Age Of Dragons: Skirmish Combat

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Age Of Dragons: Main Page -> Combat and Conflict-->Skirmish Combat

Overview of Skirmish Combat

Skirmish Combat is the default combat system for Age of Dragons and provides the core for the other conflict systems. Players and GMs should at least be familiar with the combat systems in Skirmish Combat, and likely with one or two small encounters or practice fights will master it very quickly!

Skirmish Combat is used for physical confrontation, between two or more combatants. Combatants can be flying or non-flying in skirmish combat, and will manoeuvre around each other to engage optimally before blasting with ranged attacks or tearing in with tooth and claw in melee range.

Once you are familiar with these rules, you may find it easier to print out and refer to the Skirmish Combat Summary Sheet


The Passage of Time: Phases and Rounds

While in ordinary roleplaying the passage of time is purely descriptive, convention usually dictates that combat itself is broken into rounds that represent fixed units of time. Age of Dragons uses combat rounds.

During each Round, each character will have a Turn. During that turn the character rolls dice, and then resolves actions and effects based on that roll.

Once every character has had a turn, the round is over, and a new round begins.


Initiative: Action Order

Each round, you need to determine the Initiative Order of the combatants to see who gets first turn. Simply put, the faster a combatant is, the faster they act.

Initiative order is determined by the situation and by the GM. In almost any combat, the fight will starts when one or more characters makes an attack. The attacking or active characters go first, then the other characters involved act. The initiative order determined in the first round will then be used for the rest of the combat.

In some unusual circumstances its not clear who should go first. For example, if in the midst of a hundred dragon sky battle, two enemies find their paths cross, both will seek to open with an attack, and in this case it becomes important to know who gets the jump on the other.

This is best resolved with a competed roll, with the roll depending on situation, but typically a Soma vs Soma roll with the most 4+ dice expended winning. For example, if fighting beneath the canopy of the Heart Forest, and flightpaths are about to cross, the test could be one of aerboatics to get the right position to attack first, and be based on Soma. A GM could call for a different sphere to be tested instead: For example, if a dragons emerge from a cloudbank to see his enemy in front of him, the test could be one of reaction speed, and be based on Sophis.

If the result of the competed test is drawn, the GM can either rule that the character that is the better fighter goes first, or ask for a reroll.

Regardless, rolls to determine initiative are not counted as actions, and the dice pools from them cannot be used to perform actions.



The Turn: Overview

During a character's turn he goes through the following steps:

1) Determine and Roll Dice Pool

2) Reroll Step

3) Spotting Step

4) Expend Step

note: It is worth familiarising yourself with the Basic Game Systems if you haven't already.


1) Determine and Roll Dice Pool

The character whose turn it is chooses which dice pool to roll. This will determine what sort of actions he can take that turn. For example, if he was seeking to perform physical actions that turn, he would choose his Soma pool.

As noted in the Basic Game Systems, he can choose to activate two pools in a single turn, but would roll only the lower pool.

So, for example, for a dragon who has Soma 9, Sophis 6, Pneuma 7...

  • Physical Actions only: Roll Soma, 9 dice.
  • Mental Actions only: Roll Sophis, 6 dice.
  • Arcane Actions only: Roll Pneuma, 7 dice.
  • Physical AND Arcane Actions: Roll lowest of Soma and Pneuma, 7 dice.
  • Physical AND Mental Actions: Roll lowest of Soma and Sophis, 6 dice.
  • Mental AND Arcane Actions: Roll lowest of Sophis and Pneuma, 6 dice.
  • Physical AND Mental AND Arcane Actions: Roll lowest of Sophis, Soma and Pneuma, 6 dice.

For the purposes of spotting and expending, the dice rolled count as of all types nominated.

So for example, if a power says Spot 5+ on a Soma Dice, then any dice from a pool that was nominated as including Physical actions would be applicable.


2) Reroll Step

The character can then activate any Reroll effects he has, as per the rules in the Basic Game Systems.

Conceptually, in skirmish combat, rerolls represent increased accuracy, competence and consistency.


3) Spotting Step

The character can then activate any Spotting effects he has, as per the rules in the Basic Game Systems.

In skirmish combat, spotting effects normally relate to tactical mobility. See the section below for more on tactical mobility.


4) Expend Step

The character can then activate any Expend effects or actions he has, as per the rules in the Basic Game Systems.

In skirmish combat, Expend effects or actions normally relate to actual effectiveness in combat. The most common expend effect is to simply deal damage. See the section on damage dealing below for more on this.


Tactical Positioning: Altitude and Distance

In battle, you need to know where the combatants are. Age of Dragons does not use miniatures or a battle-grid, so a descriptive system is used.


