Combat System

Overview

Ephimoria uses a form of combat different then traditional servers and instead goes for a stricter, RPG and roll-based approach as opposed to the standard honor model. Ephimoria follows the D20 die. Though these systems can be complex, the four main elements that will dictate everything are HP, SP, and movement. HP stands for hit points, and is effectively your health. If it hits 0, you are knocked unconscious. SP is whatever magical abilities you possess resource counter. Your maximum in any of these resources will be determined by your race, type of special ability, and any additions to that such as artifacts or relics, or a special event effect to your character. It will all be listed out for you to easily remember in the places they are relevant. Damage will be based on the damage type, like fire, frost, etc and will have a damage dice attached to it. These dice are optional, if you do not want to chance it, you may take the average instead, but once you roll, you leave it to lady luck. In addition, certain creatures, races and other things will have natural resistances, immunities or even vulnerabilities, but they will have to be researched and field tested to learn the truth. The combat system is ONLY during combat, and for those who are actively engaged within it. Outside of combat, the system is passive and serves no purpose.

The standard hit DC in Ephimoira is DC12. In order to land a hit in most circumstances, players must exceed a 12 on a D20. On a natural 20 a character delivers their maximum damage to the target, surpassing armor and resistance. In RP, you are considered to have struck a weak point such as an armor joint or soft spot.

For DM's who don't know where to start, much of how the system works on the opposing side of things (without personal flairs) exists in a simple DM's Guide & Regulations for Dummies guide.

Game Modes

The game mode of the event is determined by the DM prior to the start of the event, and comes in two different flavors. In a story mode event, the combat system is used as a backup, and the more honor based way of doing things takes precedent and rolling is mostly replaced. Story mode events are more prevalent where combat isn't expected, isn't high in intensity or is only for narrative purposes. In standard mode, the combat system takes center stage, and all the rules of the system are enforced for the purposes of the event. These events generally have more combat or higher intensity where strategy, decision making and cooperation is key to survival. The combat system employed by Ephimoira is not written with much consideration for PVP. Ephimoira is primarily a PVE server. While possible, it is discouraged as the systems in place may feel unbalanced.

Story Mode

In story mode, combat is fast paced and fluid to keep the story moving. Dice rolls and mechanics are limited, giving players more agency over their emotes as well as any damage their character takes. However, players should still suffer wounds and act fairly in regards to their ability to dodge or resist damage. If at any point there is a disagreement or if the situation calls for it, story mode combat ends.

Standard Mode

In standard mode, almost everything comes down to dice rolls and numbers. Though the mechanics of the system take precedence, better and more creative emotes and replies can lead to special bonuses given by the DM as per usual like in story mode. Players should still emote their attacks and act in a manner that is both sensible and believable, however damage and wounds are dictated by clearly defined rules.

Turn Order & Actions

Turn Order

Every combat scenario will have an established turn order. This turn order is agreed upon by both parties in the case of PVP, or by the DM in the case of PVE. The turn order may be established in any number of ways that is entirely up to both parties, but unless something changes, such as combat ending, it generally will not change once it is established.

Actions

Each turn you have one of each of the following actions to take in any order you wish.

Primary Action

A flexible action you may use to perform an attack, magical or mundane. You may only take one attack action per turn. Alternatively, you may also use this action to perform an additional secondary action or movement action.

Secondary Action

A lesser action covers interactions with the world around you. For example, opening doors, removing an item from your inventory, pulling a lever (Wrong lever!), consuming a consumable. You may forgo a secondary action to move half your move distance.

• Removing an item from inventory and consuming an item each requires its own secondary action, however, this does allow you to continue fighting while prepping a consumable. To do both in one turn would require the use of your primary action.

Movement Action

A movement action allows you to move the number of blocks determined by your race’s speed rank. You may spend both your primary and secondary action for additional movement. If all actions are spent on movement you are considered to be sprinting.

Reaction

Some abilities utilise a reaction. A reaction is an action taken in response to a predetermined trigger. Reactions may only trigger once per round.

