{"cards":[{"_id":"7c1130d49298511f440000cb","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10428148,"position":1,"parentId":null,"content":"# Song of Swords Tactics Houserules\n\nNote: Current houserules are described under an example context of a main skirmish battlegrid where each gridded zone is about 3x3 yards. (So it's basically a Fire Emblem grid scale style, not Pathfinder..) Thus, it's a 9x9 feet square instead and NOT 5x5 feet! \n\nCurrently, I feel this resolution may work better for TROS-like melee combat situations, where some abstraction (especially in Melee) might be good, without going for a too granular grid. \n\nAlso, such a grid size provides a middleway for translating between fine grids/gridless measure-taped environments versus a more narrative/abstract rpg environment generalised scene graph approach to representing skirmish locations.\n\nSo, when adopting such house rules for other grid/environment types, interpret/translate accordingly to match to your own context."},{"_id":"7c11312d9298511f440000cc","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10442834,"position":2,"parentId":null,"content":"## Group mechanics"},{"_id":"7c1131499298511f440000cd","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10442817,"position":1,"parentId":"7c11312d9298511f440000cc","content":"INITAITIVE GROUPS:\n------------------------\n\n**How to band:**\n\n- Battlegroups must be configured at the start of the (3-phase) skirmish Round (or before battle), which will influence the initiative groups for every phase. As long as within vincity, they can be treated as within the same initaitive group and will be able to join/form-up such a group.\n\nOR (Free form)\n\n- Allowed to adjust initiative groups on the fly before every phase, and roll initiative accordingly based on those groups.\n\n\n**How to disband:**\n\n- Break out of contact . But re-entering back will still be treated as same initiative group again. To officially disband a character from a battlegroup, only allowed to do this at every beginning of the 3-phase skirmish Round.\n\nOR (Free form)\n\n- Allowed to adjust initiative groups on the fly before every phase, and roll initiative accordingly based on those groups.\n\n\n**Execution (every phase):**\n\n- Anyone within the same battle group and within vincity to each other, belongs to the same initaitive group for each phase.\n\nOR\n\n- They always belong to the same initaitive group regardless of vincity, until the start of 3 the phase skimish round where reconfiguration occurs and vincicity will result in splitting up multiple initiative groups for the new round of 3 phases....So, initiative groups remain persistant for at least 3 phases of the round.\n\nOR\n\n- They are somehow \"telepathic\" and always belong to the same initiative group even though they aren't in the same vincity.\n\n### Benefits/drawbacks with tying up within same initiative group\n\n\n**Advantages:**\n- Can move entire group's individuals in any order, possibly allowing better coordination, without being interrupted by others. Makes it easier to coordinate grouped Engage +Melee Attack combo tactics.\n- Can respond immediately/more promptly if someone within group is in trouble, even canceling previously declared actions in certain cases.\n- (POSSIBLE, need to check balancing: Anyone in group to be freely allowed to switch to Melee Attack from an Engage declared action?)\n\n**Disadvantages:**\n- Picked lowest ADR initiative score character from the entire group (certain individuals will be a disadvantaged if the group has characters of different ADR initiative scores)\n- (Note: Not too sure if should enforce this...or have house-rule/perk to exempt oneself from this). Everyone rolling D10 for floating point ADR initiative is required (not just 1 single roll) and picks lowest score among them all. So, tied ADR initiatives are disadvanaged as well, the larger the group gets.\n\n\n\nCost of movement through friendly-occupued square:\n-----------------------------------\n- Single-occupied: 1 character( No cost)\n- Pair Up stack occupied ( 2 characters) = 1 square cost to pass.\n- Shield Wall stack occupied (or anything else with at least 3 stacked characters) = Not allowed to pass!\n\nYou must have enough movement to pass through all friendly-occupied squares and take up final position in a vacant square, else you can only stack pair-up at final position (if possible).\n\n\nPAIRING UP:\n-------------\n\nHow to band:\n- Joining up costs 1sq for the paired-up group from your Base Movement pool. However, only allowed if you didn't execute any Actions for your phase. (ie. Canceled actions still apply so long as you have the Base Movement remaining to pay the cost)\n- Before the battle starts though, you can already set up your units to be paired-up beforehand.\n- Will form up a secondary sub-initiative group if both characters from pair up belong to differnet initaitive group or either one doesn't belong to any group.\n- If both parties already belong to the same initiative group, and hasn't made any declaration yet, they can pair-up immediately within the current declaration turn on the spot (and both of them thus have the exact same Declared objective), and will only spend 1 sq cost which they can use to deducted off their movement from their paired up position.\n\nHow to disband:\n- Splitting costs 1sq for the paired-up group from your Base Movement pool. However, only allowed if you didn't execute any Actions for your phase. (ie. Canceled actions still apply so long as you have the Base Movement remaining to pay the cost)\n- Will be eligible to join back one's original initaitive group (if any) upon disbanding the pair-up.