Resolve Actions

Erac’s Cousin squares off against Serten the cleric. As a 7th level fighter, Erac’s Cousin has an attack rate of 3/2, so he can attack twice in the first round. Serten has but one attack, so it will come between the two attacks of his opponent. If Tenser were to drop in and cast haste on Serten, then they would both have two attacks, and would need to dice for initiative. If, on the other hand, Erac’s Cousin (being a 16th level magic-user) cast haste on himself, then he could attack three times per round, and Serten only one. They would need to roll for initiative to determine who struck first in the middle of the round, but Erac’s Cousin would always attack first and last.

Dungeon Masters Guide extract (p61)

Generally, the results of whatever actions are decided upon by the party with initiative are determined first, followed by the results of whatever actions are decided upon by the party which lost the initiative.

House Rule

Just follow the existing rules!

Addict Combat Explanation

Generally, the results of whatever actions are decided upon by the party with initiative are determined first, followed by the results of whatever actions are decided upon by the party which lost the initiative. Ties usually indicate that attacks occur simultaneously. Special cases are listed below.

1. Multiple Attack Routines: When one or more creatures involved in combat are permitted to use their attack routines twice or more often during the round, then the following initiative determinants are employed.
   1. When the attack routine may be used twice, then allow the side with this advantage to attack FIRST and LAST with those members of its group who have this advantage.
      1. If it is possessed by both parties, the initiative roll determines which group strikes FIRST and THIRD, which group strikes SECOND and LAST.
      2. If one or both groups have members allowed only one attack routine, it will always fall in the middle of the other attacks, the order determined by dicing for initiative, when necessary.
   2. If one party has the ability to employ its attack routines thrice, then the other party dices for initiative to see if it, or the multi-routine group, strikes first in the mid-point of the round.
   3. Extrapolate for routines which occur four or more times in a round by following the method above.8
   4. Note that a routine is the attack or attacks usual to the creature concerned, i.e. a weapon (or weapons) for a character, a claw/claw/bite routine for a bear (with incidental damage assessed as it occurs — the hug, for example). A 12th level fighter is allowed attack routines twice in every odd numbered melee round, for example, and this moves up to three per round if a haste spell is cast upon the fighter.
   5. This rule applies to multiple missile attacks as well as to multiple melee attacks; thus, a longbow (rate of fire 2) will generally fire FIRST and LAST in the round.
2. Charge: Normal melee is not possible when the opponents begin the round over 1” distant. A round must be spent closing. Alternatively, the attacker may choose to charge. This action brings the charging party into combat on the charge round, provided movement rate (plus bonus) allows this.
   1. Movement Rate of Charging Creatures:
      1. Outdoors, charging bipeds receive a 1/3 movement bonus. Charging quadrupeds receive a 1/2 movement bonus.
      2. Indoors, movement rate for all charging creatures is doubled.
      3. Encumbered creatures may not charge.
   2. Armor Class of Charging Creatures:
      1. There is no dexterity bonus allowed for charging creatures.
      2. Creatures with no dexterity bonus become one armor class worse.
      3. There is no penalty to AC 10 creatures for charging, however.
   3. Melee at End of Charge:
      1. Initiative is NOT checked at the end of charge movement.
      2. The opponent with the longer weapon/reach attacks first.
      3. Charging creatures gain +2 on their “to hit” dice if they survive any opponent attacks which occur first.
   4. To detemine the timing of a charge attack vs. an opposing spell caster, compare the segments of movement required to the casting time of the spell.
      Bigby nervously tries to complete his grasping hand spell as the giant charges at him. The spell requires seven segments to cast. The giant moves at 12”, which is doubled to 24”, or 24’ per segment, indoors. He has 200’ to close, and will do so in (200 ÷ 24) nine segments. Bigby will get his spell off after all.
3. Spell Casting: Even when a spell caster has won the initiative, it is possible for an opponent’s attack to occur before the completion of (and thus disrupt) the spell.
