Supplementary Combat Rules

Introduction

This includes supplementary combat rules that are less often used in Drase. Including Traps, Underwater Combat and Crew Operated Weapons.

Underwater Combat

When a group of fighters find themselves underwater for whatever reason, some special rules applies.

While in waist-high water:

• All creatures gain resistance to fire damage, or negate a pre-existing fire vulnerability
• Any stacks of Burning are immediately removed. Creatures are immune to the Burning status effects.

While fully immersed in water:

• Creature incapable of swimming magically or naturally takes 1 malus to all kinds of melee attacks while fully.
• All ranged weapons cannot fire beyond their normal range, and all non-thrown weapons have their normal range halved.
• All fire vulnerabilities are negated and fire resistance is granted on top of that.

Drowning

You can hold your breath a number of rounds equal to your endurance modifier in combat, or an amount of minutes equal to your endurance modifier plus applicable careers when out of combat (minimum of 30 seconds).

After you run out of breath, you take a 2d6 damage for each round you've been out of breath.

A character is considered to have breathed if they move a single tile through a tile with breathable air during movement.

Traps Rules

Traps are damaging or impeding obstacles that might deal damage to players or GM. Traps can be employed on both player and GM’s sides, but are primarily intended to be visible to players. For players, traps provide an opportunity for players to even out the odds in circumstances that allow it.

GMs are expected to act as if their players do not know about the traps - while they will themselves hide any presence of undetected traps from the players.

Trap Detection Out of Combat

To detect a trap, a creature will roll 1d20 + Int Mod / Appropriate Career Bonus + Level Bonus, plus any applicable bonuses. A roll is only made if detecting the trap is possible, and unlike other rolls, it is possible for a GM to make such rolls silently on behalf of the player. In converse, given sufficient caution and lack of speed.

A trap without concealment or good concealment however, can be plain obvious (For example, one would be hard pressed to hide a trap in an empty desert), and thus automatically detected and visible on map. Such traps serve as a deterrent to player or creature movement.

The difficulty of detecting a trap follows the same difficulty chart as a normal difficulty chart.

Trap Detection in Combat

In combat, most people don’t really have time to search carefully for a trap. A simplified set of rules is used to determine whether a passively-triggered trap will be triggered:

• Passive traps (Those triggered by movement) can only be triggered by movement during the action phase. Traps are always triggered during the action resolution phase.
• Traps are always discovered if a creature ends its turn next to it. (I.e. If PC, GM inform them of the trap and its discovery, it can still be triggered if they willfully move over it)
• Traps are always triggered if a creature dashes over it.
• Traps cannot be triggered in the reaction phase, even by movement during it.
• During the reaction phase, a creature can choose to avoid a trap that was triggered by action other than dashing (In that case, they were too reckless to dodge it!) during the action resolution phase, rolling 1d20 + Finesse Modifier + Level Bonus against it, this takes up their reaction. Failure results in taking the trap’s effect during the reaction resolution phase.

Trap Usage Guide

Trap shouldn’t be used arbitrarily to tax player resources and hints should be provided that a place is trapped, and care taken to avoid incentivizing the player to “Search for Traps” or make any such false choice - in fact, in Drase’s context traps should be encouraged to be used mainly by players and occasionally present in field battles and work.

Types of Traps

Traps in Drase are simple - consisting of a few items that can be hidden, and a few items of magical origin. Some of the magic-based traps are command-based, and usually not hidden (very well), and instead rely on someone triggering them.

Traps can be constructed by creatures with the ability to manipulate tools. Each size above 1 reduces construction time by the same factor (Size 3 constructs things in ⅓ the time as a Size 1), and having a Power Mod above 3 reduces it by a multiplicative half.

Pitfall Traps

A hole in the ground.

• Trigger: A creature smaller or equal in size to the trap walking over it.
• Concealment: Branches, dirt, natural vegetation that block vision. If nothing block vision, it is obvious
• Construction: 4 hours of hand-digging per 1 tile of size 1 , 1 hour with a shovel.
• Effect: The creature loses all movement the next round.
• Addition: Spikes can be added to the bottom with appropriate material. A trou de loop with a spike would applies 5 * Creature Size damage.

