Tactics & Weapon Effects

# Tactics & Weapon Effects for OSR Games

These rules are meant to enhance and differentiate melee weapons, so that weapon choice matters. The greater damage for two-handed weapons and better defensive value of smaller weapons are meant to make them more useful.

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Additionally, heroes can perform daring feats with a bit of luck and skill or engage in hand-to-hand combat simply and easily.

##### Axes
| Weapon             | Damage         | Effects          | Attack/AC          | Traits        | Encum. |
|:-------------------|:--------------:|:----------------:|:------------------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| Axe, 1-handed      | 1d6            | Rend, Trip       | +1/+1              | Parry         | --     |
| Axe, 1 or 2        | 1d6/1d8        | Rend, Trip       | --/+1              | Sweep         | 1      |
| Axe, 2-handed      | --/1d10        | Rend, Trip       | --/--              | Sweep         | 2      |
##### Swords  
| Weapon             | Damage         | Effects          | Attack/AC          | Traits        | Encum. |
|:-------------------|:--------------:|:----------------:|:------------------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| Sword, rapier      | 1d6            | Bonus            | +1/+1              | Agile, Parry  | 1      |
| Sword, short       | 1d4            | Rend, Bonus      | +1/+1              | Agile, Parry  | --     |
| Sword, broad       | 1d6            | Rend, Bonus      | --/+1              | Parry, Sweep  | --     |
| Sword, 1 or 2      | 1d6/1d8        | Rend, Bonus      | --/+1              | Sweep         | 1      |
| Sword, 2-handed    | --/1d10        | Rend, Bonus      | --/--              | Sweep         | 1      |
##### Bludgeons
| Weapon             | Damage         | Effects          | Attack/AC          | Traits        | Encum. |
|:-------------------|:--------------:|:----------------:|:------------------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| Club, 1-handed     | 1d4            | Knockback, Bonus | +1/+1              | Parry         | --     |
| Club, 1 or 2       | 1d4/1d6        | Knockback, Bonus | --/+1              | Sweep         | 1      |
| Club, 2-handed     | --/1d8         | Knockback, Bonus | --/--              | Sweep         | 2      |
| Mace, 1-handed     | 1d6            | Knockback, Bonus | +1/+1              | Parry         | --     |
| Mace, 1 or 2       | 1d6/1d8        | Knockback, Bonus | --/+1              | Sweep         | 1      |
| Mace, 2-handed     | --/1d10        | Knockback, Bonus | --/--              | Sweep         | 2      |
| Flail, 1-handed    | 1d6            | Knockback, Trip  | +1/--              | No shield     | 1      |
| Flail, 1 or 2      | 1d6/1d8        | Knockback, Trip  | --/--              | No shield, Sweep | 2      |
| Flail, 2-handed    | --/1d10        | Knockback, Trip  | --/--              | No shield, Sweep | 2      |
| Warhammer, 1-handed| 1d6            | Knockback, Rend  | +1/+1              | Parry         | --     |
| Warhammer, 1 or 2  | 1d6/1d8        | Knockback, Rend  | --/+1              | Sweep         | 1      |
| Warhammer, 2-handed| --/1d10        | Knockback, Rend  | --/--              | Sweep         | 2      |
##### Picks
| Weapon             | Damage         | Effects          | Attack/AC          | Traits        | Encum. |
|:-------------------|:--------------:|:----------------:|:------------------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| Pick, 1-handed     | 1d6            | Bonus, Trip      | +1/+1              | Parry         | 1      |
| Pick, 1 or 2       | 1d6/1d8        | Bonus, Trip      | --/+1              | Sweep         | 1      |
| Pick, 2-handed     | --/1d10        | Bonus, Trip      | --/--              | Sweep         | 2      |
</div>