Stationary "Landmarks"

Landmarks are points of reference described by the GM in the set-up for the skirmish. An example landmark might be a mountain plateau, a cave entrance or the battlements of a castle. The GM should describe how far the Landmarks are from each other, using the descriptive Distance terms below. The rules denote any area not containing a Landmark as "Open Sky" or Open Ground.


Distance

Distance describes how far apart any combatant is, either from landmark or another combatant.

  • Zero Range / Range 0 indicates that the two objects have no space between them, for example when two dragons are locked in a deadly grapple.
  • Close quarters / Range 1 indicates that the dividing distance is small enough for melee combat can be engaged in. This can be anything from a yard to ten yards.
  • Middle distance / Range 2 indicates that you are close enough to trade insults and fling ranged attacks, but not close enough to engage in melee. A longbowman could cover this distance, but a man throwing knives could not. Firebreathing can engage at middle distance.
  • Long distance / Range 3+ is beyond the range of most attacks, though some war engines and the like may be a specific exceptiopn to this rule.

Altitude

During a battle, a dragon can be at various altitudes:

  • Grounded - A grounded dragon is one that is on the ground, usually because he has chosen to land. This is the default altitude for non-flying troops, of course.
  • Strafing low - This indicates that the dragon is sweeping low enough to swipe and bite at enemies on the ground, generally below the altitude of any trees or ground obstacles.
  • Normal altitude - This is the height at which dragons usually fly, high enough to be out of melee range from a target, but low enough that he can employ dragonsbreath and other ranged attacks. Conversely troops on the ground with decent missile weapons (such as longbows) can attack him as well.
  • Flying High - This indicates that the dragon is far above the ground, so much so that even the most talented archer cannot hit him and even his most potent dragonbreath will not strike those on the ground. Dragons will normally make long distance flights as this altitude.
  • Ceiling altitude - The dragon is flying as high as he can, where the air is thinner and he can even dive in and out of clouds. A dragon will normally use this height for a tactical advantage in aerial combat, as being higher gives him a better view of the aerial battlefield. This isn't a suitable height for long distance flying though, as the thin air makes flight more strenuous than at lower altitudes.

Another way of representing altitudes is numerically, with steps equivalent to 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3.

Ranged attacks can generally go no further than 1 point of altitude difference, up or down. Note that because "Grounded", "Strafing Low" and "Standard Altitude" are designated 0, 0.5 and 1 Altitude respectively, it is possible to make a ranged attack from standard altitude to grounded, and vice versa.


Manoeuvres

Tactical movement is slightly abstracted in the Age of Dragons skirmish system - as most combat is aerial, a skirmish will usually be a highly dynamic affair, with dragons circling around each other, pulling off aerobatic stunts and quick moves in order to try to gain a positional advantage or to set the range as they choose. Don't forget that by their nature dragons are many time more agile and quick thinking than humans, and a dragon in flight during combat can move with a speed and grace that a human onlooker would find hard to believe.

Instead of moving a fixed distance in skirmish combat, dragons instead must work within the situation, accounting for enemy attacks, windspeed, obstacles, their own vulnerable flanks and much more. When a dragon is particularly in command of a combat, they can fly circles around their enemies, but when the momentum of battle is against them, they can be hard pushed to even maintain their defences, let alone try to improve their position.

During the Spotting Step, a flying dragon can activate certain effects to change or better their position. This is termed "manoeuvring". The following manoeuvres are available to any flying combatant:


  • Manoeuvre effect (flying): Alter Tactical Range

To activate this Manoeuvre, the Dragon must spot one 5+ Soma dice. When activated, the dragon can move by one range step, for example from close quarters to middle distance or vice versa. This can be activated multiple times, for each spot you make.

An important exception on the Alter Tactical Range manoeuvre is that it may not be used to move from close quarters to zero range, or vice versa. For this, see grappling below.

  • Manoeuvre effect (flying): Gain Altitude

To activate this Manoeuvre, the Dragon must spot one 5+ Soma dice. When activated, the dragon gains one level of altitude, for example from normal altitude to flying high. This can be activated multiple times, for each spot you make.

  • Manoeuvre effect (flying): Lose Altitude

To activate this Manoeuvre, the Dragon must spot one 5+ Soma dice. When activated, the dragon loses one level of altitude, for example from flying high to normal altitude. This can be activated multiple times, for each spot you make. If this reduces him to zero altitude, then he is considered to be no longer flying.


The following manoeuvres are available to grounded combatants:

  • Manoeuvre effect (ground): Take Off

To activate this Manoeuvre, the Dragon must spot two 5+ Soma dice. When activated, the dragon gains one level of altitude, that is from grounded to strafing low.

