Map Combat (New)

For the original Map Combat System:
Map Combat (Old)

Map Combat in ZODIAC

Grid combat in ZODIAC is much like Final Fantasy Tactics. In mechanical terms, the combat board is divided into 1 inch squares, so when something mentions “squares” they mean exactly that. Squares. Height is also measured in squares. It is important to make clear the Height of each square on the map, as it directly affects gameplay.

All Characters/Monsters have a Base Movement of 4 Squares. This number may be modified through Monster Powers, Equipment, Player Support Skills and Techs.

All Characters/Monsters have a Base Jump of 1 Square. This means that, when moving, a character/monster may move to an adjacent square only if it is a maximum of 1 difference away from their current Square’s height. This number may be modified through Monster Powers, Equipment, Player Support Skills and Techs.

All Characters/Monsters have a Base Size of 1 x 1 Square (Medium). This may be modified through Monster Powers, Player Support Skills and Techs.

Size:

There are 6 Size Categories: Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gargantuan

Any number of Tiny creatures may occupy 1 Square
Four Small Creatures may occupy 1 Square
Medium Creatures occupy 1 Square:

O

Large Creatures occupy 4 Squares:

OO
OO

Huge Creatures occupy 9 Squares:

OOO
OOO
OOO

Gargantuan Creatures occupy 16 Squares:

OOOO
OOOO
OOOO
OOOO

Each Category carries its own modifiers:

Tiny:
All Attacks/Techs/Abilities that target Tiny creatures MUST roll Acc with a -60 penalty to the roll regardless of whether or not an Acc roll is required. This is in addition to any other Acc penalties affecting the attacker such as Blind. Tiny Creatures only take half damage from Attacks/Techs/Abilities with multiple targets. Tiny Creatures may not attack, and receive quadruple damage from Physical sources.

Small:
Evade is doubled. All Physical damage dealt by a Small creature is reduced 90% (Divided by ten). In addition, all damage dealt to Small creatures is increased by 50%.

Medium:
Base Size category. Medium creatures have Reach 1, Height 1 with Normal Attacks. This means that a Medium creature may normally only target an adjacent Square that is the same height, or one difference away from the creature’s square.

Large:
Large creatures have Reach 2, Height 2 with Normal Attacks and Techs. This means that large creatures may target a Square within 2 for all Normal Attacks and origin Squares for Techs. Large Creatures have a Jump of 2. All Acc rolls against a Large Creature receive a +15 Bonus.

Huge:
Huge creatures have Reach 3, Height 3 with Normal Attacks and Techs. This means that large creatures may target a Square within 3 for all Normal Attacks and origin Squares for Techs. Huge Creatures have a Jump of 3. All Acc rolls against a Huge Creature receive a +30 Bonus.

Gargantuan:
Gargantuan creatures have Reach 4, Height 4 with Normal Attacks and Techs. This means that large creatures may target a Square within 4 for all Normal Attacks and origin Squares for Techs. Gargantuan creatures have a Jump of 4. Gargantuan creatures ignore difficult terrain. All Acc rolls against a Gargantuan Creature receive a +60 Bonus.

On Movement and Difficult Terrain:

Characters and Monsters may move a number of squares equal to their Base Move. A Character/Monster may Move and Attack in the same turn as long as they are able to.

Movement can be anywhere, including diagonally, as long as you do not move more than your Base Move would allow. Difficult Terrain costs one extra square of movement to pass through and Enemies cannot be moved through. Other obstructions may hinder movement, like stone pillars or walls. All of these also apply to Monsters.

Characters and Monsters have a swim speed of 2. Anything that affects Movement of any kind affects this movement as well.

A Note on Short Ranged:

Short Ranged no longer applies, so the section on weapon range can be safely ignored.

New Command Skill Rules:

The Targets of the Command Skills Capture, Chakra, Deathblow, Peril, Steal and Wish MUST be adjacent to the target. Chakra may target the player’s Square, and thus the player.

