Stage Combat: “They Fight”
General Concept
It is assumed that every cast member knows how to fight. For the sake of dramatic resonance, a cast member knows how to use any main hand melee weapon, and an offhand weapon or shield.
- Specialization is not needed in a specific weapon or type but certain Core Capabilities confer certain bonuses.
- Certain weapon choices may confer bonuses but there is no “specialization” penalty in picking up a weapon. There is a minimum Might or Agility needed to use a weapon effectively.
- The same is true with armor. Any armor can be worn limited only by the armor’s minimum might requirement.
Non-Lethal combat (brawling) is conducted the same as lethal, but with hands or objects and the damage is deducted from Character Vitality. Might Core Capability Damage Bonuses will apply in non-lethal combat.
Combat and Damage
The Derived Capability from character generation is used to determine chance of striking an opponent and the Prime Capability for that type of attack is used to determine damage bonuses if any. There are basically three types of attack:
- Missile Strike (at least one hex distant) Bow, Thrown, Arcane Item, Gaze
- Melee Strike (adjacent enemy)
- Magic Strike (adjacent or ranged depends upon the incantation or spell)
Example:
Warrior with a Melee Strike of 14 must roll a 14 or less on a 20d to score a strike on a target with Armor Class 0 (Note Armor Class in this case is the reverse of OSR thus that old Armor Class 0 is in this case Armor Class 10.).
Armor Class adds the AC value to the die roll. Armor class of 5 would add 5 to the strike dice.
A Melee Strike of 14 against a target of Armor Class of 5 would need a roll of 9 or less on s 20 die to strike (14-5=9).
Unique Damage
Aside from the obvious weapons used in strikes there are less obvious ones. Throwing a clay pot with lamp oil on a target is a missile strike that does no damage. Throwing a clay pot with a burning wick would do burn damage on a successful hit. DN determines what weird damage might be allowed (like burning oil, holy water, acid). Weird damage can be decisive so handle with care.
Damage is applied to Life Force. Damage is by weapon weight or spell. Any successful strike will cause damage to the target life force. Thus the basic strike system is brutal and battles are over fast.
Armor Class
Armor will mitigate defense by making it harder for a strike attempt to be effective. Armor has a Defensive value expressed as Armor Class for the Monster or Character. The target may have normal armor or intrinsic armor like scales. The Armor Class is added to the attacker’s Melee or Missile Strike die roll.
While in practice armor is a continuum of protective values and weights, the basic system limits the number of types used. There is Body, Head ,and Shield armor. Armor Value is determined by the armor type and whether a shield is used.
A simple conversion to old school 2nd edition armor class is that it is the reverse. AC 0 in 2nd edition would be AC 10 in Doxies.
Armor will not mitigate magical damage and may increase the damage depending upon the armor and the spell specifics. (Fire may do more damage to non-metal armors and electrical may do more damage to metal armors.)
Armor Types & Classes
| Armor Type | Minimum Might | Armor Class | Move | Debuffs | 2nd Edition AC |
| Normal Clothing | none | 0 | 14 | none | 10 |
| Arming Doublet | none | 1 | 14 | none | 9 |
| Gambeson | none | 2 | 14 | none | 8 |
| Woven Leather | 8 | 3 | 14 | none | 7 |
| Boiled Leather | 8 | 4 | 12 | none | 6 |
| Mail Shirt | 9 | 5 | 12 | none | 5 |
| Mail Hauberk | 10 | 6 | 12 | -1 agility | 4 |
| Full Mail | 10 | 7 | 10 | -2 agility | 3 |
| Brigandine | 10 | 8 | 10 | -1 agility | 2 |
| Partial Plate | 12 | 9 | 8 | -2 agility | 1 |
| Full Plate | 14 | 10 | 6 | -3 agility | 0 |
Optional Armor Chart
For ease of play it is generally assumed that the player has a helmet and a shield included in Armor Class. For greater flexibility and longer battles the optional shield and helm chart may be used.
|
Helm / Shield |
Min Might |
AC addition |
Move |
Debuff |
2nd Edition |
|
Buckler |
None |
None |
No Effect |
None |
9 AC |
|
Targe |
None |
1 |
No Effect |
None |
9 AC |
|
Heater/ Round |
None |
2 |
No Effect |
None |
9 AC |
|
Steel Cap |
None |
1 |
No Effect |
None |
No Effect |
|
Great Helm |
None |
1 |
No Effect |
-1 Perception |
No Effect |
|
Bascinet |
None |
2 |
No Effect |
-2 Perception |
No Effect |
|
Hounskull |
None |
3 |
No Effect |
-3 Perception |
No Effect |
Weapon Weight & Damage
Most weapons and armor will fall between Very Light and Heavy. Specialized weapons are at the whim of the DN and will often be magical or exotic.
