Grim-N-Gritty (3.5e Sourcebook)/Additional Combat Rules

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Additional Combat Rules

There are a few other significant changes that the Grim-n-Gritty rules make to the standard combat system.

Attacking Inanimate Objects

When you attack an inanimate object, you make an attack roll against its Defense. If the object is stationary, you roll against a fixed value of 1 + the object’s size modifier. If the object is moving, such as swinging on a pendulum or thrown in the air, it makes a standard Defense roll, adding its size modifier. The Relative Degree of your attack roll affects the damage you inflict on the object.

Energy Weapons

Energy weapons fire a beam or pulse of energy that travels at or near the speed of light. Unlike solid projectiles, energy attacks suffer no inaccuracy from high velocity winds. Because the bolt strikes the target in an instant, you do not have to lead your target, just point and depress the firing stud. This gives energy weapons an inherent bonus of +2 to attack rolls.

Sidearms and Longarms in Melee

As with all forms of ranged weapons, attacking with a firearm or energy weapon while within a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity.

Because of the weapon’s unwieldy shape and size, an attacker using a longarm (i.e., carbine or rifle) suffers a –4 penalty on attacks against adjacent opponents.

Sneak Attack

Instead of the Sneak Attack game mechanic, which adds several dice to a character’s damage, the Grim-n- Gritty rules apply a bonus to your attack roll.

If your sneak attack damage dice bonus is +1d6, then you gain a +2 bonus to your attack roll any time your target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to Defense (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when you flank your target. While performing a sneak attack, you can make a Called Shot without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

For every additional +1d6 of sneak attack damage, you gain +1 to your attack roll.

For example, a character with +5d6 sneak attack damage in the core combat rules would have a +6 attack bonus when performing sneak attacks in the GnG system.

Immunity to critical hits (such as that possessed by creatures without discernible anatomy or undead) no longer protects against sneak attacks. The GnG sneak attack represents taking advantage of an opening in your opponent’s defenses, rather than striking a vulnerable location.

Added note by uploader: This should probably be added to all sources of extra damage from class abilities and the like to keep within the damage expected. Thus, a creature using Rabid Wolf Strike (Tome of Battle) would add +4 damage instead of +2d6. Increase the damage by one for every die size larger; thus, d8 deals +3 damage, d10 deals +4 damage, d12 deals +5 damage, and d20 deals +6 damage.

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