Special Actions

Less common actions that fall outside of those defined above.

Hold Action

Instead of taking a primary action, you may instead take a hold action. A hold action allows you to prepare to take an action outside of your turn. You must specify in advance what the action you are preparing is and what trigger you are waiting for. For example, holding an attack action to ambush an unsuspecting enemy when they emerge from a door.

Movement

Moving is self explanatory, and follows the movement rules on how far a creature can go during their turn. This can scale depending on the scale the DM has set prior to the event starting, but is otherwise default at medium. The range is between Small, Medium and Large scale movement, listed on the Strength & Speed ranks sheet. These vary due to the size and scale of dungeons and builds, allowing the dm to choose an option that doesn't make a fight move at a snails pace due to everyone being too slow. There may be unique modifiers added to dungeons that change these speeds even with the scale, but are unique and event dependent and will not be listed here.

• In the case of swimming, which is listed under Swimming Rules, you can only choose to commit to one of the three options barring special exception.

Hit Points & Damage

Hit points are the health bars of the creatures of Ephimoria. They represent the remaining "fight" left in them, and is effectively their constitution, or whatever is left of it. When a creature hits 0 hitpoints, three options become available.

Hit Points

Hit points (HP) dictate how much damage a character can take, the base value of which is determined by race. When hit points reach 0, a character is incapacitated. Should a character take a further 10 points of damage taking them to -10 HP a character is killed and must be revived. Characters left on 0 HP or less after combat must receive immediate medical assistance to stabilise else they will bleed out and die. Any character with sufficient medical knowledge can stabilise an incapacitated character returning them to 1 HP, however they are still considered incapacitated until proper medical treatment is received.

Base HP Table

Tier	F	E	D	C	B	A	EX
Race	Fey Goblin Halfling Sprite	Aervan Dryad Shifter	Elf Satyr Sinnehliv Half-Elf	Human Danakov Syrien Vilo’Tae	Half Orc Dwarf Leonin	Orc Draxgar Minotaur	Hrim Giant Treant
Base HP	30	33	35	38	40	45	50
Minor Wound	3	3	4	4	4	5	5
Major Wound	6	6	6	8	8	10	10
Critical Wound	10	11	12	13	13	15	17
Death Value	-10	-10	-10	-10	-10	-10	-10

Strength and Speed Ranks

Wounds

Wounds are dictated by the amount of damage sustained after any deduction or mitigation rounded to the nearest whole number.

Critical Wound Table

1d10	Result	Notes
1	Lost Eye	-4 to Ranged Attacks.
2	Lost Foot	Halved Movement Speed
3	Lost Hand	Unable to use Two-Handed Weaponry
4	Lost Leg	Halved Movement Speed
5	Lost Arm	Unable to use Two-Handed Weaponry
6	Internal Bleeding	1d4 Damage pr turn, +1 every turn until treated.
7	Punctured Lung	Cannot Use Ranged Weaponry
8	Stunned	Example
9	Severe Concussion	Example
10	Lost Extremity	Example

Minor Wound

A minor wound is considered any damage below 1/10th of a character's total HP delivered in one attack. These wounds are negligible, equivalent to bruising, scrapes, scratches and minor burns.

Major Wound

A major wound is sustained when a character receives damage greater than 1/5th of their total HP in one attack. These wounds are serious, equivalent to lacerations, broken bones or concussion. A character with a major wound takes -2 to all rolls going forward with the exception of dealing damage. Major wound debuffs stack.

Critical Wound

A critical wound is a life threatening injury sustained when a character takes damage greater than 1/3rd of their total HP in one attack. These wounds are deadly and will lead to incapacitation and death if not treated urgently. A character with a critical wound takes -5 to all rolls going forward with the exception of dealing damage. To determine the critical wound a DM may ask you to roll on the critical wound table.

Death

Any creature that takes more than 10 damage after being incapacitated is killed and requires revival.