Damage by Weight Class
Rather than list every known weapon and express it in damage dice, damage is given in weights and common sense and logic will dictate where a player’s chosen weapon will fall. One can use your favorite weapons tables and estimate the conversion. The underlying concept is to increase damage and thus decrease the number of successful strikes needed to conclude a fight.
Damage by weapon weight class (Melee & Ranged)
| Weight | Very Light | Lite | Medium | Med Heavy | Heavy | Very Heavy |
| Damage | 1-6 | 1-6 +2 | 2-12 | 2-12 +3 | 3 d6 | 4 d6 |
Melee Weapons General
Damage varies by weight and range is adjacent hex. (Optional minimum Might to use effectively)
- Very Lite: (No Might Min)
Fists, Claws, dagger, cane, wooden club rock - Lite: (No Might Min)
shillelagh, short staff, long knife (seax), hatchet, hunting spear - Medium: (Might Min 10)
Short sword, War spear, War Axe, Iron Mace, Quarter Staff - Medium Heavy: (Might Min 12)
Long sword, Falchion, Flange Mace, Great Axe, Bill, Halberd - Heavy: (Might Min 14)
Zwei hander, Great Maul, Glave, Military Flail, Pole Axe - Very Heavy: (Might Min 18 or more)
Giant monster sized weapon. Ogre club, Giant’s axe etc.
Missile Weapons General
Missile Weapons have minimum range (1 hex) a maximum range determine by weapon. Max range is the effective range during fog of battle. It is not mass volleying range. It is assumed to be aimed shot at an unpredictable target. May strike once per moment unless noted.
- Very Lite: (No Agility Minimum) Range: 4 hexes
Dagger, dart, rock, Flask/bottle, grenade - Lite: (Agility Min 8) Range: 14 hexes
Sling, Short bow, hunting crossbow - Medium: (Agility Min 10) Range: 16 hexes
Long Bow, Crossbow, staff sling, - Medium Heavy: (Agility Min 12 + Might Min 10) Range: 18 hexes
War Bow, stirrup crossbow - Heavy: (Agility Min 14 + Min Might 12) Range: 20 hexes
Composite Bow, Windless Crossbow - Very Heavy: (Agility Min 16 + Min Might 14) Range : 24 hexes
Siege Crossbow (takes 1 round to load)
Advanced Combat Mechanics (Optional)
These special actions are not open to monsters. A monster might have its own special attack. These attacks are open to all character levels.
Range Bonus: At half range or less, the strike value is increased by +2. A 60’ (12 hexes) range weapon targeted at 30’ (6 hexes) or less gets strike value +2 turning a Range Strike Value of 13 to 15.
Exploit Advantage: If the first Strike (melee attack) is a success a second follow on attack may be attempted at -2 to die roll.
Quick Shot: Missile Phase. If equipped with a bow (not crossbow) player may be attempted the Quick Shot allows 2 missile strikes but each attack is at +2 to die roll.
Cripple Shot: +4 Strike Die, On a successful strike the target’s movement is halved.
Melee Defend: At the end of a Movement Phase a player may elect to defend rather than strike in Melee phase. Melee Defend adds +3 to the strike roll for to up to 2 opponent’s. Melee Defend replaces the Melee Strike option for that Moment.
Shield Rush: Movement Phase. If equipped with medium or large shield a “shield rush” may be attempted in which the player moves at least 3 hexes to rush a foe. A successful melee strike give 1-6 damage and displaces the target 1 hex back with the vacated hex being occupied by the striker. This is the only attack that can be made during the movement phase.
Force Retreat/ Knock Back (optional): If a target takes 50% or more LF damage in a single strike, they are forced back one square at attacker choice. They must also make a morale check. Attacker may advance into vacated hex.
Back Attack Special
Much is made of attack vector in many TTRPG settings. This neither simulates real-life nor helps game flow. A player has a front and back (ignore flanks). Attacks at front are normal. Attacks from the rear are +4 to strike value, but hard to achieve.
A person or monster will always turn toward their attacker unless surprised/bushwhacked. Thus, no flank or rear attacks can be made unless one of three conditions are met.
Rear Attack
- Defender has been successfully hit in the combat round already (Pinned).
- Defender is magically or physically constrained (Held)
- The attacker uses skullduggery attack from the rear. (Bushwhacked/Back-stabbed)