Grand Crew Combat:
A Guide
How Does Combat Work?
If you've ever played D&D before, the Combat System may seem familiar -- but it's a very simplified version of the core mechanics.
In Short: Characters rely on the result of Dice Rolls and their Ability Modifiers to both determine the success or failure when attempting actions, including how battles play out. If the score you roll is higher than the value we require, or higher than the result of your opponents roll, it will be successful! Vice versa, if it your score underperforms compared to theirs, then it is considered a failure.
In this case for Grand Crew, we roll a 10-sided die only.
Whatever you roll, your characters STATs (outside of HP), will act as your modifiers to add onto your roll for a final successful or failing score. Sometimes you may be asked to roll for non-combat experiences as well, so expect to use this a lot and think of all the creative ways to utilize the potential of all your STATs!
We'll only provide examples below. Don't be afraid to think of ways outside of the box where you can use these mechanics to the fullest, as long as you honor what you roll. Together with your creativity and the Moderators here to assist you, you'll become an expert and force to be reckoned with.
What Actions Can I take?
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EXPLORATION AND ROLE-PLAY: In non-combat scenarios, depending on what actions you wish to attempt you may be required to perform a skill check; By using either a specific or preferred STAT you can test the odds in order to overcome obstacles, befriend or intimidate people you meet and explore the various islands you sail to.
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Keep an open mind and play to your OC's strengths! How your Pirate approaches an issue may determine if you're in for a difficult skill check, or a walk in the park.
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COMBAT: Whether it's 1 on 1 battles or group encounters, fights usually consist of alternating turns between an Attacker (or attackers) and a Target (or targets).
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Order of who acts first is determined first by each party rolling a 10-sided die (or D10) for initiative.
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With everyone's initiative, the rounds begin in order from who rolled the highest starting first, onward to who rolled the lowest before ending the round.
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The first to act starts on the offensive as the Attacker, and tries to reduce their opponent's Hit Points by rolling a higher score to attack, while the Target will aim to roll higher in order to avoid losing their HP. Higher score always wins.
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You'll find when your STATS grow that a wide range of actions become available, though not all of them come without a cost.
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Depending on your character's Combat Style or abilities unique to them through their Devil Fruit, Training, or Genetics there may be some exclusive advantages or strategies that are unique only to your OC.
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Below are the actions that can be performed by everyone, including how many times they can potentially be used during an event or encounter. Pay careful attention to their specific requirements or drawbacks when choosing to use them:
Combat Actions available:
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Attack/Defend - Exactly as described, use your turn to attack or defend. Roll must be higher than your opponent to succeed
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Assist - Skip your turn to help an ally's action succeed, they use your 1/2 chosen stat (rounded down to a minimum of +1) as an additional modifier that turn.
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AOE - Area of effect attack, target multiple opponents at once in a single attack using your choice of STAT. Dividing your attention means your following roll to defend suffers a penalty equal to number of targets you chose to attack.
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Use Item - Use an item from your Inventory, You can only use this if you have purchased an item from the SHOP or obtained one during an event. This consumes the item and removes it from your inventory.
These actions depend on using your STATS to modify your D10 roll, being added together to achieve a higher score than your opponent or the required skill check. It's important to increase their levels, not only so they can increase your attack scores, but also to take what opportunities are present to turn the tide in your favor.
Remember: you can only use one STAT at a time when rolling a D10 for a total score, and you must commit to the outcome of the roll should your opponent roll higher than you! What STAT you choose to use and how you use it (as long as it makes sense within the context of your actions), is up to you however.
Skill Checks / DC Rolls
While many of the things you'll do throughout the Grand Line Festival outside of combat are entirely roleplay-based and require no dice rolls, Mods may sometimes require skill checks from your characters to determines success or failure of your character's actions in given situations.
Unlike a combat encounter where you need to beat your opponent's roll to succeed against them, these skill checks are usually a set DC you need to either meet, or exceed the value of with your Rolls and STAT modifier requested by the mods. A skill check's DC -- or Difficulty Class -- is how difficult it is to meet or beat the required score. A lower score, like 5 is an easy DC, while a DC of 15 is difficult or even impossible for under-ranked characters.
Instances that may require a passing skill check/beating DC rolls can include (but are not limited to):
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A Doctor Character rolling higher than 5 using their SPECIAL STAT to treat basic injuries/restore HP
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Characters rolling higher than 10 using your ATTACK STAT to move a heavy boulder from your path
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Withstanding the elements in an area using your DEFENSE STAT, whether that be a natural fire, blizzard, or surge of electricity.
