C & C Questions

[Andraax]

There is a "Faction" setting between the ID and Link. Click to set it to friendly / neutral.

Leave them set as neutral if you're going to remove them after a battle. Friendlies are supposed to stay on the CT for long periods of time.

[Topdecker]

Got it - thanks! That will save me a bunch of time! I am use to having that set to something - the blank box kind of threw me, I guess.

Top

[Andraax]

Got it - thanks! That will save me a bunch of time! I am use to having that set to something - the blank box kind of threw me, I guess.

If it's blank, it defaults to "Foe".

[Topdecker]

C&C has three combat maneuvers that must be announced before the round begins; Dodge, Disengage, and Evade.

First, this there any mechanism within the C&C implementation to support this? I didn't notice anything. (I guess that I need to make sure that the round does not advance to a new round when a player ends their turn).

Secondly, I don't know 100% how disenage works. I mean, I *think* that disengaged is declared, the player chooses a fighting withdraw or to flee (probably earning a series of opportunity attacks), and then they get to move. After this is done, they are finished and the round then proceeds. (On a side-note, I don't know if a player can call a disengage action if they are not engaged - to allow themselves to move first. I would probably allow it, but it is pretty weird.)


Top

[Talyn]

Any casters who plan on casting spells are also supposed to announce so at the beginning of a round, before initiative is rolled. (Edit: disregard, that is optional at the GMs discretion!) As far as I am aware there is no codified mechanism within the ruleset to enforce this. Not sure how feasable an (optional) function that would "pause" and perhaps popup a UI dialog (and/or chat message) for the GM to pay attention that the round is about to change would be, that's @Andraax's territory.

====
Players Handbook, 7th Printing

DISENGAGING FROM COMBAT

Disengaging from combat is a dangerous maneuver since it exposes the character to attacks, but it automatically puts distance between the disengaging party and their opponent. The player must announce that he is disengaging at the beginning of the round. The disengaging character does not roll initiative. If disengaging a character can take no other action. The character is allowed a movement as defined below. Player characters, monsters and non-player characters can disengage from combat.

Hasty Disengagement: is one in which the character or monster attempts to leave combat and expends all effort to do so. A character disengaging hastily may move as far as possible up to their maximum running distance, but they suffer a –2 to armor class and their opponent gets an attack against them as they run away. This is a free attack and does not count against the opponent’s other action in the round, although the opponent may not make a second attack against the fleeing character. The armor class adjustment lasts throughout the combat round and applies to every attack against the fleeing character.

Fighting Disengagement: is a more carefully executed withdrawal from combat. By performing a fighting disengagement, the character moves one-half their movement rate or less away from their opponent and they can disengage from combat. The character suffers no penalty to armor class, but they cannot take any other action in the round.

In the round following the disengagement the character or monster has put distance between theirselves and their opponent.
=====

So at the beginning of the round (prior to initiative) the player announces she is using the DISENGAGE maneuver, and clarifies which one (hasty or fighting). Initiative is rolled (except for the disengaging player). If the player chose the hasty disengagement, her character may move their running speed distance but at –2 AC and their opponent gets a free attack (one of, if not the, only times C&C allows for an "attack of opportunity" (that term is not part of C&C however)). If the fighting attack was chosen, the character moves one-half their movement rate with no penalty to AC and no free attack provoked. In the next round, the character has moved that distance from their opponent and may roll initiative and act per normal. So the primary difference between the two is "how far will the character move?" and if the running distance was chosen the penalty for that is possibly being hit.

[Topdecker]

Thanks, Talyn. FWIW, I don't see anything that says that spell casting needs to be declared. There also isn't any handler for multi-round casting. If I do find it, I will probably house-rule it out of existence. Having no movement when casting is a significant penalty already.

I did buy the 7th edition PDF today just so I could get a good answer for these questions. Still somewhat hazy.

Top

[Talyn]

Not sure how many combat-useful spells have a CT higher than 1 but I would certainly leave that in. It's something else to come up to make the player (and her character) consider before committing to that course of action. If they decide to cast a spell with a CT of 2 or 3 that's a couple rounds they can't move and a couple rounds they need to be protected before their spell casts and takes effect. That's all part of tactics and the consequences of choices.

[Topdecker]

Yeah, after thinking about it, it makes more sense. It gives both sides a chance to break spells before they are cast.

Top

[Andraax]

There is already an option to pause at the end of a round (it announces the next round, but doesn't make it anyone's turn until the advance button is pressed again).

I handle the combat options that need to be declared at the beginning by using an effect for those who declare. How I handle CT1 spells is that the player announces they are casting a spell on their initiative, and the spell goes off before the end of their turn. However, someone who had a higher initiative and declared a "wait" on their turn can attempt to interrupt a spell as soon as the caster declares it. Anyone who declares a wait, but does not go before the end of the round can also perform an action during the break between rounds (when other actions are declared).

[Topdecker]

Initiative... Is there any way to add an initiative bonus or "always wins initiative" to a monster / npc?

Thanks!

Top