13th Age 2nd Edition Conditions

   2023-01-17  Posted in -- CONTENT TYPE --, 13a 2e, -- CAMPAIGN SETTING --, -- CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR(S) --, Extras

13th Age 2nd Edition Conditions

Combat Rhythm

Some fighters fight best when they balance offense and defense. You’ll need a two-sided rhythm token. A coin will do, with heads as offense and tails as defense.

Changing Rhythm
After you use a fighter maneuver that’s labeled offense, set your rhythm to defense. You can also choose to set your rhythm to defense when you rally. When you use a fighter maneuver that’s labeled defense, set your rhythm to offense.

Using rhythm
Whenever you use a fighter maneuver that matches your current rhythm, roll an extra d20 for attacks that are part of the maneuver and use whichever result you like.

For example, on their first turn, Selene Skullbreaker uses gauge their style, a defense maneuver. That sets their rhythm to offense. In the next round, with the escalation die advanced to 1, Selene opts for heavy blow, an offense maneuver. That matches Selene’s current rhythm, so they roll 2d20 for the heavy blow attack instead of 1d20. After the attack, they set their rhythm to defense.

Corner cases: If you drop to 0 hit points, are stunned, unconscious, helpless, or confused, you lose your rhythm and will have to start it up with your next maneuver.

    • Adventurer Feat: You gain a bonus fighter maneuver from the highest pool you qualify for.
    • Champion Feat: Once per turn when you score a critical hit, or drop a non-mook enemy to 0 hp, or drop the last mook of a mob, you can opt to switch your rhythm. (Usually, fighters want to change to offense, but you may have reasons to switch to defense.)
    • Epic Feat: You no longer lose your rhythm when stunned, unconscious, confused, helpless, or dropped to 0 hit points. You do lose your rhythm if you fail a death save, but not if you fail a last gasp save.
Confused

You’re uncertain about what’s going on and what you should do.

  • You take no actions when it isn’t your turn, such as making opportunity attacks or activating magic items.
  • At the start of your turn, roll a d6.
    • 1-2: You do nothing this turn
    • 3-4: You attempt to disengage from everyone you are engaged with, treating your allies as if they were also enemies who had to be disengaged from; ’you can’t be too careful’, but after disengaging you don’t move far, you’re just trying not to get hit
    • 5-6: You use a basic or at-will attack against at least one of your nearby allies, usually determined randomly. You can’t switch weapons first. If you move before attacking the ally, you draw no opportunity attacks.
Dazed
  • You take a –4 penalty to attacks.
Feared
  • Fear Dazes you and prevents you from using the escalation die.
Grabbing & Grabbed
  • Some monsters grab you. Generally, they grab you after a successful hit.
  • When a monster that is grabbing you starts its turn, it deals automatic damage to you as a free action. The automatic damage is equal to half the normal damage that it deals with the attack that damaged you.
    • For example, the glabrezou’s pincer attack deals 45 damage, so the automatic damage when it has someone grabbed is 22 damage.
    • This automatic damage is in addition to the monster’s normal actions and attacks.
  • When you are grabbed you are engaged with the creature grabbing you and you can’t move away unless you teleport, somehow pop free, or successfully disengage.
  • If you are smaller than the creature that is grabbing you, it can move and carry you along no problem.
  • If you are the same size or larger, the creature grabbing you has to let go of you if it wants to move.
Hindered
  • You can only make basic attacks, no frills.
  • You can still move normally.
  • Fighters and bards:
    • that also means no flexible attacks.
  • Monsters:
    • that means no triggering special abilities for specific attack rolls.
Helpless
  • If you’re unconscious or asleep, you’re helpless and a lot easier to hit.
  • While helpless, you take a –4 penalty to all defenses and you can be the target of a coup de grace.
Coup de Grace

It’s easier to take out a helpless enemy, but you have to concentrate on the attack. When you attack a helpless enemy you’re engaged with, you score an automatic critical hit if you follow these three steps:

  • Skip your move action and your quick action that turn.
  • Make a standard action attack on your turn against the helpless enemy you are engaged with.
  • Your attack only targets the helpless enemy; you’re focusing the entire attack against the helpless foe, even if the attack would normally target multiple creatures.
Stuck
  • You can’t move, disengage, pop free, change your position, or let anyone else move you without teleporting.
  • You’re not otherwise penalized, necessarily.
Stunned
  • You take a –4 penalty to defenses and can’t take any actions.
Vulnerable
  • The first time an attack you are vulnerable to misses you each turn, the attacker can reroll the attack once.
  • You don’t get to reroll every attack against a creature that’s vulnerable to your attacks, just the first missed attack each turn.
Weakened
  • You take a –4 penalty to attacks and to defenses.
Author: Turnerbuds