Contested Actions in Conflict, Part 1

Conflict

The royal cults say that conflict is at the heart of all creation. It was the conflict between the six dalaihal before time began that brought the cosmos into being. It was the conflict between the dalaihal and Taitima, the mother of monsters, that brought the demons and the sapient kinds into being. It was the conflict between the royal cults themselves that brought the first great kingdoms into being. And it was the conflict between the great kingdoms that brought law, order, and prosperity for some into being. The royal cults preach that conflict is a sacred thing, as they must since their dalaihal appear to be so committed to it. The royal cults have spent centuries perfecting the art of instilling conflict into the stories and religious practices of Chaesharin's commonfolk, so that there are few that question its ever present place in the world.

The belief in the divinity and the moral purity of conflict is stronger than law, and blood, and steel. The strength of the belief is manifest most dramatically in the military rite of taishi, meaning "two men." The sapient kinds believe so strongly that the outcomes of wars are determined by the dalaihal and by the respective piety of the fielded armies, that every army has the sacred right to challenge another encamped against it to resolution by single combat. A champion from either army, chosen by charismatic consensus, comes forward to meet the other in single combat. The one who stands victorious over the corpse of the other claims victory for their entire army. The morale of the defeated army is shattered. They mourn and retreat with all haste, abandoning the field and all of their supplies and treasures. Soldiers have become warlords through taishi, and warlords have become princes at the head of kingdoms. Vaishineph in the shadows of these conflicts do not necessarily relish violence, but they are wise enough to recognize that violence is the one, true, universal language of Chaesharin. It is a crimson alphabet that every person understands in their bones, and the vaishineph learn to be poets of those letters.

Introduction

Conflict is at the heart of the fantasy genre and of the world of TWE. Conflict scenes combine the mechanics of the Judge Two System, time, distance, and action descriptions, in order to create a high stakes game of strategy, drama, and chaos. TWE's game mechanics, especially expressed on the Action Descriptions page, uses a single, unified system for the resolution of all contested actions. And since the rapid fire exchange of contested actions is what a conflict is about, all conflicts, regardless of if they are martial or social, large scale or individual, use the same basic game mechanics to resolve.

The sections below highlight some of the terminology that is unique to conflicts, as well as some of the specific issues that arise when attempting to resolve different types of conflict actions.

Attacks, Defenses, and Counters

"Attacks" are what TWE calls any contested action test with an offensive motivation, generally aiming towards overcoming, outmaneuvering, or outwitting an opponent. "Defenses" are what TWE calls any contested action save with a protective motivation, generally aiming towards resisting or avoiding the effects of an attack. The term attack and defense applies regardless of the nature of the action test or save. An attack can be a charging sword thrust or a sly and cutting smirk. A defense can be a smooth acrobatic flip or the entire consolidation of a thousand man shield wall. A successful attack allows the attacker to select a contested end to apply to the target of the attack. A list of common contested ends can be found on the action description page. At minimum, a successful defense prevents the effects of an attack. But under certain circumstances, a successful defense also allows a counter attack. A counter attack allows the defender to select a contested end to apply to the attacker, just as if the defender had landed a successful attack. The conditions which permit a counter attack are discussed in more detail below.

Because players are the only ones who roll dice to resolve actions in TWE, attacks and defenses are always resolved by players. If a player character attacks a non-player character, the player character makes an attack test to resolve the action. A success allows the player character to apply a contested end to their target. A failure indicates that the non-player character's defense was successful, preventing the effects of the attack. If a non-player character attacks a player character, the player character makes a defense save to resolve the action. A success prevents the effects of the attack. A failure indicates that the non-player character's attack was successful, allowing them to apply a contested end to their target.

As for all tests and saves made by player characters, attacks can earn guilts and glories, but defenses cannot. A glorious failure on an attack represents a sudden and dramatic clash of power, where attacker and defender lock together for a moment frozen in time. The normal rules for resolving a glorious failure still apply to attacks. A guilty failure on a defense by a player character against a non-player character is roughly equivalent to a non-player character earning a glorious success, and triggers an effect called a "critical end," unique to each non-player character, which permits them to immediately apply an offensive effect of some sort to the defender of their nearby allies.