  • Manoeuvre effect (ground): Alter Tactical Range

To activate this Manoeuvre, the Dragon must spot two 5+ Soma dice. When activated, the dragon can move by one range step, for example from close quarters to middle distance or vice versa. This can be activated multiple times, for each spot you make.

An important exception on the Alter Tactical Range manoeuvre is that it may not be used to move from close quarters to zero range, or vice versa. For this, see grappling below.

Strategies

In addition to tactical movement manoeuvres, it is possible to use the spotting step to achieve various strategies. Strategies are not dependent on whether you are flying or not:

  • Strategy effect: Evade

To activate this Strategy, the Dragon must spot 5+ on Soma dice. For each dice spotted in this way the dragon gains +1 Physical Defence. These points must be spent by the start of his next turn, or they are lost.


  • Strategy effect: Focus

To activate this Strategy, the Dragon must spot 5+ on Soma dice. For each dice spotted in this way the dragon deducts -1 Physical Defence from one enemy. The target must be at close quarters and who are at the same altitude. Also, this cannot reduce Physical Defence below 0.


Expend Step: Actions

During the expend step, the dragon can take actions by expending dice.


Tooth and Claw Attack

Tooth and Claw attacks can only be made against enemies at close quarters and who are at the same altitude. Making a Tooth and Claw Attack is a standard action.

Making a tooth and claw attack requires a dragon to expend 4+ dice on a Soma check.

For each dice expended in this way, deal 1 point of damage to the target's physical resilience.


Ranged Attacks

A Ranged Attack can be made from middle distance or closer, and from up to 1 altitude step of difference. Making a Ranged Attack is a standard action.

Also, making a ranged attack requires the character to have a ranged weapon of some sort, or a ranged spell.

Making a ranged attack requires a dragon to expend 4+ dice on a Soma check.

For each dice expended in this way, deal 1 point of damage to the target's physical resilience.


Special Attacks

Dragons can make Special Attacks when they are trying to attack in a way other than to just hit and damage the opponent.

Most special actions require expending of dice, often of 5+ or hgher.

Some examples of special melee attacks are given here:


Grappling

Grappling is a standard action.

A grappling attack can only be made against an enemy at close quarters and who are at the same altitude.

Making a Grapple attack requires a dragon to expend three 4+ Soma dice. Against much smaller targets (for example a dragon grappling a human) the cost is reduced to expend one 4+ Soma dice

Doing this deals no damage but the range between you and your target is instantly reduced to Zero Range. This takes place outside of the usual sequence for tactical movement.

Also, if both the attacker and the target are of a similar size, then they both become locked, as the grapple reduces their ability to fly and fight properly.

A locked combatant may not spot dice. That is, on his turn he cannot activate any effects that require dice to be spotted.

Also, a locked combatant and will likely be unable to fly properly and may crash (see Falling from the Sky below).

Locked dragons can still make attacks and defend themselves as normal, but any melee attacks they make can only be against combatants that they are grappling with. Dragons outside the grapple can melee attack locked dragons as normal. Any area effect attacks that attack a locked combatant automatically target both locked combatants.


Throwing off a Grapple

Throwing off a Grapple is a standard action.

You can only attempt to throw off a grapple if at the start of your turn you were locked by a grapple.

Throwing off a grapple requires a dragon to expend three 4+ dice on a Soma check. Against much smaller targets (for example a dragon grappling a human) the cost is reduced to a single 4+ dice on a Soma check.

Doing this deals no damage but the range between you and your target is instantly increased from Zero Range back to Close Quarters. This takes place outside of the usual sequence for tactical movement. Also, both dragons are no longer considered to be locked. Finally, the character who was thrown off by the active combatant is thrownn off balance, and will take a -3 dice internal penalty to soma dice pools till the start of the active combatant's next turn.

If multiple combatants are in the same grapple, then the "throw off" action omly throws off a single enemy combatant. Only that combatant is removed from the grapple, with the range for that combatant increased to close quarters from the grapple. If the active "breaking out" combatant doesn't beat all his grapplers, then he still remains locked himself.

This is important, as it means that if you are trying to break out of a grapple from multiple enemies, it is possible you will shake off some but not all of your grapplers.

Other Battle Actions

In addition to making the above actions, the Expend Step can be used to take other actions. See the Basic Game Systems to see what srt of things can be attenpted.

What these actions are will depend on circumstance - for example, a dragon might take a standard action trying to smash in a castle gate, or to try to intimidate the soldiers below into fleeing.

The call on what dice are needed will be up to the GM, but he can use the basic game system as guidelines to this.

