Combat

The Game Master will usually announce when Combat is about to begin by requesting an initiative test.

In order to keep things running smoothy, Combat is strictly turn-based. A round of combat begins at the top of the Initiative Order and ends at the bottom. Rounds continue like this until the players have defeated all their enemies, completed an objective set by the GM, or the players have been killed or have successfully run away. A full round of combat is roughly five to six seconds in game time, even if in the real world it takes 5mins or more.

During your turn you have 2 Actions. With these actions, you can choose to move, attack, preform abilities, or use special actions. Each of these takes 1 action. Other trival actions include sheathing or unsheathing a weapon, grabbing an item, and giving an item to an ally, etc also take up 1 action.

Move

Movement is defined by announcing your intentions to move from one location to another; the Game Master determines whether or not you can cover enough ground to get there with that Action.

Typically a player can move up to 5 squares on a grid or 25 ft in one action, so long as there isn’t anything hindering their movement. Though armors, effects and terrian may effect this number.

We talk about ranges here, but as one action, you can move to an adjacent range.

Attack

Combat is all about the attack! You must be within range of your enemy to attack. If you are using a melee weapon you need to be close to your target, not 25ft away. See ranges and weapons for more details.

Once you’re in range, you can attack! Attacking is just another type of Test, and the Obstacle is your enemy. See Attack Tests.

On a successful Attack Test, if using a physical weapon you deal weapon damage to your enemy. If using magic refer to the spell/magic you just used.. Game Masters are encouraged to reward roleplaying at all times, so a particularly detailed description of an attack may score more damage to your enemy, if the Game Master so decides.

Use an Ability

Typical when you use an Ability you will use either a Mana (MP) or Stamina (SP) point(s). Most Abilities you will need to make Test, but some require your target to make a Save Test instead. Refer to the Ability you are trying to use from more detials.

Special Actions

6 special Actions you can be performed in Combat:

• Rest
• Hide
• Seek
• Evade/Defend
• Help
• Special Effect Action

Rest

When you rest you recover 1 Stamina Point (SP) or 1 Mana Point (MP) see Combat Mechanics.

Hide

When you hide you must not be in the view of any enemy and there must be some cover or shadows to hide in. Roll a Physical Test against the Highest Mental AL of the enemies nearby. If no enemies are nearby then no test is needed. If successful, you find cover without any enemy seeing.

Seek

When you seek, you try to find hiding targets (opponents or objects). Roll a Mental Test against the targets Physical AL or DL equal to the difficulty to find the object, if successful you discover where your target is hidden, this does not mean the hiding target knows you found them though.

Evade/Defend

When you choose to Evade, until the start of your next turn, you can roll a Physical Against Test at +1 DIS against your enemy's Attack Roll when a enemy hits you. You are successful if you meet or exceed your enemy's Attack Roll. If successful, you evade the attack and do not take damage.

You may choose to defend someone as well (only 1 other character at a time). In which case any attacks done to either of you, you may do same roll as above.

Help

You can lend your aid to another creature in the completion of a task. When you take the Help action, the creature you aid gains +1 ADV on their next Action that requires a test that you are helping with, provided that it makes the check before the start of your next turn.

Alternatively, you can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally’s attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made with +1 ADV.

Special Effect Action

A Special Effect Action is making an attack that imparts a special effect rather than doing damage.

Special Effect Actions are available to the GM as well as the players, meaning enemies may use these tactics against Adventurers.

To make a Special Effect Action, make a Attack Test against an opponent. If the Test is successful, you do a special effect such as Daze, Stagger, Stun, etc. The various types and effects are covered below.

Special Effect Actions always use a standard Attack Test, even if you are wielding a weapon (or using magic, or have any other effect) that gives you ADV. The only way to get ADV on a Special Effect Action is to have the Dirty Fighter Trait.

The GM may declare that some enemies are immune to some or all Special Effect Actions. While the GM has final say, here are some guidelines: Fodder, Low, and Medium Threat enemies are usually affected as normal by Special Effect Actions; Special Effect Actions against High and Epic Threat enemies are typically at +1 DIS; and Solo Threats and above enemies are usually immune to Special Effect Actions.

