Combat

Overview

Pathways to Adventure's combat is brutal and swift, with each Round representing 10 seconds during combat. Players and Enemies alternate Rounds, with each creature acting simultaneously in their Round.

Health Points and Death's Door

Creatures have a number of Health Points that represent the remaining harm they can endure before falling into a critically injured state called Death's Door. Generally, Huge and larger creatures will have significantly more HP than smaller-sized creatures.

Calculating Health Points

For player characters, their starting health point total at 1st level is equal to a base of 8 + their Class Health Point Bonus. A character gains additional Health Points equal to their Class Health Point Bonus for each level beyond 1st. Please note that Aspect and Attribute points do not impact a creature's Health Point total.

For example, the Warrior has a Class Health Point Bonus of 12. As such, a 1st level Warrior always has a total of 20 Health Points (8 base + 12 class).

For comparison, 1st level Wizard has a Class Health Point Bonus of 6, and as such only has a total of 14 Health Points (8 base + 6 class).

Death's Door

While a Creature has 0 Health Points, they are in the Death's Door state as they struggle to stave off their imminent demise. While in this state, the Creature must make a Death Prevention Roll at the end of their Round or each time they receive additional health point damage.

The dying Creature cannot take any Actions other than the Use Tools Action and has their Run reduced to 2 as they attempt to falteringly stagger to safety.

If a Creature fails its Death Prevention Roll, it immediately Dies.

At base, the required roll to succeed a Death Prevention Roll is a 2 or more on the d6. With each additional roll, the value needed to succeed increases by 1, so you would need to roll a 3 or more on your second Death Prevention Roll to stay alive.

Any source of health point recovery that brings the Creature to 1 health point or more immediately ends the Death's Door state.

Entering the Death's Door state an additional time during the same combat maintains the Death Prevention Roll value discussed above.

Combat Flow

Initial Round

When Combat officially initiates, often at the Game Master's discretion or when hostilities break out, each player rolls a 1d6 and adds their Initiative Bonus.

Creatures have an Initiative Bonus equal to the highest of among their Technique, Acuity, or Attunement Attributes.

The GM will roll for initiative and average the Initiative Bonus values of the enemies to determine what the players need to meet or exceed to get to join the Initial Round.

Round Structure

A Round consists of all participating creatures' actions, either Players (and allied NPC) or Enemies. Once all creatures have completed their actions, the next Round begins. This continues to alternate between the Player Round and the Enemy Round until combat has concluded.

Rarely, Rounds may also be used to handle time-sensitive, high-stakes moments, such as preparing for an assault or fleeing from a hazardous situation.

Actions & Reactions

Creatures Use a Single Action Per Round unless otherwise stated by a Feature, Boon, Affliction, or State. Below is the exhaustive list of all 6 Actions (+2 highly situational) in Pathways to Adventure:

Execute Maneuvers

Execute Up To Two Attack Maneuvers and Any Number of Tactical Maneuvers, such as Executing the Trip Tactical Maneuver and the Precise Strike and Flurry Attack Maneuvers.

Cast Spells

Cast a Single Spell, such as Casting the Arcane Bolt Spell, and it Takes Effect Immediately.

Recite Chants

Recite a Single Chant for 1 Round, such as Reciting the Heal/Harm Chant, and it Takes Effect Next Round.

Evoke Evocations

(Limited to Classes with the High Magic Feature)
Evoke a Single Evocation for 2 Rounds, such as Evoking the Reconstitute/Obliterate Evocation, and it Takes Effect After 2 Rounds.

Use Tools

Use Tools, such as Healing Potions, from your Backpack or the Environment.

Defend

Enter either the Dodging State or Blocking State to improve Defense and prevent receiving Critical Hit bonus damage.

Free Actions and Reactions

Free Action Abilities are used outside of the above three Action types, once per Round for each Ability.

Reaction Abilities are used in response to Trigger events, often during the enemy's Round, and as such are used outside of the above three Actions. You have one Reaction per Round.

Activation Methods

Execute Maneuvers

Executing Maneuvers to use physical Actions with your Body. You can Execute Attack Maneuvers against a Creature's Defense to attempt to Damage a Creature with Martial Weapons, Execute Tactical Maneuvers against a Creature's Avoid Roll to inflict a negative outcome, or use Skill Maneuvers to benefit yourself or others.

Cast Spells

Casting Spells to use magical Actions with your Mind. You can Cast Attack Spells against a Creature's Defense to attempt to Damage a Creature with Focus Weapons, Cast Tactical Spells against a Creature's Resist Roll to inflict a negative outcome, or use Skill Spells to Enhance Allied Creatures or produce effects on the battlefield.

Many powerful Spells require Concentration to maintain their effects. Incoming Attacks that Hit will require a Resist Concentration Roll of at least 5 to successfully continue Concentrating on the Spell.

Recite Chants

Recite Chants to use mystical Actions with your Spirit. You can Recite Attack Chants against a Creature's Defense to attempt to Damage a Creature with Relic Weapons, Recite Tactical Chants against a Creature's Endure Roll to inflict a negative outcome, or use Skill Chants to Enhance Allied Creatures.

Reciting a Chant requires an entire Round, and the Chant takes effect on the next Round. Incoming Attacks that Hit will require an Endure Concentration Roll of at least 5 to successfully continue Reciting the Chant.