Broken Hourglass' combat mechanics
Broken Hourglass' combat mechanics
Game News - posted by Vault Dweller on Tue 17 October 2006, 16:44:28
Tags: The Broken HourglassPlanewalker Games has updated the site with The Broken Hourglass' combat mechanics. If you like playing with numbers and concepts, do take a look:
An attack begins with an attacker makes an attack roll. The basics behind this roll are the same whether the attack is issued with a melee or missile weapon, or a spell.
Here's the formula:
AR = d100 + Weapon Precision Skill + Tactics + Modifiers - Cover Penalty
(we use the standard RPG notation for random numbers here: "d100" represents "a random number between 1 and 100, inclusive," as though you had rolled one of those big funny 100-sided ping pong ball dice.)
Weapon precision skill is a secondary skill representing your proficiency and effectiveness with one of a variety of groups of weapons: bows, blades, hafted (bludgeoning) weapons, and so forth. For a spellcaster it would be the Precision value of Physical or elemental magic (earth, air, fire, water.) Tactics is a secondary group skill reflecting your group's overall tactical aptitude. Modifiers are any miscellaneous bonuses you might be enjoying due to traits, other abilities, or weapon qualities, and the cover penalty addresses bodies and obstructions between attacker and target.
If the defender is aware of the attacker and the defender has not dropped its guard, the defender automatically selects whether to parry, dodge or deflect (whatever would give the best result, including all modifiers; all are secondary skills) and makes a defense roll. The makeup of the defense roll is slightly different, depending on how the defender tries to avoid the attack.
...
You may also wonder why armor has not been mentioned yet. In our system, armor does not make you more difficult to hit—that's a sensible abstraction for a game being played on paper, but we think we can do better. In The Broken Hourglass, armor provides damage resistance. So Damage Dealt is reduced by a flat amount, provided by armor, shield, or a magical source of protection. Better armors provide more damage resistance. Even a well-landed punch to a platemail-clad guard will not injure her. However, that mundane suit of platemail doesn't provide any protection from air magic, so even a simple air incantation will bypass the armor and stand a good chance of leaving a mark.Sounds good and tactical.
An attack begins with an attacker makes an attack roll. The basics behind this roll are the same whether the attack is issued with a melee or missile weapon, or a spell.
Here's the formula:
AR = d100 + Weapon Precision Skill + Tactics + Modifiers - Cover Penalty
(we use the standard RPG notation for random numbers here: "d100" represents "a random number between 1 and 100, inclusive," as though you had rolled one of those big funny 100-sided ping pong ball dice.)
Weapon precision skill is a secondary skill representing your proficiency and effectiveness with one of a variety of groups of weapons: bows, blades, hafted (bludgeoning) weapons, and so forth. For a spellcaster it would be the Precision value of Physical or elemental magic (earth, air, fire, water.) Tactics is a secondary group skill reflecting your group's overall tactical aptitude. Modifiers are any miscellaneous bonuses you might be enjoying due to traits, other abilities, or weapon qualities, and the cover penalty addresses bodies and obstructions between attacker and target.
If the defender is aware of the attacker and the defender has not dropped its guard, the defender automatically selects whether to parry, dodge or deflect (whatever would give the best result, including all modifiers; all are secondary skills) and makes a defense roll. The makeup of the defense roll is slightly different, depending on how the defender tries to avoid the attack.
...
You may also wonder why armor has not been mentioned yet. In our system, armor does not make you more difficult to hit—that's a sensible abstraction for a game being played on paper, but we think we can do better. In The Broken Hourglass, armor provides damage resistance. So Damage Dealt is reduced by a flat amount, provided by armor, shield, or a magical source of protection. Better armors provide more damage resistance. Even a well-landed punch to a platemail-clad guard will not injure her. However, that mundane suit of platemail doesn't provide any protection from air magic, so even a simple air incantation will bypass the armor and stand a good chance of leaving a mark.