\n\n\nAdvantages:\n- May be required in tight/narrow areas, where stacking is necessary.\n- Possibility to engage 2 vs 1 case when entering into Melee Combat. \n- Or can optionally, both sides fight seperately in Back to Back formation instead of being Outflanked/Surprised (with drawback with +1 CP activation cost when defending with regular defense, or +2 CP for void/evasive type manourvres). Back to back fighting Talent (or special narrative pair-up cases) foregoes 1 CP cost for regular defense. (Pointman formation also prevents Outflanked/Surprised cases)\n-Allied Defense manouevre can be used in Line-up formation at an additional CP cost, or by the Pointman to protect friend behind at basic Allied Defense cost.\n\n\nDisadvantages:\n- Any disadvantages with being in the same initiative group\n- Move by slowest MOB character in paired-up group.\n- No possibility to Outflank or attempt Mobility Manourvres which allow for Outflanking, until you split for the next phase.\n- If you are paired up, you cannot move through friendly occupied squares unless you add +2 sq cost. Anyone else that moves through you has to pay +1 sq cost.\n- If in paired-up line formation, no means of closing-in to gain reach advantage over enemy with longer reach weapon, unless you break the line formation and allow the character (wishing to gain reach advantage by moving in), to take Pointman position instead.\n\n\nPair-up formations:\n\nPair-up formations may be Surprised/Outflanked if both characters are Locked in Combat facing same target square while being attacked.\n\n- Line: 2 vs 1 takes part in Melee Combat against a specific target in line formation.\n- Pointman: Only 1 person (pointman) takes part in Melee Combat unless person behind has reach weapon that is long enough and may optionally take part, but can only attack for 1 Action (either 1st Action or 2nd Action) of the given Melee round. Person behind only has half CP to use. Person behind attacking with reach is limited only to Thrusting attacks and +3 CP activation cost for every attack. (Note: Talents/perks may reduce this cost). Conversely, attacking anyone behind the Pointman requires base activation cost of 4CP to attack, not including any reach penalties on top of that. If successfully hit the person behind pointman, the attacker may optionally break the Pointman formation and force the pair-up formation into Line formation to close in on him, also gaining initaitive over the person behind that he hit. If formation is kept, no initiative change occurs between him and the person behind.\n- Back to Back : Only 1 person takes part in Melee combat, or simply takes part in seperate Melee combats respectively on both sides. All back-to-back formations require a minimum of 2 retreat points for the quota, and do not have marked fallback positions at edge/corner of square, so, if anyone accumulated 2 retreat points, Pinned Down status is immediately applied for that character. Additionally, if you do Flee, you cannot escape to the square opposite behind you when facing the enemy, only to the squares on your left/right.\n\n\nHow to adjust formation:\n- Simply free action for every phase turn when disengaged or just before entering Combat. If already Locked in Combat, both characters must Disengage (or Flee together) if they wish to switch formation setup for the next phase. \n- Note that Back-to-Back vs Pointman formation can be easily switched on the fly without any restrictions."},{"_id":"7c132d2ad267a6f72100003d","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10427973,"position":3,"parentId":null,"content":"## Melee skirmish movement mechanics"},{"_id":"7c132d7dd267a6f72100003e","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10442435,"position":1,"parentId":"7c132d2ad267a6f72100003d","content":"Grid Movement while Locked in Melee:\n--------------------------------------\n\nThis is an optional rule (will require more book-keeping/sub-marker-placement for tabletop). But this basically allows movement across the battlemap to occur during bouts, even if they remained Locked throughout the skirmish. It also provides a measurable way of determining if a particular character is Pinned Down or not, and allows frontlines to push forward/back accordingly.\n\n### Rundown on Statuses:\n\nProne:\n- Only fights with Half CP. (refer to manual for full info)\n\nPinned Down:\n- 2CP cost when voiding/evading and 1CP cost when defending with other moves. A certain Talent might forego 1CP cost for defending while Pinned Down.\n\nHow does a character get Pinned Down? How does a character ends up displacing a grid square while fighting in Melee combat?\n\n## An introduction to Retreat Points.\n\n### Failure/refusal to retreat or fall back when he needs to => Pinned Down\n\nWhenver,\nStanding character resolving a defense while not having Initiative, with other side maintaining initiative: \nIe. As long as he doesn't gain back initiative against all opponents....\n+1 Retreat Point accumulated for character. \n\nOnce at least 1 Retreat point is gained, he must specify his prefered retreat sub-square (ie. one of the 3x3 sub-squares within the main grid square, each representing 1 yard) to represent his general direction of retreat and may limit which squares he can traverse to. This will define his planned path of retreat, which will limit his retreat movement direction accordingly (if he does retreat at the end of the melee round). Depending on adjaciency of enemies, certain sub-squares may not be selectable or he may have NO valid path of retreat! Retreating can only be done to an adjacient square on cardinal axis (ie. no diagonal movement). Use corner sub-squares to have 2 orthognal square choices to retreat to at given corner, or an edge subsquare that only involves 1 way of retreat. Usually, corner subsquares are better (whenever possible), as it gives more retreat options.