DM_Steel's Combat Variants
Better Critical Hits
With this variant, critical hits are more lethal. Instead of simply dealing double the dice of damage, critical hits deal maximum damage plus the attack’s dice of damage. For example, a longsword attack that deals 1d8+5 damage would deal 1d8+13 on a critical hit. The benefit to this variant is that critical hits become much more effective and faster during gameplay. This is nice because as written there are times when a critical hit could equate to simply one more point of damage, which is neither impressive, fun nor cinematic. This does make combat a little more lethal though and especially at low level. If you want a more gritty or epic game, consider this variant.
Racial Weapon Proficiencies
When you have proficiency with a weapon from both your class and race, then you gain an additional die of damage when scoring a critical hit with that weapon. This functions exactly like the Half-Orc's Savage Attacks racial trait.
Called Shots
Based on the Angry GM's Basic Called Shot System
The following information is paraphrased from an article written by The Angry GM.
- Whenever a creature makes an attack against a creature or object they can see, the attacker can choose to target a specific part of the creature or object by suffering a -5 penalty to the attack roll.
- In general, a called shot has no extra effect. If it’s a damaging attack, it does damage. If the attack inflicts a condition or has some other effect, the condition or effect affects the target normally. Hitting an orc in the head is no different than hitting the orc anywhere else. The damage roll will determine whether you grazed an ear or blew his head off. End of story.
- Damage done to a specific location is damage done to a creature.
- Assume that large bodily parts have one quarter the hit points as the creature itself and small bodily parts have one eighth the hit points of the creature itself.
- See more at: http://theangrygm.com/
Coup De Grace Expanded
As an action, you can make an attack against a helpless (paralyzed or unconscious) creature you can see within 5 feet of you.
If you hit. you score a critical hit. If the defender survives the damage, they must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 10 + damage dealt) or become dying with 0 hit points.
You can't deliver a coup de grace against a creature that is immune to critical hits.
Firing into Cover & Melee
Yes, you can hit your friends and unintended targets. When firing at cover or into melee, the cover bonus is added to the normal fumble threat range of 1. If you roll within that range, you reroll against a random target granting cover. Example: An ally is attacking a goblin and both are engaged in melee. You fire a ranged attack at the goblin. You must add the half cover bonus of +2 to your normal fumble range of 1. This becomes a fumble chance of 1-3. If you roll a fumble, you would reroll your attack against your ally instead of the goblin. However, if there were multiple allies or goblins surrounding a target, this could have different results, such as striking a different goblin or ally.
Injuries
When a character fails a death saving throw, they gain one Injury. Injuries stack with and mimic Exhaustion levels. The penalties represent abstract broken bones and lacerations. Injuries can be healed by spending hit dice during a rest, as detailed in the Healing & Resting section.
In addition to its normal benefits, the lesser restoration can heal 1 Injury. The DM may decide that any ability that is similar in power and effect to lesser restoration, like a paladin’s lay on hands ability, can also heal Injuries.
Massive Damage
When a creature takes damage from a single source equal to or greater than half its current hit point maximum, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer a random effect determined by a roll on the System Shock table. For example, a creature that has a hit point maximum of 30 must make that Constitution save if it takes 15 damage or more from a single source.
System Shock
| d10 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | The creature drops to 0 hit points. |
| 2–3 | The creature drops to 0 hit points but is stable. |
| 4–5 | The creature is stunned until the end of its next turn. |
| 6–7 | The creature is dazed until the end of its next turn. |
| 8–10 | The creature can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn. |
Morale
Some combatants might run away when a fight turns against them. You can use this optional rule to help determine when monsters and NPCs flee.
A creature might flee under any of the following circumstances:
- The creature is surprised.
- The creature is reduced to half its hit points or fewer for the first time in a battle.
- The creature has no way to harm the opposing side on its turn.
A group of creatures might flee under any of the following circumstances:
- All the creatures in the group are surprised.
- The group's leader is reduced to 0 hit points, incapacitated, taken prisoner, or removed from battle.
- The group is reduced to half its original size with no losses on the opposing side.
