Basicier Combat

[David Johansen]

So, one thing that came up on the kickstarter discussion is combat. Totally my fault. But it raised a question I find interesting. Suppose GURPS had an alternate combat system that's more interested in producing the results of a whole combat in a few rolls. Personally the basic combat is pretty simple already, but what if there was a simpler system. What would it look like? How would it interact with existing stats?

I think it would need to be different enough to warrant its existence. A complete subsystem rather than a set of house rules or options. It would need to use existing characters, weapons, and armor, as is. Calculating a bunch of integrated data defeats the purpose. Though if someone wanted to do integrated odds charts that combine skill and weapon damage results to get a single kill number that might be the way to do it. Give the Rolemaster fans chart envy.

Here's what I think you'd want. Fuzzy rounds that could be six seconds to a minute. I think random movement would work well with that. Maybe a single roll determines everyone's movement rate as the time in the round would still be the same for all combatants. While I don't want conversions or much math, Weapon Damage - Armor DR / 3.5 might work as a skill modifier. A 2d Broad Sword against DR 7 Plate would give no modifier but the same sword against DR 2 Leather would give a +2 to the attack roll. 1/2 skill -10 might work as a defense modifier. So an 18 would give you a -4 to be hit. If you're hit, you roll Health modified by a wounding modifier. Impaling and Huge Piercing -3, Cutting and Large Piercing -2. Combatants are eliminated by a failed Health roll and then you need a table to find out how badly hurt they are after the battle.

I don't know, it's too mathy.

[Gnome]

Have you looked at GURPS Ultra-Lite? It’s not exactly what you’re asking for but includes a simple combat system...

[David Johansen]

Not recently. It's mostly just a thought. It always depends on what you want it to do or look like I guess.

[thrash]

There might be something to be said for taking GURPS Mass Combat and distilling those rules down to skirmish level. The rules (p. 9) already suggests that a Hero unit of a single 150-point PC warrior might be equivalent to a squad of 10 elite-class but ordinary fighters.

You would have to calculate the Troop Strength rating and characteristics for your PC party, but that could be done once and updated only as needed. For the opposition, you would have to eyeball their statistics, but it's probably enough to consult the Relative TS Table (p. 31) and assign an odds ratio. Use the Fight the Battle rules (pp. 32-39) to resolve the engagement. You might want to set a shorter round length for skirmishes -- maybe 5 min per round, if both sides are less than 10 units (which can each be 10 ordinary mooks, remember). That makes each round a single Quick Contest between commanders, plus Misfortunes of War rolls for all PC's.

[mr beer]

Isn't there a points system for monster threat ratings somewhere? Could you use those values as modifiers for a 3d6 Contest? If it's reduced to a single roll in that manner, you could use degrees of pass or fails to refer to results on a table.

So total your PCs Threat, total your monsters Threat, roll one Contest, refer to results.

[Raekai]

In one of my recent threads (One-Man Armies from Supers vs. Mob Attacks from Zombies vs. other solutions), I talked some about systems to reduce the number of rolls in combat.

• Big Fights and Long Fights
• Almost-Mass Tactical Combat
• Not quite mass combat
• a comment about tweaking Mass Combat for small groups

[Otaku]

I might be thinking back to the 3e rules, but isn't there something somewhere that basically handles it all as Quick Contests between the attacking Skill and Active Defense, with margin of success determining damage, while damage type still modifies it, DR still protects, and max damage is capped based on the attack (or weapon) used?

...

Yes, it would be great if I remembered where I saw this. >.>

[David Johansen]

Contests was an option for speeding up combat in third edition.

I find just going around the table and alternating between players and their foes works well for large groups. Bob goes, Bob's foe goes, Joe goes, Joe's foe goes...

It also helps to keep foes lightly armored and not too skilled.

[Otaku]

Dug out the few 3e books I still have left - they're slated for a yard sale soon - and found what I was looking for:

"Very Basic Melee Combat: Really Simple Shortcuts for Really Quick Battles" originally appeared in Roleplayer 23, but I'm using the version printed in Compendium II, specifically on the sidebar for pages 89, 91 and 92. Attack, defense, and damage are all handled by the same roll. I don't want to re-write the entire article, but the short version is each fighter rolls versus the Combat Skill they're using, as a Quick Contest of Skills, and this determines not only whether you get hit or not, but damage done. There's also an option to have everyone involved in the combat just roll at the same time, and sort it out that way.

[Anders]

IIRC, that led to high-skill fighters being unbeatable murder machines. Maybe apply the rule of 16 to that?