Mantrap / Beartrap

A trap triggered by a creature’s foot moving over it, used to catch poachers or bears.

• Trigger: A creature smaller or equal in size to the trap walking over it.
• Concealment: Just hide it somewhere
• Construction: A steel bear trap forged by a blacksmith somewhere
• Effect:
  • A creature of size ½ or below becomes Rooted and must remove the trap using a full action.
  • A creature of size 1 or above becomes Slowed and takes 5 unavoidable damage every time they move. They must remove the trap using a full action.

Fougasse

A magically triggered trap, usually of an alchemical nature, consisting of a barrel or barrel shaped container with a magical rune, with a volatile alchemical mixture on the bottom, and fuel / deadly projectiles on top of it. By default, it is a ½ tile creation.

• Trigger: Manually triggered by casting a spell at the trap’s container directly. Any magical hit to the container will trigger the trap, including from AOE spells.
• Health: A Fougasse has 15 HP and 10 wayAC. Destruction of the fougasse leads to no harmful effects.
• Concealment: Whatever can be used to hide a barrel.
• Construction: A wooden barrel or appropriate container (including a pit) of at least 15 liters with cover, 100 sp of alchemical ingredients, and appropriate materials for effect.
• Requirement: Potion Brewing talent is required to construct any alchemical fougasse.
• Effect: Once triggered, a Fougasse deals one of the following effects in an area depending on what was chosen. Effects from overlapping fougasse of the same type doesn’t stack.:
  • Oil: 10 unavoidable Fire damage, and 2 stacks of Burning. Afflicts a 3 tiles wide, 5 tiles long area in front of the fougasse. Leaves behind Burning (Strong) surface effect for 3 rounds.. Requires 10 kilograms of oil or petroleum or ignitable liquid.
  • Poison: 10 unavoidable Poison damage, and 2 stacks of Poisoned. Afflicts a 5x5 sq around the fougasse. Leaves behind Poisoned (Strong) surface effect for 3 rounds.. Requires 10 kilograms of water mixed with sufficiently strong poison from plants such as wolfsbane.
  • Alchemical Smoke Powder: Heavy Obscuration in a 5x5 sq around the fougasse for 5 rounds. Requires 10 kilograms of an equal mixture of ash and flour.
  • Holy Blast: 10 unavoidable Holy damage, applies Illuminated. Afflicts a 5x5 sq around the fougasse. Leaves behind Hallowed (Strong) surface effect for 3 rounds. Requires 10 kilograms of potable water, mixed in with 50 sp of silver or gold, and must be made by a caster with Mastery 1 or above in Faith.
  • Foul Gas: 10 unavoidable Necrotic damage, applies Rot. Afflicts a 5x5 sq around the fougasse. Leaves behind Cursed (Strong) surface effect for 3 rounds. Requires 10 kilograms of potable water, mixed in with 2 kilograms of rotting flesh, and must be made by a caster with Mastery 1 or above in Necromancy.

Crew Operated Weapons & Fortifications

In the world of Drase there are different kinds of field fortifications and crew-operated weapons that they may encounter, and less frequently construct or use themselves. This section is split into field fortification - which players can sometime construct or participate in the construction of, and siege weapons. Any reasonable field fortifications that existed in the medieval age can be simulated by a GM if not present here, using the statistics provided here as a base.

Field Fortification

For fortification purposes, mounted also includes any creatures that must move on four legs.

