Age Of Dragons: Conflict
Age Of Dragons: Main Page -> Combat and Conflict-->Other Conflicts
Contents
Reapplying the System
Skirmish Combat relates to directly seeking to injure someone else, but with a little re-application and modification, the system can also be used to represent other sorts of conflict. Essentially, the system can be used in any situation where characters are in opposition, but a single Competed Roll seems too simple.
This page explores three permutations that GMs might care to use:
- Pneuma Conflict could be a "social combat" where personalities battle to argue out a point. It could be a performance where two seek to outdo each other, and win over a crowd. On the other hand it could be a test of magical energies, as two opposing sorcerors clash with arcane spells that seek to overwhelm the other.
- Sophis Conflict could be as simple as an academic debate, where the goal is not to be persuasive, but to demonstrate superior knowledge. It could also be commanding opposing armies in pitched battle, or simply playing a wargame that simulates this. Any circumstance where two minds are pitched into opposition could become a Sophis Conflict.
- Soma Conflict might include a non-lethal wrestling match, where the goal is to force submission rather than kill. It might be a test of physical aptitude, such as a series of sporting events.
The Passage of Time: Phases and Rounds
Rounds can still be used, but may now represent different time scales.
In a face-off, a round may represent a few moments of confrontation and intimidation. In the Halls of Counsel a round could be a few minutes in a debate. In a contest of influencing city, it could represent a single day's activity, or perhaps a single round of messengers and messages.
- 1) Just as in skirmish combat, the Tactical Movement Phase involves the characters manoeuvring to gain advantage, to close with certain enemies, or to get away from others.
- 2) The Battle Phase is when combatants make their ranged and melee attacks, and also when they take other miscellaneous actions.
In specialised conflicts, an "attack" means something different.
Initiative: Action Order
Determining Initiative Order works similarly to Skirmish Combat.
Default Option: Narrative based Initiative
With this option, initiative order is determined by story. As with combat, conflicts start when one or more characters makes an attack.
The attacking or active characters go first, then the other characters involved act.
Detailed Option: Numbers based Initiative
Numbers based Initiative could come about when it is unclear which combatant will be the firts to recognise that a conflict is inevitable, and make the first move.
For example, in a planned pitched battle between infantry troops, the first move could go to the one that manoeuvres into a better position on the eve of battle - a simple Sophis vs Sophis roll.
As always, if its unclear what test is needed, you can default to a Pneuma versu Pneuma roll, and if narrative demands are uncerain, then either randomise or err in favour of the player characters.
Phase One: The Tactical Movement Phase
Tactical Positioning: Physical and Abstract
First, you need to know where the combatants are.
With physical locations this is pretty easy. The characters are where they are, and can onyl engage against those at their location.
Stationary "Landmarks"
How this works depends on whether the conflict is divided into locations. For example, a battle for the hearts and minds of a kingdom could be set across several cities. On the other hand, defining locations might involve more creativity. For example, if working a crowd, you could divide the locations into "1) the mass of noisy and raucous peasants, 2) the influential nobility and 3) the pious clergy". As a character could conceivably only be in one "area" at a time, these would count as different locations.
Distance
Distance describes how far apart any combatant is, either from landmark or another combatant. Its also important to know where landmarks are relative to each other
- Close quarters indicates that the dividing distance is short enough that you can make direct attacks against an enemy, or against that landmark.
- Middle distance indicates that you are close enough to make indirect attacks, and that you can reach them in one round.
- Long distance indicates that are aware of what is happening in that location, but not close enough to reach in one round.
- Disengaged indicates that you have no awareness of that location, and no influence.
Manoeuvres
During the Tactical Movement phase, a flying dragon can move one distance step. This is termed "standard movement".
Bear in mind that its important to tie in round length and distance definitions. If your "middle distance" is a hundred miles, then a character ought to be able to traverse a hundred miles in the space of one tactical movement phase. Thus a round should be long enough for a dragon to fly a hundred miles and still have time to act when he gets there (in this case, about a day).
A flying dragon can also opt to make a "full move". This allows him to move one additional distance step, but he may take no other action this turn.
Again, bear in mind that with abstract locations you can still use abstract distances. For example, in the aforementioned case of the crowd with peasants, nobles and clergy, you could say that the peasants and nobles are a long distance from each other (as arguments to convince one would be a far way from arguments to convince the other) while the clergy sit in the middle, with middle distance to both pesants and nobles.
Phase Two: The Battle Phase
Defence is Optional
For all the following battle phase actions, keep in mind that defending is always optional. A combatant can choose not to roll defence, instead scoring an automatic zero successes.