Don't forget that to take mental actions the character must have declared that he was rolling his Sophis dice pool, and for spellcasting or social effects the character must have declared that he was rolling his Pneuma dice pool.


Reflexive Actions

Reflexive Actions are never taken during your own turn, but used at a certain place during other character's turns. Lifepath powers and skills will give access to additional reflexive actions, but all characters have access to the Physical Defence option:

Physical Defence

The Defend reflexive action allows a dragon to dodge and parry physical attacks coming his way.

The Trigger Condition for Defend is that the character must be about to be struck by an attack or effect that would either grapple him or damage his physical resilience.

The defending character can reflexively spend points of Physical Defence, with each point spent negating the effect of one dice expended. This can reduce or fully negate a physical attack.

Note that by default characters do not usually have any points of physical defence. It is therefore usually very important to use the Strategy: Evade during your spotting step to ensure that you have at least some defence.


Passive Physical Defence

Passive Physical Defence is gained via certain skills and powers, as detailed in the Lifepath sections.

At the start of your turn, if a character's current Physical Defence is less than his Passive Physical Defence, then it immediately increases to that value. Also, at the start of a combat, before he has taken his first action, a character automatically has Physical Defence equal to his Passive Physical Defence.


Bodyguarding

Bodyguarding is a special sort of physical defence, where you defend your allies instead of yourself.

The Trigger Condition for Bodyguard is that an ally must be about to be struck by an attack or effect that would wither grapple him or damage his physical resilience.

The bodyguarding character can reflexively spend points of Physical Defence, with each TWO points spent negating the effect of one dice expended. This can reduce or fully negate a physical attack.



Damage and Health states

A dragon who hits his target with a physically damaging attack (be it a claw-strike, a sword strike, a thrown rock or anything else) directly deducts damage inflicted from the target's Physical Resilience.

If this reduces the targets Physical Resilience to 0 or less, the target is considered to be incapacitated.

A incapacitated character cannot act in combat, and cannot use any effects that require spotting or expending dice. He cannot fly, and will fall from the sky (see below) if airborne.

Even at 0 Physical Resilience, the character can still continue to take damage, taking him into negative values.

A characacter reduced to a negative value equal to his Soma is killed. For example, if he has a Soma of 9, then he would be killed at -9 Physical Resilience.


Falling out of the Sky

After all combatants have taken their actions, aerial combatants that are unable to fly properly will start to "fall out of the sky". There are three circumstances when this will usually occur:

  • The combatant is locked.
  • The combatant is dying
  • The combatant has lost the ability to fly - e.g. from having his wings torn off
  • The combatant chooses to let gravity pull him down (i.e. he opts to fall). Any flying combatant can choose to do this at the end of any round.

Falling dragons lose 1 level of altitude at the end of their turn, for example moving from ceiling altitude to flying high.

In the case of locked combatants, the falling takes place at the end of the turn of the dragon who first initiated the grapple. Falling does not take place at the end of other locked combatant's turns.

A dragon who is reduced to grounded altitude in this way is deemed to have made a forced landing, and immediately receives X damage to his Physical Resilience, where X is three times the number of rounds (including this one) that he has been falling. His Physical Defence does not and cannot reduce this damage. On particularly hard or dangerous ground a GM could deem that the injury is greater (for example, +1 for bare rock, +2 for jagged sharp rocks, and +3 for a sharpened steel spikes).



Weapons, Armour and Other Complications

Not all battles are simply fought with tooth and claw tearing into unarmoured flesh. Draons are not mere beasts, and have a variety of weapons of war, protective armours and mighty sorceries that can give a vital edge in combat. Likewise, the opponents of dragons - be they humans, kraken, wyvern or demons - will often use equipment and powers of their own.


Weapons

Weapons can have various effects on combat, but generally they allow a character to be more effective in damage dealing. Individual weapon effects are described in the Arms and Armaments chapter.

For example, the Irontalons commonly used by draconic warmasters allow you to spot 4s on Soma dice to reduce a melee target's Physical Defence by 1 for each dice spotted.


Armours

Armours also have varied effects, but generally they allow a character to be more resilient against damage. Individual armour effects are described in the Arms and Armaments chapter.

For example, Draconic Chain Swathing provides a level of ablative protection, providing you with 5 points of Physical Defence that you gain as soon as you don it which can be spent as normal in combat and which remain until "used up".

Magics

Spellcasting in general is a careful and time consuming processs, unsuitable for use in the tension of skirmish combat. However some spells and suspires will have the Battle Magic tag. These spells can be cast within combat.

Casting spells usually requires expending dice from a Pneuma dice pool, and sometimes there is often also a cost in Arcane Energy.

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