Attack Outline

Broken down into the smallest possible pieces, an attack can be thought of as having seven steps. In practice, completing the seven steps takes only a few words and few seconds. But for illustration's sake, the outline below will walk through each of the seven steps individually, combining all of the mechanics and principles discussed so far.

Step 1) Character's side of the conflict is called

Using the round of calls discussed on the Time and Distance page, the gamemaster calls the player characters' side of a conflict and sets the stage for their actions.

GM: "The circle of fire constricts even further and the group of swordsman have you surrounded. What do you do?"

Step 2) Character is chosen to act

The players confer and decide which of their characters will take action on this call.

Player 1: "Player 2 should attack the swordsman and try to push them back."
Player 2: "I'll do it. I'm taking the call."

Step 3) Character describes a contested aim

The player of the chosen character describes a contested aim that advances their sides cause in the conflict, along with any minor actions that lead up to or prepare the way for their major action attempt, as discussed on the Action Description page.

Player 2: "My character will skirt the edge of the flames and come around from the swordsmen's flank..."

Step 4) Character describes a major action

The player of the chosen character declares their major action and its target, as well as any boons that the major action is making use of.

Player 2: "...to attack them with my heavy spear."

Step 5) Character uses the Judge Two System to resolve the attack as a contested action test

The player of the chosen character rolls two dice to resolve their major action test, in the manner described on the Judge Two System page.

Player 2: *rolls dice, spends Light, adds Strength to Truth...*

Step 6) Character either succeeds and applies a contested end or fails and does not

If the player character succeeds on their major action test, then the player selects one of the contested ends to apply to the target of their character's action. If the player character does not succeed, then they do not.

GM: "Your roll is an innocent failure 2. You maneuver beside the swordsmen, but they see you coming, and parry your spear attacks with deft precision."

Step 7) Target of the character counter attacks if applicable

If the player character's major action test failed, and the target of that action is eligible to counter attack, then the target of the player character's action selects one of the non-strike contested ends to apply to them.

GM: "The swordsman counterattack with the force end. One of the swordsman grabs hold of your spear as you thrust, and, swinging with their full weight, throws your character outside the circle of flames and away from the rest of your allies."

Defense Outline

Outlined below are the nine steps of a defense, again, combining all of the mechanics and principles discussed so far. The defense outline is longer than the attack outline to incorporate both the gamemaster's description of a non-player character's action and the player character's response. But otherwise, the attack and defense steps mirror one another almost exactly.

Step 1) Opposition side of the conflict is called

Using the round of calls discussed on the Time and Distance page, the gamemaster calls the side of a conflict opposing the player characters and sets the stage for their actions.

GM: "With one ally gone, the swordsmen look to exploit their advantage..."

Step 2) Opposition side character is chosen to act

The gamemaster decides which of the non-player characters involved in the conflict is taking an action.

GM: "...and advance, flourishing their blades..."

Step 3) Gamesmaster describes a contested aim

The gamemaster describes a contested aim that advances the opposition side's cause in the conflict, along with any minor actions that lead up to or prepare the way for the non-player character's major action attempt, as discussed on the Action Description page.

GM: "...and snarling in a foreign tongue as they press in on Player 1 from all sides."

Step 4) Gamemaster describes a major action

The gamemaster declares the major action of the chosen opposition character and its target, as well as any boons that the major action is making use of.

GM: "They lunge at the last second and attack with their blades."

Step 5) Character describes a responsive aim

The player of the target character describes a responsive aim in reaction to the opposition character's major action, along with any minor actions that lead up to or prepare the way for their own major action, as discussed on the Action Description page.

Player 1: "My character will stand their ground..."

Step 6) Character describes a major action

The player of the target character declares their major action, as well as any boons that the major action is making use of.

Player 1: "...and raise their shield to ward off their attacks."

Step 7) Character uses the Judge Two System to resolve the attack as a contested action save

The player of the target character rolls two dice to resolve their major action test, in the manner described on the Judge Two System page.

Player 1: *rolls dice, spends Light, adds Strength to Truth...*

Step 8) Character either fails and has a contested end applied or succeeds and does not

If the player character fails on their major action save, then the gamemaster selects one of the contested ends to apply to the target of the opposition character. If the player character succeeds, then the gamemaster do not.