Direct Attacks
Direct attacks can be made against enemies at close quarters.
Making a direct attack is a Sphere check, with the Sphere varying according to the combat type.
The TN of this check is usually 4+, but this can be changed by certain circumstances.
The target of the attack then also makes a Sphere check to defend himself. Again, the TN of this check is usually 4+, but this can be changed by certain circumstances and combat techniques.
If the attacker scores more successes than the defender, then a direct effect is scored. Proceed then to the damage step (see dealing damage below).
Indirect Attacks
An Indirect attack can be made from middle distance.
An indirect attack is made exactly as a direct attack is, except that different techniques will be applicable. Also, making an indirect attack requires the Dragon to have means of doing so.
For example, in a conflict that relates to commanding armies in massed battle, you would need long range weaponry or fast moving flanking troops to make an indirect attack.
Passive Participants
Often, with non-combat conflicts, characters will be part of the conflict who are not active in it.
For example, in an attempt to sway a crowd, you could choose to target a gang of nobles in the audience rather than attacking the other debater's arguments. Often, each location in the combat will count as one passive participant.
Characters can attack passive participants with Direct Attacks or Indirect Attacks. These are treated as normal attacks, using the passive NPC's sphere ratings to defend.
A successful attack on a passive participant does not damage them, but instead tags them as "won over". An opponent at that location suffers a +1 penalty to TN.
A passive participant can only be won over by one combatant at a time, with being "won over" by a new combatant replacing the previous effect.
Note that if an active opponent is at a location, you cannot target passive participants at that location. You must instead target that active participant.
Damage and Conflict states
A character who hits his target with a damaging attack then makes a damage check.
Damage checks are Sphere checks, but gain a bonus number of dice equal to the number of successes the attacker scored over and above the defender's successes.
The TN of the damage roll is usually 4+. Some circumstances can change the TN of this roll.
The target can then make a Sphere check to compete directly against this roll. The TN of the "toughness" roll is usually 4+. Some circumstances can change the TN of this roll.
More successes on the damage check results in more injury. One success = Level 1 Effect, Two successes = Level 2 Effect, Three successes = Level 3 Effect, etc.
If there are zero successes on the damage check, then no damage is dealt.
Conflict Effect
A Conflict Effect of level lower than your Sphere rating is deemed a Minor Effect. If you receive any further Minor Effects, they are automatically upgraded to a Major Effect.
A Conflict Effect of level lower than your Sphere rating is deemed a Major Effect. If you receive any further Major Effects, they are automatically upgraded to a Critical Effect. When under a Major Effect, your ability in the conflict is severely impaired. You are at +1 TN to all Sphere rolls in the conflict.
A Conflict Effect of level lower than your Sphere rating is deemed a Critical Effect. If you receive any further Critical Effects, they are automatically upgraded to a Defeat Effect. When under a Critical Effect, you have effectively been removed from actively participating in the conflict. You cannot make attacks until you are healed.
An injury of level greater than twice your Sphere Rating results in Defeat.
Defining Effects
At the start of the conflict, the GM should define what the different effect levels relate to.
Example of Pneuma Conflict: Swaying the Debating House
- Minor Effect = On the back foot.
- Major Effect = Clearly weakening in argument.
- Critical Effect = Effectively discredited.
- Defeat = Forced to concede fault.
Example of Sophis Conflict: Mass Warfare
- Minor Effect = Positional disadvantage.
- Major Effect = Significantly worse position strategically.
- Critical Effect = Army routing.
- Defeat = Captured and forced to surrender.
Example of Soma Conflict: Wrestling Match
- Minor Effect = Being worn down.
- Major Effect = In a disadvantageous grapple.
- Critical Effect = Pinned to the ground.
- Defeat = Passing out with exertion, or tapping out.
Recovery
In some conflicts it may be appropriate for characters to be able to heal damage. The rules for this should be according to circumstance.
Example of Pneuma Conflict: Swaying the Debating House
- Dismissal of argument: When you make a successful attack, instead of dealing damage you can heal yourself of injury by one level.
- Popularity: If you have 2/3 of the passive combatants "won over" you heal yourself of injury by one level at the end of each round.
Example of Sophis Conflict: Mass Warfare
- Reserves / Superior numbers: Four times during the battle you can heal yourself of injury by one level at cost of one Tactical Movement Phase.
- Charismatic Command: You can sacrifice an action to make a Pneuma check at TN4+, healing one level of injury if successful. You can do this many times (once per action) but your dice pool goes down by 1 each time.
Example of Soma Conflict: Wrestling match
- Reversal: When you make a successful attack, instead of dealing damage you can heal yourself of injury by one level.
