Life, Combat and Death
One of the challenges we faced when creating the combat system for The Pact was achieving game mechanics that were smooth and cinematic but still allowed for character development and crunchiness.
I believe we overcame that obstacle successfully with our system.
Every character starts with 2 hit points. There are skills and abilities that allow players to raise their hit points to a maximum of 4 with Armour Points stacking on top of that.
Every hit will reduce your hit point total, starting with Armour Points (if applicable). Most hits will count as 1 damage, which will not require the number to be called out. If a hit does more than 1 damage, the number will be called out with each hit.
When you reach 0 Health Points, players will enter a state of agony. While in agony players can only walk and talk, they cannot run, use any skills or defend themselves and immediately lose the use of one limb of their choice. Players are encouraged to make their reactions theatrical. This is your opportunity to make scenes special and memorable… Opponents get to do a cool killing blow, ask you to surrender or beg for your life, etc.
If they are not healed within 10 minutes, or if they receive further damage while in agony, they fall unconscious and enter a bleed-out period.
Bleed-outs last for 5 minutes, during which players cannot talk/move and have no memory of the circumstances that led to their demise. If no one has rescued you by the end of your bleed-out time: you will receive a minor injury and will come back to life in the safest nearby location. Players had best find a healer soon because untreated injuries can lead to complications.
It is important to know in the world of The Pact that instant magical healing is rare and costly. Players would be wise to maintain friendly relations with their local doctor or battle medic.
I think we found a great way to run immersive combat. After exchanging a few hits with your opponent, you strike their leg and they fall to their knees, you now know you won the fight and get to roleplay the last exchange with your opponent, giving great potential for roleplay and cinematic finishing blow!
