Combat system in Dzikie Pola (Wild Plains) RPG
Posted: 10 Feb 2017, 09:56
They say the combat system in TROS was influenced by a polish RPG Dzikie Pola. If anyone of you is interested in the mechanic used in this game, read on...
(I do only own the second edition, from 2005, I'll use that)
Quick summary: in combat characters use two basic scores, Initiative (calculated from Attributes) and Combat Points (equal to their Proficiency in a given weapon, usually 5-20 or something). The fighter with a higher Initiative score can declare his Maneuver first. Combat Points are used to perform Maneuvers.
Maneuvers can be offensive or defensive. They all have a listed cost in Combat Points (1, 2, 3 or more), some of them will also modify your current Initiative score, the damage dealt, or the Defensive Roll.
In the most basic scenario, one character attacks - declares his Maneuver, and the second defends with his Maneuver. You do only roll for defense, and that is d20 + your Prof score (when defending with a weapon) or d20 + Initiative score (when dodging or widening the distance), against the attacker's Prof score. If the Defense Roll fails, the attack was successful and deals damage.
You do only roll for attack when you're wounded, tired, or aiming at specific part of the body. Target Number set by GM.
Anyway, after this the roles are usually switched and the defender can declare his offense. And you repeat, until someone is dead, or both characters run out of Combat Points - at this point they take a break, catch their breath and then start another round with their pools replenished. But what if you have zero points, and your opponent still has them? Then you can only defend (and at a -4 penalty) until he burns all of his points.
One must always keep in mind his current Initiative score. As Maneuvers can change it, your slow attack (let's say, with a -3 penalty to Initiative) can be preempted with a quick or even normal attack. Then you are forced to defend, or let your opponent attack without you defending, and then respond - if you survive.
Another interesting thing is the Flurry of Blows. If you have a high Initiative score, you can choose to press the attack. Every following attack gets a cumulative -1 to Initiative, so you can repeat your offensive Manuevers until your current Initiative drops so low, that your opponent is able to beat you. But this flurry is tiring (if you burn all your CPs in the Round using Flurry, your basic CP pool is reduced by 1 until you rest for half an hour).
Obviously, there are many many various Maneuvers. There is a most common cut at your foe's weapon arm - quick, cheap and with low damage. And there are thrusts, power swings, lunges (as distance between combatants can change), counter attacks, and some crazy stuff I don't even fully understand (like preempting your opponents preemption, or dodging it and quickly responding)... anyway, everything you could expect.
The system focuses on fencing with sabres, or with rapiers. When it comes to other forms of combat, it's not as complex as Band of Scoundrels.
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As you can see, the core of this system is using Maneuvers. And that's exactly the idea that inspired Jake when working on TROS. I guess.
(I do only own the second edition, from 2005, I'll use that)
Quick summary: in combat characters use two basic scores, Initiative (calculated from Attributes) and Combat Points (equal to their Proficiency in a given weapon, usually 5-20 or something). The fighter with a higher Initiative score can declare his Maneuver first. Combat Points are used to perform Maneuvers.
Maneuvers can be offensive or defensive. They all have a listed cost in Combat Points (1, 2, 3 or more), some of them will also modify your current Initiative score, the damage dealt, or the Defensive Roll.
In the most basic scenario, one character attacks - declares his Maneuver, and the second defends with his Maneuver. You do only roll for defense, and that is d20 + your Prof score (when defending with a weapon) or d20 + Initiative score (when dodging or widening the distance), against the attacker's Prof score. If the Defense Roll fails, the attack was successful and deals damage.
You do only roll for attack when you're wounded, tired, or aiming at specific part of the body. Target Number set by GM.
Anyway, after this the roles are usually switched and the defender can declare his offense. And you repeat, until someone is dead, or both characters run out of Combat Points - at this point they take a break, catch their breath and then start another round with their pools replenished. But what if you have zero points, and your opponent still has them? Then you can only defend (and at a -4 penalty) until he burns all of his points.
One must always keep in mind his current Initiative score. As Maneuvers can change it, your slow attack (let's say, with a -3 penalty to Initiative) can be preempted with a quick or even normal attack. Then you are forced to defend, or let your opponent attack without you defending, and then respond - if you survive.
Another interesting thing is the Flurry of Blows. If you have a high Initiative score, you can choose to press the attack. Every following attack gets a cumulative -1 to Initiative, so you can repeat your offensive Manuevers until your current Initiative drops so low, that your opponent is able to beat you. But this flurry is tiring (if you burn all your CPs in the Round using Flurry, your basic CP pool is reduced by 1 until you rest for half an hour).
Obviously, there are many many various Maneuvers. There is a most common cut at your foe's weapon arm - quick, cheap and with low damage. And there are thrusts, power swings, lunges (as distance between combatants can change), counter attacks, and some crazy stuff I don't even fully understand (like preempting your opponents preemption, or dodging it and quickly responding)... anyway, everything you could expect.
The system focuses on fencing with sabres, or with rapiers. When it comes to other forms of combat, it's not as complex as Band of Scoundrels.
------
As you can see, the core of this system is using Maneuvers. And that's exactly the idea that inspired Jake when working on TROS. I guess.
I do believe Jake was influenced by the first edition, but even the second doesn't sound a whole lot dissimilar to what we're doing here as far as the basic concepts are concerned. Except we simplify a lot more, which actually seems to have worked towards a more realistic approach over all, as generalization allows more flexibility (we're unlikely to be dated by new HEMA theories) and it lessens any unintended bias towards the fighting styles we're more intimate with.
