Tactical Tips : Fighting like a man, or a woman.

For this article we'll pretend that Bob is ambushed by an highwayman (Burt). Bob has a mail shirt (DR 4/2 over torso only), a small shield (shield-14) and a broadsword (Broadsword-13) and otherwise wear heavy duty clothes (DR 1 to legs, arms, pelvis). The Highwayman wear padded clothes with hood (DR 1) and is wielding a spear (Spear-12) and has a dagger in his belt (Knife-10). For simplicity, lets assume that they are 10 yards apart in the open, in daytime, on smooth terrain, weapons ready, and both aware of each other.  

Burt, a nasty highwayman

ST 10; DX 11; IQ 9; HT 10

BS 5.25; Move 5, Dodge 7 (Light Load)

Burt knows that his advantage is the length of his spear: as long as he can keep Bob at bay (reach 2), he cannot be touched. Bob's strength is  his armor and shield:  a spear held in two hands does 1d+1 (impaling), and thus has 50% chance of scoring a 4 or less, which wouldn't penetrate the mail shirt (DR 4 vs impaling). His basic odds to hit with Spear-12 is 74%, and Bob can block with his shield (Block 10, +1 shield)  62%  of his blows. That is a combined odd to hurt Bob once of  14% in the torso. Anywhere else, the odds are 28% (slight overestimate, depending on random location of the wound).  Keeping out of Bob's sword and knocking the shield down is his best bet.

Bob, today's hero

ST 11; DX 11; IQ: 10; HT 10

BS: 5.5; Move 5, Dodge 6 (Medium load)

Bob must close in on Burt with great speed and strike before Burt can change his grip. This seems to call for a move and attack, which is less likely to succeed. Here is the reasoning: Bob has (Broadsword-13) 84% chance to strike Burt, who can parry at 9 (38%), and cause (1d+2 cut) (which is sure to go through clothes). His base attack has thus 52% of success, reduced to 24% in a move and attack action. Bob has better fighting skill, is excellent with his shield and has a mail shirt. He's got the upper hand as long as he gets passed the tip of the spear.

Please note that the concept of turn is relative to each participant. Turn 1 for Bob begins when Bob select an action, and ends when he starts another one. There is no absolute clock running, although this distinction is helpful to rule when there is more than two characters involved into a fight.

Turn 1

Bob goes first because of his higher base speed (BS). He selects a move action and close in by 5 hexes. Burt, is two hex short of being in range, decides to brace himself and calls a wait action. The wait will end if Bob gets in reach 2 and trigger an All-out Attack. 

Turn 2

Bob must close in by 3 hexes to be in reach 1 and hit with his sword. This calls for a move and attack action. By the time that Bob gets in reach 2 of Burt, Burt triggers an all out attack action, making it determined (+4 to hit). His net target is 12+4=16, and he rolls a 12. It is a success. Bob blocks with his shield (10+1=11), roll a 8: success! The tip of the spear deflects on Bob's shield. Bob continue his move and attack action, close in one more hex and is now in reach 1 of Burt. The attack is made at most at skills level 9 (roll: 7, success). Burt can't defend because of his All-out Attack action. The sword strike the left arm (on the location table), and cause 3 pt of cut damage. Of the 3 pt, 1 is absorbed by the clothes, and the remaining 2X1.5=3 pt is inflicted. This is not a major wound, but Burt will suffer a -3 penalty due to shock for the coming turn. 

Burt is feeling the pain but ought to do something. For this turn, all IQ and DX-based skills are done at -3. His spear, held with both hands overreaches Bob (-2 to hit), his dagger is in his belt. Changing grip on the spear or grabbing the dagger calls for a ready action. Burt is tempted to grapple Bob to bypass his shield and make his sword useless, but this requires DX to do and probably won't work. Burt calls a ready action: he drops the spear (free action), grabs his dagger and steps into Bob's hex, making them in contact (reach C). 

Turn 3

Bob and Burt are right against each other, leaving little room for Bob's swordplay (-4 to hit to be precise). However, Bob calls an attack action, take a step back (now back in reach 1), and swings once more at Burt. He needs 13 or less, rolls 14 and misses. Burt, glad to get a break, selects an attack action, steps forward to close contact, and takes a stab at Bob. He needs 10, rolls 10. Bob rolls a 10 for dodging with a retreat (stepping back 1 hex). The dagger hits the shield.

Turn 4

Bob knows that overcoming Burt is a matter of time. He calls another attack action, make a step backward and swings. He rolls 8, a success. Burt needs to defend, his dagger's parry is very bad (7), so he decides to dodge the blow while yielding one yard (Dodge 7+3=10). He rolls 15. The sword hits the left leg (15) with 6 points of raw damage (1 absorbed by clothes, 5*1.5= 7 pt, but because this is more than HP/2 in a limb, Burt takes 6pt., the leftover point is lost). The cut is deep: it is a major wound and cripples the leg.  Burt barely passes his HT check and avoid being stunned. He is shocked (-4, maximum penalty) and falls down due to his leg wound. His HP is down to 1, which makes him reeling (1/2 move and dodge). Burt takes a All-out Defense action and beg Bob for mercy (free action).

Turn 5

Bob is not a murderer, takes and Evaluate action and asks Burt to drop his dagger (free action). Burt selects Do Nothing and drops his dagger (free action). This combat is over: 5 seconds of fury.

Epilogue

Burt is in danger of bleeding to death. He will bleed 1 HP per minutes unless he succeeds HT rolls (-1 for severity of the wound). It is unlikely to stop on its own BEFORE he runs out of blood to bleed (Three successive HT-1 check, or one critical success). So it is time to try a little tourniquet, untrained in first-aid, his default skill is IQ-4, or 6. He rolls a 16. Critical failure: he gets 1 HP of damage trying to stop the bleeding. Bob can try as well and rolls a  9, success. The bleeding stops and Burt is back to 3 HP. He acquire the disadvantage Lame (bad leg). Had Bob not tried to save him, he would have died in anywhere between 3 and 10 minutes (likely). With no clean bandages, his infection roll is HT+3, and he rolls 13: barely succeeding. He will not get an infection from the wound (the GM should do this in secret). Finally, his wound will leave a permanent crippling of his leg (had he succeeded another HT roll, the crippling would have been temporary). Burt, pondering  about all this senseless violence, is permanently lame and should consider a new line of work (1/2 movement, ugly limp, -3 to all rolls where a leg is needed).

That was short and brutal. But hey, in AD&D, Burt would be dead by the time this fight would be considered over.

Lessons learned 

• Being good at one active defense is very useful. 
• Getting good at one weapon is important.
• Burt was outmatched, he should have known better. He probably should have not gone into full attack, this gamble wasn't worth it. He must make use of surprise and terrain if he wants to stand a chance.