Coin Toss, Clone, Manipulate and Throw may only target enemies within Range 4, Height 2 of the user.

Jump is Reach 4, Jump 4. Characters with Jump also gain a base jump of 4 for purposes of movement.

Dice, Draw Out and Health affect targets in a diamond formation centered on the user and has a Height of 3:

XXOXX
XOOOX
OOOOO
XOOOX
XXOXX

Peep affects any enemy the user can see.

Kick only affects all adjacent enemies, and deals half damage instead of 1/3.

Mimic may only now be used to Mimic something that affects the user, or something used by an adjacent ally. The upside to this limitation is that Mimic is now free.

Rage now targets the closest enemy the user can see. If no enemy is within attack range, the user will move as close as their movement allows to the nearest enemy they can see.

Runic affects any Tech that uses Magic as a base attribute, friend or foe alike, that targets a square within a diamond formation of the user:

XXOXX
XOOOX
OOOOO
XOOOX
XXOXX

Slots and X-Magic have no modifications. They work exactly the same way they always have.

*New Rules on Morph:*

While Morphing, a character cannot regain MP by any means.

When the variant on Morph is used, the user may only Morph one size category in difference. For example, a Medium sized creature may only Morph to a creature of Small, Medium or Large Size. All benefits/detriments gained with the user’s new size apply. Also, when Morphing, the user may opt to choose ONE of the following movement modifiers:

Flight: Acts like the Flight Monster Power.
Unhindered Movement: Ignore difficult terrain, enemy squares, walls, etc but Base Move drops to 3. This is to emulate forms that might be incorporeal or have a burrow speed. This movement must end in a Square the user would otherwise be only capable of occupying Un-Mmorphed.
Move +2: Your Base Move increases by 2.
Swim: The user move through water at a Speed of 6, but a Land Movement of 1.

*New Command Skill:*

Flight

A character with this Command ability can take to the skies. While Flight is affecting the character, you may move 4 squares in any direction, ignoring difficult terrain but not obstacles such as enemies or solid objects. At the end of each of your turns, including the turn in which you activate Flight, you lose 15% of your maximum MP. If this loss reduces you to 0 MP, you immediately lose your ability to fly and fall your Move each turn until you are no longer above a solid surface. You may also choose to turn off this ability as a free action. Doing so negates the loss of MP for that round.

New Support Skill Rules:

Concentrate still only allows for the base Reach and Height of the character, so you can’t inexplicably attack an enemy further than you can target.

Cover only affects adjacent allies, however it now works against attacks with multiple targets.

Flight no longer exists. Instead it is a new Command Skill.

Secret Hunt now triggers the moment an enemy is slain by a character with this Support Skill. When a character with this support skill ends their turn in a Square containing the fallen body of an enemy, the character automatically acquires its Drop Item, with a 30% chance to instead acquire its Steal item. This may only be done once per fallen enemy.

*New Support Skills:*

Float
The character floats a few inches above the ground at all times. The character ignores difficult terrain and their base Jump and Move both increase by 1. In addition, a character with Float may walk freely over liquid surfaces.

Jump +3
Increase the character’s base Jump by 3.

Large Size
The character is size category Large

Move +2
Increase the character’s base Move by 2

Move Teleport
The character can teleport short distances. Whenever a character with Move Teleport uses a move action, they may teleport 4 Squares in any direction as long as the destination Square does not have a height difference greater than 4 to the character’s original Square and is indeed on solid ground. The character need not have the destination within their line of sight. As long as the destination is indeed a legal square, they may teleport there. A character may attempt to increase this distance and height but at a risk of losing the movement. Every 1 Square and Height over the base 4 distance traveled accumulates a 5% teleport fail chance. For example, if a character wanted to teleport to a Square 5 differences in height and 7 Squares away, they would have a 20% chance of failure. If the Teleport fails, the character does not move from their originating Square and the movement is lost.

