Melee Combat reflects your skill with handheld weapons in close-quarters fighting—swords, axes, maces, staves, and improvised arms alike. Success in melee requires more than brute force. Timing, positioning, and reading your opponent are just as important as raw power.
When You Use It:
Melee Combat applies when you:
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Attempt to hit an opponent in hand-to-hand combat
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Use a weapon to block or parry (if permitted by the GM)
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Try to disarm, trip, or grapple using your weapon
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Fight in tight quarters or hold a defensive line
Stat Used:
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Base skill equals the average of Dexterity and Strength, rounded down.
Mechanical Effects:
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Attack Rolls:
Roll d100 under your skill. If the target uses Dodge, compare margins of success. Higher margin wins. -
Passive Parries:
If allowed, you may use Melee Combat defensively instead of Dodge when armed and positioned to parry. GM discretion applies based on weapon type and situation. -
Critical Success (01):
May bypass armor, deal extra damage, or disarm the opponent (GM discretion). -
Critical Failure (00):
May result in losing your weapon, stumbling, or leaving yourself open.
Weapons and Damage:
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Weapons do not affect the skill roll directly.
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Weapon choice determines damage and interacts with Soak.
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Many melee weapons add your Strength Damage Adjustment (SDA) to their base damage.
Situational Modifiers:
Apply the Difficulty Ladder based on positioning, target state, and combat environment:
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+50%: Striking an immobile or unaware target
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+40%: Attacking a restrained opponent
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+30%: Attacking from stealth or flanking
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+20%: Superior footing or range advantage
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+10%: Opponent is hindered or distracted
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0%: Typical melee combat
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–10%: Opponent is actively defending
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–20%: Poor footing or low visibility
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–30%: Precision strikes or called shots
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–40%: Fighting while prone or heavily disadvantaged
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–50%: Striking precise weak points in chaotic melee
Progression and Skill Tiers:
Higher skill tiers reflect improved technique, better timing, enhanced defense, and eventually, extraordinary offensive capability.
- Untrained (0-19%): Basic attacks only, using the base skill derived from STR/DEX. Prone to fumbling, suffers full situational penalties. Cannot effectively Parry.
- Novice (20-39%): Can attack somewhat reliably in simple situations. Still struggles under pressure.
- Competent (40-59%): Reliable basic attacks. Can attempt standard maneuvers (Trip, Shove) using Melee Combat vs. defense. Can attempt Parries, but typically at a penalty (e.g., -20%).
- Proficient (60-69%): Reliable Defense. Can attempt Parries using their full Melee Combat skill percentage, ignoring the round’s multi-action penalty for the Parry roll itself. (The GM still determines if a Parry is feasible based on weapon/situation).
- Expert (70-79%): Offensive Pressure. Gain a +10% bonus when attempting offensive maneuvers like Disarm, Trip, or Shove using the Melee Combat skill.
- Veteran (80-89%): First Legendary Attack. Gain one Legendary Action per round, usable only for one additional Melee Combat attack. This attack uses the character’s full skill percentage and ignores any multi-action penalties declared for the round.
- Virtuoso/Elite (90-99%): Exploit Openings. Penalties for Called Shots (Threading the Needle) targeting specific locations in melee are reduced by one step on the Difficulty Ladder (e.g., a Very Hard -30% penalty becomes Hard -20%).
- Master (100%+): Second Legendary Attack. Gain a second Legendary Action per round, usable only for one additional Melee Combat attack. This attack also uses the character’s full skill percentage and ignores any multi-action penalties declared for the round. (This stacks with the first Legendary Attack, allowing two penalty-free attacks per round on top of any declared actions).
Untrained Use:
Melee Combat may be used untrained at the base value (average of Dexterity and Strength, rounded down). No penalty applies, but trained fighters will quickly outmatch unskilled attackers.
What about “backstabs” and surprise strikes? In Alacrity, there’s no special rule for sneak attacks. Surprise and positioning are handled naturally through the Difficulty Ladder. Attacking an unaware or distracted target provides a generous bonus (often +30% or more), and successes may (if the GM determines that the target has a vulnerable spot) bypass armor or deal devastating blows. There is no need for a special rule—smart play and tactical advantage speak for themselves.
Narrative Examples:
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A knight pushes forward in a shield wall, cutting down foes with precise strikes.
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A rogue slips behind an enemy and drives a blade between the ribs.
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A barbarian swings wildly, scattering goblins with sheer brute strength.
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A duelist parries a sword blow and counters with a riposte in a single smooth motion.
Melee Combat blends raw power with technique. While anyone can swing a weapon, trained combatants excel at timing, placement, and defense. Parries, disarms, and critical hits reflect this mastery. Remember that using Melee Combat to parry is situational—not all weapons or stances make defense practical. Encourage tactical choices about weapons and positioning.
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File Created: 05/01/2025 Last Modified: 05/01/2025