Likewise, it is up to the GM to say whether Adventurers may be impacted by a Special Effect Actions done by enemies. Here are some guidelines: Fodder and Low Threat enemies typically do not use Special Effect Actions; Special Effect Actions done by Medium Threat enemies are typically +1 DIS; and enemies that are High Threat and above typically may use Special Effect Actions as normal.

Multiple copies of the same special effect do not stack. This means that if you are already affected by a special effect, being hit with it again does not increase the effect. Multiple Stuns, for example, do not remove multiple Actions.

Special Effects

Daze

Until the end of your next turn, all Actions you take are at +1 DIS

Knock Down

You are knocked prone until the start of your next turn. All Actions against you are +1 ADV. On your next turn you get up as a Free Action, meaning you still take your turn as normal. As a general rule, an attacker may not knock down a defender that is larger than they are.

Root

You cannot move during your next turn. You may still attack and defend as normal. As a general rule, an attacker may not root a defender that is larger than they are.

Stagger

You have been knocked off balance. Until the end of your next turn, if you deal any damage it is reduced by 1.

Stun

Lose your next Action. Note that Stun costs you an Action, but if you have multiple Actions it does not cost you your whole turn.

Weaken

Until the start of your next turn, any damage you take is increased by 1.

Custom

Cost: May cost 1 SP Depending on GM

While the rules for how to do a Special Effect Action won’t change, the list of what Special Effects are available can be altered. If the GM wants to remove some things from this list or come up with other Special Effects, they can. If a player wants to do a Special Effect that is not included on this list, they should ask the GM if they can and, if allowed, work out the details with the GM.

For example, one of your party members wants to throw a net over a charging boar to entangle it, ending the battle without killing the beast. The GM allows it and calls for a Special Effect Action to see if it is successful.

Recap

To Recap combat actions include:

• Evade
• Hide
• Seek
• Help
• Test for an ability
• Attack
• Move
• Rest
• Special Effect Action

See Weapons & Armor for more information on combat.

Combat Mechanics

Along with the Typical HP mechanics, there are some special combat mechanics in LittleP6, Mana used for spell casting and Stamina used for physical abilities.

HP

Now that you know your way around the basics of Combat, it’s time to discuss Hit Points. Hit Points are determined by your selected Heritage, and they reflect the punishment your body can take before you lose consciousness. In Combat, every successful die roll of an Attack Test you will typically deal 1 point of damage, 2 for Heavy Weapons, unless otherwise noted by the Game Master. See Attack Tests for more details. Other game systems generally have you roll for the damage you deal or have different weapons deal different amounts of damage. LittleP6 does away with this, because a well-placed dagger can be just as deadly as getting hacked by a broadsword. Ultimately, the final blow is the one that counts.

Sleeping

You need at least 6 in-game hours of uninterrupted sleep every day to regain your strength. If you manage to obtain 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep, you will fully restore any lost Hit Points, up to your maximum. You otherwise regain 2 Hit Points for every hour of sleep.

When asleep, Adventurers are unconscious. If something is going on around them, they are less likely to be aware of it, and have +1 DIS when making a Test to see if something wakes them up.

Death

The dying process begins when you’ve taken enough damage to reduce your Hit Points to 0. Hit Points cannot be reduced below 0. At this point, you’re knocked unconscious, and without further assistance, you could succumb to your wounds and die.

If you are at 0 Hit Points at the start of your turn in Combat, the only Action you may take is to make a Death Save Test to stabilize yourself. A successful Test brings your Hit Points up to 1 and ends your turn. If you fail this Test, you get one last chance at surviving on your own. At the start of your next turn, make one last Death Save, at +1 DIS. If you fail this final Save Test, your Adventurer dies.

While you are unconscious, any ally can attempt to stabilize you by making a Death Save as an Action on their turn, providing they are adjacent to you. On a success, you are restored to 1 Hit Point and your next turn will start as a normal turn. Additionally, any items or abilities that could potentially heal you while you are unconscious such as the Healer Trait or healing potions can be used by allies to bring you back from the brink.

Should you die, don’t worry too much. There are usually ways for the dead to be brought back to life, and hopefully one of your companions will be willing to drag your useless corpse to a temple where you can be resurrected. Of course, this probably won’t be cheap.

Low Light

If your sight is impaired, any Test that requires sight suffers +1 DIS. This applies to all forms of combat and to non-combat Tests that require sight. The Dark Fighter Trait removes this +1 DIS.

