Legends of Belariath

Combat

Any fantasy role-play would seem rather lacking if those warriors and mages didn't get any opportunity to fight each other, whether for reasons of vendetta and personality clashes, or just for bragging rights. So combat has its place here in Belariath. We will touch briefly upon what stats do, and what is needed for physical close combat, physical ranged combat and magical combat for both close and ranged. Don't worry if you feel you get confused or lost, as you work with it. It soon becomes almost second nature, as easy as nabbing that elf you've always wanted.

STATS and their Definitions

• STR - Strength - The ability to do physical damage and the ability to absorb damage while continuing to fight
• AGI - Agility - Increases the possibility of making a physical attack and also the possibility of avoiding an attack
• INT - Intelligence - As cunning it manifests into an increased chance of successfully making a physical attack or avoiding one at a distance. As mental ability it increases the chance of forming a spell and directing it
• RES - Resistance - The ability to ignore outside influences and concentrate the mind. Useful for both making and avoiding magical attacks. A secondary effect is the ability to withstand debilitating conditions such as poison.
• STA - Stamina - How long you can keep fighting for without getting tired. If STA falls below 2 then it is not possible to fight but the player can evade until STA is recovered. If STA falls to 0 the player can no longer move and loses
• LFE - Life - The amount of damage you can take before becoming too wounded to fight on. If LFE falls to 0 or below the combatant is incapacitated and loses the fight
• SLO - Magic Slots - The number and power of spells carried

STAT Factors In Possible Combat Actions

• Close-in Physical Attack: STR AGI
• Close-in Physical Defense: AGI RES
• Ranged Physical Attack: STR INT
• Long Range Physical Defense: AGI INT
• Close-in Magical Attack: INT STR
• Close-in Magical defense: RES STR
• Ranged Magical Attack: INT RES
• Long range Magical defense: RES AGI
• Evade: Restores a degree of lost stamina can only be done when it is your turn to attack. When you use your attack turn to regain stamina, your opponent automatically regains 2 stamina also.
• Neutralize: Attempts to remove ongoing negative effects such as sleep or poison. Can only be done when it is your turn to attack.
• Yield: Can only be done when it is your turn to attack. See Yield Rules for details.

Modifiers

• Weapon value modifies physical attack
• Slots modify magical attack
• Armor modifies physical defense
• Disabilities modify the efficiency of certain attacks.
• Spells that have a persistent effect modify magical or physical defense (Spells that last more than one round may increase armor rating etc)
• Skills modify whatever move they relate to
• Fate, controlled by a dice roll, modifies every possible action

As you can see, combat is a bit more of a thought process and while it's all well and good to own the best armor and weapon out there, consider as well how you place your stats during each and every level up. Think to yourself, how does my character act, react? Is she or he more nimble or muscle bound and able to hay maker someone into the next town? Do I need more intelligence as a mage, or should I go for stamina? Only you can define how your character is and what stats should follow to keep in that character mood. All these things help of course but role play above all should be considered when stats to modifiers are used and never feel you cannot ask for suggestions or one of your fellow players views to an Op.