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May 21, 2013, 4:53am

Original D&D Discussion :: Dungeons & Dragons (1971-1978) :: Holmes Basic D&D (1978) :: Holmes combat

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Topic: Holmes combat (Read 753 times)

Otto Harkaman
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Holmes combat
« Thread Started on Aug 7, 2012, 12:37pm »

I am going to update this post as people give me information and suggestions.

Here is my arrangement for Holmes combat. I think I have rearranged and done enough tiny edits that this doesn't violate copyright.

Quote:

COMBAT
Melee is the most exciting part of the game, but it must be imagined as if it were occurring in slow motion so that the effect of each blow can be worked out. When the party of adventures is attacked by several monsters, all may be involved in melee, but the hand-to-hand battles must be fought one at a time and then the result imagined as if all were going on simultaneously.
When figures are brought into position 10 scale feet (or less) apart they may engage in close combat. Combat with arrows and other missiles are based on the range of the weapon. Characters can be attacked by more than one opponent at a time; the DM should be guided by the actual placement of the figures on a paper sketch or on the table in deciding how many opponents can engage as melee starts, always keeping in mind the dimensions of the dungeon itself. One would not expect to get more than two or three figures fighting side by side in a ten foot corridor, for example.

ROUNDS OF COMBAT
There are ten "rounds" of combat per turn. Each round is ten seconds, so a combat turn is shorter than a regular turn, but results in at least as much muscular fatigue. Subject to the limitation of heavy weapons the figures exchange blows in turn until the melee is resolved. After each round of melee the players may move other characters than those engaged in actual combat into position to render assistance, etc.
MOVEMENT & FACING
Movement is usually at a sprint; an unarmored man can move 20 ft., a fully armored man 10 ft., and a fully armored, fully encumbered man 5 ft per combat round. Attacks against a figure’s flanks is modified by +1 to the attackers die roll, by +2 against the rear.

COMBAT ROUND RESOLUTION
In a combat round the attacker strikes a blow, takes a swing, or shoots/throws a missile. This is repeated for each figure in combat.
INITIATIVE
WHO GETS THE FIRST BLOW? Attackers who surprise an opponent or who approach him from behind always get the first blow. Otherwise the character with the highest dexterity strikes first. If the Dungeon Master does not know the dexterity of an attacking monster he rolls it on the spot. If dexterities are within 1 or 2 points of each other, a 6-sided die is rolled for each opponent, and the higher score gains initiative — first blow.
TO HIT
The probability of a hit is converted into a random number of 1 to 20. For which a properly marked 20-sided die is used. Combat results are based on the attacker's ability (indicated by his "level" or “hit dice”) and the defender's abilities (indicated by his "armor class"). The attacking player rolls the 20-sided dice. The die roll is read off the table for his attack capability against his opponent's armor class. If the number indicated on the tables, or greater, is scored, a hit has been made on the opponent.
If it’s a hit see Damage below. If he does not make his die roll the attack was a miss.
MISSILE FIRE
Hits with arrows and other missiles are based on the short, medium or long range of the weapon in question. If the archer is firing at long range his dice roll for a hit is one higher than the score for hits with any other weapon, and is read off the table under the opponent's armor class. At medium range the archer uses the score as shown, and at close range he adds 1.
ARMOR CLASS
The "armor class" of humanoid monsters is literally the armor they are wearing (or possibly their skin/hide!). For non-human creatures, however, it is assigned partly on this basis, with strong armor class for scales and shells, and partly on the basis of difficulty to hit. All the monsters in the monster section given later have an armor class assigned and the Dungeon Master can make up an appropriate armor class for any new ones he invents.
DAMAGE
If it’s a hit damage points are then rolled and subtracted. The attacker makes another die roll, with one 6-sided die, to see how many points of damage were done by the hit. (The more complex system used for advanced play allows for varying amounts of damage by different weapons and by various sorts of monsters.) The number of damage points scored by a monster’s hit is variable and is given in the monster section. In general, humanoid creatures and first level monsters do one six-sided die’s worth of damage per “hit” whether the hit is a sword blow, a bite, a horn gore, a clawing or whatever.
WOUNDS
Damage points are subtracted from the defender's "hit points." If hit points are reduced to zero or below, the combatant is dead. If he survives he gets to swing at his attacker. Characters who are wounded continue to strike valiantly in later rounds until they are killed or the melee ends in their favor, unless they choose to break off the combat and flee.

ENDING COMBAT
A character in melee may withdraw from combat if there is space beside or behind him to withdraw into. His opponent gets a free swing at him as he does so with an attacker bonus of +2 on the die roll, and shields do not count as protection when withdrawing. A losing combatant may offer to surrender. His opponent does not have to accept the offer, of course. Non-human monsters are often too unintelligent to consider such an offer. If an opposing figure is killed or withdraws, the attacker may advance or pursue immediately—if the player desires — or he may take some other action.

I haven't come across anything about flank or rear attacks yet, are they in Holmes or is that AD&D? I left out Light/Heavy weapons, Parry and Cover in my little synopsis just wanted to show how I was arranging things.

« Last Edit: Aug 11, 2012, 8:24am by Otto Harkaman »