The Keep on the Borderlands: The Webcomic

The players should describe what they would like for their character to do without limiting themselves to this list of maneuvers. However, most actions a Player will take is likely to fall within these categories. These Combat Maneuvers are ruling on actions any character may make, but also are Maneuvers with bonuses to their outcome because they are gained at particular levels with particular classes. This list is not comprehensive, but should provide some baseline for a Dungeon Master to provide their own rulings for when their Players are pulling shit.

The actions that are covered from the simpler versions of my fighting rules are:
Fire a Missile Weapon, bows and crossbows, but including any thrown weapons as well, such as daggers and rocks.
Attack with a Melee Weapon, swords and stones, knives and halberds, etc.
Move, positioning yourself during the course of a battle
Opportunity Fire, Firing a Missile Weapon as a substitute for moving, allowing for a second missile attack in a round
Cast a Spell, Miracles or magics, wands or staves, all magical effects are covered here.

What follows here are additional and alternative options PCs have in a fight. These maneuvers have to be declared at the beginning of the round at the same time a PC would normally declare any action.

Deflect
This is an ability that is gained with Weapon Mastery. If you have high enough skill with the right weapon, your weapon Mastery will include a listing for the Deflect skill with a number in parenthesis next to it. The number in parenthesis indicates the number of attacks you can deflect with your weapon in addition to the number of attacks you are allowed. These deflected attacks can be melee or thrown weapon attacks, but not ranged weapon attacks. i.e. you can deflect a thrown dagger, but not a crossbow bolt. These deflections are made with a successful save vs. Death Ray.

Delay
This is an ability that is gained with Weapon Mastery. If you have the right weapon at a high enough skill level, there will be an entry for Delay next to it. The delay ability means that the victim hit by this weapon must make a saving throw vs. Paralysis or lose initiative the next round. For missile attacks, this effect occurs only at the indicated ranges.

Disarm
This is an ability that is gained with Weapon Mastery. With the right weapon and a high enough level, the wielder of this weapon may attempt to disarm an opponent instead of making a normal attack. The attacker must roll to hit the target. The victim can save his weapon by making a successful Dexterity check. ( The DM should determine Dexterity scores for NPCs and monsters or else assume a Dexterity score of 11. ) For each level of mastery the attacker has gained beyond basic, the victim suffers a +1 penalty to their Dexterity check roll.

Entangle
This is an ability that is gained with whips and nets and is improved upon with Weapon Mastery. An entangled victim cannot attack, cast spells, or move. The victim may make a saving throw vs. death ray each round to escape.

Fighting Withdraw
A character can only perform this maneuver when he begins his combat round in hand-to-hand combat with an enemy. With this maneuver, the character backs away from his enemy at a rate of 5′ per round. He makes no attack unless his enemies follow him later in the same combat round, on the enemies’ own movement phase. If they do, he can make his attack at the end of the enemies’ movement phase, before the enemies begin their own attacks. The character’s attack is the same as a normal attack. If he is not in hand-to-hand combat with his enemy when his movement phase comes around in the next round, he can go to running speed that next round.

Hook
This is a maneuver gained with Weapon Mastery. Instead of making a normal attack, the wielder of a weapon with Hook on the Mastery Chart may attempt to hook and pull down a foe. With a successful hit when attempting the hook maneuver, the weapon causes the minimum damage possible and the victim must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or fall down. A +4 bonus to attack rolls applies when attacking a fallen foe. A fallen foe also has a -4 penalty to all saving throws and a -2 penalty to attack rolls while on the ground. A character can stand up in one round.

Lance Attack
If a character is riding a steed, he can use a lance attack. The mount needs 20 yards of charging room. And the weapon needs to be appropriate to the task. Daggers aren’t going to work. If it hits, the weapon will do double damage. The attack can only be made with the first attack of the round if the attacker has multiple attacks.

