[Homebrew] Combat Techniques

[logen_nein]

Working on some new homebrew content, open to thoughts/criticism. Also if I'm reinventing the wheel please let me know. Pardon the formatting, copy/pasting out of Obsidian.

Fatigue can be used not only to up the grittiness of combat, but also as a way to fuel combat abilities that go outside of the normal flow of battle.

Characters gain a number of Combat Techniques at character creation equal to their Combat Skill Category Bonus. So a character with STR 14, INT 8, DEX 12 would start with access to three Combat Techniques.

Expert Defense

Cost 2 Fatigue
When making an additional parry or dodge attempt ignore the cumulative penalty for successive attempts.

Quick Reflexes

Cost 1+ Fatigue
Increase your DEX rank by 1 for each Fatigue spent for one round. This is a reflexive action at the start of the round.

Special Attack

Cost 3 Fatigue
Activate the special result of the weapon type you are using on a successful attack if your attack roll was not a Special Success.

[Mugen]

Is Fatigue the rule from RQ3, where your maximum is STR+CON-Enc and you lose 1 point per turn ?

Fatigue is a boring rule, IMHO. I tried to use it when I first played RQ3, but quickly abandoned it.

I'd be tempted to use another ressource to fuel combat techniques, as it favors STR and CON, which are already very useful for a fighter in BRP.

Perhaps something based on INT and DEX, to help the agile and clever swashbuckler.

The closest equivalent to your rule I remember are the Ki powers from RQ3 Land of Ninja. They can be acquired after reaching 90% in a skill, and used magic points.

French HawkMoon 1st edition also had a rule for "bottes", skills that you could learn once you reached 90+ in a weapon skill, and allowed you to deal an automatic Major Wound on a success.

MRQ1 also had rules to get "heroic abilities", but they were in fact D&D feats in disguise.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Mugen