<div class='footnote'>Derek Jensen | Tactical Combat</div>

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##### Miscellany
| Weapon             | Damage         | Effects          | Attack/AC          | Traits        | Encum. |
|:-------------------|:--------------:|:----------------:|:------------------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| Dagger             | 1d4            | Bonus            | --/+1              | Agile         | --     |
| Spear              | 1d6/1d8        | Bonus            | +1/+1              | Reach         | 1      |
| Quarterstaff       | --/1d4         | Knockback        | --/+1              | Parry, Agile  | 1      |
| Staff              | --/1d6         | Knockback        | --/+2              | Parry, Reach  | 1      |
##### Polearms
| Weapon             | Damage         | Effects                | Attack/AC          | Traits        | Encum. |
|:-------------------|:--------------:|:----------------------:|:------------------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| Bec-de-corbin      | --/1d8         | Knockback, Trip, Bonus | --/--              | Reach, Sweep  | 2      |
| Pole-axe           | --/1d8         | Rend, Bonus, Knockback | --/--              | Reach, Sweep  | 2      |
| Halberd & others   | --/1d8         | Rend, Bonus, Trip      | --/--              | Reach, Sweep  | 2      |
##### Ranged
| Weapon             | Damage         | Effects          | Rate of Fire       | Traits        | Encum. |
|:-------------------|:--------------:|:----------------:|:------------------:|:-------------:|:------:|
| Dagger             | 1d4            | Bonus            | 2                  |               | --     |
| Spear              | 1d6            | Bonus            | 1.5                |               | 1      |
| Long bow           | --/1d6         | Bonus            | 2                  |               | 1      |
| Short bow          | --/1d4         | Bonus            | 2                  |               | 1      |
| Crossbow, latchet  | --/1d4         | Bonus            | 1                  |               | 1      |
| Crossbow, light    | --/1d6         | Bonus            | 1/2                |               | 2      |
| Crossbow, heavy    | --/1d8         | Bonus            | 1/3                |               | 2      |
</div>

### Weapon Traits
* **Agile:** You apply your **dexterity** modifier to attack and damage instead of your **strength** modifier.
* **Parry:** Spend a point of luck to parry an opponent's hit and take no damage from it.
* **Disarm:** If you hit for damage, spend a point of luck to make the opponent to drop their weapon; but you do only half damage.
* **Ignore Shield:** Ignore the opponent's shield for AC.
* **Reach:** One opponent's hits do no damage until you miss in the same round. Then, you must fall back 5 feet and either choke up--negating reach--or switch weapons.
* **Sweep:** Capable of the *sweep* fighting stance.

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### Weapon Quality
If circumstances dictate you might break your weapon, you must meet or beat an 8 on 1d20, or your weapon breaks. If you succeed, you merely drop it. Poor weapons get disadvantage; fine ones get advantage; magic ones get advantage plus their magic bonus. A broken magic weapon causes a minor wild magic effect to all in a 10-foot radius.

<div class='footnote'>Derek Jensen | Tactical Combat</div>

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## Combat

### Weapon Attacks

To attack, roll 1d20 and add any bonuses to your attack roll. If your modified roll is...
* Equal to or greater than the opponent's armor class, you *hit for damage*.
* Less than the opponent's AC, your attack is *blocked* (shield, parry, armor, or hide) but still does 1 hp damage.

If your natural roll is...
* Less than **natural 5**, you *miss entirely*.
* A **natural 1**, your weapon may break (see **Weapon Quality**). The GM also gets 1 point of luck for the opponents. For ranged weapons, the arrow, etc., is merely dropped. For unarmed attacks, you fall down.
* A **natural 20**, you score a *critical hit*. Your damage is automatically maximum.
* A **natural 19 or 20** hit for damage, you can choose an effect based on your weapon.

#### Tactics
Each round, you can decide on your tactics:
* **Aggressive:** If you hit for damage and your opponent misses entirely, you can force your opponent back 5 feet, if your size or smaller. If you are also charging and hit for damage with your first attack, you deal double damage.
* **Defensive:** You fall back 5 feet, and all melee hits against you from your front do half damage. You cannot also be forced back by an *aggressive* attack.
* **Sweep:** You swing your *sweep* weapon at up to three enemies nearby for half damage with one attack roll, as long as you move at least 10 feet from your start.

#### Weapon Effects
In addition to damage, your weapon has certain effects associated with it that you can trigger by rolling **natural 19 or 20** on an attack. Or you can choose to bank 1 point of luck instead. And you can use a point of luck to trigger an effect on any hit for damage.
* **Knockback:** Knock a same-sized opponent back 5 feet; a smaller opponent is also knocked prone.
* **Rend:** Rend the opponent’s armor or hide for -2 AC (or chops off a tentacle, tendril, tail, etc.)
* **Bonus:** +2 damage.
* **Trip**: Same or smaller size opponent takes half damage and falls down (or is unhorsed).
* **Grapple:** Regardless of weapon, if you have one hand free, you can choose to deal normal damage and still achieve a *grapple* hand-to-hand combat maneuver.

