character's DT will have that adjustment apply for the entire round. This includes alterations from Fighting Defensively or the use of Talents such as Adrenal Defense or Agile Defense, or even one of the Universal Combat Moves, such as Dodging or Full Parry.

Players may not declare actions that will resolve in another round, unless that action also requires the majority or all of his activity for this round. Thus a player cannot declare both a Dodge and a standard Melee Attack in a round, since the Melee Attack could not resolve until the following round and it is an action that can be resolved in a single round.

Once player declares the Actions for his character, those Actions cannot be changed, except through Cancelling an Action (p. xx) during the Resolution Phase.

Note 1: Characters are limited to declaring no more than a single Attack Action per round, regardless of whether that Action is a Full, Half, Snap or AbortAction. Attack Actions may be comprised of more than 1 attack roll, but it is still considered a single action for all intents and purposes.

Note 2: Casting a Spell or a Counterspell is considered to be a Casting Action. Like Attack Actions, no more than a single Casting Action may be performed in a round. It is possible to perform both a Casting Action and an Attack Action in the same round. However, certain spells, specifically spells that directly attack a foe, such as the various "Bolt" spells, are considered to be both a Casting Action and an Attack Action and so cover both types of Actions.

Note 3: Magically Hasted characters may be able to perform more than one Attack or Casting action per round, provided that they can use at least a Full Action for one of the Actions intended to be performed.

3) Resolution Phase

Snap Actions, Counterspells, and Fast Cast spells are resolved first, regardless of the Initiative Point (IP) of the characters involved. If more than one of these happens in a round, then resolve them in IP order.

Next, all other actions are then resolved, in initiative order, from the highest IP to the lowest IP. All of a character's remaining Actions are resolved at his Initiative Point.

Any non-bleeding Hit Damage that a character receives is applied immediately. However, any rounds of Dazed, Stun, and/or Stagger are not applied until the following round.

4) Upkeep Phase

If the character was Dazed, Stunned or Staggered for the duration of this round, this is when the total number is reduced by one.

Once this phase of the round is complete, then the new round begins. The Initiative Phase should be skipped unless there is a character or monster joining the melee that needs to make an initiative roll or a character is Rerolling Initiative (p. xx).

Note: Bleeding damage is always subtracted at the end of the round, even in the round in which the damage is given.