Post/Author/DateTime	Post
hawaiianbrian 04-12-07, 08:11 PM	Six-Second Rounds and Actions The purpose of this house rule is to experiment with a system which gets rid of “standard,” “full,” “partial,” “free,” and “swift” actions, replacing them with a more intuitive system where certain actions take a number of seconds, and each player has 6 seconds in which to perform those actions. Devotees to Dungeons & Dragons, and the d20 system in general, will likely find some of these rules a serious departure from the “standard” rules set they are accustomed to. To some extent, this is intentional. I’ve designed these rules to thin out some of the heavy-handed rules which turn every combat into a miniatures battle, with such an emphasis on tactics. My goal has been to create something quicker, easier, and simpler. The Basics All participants in combat, PC and NPC alike, have 6 seconds’ worth of actions they make take during their portion of the round. Initiative remains unchanged, yet the round is not as divided into discrete blocks, since characters may elect to leave “unspent” part of their round until later (in other words, does not spend them all on actions but leaves some undesignated). Once a character’s turn arrives, he or she is allotted six seconds with which to perform actions. Characters do not need to use all of their actions at once -- any that are left “open” can be used at any time during the rest of the inititive cycle until their next turn. Seconds which are not used do not “roll over.” They are lost at the beginning of the character’s next turn. One of the most notable changes this system brings is to Attacks of Opportunity as they are presented in the SRD. A character who has at a second left over in their round can use it at any time to attack an enemy within their range. Similarly, they can cast a spell or take any other action that uses some or all of their remaining unspent seconds. If a character is attacked and has at least one unspent second remaining from their last turn, they may perform one of several defense moves: parry, block, and avoid. These will be detailed in the Combat section, below. Combat The most fundamental change this system introduces is to combat. Attacks with a single weapon expend a number of seconds based on the size of the weapon. Naturally, heavier weapons take longer to swing, and the time needed to recover from a swing only adds to this. Lighter weapons are swift in comparison. A character wielding a light weapon can attack one time in 1 second. A character wielding a one-handed weapon can make one attack in 2 seconds, and a character wielding a two-handed weapon can make one attack in 3 seconds. Using a shield to bash is the same as attacking with an off-hand weapon, though the shield’s size determines how many seconds it takes to bash an opponent with it. In general, bucklers and light shields take 1 second, heavy shields take 2 seconds, and tower shields take 3 seconds. For more information on fighting with two weapons, see below. Ranged weapons break down a little differently, because they most often must be both drawn and fired (or thrown) in the same round. Crossbows are pretty slow. It takes only 1 second to fire a loaded crossbow, but it takes 3 seconds to load a light crossbow or hand crossbow, and 6 seconds to load a heavy crossbow or repeating crossbow (but once a repeating crossbow is loaded, it can be fired at a rate of 1 shot per second). Bows are faster than crossbows, requiring 2 seconds to nock an arrow, and 1 second to fire a nocked arrow (for a total of 3 seconds per arrow, though a character ready for trouble can save some time by pre-nocking an arrow). Throwing something held in the hand also requires only 1 second, but drawing it takes 2 seconds. The only exception to this last rule are shuriken, which can be thrown together. The attacker can effectively throw up to 4 shuriken from one hand as a single 1 second action, though the attacker suffers a -1 cumulative penalty for every additional shuriken, and each shuriken uses the same attack roll. Iterative attacks (that is, extra attacks taken in a round) impose a cumulative -5 penalty per attack. The first attack, therefore, is at the character’s full base attack bonus, while the next one (should they have enough seconds left to do so) would be at -5, then the third at -10, the fourth at -15, and so on. There is no limit to how many times a character can attack per round as long as they do not spend more seconds than they have at their disposal. This will make light weapons and fists very fast, with the wielder able to attack up to 6 times a round. While this might sound overly powerful, consider that the sixth attack would be at a -25 penalty, and light weapons generally do not do as much damage as larger ones. This -5 iterative attack penalty applies to ranged weapons as well. These penalties can be partially mitigated by two-weapon fighting and multishot feats (see below). Fighting with two weapons, or with double-ended weapons, changes a bit as well. A character attacking with an off-hand weapon (or a shield used to bash an opponent) still suffers the two-handed weapon penalties mentioned in the SRD or Player’s Handbook. But they are allowed to make a single attack with their