GM: "Your roll is an innocent success 1! Your shield withstands the blows of the swordsmen and they cannot land a strike."

Step 9) Character counter attacks if applicable

If the player character's major action save succeeded, and they are eligible to counter attack, then the player selects one of the non-strike contested ends to apply to the opposition character.

Player 1: "My character will counterattack with the block end, and slam into the swordsmen with their shield, ready to defend again."

Conflict Boons

A boon is any object or circumstance which can persist over time and which provides a benefit to a character for a specific range of actions. Alternatively, a boon could allow a character to attempt an action that they would not normally be able to do at all. In the normal course of play, things like medicine or climbing packs, lock picks and keys, research libraries or scrolls, torches and lanterns, quality smithing or weaving tools, or any number of other things can be considered boons. Conflict scenes in particular rely heavily on the presence of boons, and each type of conflict has its own set of commonly occurring boons. Specifically, each of the conflicts described below has four primary boons associated with it: an offensive boon, a greater boon, a defensive boon, and a lesser boon.

Offensive boons determine how much damage is inflicted by the strike end, set limits on what kinds of ends can be chosen, and determines under what circumstances counter attacks are possible. Greater boons give flat bonuses to specific kinds of action tests (like greater attributes). Defensive boons determine how much damage is resisted by the strike end and by various threat effects. Lesser boons give flat bonuses to specific kinds of action saves (like lesser attributes). Boons particularly suited for conflicts are also describable by class, which is a roughly approximation of a given boon's strengths and weaknesses. The three classes of boons are light, full, and heavy. Classes of boons share many similar features between different types of conflicts, even if the nature of the boons themselves differs dramatically.

Take just one example for illustration's sake.

A Soshi Scorpion Knife is a small, curved blade favored by desert nomads. The Mysterious Stranger Script is a way of speaking to someone that plays up a character's foreign heritage and enigmatic charisma. The Lisraii Spear Warders are a unit of light infanty, adept at skirmishing on difficult mountain terrain. And the Atrian Scouting Ship is a light warship with a single bank of rowers and no ram, used for piracy and reconnaissance. These four entities are entirely different sorts of things, but within the context of The Way of the Earth's game mechanics, each is a light class offensive boon which dictates how much damage is dealt in different types of conflicts; namely, in martial conflicts, social conflicts, large scale battles, and naval engagements respectively.

Below, the boons appropriate to each type of conflict and their benefits by class will be described.

Martial Boons and Actions

Martial boons take the form of conventional combat equipment, weapons, mounts, armor, and shields. Martial conflicts are intended to be lethal and have grave consequences, partially to encourage players to seek alternative means of resolving conflicts, and partially to make combat feel heroic when there is no other choice. Martial boons are essential for surviving and succeeding in martial conflicts.

Offensive Martial Boon: Weapons

Weapons have a number of effects. They determine the range at which targets can be attacked and which contested ends can be applied to targets upon a successful attack, they determine the amount of damage dealt by the striking end, they determine the possibility of counter-attacking upon successfully defending, they set both a base attack bonus and a situational attack bonus against specific targets, and they dictate which hands they must be wielded in and whether or not it is possible to use a shield or off-hand weapon with them. Many of these effects fall into predictable patterns that will apply to all offensive boons even across conflict types.

Weapons are classed as either melee or ranged, and as either light, full, or heavy.

All melee weapons can only be used at touch range, and can be used to apply any of the eight contested ends to a target upon a successful attack. Melee weapons can counter-attack targets in melee range. Melee weapons have a base attack bonus of +1. All ranged weapons can be used at either near or far range, and can only apply the chase, strike, vanish, and weaken ends to a target upon a successful attack. Ranged weapons can counter-attack targets only at near range. Ranged weapons have a base attack bonus of +0.

All light weapons are wielded in one hand and deal four damage with the striking end. Light weapons have a base attack bonus of +1. Light weapons can be readied and used in the same action. Light weapons are the only weapons that can be dual wielded. Dual wielding light weapons applies a -1 attack penalty, but allows the strike end to be chosen on a counter-attack and increases the degree of success on saves against attacks by 1. All full weapons are wielded in either one hand or two and deal six damage with the striking end. Full weapons have a base attack bonus of +0 when used in one hand, and +1 when used in two hands. All heavy weapons are wielded in two hands and deal eight damage with the striking end. Heavy weapons have a base attack bonus of -1. Heavy weapons cannot be used while mounted.

