► Introduction

Combat is likely to become a significant part of your roleplaying experience, especially in Undestined. Hematoben is not a peaceful place, and any Undestined One who isn’t prepared to defend herself in this often brutal world is unlikely to survive long. The Ancients will not sit idly by as their will for their creations is changed. And those who gain the great power available to the Undestined will not do so without opposition. Combat can be one of the most enjoyable parts of the game, but this requires an understanding of the system by all of those involved. Combat is also, in many ways, one of the most obvious opportunities for advancement of your group when successful, and even when unsuccessful.

> GM Note: Do not let combat take over a game entirely if it is not appropriate for it to do so. When players are becoming too anxious to see the next enemy fall in a bloody heap it is easy to lose sight of the core of the game—roleplaying. When combat overtakes storyline (instead of progressing it) you know you are heading in the wrong direction, and the game will quickly become less enjoyable. As GM, simply remember to reward your players for roleplaying successfully just as you would for being victorious in a battle, and they shouldn’t see combat as the best or only way to progress their character.

Combat is a high energy, very quick, and gravely dangerous encounter. Who lives and who dies is determined by split-second decisions. Multiple things are often happening at the same time, and reacting quickly to the constant changes is key. No action stands alone. Each action is affected by the last and will affect the next. And when more than one thing is happening at a time, you must choose each move wisely to avoid getting in the way of your allies, or allowing them to get in yours. If your reaction time is slower than those around you, you may realize you have charged towards an enemy who was already felled by your allies arrow, and that the blade you had envisioned sinking into his chest is instead swiping at the air.

This system should not be thought of as a turn based system. In roleplaying you will take turns describing your intended actions in the order of initiative, but iIn a fight you do not get to take turns. You evaluate the situation, and you make a decision. The man you decide to attack reacts more quickly than you. His blade hits you first but you weren't even thinking about that. You were too focused on striking him to avoid his blow, and now, all you can do is hope your chainmail holds up. Situations like this and the one described above will happen regularly. During combat the situation changes rapidly and those who are not prepared for such change are at a disadvantage.

Undestined has four different types of classes (Melee, Magic, Divine, and Normal) all of which are somewhat unique in the way in which they use their skills in combat. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses all of which are described in detail in their own sections.

► Combat Basics

Keeping track of your characters' positioning in the battlefield in relation to their targets is critical. To do this it is recommended that you use a hex or square map. For the sake of ease you should define each hex as 3 feet (or 1 meter).

When a fight is imminent, the first thing to determine is exactly when combat starts. This is left almost entirely up to the GM. In a game as open to creativity as a table-top RPG it is impossible to give examples that will cover every situation you will encounter, but this is why it is important for a GM to be able to think on their feet and be decisive. An important thing to do as the GM when you know combat is about to ensue, is to give as good of an explanation as possible as to the immediate surroundings, and the positioning of enemies and obstacles in the area. You should even lay as much of this out on the hex map as possible. It is also good to allow players to ask questions and to make sure they understand the situation before beginning. This can prevent a lot of confusion during the fight that can severely slow down the action of combat.

Before combat begins, actions leading up to combat can be taken. Though they are technically “pre-combat actions” they are considered to be part of the same fight. This would usually happen if your group was about to ambush someone (or be ambushed by someone). If all goes well the ones being attacked would be unaware of the attack until after the first strike(s). The attackers would be allowed to take pre-combat actions, and those getting attacked would not. Their actions would be to continue walking, or enjoying their freshly caught meal. At best their actions could consist of using normal perception rolls to see if they happen to spot their attackers. As soon as both parties are aware of the fight, combat begins.

As soon as combat begins the GM should announce for everyone to “roll initiative.” Initiative determines the order in which each person involved in combat finishes their action, such as their hammer smashing against their opponents face. Initiative for all class types is determined by rolling a d20 and adding in any bonuses and subtracting any minuses. Determining your initiative will be the first thing everyone involved in combat does each round.