Modified Rules on Techs:

Scan may target any enemy within 6 of the user. Only cost changing Secondaries like Sacrifice and Charge Power may be linked to Scan.

Neutralize and True Neutralize no longer exist.

All Healing, Power Attack, Attack Magic, Status Effect and Dispel Techs affect 5 squares in a cross formation centered in the target square, hitting friend and foe alike within the zone (Keep in mind you CAN hit yourself as well):

XOX
OOO
XOX

Unless otherwise noted in the description of the Tech, all Techs not modified through Secondaries must originate in a Square you currently occupy or a Square adjacent to you.

All Techs unless modified through Secondaries have a Height of 1. This means that the Tech affects all Squares with an equal height or a height 1 difference away from the Target Square.

As long as a target is within at least one of the affected squares, they are subject to that Tech or Ability.

Status Effect Mini does not affect Small creatures. A creature affected by Mini is shrunk down to the Small Size Category, or INCREASED in size in the case of a Tiny creature.

*New Techs:*

Don’t Move:
Don’t Move is a Level 2 Status Effect with a base attack modifier of -55. A character/monster under the effects of Don’t Move cannot move until the effect wears off. The duration for Don’t Move is 1d4+1 ticks.

Don’t Act:
Don’t Act is a Level 3 Status Effect with a base attack modifier of -65. A character/monster under the effects of Don’t Act cannot do anything but move until the effect wears off. The duration for Don’t Act is 1d4+1 ticks.

Fear:
Fear is a Level 1 Status Effect with a base attack modifier of -40. A character/monster under the effect of Fear are forced to move away from enemies if able. On the affected Character/Monster's turn, they MUST Move at least their Base Movement in any direction as long as the ending square is further from hostile targets than when they started. If movement is not possible, the afflicted character instead loses their turn as if they had been Stunned.

Fleet Foot:
Fleet Foot is a Level 3 Positive Status Effect that increases the target’s movement by 4 for the duration of the effect. Lasts 1d4+1 ticks.

Float:
Float is a Level 2 Positive Status Effect that bestows upon the Target the same benefits as the Float Support Skill for 1d4+1 ticks.

Grow:
Grow is a Level 4 Status Effect that increases the Target’s Size category by 1 step. Lasts for 1d4+1 ticks. Automatically fails if the target cannot occupy the newly grown space.

Flight:
Flight is a Level 5 Status Effect that allows the target to fly as per the Flight Command Skill only without any MP cost to the target. Lasts 1d4+1 ticks.

*Modified Rules on Tech Secondaries:*

The limitation on how many Secondaries a Tech may have is now three instead of only two. In addition, Secondaries that change the cost of the Tech no longer count towards this limit. If an MP modifier would raise the MP Cost of a Tech higher than 8, the effective cost stops at Level 8 on the chart.

Area Effect, Backfire and Short Range Tech Secondaries no longer exist.

Random Target may ONLY be used with the -2 version now.

*New Tech Secondaries:*

Single Target
MP Adjustment: -1
The Tech only affects the Target Square you designate.

Ranged
MP Adjustment: Varies
The Tech’s Centered Target Square may be some distance away from you. To designate the Target Square for the Tech 4 Squares away, the MP Adjustment is +1. For 6 Squares, it is +2.

Exclude Self
MP Adjustment: Varies
The Tech does not affect the user.
If the Tech is an Absorbency, Dispel, Esuna, Healing, Immunity, Invulnerability, Positive Status Effect, Stat Boooster or Resistance Tech, the MP adjustment is -1.
Any other Tech, the adjustment is +1.

Exclude Allies
MP Adjustment: +1
The Tech does not affect you or your Allies. Good for attacks you don’t want hitting your friends.

Exclude Enemies
MP Adjustment: +1
The Tech does not affect Enemies. Good for Beneficial Techs you don’t want to risk affecting enemies with as well.