• Caltrops
  • Effects: Creatures have their movement speed halved while passing through caltrops, or take 2 cut damage per tile traversed immediately unless they are wearing heavy armor. Mounts always take damage no matter what.
  • Construction: 10 caltrops per tile of ground covered. Half-action to scatter caltrops on one tile.
  • Removal: Full-action to collect caltrops from one tile
  • Description: Caltrops are usually metallic, three pronged spikes designed to stand upright no matter the direction they stand on.
• Cheval de Frise:
  • Effects: Mounted creatures cannot move across. This has 20 HP and is vulnerable to fire. Creature on foot can cross it as if it is difficult terrain (3)
  • Construction: Sufficient amount of wood to construct (40 kg), around 20 minutes to set up per tile.
  • Removal: 20 minutes to disassemble. Or just smash it apart.
  • Description: Known as the “Frisian Horses”, consisting of a simple log covered with projecting wooden spikes. They can be moved quickly.
• Implanted Spikes:
  • Effects: Mounted creatures cannot move across. This has 5 HP and is vulnerable to fire. Creatures on foot can cross it as if it doesn’t exist.
  • Construction: 5 wooden spikes sharpened - each 2 kg in weight, around 2 minutes to set up per tile.
  • Removal: 1 minute to pull out the spikes per tile.
  • Description: Hammered, sharpened wooden stake in the ground is the simplest and easiest fortification available against cavalry.
• Abatis:
  • Effects: Create a tree that is 2 - 6 tiles long (depending on the tree chosen), with the sharpened tops facing outward. The tree becomes difficult terrain (3) for people crossing it. Mounted creatures cannot cross.
  • Construction: Nearby trees and a heavily forested area, 3 minutes per tree. Laced with ropes or wire together with other trees in a similar abatis.
  • Removal: Can be burnt down or dragged apart slowly, but removal is tough and attacking the tree fruitless.
  • Description: Abatis are trees laid in a row usually interlaced or tied with wire. In a forested area it can be made very quickly and is a very durable area - even attack by fire will take a while to burn through, buying defenders valuable time.
• Ditch:
  • Effects: Reduce the height of the tile by one. A creature must climb in and out of it, and a mounted creature cannot move across unless capable of jumping across its length. Provides ¾ cover from ranged attack to creatures in a ditch against creatures out of the ditch.
  • Construction: 24 hours of digging by hand, divided by your power modifier. 6 hours of digging with a normal shovel. If the power modifier is 5 and you have an extra large shovel, 1 hour. Must be done on soft enough ground.
  • Removal: Reverse of construction method.
  • Description: A hole. The most basic fortification of mankind since prehistory.
• Mound:
  • Effects: Increase the height of a tile by one.
  • Construction: Opposite of a ditch, also can be created for free right next to a ditch or within 5 tiles - time can be added at GM discretion if the distance the dirt is transported is further away. Must be done on soft enough ground.
  • Removal: Reverse of construction method
  • Description: A bunch of piled up dirt. Also very basic fortification. Get the high ground.
• Improved Earthen Mound:
  • Effects: Allows a mound to give ¾ cover to anyone next to it.
  • Construction: 10 minutes of digging by hand or by shovel.
  • Removal: Reverse of construction method
  • Description: You see Ivan, if you make a small incision in the wall, you can shoot at the enemy without them shooting back at you, instead of blocking both ways.

Crew Operated Weapons

In the world of Drase, there are numerous large, non-man-portable weapons that are used by various state entities - and sometimes well funded bandits and nefarious actors. Players may encounter them and may sometimes even get to use them. Although their nominal market price is listed, acquiring them requires a player to be in contact with specialized engineers capable of constructing those devices, so they cannot be purchased, and the market price is only for reference.

Some of those weapons have the special cooperative loading trait - which allows for two humanoids of the same side to contribute to loading with their half-action, allowing it to be loaded quicker than expected.

