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Disengaging from Combat


kenco

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I am having a closer look at my PDF of OpenQuest Basic, and I am having trouble understanding how to apply 'Disengaging from combat'. Specifically I am looking at the Opposed case described on page 64 as follows:

If the character is attempting to Fight their way out of combat, use the Retreat Movement Action (See Movement Actions below), where the character fights one more round of combat and if successful escapes the combat.

How is this normally interpreted/ applied?

My doubt centres on the phrase 'fights one more round of combat'. Three specific questions:

1) When does the character actually get to move away from the combat? Say I declare this in my turn on round 1. Then I 'fight one more round' - I suppose that means I have to stand in place for at least one round before moving away - and then I get to move away in my turn on round 2?

2) What happens during 'fight one more round'? I suppose I have to stay in place and defend against attacks until my next chance to move. Do I get to attack, or is losing that attack roll the price of disengaging?

3) What counts as 'success' in 'fighting one more round'? Is the idea that e.g. I use my attack to make a close combat attack, and only if that attack 'succeeds' does my character get away? And can the opponent parry or dodge my 'attack' as usual? Or do I just need to roll a 'success'? OR does just surviving that extra combat round = success?

In my copy the section on Movement Actions below mentioned in the quote above refers me back to page 64, with no further info.

I suppose there are other questions, too, but these are my main ones.

Can anyone help?

Edited by Newt
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Looks like you've got an older version of OQ Basics. Pick up the latest version which has the file name OpenQuestBasics-Sept2017-ebook.pdf, and should have "Fourth Printing September 2017" on the title page of the book.

From either drivethrurpg.com here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/127007/OpenQuest-Basic-Edition

or d101games.com here https://d101games.com/product/openquest-basic-pdf/

These are the current rules, which are greatly revised.
 

Quote

 

Disengaging from Combat
If a player announces that they want to perform a Combat Action, usually by moving away from the combat either as a standard move or more likely as Sprint move, to leave combat the GM must consider whether the attempt is Unopposed or Opposed, based upon their description of their withdrawal.

Unopposed. If the character is unopposed, usually because no one is watching them and they are not fighting someone, then they can just up and leave, using
a standard move or Sprint to do so. Of course, they can’t do anything to bring attention to themselves as they retreat such as cast a spell or make an attack.
Opposed. If the character is still in combat, or has someone ready within range to engage them in combat it is less easy to get away. The GM should work out
what sort of Skill Test is required to get the character out of harm’s way. If stealth or deception is involved a Deception test is the order of the day, and a
good description from the player is required. If the character is attempting to fight their way out of combat, use the Retreat Movement Action (See Movement
Actions below), where the character fights one more round of combat and if successful escapes the combat.

 

 

Head Honcho of D101 Games
Publisher of Crypts and Things/Monkey/OpenQuest/River of Heaven
The Sorcerer Under the Mountain

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Hey, thanks for answering - I appreciate your putting in the time.

My PDF says "Fourth Printing September 2017", and the full text of that section is exactly as you have given it.

My quote might be confusing because I only included the final sentence (which is exactly the same as yours), not the whole section.

So unfortunately, this doesn't really answer my question.

At Movement Combat Actions on p72, the section on Retreat says:

Retreat: A character decides to escape the combat. See “Disengaging from Combat” on page 64

I.e. It looks like a circular reference to me.  

Is there some other section I should be looking at?  I can't see answers there to the specific questions in my OP.  

Perhaps I have misunderstood what is meant by 'fight their way out of combat'?

The cases I had in mind all start with the character engaged in melee combat to his/her front, and then continue with:

A) character wants to create (by attacking/ parrying etc) or take advantage of a naturally occurring (by timing) instant of safety in which to turn and flee out of sword-reach without danger of being cut down almost immediately in the process.

B ) Character wants to turn and flee regardless of risk of being cut down on the spot

C) Character wants to back slowly out of combat without compromising defence, leaving the choice about whether to continue the melee in the hands of the opponent (fighting backwards...)

A case I hadn't considered is when the character tries to hack a way forward past an opponent, to break into the clear.  

Whichever cases are covered, I'm still confused about what procedure to follow.

Peace

Kenco

 

Edited by kenco
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Here's the missing rule about Fighting Retreats (its in OQ2 Deluxe but was missed out of the current version of Basics and the main rulebook, for some reason).

Fighting Retreat: A character may move their full movement directly away from an enemy they are fighting. They may only defend, but at +25% to their close combat or unarmed combat (+50% with a Medium and Large shield).

At the end of the round if they have successfully defended themselves, they may disengage from combat (see page xx).

That covers your case a and c.

 

Case b (running away is covered by)

 

Sprint: The character may move a distance up to twice their Movement Rate, forsaking their attack and only being able to dodge as a defensive reaction. If running away from combat if they successfully dodge any incoming attack, at the end of the combat round they have disengaged from combat.

I think for clarity's sake I should have the actual actions, together with the intial rules discussion (ie. the section on Disengaging from Melee). This is something I'll do in OQ3, which I'm currently putting together. 

Head Honcho of D101 Games
Publisher of Crypts and Things/Monkey/OpenQuest/River of Heaven
The Sorcerer Under the Mountain

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On 11/21/2019 at 3:48 AM, Newt said:

Here's the missing rule about Fighting Retreats... 

...Case b (running away is covered by)

 

Sprint: The character may move a distance up to twice their Movement Rate, forsaking their attack and only being able to dodge as a defensive reaction. If running away from combat if they successfully dodge any incoming attack, at the end of the combat round they have disengaged from combat.

Thanks for getting back to me.  That's very helpful, especially in relation to A & C.

In relation to case b) it seems like the other guy can stop my character moving off the spot by attacking, unless my character passes a dodge test.  So this is not a case of  'turn and bolt, regardless of the consequences', which is the one I had in mind.  Or is the idea in the above that if the opponent attacks and the dodge fails, the opponent has chased after the fleeing character, stabbed her in the back and are still hot on her heels?

I feel like I'm missing some key principle here about how the rules envisage movement out of combat and/or pursuit.

Edited by kenco
clarity
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You're right it doesn't match what you are trying to do.

I the way I've currently got it cast it to provide some sort of risk in running away. So you can try and run away, but if you get attacked and fail to dodge you not only potientially take damage from the successful attack (if your armour doesn't protect you)  but your opponent still has you held in combat. You might want to run away, but your opponent wants to hold you there and beat the heck out of you :)

Recasting the rule to be less mean, after all if the player is taking this option its probably because they want to get out of combat:

Sprint: The character may move a distance up to twice their Movement Rate, forsaking their attack and only being able to dodge as a defensive reaction. If running away from combat  at the end of the combat round they have  now disengaged from combat.

 

Head Honcho of D101 Games
Publisher of Crypts and Things/Monkey/OpenQuest/River of Heaven
The Sorcerer Under the Mountain

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