Once the call of “roll initiative” is made for the first time everyone now knows that combat has started and should begin deciding what it is they want to do for the round. Each player should roll their initiative and write it down on their combat sheet. They should then write down their intended action for the round, and any additional information that may be relevant. You should also make any and all rolls related to your intended action (rolls to strike, cast a spell, damage, hide, etc.) and write them down. This is also a good time to make completely certain you understand where everything and everyone in the vicinity of the fight is positioned. Though you should be careful not to give away what your intended action will be, since the GM can use this information against you.

The GM is likely the last to be prepared to begin the round, since she often has to prepare the actions of multiple enemies, prepare the attacks of any character she may be playing, and answer any and all appropriate questions. If the GM is not the last prepared for the round, then all players should be given enough time to get ready, although, if someone is being indecisive, do not be afraid to let them suffer for it. The point is for everyone to have fun, and one person bringing a game to a standstill is not particularly fun. Not to mention if you start the round when they haven’t made a decision they get no action (not even a defensive one) and will probably be motivated to get ready faster next time. As GM, keep in mind that the complexity of some classes is greater than others. And some may actually end up (at higher levels, and especially with multi-classing) having a good amount of die rolls to make, so be sure to give them plenty of time. Introducing some sort of physical timer can be a good way to keep this system fair to all involved as well as add some intensity to more critical combats.

Once everyone is prepared, the round begins. Starting at the highest initiative and moving towards the lowest, everyone will reveal their intended action. The GM and players then use this information to determine the outcome of the round. As described above, each action may affect the next. This is why it is called your “intended action.” Based on where each character is moving and what they do, those that move a fraction of a second later may be unable to do what they intended to do. However this is not enough for them to change their intentions, and they can sometimes effectively accomplish nothing. Basically those at higher initiative are more likely to succeed in their goals, since they moved the fastest and no one will be likely to interfere with their plans. By the end of the round, those at lower initiative may have had their intended actions completely negated by those that move more quickly. This is one reason why coordinating as a team can mean the difference between success and death.

After this is complete, if there is still fighting to be done, the next round of combat begins. Once again, all players will roll initiative and begin making their decisions.

► Step by Step Guide

A high-level, step-by-step breakdown of the first round of a fight would be as follows:

The layout of the area and all objects, enemies, bystanders and player characters is described
Pre-combat actions are taken if applicable
Initiative is rolled.
Players write a description of their intended action.
Players make all necessary rolls and write them down as well.
GM ensures that everyone is ready, giving sufficient time.
Intended actions are revealed from highest to lowest initiative with the GM and players determine the actual results of that round of combat.

After the first round of combat, if there is still more fighting going on (which there likely will be), repeat steps three through seven until combat is resolved.

Combat ends when one party either gives up, or is no longer aware of the fight (either because they are dead or unconscious). Rephrased, when either party chooses, or is forced to stop fighting, combat ends.

Keep in mind, those that are unconscious may only stay that way for a few seconds, and might soon wake up if they are not taken care of otherwise. Unconscious players and enemies are considered to be completely helpless during this time. Any attack made against them out of combat could easily be a kill if that is the intention of the attacker. In combat, however, an attacker would still have to make an attack and roll damage normally. If they are allowed to wake up they probably will not be feeling up to fighting immediately, though they are able to at the appropriate minuses.

► Rules, Terminology and Definitions

Action

What a player wishes to do in a given round. Players are given one Action per round. If a player chooses to take an Action they are not allowed to change it after the round begins (unless their class states otherwise). Depending on what they choose to do, they may be unable to evade incoming attacks other than with armor or some other form of protection. Players are allowed to cancel their action at any point during each round. Actions are split into two parts; Primary and Secondary.

Attack

This is an action that consists of attacking an enemy. This can be striking with a weapon, grappling with an enemy, or any other type of attack. Attacks are Primary Actions and are typically contested either by attempts to evade or by armor.