Here are the description for the following weapons:

• Giant Crossbow: A typical giant crossbow, too large and awkward to be operated by a single person, often mounted on a pivot. Common and often made with composite prods. Highly efficient. Usually with an arbalest. Can be mounted on a cart.
• Scorpio: A torsion engine similar to the crossbow, with a more efficient way of drawing by pulling on levers - but also more mechanically complex and expensive. Can be mounted on a cart. Man portable. Only found in possession of advanced states.
• Firefly Ballista: Sometimes found on the side of fortification, these are torsion engines that are closest to the largest size practical for anti-personnel work. Can also represent a giant, efficient multi-prod crossbow as historically used by some East Asian states. Can be mounted on a cart. Not portable. Only found in possession of advanced states.
• Bucket Ballista: A giant crossbow or ballista that has been modified to throw out a large amount of small darts in an area, instead of a singular projectile.
• Spell Mast (Land): A gigantic pole pointing into the sky mounted on a wheeled mount or onto a ship, with a pair of eyes drawn on top of an arcane crystal - it is like a gargantuan focus staff. The spell mast allows for less skilled casters’ mana to be used by a more skilled mage, and more importantly extend the range of the spell. This one is mounted on a four-wheeled carriage.
• Spell Mast (Naval - Small): A spell mast integrated into the mast of a small ship with longer range than a land based version.
• Spell Mast (Naval - Medium): A spell mast integrated into the mast of a medium sized ship with longer range than a portable land based version.
• Spell Mast (Naval - Large): A spell mast towering at twenty meters tall, integrated into the mast of a large ship with extreme range.
• Mortar: A relatively standard mortar - unlike actual real life mortar, the mortar here utilizes a modified version of the air launch spell - projectiles are almost always alchemical in nature, consisting of a quicklime pot or such. The small mortar is relatively portable and powered by mana alone, and consists of a single wooden baseplate and a tube that is swiveled at your enemy’s general direction.
• Bombard: A giant mortar, with an overcast version of Air Launch crafted on the baseplate, a swivel, plus a tube to redirect the energy to throw it further than a hand cast version of the same spell. It launches pots.
• Naval Arcane Crossbow: A giant arcane crossbow on a swivel mount meant to be used to pick off enemy personnel in combat, with an enhanced range that allows it to be used to shoot at faraway personnel - though with dubious accuracy. Designed to be loaded by multiple personnel at once unlike a handheld Arcane Crossbow, increasing its rate of fire with a large amount of unskilled crew.
• Naval Arcane Crossbow (Firestarter): A giant Arcane Crossbow modified from a normal one, designed to start fire on enemy vessel - part of the crossbow’s construction is replaced with steel or mithril to ensure it does not ignite itself, while the bolt itself has a small spell attached to it to ignite anything it hits. Though not very efficient at starting a fire that cannot be put out quickly - the crossbow is highly valued for its ability to start a fire at a long, safe distance.
• Naval Arcane Crossbow (Spellslinger): A giant Arcane Crossbow, designed specifically to deliver a spell at range others can only dream of. It consists of a normal Arcane Crossbow, with a single hand-sized rune in a slot next to the swivel mount - the user is meant to press one hand on the rune, while using the other to aim the crossbow, an awkward maneuver. Then, right before firing, the user connects with the crossbow and imbues the spell into the bolt which is then shot out at the enemy’s way. This is not dissimilar to how spellblades imbue their own arrows with spells - but the range is much longer, and the bolt itself remains lethal and effective. In addition, a mage can quickly learn and utilize the crossbow to deliver their spell without specialized training a spell slinging archer must undertake.

Special Traits:

Special Named Traits for the weapons.

• Pot Mortar: This is a large mortar meant to air launch a throwable pot at a distance unachievable by hand. The weapon consumes throwable pots as ammunition. The weapon is inaccurate. When fired, roll a 1d4 and adjust the landing spot forward by that number.
• Firestarter: On impact, ignites anything ignitable at its point of impact.
• Spellslinger: While using this weapon, the user can cast an attack spell at the same time. The spell and the arrow use the same attack roll - taking that of the arrow. The spell’s range is extended to that of the weapon.
• Size: This crew-operated weapon occupies more than one tile. Dimension is in brackets.
• Spell Mast: This is a spell mast, a long device meant to extend the range of a spell and allow concentration of magic. At its base are chains that can be locked into the user's hands if they are next to it. One user controls the spell mast, and replaces their eyesight with that of the mast - consisting of a crystal with eyes drawn on it at the top of the mast, and has 360 degrees vision at the top of the mast. The user may cast spells that have a range at or above 1 from the mast, and the spell’s range is extended to the first number in the bracket. The second number denotes the maximum amount of mage that can be chained to the spell mast - if a spell is cast by the user, a chained mage’s mana is depleted first before the user’s mana is depleted. The mast can be used to cast any spell the user is capable of.

