Martial Pool, a new (?) combat mechanic

[big dummy]

b]How we got there<How it worksHow it works

[soundmasterj]

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Jona

[big dummy]

Thanks for posting that.

yeah I wanted to avoid target numbers,I think they are especially tedius with large dice.  For me anyway I went to public school so my simple arithmetic is painfully slow. 

Roll many keep one has worked out really well for us so far, it's interesting to see that some other people have tried similar things I can't say I'm surprised.  I'm actually surprised it hasn't caught on more widely, is it considered a 'broken' mechanic?

My goal wasn't so much to fix DnD incidentally (wasn't sure if i could use that word here) so much as to just present another different way to play it, partly as a path to other independent games (burning wheel or tros probably the most likely path from this thing)  The current, accelerating trend in DnD seems to be to force everybody to play exactly the same way which I really don't get.  I wish there was a smoother connection between the indy games and people just discovering DnD, and more acceptable to tinker with that basic design as well as inventing brand new ones.

Thanks for the link to the stats page, we have an ongoing argument as to whether a 1 die per attack strategy can beat a "Roll many keep one" strategy (because in our system you can do both as you please.)  In practice rolling the multiple dice really seems to me to work better, partly because of the rule that rolling a 1 is an automatic fumble and rolling a 20 is an automatic critical hit (unless the other guy rolled a 20 too)  If you roll multiple dice you seem to almost never end up with both 1s but you get 20's much more often.

But to be honest, I read that stats thread three times now and I couldn't understand it, let alone extrapolate to using 20 sided dice with our particular rules.  Maybe the other guy from my gaming group can grasp it better than me.

G.

[soundmasterj]

[chance.thirteen]

Could I ask for a concise version of the actual system used with some examples if there are more guidelines than hard core rules?

[big dummy]

Could I ask for a concise version of the actual system used with some examples if there are more guidelines than hard core rules?

Not sure if I can post about it directly here yet for certain, after I get the ok from the moderator I'll post some stuff here if you like. 

G.

[big dummy]

still waiting on a moderator to clear that up ... this site doesn't seem as active as it once was, have all the ideas in independent games already been perfected?

[big dummy]

Ok I got the ok from Ron so...



http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=58045

The system is called "Codex Martialis" it's a combat system based on Historial European Martial Arts.

Here is our one and only review so far (from onebookshelf):

The aim of this book is to bring the flavour of real-world fighting - especially that of master swordsmen of ages gone by - to your fantasy combat. The aim is not so much realism, particularly as most attempts to do that serve merely to increase the complexity of game combat without really making it more enjoyable, but to create the flavour of the various styles and schools of thought available to those who regard swordfighting as an artform, not just a means of killing enemies. To do this, both strategy and tactics are explored, and characters given a wide range of options to use over and above the "Swing sword, roll d20, do damage" model of game combat.

The game mechanics used to accomplish this are quite straightforward, and presented in a modular manner, so that you can pick the ones you want and discard the rest - although there is a warning that if game balance is important to your group, using this system in its entirety is the best way to guarantee it. The core of the mechanic is a die pool which can be expended in various ways over the course of a round of combat, allowing a wide range of options to each character. To add to this, a range of martial feats are available to give you an even wider selection of actions. Weapons and armour are also discussed, to enable them to be utilised fully with this system.

The things you can do in a fight range from leaping into the fray to choosing to hang back and wait for opportunity to present itself. You can choose to target the weak points in a foe's armour or hack away trying to destroy his armour or weapon before closing in for the kill. Dramatic lunges and bewildering flurries of blows become not only possible but it's straightforward to judge the sucess of the action as well.

Overall, it is a well-considered variant combat system, well-rooted in real-world fighting skills - which are both quoted in the text and referenced for those who'd like to learn more. It has the potential to bring fresh enjoyment to fighting for those players who'd really rather role-play than just roll dice and consult tables when a brawl breaks out.

Rating:  [4 of 5 Stars!]

There is a sample combat here:

http://www.codexmartialis.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8