Multiple Attacks
At high levels, fighters gain the ability to attack more than once in a round. The bonus attack is not a multiple. So if a character has two attacks because he is dual wielding, the extra attack can be applied to either weapon. Using other combat maneuvers precludes making multiple attacks. i.e. you cannot Smash with one attack and then Parry with the other.

Parry
This maneuver is gained by fighters at 9th level. If this maneuver is declared, then the character makes no attacks and instead attempts to block all incoming attacks. All enemies attacking him have a -4 penalty to hit with melee weapons.

Retreat
This is the maneuver used a character is bailing out of hand-to-hand combat situation. The character runs away from half to full speed away from his attacker. The character forfeits the defense of his shield if he has one equipped. The attacker has a +2 to hit during the retreat round as well. If at the beginning at the next round, if not in hand-to-hand, the character the go to full running speed an try to save his miserable life.

Set vs. Charge
This maneuver is gained with the fighter class and with Weapon Mastery with an appropriate weapon. If the wielder is aware of a charging enemy, they may set their weapon against the charge. This will be a single attack as the charging enemy passes within the weapon’s melee range. If the attack hits against the charging foe, then the damage will be doubled.

Shield Parry
This maneuver is when you have a shield and all you do is hide behind it and block every possible attack with it. You gain a -2 bonus to armor class beyond the normal AC bonus the shield affords. All attacks will roll for damage and apply to the shield’s hit points.

Skewer
This is a maneuver gained with Weapon Mastery. The weapon chart will indicate the minimum Hit Dice that this skill can be applied to. If the target is weak enough, then the wielder can choose to skewer him instead strike normally. With a successful skewering, the weapon gets stuck for 1d4+4 rounds, after which, it will become dislodged. Each round the weapon is stuck the victim automatically takes 1d6 hit points of damage. If the pain rules are used, a wound is automatic and the additional hit points taken are automatically applied to the wound.

Smash
This maneuver is gained by fighters at 9th level. This is a huge, slow, powerful haymaker of a swing. The attacker automatically looses initiative and takes a -5 to hit. With a successful hit, the attacker adds his entire Strength score to the hit point damage for the attack. Critical hit and critical fumble roll effects still apply. For example, Napoleon has a Strength of 18, if he was to make a successful smash roll with a club, he would roll 1d6 + 18 for damage.

Strangle
This is a maneuver gained with Weapon Mastery. With the appropriate weapon, if the attacker makes an attack roll of the numbers indicated, the victim must make a saving throw vs. Death Ray or become immediately paralyzed and die according to asphyxiation rules unless rescued. If the Death Ray save is made then the victim remains incapacitated as they untangle themselves for 2d6 rounds.

Stun
This is a maneuver gained with Weapon Mastery. If the victim is the same size category or smaller, he will have to make a save vs. Death Ray or be stunned. A stunned character moved at 1/3 speed and cannot attack or cast spells, has a +2 Armour Class penalty and a -2 saving throw penalty. For each round afterwards, another Death Ray save is made to see if the effects of the Stun are removed.

Unarmed Combat

These rules take a bit of a forked path away from the usual fighting rules. The wresting rules are done this way because it can be argued that where a PC may not be able to hit and do damage to an opponent, he very well may be able to pin him to the ground. The Striking rules are written to emulate a cinematic style of action where people being punched can be stunned and overcome without causing mortal damage.

Striking
These rules are applicable in a situation where a human or humanoid attacker is using their fists and feet to attack an opponent that is also humanoid. If an attacker is using their fists against a monster (or undead), the K/O and Stun rules are not to be applied and only the hit point damage is the effecting the victim.

When declaring attacks, the attacker announces that he will be using an unarmed strike and then proceeds with the usual initiative and to-hit rolls. If the strike hits, the default damage is 0 hit points, plus any bonuses to strength. The victim makes a constitution check, if failed, the victim is stunned for 1 round. The stunned victim also makes a Save vs Death Ray with a +4 bonus to see if they are knocked out. If K/Oed, it lasts for 1d20 – {victim’s Constitution Score} number of rounds.

