Actions and Maneuvers: Punching Stuff and Running Away (Patreon)

The Testers have their first packet and are already playing the game!!

Hey Patrons! It is I, your James Introcaso, here to talk a little bit about Actions and Maneuvers in the MCDM RPG. But first, a quick playtest update!

Contract Testing Begins

In fact, it’s already begun! Last Friday we put out a short adventure with some rules and pregens for our contract playtesting team to run. Some of you may have even played with them by signing up in our Discord. Our contract testers are the first people to run the RPG outside of MCDM. They’re using the roughest, least-polished version of the game we’ve shared outside of the staff, and they give us loads of feedback. As new chunks of the game are ready for testing, they’ll typically be the first people to review those chunks.

After Matt and I make revisions based on the feedback from the contractors and our tests, we put out the same material to our volunteer playtest coordinators. These wonderful folks get a more polished version of what the contractors ran. There are more volunteer coordinators than there are contractors, so we cast a wider net. Pretty cool!

Once we make revisions based on the volunteer coordinators’ feedback, we then put out that same material to you, the Patrons! We’ll give you plenty of time to playtest the material and put out a survey with it so you can give us your feedback. The survey will be the best way by far to tell us what you think. We’re still working out the exact timing of that first packet.

In the meantime, let’s talk more about the game.

Action Economy

If you’ve been keeping up with the posts here on Patreon, watching our Designing the Game videos, or following conversations that Matt and I have been having with folks on his Twitch channel and my Twitch channel, then you know that in our game a creature can do two things on their turn: a Maneuver and an Action. These can be taken in any order. A creature can take two Maneuvers on their turn in lieu of an action. A creature can also take one extra Maneuver on their turn by spending 3 Stamina.

In the current iteration of the game, there are several Maneuvers and Actions that anyone can take, and I’m going to share those with you now.

Maneuvers

Your Maneuver is how you move, but it's also an opportunity to move other people, drink a potion, or do something similar. If your Action is like a punch, your Maneuver is like a throw.

Whenever a Maneuver allows a creature to move, they can spend some of their movement, use an Action, and then spend the rest of their movement.

Move

The most common Maneuver. Other Maneuvers are presented after this in alphabetical order.

Your character starts with movement based on your ancestry, usually 8. This represents the number of squares you can move using this Maneuver. Movement is usually reduced based on the armor you’re wearing.

All squares adjacent to your character cost 1 movement to move into. No, there is no pythagorean theorem on the grid. It’s a game, don’t overthink it. 😊

You can move through your allies. You cannot move through enemies without making an Agility-Acrobatics Test.

The total distance you willingly move with this Maneuver or any other effect that allows you to move, including any combination of climbing, swimming, jumping, and flying, can’t exceed your speed.

Climb/Swim: In combat, as part of the Move Maneuver, you can climb or swim. Each square you climb or swim costs 2 squares of movement. If the surface is difficult to climb or the liquid is hard to swim in, the Director can call for a Might-Athletics Test. On a failure, you can’t climb or swim but waste no movement in the attempt. Creatures with a climb speed can climb on vertical and horizontal surfaces at full speed without needing to make a Test. Creatures with a swim speed can swim in any liquid at full speed without needing to make a Test.

You can attempt to climb a creature whose Size is greater than yours. If the creature is willing, you can climb them without a Test. If the creature is unwilling, they make an Might-Athletics or Agility-Acrobatics Test (their choice) opposed by your Might-Athletics Test. On a success, you climb the creature. While you climb or ride a creature, you gain 1 Boon to Melee Attacks against the creature and the creature can use a Maneuver to make a Might-Athletics or Agility-Acrobatics Test (their choice) opposed by your Might-Athletics Test. On a failure, you fall from the creature into an unoccupied adjacent space of their choice.

Jump: As part of the Move Maneuver, you can make a long jump and jump a number of squares equal to your Might score without a Test. If you wish to jump further, make a TN 9 Might-Athletics Test as part of this Maneuver. On a success, you jump up to an extra 3 squares.

As a part of the Move Maneuver, you can make a high jump and jump up 1 square. If you want to jump up 2 squares, you must succeed on a TN 9 Might-Athletics Test as part of this Maneuver.

Fly: A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at full speed with the Move Maneuver.

Assist

When you use the Assist Maneuver, an adjacent ally gains 1 Boon to the next Attack or Test they make before the end of their next turn. Your hero has to be able to provide help in order for this Maneuver to work. For instance, you could help another creature climb over a wall if you are close enough to provide a boost. However, it is far less likely that you can help a creature recall lore about necromancy rituals if you have no expertise on the subject. The Director has the final say in when an Assist can help another creature. A creature can only benefit from one Assist at a time.

Break a Grapple

Use this Maneuver when Grappled to make a Might-Athletics or Agility-Acrobatics Test (your choice) opposed by a Might-Athletics Test of the creature grappling you. If you succeed, you break the grapple and can Knockback the target a number of squares equal to your Might or Agility score (whichever you used to make the Test).

Drink Potion

Use this Maneuver to drink a potion.

Hinder

When you use the Hinder Maneuver, an adjacent enemy gains 1 Bane to the next Attack or Test they make before the end of their next turn. You can typically Hinder another creature by distracting them from their task. Like an Assist, you can only Hinder another creature when it makes sense and the Director has final say in when a Hinder actually imposes a Bane.

Knock Over

You can use this Maneuver to attempt to knock an adjacent creature Prone. Make a Might-Vigor Test opposed by the target’s Might-Vigor or Agility-Acrobatics Test (target’s choice). If you win, the target falls Prone. If the target wins, you fall Prone. If one of the creatures in this Opposed Test is heavier than the other, the heavier creature gets 1 Boon per Weight difference on the roll.