### Great Blows
If you kill a creature with an attack that does at least 10 hp damage, you chop off its head, spear it in the throat, crush its skull, or otherwise kill it in a way that is appropriate for your weapon.

> ##### Notes and Exceptions
> * You must hit for damage to get a **weapon effect**. It is possible to roll a **natural 19** and not hit for damage. For example, if your opponent has an AC of 20, and you do not have an attack bonus, your attack is a blocked hit. Likewise, if your opponent has an AC of 19 but you have a -1 attack penalty, your attack is a blocked hit.
> * **Critical hits** are precision strikes. Many non-humanoids, especially oozes and such, are immune to precision damage due to their body structure and take only normal damage.
> * **Rend:** A PC with sufficient tools can repair rent armor during a short rest, eliminating the -2 to armor class.
> * For especially quick or slow creatures, such as flitting fairies and plodding zombies, the **natural 5** blocked hit number can be higher or lower. A blocked hit still counts as a hit for "touch" attacks.

### Daring Feats
At 5th level, you can declare the daring feat, spend 2 points of luck (1 point for warriors), then hit for damage:
* **Swap:** You put yourself between an opponent and either an ally or something they are protecting.
* **Mount:** You do half damage but get the opportunity to leap onto a rock or piece of furniture and fight from the high ground. Or you leap onto the opponent, if larger than you, where your blocked attacks count as hits for damage.
* **Target:** You do half damage but hit a specific body part (such as the hand) that is not typically a target (like the head).
* **Spoil:** You do half damage but spoil an opponent’s next attack or attempt to chase you by throwing sand or dirt, knocking over barrels, toppling a brazier, etc.
* **Taunt:** You display skill at arms that rattles same-size opponents and causes them to make a morale check (describe the display).

<div class='footnote'>Derek Jensen | Tactical Combat</div>

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### Hand-to-hand Combat
If you have at least one free hand, roll 1d20 against the target listed for the maneuver. **Strength** bonus applies. For creatures one size smaller, you get advantage. For creatures one size larger, you get disadvantage. You can’t fight most non-humanoids this way.
* **Tackle:** On a 6 or better, you tackle your opponent and go down together. Fail: only you go down.
* **Plow:** On an 8 or better, you plow your opponent back 5 feet and go with them. Fail: you go past them.
* **Grapple:** On a 10 or better, you get a hold on your opponent. The next round, you can make an opposed **strength** check to move the opponent 5 feet in any direction or (if you have two hands free) do 1d6 hp damage plus **strength** bonus. Failure (or being hit for damage) means the hold is broken.
* **Knockback:** On a 12 or better, you shove or kick your opponent back 5 feet. Smaller opponent is also knocked prone. Fail: do 1 hp damage plus **strength** bonus.
* **Knockdown:** On a 14 or better, you knock your opponent prone. Fail: do 1 hp damage plus **strength** bonus.

## Luck
You can spend a point of luck to reroll a die roll, perform a daring feat, or trigger one of your weapon effects on any regular hit for damage (instead of waiting for a **natural 19 or 20**).

You gain luck every adventuring day or by banking it on an attack roll of **natural 19 or 20** (instead of using a weapon effect) as well as by carousing (see separate carousing rules).
* Rogues: 1 point per day at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15.
* Warriors: 1 point per day at level 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14.
* Clerics: 1 point per day at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15.
* Wizards: 1 point per day at levels 4, 8, 12, and 15.

Luck resets at the end of the adventuring day, which occurs when you reach or create a place of safety, such as town or camp. Therefore, any luck you gain from carousing after the end of the adventuring day is kept for the next day.

*For example, a 5th-level thief gets 3 points of luck every day. When stopping at an inn for the night, any unused luck is lost. But if the thief does some carousing and gains 2 points of luck, they get added to the new day's 3, and the thief will go to bed with 5 points of luck for the next day.*

<div class='footnote'>Derek Jensen | Tactical Melee</div>