1d6 tactical combat

on how to make combat have lots of choices with the simplest mechanics I can come up with. This is all so "in the air" yet, so these are just guidelines. I'm not claiming to have invented anything here or anything, I'm just taking a coffee and improvising to see how complex can one make combat from simple rules.

1. Both combatants roll 1d6 against each other, the highest one deals difference in damage to the other. Armor (+2 being rare and +3 monster-only) substracts damage after that. Probably hp for everyone should not ever be higher than 4 or 5 in order to make this not too endless. By the nature of this mechanics, commonly attacks among equal combatants will deal 0 to 2 damage; more being very weird chances. This makes up for tactics #1: Lots of times to look how the battle is going and ponder: when to run and when to keep on fighting?

2. Unless having an obvious ambush/surprise, there are no initiative rolls. So this makes up for the next point: ambush always. Attacking an unaware opponent let's you deal your damage straight. Having 5 HP as the total maximum means that you can potentially kill anyone with a lucky strike (not a cigarette)

3. Strenght modifier or equivalent adds to melee rolls. A little difference of strenght can make a great difference in combat, so if you're engaging an opponent who is visibly stronger than you, you better have a different advantage in mind.

4. Fighter class/feat/whatever can re-roll after they've seen their opponent's result; but only a determined number of times per day or combat; probably taken from their level or wisdom mod. This leaves in the hands of the player when to do it. The lowest the opponent's result, the higher chance of dealing a fatal blow. You can also potentially drive away a fatal blow directed at yourself. To even this, of course, monsters with trained fighting skills should have this ability on occassions. If this ability looks too small, we can alternativelly change to "add their roll" instead of just re-rolling.

5. Two persons engaging in combat with a third roll separately and keep the better result. Should the third person win, s/he deals the damage to any combatant s/he chooses.

6. Thieves (or anybody who has a nice dex and wants to take this chance, IDK) can just try to dodge a hit after the results have been shown. This is a binary check: either dodge or not, against their dex or whatever. If they pass, they can flee or attempt an action, no harm received. If they fail, they receive full damage. Having a shield or similar gives you the bonus here; but armor penalizes it. If you have to fight a swordsman and you're bare-handed, you HAVE to dodge first or think a way around this (maybe taking a tavern stool and hurling it at the guy, in which case we get into the next point:)

7. Ranged combat is modelled after all this premise, so let's see how well we can adapt it and still make sense: Roll 1d6 when you fire an arrow: that's the damage you deal; but on a 5 or a 6, you miss the shot. Dexterity adds to damage if dealt, or str if we're talking about the tavern stool from the previous point. Having expertise/being a fighter/ranger/or whatever still let's you re-roll as in melee attacks. On the improbable case of a duel, only the highest damage is dealt; as is considered to be also the one who shot first.

8. Magic works just like melee combat, but adding CHA instead of str, opponent rolls + CHA to resist it. On 0 hp, the opponent starts feeling drowsy, is charmed, whatever. Bypasses armor. Offensive spells work like ranged combat.


I don't know if I'll make something out of all this or not; but I'll leave it here in case I do. All thoughts on this are welcome!

1d6 osr ultra lite + small dungeon

All rolls are made with 1d6; max level on any class is 4.

All weapons do d6 damage, you don't roll to hit, armor reduces damage.

Start with d6 hp, every rest re-roll and take the highest amount.

* fighter: you get +lvl damage and hp, chance of hitting first (if your enemy has the initiative) or number of targets you can hit on a single strike

* thief: +level chance to nimble stunts; +level uses/day of ninja tricks (log decoy, hidden weapons, perfect camouflage, a shadow double and smoke bombs)

* mage: 1+level chance in 6 of perceiving auras/scrying/casting, and lvl spells:

1. bless (mend things, bar a place, +d6 hp, +1 armor or damage, hide somone),

2. summon (Can be physical or an ethereal force; will perform an minor act or deal d6 damage and go on it's own way. Choose one: can perform greater magic; has a useful ability or you retain control after the summon (so you can banish it without effort or ask for another favor)

3. tame (roll a d6 and match target's HP: on a success, its confused, charmed or asleep. Else, deal that amount of weariness damage),

4. morph. (you get an alternate shape: it can be animal, plant-like, gaseous, monstruous or other. In this shape you get a weird related ability or +d6 temporal hp; OR you can choose to be a monster, who can morph as a human *o*)

Spells drain 1 hp; 3 on a failure. Reaching 0 HP might give the magical forces control over you.

All non-covered checks:

1 in 6 chance for difficult things

4 in 6 chance for common stunts or anything covered by your background 

1. noble/knight

2. woodsman

3. bard

4. investigator

5. doctor

6. crafter/artificer

Duplicate results: 7. MONSTER

(You can roll to see if a specific background - related object is in your person)

Awesome art by Bob Pepper

* roll 1d6 for each dungeon encounter and start counting from the Gold Square. Then, you count from the last result that came up. 

* If something seems too easy, roll again and add the result to the situation. If something feels played out, cross it and do not count it in further exploration.

* The first time victory comes up, it's a magical artifact. The second, it means that there is no more dungeon to explore.

*What exactly the rest of the squares mean is up to you.

*Alternativelly, print this image and cut through the black lines. Shuffle the 12 resulting cards and use them as random encounters. After the game, you'll also have lots of pretty cards lying around, and can even gift them to your players. You'll never be sorry to print something so badass.

EDIT: You can also check the french version of this game! courtesy of Bruno Bord.