off-hand weapon that takes place at any time in the round and costs zero seconds. This attack is essentially free because it takes place during other actions, and does not count toward the 6 seconds the character normally can spend a round. It uses the character’s highest attack bonus, though as usual two-weapon penalties do apply to this and all other attacks. The rules on subsequent attacks given above do not apply to off-hand weapons -- attacking more than once per round with an off-hand weapon requires the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat or Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat. Example: a fighter with the feats Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, and Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, and who is wielding two long swords, may make three attacks with his primary hand (because a long sword takes 2 seconds to swing) and three attacks with his off-hand. He will be at -4 for attack with each hand because his off-hand weapon is not light. The first attack with his primary hand will be at his highest attack bonus -4, then -9 for the next attack, then -14 for the third (because subsequent attacks are at cumulative -5 penalties). His attacks with his off-hand weapon will follow an identical progression but will not use up his normal 6 seconds. Natural weapons are considered light weapons and take 1 second per attack. The same -4 penalty applies to unarmed attacks made by those without the unarmed proficiency feat, though attacking without a weapon no longer provokes an Attack of Opportunity. Grappling becomes a little easier without Attacks of Opportunity, though it takes 3 seconds to grab and attempt to hold an opponent. This leaves 3 more seconds for the successful grappler to attempt a pin or make attacks. It is possible to attack while moving past someone by taking a -2 penalty to the attack, though damage is increased by +2. If a character has at least one second left over from their round, they may perform a defense move. Defense comes in three types: parry, block and counter. To parry, a character must have a weapon in at least one hand. He gains a plus to his AC depending on the size of his weapon (small or tiny = +1, medium = +2, large and up= +3). To block, a character must have a shield, or other servicable object, in her hand. She gains a plus to her AC depending on the size of the object (use the same sizes used for parrying). Lastly, avoiding an attack gains an unarmed character +1 to their AC. This stacks with the dodge feat. Naturally, this system is going to change some feats. These will be discussed at greater length in their own section below, but it is important to note that attacking times and loading times can be shortened in some circumstances with select feats. Movement A new Movement Rate has been implemented to coincide with the new second-by-second combat round. Every character has a rate, read in 5-foot-squares per round, that indicates the maximum distance they can travel in one second. Thus, a normal human who has a movement rate of 30 by the original D&D 3.5 rules now can move up to 4 squares each second of their turn. Dwarves and halflings, and other creatures with lesser movement rates, can move fewer squares per 1 second interval, and monks or other creatures with faster rates can move more squares per 1 second interval. These rates are maximums, so a player has an option to move less than the noted rate per second, should they choose to do so. Thus, even though a human fighter might be able to cover 4 squares in one second, he may elect to move 3 instead, with no penalty. However, for each second of travel the character may only move in one direction, and take no other action. The path taken by a moving character must be expressed on the game board as a straight line, to begin where the character began movement and end at (or up to) their maximum distance away. Characters wishing to zig-zag through barriers or other obstacles, like other characters, cannot simply thread their movement around said obstacles but must instead break down their turns in discrete units per second. For example, Dirk the human rogue has a movement of 4 squares per second. He is attempting to weave through a field full of combatants with small gaps between them. To do so, he will need to choose an initial direction and move up to 4 squares in that direction in his first second of movement. In the next second, he changes direction and can move up to 4 more squares in that new direction. In his third second, he changes direction again, moving 4 more, and so on. By the time 6 seconds has elapsed, he will have covered a possible total of 24 squares, like normal, but still not terribly far from where he began. One single five-foot step is still free, yet still does not “overlap” with other movement. For characters or monsters with different move rates, consult the following table. Movement Rate______________Squares covered in one second 10 or less.........................1 15.........................2 20.........................3 30.........................4 40.........................5 50.........................7 60.........................8 70.........................9 80.........................11 90.........................12 every +10.........................