Combat: Special Rules and Charts

Combat works as described in the Labyrinth Lord Rule Book.  There are a few special rules to go over, though.

ARMOR CLASS

We will be using a version of  "Ascending Armor Class", because it is easier for new players to get the hang of.

When you attack an NPC or Monster, you roll a 1d20.  You must roll the Armor Class or higher to hit.  The type of armor that is worn determines how hard it is to hit you or the NPCs/Monsters that you want to attack.  This chart shows the value of each type of armor.

ARMOR TYPE	ARMOR CLASS
Unarmored	10 (+0)
Padded	11 (+1)
Leather	12 (+2)
Studded Leather	13 (+3)
Scale	14 (+4)
Chain Mail	15 (+5)
Horse Barding	15 (+5)
Banded Mail	16 (+6)
Splint Mail	16 (+6)
Plate Mail	17 (+7)
Shield	+1

So, for example, if you want to attack an Orc in Chain Mail Armor, then you must roll a 15 or higher to hit it.  Then you would roll to see how much damage you inflict.

ARMOR DAMAGE

Armor can be damaged if your enemy rolls certain Critical Hits after rolling a 20.  Damaged Armor can be repaired for 1/2 the original cost.  The amount of damage your Armor can take is equal to the number of points that it raises your Armor Class by.  However, upon taking 1/2 of these points, it is beyond repair and must be replaced. 

Armor DOES still offer protection until it is reduced to 0.

But, armor becomes beyond repair and MUST be replaced upon receiving this much damage:

1 POINT
    Padded 
    Leather

2 POINTS
    Studded 
    Scale

3 POINTS
    Chain

    Horse Barding

    Banded 
    Splint

4 POINTS
    Plate

ATTACK VALUE

As you gain levels you will gain a bonus to your Attack Roll.  This chart shows you the bonus you receive per level.

 

ATTACK VALUE	CLERIC/THIEF LEVEL	FIGHTER/DWARF/ ELF/HALF..LEVEL	MAGIC-USER LEVEL
0	1-3	1-2	1-3
+1	4-5	3	4-7
+2	6-8	4	8-10
+3	9-10	5	11-12
+4	11	6	13
+5	12	7-8	14-15
+6	13-14	9	16-18
+7	15-16	10-11	19-20
+8	17-18	12	21-23
+9	19-20	13	24+
+10	21+	14
+11		15
+12		16
+13		17
+14		18
+15		19+

So if you were a 4th Level Cleric trying to hit that Orc in the Chain Mail, you would roll 1d20 and add 1 to your roll.  If that total equals 15 or more, you hit the Orc!

COMBAT

Any roll of Natural 20 yields special effects, and so does any roll of Natural 1.  The list below pertains to PCs.  Monsters and NPCs may have other special effects that are triggered by a roll of 20, or they may also use the list below.

CRITICAL HIT (ROLLED NAT 20)

20—Automatic Kill

19—Triple Damage (Dam +Bonus, then X3) + inflict permanent damage to victim's armor (victim's AC lowers by 1)

18—Triple Damage (Dam +Bonus, then X3) + chop/shatter one limb (roll on chart)

17—Triple Damage (Dam +Bonus, then X3) + knock weapon from opponent’s hand
16—Triple Damage (Dam+Bonus, then X3) + knock down victim, victim loses 1 round to stand

15—Triple Damage (Dam+Bonus, then X3)
14—Double Damage (Dam+Bonus, then X2) + inflict permanent damage to victim's armor (victim's AC lowers by 1)
13—Double Damage (Dam +Bonus, then X2) + chop/shatter one limb (roll on chart)

12—Double Damage (Dam +Bonus, then X2) +  knock weapon from opponent’s hand

11—Double Damage (Dam +Bonus, then X2) + knock down victim, victim loses 1 round to stand

10— Double Damage (Dam +Bonus, then X2)
9— Maximum Damage for attack used (plus all bonuses) + inflict permanent damage to victim's armor (victim's AC lowers by 1)
8— Maximum Damage for attack used (plus all bonuses) +  + chop/shatter one limb (roll on chart)

7—Maximum Damage for attack used (plus all bonuses) + Shatter opponent’s shield or weapon

6—Maximum Damage for attack used (plus all bonuses) + knock weapon from opponent’s hand

5—Maximum Damage for attack used (plus all bonuses)

4—Normal Damage + inflict permanent damage to victim's armor (victim's AC lowers by 1)

3—Normal Damage + chop/shatter one limb (roll on chart)

2—Normal Damage + Shatter opponent’s shield or weapon
1—Normal Damage + knock weapon from opponent’s hand

LIMB TABLE

 

6—Left hand-cannot wield weapon

5—Right hand-cannot wield weapon

4—Left elbow-cannot use shield or weapon

3—Right elbow-cannot use shield or weapon

2—Left shoulder-arm completely lost/ruined

1—Right shoulder–arm completely lost/ruined

FUMBLE TABLE (ROLLED A NAT 1)

6—Weapon stuck in wall, shield, etc takes 1d4 rounds to remove
5—Dropped weapon, draw new weapon or lose 1 round to retrieve
4—accidentally harm self for 1-2 HP
3—accidentally harm nearest ally for 1-2 HP
2—accidentally harm self for 1-4 HP + fall down; lose 1 round to regain feet
1—accidentally run into nearest ally, BOTH lose 1-4 HP and fall down; each lose 1 round to regain feet

I'm not 100% sure what this chart is going to be used for, but it seems like it should be useful.  Perhaps if someone gets hit by a sniper and we need to know where.