This one round stun has the same effects as the stun listed above. The K/O is simply a short sleep that has no other long lasting effects.

Boxing Weapon Mastery

Skill Level	Damage	Defense	Special Effects
Basic	1 point	—	Stun, Knockout
Skilled	1d3	—	Stun, Knockout
Expert	1d4+1	—	No off-hand penalty; Stun, K/O (save-1)
Master	P: 2d4, S:1d4+1	—	No off-hand penalty; Stun, K/O (save-3)
Grand Master	P:3d4, S:2d4+1	—	No off-hand penalty; Stun, K/O (save-5)

I’m also including several different martial arts taken directly from the Cyclopedic Compenduim by Cab Davison. I will find a way to work them into my games somehow. Maybe a character will work to develop their skills.

The Way of the Stone

Skill Level	Damage	Defense	Special Effects
Basic	1 point	A: -1AC (1)	Delay
Skilled	1d2	A: -3AC (2)	Delay (Save-1), Deflect (1)
Expert	P:1d4, S:1d3	A: -4AC (3)	Delay (Save-2), Deflect (2)
Master	P:1d4+1, S:1d3+1	A: -6AC (4)	Delay (Save-2), Deflect (3)
Grand Master	P:1d4+2, S:1d3+2	A: -8AC (5)	Delay (Save -3), Deflect (4)

The Gale Wind Path

Skill Level	Damage	Defense	Special Effects
Basic	1d2	H: -1AC (1)	Disarm
Skilled	1d4	H: -2AC (1)	Disarm (Save-1), Hook
Expert	P:1d6, S:1d5	H:-3AC (2)	Disarm (Save-2), Hook (Save -1)
Master	P:1d8+3, S:1d6+3	H:-4AC (3)	Disarm (Save-3), Hook (Save -2)
Grand Master	P:1d10+3, S:1d8+3	H:-4AC (4)	Disarm (Save-4), Hook (Save -3)

Flow like Water

Skill Level	Damage	Defense	Special Effects
Basic	1d2	M: -1AC (1)	Individual Initiative +1
Skilled	1d3	M: -2AC (1)	Individual Initiative +1, No Offhand Penalty
Expert	P:1d6, S:1d4+1	M: -3AC (2)	Individual Initiative +2, No Offhand Penalty
Master	P:1d6+3, S:1d6	M: -4AC (3)	Individual Initiative +3, No Offhand Penalty
Grand Master	P:1d6+6, S:1d5+3	M: -4AC (4)	Individual Initiative +4, No Offhand Penalty

The Flame and the Fury

Skill Level	Damage	Defense	Special Effects
Basic	1d3	H: -1AC (1)	Stun
Skilled	1d6	H: -1AC (1)	Stun (Save-1), Double Damage (20)
Expert	P:1d8+2, S:1d6+2	H: -2AC (2)	Stun (Save -2), Double Damage (19-20)
Master	P:1d10+2, S: 1d8+2	H: -2AC (3)	Stun (Save-3), Double Damage (18-20)
Grand Master	P:1d10+4, S: 1d8+4	H:-3AC (3)	Stun (Save-4), Double Damage (17-20)

Dim Mak: The Way of Death

Skill Level	Damage	Defense	Special Effects
Basic	1d2	A: -1AC (1)	KO
Skilled	1d6	A: -2AC (2)	KO (Save-1), -1 Strength
Expert	P: 1d8, S: 1d6	A: -2AC (2)	KO (Save-2), -2 Strength (Save -1)
Master	P: 1d10, S: 1d8	A: -3AC (3)	KO (Save -3), -3 Strength (Save -2)
Grand Master	P:1d12, S: 1d10	A: -4AC (4)	KO (Save -4), -4 Strength (Save -3)

Grappling – grabby and breaky to follow