Common quality weapons can be broken by the lose boons guilt, control boons glory, or the disarm end. Superior quality weapons can only be broken by being dealt seven damage at once by a striking end and provide a +1 attack bonus. Both common and superior quality can be disarmed, however, which results in the weapon being dropped at the user's feet or thrown a near distance away, at the disarming character's choice.

Greater Martial Boon: Mounts

Mounts provide two consistent bonuses. The first is an increase to a character's base attack bonus and the second is an increase to a character's movement speed.

Mounts are classified as either light, full, or heavy. All mounts increase a character's movement speed to swift. All light mounts provide a +1 attack bonus. All full mounts provide a +2 attack bonus. All heavy mounts provide a +3 attack bonus.

Common quality mounts can be killed by the lose boons guilt, control boons glory, or the disarm end. Superior quality mounts can only be killed by being dealt seven damage at once by a striking end and provide 1 additional damage against all targets. Both common and superior quality can be disarmed, however, which results in being unmounted and the rider taking three penetrating bashing damage.

Defensive Martial Boon: Armors

The primary task of armor is to provide lethal and bashing damage resistance at the cost of small attack penalties reflecting their weight and encumbrance. Individual armors also provide a situational defense bonus against specific types of weapons.

Armors are classified as either light, full, or heavy. All light armor provides 2 lethal and bashing damage resistance. All full armor provides 3 lethal and bashing damage resistance, but applies a -1 attack penalty. All heavy armor provides 4 lethal and bashing damage resistance, but applies a -2 attack penalty.

Common quality armors can be broken by the lose boons guilt, control boons glory, or the disarm end. Superior quality armors can only be broken by being dealt seven damage at once (after resistance) by a striking end and reduce the attack penalty imposed by armor by 1.

Lesser Martial Boon: Shields

Shields are used in a character's offhand and provide a defensive bonus against martial attacks at the cost of small attack penalties reflecting their weight and encumbrance. Individual shields also provide a situational attack bonus when paired with specific types of weapons.

Shields are classified as either light, full, or heavy. All light shields provide a +1 defense bonus. All full shields provide a +2 defense bonus, but applies a -1 attack penalty. All heavy shields provide a +3 defense bonus, but applies a -2 attack penalty.

Common quality shields can be broken by the lose boons guilt, control boons glory, or the disarm end. Superior quality shields can only be be broken by being dealt seven damage at once and reduces the attack penalty imposed by shields by 1. Both common and superior quality can be disarmed, however, which results in the shield being dropped to the user's feet or thrown a near distance away at the disarming character's choice.

Other Boons and Penalties

At the gamemaster's discretion, and at the creative description of the players, a number of other things can be considered boons or result in penalties for martial actions. Two common situations are cover and footing. Cover and advantageous footing from high ground can both be describe as boons, providing +1 to defenses and +1 to attack respectively. Whereas a narrow space, without room to evade or maneuver, or poor footing from rough terrain or lower ground, can both impose -1 penalties to defenses and attacks respectively. As briefly explained on the Action Description page, characters can use minor actions and maneuvering to claim these sorts of boons, while the lose boons guilt, control boons glory, disarm end, or force end can all be used to deny characters these boons to characters.

Martial Actions

Martial attacks and defenses represent combat maneuvers under-taken in an effort to harm, kill, or otherwise defeat opponents while avoiding much of the same. Blocking is a shield slam or glancing blow followed up by standing one's ground in expectation of attack. Chasing is physical pursuit and cornering of a target. Disarming is knocking a item from a target's hands, ripping a shield from their grip, unhorsing a target, or cutting holes in a target's armor.  Entangling is grappling, sweeping, a standing clench, or extreme close quarters combat. Forcing is pushing or knocking a target around, taking them off their feet, pushing them out of cover or off ladders, bridges, or other positions. Striking is an attack with the intention of dealing maximum damage. Vanishing is hiding, blinding, or slipping behind or around an opponent's guard. Weakening is wrecking a target's guard or footing, wounding or surprising them, feinting, or knocking them down to open them up to attacks.

