If you have read here, you have a general idea how both Onset and Close-quarters Combat works and, soon enough, you'll know which options from the following tables will work best for you and the situations you find you put your hero in the most. However, check back here often, especially if you gain another Action Point, to determine if there's more you can do. Nearly all of these options proceed from the LoreMaster's Book (revised) and The Adventurer's Companion for The One Ring; however, some have been added out of necessity known and understood from nearly four decades of game-play in dozens of game systems.
(NOTE: Rearward Stance is still considered to be Ranged Combat, but it is NOT the only place you can use most ranged weapons. If you are close enough to be in another stance, and you attempt to use a ranged weapon, there may well be penalties involved.)
The following Stances are considered to be Close Combat, and have the following Target Numbers...
Forward ~ (base attack 6+(target's Parry + Shield); opponents typically within 6.5' (2m; the adjacent square)
Open ~ (base attack 9+(target's Parry + Shield); opponents typically within 10' (3m; 2 squares away)
Defensive ~ (base attack 12+(target's Parry + Shield); opponents typically within 13' (4m; 3 squares away)
Rearward ~ (base attack 12+(target's Parry + Shield) typically requires a barrier of two or more Close Combat characters between them and the enemy, and is considered to be Ranged Combat according to the Rules-As-Written (RAW). Placement of ranged fighters is considered on a case-by-case basis, though targets for archers are, typically 15' (4.5m; 3+ squares away) or more distant.
Directory of Combat Options
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Youtube: Movement and Measuring in Roll 20
The average Human being can move 2.75 - 3.25 miles per hour (4.5 – 5.33 kilometers per hour) at a decent walk, or 40 - 48 feet per ten-seconds. When operating under duress, such as in combat, your movement value is clipped as you concentrate on performing complex movements to stay alive rather than walking or running full-out. If you're gifted athletically, have had combat training, or if you're injured, carrying too many items or even a heavy and/or awkward weapon, armor and/or shield, the actions and/or attacks you are able to perform in combat will change based on those factors.
We will use two types of movement for our game, non-combat and combat; non-combat has no real movement limitations or time scale, while combat movement does. In-combat movement uses a formula to determine how quick your Player-hero is in any given round, as follows...
- Your PHs basic APs will be (2x Valor + Athletics + Battle skills), but then we subtract from the chart, below, because of Encumbrance...
- Those using Stealth during combat will replace Valor with Wisdom and use Stealth rather than Battle with it. If you want to be stealthy, you cannot carry a crap-ton of equipment with you.
BODY | ENCUMBRANCE 5 - 11 | 12 - 18 | 19 - 25 | 26 - 32 | 33 - 40 |
2 - 4 | -3 | -5 | -7 | -10 | -12 |
5 - 7 | -1 | -3 | -4 | -5 | -6 |
8 - 10 | -0 | -2 | -2 | -3 | -4 |
11 - 12 | -0 | -1 | -2 | -2 | -3 |
At the beginning of a combat, you are considered to be dropping excess non-combat weight; however, if you're in a running fight, the total of all gear carried is seen on the chart and provides the penalty to APs, instead.
i.e. - Your character has a Valor score of 2, Athletics of 3 and Battle of 3. (2x Valor + Athletics + Battle skills) gets you 4 + 3 + 3, or a total 10 Action Points. Next, we have to figure out your AP modifier based on your character's Body score cross-referencing the total Encumbrance value of the War Gear you're carrying; let's say you have a Body of 5 and are carrying 19 Encumbrance of War Gear. This gives a penalty of -4 which, when subtracted from the 10 leaves 6 APs for you to use with your character each round.
No one may ever go below four (4) Action Points, unless your character is ridiculously loaded down and is unable to drop it quickly enough to participate in the first round, or more of combat and APs renew at the beginning of each round.
For sake of movement, spending 1 AP allows your character to traverse up to five (5) feet horizontally, up to two (2) feet vertically, or up to three (3) combined horizontal and vertical movement. A successful check of Athletics MAY allow you to traverse farther vertically. You may spend more than one AP on movement in any round, up to the maximum allowed for your character race, as shown here...
DWARVES & HOBBITS | ELVES | HUMANS |
15' (3 APs) | 25' (5 APs) | 20' (4 APs) |
Now that you are, once again, familiar with the workings of Action Points, let's start off what you can purchase using those Action Points.
Splitting APs ~ AP expenditures may be split among rounds, but only a maximum of one-half your APs, or 3, whichever is fewer. (ie - If your character has 4 APs, up to two of those can be placed into the next round, if necessary. Alternately, if you had 7 APs, you could move forward a maximum of 3.)
Spending Endurance for Additional APs ~ Straining yourself for the win is a potentiality in this game. The way I'm going to treat this is as with the Experience system for the game, to a maximum of 3 APs per round. For the 1st additional AP in a combat round, the cost is 1 point of Endurance, the second point would cost another 2 Endurance, and the third point would cost 3 more, for a maximum of 6 Endurance. That's a sweet cost, but can become dangerous quickly, and thus I would caution its use for desperate situations. These points cannot be used alongside Splitting APs, above. Finally, these APs are NOT considered to be standard points of Fatigue, as those are VERY difficult to get rid of, while healing Endurance points, as if for scratch and dent damage, is not.
Action/Task |
AP Cost |
Stance |
Declared... |
Advantage(s) |
Disadvantage(s) |
Other Actions? |
5 Foot Move |
1 |
- |
Any time during PHs turn. | Move to an adjacent 5' square. Max 3 APs for Dwarves and Hobbits, 4 for Men, and 5 for Elves. | - |
Yes |
Diagonal Move |
2 |
- |
Any time during PHs turn. | Move to a diagonal 5' square. Max 3 APs for Dwarves and Hobbits, 4 for Men, and 5 for Elves. | - |
Yes |
Delay Action |
See Advantages |
Any |
Beginning PHs turn | Wait for opponent to act, then pre-empt; APs lost determined by wait; get one basic action worth up to 4 APs to end wait. If you have APs remaining after, you may act again | May not delay again for the round | Yes |
Maneuver |
4 |
Forward |
Beginning PHs turn | Roll Battle vs. 12+ opponent's attribute level. On a Success, you cost the opponent either a point of hate or one Success Die on their next action/ attack. Each ![]() ![]() |
If you fail the Maneuver Test, you may not act further in the round | Yes, if successful |
By Stealth |
4 |
Rearward or OOC |
Beginning PHs turn | Move five feet in any direction | This is extremely slow movement, and might normally be reserved for out-of-combat or covert situations |
No |