What follows is the Combat Guide for a Trek game I am working on. I was hoping to get some input on what makes sense and what doesn't; What I'm missing and what I could make more clear. I'm not really looking for a discussion on how combat should be run in RPOL games. I've successfully used a system similar to this in other games, but converting it to work with Where No Man Has Gone Before took some doing and I want to make sure it holds up to scrutiny.
— Combat Guide —
I expect for there to be a substantial amount of conflict in the series, and knowing that many games bog down and die when turn based combat breaks out, I have some ground rules that should help to streamline combat, keep the game moving, and turn the focus back to roleplay rather than roll-play.
A few simple Starfleet regulations regarding combat:
Combat Regulation 000.0 — Rule Zero
Standard tabletop gaming Rule 0 rules apply.
I don't feel the need to explain Rule 0. If you don't know what Rule 0 is, you have the internet. If you don't have the internet, I'm confused as to how you are planning on participating in this game.
Combat Regulation 101.1 — Description is King
First and foremost, description is king.
Don't fall back or get hung up on the mechanics of combat. There shouldn't be any less characterization and description just because Romulans suddenly fire phasers. Have fun with your combat descriptions. Give it flair, panache, your own unique style. The "no one-liners" rule still applies, even if your action is to hold. In that case, you had better get inside your character's head and describe what gives them pause or what they're waiting for.
What your character does inside of combat should tell just as much a story about them as their noncombat interactions. Whether their shirt rips and they glisten with sweat, smiling as they face a worthy adversary, or maybe they cower behind the nearest cover and start looking for the best way to escape the situation, firing off suppressing fire while keeping their own head down. Either way, this is explored in the details of description.
Descriptions will be broken down and reassembled in the combat summary post, and there are bound to be a few corners knocked off of individual descriptions in the process. The intent of the action and description will always be adhered to as closely as possible, but keep in mind that a combat post is primarily a declaration of intent, and there is no telling how it will all come out in the wash.
Combat Regulation 404.2 — Always Forward
As the GM, I am going to make mistakes.
Plan on it.
My mistakes may cause your character's death.
Prepare for it.
I can promise that I will always make a best effort to adjudicate this game fairly and accurately, but there are bound to be instances where you might feel like you got the short end of the stick, especially when I am interpreting intent while compiling simultaneous action.
Suck it up. We are moving on. Always forward.
If I stop and let the action get bogged down in trying to correct mistakes, perceived or real, then I am doing a disservice to the game and to the other players.
Buck up and roll a new, more awesomer ensign to bring into the game.
If you do have an issue that you think can be corrected or done better in the future, please don't hesitate to let me know. Just know that the dialogue isn't going to alter what has already transpired.
Combat Regulation 333.3 — Actions are (Nearly) Simultaneous
Combatants don't act in turns. Not in real life.
Using turns facilitates the simulation of combat around a table and is implemented by various games in wildly different ways, often splitting declaration of actions and resolution of actions into separate phases in some of the more complex games.
Our format gives us the unique opportunity to have declaration of actions happen all at the same time before any resolution takes place. This would be difficult in a live setting where each player makes their declarations aloud, the default setting of any rule set. The benefit is that we get to emulate to some degree the chaos of battle. Players can't strategize their moves based on the full outcomes of the previous player's actions. Resolution doesn't take place in the vacuum of a single turn. Combat becomes faster, with more unexpected twists as players react to the full scope of what is going on around them.
How this works is simple: Combat posts are made as private to GM. Once all involved players have posted (or 48 hours have passed), I will resolve all of the actions and combine them into a united narrative for the round. Wash, rinse, repeat.
More detail on this in CR ???.? — Combat Post Format.
Combat Regulation 123.4 — Taking Initiative
The follow on to simultaneous action and reworking a turn based system is that initiative is no longer strictly cyclical. Because of this, initiative is rolled every round to prevent the "low man on the totem pole" of initiative from nearly always having their declared actions inadvertently subverted by others in the resolution.
This is how actions are "nearly" simultaneous. Every round the actions based in a higher initiative have a slight advantage over actions taken at a lower initiative. In most cases this won't matter, and all actions will take place as planned.
Mechanically, initiative is to be rolled each round and included in the Combat PM of each character's post. Every round will have a new initiative rolled and included in the Combat PM. Actions will be resolved in proper initiative order, but not necessarily described in that order in the combat summary post. Description of the round in the combat summary post will be based on what makes the most narrative sense for aggregating all of the actions and descriptions from individual characters, and not necessarily presented in initiative order.
Combat Regulation 876.5 — Post Haste
Each round of combat will be open for posting for 48 hrs from the GM's last (or initial) combat summary posting. If all players active in the combat make their requisite posts before the 48 hours are up, then the GM will post the combat summary as soon as possible, at which point the 48 hrs timer is reset.
If a combatant does not reply within the 48 hrs, the GM will include an action for that character that best fits with the situation. Generally characters will continue on a declared course of action or follow the rest of the group as appropriate.
The 48 hrs regulation is to keep the game moving along at a good pace through combat scenarios. Experience says that in most games a round of combat is resolved on an almost daily basis, which is unheard of in games where characters must wait to act in order of initiative.
Combat Regulation D20.6 — Proper Combat Randomizer Usage
This section is relatively simple, and only has two regulations: (1) Declare your action and target (if applicable) in the dice roller when you make your roll, and (2) don't forget to make a new initiative roll every round.
Combat Regulation 196.7 — Combat Post Format
With the exception of the notation: Combat Action PM,
the entire post must be in Private to GM. The PM is then segregated into two parts by a "hard rule" (<hr>), (1) the descriptive text and (2) the combat mechanics. Always keep in mind, when writing your description, that rounds are just a few quick seconds (roughly 6).
The resulting post should look something like this:
Combat Action PM [
Private to GM: Kirk's wiped his bloodied lip on the torn sleeve of his uniform, smiling with a wild glee at the Gorn who had bloodied it. "Ha," he shouted as he lunged, double-fisted and with his full strength at the green reptilian monstrosity, full knowing that the gambit might cost him his life.
Initiative: 07:07, Today: Cpt James T Kirk rolled 14 using 1d20+3. Init.
Action: 07:08, Today: Cpt James T Kirk rolled 28,16 using 1d20+8,1d6+15. Two handed power attack v gorn. CRIT! Auto hit for the full 21 damage!]
We all knew Kirk was a ripped shirt, two-handed power attacking brawler. As the GM, I would take this post (since Kirk is the only PC combatant), splice it together with the Gorn's action, and post it as a single descriptive summary. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