Make a Test

Many Tests (see Tests) are Maneuvers in combat. Searching a chest with a Reason-Notice Test, picking a door’s lock with an Agility-Skulduggery Test, or lifting a portcullis with a Might-Vigor Test would all be Maneuvers.

Not all Tests in combat are Maneuvers. Complex or time-consuming Tests might be an Action or take even longer, while some Tests that take no time at all, like an Reason-Knowledge (Monsters) Test to recall lore about mummies, are Free Actions. The Director has final say on this matter.

Push

You can use the Push Maneuver to Knockback an adjacent creature of your Weight or lighter up to a number of squares equal to your Might score. As part of pushing the creature, you can move as many squares as you push them, moving in the same direction as the target.

Stand Up

You can use the Stand Up Maneuver to stand up if you are Prone. You can move up to half your speed as part of this maneuver.

Start a Grapple

As long as you have at least one arm or other grappling limb free, you can use this Maneuver to attempt to grab a creature of your Weight or lighter who is adjacent to you. Make a Might-Athletics Test opposed by the target’s Might-Athletics or Agility-Acrobatics Test (target’s choice). If you win, the target is Grappled by you. If you lose, the target Knockbacks you a number of squares equal to their Might or Agility score (whichever they used to make the Test).

While grappling a target, you can only move at half speed (rounded down) and when you move, you bring the target with you.

Throw An Object

With this Maneuver, you can hurl any object of a Weight less than your Might score up to a number of squares equal to your Might score. You can hurl objects of a Weight that is half or less than your Might score twice as far. You can make a Might-Vigor Test as part of the maneuver, adding a number of squares to the maximum distance equal to the result. Weapons that are made to be thrown can be hurled without a Test and follow the normal rules for ranged weapons.

Actions

Your Action is how you Attack and do other cool, impactful things that affect the battle.

Attack

See Attacking for more information on this action.

Charge

When you take the Charge Action, you can move up to your speed in a straight line and make a Basic Attack against an adjacent creature after you move.

Defend

When you take the Defend Action, you gain a +3 bonus to all your Defenses until the start of your next turn.

Recover

You regain 3 Stamina and can make a saving throw to end an effect.

Triggered Action

You may have one or more unique Triggered Actions that have a specified trigger. You can use one Triggered Action per round. This Triggered Action can be used on your or another creature’s turn, but only when the action’s trigger occurs. For instance, a Tactician hero can use the Parry Triggered Action to increase the Armor of an adjacent ally but only when that ally is attacked.

Free Actions

Boring stuff, like opening an unlocked door, picking up an arrow off the ground, or drawing a weapon, doesn’t require a Maneuver or an Action. These choices are called Free Actions, and you can typically take as many as you like on your turn. At the Director’s discretion, circumstances could make something that is normally boring more impactful and exciting, and so what would normally be a Free Action could be a Maneuver or Action.

Attacking

When you want to harm another creature, you use your Action to attack them. Your character has the Attacks they can make listed on their character sheet. Each Attack has an entry for Type, Range, and Damage, and many attacks also have an Effect entry.

Type

All Attacks have a Type: Magic, Natural, Psionic, and Weapon. These will have more robust mechanical definitions in the future.

Magic Attacks are made by creatures who can cast spells or have innate magical abilities. They include rays of fire, bolts of lightning, and cones of freezing energy.

Natural Attacks are made by creatures with their own bodies. They include punches, kicks, bites, tail slaps, and more.

Psionic Attacks are made by creatures with who can manifest psionic powers or have innate psionic abilities. They include blasts of psychic energy, telekinetic pushes, and rapid aging through chronokinesis.

Weapon Attacks are made by creatures wielding weapons, such as swords, axes, and bows. When you wield a weapon, its Traits apply to Attacks you make with it.

Range

The entry indicates how close you need to be to a creature to Attack them. Many Attacks can only target 1 creature. If the Attack can target more than 1 creature, it will say so here.

If an Attack has a Range of “Melee,” then it can only be used to Attack creatures within 1 square of you (also known as adjacent creatures). Some Melee Attacks can have this range increased, with a “+” followed by a number indicating how many squares the attack has been increased, such as “Melee + 3.”

Damage

This entry tells you what dice to roll and which modifiers to add to that roll. This is typically 2d6 plus another number, usually one of your Characteristic scores. Powerful Attacks may also have Impact Dice, which are d8s, factored into their Damage.

If an Attack targets multiple creatures, you only roll Damage once and apply that roll to all targets.

Each target then applies their Defense to the Attack (see below).

Note: Many games split attacks into two different rolls: one to hit a target and one to determine damage. This game combines them into one roll for speedier, more impactful play.

Effect

Many Attacks have an Effect entry. This is an extra thing that happens in addition to the Damage from the Attack. If the entry is listed as “Effect,” it happens whether or not the Attack deals Damage to the target. If the entry is listed as “Effect on Damage,” it happens only if the Attack deals Damage to the target.

Every creature has a Basic Attack. When you make a Basic Attack on a turn other than your own, it has no Effect entry and it can’t be modified by spending class resources or Threat.

Critical Hit

When you roll a total of 11 or 12 on an Attack made on your turn, you score a Critical Hit. When you score a Critical Hit, you can immediately take another Action. You can only benefit from a Critical Hit once per turn.

What’s Next?

Matt and I are cooking up a few different things for the game right now, including rules for negotiation, threat, scene management, wealth, and more. We’ve also got a great author working with us on a career path system. Plus we got more Designing the Game videos coming atcha.

—James