ACKS: Classifying Combat Actions

This Saturday will lead off with an incursion into the lair of Pallid, a juvenile albino black dragon who has been functioning as the ruler of, and object of cultic adoration from, the Savage Reach's local saurian tribe. The saurians themselves were eliminated in a conventional action, but the dragon worked his way back to the main cave. Although the D@W rules officially state that commanders die with their units, I ruled he would have been operating as an independent hero from the air, and could make a swift escape if the battle turned against him.

Going into the lair is a man-to-man (i.e., traditional RPG) scale encounter, so I've been paging through the core rules to figure out the sequence of battle. One aspect of the game that could probably be clarified is which actions are allowed in different stages of combat. Here's the result of reading through several paragraphs of text and determining how different combat actions would be classified in a "modern" post-3.0 vocabulary.

In general, every character may make one move action followed by one attack action, in order of initiative rolls using 1d6+DEX modifier. (Note: not 1d20!) Initiative order may be delayed until after any other combatants with lower initiative scores.

A free action may occur in addition to a move action, before or after it. A full-round action replaces both. A declared full-round action also replaces both, and must be declard before any initiative rolls. A spontaneous full-round action can occur at any time in reaction to an opponent, regardless of initiative.

Move Actions


Overrun demo, courtesy today's OOTS

• Move any distance up to combat movement, if not engaged in melee
• Make an overrun special manuever, to move past an opponent without engaging (-4 to hit, allows save vs Paralysis)
• Set a polearm or spear to receive a charge, against a charging opponent (delays the attack action until a charge occurs)
• Stand up after being knocked down by a special maneuver or ability

Attack Actions

• Make a missile attack
• Make a melee attack
• Perform a special maneuver or other special ability (usually involves additional modifiers to save from any size differentials)
• Brawl with a punch (1d3) or kick (1d4), to inflict non-lethal damage (-2 to hit with kicks)
• Disarm an opponent (-4 to hit, allows save vs Paralysis)
• Force back an opponents (-4 to hit, allows save vs Paralysis), may result in a collision causing knock down and damage
• Incapacitate an opponent using the flat of the blade to inflict non-lethal damage (-4 to hit)
• Knock down an opponent, granting +2 to attacks against, and inflicting -4 on his attacks (-4 to hit, allows save vs Paralysis)
• Sunder an opponent's weapon or shield, using a forceful blow from a weapon or shield (various hit modifiers and save modifiers, based on types and enchantments)
• Wrestle an opponent to create a hold that guarantees automatic future hits to brawl, force back, disarm, or knock down, and allows +4 and backstabs with any future allied attacks (-4 to hit, allows save vs Paralysis every round)
• Light a torch
• Throw flaming oil or holy water, or some similar liquid
• Ignite military-grade oil (on the floor or on a target), using a torch
• Use an item (wand, staff, rod, ring, etc)
• Attempt to turn undead

Either Move or Attack Actions

• Sheathe a weapon and draw another
• Ready or loose a shield
• Pick up an item from personal inventory or the ground

Free Actions

• Draw a weapon into empty hands
• Drop a weapon, shield or item, and immediately draw another weapon
• Activate a rage effect
• Make a melee cleave attack against a new opponent within reach, after slaying another (up to class level for fighter-type classes, or half-level for cleric/rogue-type classes, classified by attack throw advancement rate)
• Make a missile cleave attack against a new opponent within range, after slaying another (same class limits as above, plus capped at 2 for crossbow/arbalest, 3 for longbow, and 4 for any other ranged weapon)

Full Round Actions

• Charge into combat and attack
• Run away from a battle (when out of melee), at triple normal movement

Declared Full Round Actions

• Cast a spell from memory or a scroll
• Make a fighting withdrawal
• Retreat from melee

Spontaneous Full Round Actions

• Make a reaction attack with any missile weapon, spear or polearm, against a closing opponent within range/reach