[Bibiribobiri]

[Edited]

Here are the modifications to RAW combat rules.
Yes, these rules will slow down the pace of combat and make things more complex. On the other hand, it adds a lot more strategy and might make combat more fun for some of you.

1) Penalty points (PP).
This rule will deal with problems 1 and 2 that I described.
When you take an active action (like attacking), you get penalty points (PP) that are stackable. Those are penalties are applied to every active action you take. This PP normally only disappear if you spend some turns without making active actions.

Every weapon, when used for attacking, give PP according to the following formula:
PP=WW×10/ST-0.67 (round up and minimum of 1)
Where WW is the weapon’s weight. Add +1 to WW If the weapons is unbalanced (U) or poorly balanced (-0.6 CF), and -1 to WW if weapon is balanced (+4 CF).

Use 1.5 times your ST (round down) if using two hands.

EX: Penalty points Table [ PP (ST range) ] considering weights described in GURPS Low-Tech table:
Axe, one-handed (U), effective WW=5: [6 (8), 5 (9-10), 4 (11-13), 3 (14-18), 2 (19-29), 1 (30-…) ]
Longsword, WW=4: [5 (8), 4 (9-10), 3 (11-14), 2 (15-23), 1 (24-…)]
Broadsword, WW=3 : [ 4 (7-8), 3 (9-11), 2 (12-17), 1 (18-….) ]
Short sword, WW=2: [ 2 (8-11), 1 (12-…)]
Large knife, WW=1: [ 1 (any ST) ]

Before each his attack, the wielder gets a number of PP equal to weapon PP.
Thus a ST 9 char gain 3 PP for attacking once in his turn with broadsword.

2) Bonus points (BP).
Every time you take an Wait maneuver, you get DX/3 rounded down Bonus Points (BP) and stack them to the limit of DX/2. BPs can only be used to negate PPs, they cannot be used to gain any bonus or reduce modifier penalties (e.g hit location).

When you attack, you get PPs before any die roll (You can mark them with beans if you like). If you have any BPs, you can use them to negate the acquire PPs before the die roll.

3) Removing PP.
In the beginning of your turn, you can remove 1 PP.
Additionally you can remove a number of PP equal to (DX-10)/3 rounded down (1 for DX 13, 2 for DX 16,…). This value is independent of the action you take. You cannot gain BP this way though. This makes very agile fighters a little faster too.

Combat Exemple1:
Jerry (ST10/DX12) has skill 16 with all weapons. He is using an Axe (5 PP each swing). On turn 1, without any preparation (waiting turns), he strikes (getting 5 PP) and rolls for 16-5=11. At start of turn 2 he removes one PP (having now 4 PP) and if he strikes again he gets other 5 PP and rolls for 16-4-5=7! That is just probably too fast for him.

Jerry could instead, attack on his first turn (at 16-5=11); on second turn remove one PP (now 4 PP) and take a Wait maneuver to gain DX/3=4 BP (rounded down); on his third turn remove another PP (now at 3 PP) and then attack using his BP to offset some PP at skill 12=16-3 (old PP) +4 (BP) -5 (new PP). This end his turn with 4 PP.

If using a short-sword (2 PP for Jerry), he would get 16-2=14 for attacking in the first turn (ending with 2 PP); in his second, could attack again at skill 13= 16 -1 (one PP was removed at the beginning of the turn) -2 (new PP) ending with 3 PP; Faster than swinging an axe!

Tom (ST19/DX9) has skill 12 with all weapons. He is using an Axe (2 PP each swing). If he strikes on both turns, he gets 12-2=10 on the first turn and 12-1-2=9 on the second turn. As he is super strong, he can swing it very easily.

To increase its odds, Tom could, instead, opt to take Wait maneuver on his first turn (getting DX/3=3 BP), attack on his second turn (at 12-2+2=12 and remaining with 1 BP) and again in his third turn (at 12-2+1=11)

Combat Exemple 2:
Jerry wants to be a badass and use the axe anyway. On turn 1 he waits (getting DX/3=4 BP). Turn 2 he waits again, getting other 2 BP (He wont accumulate more BP than DX/2=6.5). Turn 3 he strikes (getting 5 PP that cancel 5 BP) for 16+5-5=16, leaving with 1 BP. Turn 4 he can strike for 16-5+1=12 or he can wait again and get 4 BP.

With that rule, you must attack slower (wait more turns) if using a heavier weapon.

4)Attacking multiple times in a turn.
Before each of the multiple attacks, the wielder gets a number of PP equal to (weapon PP+1)x(weapon attack number).

Combat Example 3:
Jerry, with an axe (5 PP), wants to give 2 attacks in a single turn. He waited two turns and has 6 BP. His attacks go as follows:
A1: 16-((5+1)*1)+6=16 (leaving him with 0 BP).
A2: 16-((5+1)*2) =4 (leaving him with 12 PP)!