Faulting or granting ability means becoming an obstacle to an ally or creating a window of opportunity for an ally to take action. Losing or controlling boons acts like a number of disarming ends all at once. Raising risk directs the next two attack actions by opponents towards the character, so long as others are within range, and prevents interrupt actions from being used by allies. Breaking risk directs the next two attack actions by opponents elsewhere, so long as others are within range. In either case, opponents gather or scatter as a character appears more or less threatening according to the guilt or glory. Suffer and spring surprise allows any non-striking end to be applied to a nearby opponent for free, readied weapon permitting. Surprises represent sudden and powerful maneuvers performed with expert timing.

In martial conflicts the environment can be traversed in small degrees with minor actions, so long as the movement does not involve more than a touch distance transition, or in larger degrees like near distances with simple actions taken in the place of contested actions. Full and heavy weapons must be readied with a minor action and then can only be used on the next call. Disarmed weapons and other items can be recovered with a minor action by anyone in touch range, then readied with a minor action on another call. Escaping from a martial conflict is a simple action, but might be contested by other characters with the chase end. If a character does not undertake a contested action on their call during a conflict scene, they receive a +1 on all saves until their next call for their preparedness.

Social Boons and Actions

Social boons take the form of culturally and symbolically meaningful modes of expression that affect the way individuals are perceived and their words are understood. There are four social boons, which are roughly analogous to the four martial boons. There is an offensive boon called scripts, a greater boon called leverage, a defense boon called costumes, and a lesser boon called fame. Scripts are styles or tones of communication, leverage is a bit of information or a physical prop that one character can use to gain an advantage over another in conversation, costumes are socially significant clothing that communicates authority and status, and fame is a degree of reputation and social distinction that protects a character from aggressive manipulation. Scripts and costumes almost directly parallel the weapon and armor martial boons in terms of their effects, with only slight variations, while leverage and fame almost directly parallel the mount and shield boons.

Just as martial conflicts are intended to feel dangerous and consequential, social conflicts are intended to feel the same, with their own unique prizes and costs on the line. Social boons are important for success in social conflicts.

Offensive Social Boon: Scripts

Scripts are socially evocative styles of speech and function like weapons for social conflicts. Scripts determine which contested ends can be applied to targets upon a successful attack, they determine the amount of damage dealt by the striving end, they determine the possibility of counter-attacking upon successfully defending, and they set both a base attack bonus and a situational attack bonus against specific targets. Unlike weapons, scripts are unaffected by handedness and mounts, though scripts have similar restrictions mentioned below. Additionally, a character can only have a single script readied at any given time. All scripts have the same range and can affect any target in range of speaking conversation, generally near range.

Scripts are classified by status (low or high) and role (prestige, gender, and tradition). Low and high scripts are analogous to melee and ranged weapons respectively, and prestige, gender, and tradition are analogous to the light, full, and heavy classifications for weapons and armor. Prestige scripts represent modes of speech that refer to wealth, social and legal power, and political station. High prestige scripts refer to personal opulence and entitlement, and the powers of bribery and influence. Low prestige scripts refer to personal simplicity, poverty, and disciplined asceticism. Gender scripts represent modes of speech that refer to masculinity and femininity, gender roles, and relationship experience. High gender scripts embody idealized forms of strong and virile masculinity, while low gender scripts embody passivity, femininity, and humility. Tradition scripts represent modes of speech that refer to ethnicity, culture, family, and history. High tradition scripts refer to shared ethnicity and cultural experience, whereas low tradition scripts refer to ethnic difference and foreign ideas and experiences.

All low scripts can be used to apply any of the of the eight contested ends to a target upon a successful attack. Low scripts can counter-attack the use of other low scripts. Low scripts have a base attack bonus of +1. All high scripts can only apply the chase, force (not hide, as with ranged weapons), strive, and weaken ends to a target upon a successful attack. High scripts cannot be counter-attacked and cannot counter-attack. High scripts have a base attack bonus of +0.