+1.3, rounded off These movement rates are subject to terrain penalties (and possibly bonuses, like moving downhill). In general, rates given in the Dungeon Master’s Guide regarding movement penalties for terrain still apply as given. Magic Note: In my campaign we’re playing with the True Sorcery rules, presented by Green Ronin. The rules below are designed for use with the SRD magic system for Dungeons and Dragons. I am not a fan of “slot-based” magic for a number of reasons that I won’t mention here, thus these rules will not be play-tested and so are to be considered theoretical. That said, I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t work as stated. The only significant differences this system introduces come in the form of casting times and attacks of opportunity. A spell that is listed as having a casting time of “free action” takes 0 seconds to cast, and can be done at any time in the round sequence, even if the character has no unspent seconds left from their previous turn. A spell that lists a casting time of “swift action” takes 1 second to cast, and so cannot be cast unless the spellcaster has at least 1 second available to them in the current round. A spell that lists a casting time of “standard action” takes 3 seconds to cast, while a spell that lists a casting time of “full action” takes 6 seconds to cast. Some spells may take longer than this, though usually such spells take such a long time to cast that they can’t be used during combat anyway. Countering a spell uses as many seconds as the spell being countered. Casting a spell no longer provokes an attack of opportunity, since AoO rules are not used in this system. However, the standard rules concerning concentration checks to cast after the spellcaster has suffered damage do still apply. Other Actions There are a host of other possible actions a character may elect to take in any given round, from opening doors to drinking potions, shouting commands to casting spells. Many of these actions are already designated in the Player’s Handbook. In general: • Anything listed as taking a “free action” requires 0 seconds • Anything listed as taking an “immediate action” requires 1 second • Anything listed as taking a “swift action” requires 2 second • Anything listed as taking a “move action” requires 3 seconds • Anything listed as taking a “standard action” also requires 3 seconds, and • Anything listed as taking a “full-round action” requires 6 seconds. Other actions not listed require a number of seconds to be determined by the DM. Keep in mind that some actions may take more than 6 seconds to accomplish, and stopping midway may very well result in failure or incompletion. Speaking is considered a free action, but no more than (approximately) five words can be spoken in a second, so placing a “cap” of 30 words spoken in one round is quite reasonable. Effect on Class Abilities, Etc. Any class ability, spell-like ability, supernatural ability, or the like is subject to these rules. For activation times, see the common chart above. The monk flurry of blows class ability sees some changes in this system. It is, essentially, two-weapon fighting done with natural attack, which are always light weapons. However, monks are considered to have the two-weapon fighting feat when using their fists. Unlike the standard rules, the penalties monks take to do multiple attack through flurry of blows does not decrease with level progression, instead remaining at -2. Modified Feats Many feats, both in the Player’s Handbook and in other sources, will be changed by introducing this system. That is to be anticipated. DMs who still prefer to use the attacks of opportunity rule will probably find that far fewer feats have to be changed or eliminated. Whether or not to continue using them is a personal choice, though my reasons for excluding them are the same as for changing the system in the first place: to create a more fluid, almost “cinematic” gaming experience that relies less on battlefield tactics and more on creative selection of actions. These rules still function fine with attacks of opportunity, but change the “tone” so that attacks of opportunity seem a more of a penalty and encumbrance. So many feats exist in published books, and more are being created every day, so that an exhaustive list would be impossible. Arguably, too many exist already. But the goal of this document is to address feats from the SRD or Player’s Handbook which find significant modification with the above rules. Here they are, along with suggested “fixes.” (DMs still planning to use AoO may ignore some of these modifications.) • Improved Feint: Instead of requiring a move action, feinting now takes as much time as one normal attack, depending on the type of weapon. Thus, light weapons are quick and easy to feint with, and doing so takes 1 second, while a longsword would take 2 seconds to perform a feint. • Whirlwind Attack: Requires 6 seconds; everything else is the same. • Combat Reflexes: Reduces one attack per round by 1 second. Thus, by using this feat a person attacking with a longsword would only spend 1 second on their first attack, though any subsequent attacks would still require 2. The player may spend this second