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And many more...
Combat: An Example
Now that we've set some expectations of how combat encounters can play out, lets see an example!
SCARGO vs FUGU
Both of these fighters have some experience under their belt from exploring and conquering the challenges that the Island Hunt has given them, especially Icarous Island. Both Pirates are currently sitting at Rank 17 from the combined total of all their STATs!
However, just because they're both the same Rank doesn't necessarily make this an even battle. Lets see how they use their levels differently to fight.
Measuring HP
HP is the only STAT that does not act as a modifier in combat. HP stands for Hit Points, and each successful attack against you removes a hit point. When you reach 0, your character has been rendered unconscious!
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At Level 1, your Pirate will begin their journey with 6 Hit Points
(5 HP at default/Level 0, plus an additional HP per Level added)-
Each subsequent level you gain in the HP STAT adds another 1 Hit Point to your total pool to a maximum of 15 HP
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HP can be restored between events when you rest, by items or by actions performed by medical professionals! Got any doctors in your crew? Not every battle can be won right away!
With this in mind, Scargo is starting this fight off with 9 HP, while Fugu only has 8 HP.
Fighting
As the fight begins:
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The round begins with Scargo as Attacker, and Fugu as the Target, if Scargo chooses to attack using his ATTACK STAT and land a physical blow, Fugu can choose to:
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Use his ATTACK as well, trying to match his strength to hold his ground.
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Use his SPECIAL, and either deflect his attack or if he had a DF, avoid him in a unique way using that ability.
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Or he can try to rely on his DEFENSE to either help him withstand this blow, or evade it entirely.
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He chooses to use DEFENSE against his attack, and the first round begins:
First Round:
Scargo as the Attacker rolls a 10, and adds (2) ATTACK for a total score of 12
Fugu as the Target rolls a 6, and adds his (5) DEFENSE for a total score of 11
In this case, Scargo scored higher than Fugu and successfully hits him. Fugu subtracts a Hit Point and now has 7 HP. When the Second Round begins, Fugu is now the Attacker and Scargo is the Target.
Second Round:
Scargo rolls a 1, and adds his (6) SPECIAL for a total score of 7
Fugu Attacks, rolls a 6, and adds his (5) SPECIAL for a total score of 11
With the roles reversed, Fugu was able to successfully attack with a higher Score than Scargo, and his HP is reduced to 8 HP.
ROLLING TWENTY / NAT TWENTY:
A NAT 20, or Natural 20, can occur when a player ends up rolling a 10, and uses one of their maxed out STATs to achieve a total score of 20! These are rare and far between, difficult (but not impossible) to counter by opponents rolling against you, and when successfully landing a NAT 20 attack, you're able to deal 1 point of additional damage!
If a NAT 20 is rolled when during an exploration or role-play section, then your attempted actions may succeed beyond your wildest expectations!
Additional factors that will eventually become available, such as USING FEATS or HAKI TO ACHIEVE A SCORE OF 20 also counts as an (un)Natural 20!
And if it all comes together to achieve a score higher than 20?
Lets just say that it pays to be the Best among the WORST of the WORST!
Matching Rolls:
In a PVP (Player versus Player) situation, if both players end up rolling the same score, then the deciding factor is which player has the higher base STAT. (ex. If both Scargo and Fugu's contesting rolls both ended up being a 10 after adding their SPECIAL stat, then Scargo, who has a 6 in that STAT would beat Fugu, who has a 5 )
And what if their base STATs are both even? We treat that as a stalemate; If a decision must be made on if the attack is successful or not, then it's possible the hit can be decided by the flip of a coin, an agreement between Players on what would be narratively appropriate, Mod discretion and more.
In PVM (Player versus Mod) situation, Players must roll to Meet or Exceed the Mod's roll to successfully perform an attacking or defending roll against them.
The rounds between fighters will continue, until one side either surrenders, forfeits or reaches 0 HP. Fights may end for many reasons, it's all up to how you play them! Whether rolls are in your favor or not, the real challenge comes from how you decide to level your STATs and utilize them in ways that are unique and in-character for your Pirate!
It's ultimately up to you to decide which STAT you use as your modifier before you roll the D10 and commit to the score. Cheating or lying about your results will result in penalties. But don't be afraid to ask if you need clarification or reminders on how this system works!