Name	Cost	Damage	Type	Weight	Properties
Spell Mast (Land)	5000	None	None	100 kg	Size (2 x 2 x 4), Spell Mast (100, 2)
Spell Mast (Naval - Small)	15000	None	None	500 kg	Size (3 x 3 x 6), Spell Mast (200, 4)
Spell Mast (Naval - Medium)	30000	None	None	1500 kg	Size (3 x 3 x 8), Spell Mast (300, 8)
Spell Mast (Naval - Large)	50000	None	None	3000 kg	Size (3 x 3 x 10), Spell Mast (400, 16)
Mortar	4000	None	None	15 kg	Ranged (30 / 60), Loading (1)
Bombard	10000	None	None	150 kg	Ranged (60 / 120), Loading (1), Size (2x2)
Giant Crossbow	2000	3d10 vs END	Pierce	12 kg	Ranged (60 / 240), Loading (2), sundering, variable (cut)
Naval Arcane Crossbow	5000	3d10 + 2 x Mod (Special modifier multiplied by 2) vs END	Pierce	30 kg	Ranged (100 / 300), Cooperative Loading (2), Sundering, Variable (Cut), Mana-Weapon (1), Cover Piercer, Magic-Scaling
Naval Arcane Crossbow (Firestarter)	15000	3d10 + 2 x Mod (Special modifier multiplied by 2) vs END	Pierce	50 kg	Ranged (100 / 300), Cooperative Loading (2), Sundering, Variable (Cut), Mana-Weapon (1), Cover Piercer, Magic-Scaling, Firestarter
Naval Arcane Crossbow (Spellslinger)	25000	3d10 + 2 x Mod (Special modifier multiplied by 2) vs END	Pierce	60 kg	Ranged (100 / 300), Cooperative Loading (2), Sundering, Variable (Cut), Mana-Weapon (1), Cover Piercer, Magic-Scaling, Spellslinger
Scorpio	5000	3d10 vs END	Pierce	12 kg	Ranged (60 / 240), Loading (1), Sundering, Variable (Cut)
Firefly Ballista	15000	5d10 vs END	Pierce	100 kg	Ranged (120 / 360), Cooperative Loading (4), Sundering, Variable (Cut)
Bucket Ballista	15000	2d10 vs 3 x 3 square area	Pierce	100 kg	Ranged (30 / 120), Cooperative Loading (4), Variable (Cut)

Other Special Weapons

Other than long ranged, crew-operated weapons, players may occasionally encounter other weapons, most often in the course of a siege. This list provides a method for calculating the damage of those weapons.

• Rock
  • A rock, somewhere between 5 - 20 kg, has been dropped on top of someone from above. Damage is calculated as follow:
    • 1 tile of fall: 1d10 blunt damage, applied to the first two person hit. Is an attack roll.
    • 2 tiles of fall: 2d10 blunt damage, applied to the first three person hit. Is an attack roll.
    • 4 tiles of fall: 4d10 blunt damage, applied to the first four person hit. Is an attack roll.
• Cauldron
  • Pouring boiling water, sand or oil onto someone from above can be exceptionally deadly and painful. Damage is calculated as follow:
    • 2d10 Fire Damage to anyone hit by the projectile, as determined by the GM. Unavoidable as long as you are on the path.
• Quicklime
  • Quicklime, known as calcium oxide, is widely produced, easily available, and burns skin on contact. Damage is calculated as follow:
    • 1d10 Acid Damage to anyone hit by the projectile, can be 1x1 tile or up to 7x7 tile depending per kilograms of quicklime (1 pound minimum) dropped or thrown onto you. Character gains the Blinded status effect for 3 rounds. Unavoidable as long as you are on the path.