Hiding & Sneaking

Attempting to hide or sneak around is performed simply by making a standard Physical Test against the DL the GM sets or Normal DL if none is set by th GM. If the Test is successful, you are hidden, or your actions went unnoticed.

Note that you can’t simply hide in plain sight, so you need some sort of cover or concealment to hide. It is up to the Game Master to determine if you are in a situation where you could potentially hide.

Allies and enemies alike can make a standard Perception/Mental Test against their targets Physical Attribute Level to locate someone—or something—that is hidden.

Hiding during Combat uses an Action, as does searching during Combat. These Tests can only be done during your turn while in Combat.

Aerial Combat

The following rules apply to adventurers and enemies alike when fighting while flying, regardless of whether the combatants involved are flying under their own power or if they are riding flying mounts. The exception is flying enemies. Since these creatures live in the sky, their descriptions already define how they fight while flying. They do not need to be modified to fit these rules.

The largest distinction in aerial combat are combatants who can hover compared those who must keep moving.

Creatures can hover if they are using a spell to fly or if they have wings that allow hovering, like dragonfly wings. For these creatures, aerial combat is no different from ground combat. You would follow all of the normal rules for movement and attack.

Creatures who are flying with wings like those of a bird or a bat must constantly be in motion or they will fall. For these creatures, combat is modified in these ways:

They must move every Action, though they may attack (or do another non-combat action like drinking a potion) while moving.

Ranged attacks made while moving are at +1 DIS. This is true for both Ranged Weapons and for magic attacks made at range.

To make a melee attack, you must fly within melee range of your opponent at some point during your move and attack in passing. These attacks have +1 DIS. If the opponent has a Trait that allows them to counterattack, such as Opportunist, their counterattack also has +1 DIS.

The GM may alter other rules as they see fit based on the situation.

Underwater Combat

When fighting fully submerged, the following rules apply to adventurers and enemies alike. The exception is aquatic enemies. Since these creatures live underwater, their descriptions already define how they fight underwater. They do not need to be modified to fit these rules.

When making a melee attack, a creature has +1 DIS on the attack roll unless it’s a spear, trident, or similar stabbing weapon.

Ranged Weapon attacks automatically miss targets more than 30 feet away (anything in the Far Range).

How magic is affected is up to the GM based on the type of magic being used.

For example, if you want to shoot a fireball underwater, the GM might rule that it fizzles and dies before going 5 feet. If you want to shoot a cloud of ice shards at an enemy, the GM might say that this follows the same rule as an underwater Ranged Weapon attack.

For anyone wearing Heavy Armor, all Tests are at +1 DIS underwater. This stacks with regular Armor +1 DIS

The GM may alter other rules as they see fit based on the situation.

Throwing Weapons

Anytime you throw a weapon that is not meant to be thrown, you gain +2 DIS on that action. If the weapon is a Throwing weapon, ie throwing dagger or axe, and you DONT have light ranged weapon proficency you gain +1 DIS instead. If you do have light ranged weapon proficency and it is a Throwing weapon then you get normal proficency advantages.

Ambushes

If the players decide to lay an ambush. Roll the highest enemies Mental AL agianst the parties lowest stealth roll. If successful the ambush is spoiled. If not successful, before rolling intiative the players can take 1 action in any order to the surprised oppenents.

This works the same for enemies and/or NPCs.

Other Damages

Most damage you take will be from combat, which is explained in detail in the Combat section above. Or you might take damage from a trap, in which case the trap description will define how much damage you take. But in rare cases something will happen where there is no clearly-defined damage. Here are some damage types and how to handle them.

Cold

Extreme cold can cause 1 point of damage if you are not ad- equately clothed. The GM will determine if the damage should be per hour, per minute, or per round, depending on how dangerously cold it is. If you have high winds in addition to the biting cold, increase the damage to 2 points.

Electric

Electricity can do 1, 2, or 3 points damage per round, GM’s call, depending on the strength of the electric surge. After taking any amount of electric damage you are Stunned. If it was 3 points damage, you are both Stunned and Dazed. Stunned and Dazed are both defined in the Combat section

Falling

You take no damage for the first 10 feet of a fall, but 2 points damage for every 10 feet after that. For example, you would take 2 points damage from a 20-foot fall, 4 points for 30 feet, 6 points for 40 feet, etc. A 100-foot fall would be 18 points damage.