\n\nUsually, everyone has a 2 or 3 Retreat Points quota. Depending on terrain slope/formation/environment situation, this value might vary at GM discretion. If this quota is met at the end of the melee round, character is forced to displace square. (Not sure which setting is best to use for this..). Exceeding the quota will clamp the value to it's maximum value. Accumulated retreat points can be represented by some D2/D3/D6/D10/D20 counter placed on top of the character model.\n\nCertain stacked formations (eg. shield wall/back-to-back fighting) might not allow for any marking of any sub-sequare, or any possible means of Retreat unless Flee or Dart Out is resolved successfully to exit combat for the respective individuals (thus breaking the formation.), or a character Disengages and has enough initaitive on the next phase to split out of his stacked square in time. Such formations comes with it's own Retreat point quota, and if met, will result in Pinned Down status accordingly since there's no marked avenue of retreat. If the formation changes to something else within the same square for the next Round of combat, the Retreat point quota may change, but not the currently accumulated retreat points for all the combatants within the stacked formation.\n\nFailure (or refusal) to Retreat to an adjacient square when Retreat Point accumulation has reached quota upon conclusion of melee round, results in Pinned Down status for the next round, assuming melee combat remains Locked for that character, or the character gets re-engaged while his Retreat points has not resetted yet.\n\n**Other ways to \"deliberately\" or indirectly increase Retreat points:**\n\n*Important note when \"accumulating\" retreat points*: If your opponent has Retreat points, you can't increase your own Retreat points yet, but must reduce it off the opponent's quota first. This is to simulate the typical back-and-forth pushing that happens in a melee fight between two parties.\n\nPerform Dart Out manouvre (or any other manourvre that is simliar in terms of \"falling back\"). If you resolve it successfully, you will add a Retreat Point.\n \nPerforming Flee with at least 1 un-contested success, but not resolving it successfully against enemy, adds 1 retreat point. If you resolved Flee successfully but couldn't (or refused to) displace your square grid position elsewhere while exiting melee combat, you add 3 Retreat points.\n\nIf up against multiple opponents, and you resolve Thread the Needle successfully to try and avoid them and use it to un-target yourself from the various opponents , you also add a Retreat point for each opponent you successfully untargeted yourself from.\n\n**Ways to reset Retreat points back to zero:**\n\nIn general, a person always resets Retreat Points back to zero by exiting the current square he is in, or all related opponents disengage and break square adjaciency from his position.\n\nIf you resolved Flee successfully (or exit combat due to Dart Out's results), you are given 1 free movement to retreat to an adjacient square immediately, regardless of current Retreat point status. If you already accumultated at least Retreat point, you will be limited to which square you can exit to , based on the sub-square you chose earlier. Otherwise, you are free to retreat to any adjacient square that is vacant. Displacing to a different square resets retreat points back to zero.\n\nAlso, while Locked in melee, any other result for a particular character that doesn't add retreat accum (eg. gaining back initiative/maintaining initiative, etc., will reduce Retreat Accum by 1 point. When it reaches back to zero points, the marked sub-square for the retreat point can be removed for the respective character.\n\nDepending on skirmish situation, you may resolve to Disengage, then move out of your current square in the next phase to reset Retreat points back to zero (assuming you have time to do so).\n\n**Post-round fall back conclusion**\n\nWhen such a Retreat is performed for the concluded melee round that is still in progress, any other nearby enemies that are currently still engaged to the retreating character for that round, must move in to maintain adjaciency (priotizing those that executed their offensive manourvres for the current round with at least 1 un-contested success, and are of higher ADR initaitive) if they wish to remain Locked to their opponent. In certain terrain situations, not everyone may be able to maintain adjaciency to the target they are engaging, and may be forced to Disengage. Some may voluntarily Disengage by not moving to maintain adjaciency.\n\n### A Prone character receiving an attack, that resolves with other side maintaining initiative => Pinned Down \n\nThe Prone character also receives Pinned Down status which stacks with his Prone status. If prone character Stands up in the next melee round, he still keeps his Pinned Down status.\n\n### Pinned Down and Mobility manoeuvres \n\nWhen you have Pinned down status for the current round, you cannot initiate Mobility manoeuvres (eg. such as Thread the Needle) for that melee round.