Combat System
Overview
Ephimoria uses a strict RPG and roll-based approach to combat following a 20-sided die (d20). The three main elements that dictate everything are health points (HP), special points (SP), and movement distance (MVT). Your race, type of special ability, special events, and any artifacts or relics will all affect your character and their resource maximums.
Damage is based on the damage type (e.g. fire, frost) and will have an optional damage dice attached to it - you may choose to either use the average damage or roll. If you choose to roll you must take the rolled result. The standard hit DC in Ephimoria is DC10. In order to land a hit in most circumstances, players must meet or exceed a 12 on a d20. On a 'natural' 20, a character does not roll and instead delivers their maximum damage to the target, ignoring armor and resistance. In RP, you are considered to have struck a weak point such as an armor joint or soft spot.
If a character's HP hits 0, they are knocked unconscious. SP represents your individual resource pool for magical abilities. Certain creatures, races, and other things have natural resistances, immunities and/or vulnerabilities. To find these, they have to be researched and field tested to learn the truth.
For DM's looking for a place to start, much of how the system works exists in our DM's Guide & Regulations for Dummies.
Outside of combat, the combat system is passive and serves no purpose.
Game Modes
In events, the game mode is determined by the DM, and can comes in one of two different flavors. Ephimoira's combat system is not written with PVP as its primary focus as it is primarily a PVE server. When possible and feasible, it is discouraged to initiate rolled combat.
Story Mode
In a story mode event, the combat system is used as a backup, and a more honor based way of combat takes precedent; 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 be encouraged to still suffer wounds when appropriate and act fairly in regards to their ability to dodge or resist damage. If a disagreement arises or if the situation calls for it, story mode combat ends. Story mode events are prevalent where combat isn't expected, isn't high-intensity or is only for narrative purposes.
Standard Mode
In standard mode, the combat system takes center-stage and all rules are enforced. In this mode, almost everything comes down to dice rolls and numbers. Though the mechanics of the system take precedence, very creative emotes and replies can lead to special bonuses given by the DM, much like in story mode. You are encouraged to still emote your attacks and act in a manner that is both sensible and believable, however damage and wounds are dictated by clearly defined rules. These events generally have more combat or higher intensity where strategy, decision making and cooperation is key to survival.
Turn Order & Actions
Turn Order
Combat scenarios have an established turn order. In PVP, turn order is agreed upon by participating parties, otherwise turn order is determined by the DM. (Turn order may be established in any number of ways that is agreed upon by all parties, but unless something changes, such as combat ending, it generally will not change once it is established.)
Actions
Each turn you may take up to one of each of the following action types in any order.
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 (see below). When two allied characters are standing on opposite sides of an enemy their hit DC has a -2 modifier.
- Disengage: Move away from a hostile target without taking an opportunity attack.
- Defend: A character may spend their primary action to bolster their defence. The next attack directed at that character has a DC +3 modifier. Subsequent attacks reduce the DC modifier by 1 each time until racial base. (+3, +2, +1, 0)
Secondary Action
A lesser action that covers interactions with the world around you. (e.g. 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 MVT.
- Removing an item from inventory and consuming an item each require their 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 MVT. 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.
- Opportunity attack: When a character (or monster) moves out of one block range of a hostile, the hostile may use their reaction to make a standard attack action.
- Cover: A character may use their reaction to dive for cover in response to a ranged attack. If there is no cover within 3 blocks, the character simply dives to the ground. Diving for cover grants a DC modifier of +2 however, the covering player loses their primary action the following turn.
Special Actions
Less common actions that fall outside of those defined above.
Hold Action
Instead of taking a primary action, you may instead hold your 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 follows the movement rules on how far a creature can go during their turn. This may scale depending on the movement scale the DM sets prior to the event, but otherwise default to medium. The range is between Small, Medium and Large scale movement, listed on the Strength & Speed ranks sheet. There may be unique modifiers added to dungeons that change speeds even with the scale, but are unique and event-dependent.