MASTER BODY TABLE

20—Head
19—Throat/Neck
17-18—Upper torso/Chest
15-16—Ribs/Stomach
14—Left Shoulder
13—Right Shoulder
12—Left Elbow
11—Right Elbow
10—Left Hand
09—Right Hand
07-08—Midsection/Waist
06—Left Thigh
05—Right Thigh
04—Left Knee
03—Right Knee
02—Left Foot
01—Right Foot

DEATH AND DYING CHART

When reduced to 0 HP or less, roll d20 and consult this chart.  A roll of 18-20 means the character wakes up in 1d4 rounds with 1d4HP.  A roll of 12-17 means the character wakes up in 2d4 rounds with 1d4HP.

20=KO.  Lucky you.

19=KO.  Gain faint but noticeable scar on your eyebrow or cheek.

18=KO.  Lose 1d4 teeth.

17=Lose a fingertip, thumb, or earlobe.  Could be worse.

16=Concussion.  All attacks and ability checks at -1 penalty until you rest for 1 week.

15=Broken collarbone or arm.  -3 penalty on all STR, DEX, CON checks until medical attention/magical healing is received.  Takes 1d4+6 weeks to heal.

14=Massive head wound.  Brain matter exposed.   INT permanently reduced by 2.

13=Lose an eye or limb.  DEX permanently reduced by 2.

12=Severe facial scars or disfigurement.  CHA permanently reduced by 2.

10-11=Bleeding out.   Roll 1d6+Con Bonus, you linger for this number of round and then you die.  Another character may attempt to stabilize you by staunching the wound (DC11) but you need immediate medical attention or magical healing.

8-9=You succumb to your injuries.  No medical or magical healing  can save you, but you get a dramatic death speech.

1-7=Disintegrated, immolated, masticated, impaled, or beheaded.  Death is instantaneous!

COMBAT MANEUVERS AVAILABLE TO ALL PLAYER CHARACTERS

These maneuvers are available to ALL Player Characters beginning at Level 1.

PARRY

Instead of attacking, act purely on defense.  Use your weapon only to block the enemy's attack.  Add 2 to your AC for this round.

SHIELDS

SHIELD BASH

Any character with a shield can try to do a Shield Bash instead of a normal attack.  Make a normal attack roll, success means the victim takes 1d3 damage.  A roll of 20 means the victim is also knocked down and loses 1 round climbing back to their feet.

SHIELD SACRIFICE

Any character with a shield may sacrifice their shield to prevent 1d4 HP of damage.  It works like this:  you get attacked, you are hit.  Your attacker rolls for damage.  You declare that you want to sacrifice your shield.  You then roll 1d4, subtract that from the Attacker's Damage to find the Damage you actually take.  This move shatters your shield beyond use, altering your AC until it is replaced.

EXAMPLE:  A fighter with a sword and shield battles an orc with a great axe.  The orc hits the fighter, rolls 6 Damage.  The fighter wants to sacrifice his shield and rolls a 3.  The orc's damage of 6-3=3 damage.  The fighter suffers only 3HP damage and loses his shield (lowering his AC by 1).

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING*

You can have a weapon in each hand.  Both must be One-Handed Weapons.  Plus, the weapon in you Off Hand must be the same size or smaller than the weapon in your Main Hand.

Two Weapon Fighting gives you a +2 to your Hit roll, in addition to your normal Attack Value.  IF you make a successful hit, you must roll another die to determine which weapon you struck with.  If you roll an Even number then you hit with your Main Hand Weapon; Odd numbers indicate your Off Hand Weapon.  Then you roll normal damage for that weapon.

You can have a weapon in both hands.  The weapon in your Off Hand must be smaller than the weapon in your Main Hand.  However, both weapons attack at a penalty.  Your Main Hand Weapon gets a -2 to Attack (Normal Damage).  Your Off Hand Weapon gets a -4 to Attack (Normal Damage).

For example:  You could have a Longsword in your Main Hand and attack at -2; and also a Short Sword in your Off Hand and attack at -4.

*  This is not really useful without the Extra Attack Combat Option below.  Without this Option, you can still only make 1 Attack per round.

IMPROVED COMBAT OPTIONS

When your Character has levelled up you have access to these improved options, no matter what your Character Class is.  Every time you reach a level where your Saving Throws Improve you may choose 1 of these Improvements.

You can get the same Option more than once (after you Level up).  Doing this further improves the ability.

CLEAVE

If you kill an enemy and have leftover damage, it can be carried over to another enemy that is within 5 feet of the original target.

If you take this Ability again, the Damage can carry over to a 3rd enemy, who is within 5 feet of the 2nd enemy, and so on.

EXTRA ATTACK

This Ability give one more attack per combat round.  This Ability does NOT allow you to cast multiple spells per round.

Only available 3 times, for a total of 4 attacks per round.

IMPROVED CRIT RANGE

Normally you have to roll a Natural 20 to roll on the Crit Chart.  This Ability increases your Crit Range so that a Natural 19 or 20 allows you to roll on the Crit Chart.  The third time you select this option makes your Crit Range 18-20.  Etc, etc.  

However, your Fumble range increases at the same rate.

IMPROVED PARRY

Every time you get this your Parry improves by +2.

IMPROVED SHIELD BASH

This increases your Damage and your Knockdown Range.  
One Rank= Dam 1d3x2, KO if you roll a 19-20.
Two Ranks= Dam 1d3x3, KO if you roll a 18-20.
Third Ranks= Dam 1d3x4, KO if you roll a 17-20.

Etc.

WEAPON EXPERTISE*

Choose 1 Weapon to grow skilled in and gain +2 to Dam and to Parry.  If you choose this Option a 2nd time, you can gain another +2 to Dam in Parry with that same weapon OR become more skilled with a new weapon.

*A Short Sword is weighted differently from a Longsword.  You would need this ability for each one seperately.  Same for Bows.  However, a Silver Dagger is just a regular Dagger with a Silver coating, so one rank in this Ability applies to both.