any way they see fit. • Mobility: +1 AC while moving more than 5-foot-step. • Spring Attack: Suffer no penalty for attacking while moving. • Deflect Arrows: Deflecting an arrow takes 1 second. Unlike the SRD version of this feat, you may deflect more than one arrow a round, though each still takes 1 second, and you must have enough unused seconds left over to use this feat. You can deflect any ranged weapon with this feat. • Snatch Arrows: Same as Deflect Arrows, but you now hold the arrow or ranged weapon. • Rapid Shot: Reduces the time to nock a bow or draw a thrown weapon by 1 second. Thus, one bow shot will only take 2 seconds to complete. • Manyshot: Same as listed in the SRD, but cannot be used in conjuntion with Rapid Shot. Each arrow nocked at once results in a cumulative -2 penalty, as usual. • Shot on the Run: Suffer no penalty for firing or throwing a ranged weapon while moving. • Quick Draw: Reduce the amount of time it takes to draw a weapon from 3 seconds to zero. • Run: Add 1 square to movement maximum per round • Two-Weapon Fighting: You may make a single attack with an off-hand weapon which does not count against your 6 seconds available during a round. This attack is done at the penalties given in the Player’s Handbook. • Two-Weapon Defense: You gain +1 bonus to parry attempts when using two weapons. • Improved Two-Weapon Fighting: You make an additional single attack with an off-hand weapon which does not count against your 6 seconds available during a round. • Greater Two-Weapon Fighting: You can make a third attack with an off-hand weapon, as long as your first two attacks with the off-hand weapon would not take more than 6 seconds. This means, under most circumstances, heavy weapons cannot be used with greater two-weapon fighting. --- I'm not sure how much traffic these boards get, but I thought I'd present this and see if anyone has any constructive criticism and/or suggestions on how to improve it, or warnings about problems that may arise. __________________ ------------------------------------------ HawaiianBrian Honolulu, HI http://thetoughestjob.blogspot.com ------------------------------------------ Edit/Delete Message
Xeviat-DM 04-13-07, 06:09 AM	I haven't fully read it yet; I stopped when I saw that you were going to have light, one-handed, and two-handed weapons take different times to attack with. No, don't do that. I like the idea of having "unspent actions" and all that, but you're going to cause more balance concerns than you think. I'll look over it more indepth shortly, and I'll edit this post. Just wanted to let you know that I'm intrested.
Ryusage 04-14-07, 09:04 PM	This system definetly has potential... It's gonna take some tweaking though. I'd take TWFing over two-handed weapons any day.
ppirilla 04-14-07, 09:20 PM	This system will need a lot of work to flow well, but it seems like a worthwhile project to those who have the time. Specifically, free, swift, immediate, etc actions will need to be looked more closely at. Also, BAB and proficiencies should factor into weapon attack times (such that full-round attacks still fit in).
IceFractal 04-15-07, 02:00 AM	Rogues become the kings of combat in this system. 6-9 attacks, all with sneak attack? Sign me up. In general, static damage modifiers will be the most potent things, as power attack and high strength don't work well with light weapons. For instance, a 20th level Rogue with GTWF would have nine attacks a round, each dealing 11d6+bonuses damage. Just adding Flaming and Shocking to their weapons would add 18d6 a round. Even if they move, they can probably still do 6-7 attacks. In fact, they could move 100' (200' with boots of S&S) and still get four attacks. Sure, their AB will be lousy on those last couple, but that's what invisibility and touch attacks are for. By comparison, a 20th level Greatsword Fighter is still just getting two attacks a round, and only one if they move. Now those attacks are pretty strong, but not as strong as 9th level spells, which a Wizard can also cast two of each round. It's definitely an interesting system, but light weapons don't need the extreme boost you're giving them.
RobbyPants 04-17-07, 11:56 AM	I really like the intent of this system. I've tried similar things in the past, and it proved too difficult for me to make it coherent. I like the idea of increasing the resolution of the combat round by breaking it into seconds. I also like the idea of a spell taking 3 seconds to cast, as it has several chances to get interupted. As others (specifically IceFractal) have pointed out, rating different weapon categories differently will have a big effect, espescially later in the game. One thing to consider, would be to change the time for drawing the weapons, as opposed to attacking with them, so once they're drawn, they attack at the same rate, but the lighter weapons will get in an extra attack on that first round. EDIT: Perhaps I missed something from the OP: Is there anything preventing someone with a BAB of +6/+1 from instead of making a full attack (6 seconds), to make a single attack (3 seconds), and then hold the remaining 3 seconds to make a second single attack, both at a +6 bonus? I might have misread the section on holding remaining seconds and itterative attacks.