- 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.
Health Points & Damage
Health points (HP) are the health bars of creatures of Ephimoria. They represent the remaining "fight" left in them, and is effectively their constitution.
Health Points
When a creature hits 0 HP, it becomes incapacitated. Should a character take a further 10 points of damage taking them to -10 HP that 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 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.
Wounds
Wounds are dictated by the amount of damage sustained (after any deductions or mitigation) rounded down to the nearest whole number. In this fantasy world, injuries and even death are rarely permanent. With work, time, and good friends, a character is likely to fully recover from any injury. Try to accept these outcomes and see them as a challenge your character must face. It’s okay to feel sad or disappointed but it’s not the end! Every hero faces setbacks they must overcome.
In some circumstances (such as DM-led events) you may request to skip rolling on the critical wound table and instead take an incapacitation. Characters incapacitated in this manner are considered out-of-action and may not return to the event.
Wounds are determined by the amount of damage a character sustains in a single attack.
Minor Wound
An attack that delivers damage below 20% of a character's total HP is considered a minor wound. These wounds are negligible, equivalent to bruising, scrapes, scratches and minor burns.
Major Wound
When a character receives damage equal to, or greater than 20% 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 until healed with the exception of dealing damage. Major wound debuffs will stack.
Critical Wound
A critical wound is a life-threatening injury sustained when a character takes damage greater than 33% of their total HP in one attack. These wounds are deadly and will lead to incapacitation and death if not treated urgently. To determine the critical wound, a DM may ask you to roll on the critical wound table.
| 1d10 | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lost Eye | -4 to ranged attacks |
| 2 | Lost Foot | Halved movement speed |
| 3 | Lost Hand | Cannot use two-handed or off-hand weaponry |
| 4 | Lost Leg | Requires a check to not fall prone at the start of every turn. |
| 5 | Lost Arm | Cannot use two-handed or off-hand weaponry |
| 6 | Internal Bleeding | 1d4 damage, +1 every turn until treated |
| 7 | Punctured Lung | -2 to melee attacks, -1 every turn until treated |
| 8 | Nerve Shock | Unable to take actions for 1 turn, +1 each time repeated. |
| 9 | Concussion | Cannot concentrate |
| 10 | Lost Extremity | No effect |
Death
Any creature that takes more than 10 damage after being incapacitated is killed and requires revival.
Special Points
Special Points (SP) are effectively resource pools and determine how much abilities cost, 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.
Rolling & Rule of Cool
Rolling is often used by many tabletop games and in Ephimoria it's not so different. When a roll is called for, it is most commonly a d20 (or 1d20), give or take the modifiers you posses for that specific action. If a different diceroll is required, it will be asked for on the item, page or otherwise and be explicitly mentioned. Dicerolls 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, 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. 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 what it might be. This optional rule is only used in PVE.
Advantage/Disadvantage
When a character has the upperhand over an opponent, they are granted advantage. The player with advantage may make an additional roll and choose the highest result. When a character has been disabled or is struggling deeply and finding it more difficult to act, they are granted disadvantage. The player with disadvantage makes an additional roll and chooses the lower result.
Advantage may be granted in the following situations:
- Melee attacking an opponent who is prone.
- Attacking an opponent who is immobilised
- DM discretion
Disadvantage may be granted in the following situations:
- Ranged attack against a character in high cover
- Ranged attack against a character who is prone
- DM discretion
Critical Hit: On a critical hit (natural 20) a character doubles their damage roll. A DM may override or change this rule at their discretion.
Resistances, Immunities & Vulnerabilities
Some creatures posses natural abilities to resist or be immune to certain types of damage. They can also be vulnerable to such damage types 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 whole number. When it is immune, it will take no damage at all. When vulnerable, a creature will take double damage from that specific type rounded up to the nearest whole number.
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.
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.