All prestige scripts deal four flush damage with the striving end and grant a +1 attack bonus, additionally, prestige scripts are the only scripts that permit the striving end to be chosen for counter attacks (like with dual wielding light weapons). All gender scripts deal six flush damage with the striving end and grant no attack bonus, additionally, with a gender script readied, a character does not gain the benefit from fame (like two handed full weapons deny the use of a shield). All tradition scripts deal eight flush damage with the striving end and apply a -1 attack penalty, additionally, with a tradition script readied, a character does not gain the benefit from leverage or fame boons (like heavy weapons cannot be used while mounted and deny the use of a shield).

Scripts do not have quality and can neither be disarmed nor destroyed.

Greater Social Boon: Leverage

Defensive Social Boon: Costumes

The primary task of costumes is to provide flush damage resistance at the cost of small attack penalties reflecting their degree of authenticity and sincerity. Individual costumes also provide a situational defense bonus against specific types of scripts.

Costumes are classified as either prestige, gendered, or traditional. All prestige costumes provide 2 flush damage resistance. All gendered costumes provide 3 flush damage resistance, but apply a -1 attack penalty. All traditional costumes provides 4 flush damage resistance, but apply a -2 attack penalty.

Costumes cannot be disarmed or broken. Superior quality costumes reduce the attack penalty imposed by costumes by 1.

Lesser Social Boon: Fame

Social Actions

Social attacks and defenses represent words, gestures, and postures under-taken in an effort to convince, seduce, intimidate, or otherwise persuade opponents while avoiding much of the same. Whereas descriptions of martial attacks and defenses should illustrate the movements undertaken by characters, descriptions of social attacks and defenses should illustrate the ideas communicated between characters. Blocking in a social context is a strong reply, interruption, or a physical imposition that makes opponents reconsider their words or removes the sting from something said. Chasing is nagging, demands, or physical pursuit designed to compel an opponent to stand their ground and continue a conversation long past when they would rather leave. Disarming is breaking an opponent's train of thought, or calling disruptive attention to their script or costume such that it loses its effectiveness. Entangling is argument or provocation that forces an opponent to stay engaged in single minded conversation with the character.. Forcing is a command or a suggestion that compels an opponent to do something the character wants. It must be something the opponent can do with a minor action, and not anything that would endanger them or cause them to betray their highest duties, but a character might give up some information, step aside, bow or show deference, hand something over, etc. Striking is brute force manipulation that passionately attempts to change an opponent's mind. Vanishing is disengaging from conversation or severing an opponent's active attention such that the character disappears from their notice if not necessarily their physical sight. Weakening is getting under an opponent's skin, getting inside their heads, shaking them, confusing them, or baffling them with fast talk and manipulation, such that their hearts and wills are exposed to the affects of allies.

Faulting or granting ability means becoming an obstacle to an ally or creating a window of opportunity for an ally to take action. Losing or controlling boons acts like a number of disarming ends all at once. Raising risk directs the next two attack actions by opponents towards the character, so long as others are within range, and prevents interrupt actions from being used by allies. Breaking risk directs the next two attack actions by opponents elsewhere, so long as others are within range. In either case, opponents gather or scatter as a character appears more or less threatening according to the guilt or glory. Suffer and spring surprise allows any non-striking end to be applied to a nearby opponent for free, readied script permitting. Surprises represent sudden and powerful maneuvers performed with expert timing.

In social conflicts the environment can be traversed in small degrees with minor actions, so long as the movement does not involve more than a touch distance transition, or in larger degrees like near distances with simple actions taken in the place of contested actions. In social conflicts, one must catch someone else's attention before they make conversation with them and attempt to persuade them, and in environments full of characters, maneuvering can put characters in reasonable range to do this. Disarmed scripts and costumes can be recovered with a minor action by their original owners and are ineffective until then. Escaping from a social conflict is a simple action, but might be contested by other characters with the chase end. If a character does not undertake a contested action on their call, they receive a +1 on all saves until their next call for their preparedness.

Other Boons and Penalties

The most common boon aside from the ones discussed here for social conflicts is that of familiar ground which the gamemaster may choose to apply to one side of a social conflict at their discretion. Familiar ground can only be applied to one side of a conflict, and grants a +1 bonus to all of that side's actions, representing the advantage of having a conversation in circumstances they are familiar with and exert a measure of control over. From the opposing side, it can be seen as being taken outside of one's comfort zone, and being forced to attempt persuasion in a strange and unfamiliar environment.