Combat Example 4:
Jerry, with a dagger (1 PP), wants to give 3 attacks in a single turn. He waited two turns and has 6 BP. His attacks go as follows:
A1: 16-(2*1)+2=16 (and has now 4 BP)
A2: 16-(2*2)+4=16 (and has now 0 BP)
A3: 16-(2*3)=10 (and has now 6 PP)

5) Dual Wielding
Count each weapon’s attack separately for defining its added PP at a given turn.

Combat Example 5: Jerry has a dagger (1 PP) on each hand and the ambidexterity advantage. He wants to strike 3 times (2 with main hand and one with the off-hand):
A1 main hand: add (2*1) PP
A2 off hand: add (2*1) PP (don’t count A1), leaving him with 2+2=4 PP
A3 main hand: add (2*2) PP (don’t count A2), leaving him with 4+4= 8 PP

6) All-out attacks:
All-out attacks remain the same with the exception of all-out attack double, which will be substituted by the all-out attack fast.
This version of all-out attack lets you subtract one to the weapon attack number count for one of your weapons.

Combat Example 6: Jerry has a dagger (1 PP) on each hand and the ambidexterity advantage. He wants to strike 3 times (2 with main hand and one with the off-hand) using all-out attack fast:
A1 main hand: add (2*(1-1))=0 PP
A2 off hand: add (2*1) PP (don’t count A1), leaving him with 0+2=2 PP
A3 main hand: add (2*(2-1))=2 PP (don’t count A2), leaving him with 2+2= 4 PP


7) Defenses

7.1) Parrying
A parry is performed as usual (Skill/2 + 3) but suffers a penalty equal to the defender’s PP/2 (round down) and does not get any shield DB bonus (new rule, see blocking below)! After a parry roll, the user adds PP equal to weapon’s PP/2 (round up).

Multiple parries with a weapon add PP following the same rules as multiple attacks but getting a number of PP equal to (weapon PP/2 round up)x(weapon parry number) after each attempt. This does not let you parry multiple times a single attack.

If the parry is successful, the attacker rolls for knockback damage with his weapon.
The user effective DR is equal to its weapon’s weight (+1 if balanced) plus the defense roll’s margin of success. For every halve of the target’s ST rolled, move the target one yard away from the attacker and gains 1 PP. For instance, a man with ST 10 would be knocked back one yard and gain 1 PP per full 5 points of basic damage.

Combat Example 6: Tom succeeds in its axe roll to hit Jerry.
Jerry decides to parry this blow with a short sword. Jerry currently has 2 PP due to a short sword swing at his last turn. He has short sword skill of 16 which gives him a parry of 11 = 11 (Skill/2+3) -1 (PP/2) +1 (combat reflexes). He rolls an 9 giving him a margin of 2.
Tom rolls for damage at Swing + 2 = (3d+1) + (2) and gets 14.
Jerry gets knockback damage equals to 14-2-2=10. He is pushed back two yards and gets additional 2 PP.

7.2) Shield
A shield now provides passive cover: attacks that succeed with a margin equal or lower than the shield’s DB hits the shield instead. The “defender” may opt to perform an active defense or not after the attack roll.

7.3) Blocking
A block is performed as usual (Skill/2 + 3 + shield’s DB), but suffers a penalty equal to the defender’s PP/2 (round down). After any block roll, the user gets a PP equal to shield’s DB/2 (round up).

Multiple blocks add PP following the same rules as multiple parries but getting a number of PP equal to (shield DB/2 round up)x(shield block number). This does not let you block multiple times a single attack.

A successful block means that the blow was caught by the shield. The attacker rolls damage to shield as usual.
If the attacked performed an active block, its shield gains an instantaneous DR equal to the defense roll’s margin of success not considering the shield’s DB (minimum is zero). This accounts for how well the defender was able to deflect the blow without absolving its impact.

Combat Example 7: Tom has zero PP or BP and swing its axe at Jerry with effective skill of 12-2=10. Jerry is now using a large Roman Scutum with DB 3, DR4 and HP27.
Tom rolls and gets a 7, meaning that he hits Jerry’s shield instead of Jerry (no defense needed!).
Jerry decides to actively block this blow. Jerry currently has 5 PP due to an axe swing at his last turn. He has shield skill of 16 which gives him a block of 11 (Skill/2+3) + 3 (DB) -3 (PP/2 round up) +1 (combat reflexes) = 12. He rolls an 7 giving him a margin of 5 and an instantaneous extra DR of 5-3=2.
Tom rolls for damage at Swing + 2 = (3d+1) +2= 3d+3 and gets 12.
The damage applied to Jerry’s shield is 12 – 4 (=shield’s DR) -2 (=instantaneous DR) = 6.
After this, Jerry gets additional 2 PP for actively blocking and now has 7 PP.

7.4) Dodging
A dodge roll is now performed with DX/3+3 but suffers a penalty equal to the defender’s PP/3 (round down). It does not get any bonus from shield’s DB.

Any dodge after the first gets a number of PP equal to (1)x(dodge attempt number -1), meaning that the first dodge does not add any PP. This does not let you dodge multiple times a single attack. The PP is only added after each defense roll.

7.5) All-out defense:
All-out defense remain the same with the exception of double defense, which halves the added PP for each defense (rounded up) and lets you use two active defenses for a single attack.