The Rules of Battle: A Call To Arms

The Rules of Battle
Some fantasy role-playing games have rules for combat that can be more involved than the players really
want. Most games limit the types of weapons that a particular class can use. These rules are provided to give
ideas in your fantasy role-playing game. Maybe combats take too long for your taste, if you were to do things
“by-the-book”. Maybe you want a wizard swinging a great sword in your games. These options will help you
add this flavor to your games.
A Call to Arms
If you do not use rule aspects such as weapon speed, range,
damage versus armor, specializations, or damage versus
size…you may want to remove the variable weapon damage rule
from your game. This will better help you in allowing for any
class to use any weapon. If you want a mage that wields a two-
handed sword or a priest with a holy spear…this rule will allow
for that without removing the importance of the warrior
classes. This rule sets all weapon damages based on the class
of the character. Below is a table that shows what damage
particular weapons do, dependent on who is wielding the
weapon. There are 3 categories of adventurers. There are
Warriors (warriors, barbarians, rangers, or paladins), Partial
(priests, druids, thieves, or bards), and Non (wizards or
illusionists). There are 4 “types” of weapons listed below.
Type Warriors Partial Non Weapons

Tiny 1d6 1d4 1d4 Daggers, darts, stones, light quarrels
Arrows, heavy quarrels, axes, fauchards, glaives,
Small 1d8 1d6 1d4 javelins, light lances, horseman maces, partisans,
awl pikes, spears, staffs, short swords
Battle axes, military forks, guisarmes, medium
Medium 1d10 1d8 1d6 lances, footman's maces, ranseurs, scimitars,
broadswords, bastard swords, longswords, tridents
Halberds, heavy lances, two-handed swords, great
Large 1d12 1d8 1d6
axes
A Battle with the Clock

Some fantasy role-playing game’s battle systems are really good systems. My goal, over many years, was to
reduce combat times and continue with the exploration. This combat system has been used for many years
and it does work well. It does not work under the concept of “everything happening at once”, but instead
follows a more “cinematic” type approach. Characters declare what they are going to do when it is time for
them to move…not before initiative is rolled. There are no concerns about hallway widths when it comes to
who can perform an attack. Other sacrifices need to be made when using this system…
1. Weapon Speed
2. Weapon Length
3. Damage versus Armor (and/or Small, Medium, and Large)
4. Fire Rate
5. Spell Casting Time
Once you are ready to get rid of these elements, then you can begin. The steps to battle are listed below…
1. Declare spells to be cast

2. Determine initiative
3. Party with initiative goes first
4. Party that lost initiative goes next
5. Any declared spells may now take effect (unless interrupted)
6. Repeat until a party is victorious
If surprise needs to be determined, whoever gains surprise over the other gets to do a round of attack on the
surprised group. This is basically performing steps 1, 3, and 5. Once the surprise round is complete, then
steps 1-6 are repeated until there is a winner. If initiative is a tie, then everyone resolves their actions but it
really happens simultaneously in game time (meaning two opponents have a potential to kill each other).
Ranged weapons happen when melee weapons do. Spells are cast with no regard to casting time. They
simply take effect at the end of the combat round they were cast.
Battlefields are imagined in a “who is in front” and “who is in

back” layout. This is a simple matter of having the players
show how their characters are marching along. In the
example on the right, the warrior is in position 1 and the
priest is in position 2. Position 3 is the wizard and position
4 is the thief. If a group of goblins are coming down corridor
A, then the warrior and priest can attack with melee
weapons. The wizard and thief will need to use ranged
weapons (or a wizard can cast a spell that does not require a
touch on the goblins). If the goblins only have melee
weapons, they can only attack (and “all” of them can attack)
the warrior and pries. If the goblins have some archers in
the rear, then they have the potential to attack any of the
characters. Weapon ranges are important to determine if a
ranged weapon is able to hit its target. With this example
done, we now move to goblins approaching down corridor B.
Now the warrior and wizard are on the front lines. If the
goblins win surprise (or initiative) then that wizard has the potential of getting clubbed. During the players’
turn, then 2 can switch places with 3 to solidify their front line, while still getting in an action. If the wizard
wanted to switch with the priest, they would not be able to cast a spell that round because they will be
moving to a new position that round, thus ruining the spell casting.
In larger spaces, enemies in the rear may move around the front lines and face off with
the thief and/or wizard. This may be avoided with a
different marching formation. The formation, to the
right, allows for the other characters to protect the
wizard. The only flaw would be if someone were to
come up behind the wizard. This is another example
of why it is important for marching order in this combat system.
The goal of this system is to have a combat that is easy to track and with
fewer variables. It is also designed in an older gaming style of combat
where miniatures were not often used. It should only be used if you feel
combats are taking too long in your games.
Text © Wizardawn Entertainment 2010-2013

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The Rules of Battle

Type Warriors Partial Non Weapons

A Battle with the Clock

1. Declare spells to be cast

Battlefields are imagined in a “who is in front” and “who is in

Text © Wizardawn Entertainment 2010-2013

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