Fire

If a portion of your clothing catches fire, you must spend an Action to put it out. If you do so immediately, you take no damage. If you do not put it out, you take 1 point damage per round. If you are fully engulfed in flame, you cannot put it out easily and you take 2 points damage per round.

Poison

There are many types of poisons that can work in many different ways, so the GM should alter these rules as they see fit for a particular poison. But in general, a poison will do from 1 to 4 points damage. Whether that is per hour, minute, or round is up to the type of poison and the GM.

Once poisoned, a person will continue to take damage. Some poisons may continue to work until the person dies.

Others may stop inflicting damage after a set amount of damage has been done or after a certain amount of time. Again, that is up to the poison and the GM.

Contact poisons are different. They do damage once, when a person is first hit with them, but do not do ongoing damage after that.

These rules assume the poison does damage, but some poisons might have affects other than (or in addition to) damage such as unconsciousness, hallucination, or debilitating pain.

Acid

A character or creature is harmed by chemical burns touching their skin. Same as Poison, except it effects your outsides. If you can cleanse yourself of the acid, bathing in a base solution, or sometimes water, then you stop taking damage.

Water Pressure

In reality, water depth and pressure are complex things. A human body can go quite deep, provided you take time to go up or down slowly and allow your body to adjust. Since this is a minimalist game, however, we don’t want a complex set of rules around how slowly you must descend or ascend. Instead we will use a simple rule: You may go 40 feet underwater without taking damage. You take 1 point damage per minute for every 10 feet below 40

Piercing

Stabbing, arrow tips, and darts all cause piercing damage. Most of the time this will just be 1 damage, but if the weapon is of the Heavy Type then you will take 2 damage.

Slashing

Slashing damage is taken from a sword, axe, or sometimes a dagger. Most of the time this will just be 1 damage, but if the weapon is of the Heavy Type then you will take 2 damage.

Force

Bludgeoning from a club, being knocked back by the force of a spell, or hit with a blunt object. Most of the time this will just be 1 damage, but if the weapon is of the Heavy Type then you will take 2 damage.

Psychic

Damage taken from someone or something invading a character/creatures mind, causing dark thoughts, madness, or extreme pain to the mind. This will typically be 1-2 points damage for the duration of the effect, sometimes just a one time damage other times it could be a duration effect, in which case you lose this damage at the start of you turn each round of combat.

Necrosis

Necromatic damage causing the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Basically increasing the character/creatures rate of death. This will typically be 1-2 points damage for the duration of the effect, sometimes just a one time damage other times it could be a duration effect, in which case you lose this damage at the start of you turn each round of combat.

Additional Types of Damage:

It isn’t possible to cover every situation the Adventurers might find themselves in and all the possible types of damage they might take. For example, we don’t cover exposure damage from being under the scorching desert sun without adequate protection. But the rules above should give you a base idea of how other damage types work and allow you to create your own rules for other situations as needed.

Type Damage Reduction

There are three types of damage reduction, resistance, reduction, and immunity. Both types refer to reducing a certain type of damage, ie Elemental Resistance, cold, fire, electric, and air.

Reduction

This type comes with a discrete number of damage reduction, ie -1 Fire Damage. The character or creature with Damage Reduction, reduces the damage of this type by the number provided. If the damage is reduced to 0 or lower the character or creature takes 0 damage, they can not heal from this ability.

Resistance

Damage is reduced by half rounded up. This means no matter what the character or creature will at least take 1 damage.

OR

Immunity

If a character or creature has immunity to a type of damage, it reduces the value of the inflicted damage to 0.

Weakness to Damage

If a character or creature has a weakness to a certain damage type that means it takes double damage when inflicted with this damage type.

Actions

You get two base action per turn, these do not include extra actions gained by magical effects or abilities. These Actions can be spent on one of the core Actions above, or to increase the power of the other base action. Before you preform your first base action you can spend your second base action to either increase the damage of an attack +2 damage, increase a spells range by an extra 5ft radius area of squares (See Spell Crafting), increase a spells damage by +2 damage, increase the ADV gained by a spell by +1 ADV, etc. Or you may spend your second base action to increase your advantage of your first action by +2 ADV

For increasing spell effects see Spell Crafting. When spending and extra action on spell you essentially gain 2 extra points to spend on the spell.