To determine whether a creature or group of creatures flees, make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw for the creature or the group's leader. If the opposition is overwhelming, the saving throw is made with disadvantage, or you can decide that the save fails automatically. If a group's leader can't make the saving throw for whatever reason, have the creature in the group with the next highest Charisma score make the saving throw instead.
On a failed save, the affected creature or group flees by the most expeditious route. If escape is impossible, the creature or group surrenders. If a creature or group that surrenders is attacked by this conquerors, the battle might resume, and it's unlikely that further attempts to flee or surrender will be made.
A failed saving throw isn't always to the adventurers' benefit. For example, an ogre that flees from combat might put the rest of the dungeon on alert or run off with treasure that the characters had hoped to plunder.
Weapon & Armor Durability v2.0
This is a system to provide those narrative moments where a character's equipment has a chance of breaking in order to preform some daring martial or magical prowess. It's not meant to be a realistic portrayal of the wear and tear weapons and armor suffer over time. Characters are assumed to know how to maintain their gear in the most basic sense. This is for those moments where the knight sacrifices their shield to fend off dragonfire, the wizard overcharges their staff to finish off a nearly dead foe, or the rogue's shortsword breaking while deflecting an ogres club.
Instead of tracking points on each item, which can be cumbersome ontop of everything else tracked in combat, the character themselves have a limited pool of durability points to spend on safely using these combat options. When those durability points run out is when the character's equipment runs the risk of breaking. It doesn't matter if the durability points were all spent on the knight's longsword, they are gone, so when the knight stops the dragonfire with a shield, narratively, that's when the shield has a chance of melting.
Durability Points
Each character has a number of "Heroic Durability" points equal to their proficiency bonus. These points represent the collective durability of all of the character's equipment.
Regaining Durability. These points refresh when the character gains any amount of downtime, or just between adventures. The cost of repairing and maintaining equipment is already factored into a character's lifestyle expenses.
Artisans Tools and Durability. Characters who are proficient in certain sets of artisans tools can sharpen blades, balance hammers, fit armor, oil bows, etc. This process takes an hour and it temporarily increases the size of the item's durability die by 1 step until they finish a long rest or the item breaks.
Here are some example artisans tools and the items they can strengthen:
Jeweler's tools. Spellcasting foci, magical items that grant bonuses to AC, and magic weapons.
Leatherworker's tools. Armor that is primarily made from leather and whips.
Mason's tools. Armor and shields that are primarily made from stone. Weapons whose primary damage comes from a part made of stone.
Smith's tools. Armor and shields that are primarily made from metal. Weapon's whose primary damage comes from a part made of metal.
Tinker's tools. Crossbows and blowguns.
Weaver's tools. Padded armor, slings, and nets.
Woodcarver's tools. Armor and shields made primarily from wood. Weapons whose primary damage comes from a part made of wood (such as shortbows and longbows). Lances can fall either under smith's tools or woodcarver's tools, depending on if the lance is primarily metal or wood. Historically, lances were made of wood.
- I'm also working on similar ways to use other tools.
Durability Dice and Broken Equipment
When you run out of heroic durability points, you can still use the item as if you had durability to spend. However, the option now costs your reaction and the item has a chance of breaking. Each item has a durability die that varies from item to item. Weapons have a durability die equal to their damage dice. In the case of weapons like greatswords and mauls, they have two dice. An armor's durability die is based on its type. Light armor has a 1d4, medium armor has a 1d8, and heavy armor has a 1d12. Shields are special and have 2d4. When you use durability on an item and the durability die is rolled (like with blocking), when you roll the maximum on the die, the item breaks. Narratively, you've pushed the item to its limit and beyond, gaining a great benefit, but at a cost. In the case of items with multiple dice, they must break both dice before the item is considered Broken. If what you're doing does not roll the die (like with changing the damage type of a spell), you then roll the die and check for the maximum value.
Broken Equipment
Items that have been significantly damaged are broken, meaning they are less effective at their designated task. The broken effect has the following effects, depending upon the item:
- If the item is a weapon or focus, any attacks made with the item suffer disadvantage on attacks. Saving throws imposed using the broken item are made with advantage.
- If the item is a suit of armor or a shield, the bonus it grants to AC is halved, rounding down. Broken armor always inflicts disadvantage on ability checks, regardless of armor type.
- If the item is a tool needed for a skill, any skill check made with the item suffers disadvantage.