   1. If combat is spell vs. spell, the spell with the shorter casting time will be completed first, with the initiative result breaking ties in casting times.
      Bigby and Riggby just cannot take the name jokes anymore. They decide to settle the matter with a magical duel. (The winner will deal with Diggby and the others afterwards.) Bigby decides to get it over with quickly, and starts casting meteor swarm (nine segments). Riggby, on the other hand, opens with flame strike (eight segments). Initiative is irrelevant; Riggby’s spell will go off before Bigby‘s. If Bigby had been using his clenched fist spell (also eight segments), then initiative would have decided which spell was completed first.
   2. If the spell caster is being attacked by a melee weapon with a speed factor rating, use the following procedure to determine when the weapon strikes.
      1. When the attacker wins initiative, the weapon will always strike prior to spell completion.
      2. When initiative is tied, a straight comparison of weapon speed factor to spell casting time will determine which occurs first. Simultaneous results are possible.
      3. When the attacker loses initiative, subtract the attacker’s losing initiative die from the weapon speed factor (treating negative numbers as positive), and compare the result to the spell casting time to determine which occurs first. Again, simultaneous results are possible.
      The two spell casters have closed to melee range. Bigby starts casting power word, kill (one segment). Riggby attacks with his staff of the serpent. If Riggby wins initiative, he will strike first. If initiative is tied, the one-segment spell will beat the speed factor 4 staff. As it turns out, Bigby wins initiative 6-4. Riggby’s speed factor (4) minus his losing die roll (4) equals 0, so he actually beats the one-segment spell. (He still needs to score a hit, though.)
   3. If the spell caster is being attacked by missile weapons, or by natural weaponry without a speed factor rating (such as a monster’s claw/claw/bite), use the following procedure to determine when the attack strikes.
      1. When the attacker wins initiative, the attack will always strike prior to spell completion.
      2. When the attacker loses initiative, or when initiative is tied, the attack will occur on the segment indicated by the caster’s initiative die. Compare this to the spell casting time to determine which occurs first. Simultaneous results are possible.
      The duel comes to a grinding halt when an out-of-control air elemental turns on Bigby. It starts to attack, while Bigby tries to cast protection from evil, 10’ radius (three segments) to keep it away from him. Bigby wins initiative 4-1, so the elemental’s attack will come on segment 4, after the spell is completed. Bigby is safe — for the moment.
   4. When the attacker has multiple attack routines, only the first attack has an opportunity to disrupt a spell (unless the spell requires a full round to cast).
      While Riggby takes the opportunity to cast cure light wounds on himself (five segments), Bigby’s loyal archers begin firing on him. The timing of their first volley will be determined by initiative. Riggby wins initiative 3-2, but that means that the first volley of arrows arrives in segment 3, before the completion of the spell. If the spell is not disrupted, his spell will take effect in segment 5. The second volley of arrows will strike thereafter.
   5. A magic-user may cast two cantrips in a single round. In such a case, the timing of the first cantrip is determined as above. The second cantrip will be cast 1-4 segments later.
      Having exhausted all of his more useful spells, Bigby must now resort to casting cantrips. Meanwhile, Riggby is preparing a light spell with which to blind Bigby. The light spell will be completed in four segments. Bigby’s first cantrip, spider, will be cast in the first segment. (No cantrip has a casting time longer than 1/2 segment.) His second cantrip, yawn, will be completed d4 segments later. Bigby rolls a 3, so his second cantrip will take effect in segment 4 — the same time as Riggby’s light spell, so an initiative roll is needed to determine which spell will go off first in that segment.
   6. The spell caster cannot use his or her dexterity bonus to avoid being hit during spell casting; doing so interrupts the spell.
   7. Any successful attack, or non-saved-against attack, upon the spell caster interrupts the spell.
   8. The above procedures for resolving the timing of attacks against spell casters also apply to opponents using magical devices with specific activation times (such as rods, staves, and wands). These functions, however, will not be automatically disrupted by a successful attack (unless the wielder is slain or otherwise incapacitated).