Increased Area
MP Adjustment: Varies
For +1 adjustment, increase the area of the Tech by 1. That means Healing, Power Attack, Attack Magic, Status Effect and Dispel Techs use the diamond shape:

XXOXX
XOOOX
OOOOO
XOOOX
XXOXX

And all others become the cross shape:

XOX
OOO
XOX

For +2 adjustment, the height also increases by 1 for the Tech.

Equal Height:
Mp Adjustment: -1
The Tech only affects a Square on an exactly equal height to you.

Affect All Allies:
MP Adjustment: +3
The Tech affects ALL your allies regardless of where they are on the board.

Affect All Enemies:
MP Adjustment +3
The Tech affects all enemies regardless of where they are on the board.

Target Everyone:
MP Adjustment: -3
The Tech affects ALL combatants on the board, friend and foe alike regardless of where they are on the board. It really does hit EVERYONE.

New Equipment Options and Rules:

*Weapons:*
A Weapon with Long Range now grants a +5 bonus to Range and Height when executing a Normal Attack. This bonus only applies to Normal Attacks, and stacks with any size modifiers. For example, a Medium character would be able to target an enemy 6 Squares away and a maximum of 6 Squares in Height. A Large character would be able to target an enemy 7 Squares away and a maximum of 7 Squares in Height.

Reach: 2 Points
Reach, like Long Range, affects the entire weapon set. When equipped with a Reach Weapon, treat the character as one size category larger for Normal Attacks and the origin Squares for Techs. For example, a Medium character's Reach and Height would change to 2, Large to 3, and so on.

Both Long Range and Reach cannot be added to the same Weapon Set.

*Armor/Guards:*

Move +1: 2 Points
Increase the wearer’s Base Move by 1

Jump +1: 2 Points
Increase the wearer’s Base Jump by 1

*Relics:*

Move +1: 3 Points
Increase the wearer’s Base Move by 1

Jump +1: 3 Points
Increase the wearer’s Base Jump by 1

Ignore Difficult Terrain: 4 Points
The wearer ignores difficult terrain

Teleport: 8 Points
The wearer gains the Move-Teleport Support Skill. If the user already has Move-Teleport, the distance and height both become 8.

Monster Powers

Flight is now a Level 5 Monster Power and the monster may move 4 squares in any direction, ignoring difficult terrain but not obstacles such as enemies or solid objects. The monster need not land on a solid surface at the end of this move.

*Level 2 Monster Powers*

Large Size

The Monster is Size Category Large

Reach +1

The Monster’s Reach increases by 1. Does not stack with other Reach modifying Monster Powers. May only take this power once.

Swim

The Monster may swim 4 Squares instead of only 2 while in water.

Movement +1

The Monster’s Base Move increases by 1. Does not stack with other Movement modifying Monster Powers. May only take this power once.

*Level 3 Monster Power*

Movement +2

The Monster’s Base Move increases by 2. Does not stack with other Movement modifying Monster Powers. May only take this power once.

Reach +2

The Monster’s Reach increases by 2. Does not stack with other Reach modifying Monster Powers. May only take this power once.

Ignore Difficult Terrain

The Monster ignores Difficult Terrain

*Level 4 Monster Power*

Huge Size

The Monster is Size Category Huge

Teleport 4

The Monster may Teleport 4 Squares as a Move Action

*Level 5 Monster Power*

Movement +3

The Monster’s Base Move increases by 3. Does not stack with other Movement modifying Monster Powers. May only take this power once.

Reach +3

The Monster’s Reach increases by 3. Does not stack with other Reach modifying Monster Powers. May only take this power once.

Teleport 5

The Monster may Teleport 5 Squares as a Move Action

*Level 6 Monster Powers*

Movement +4

The Monster’s Base Move increases by 4. Does not stack with other Movement modifying Monster Powers.

Gargantuan Size

The Monster is Size category Gargantuan

Teleport 6

The Monster may Teleport 6 Squares as a Move Action

(This system was created by AgentBoogeyman. Added to the site by Froggotten)