3 Combat |
A fantasy world is a dangerous place. In Age of Magic, characters will often find themselves in combat situations, where they will need to fight to survive.
The basic rules for combat cover the mechanics for handling a basic hand-to-hand combat. They cover the sequence of actions (who acts first), how to determine whether an attack hits the target, damage etc. Based on these rules alone, the referee can manage a simple duel or gladiatorial combat.
Often, characters fighting hand-to-hand will use kicks, punches, etc. In addition, characters trained in martial arts maneuvers may have many sophisticated combat techniques. These rules are given in the section on unarmed combat. With these rules, the referee can now manage a bar-room brawl, for example.
The next section of the rules covers ranged combat, using archery, thrown missiles etc. With these rules, the referee can now manage a skirmish between a party of characters and men-at arms or monsters.
Throughout history, riding has provided a major advantage to combatants. In Age of Magic, the mounted combat rules enable the referee to manage a combat in which some or all of the combatants are mounted.
In Age of Magic, characters may sometimes find themselves fighting in unusual circumstances, e.g. underwater, on a pitching ship, etc. The special combat circumstances rules (to follow in next release) enable the referee to cope with these situations.
Occasionally, characters may become involved in a full-scale battle. While the basic combat rules could in theory be used to play out the battle, Age of Magic provides a simpler battle system that can be used to determine how well the character copes with the battle.
See also: