Special Melee Combat Rules

Special Melee Combat Rules

These rules add additional options – and complexity – to melee attacks and defenses.

Attack from Above

Ambush from above is a good surprise tactic. Roll a Quick Contest to see if it works: your Stealth vs. the victim's Vision. A victim walking along a trail, alley, etc. is at -2 to notice someone lurking above, unless he specifically states he is looking in the trees, high windows, etc.; then he gets +2 (but -2 to notice things on his own level!). Peripheral Vision is of no spe- cial value in this situation.

If you win the Quick Contest, your victim fails to spot you. He gets no active defense against your attack! At the GM's option, a particularly unwary individual might "freeze up”; see Surprise Attacks and Initiative.

Even if you lose – or your target is warned – your victim's active defenses are at -2 against your attack. However, an alerted foe can take a Wait maneuver and make a "stop thrust" when you drop (see Wait).

You can drop from any height before attacking (a special kind of "step"). You have an extra -2 to hit. Regardless of the results of your attack, you take falling damage if you dropped from more than two yards – see Falling. You may attempt an Acrobatics roll to reduce this. Natural ambushers-from-above (e.g., jaguars) have Catfall.

You can opt to drop onto your victim instead – animals often attack this way! Resolve damage to yourself and your target separately from your attack. Note that a victim is a soft thing to land on, unless he has DR 3+.

Combat at Different Levels

Suppose you want to jump onto a table and strike down at a foe? Or fight your way up a staircase? If you and your foe are at different levels, the vertical distance affects combat. This rule is for melee combat. For ranged weapons, see Firing Upward and Downward.

One foot of vertical difference, or less: Ignore it.

Up to two feet of vertical difference: Ignore it unless you are using hit locations. In that case, the higher fighter has -2 to hit the feet or legs, and +1 to hit the head (skull, face, or eyes) or neck. The lower fighter has +2 to hit the feet or legs, and -2 to hit the head. These modifiers are in addition to normal hit location penalties.

Up to three feet of vertical difference: As above, but the lower fighter is at -1 to any active defense, while the upper fighter is at +1 to his active defenses.

Up to four feet of vertical difference: As above, but the lower fighter is at -2 to defend, while the upper fighter is at +2. The upper fighter cannot strike at the lower fighter's feet or legs.

Up to five feet of vertical difference: The lower fighter cannot strike at the upper fighter's head, and the upper fighter cannot strike at the lower fighter's feet or legs. The lower fighter is at -3 to defend, while the upper fighter is at +3.

Up to six feet of vertical difference: The upper fighter may only strike at the lower fighter's head. The lower fighter may only strike at the upper fighter’s feet or legs. Neither gets any special bonus or penalty to attack. The lower fighter is at -3 to defend, while the upper fighter is at +3.

Over six feet of vertical difference: Combat is impossible unless the fighters adopt some strange position; e.g., the upper fighter lies down and reaches over the edge. In that particular case, he would effectively bring himself three feet closer, and his foe could strike at his head and arm. The GM may offer appropriate bonuses and penalties for any odd tactics that the players employ.

Effects of Reach

If your weapon or Size Modifier gives you more than one yard of reach, each yard past the first brings the foe three feet closer to you. This does not bring you any closer to your foe! For example, a greatsword (two-yard reach) would let you fight as if your foe were three feet closer. If you were standing six feet below him, you would fight as though he were only three feet higher. He would not enjoy a similar benefit unless he, too, had long reach.

Size Modifier and Reach

If your SM is greater than 0, you have a longer reach with your arms. Increase the upper end of the reach of any melee weapon according to the table at right.

You also get +1 to hit when you grapple per +1 SM advantage you have over your target.

Example: A giant with SM +3 gets +2 to the upper end of reach – a weapon with reach 2-3 has reach 2-5 in his hands! If he grapples a human (SM 0), he gets +3 to hit. He gets no bonus to grapple another giant.

SM	Reach
1	+0*
+2	+1
+3	+2
+4	+3
+5	+5
+6	+7
+7	+10
+8	+15
+9	+20
+10	+30

* A reach "C" weapon increases to reach 1, but there are no other effects.

Typical Distances

Set distances by common sense and mutual agreement (beforehand, if possible). Some examples: Ordinary stairs rise eight inches per step (for simplicity, you may want to call them one foot). The seat of a chair is less than two feet tall. An ordinary dining table is less than three feet tall. The counter in a shop is about four feet tall. The hood of a car, or the bed of a wagon, is about three feet tall. The roof of a car, or the seat of a wagon, is over four feet tall.