How Combat Works

Combat is cyclical; everybody acts in turn in a regular cycle of rounds. Combat follows this sequence:
1. When combat begins, all combatants roll initiative.
2. Determine which characters are aware of their opponents. These characters can act during a surprise
round. If all the characters are aware of their opponents, proceed with normal rounds. See the surprise section for more information.
3. After the surprise round (if any), all combatants are ready to begin the first normal round of combat.
4. Combatants act in initiative order (highest to lowest).
5. When everyone has had a turn, the next round begins with the combatant with the highest initiative, with specific exceptions, shown below.
6. Steps 3 and 4 repeat until combat ends.

The Combat Round
Each round represents 6 seconds in the game world; thus, there are 10 rounds in a minute of combat. A round normally allows each character involved in a combat situation to act.

Each round’s activity begins with the character with the highest initiative result and then proceeds in order. When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his action. (For exceptions, see Attacks of Opportunity and on page 180 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook and Special Initiative Actions, below.)

When the rules refer to a “full round”, they usually mean a span of time from a particular initiative count in one round to the same initiative count in the next round. Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.

Initiative
At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check. Each character applies his or her Dexterity modifier to the roll, as well as other modifiers from feats, spells, and other effects. Characters act in order, counting down from the highest result to the lowest. In every round that follows, the characters act in the same order, with two exceptions:
1. A character takes an action that results in his or her initiative changing; see Special Initiative Actions below).
2. A character in melee combat succeeds at an action that allows him to seize the initiative from his direct opponent (see below).

If two or more combatants have the same initiative check result, the combatants who are tied act in order of total initiative modifier (highest first). If there is still a tie, the tied characters should roll to determine which one of them goes before the other.

Changes to Flat-Footed Status: At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are NOT automatically flat-footed against enemies you are aware of. The GM retains final decision as to who or what is flat-footed at the beginning of the first round of combat. See discussion, below.

Seizing Initiative
There are three ways by which a character with a lower initiative roll can "seize the initiative" from his opponent:
1. He can opt to not parry (see below) his opponent. If he subsequently attacks the character with the higher initiative, inflicts more total damage than him, and the character with the higher initiative does not successfully attack for the rest of that round, then the two characters switch initiative at the beginning of the next.
2. He can attempt a binding of swords (see below); if he succeeds, and the character with the higher initiative does not successfully attack for the rest of that round, then the two characters switch initiative at the beginning of the next.
3. If he successfully performs a riposte, and the character with the higher initiative does not successfully attack for the rest of that round, then the two characters switch initiative at the beginning of the next. Note that no damage needs to be inflicted by the riposte; what matters is the change of momentum in combat.

Task: come up with a Perception DC for trying to tell if the blow will hit or not. I think the DC will be the attack roll, including the attacker's bonuses. This will make it really tough in some instances, but it will make the choice to parry more meaningful.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License