- If the item has charges, it uses up twice as many charges when used.
- If the item does not fit into any of these categories, the broken item likely cannot be used at all. Items with the broken condition, regardless of type, are worth 50% of their normal resale value. Items lose the broken condition if a spell restores the object to half its original hit points or higher. Non-magical items can be repaired in a similar fashion, or through crafting.
What can I do with Durability Points?
Different types of items make use of these points differently. They are primarily separated into Armor and Shields, Spellcasting Foci, and Weapons.
Armor and Shields. Durability can be spent on armor to Block.
Spellcasting Foci. Durability can be spent on a focus to Finish a Foe, Improve a Crit, and Shift an Elemental Type.
Weapons. Durability can be spend on a weapon to Finish a Foe, Improve a Crit, Block, and Deflect.
These options are defined below:
Block
When you are hit by an attack, you can spend 1 durability to reduce the damage of the attack by the item's durability die + your Strength modifier.
Deflect
When you are hit by an attack while wielding a melee weapon, you can spend 1 durability to roll your durability die and increase your AC by an amount equal to your die roll.
Finish a Foe
When an attack, spell, or ability reduces a foe to almost dead (GM discression, but generally when any amount of damage from the next attack would finish them off), the attacker can spend 1 durability with their weapon for spellcasting focus to finish the foe off. By either leaning into the blow, or preforming a flourish, it's up to the attacker.
Variant for Finish a Foe
Instead of just "Finishing the foe" when they are low, you could allow any damage roll to be increased like in "Improve a Crit". I call this "Overchanneling" or "Leaning into the blow." If this is used on a crit though, since the die is considered maximized for the crit, it automatically breaks the item afterward.
Improve a Crit
When an attacker scores a critical hit, they can spend 1 durability using the weapon they attacked with to gain a bonus on the critical damage equal to their weapon's damage die. This functions exactly like the Barbarian's Brutal Critical feature.
Shift an Elemental Type
When casting a spell that has a damage type other than bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, the caster can spend 1 durability through their focus to change it to a different damage type that isn't bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. This damage type change lasts for the duration of the spell.
Combat Actions
Basic Martial Maneuvers
Maneuver Save DC
These maneuvers are less powerful versions of the ones used by the Battle Master Fighter archetype. They can function similarly, but don't generally deal damage.
Disarm. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can forgo dealing damage to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.
Distract. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can forgo dealing damage to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.
Goad. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can forgo dealing damage to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
Maneuver. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can forgo dealing damage to attempt to to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. Choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the tgarget of your attack.
Menace. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can forgo dealing damage to attempt to frighten the target. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Sweep. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can choose to deal only half as much damage as normal to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the amount the original target took. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.
Charging Attack
As a Dash action, you can choose to charge a target and make a single attack during your Dash (This can be an attack with a weapon or a shove attempt, but nothing else). The charge must be in a straight line and you must at least move 10 feet. You cannot charge through any obstacle (person, objects, even friendlies) or through hindering or difficult terrain.
The attack at the end of the charge has advantage. However, until your next turn, anyone attacking you has advantage to their attacks against you.
If you have the Charger feat, in addition to the normal benefits, you no longer grant attackers advantage against you at the end of the charge.
Climb onto a Bigger Creature
If one creature wants to jump onto another creature, it can do so by grappling. A Small or Medium creature has little chance of making a successful grapple against a Huge or Gargantuan creature, however, unless magic has granted the grappler supernatural might.
As an alternative, a suitably large opponent can be treated as terrain for the purpose of jumping onto its back or clinging to a limb. After making any ability checks necessary to get into position and onto the larger creature, the smaller creature uses its action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target’s Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If it wins the contest, the smaller creature successfully moves into the target creature’s space, the smaller creature moves with the target and has advantage on attack rolls against it.
The smaller creature can move around within the larger creature’s space, treating the space as difficult terrain. The larger creature’s ability to attack the smaller creature depends on the smaller creature’s location, and is left to the DM’s discretion. The larger creature can dislodge the smaller creature as an action, knocking it off, scraping it against a wall, or grabbing and throwing it by making a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the smaller creature’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The smaller creature chooses which ability to use.
