APRPG: Revised Combat Rules

 In the wee hours of the night, when I'm supposed to be sleeping, I instead find myself thinking of cool movie fights. More specifically, I think: "how can I translate the final fight from The One into my system?" Then I get distracted thinking about Jet Li, but that's neither here nor there. The issue with having cool, cinematic fights is that the combat in APRPG isn't as well-defined as I'd like it to be. The skeleton is there, but lacks the tender flesh of strategy. Well, I will not allow this malformed homunculus of an RPG to lay flayed any longer! Here, then, are the expanded and revised combat rules for the APRPG.

    Initiative Order

Initiative must always be a sequence of player and enemy turns. The players can pick what order they want to attack in, but it is the GM's duty to place enemies between each player slot. Keep in mind, the number of enemies does not have to match the player count; the number of turns does. Combat will always progress as: 

Player>Enemy>Player>Enemy

But each of those enemy slots doesn't have to be a different enemy. To that end, I recommend keeping track of two separate initiative orders: one for the players, and one for the enemies. For example, if there are more players than enemies: 

Track 1: Player 1, Player 2, Player 3

Track 2: Enemy 1, Enemy 2

This would make the initiative order look something like this:

Player 1>Enemy 1>Player 2>Enemy 2>Player 3>Enemy 1>Player 1>Enemy 2

This ensures that the enemy has a fighting chance.

In the event that something goes terribly wrong, and we find a player making a last stand, the system works in their favor as well. Let's take a look:

Track 1: Player 1

Track 2: Enemy 1, Enemy 2, Enemy 3

This would make the initiative order as follows:

Player 1>Enemy 1>Player 1>Enemy 2>Player 1>Enemy 3>Player 1

This would give the player time to escape, fight back, or perform some truly legendary strategic actions.

    The Player's Turn

On the player's turn, they can move, invoke Traits, and attack. The movement of the Player is 6 squares (roughly 30 feet) plus or minus their Swift skill modifier. If the player chooses not to attack, they can move an additional time. Each square is equivalent to roughly 5 feet.

If the player chooses to make an attack, they must roll the customary 2d6 plus their applicable skill modifier. The skill can be just about anything, as long as it can be justified in-story and the GM agrees. On a 6 or below, the player misses or is blocked. On a 7-9, the player and the enemy exchange Harm. On a 10 or above, the player deals Harm to the enemy and picks an option from the list below. When an attack is made, the player and the enemy will exchange Harm. Depending on the degree of success, the player may not actually inflict Harm, but they will still receive Harm on a Failure or Mixed Success. From there, the player can choose to invoke as many Traits as they wish, provided it makes sense to do so. Invoking a Trait can be used in one of two ways: either adding a flat +1 to the roll, or selecting an option to apply from the list below: 

• Hit 'em Where it Hurts: +1 Harm dealt
• Keep Your Guard Up: -1 Harm taken
• Take Advantage: +1 to your next roll
• Reveal a Weakness: +1 to another player's roll
• Knock 'em Back: Force the enemy to change locations

Keep in mind, you can invoke any Trait (or even Flaw!) you like, provided it makes sense in the narrative. It's entirely possible to take multiple options on this list from a single roll!

    The Enemy's Turn

When it is the enemy's turn to act, they have far fewer options than the player. An enemy may, on their turn, move and select a target. When an enemy has selected a target, the GM may choose to tell the players or not. At the end of the targeted player's turn, in addition to whichever target the player has engaged, the enemy may inflict Harm on the player provided they are capable of doing so. For example, if a player is fighting a melee-oriented goon while an unseen marksman scopes them out from the shadows, at the end of the player's turn the player will be shot as long as the marksman can logically hit them. However, in this situation the player has one last recourse: evasive maneuvers. At the end of the player's turn, they can roll +Swift to attempt to avoid damage from a targeted attack. On a Success, they avoid all damage. On a Mixed Success, they take half damage. On a Failure, they take full damage.