Table of Contents (Combat and Tactics)

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons®

Player’s Option™:

Combat & Tactics

Table of Contents

Chapter One:

Player’s Option™ Combat System

Does This Belong in My Campaign?

Figures and Facing

Switching Scale

The Combat Round

Combat Rounds and Game Time

Spell Durations

Unusual Monsters and Threatening

Attacks of Opportunity

Exceptional Abilities and Movement

Simplified Encumbrance

Opening the Battle

Encounter Distance

The Five Basic Steps of Every Combat Round

Step One: Monster Action Determination

Step Two: Player Action Declaration

Step Three: Initiative

Step Four: Resolution of Actions

Step Five: End of Round Resolution

The Initiative Roll

Base Initiative

Critical Events

Combat Actions and Movement

No-Move Actions

Half-Move Actions

Full-move Actions

Movement and Initiative

Combat Movement on the Battle Map

Moving Through Other Figures in Combat

Choosing an Action

Fire/Throw Missiles

Use A Magical Item

Ending the Combat Round

Keeping Track of Fatigue

Effects of Fatigue

Recovering from Fatigue

Effects of Force Marching on Fatigue

Informal Morale Checks

Formal Morale Checks

Failing a Morale Check

Special Combat Conditions

Standard and Optional AD&D Rules

Movement and Footing

Cover and Concealment

Rear or Flank Attacks

Sitting, Kneeling, and Lying Prone

Damage and Dying

Weapon Type vs. Armor Type

Firing Into a Melee

Additional Rules

Example of Combat

Chapter Two:

Combat Options

Does This Belong in My Campaign?

Versus Missiles

Archery from Horseback

The Opposed Roll

Special Weapon Maneuver

Fighting Styles

Two-handed Weapon

Size and Two-handed Weapons

One or Two-handed Weapons

One-handed Weapons used Two-handed

Weapon and Shield

Missile or Thrown Weapon

Multiple Loaded Weapons

Weapon-Specific Styles

What’s A Duel?

The Dueling Plot

Attacking in the Right Spot

Reading an Opponent’s Move

Moving the Figures

Choice of Defense

Choice of Attack

Chapter Three: The Battlefield

Does This Belong in My Campaign?

The Four Basic Battlefields

Dungeons or Caves

Town or Building

Castles or Fortifications

Battlefield Characteristics

Encounter Range

Cover and Concealment

Unusual Materials or Hazards

Fields or Farmland

Forest, Heavy or Jungle

Generating a Battlefield

Step One: Scale

Step Two: Topography

Slopes and Escarpments

Step Three: Ground Cover and Water

Step Four: Obstacles

Step Five: Putting It All Together

Fighting in Unusual Conditions

Limited Visibility

Moonlight or Moderate Fog or Rain

Starlight or Dense Fog or Heavy Rain

Weapon Restrictions

Fighting Underwater Monsters From the Surface

Fighting Flying Creatures

Attacks from Below

Attacks from Above

Unseating a Rider

Combat on Other Planes

Ethereal Combat

The Effects of Magic on the Battlefield

Chapter Four: Weapon Specialization & Mastery

Weapon Proficiencies

Intelligence and Proficiencies

Proficiencies and the Weapon Groups

Specialization and Weapon Groups

Character Classes and Weapon Proficiencies

Kits and Barred Weapons

Shield Proficiency

Armor Proficiency

Missile Weapons

Effects of Mastery

Special DM Note

Fighting Style Specializations

Weapon and Shield Style

One-handed Weapon Style

Two-handed Weapon Style

TwoWeapon Style

Missile or Thrown Weapon Style

Local Fighting Styles

Special Talents

Chapter Five:

Unarmed Combat

Does This Belong in My Campaign?

Brawling Attacks Against Armed Opponents

Temporary Damage

Pummeling Procedures

Pummeling Skill Levels

An Example of Pummeling

Special Pummeling Maneuvers

Wrestling Procedures

Previously Established Holds and Locks

Wrestler Versus Wrestler

Wrestling Skill Levels

An Example of Wrestling

Overbearing Procedures

Effects of Pins

Maintaining and Breaking Pins

Overbearing Skill Levels

An Example of Overbearing

Attack Options and Unarmed Attacks

Subdual Attacks

An Example of Subduing

Martial Arts Procedures

Martial Arts Skill Levels

Martial Arts Weapons

An Example of Martial Arts Combat

Martial Arts Talents

Chapter Six:

Critical Hits

Does This Belong in My Campaign?

Critical Hits: System I

Critical Hits: System II

Critical Hit Charts

Reading the Critical Hit Tables

Specific Injuries

Critical Hit Effects

Critical Hit Tables

Chapter Seven:

Weapons & Armor

Equipment Groups

Reading the Equipment Lists

Stone Age or Savage Cultures

The Bronze Age and Ancient Cultures

Hundred Years’ War

The Renaissance

Master Weapon List

Weapon Descriptions

Weapons and Ability Bonuses

Armor Descriptions

Chapter Eight:

Siege Warfare

Does This Belong in My Campaign?

Bombardment Engines

Bombardment Engine Procedures

Indirect Fire Engines

An Example of Indirect Bombardment

Direct Fire Engines

An Example of Direct Bombardment

Carrying Capacities For Beasts

Driving Checks and Flipping Over

Miscellaneous War Machines

Greek Fire Projector

Critical Hits and Knockdown Dice

Multiple Targets

The Approach of A Castle

Grappling Hooks

War Machine vs. War Machine

Creatures Inside Destroyed Targets

Magical Attacks

Reduction Procedures

Saving Throw Failure

Mass Combat Procedures

An Example of Mass Combat

Chapter Nine:

Does This Belong in My Campaign?

Creatures in Battle

Attack and Armor Types

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