Evade
When a creature is hit by an attack roll, they can choose to use their reaction to attempt to evade the attack. They make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to the total attack roll of the triggering attack. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage as normal from the triggering attack.
This is almost exactly like the Rogue's Uncanny Dodge feature, except the Rogue's is still better since it doesn't need to succeed on a saving throw to reduce the damage. Being a Dexterity saving throw, this also interacts with other features, like the Barbarian's Danger Sense, and the Rogue and Ranger's Evasion. Evading interacts with Evasion just like it would if it were any other damaging effect that a Dexterity saving throw can reduce. On a failed save, the creature takes only half damage, and on a successful save, the creature takes no damage.
Mark
This option makes it easier for melee combatants to harry each other with opportunity attacks.
When a creature makes a melee attack, it can also mark its target. Until the end of the attacker's next turn, any opportunity attack it makes against the marked target has advantage. The opportunity attack doesn't expend the attacker's reaction, but the attacker can't make the attack if anything, such as the incapacitated condition or the shocking grasp spell, is preventing it from taking reactions. The attacker is limited to one opportunity attack per turn.
Overrun
When a creature tries to move through a hostile creature's space, the mover can try to force its way through by overrunning the hostile creature. As an action or a bonus action, the mover makes a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the hostile creature's Strength (Athletics) check. The creature attempting the overrun has advantage on this check if it is larger than the hostile creature, or disadvantage if it is smaller. If the mover wins the contest, it can move through the hostile creature's space once this turn.
Shove Aside
With this option, a creature uses the special shove attack from the Player's Handbook to force a target to the side, rather than away. The attacker has disadvantage on its Strength (Athletics) check when it does so. If that check is successful, the attacker moves the target 5 feet to a different space within tis reach.
Two Weapon Fighting Variant
This is an alternative to the way two weapon fighting works in the Player's Handbook.
When you take the attack action on your turn, if you hit with an attack using a weapon in one hand, you can make one additional melee attack using a different weapon you are wielding in your other hand, provided both weapons qualify for two weapon fighting. So instead of using your Bonus action to make the additional melee attack, it's just part of the attack action, almost like the extra attack granted by the haste spell.
Tumble
A creature can try to tumble through a hostile creature’s space, ducking and weaving past the opponent. As an action or a bonus action, the tumbler makes a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the hostile creature’s Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the tumbler wins the contest, it can move through the hostile creature’s space once this turn.
Changelog
Version 1.0
This is the changelog.
Version 1.1
Changes to Weapon and Armor Durability
- Your Focus Die is no longer used to deal extra damage. Instead, you can simply "Push" any damage dealing ability. Doing so, adds 1 damage die equal to your Focus Die.
- Weapons have Durability equal to the average damage roll (rounded down) + your Proficiency Bonus.
- A spellcasting focus has Durability equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus.
- Deflection. Your focus die is no longer used to Deflect damage. Instead, you must use your Reaction, as before, and spend 1 Armor durability to take half damage from the attack/spell/ability.
- Blocking. Your focus die is no longer used to Deflect damage, though it's value is still rolled. You can only Block attack rolls. To do so, you must use your Reaction and spend 1 Weapon or Shield durability. You then roll your Focus Die and add that value to your AC against the triggering attack. If this raises your AC above the triggering attack, then the attack is considered a miss.
- Armor has Durability equal to it's base AC - 10 + your Proficiency Bonus. For example, Leather has a base AC of 11, so it has 1 Durability + your Proficiency Bonus. Plate has a base AC of 18, so it has 8 Durability + your Proficiency Bonus.
- Shields have Durability equal to their armor bonus + your Proficiency Bonus.
Merged Combat Variants and Combat Actions
Version 1.2
Changes to Weapon and Armor Durability (again)
- Deflection. Removed.
- Blocking. Now stops all damage, but costs a varying number of durability equal to the damage dice it's preventing.
Version 1.3
- Added Two Weapon Fighting Variant
Version 2.0
- Overhauled Durability
- Added Basic Martial Maneuvers
- Added Evade as a defensive combat option
Version 2.1
- Updated Two Weapon Fighting Variant
Version 2.2
- Updated Durability - "Durability Dice" and "Deflect"
- Updated Two Weapon Fighting Variant... again