\n\n"},{"_id":"7c14911383eb57ed8a00002a","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10435934,"position":1,"parentId":"7c132d7dd267a6f72100003e","content":"## Reach control and Retreat points\n\nAt the start of a bout where you and your enemy has Zero Retreat points at the moment, if you are outnumbered by 2 or more opponents on different squares, you can only maintain reach control over 1 of the chosen character at a time by default from your current \"zero\" center position, depending on which characters has a lower reach than you. \n\nHowever, to allow you to keep Reach control over 1 or 2 opponents (depending on whom you have a longer reach over) that aren't engaging you on Outflanking squares on opposite ends, you may opt to immediately accumulate 1 Retreat point immediately if possible (without spending any CP ) at the start of the bout, to immediately take up position in the sub-square at the opposite corner that allows you to maintain reach advantage against your 1 or 2 of your opponents, instead of using the Thread the Needle manoeuvre. (So, you still wish to face all 2 opponents at the same time, while keeping reach advantage against one or both of them.) (Edit: Need diagram to show this). Note that if you wish to do this, you cannot adopt Aggressive orientation, and the Aggressive orientation die must be omitted out before rolling initiative.\n\nHowever, this approach of yours may be contested against by the enemy if they adopted Outmanoeuvre/Slip About against you before Actions are declared for the round, and if anyone succeeded, you will not succeed in such a \"manoeuvre\" to offset your position. (Thus, usually, Thread the Needle, despite having to pay CP costs, is used most of the time for this as the possibly \"safer\" option, since it will help untarget yourself from the multiple opponents besides also gaining the necessary Retreat points to allow you to shift your sub-square position to better optimize reach advantage against your adjacient opponents. ). Furthermore, if up against three opponents, using Thread the Needle may be the best and ONLY option to hopefully help you maintain reach control over 1 or 2 enemies at once, while untargeting yourself from at least 1 enemy.\n\nUnder all circumstances, you cannot maintain reach control against all 3 enemies that are located on three seperate adjacient grid squares at the same time, because one of squares will always be on an Outflanking square engaging you on the opposite end. In such a case, Thread the Needle is the only approach you can depend on as a means of trying to deal with Outflanking opponents while maintaining reach control by gaining enough Retreat points to shift your sub-square positioning to face the \"right\" enemies (1 or 2 of them). "},{"_id":"7c1391023690d856ff000028","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10428118,"position":4,"parentId":null,"content":"## 9x9 foot grid. Rationale behind scale:"},{"_id":"7c1391a03690d856ff000029","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10428227,"position":1,"parentId":"7c1391023690d856ff000028","content":"Engagement distances for Song of Swords is documented typically at 2 yard distance contact. A 9x9 foot (ie. 3x3 yard square grid), matches that 2-yard gap distance accordingly between 2 humanoids when they stand at adjacient squares.\n\nDesign-wise, when players approach within engagement grid adjacent distance (typically 2 yards gap in between) to engage in a Melee Attack, a seperate Melee combat instance is presented between the squares which the characters occupy, very much like how Fire Emblem does it. However, this should not be entirely divorced from the surrounding environment either. (ie. at least, the modern Fire Emblem games have the surrounding 3D scenes match-scale with the 2D map scene locations accordingly, with seamless overhead to 3D view transition effects similar to Valkyria Chronicles).\n\nThe only difference is that if Retreat points and sub-square retreat directions are used for the grid, then it automatically translates to slightly shifted positions of the actual 3D character positions to match the back-and-forth sustatined melee fight positions between the 2 gridded territories. Thus, it's a more realistic melee fight representation (with displaced off center positions) instead of the \"magical\" spring-back-to-center-position action you find in most typical JRPGs.\n\nI have another rules document for approximating every skirmish actions/movement on such a 9x9 foot grid scheme within Song of Swords, though this may be applied to other TROSlike games as well."},{"_id":"7c139da13690d856ff00002a","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10428133,"position":5,"parentId":null,"content":"## Overwatch"},{"_id":"7c139dd43690d856ff00002b","treeId":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","seq":10428152,"position":1,"parentId":"7c139da13690d856ff00002a","content":"### Reintroduce Overwatch system introduced in Beta 1.2 for > Beta 1.3?\n\nYou could even have Overwatch characters \"waiting to snipe\" into a bout round after it concludes, stationed from a distance (maybe inside buildings..or somewhere else on the skirmish map), if you wished to re-implement some sort of beta 1.2's Overwatch mechanic for beta 1.3's skirmish system to allow Ranged characters to act directly in the bout round itself, rather than shoot them in the general skirmish phase.\n\nThis would need some balancing/adjustments though."}],"tree":{"_id":"7c1130c69298511f440000c9","name":"Song of Swords (Tactics House Rules)","publicUrl":"song-of-swords-tactics-house-rules"}}