      Completely out of spells at this point, and low on hit points, Bigby resorts to his wand of cold [frost]. He uses two charges to create a cone of cold. This function has an activation time of only two segments. Riggby tries to hit Bigby with his hammer +2. Initiative is tied, so the weapon speed factor (4) is compared to the activation time of the wand (2). The cone of cold will go off before Riggby can try to hit Bigby. Even if Riggby had won initiative and struck first, the cone of cold would take effect unless the blow incapacitated Bigby.
4. Weapon Speed Factor: When initiative is tied, weapon speed factors are used to determine who strikes the first blow.
   1. The opponent with the weapon which has the lower speed factor will strike first, subject to the following conditions.
      1. The initiative roll must be tied.
      2. Both combatants must be using melee weapons with speed factors.
      3. Both combatants must have an odd or even number of attacks in the round (as per VII A, above).
      Otis has finally caught up with Robilar, after the latter’s reckless freeing of Zuggtmoy. The two come to blows. Otis is fighting with a battle-axe, while Robilar wields his long sword +3. Otis, as a 10th level ranger, is allowed three attacks every two rounds. Robilar, as a 19th level fighter, is entitled to two attacks every round. Therefore, in the first round, they will each have two attacks.
      Initiative dice are rolled, and tied 3-3. Speed factors are then consulted. Robilar’s long sword (speed factor 5) is faster than Otis’ battle-axe (speed factor 7), so Robilar will strike FIRST and THIRD, while Otis strikes SECOND and LAST. In the second round, however, Otis will have but one attack, so initiative and speed factors will be irrelevant — Robilar will strike FIRST and LAST, with Otis attacking in the middle.
   2. When weapon speed factor is the determinant of which opponent strikes first in a melee round, there is a chance that one opponent will be entitled to multiple attacks.
      1. Compare the score of the lower-factored weapon with that of the higher.
      2. If the difference is at least twice the factor of the lower, or five or more factors in any case, the opponent with the lower-factored weapon is entitled to two attacks before the opponent with the higher weapon factor is entitled to any attack whatsoever.
      3. If the difference is ten or greater, the opponent with the lower-factored weapon is entitled to two attacks before the opponent with the higher weapon factor is allowed to attack, and one further attack at the same time the opponent with the higher-speed-factored weapon finally is allowed to attack.
   3. Note that such speed factor considerations are not applicable when either closing or charging to melee, but after an initial round of combat, or in cases where closing/charging was not necessary, the speed factor considerations are applicable.
      Zagyg, amused by all this pointless bickering, plucks Tenser, Otis, and Robilar out of the space- time continuum, and drops them into a demi-plane of his own devising at a time in their pasts when they were all 1st level. He gives Tenser a dagger, Otis a club, and Robilar an awl pike. (Zagyg always did have a soft spot for ol’ Robilar.) Zagyg also loads the mystical dice of fate such that the three always tie for initiative. Then he sits back to watch.
      In the 1st round, the reluctant combatants close to striking distance, so no melee takes place. In the 2nd round, a comparison of weapon lengths determines who strikes when. Robilar’s pike (18‘) is first, followed by Otis’ club (3‘), and, finally, Tenser‘s dagger (15“). Speed factors are not considered (per 1 & 2, above) as this was their first round of combat after closing.
      In round 3, however (with initiative tied), the speed factor rules apply Because there is a ten-point difference in speed factors between Tenser’s dagger and Robilar’s pike, Tenser is allowed to attack twice before Robilar, and once more at the same time as Robilar. The difference between Robilar’s pike and Otis’ club is nine. Because the difference (9) is at least twice the lower factor (4) — or five or more in any case — Otis can also attack twice before Robilar, although without the benefit of a third attack as Tenser has. Thus, the attack sequence this round is Tenser/Otis, Tenser/Otis, Tenser/Robilar. At the end of the round, Zagyg loses interest in the whole thing, sends everyone back to his respective place and time, and takes it upon himself to start designing a completely new game system from scratch. THE END.

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