You may spend 2 base Actions to combine 2 abilities, if it makes logical sense (up to the GM). A Good Example of this is using the Rogue Abilities: Sneak Attack and Stab in the Back. You spend 3 SP, 1 SP for Sneak Attack and 2 SP for Stab in the Back, then preform a single Attack Test. If successful you do at least your base weapon damage +2 damage, then if the target fails their save test they get dealt some pretty heafty damage on top of that. Say you rolled 3p6 and you roll 2, 3, 3, and you were using a knife, your total damage would be 11. A power combo! Then if that doesn't kill them, use the Swift Strike ability to gain an extra action this turn and you can either make another regular attack or get the heck out of there because that guys gunna be mad!

Mana

If your user has at a class with any magical ability you gain a the Mana mechanic and start off with a Total mana or MP, equal to your Metal Attribute level (MEN). Everytime you increase your MEN you will increase your mana pool to that number + any traits or magical items that increases your pool. For each spell or mental ability you will spend at least 1 MP, depending on the spell, the cost could be more.

You may spend 1 MP to increase the damage of a magical ability by +1 damage or healing +2 HP. You have to declare you are using additionall MP point(s) to increase your magic before you roll, and if you fail, you still lose the MP points you spent.

You may spend 1 MP to increase the points spent on spell by +1 point. You can change the effect of the spell with these points using the Spell Crafting section.

You may also spend 1 MP to add +1 ADV to any type of physical combat action or Magic Test. This action can only be done DURING Combat.

Outside of combat you can spend mana but must rest a total of 1hr to get it all back.

Also see Magic

Stamina

All characters gain the Stamina Mechanic and start off with total stamina or SP, equal to your Physical Attribute level (PHY). Everytime you increase your PHY you will increase your stamina pool to that number + any traits or magical items that increases your pool. For each physical ability you will spend at least 1 SP.

You may spend 1 SP to increase the effect/damage of a physical ability by +1, but you have to declare you are using a SP point(s) to increase your ability before you roll and if you miss the ability you still lose the SP points you spent.

Outside of combat you can spend stamina but must rest a total of 1hr to get it all back.

You may also spend 1 SP to add +1 damage to a regular attack. This action can only be done DURING Combat.

Regeneration

For each round of combat you may regen either 1 SP or 1 MP but not both, unless stunted by an effect or you are knocked out or dead. You may use a REST action during combat in order to regain an additional 1 SP or 1 MP. Some traits allow you to regain an extra 1 MP or 1 SP per round, you still regain from these traits, unless stunted by an effect or you are knocked out or dead, but they are not interchangeable as the Combat Round Regeneration is.

Turn Disadvantage

If 2 consecutive turns are exactly the same you gain +2 DIS until the end of you next turn. This keeps stacking on top of each other, so if 3 consecutive turns are the same you would get +4 DIS until the end of you next turn. So if you do 2 standard attacks adding 1 SP to each and then on your next turn you do the same, 2 standard attacks adding 1 SP to each, all your action during your 3rd turn will be at +2 DIS even if you change your strategy for the 3rd turn.

If your GM notices any other type of patterns, they may impart this Disadvantage, stating that the enemy has caught on to your strategy and now knows what to expect.

Optional Rule: Critical Hit

For every 5 points a player rolls over the target AC or DL add +1 to damage, or in situations that don't do damage, add something a little special, ie +1 ADV on thier next turn, intead of healing 2 points heal 3 points, target 3 enemies instead of 2, etc.

Optional Rule: Critical Fails

If you roll less than or equal to the DL - 5, you make a critical fail. Make a Fate Flip, if you get a sum of -1 on this flip, somethimg bad happens to you. All other outcomes do nothing. It's up to the GM what happens to you. Maybe you miss your strike and dropped your sword. Maybe while running away you trip and fall to the ground.

Table of Contents

1. How to Play

   • Tests
   • Combat

2. Creating A Character

   • Heritages
   • Classes
   • Attributes & Skills
   • Advancement

3. Resources

   • Magic
     • Level 1 Spells
     • Level 2 Spells
     • Level 3 Spells
     • Level 4 Spells
   • Weapons And Armor
   • Ranges
   • Equipment
   • Magic Items
   • Traps
   • Animal Companions
   • Foes

4. Optional Rules

   • Factions
   • Social Combat
   • Corruption
   • Harry Potter Rules