Here are the revised
spirit combat rules. I think we're near
the final version for now.
1. A spirit that is still on the spirit plane or
is being released from a bound item must take 1 round to materialize before it
can attack. Spirits that are already
materialized (e.g. some ghosts haunting areas, etc.) do not need to do so. A single target may be engaged by as many as
its (POW/3) spirits at once. Declaration
in spirit combat proceeds by DEX; spirits that have no DEX declare last,
simultaneously with other spirits.
2. You may not cast
a spell during SR1 when you are Attacking or
Evading. Concentration rolls (INTx3%)
are always required if spirit combat is engaged that round even if
spells are cast after SR1. Spellcasting
when attack or evade options are used still requires 3 SR penalty, so casting
begins on SR (1+3+DEX SRM) and ends on (+ MP used) SR. If you are being attacked on SR1 while you
are casting a spell but are not attacking or evading, you still must make a
concentration roll. Once combat is
engaged, opponents may only disengage if they have special spirit abilities
(rare), choose to try to escape (see below under attack choices), are allowed
to leave by mutual consent, or have 10 more MPs than their opponent. All of these limitations apply to spirits as
well as corporeal entities.
3. On the first
round of spirit combat, if an attacker rolls less than its Summon skill AND its
attack chance it may use one choice to Repel the opponent that round,
disengaging from spirit combat (without another MPvsMP roll or action).
However, the opponent still gets its attack that round, and if the opponent's
attack succeeds and is below its Summon skill it denies the Repel. The Repeler
may use multiple levels of success to cancel out opposition to the Repel, or do
damage. If Repel succeeds, both sides would be able to cast spells that round
without concentration rolls. In following rounds, Repel could be attempted
again. Repel does not need to be declared; it is an automatic benefit of having
Summon skill and entering the initial phase of spirit combat engagement.
4. A combatant must
take an action to attack in spirit combat.
He may also choose to Evade using his Ceremony skill (if any), taking an
action. This works like a combat dodge to
reduce the levels of success of the attacker.
If the levels match, however, the victim still takes 1MP loss.
5. Attacking in
spirit combat matches the offensive MPs of the attacker vs. the defensive MPs
of the defender. Attacks by both
participants are simultaneous. After
SR1+ delay of 3 = 4, any spirit combat participant may take actions as usual,
but note that a Evade or Attack roll each counts as
one of the 2 possible combat actions in a round. To cast magics during a round in which you
previously used spirit combat, you must make a concentration roll (INTx3%) or
fail the spellcasting.
A success gets 1
choice; special 2 choices; critical 3 choices from
the list below.
Evade levels of success subtract from these choices.
If the defender's
evade success is equal to the attacker's success,
then the defender only loses 1MP. If the attacker fails, nothing
happens. A
fumble by the attacker allows the defender to make 1
choice against the attacker immediately; a fumbled
evade adds 1 choice
to the attacker's current attack.
Choices:
1. Victim loses 1d3
MP (or statistic pts in some rare cases; may only be chosen once)
2. Maximum MP loss
(only relevant if #1 picked)
3. Roll MP vs. MP to
withdraw from combat (if chosen twice, may immediately disengage)
4. Victim stunned for
1 round (may be chosen multiple times)
5. Victim loses 1 MP
(may be chosen with other options)
6. One-half of any
helpers must roll Ceremony or be forced out of trance (may be chosen twice to
affect all helpers)
7. Learn exact
current MP of opponent or learn all spirit-combat related magics on the
opponent (may be chosen twice)
8. Victim rolls
DEXx5% or falls/drops item (applied to one chosen limb per choice taken)
9. Victim blurts out
something that is on its mind, as appropriate (if chosen multiple times, will
be more revealing).
10. Victim loses one
sense of attacker's choice until it makes a POWx5% roll (may be chosen multiple
times). Roll at end of that same round
to recover. Not MPx5%, but POWx5% to
recover.
11. Remove 1pt
Spirit Screen per choice used; acts like Dispel Magic (must equal SS pts or no
effect)
12. Victim must make
a relevant trait roll or take 1d3 extra MP loss (only
as role-playing appropriate for attacker+defender)
13. Stunning,
effective immediately until end of SR 1 of next round (may declare actions next
round normally):
1 choice: mentally
dazed; may not act in spirit combat, speak, or do spell casting; may act
physically as usual.
2 choice: badly
disoriented and weakened; previous plus may not move; only 1 physical action
(attack/dodge/parry).
3 choices:
completely stunned; no actions (but no one gets bonus to hit target;
target is convulsing unpredictably).
The following
choices count as 2 choices, not 1:
1. Attacker gains MP
lost from victim (cannot rise above POWx2;
extra MPs lost gradually but do add to spirit
combat)
2. Attacker adds own
MPs to MPs lost by victim; max (POW/3) MP.
3. Take 1 choice
against victim, and roll one attack (may be Evaded) against helper of choice;
helper must roll INTx3% or be cast out of trance, and is automatically cast out
if attack roll is below attacker's Summon skill.
4. Inflict 1d3
disruption physical damage on the victim.
5. Cast any spirit
magic spell known on the victim that round with no MP vs MP roll.
6. Attacker may
switch to one of opponent's helpers next round (must engage so can be Repeled;
other helpers can switch trance to assist freely)
If the attacker has
10+ offensive MPs more than the defender's defensive MPs, it may possess the
victim, force it into a binding enchantment, or dispel it back to the Spirit
Plane. Once dispelled, a spirit may only
return if it is summoned, except in some rare cases of hauntings.
If the defender has
10+ defensive MPs more than the attacker's offensive MPs, it may freely
disengage or just ignore the attacker, or continue attacking to reduce the
defender's MPs. Only in extremely rare
cases would anyone with 10 less MPs than the attacker/defender have any chance
to effect them; once your chance of success reaches 0%
you are out of luck. Disengaging is then
impossible unless the attacker lets you go.
Spirit combat
participants do not know each other's MPs but do know if they are 10+ greater
in offense/defense the round after they reach that point, and may react after
SR1 of that round (may impose 3SR penalty for changing intent if
unexpected). i.e.
if you have 15 MP and lower a spirit from 7 to 5 MP on SR1, next round on SR1
you know that and may dispel it, bind it, etc.
You may declare for that round "if it is 10MP below me then I will
use my combat action to dispel/possess/bind it; if not I will attack etc."
Finally, on helping
others: Any number of people may assist someone in
spirit combat being in contact with them (or
someone else already in
trance) and spending a round entering a trance via
Ceremony (and
spending 1MP). The MP is only spent on success or
fumble. If they
enter the trance, than the next round and as long
as they concentrate
afterwards they add one person to the assistance score
(see below). A
special counts as two people and a crit as 4. The
effect of this is to
add to the assisted person's defensive MPs
(even beyond their POW). The
number added is:
# "people"
assisting: 1 2-3 4-7 8-15 16-31 ...
MP bonus +1 +2 +3 +4
+5 ...
1MP is used on any
success, including critical.
Chanting to assist
spirit combatants takes all actions in every round and takes effect on the
following round. If the chanter is
injured, effected by an offensive spell, move quickly, etc. during any round,
they must make a concentration roll (INTx3%) to remain in the trance. They may only walk slowly when in the trance;
no grabbing items, taking combat actions, spellcasting, etc. without leaving
the trance. They do not need to reroll
once they succeed, unless they leave the trance and try to re-enter.