Player's Option: Combat & Tactics is a 2nd-edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons accessory.
This exciting expansion to the AD&D game contains rules and systems that will make your battles more vibrant and realistic. There are new rules covering critical hits, tactical options, and combat maneuvers such as shield walls, disarms, and more! Complete weapons tables for all eras of play include lots of new weapons and revised characteristics for old ones.
The Combat & Tactics system has been carefully designed to present sets of rules in easy-to-use modules that you pick and choose from and incorporate into your campaign. Regardless of which ones you do use, you'll find everything works with everything else.Description[]
Player's Option: Combat & Tactics introduces a more detailed combat mechanics framework, utilizing battle maps marked with 1-inch square grids to delineate movement during combat scenarios. The default melee scale, used primarily for close-range encounters, defines each square on the grid as a 5-foot by 5-foot area. Conversely, the missile scale, which is employed for outdoor and long-range combat, assigns a value of 5 yards to each square. The Dungeon Master has the discretion to switch between these scales based on the specific conditions of each encounter.
The rules for weapon proficiency have been modified, allowing player characters to wield any weapon by allocating additional proficiency slots as needed. The structure of a combat round is now segmented into distinct phases, each comprising multiple steps such as initiative determination and execution of actions.
Player's Option: Combat & Tactics opens with a one-page introduction by authors Baker and Williams, explaining how the accessory provides a more realistic combat experience. It contains nine chapters, each addressing different aspects of the refined combat system. The first chapter expands on the Player’s Option combat system, building upon the foundations laid in the Player's Handbook 2nd edition and the Dungeon Master's Guide 2nd edition, and introduces a gridded battle map system. Subsequent chapters explore a variety of combat enhancements such as tactical maneuvers, diversified fighting styles, and environmental impacts on battlefield dynamics.
Further chapters cover specialized topics including weapon specialization and mastery, advanced rules for unarmed combat (encompassing brawling and martial arts), and intricate systems for calculating critical hits. Player's Option: Combat & Tactics also expands the repertoire of weapons and armor, discusses the use of war machines, and outlines strategies for siege warfare. The final chapter focuses on monsters in combat, detailing the different creature types and their respective combat capabilities.
Contents[]
- Chapter 1: Player's Option Comabt System
- Chapter 2: Combat Options
- Chapter 3: The Battlefield
- Chapter 4: Weapon Specialization & Mastery
- Chapter 5: Unarmed Combat
- Chapter 6: Critical Hits
- Chapter 7: Weapons & Armor
- Chapter 8: Siege Warfare
- Index
Gallery[]
Credits[]
- Design: L Richard Baker III & Skip Williams
- Editing: Thomas M. Reid
- Project Coordinator: Steve Winter
- Art Coordinator: Peggy Cooper
- Cover Illustration: Jeff Easley
- Interior Illustrations: Doug Chaffee, Les Dorscheid, Larry Elmore, Ken & Charles Frank, Roger Loveless, Erik Olson, and Alan Pollack
- Graphics Coordinator: Paul Jaquays
- Graphic Design: Dee Barnett
- Production: Paul Hanchette
- Typography: Angelika Lokotz
- Photography: Charles Kohl
- Diagrams: Paul Hanchette
- Special Thanks: Dave Gross
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Further Reading[]
- Rick Swan (September 1995). “Role-playing Reviews”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #221 (TSR, Inc.), p. 88.
External Links[]
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