Weapon Types & Stances

Special Points

Special Points are effectively resource pools. These are called different names for flavor sake, but fall under the same umbrella. They determine the amount of resources you posses, how much something costs, how much is taken away when you cast or do something, and what happens, if anything, when you run out. This resource is uniquely numbered and exclusive depending on the trait you study and adhere to but will always be called "SP" on the character card.

The Forces

Resolve

Resolve is the term which is used when a creature tries to hit or to do something that is not standing still or mundane in nature. This will often be a set number and a roll will be required to either meet or exceed it to successfully complete that action. You may not always be aware of that number. Resolve is used as your armor or evasion skills, and determines how hard you and/or the creature you are fighting is to hit. These numbers can be increased or decreased based on race, debuffs or buffs, the clothing or armor you are wearing, and environmental factors. If someone MEETS the circumstances resolve requirement, which means they hit the exact number when they roll, the attempt is a success. Resolve is also how difficult doing something your character is not used to doing is, or something different occurring about a certain situation that requires you to roll.

Resolve

Rolling & Rule of Cool

Rolling is a system often used by many tabletop games, and in Ephimoria it is not much different from where it is inspired from. When a roll is called for, it is most commonly in the form of a d20 (or 1d20), give or take the modifiers you posses for that specific action. If there is a different diceroll required, it will be asked for on the item, page or otherwise and be explicitly mentioned. Dicerolls will range from the common d20, to d12's, d10's, d8's, d6's, d4's and d2's, but any other form or variation may be mentioned or required on the specific pages. The most common actions (during combat) will usually require a d20, such as making an attack, jumping from ledge to ledge if a roll is requested, or anything as far fetched as trying to do a crazy maneuver that otherwise might not work without a roll. You will generally know when you have to roll and when you don't, as the item or rule will tell you to, or the dm will instruct you to do so. Rolling is only something that is during combat or requested by a dm during an event if they so please.

The rule of cool follows this prospect. If a creature wishes to do something that, while normally pretty insane, might just work, the dm is allowed (or can decline) to utilize the so called "Rule of Cool" by allowing you in some shape or form (usually a roll) to have a chance to achieve your objective, no matter how crazy it might be. This is only used in PVE, so keep that in mind, as pvp rules do not include this element.

Resistances, Immunities & Vulnerabilities

Some creatures inherently posses natural abilities to resist or be immune to certain types of damage. They can also be vulnerable to such things as well, which means that specialization and preparation for many situations is important. A creature who is resistant to a certain type of damage will receive half damage when that type hits it, rounded down to the nearest number (If the division results in decimals). When it is immune, it will take no damage at all, and when it is vulnerable, it will take double damage from that specific type rounded up to the nearest number (If the division results in decimals). Many materials and armor posses traits similar to this, and allow, with enough information beforehand, to make what could be a tougher fight far more feasible. Any resistance, immunity or vulnerability will be listed on the material page or item itself if it possesses one.

Damage Types

Buffs & Debuffs

Buffs and debuffs are relatively self explanatory in what they are in a general use term, but every buff and debuff is entirely unique in what it does. A buff is generally something that directly strengthens or bolsters something, and is almost always a positive effect. A debuff is that which is the opposite, a general effect that is almost always negative. Because they come in so many different forms, they all follow their own rules listed on their pages for you to follow.

Status Effects

Status Effects are the variety of effects that can occur as extra to certain types of damage or abilities when they succeed or are set off properly. Stemming from the positive enhancements to the negative crippling effects, to the exhaustion and dread systems, status effects have a large part to play in more advanced and complex fights.

Status Effects

Damage Mitigation

Damage mitigation is an always flat amount of damage that is deducted off the total amount off damage a creature receives. This can be caused by any number of reasons, such as a buff or ability, but will be explicitly stated if it occurs on the relevant pages and items. An example would be that you have taken 6 points of damage from a sword, but the buff you have removes three points of any incoming damage, thus making the total 3, not 6.

Damage Mitigation