Movement & Positioning


Starslinger doesn't use a battle grid but rather the theater of the mind.


MELEE
Each scene begins with 1 or more "melees". A melee is simply when 2 or more creatures or obstacles are within close proximity of each other. Creatures in a melee can use melee attacks against each other. Melees are typically numbered based on when they came into existence during the battle. (e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.)

Entering a Melee: To get into melee, you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check against the lowest Dexterity DC among the participants in that melee that don't want you to enter it (or DC10 whichever is greater). If you hit, you get into the melee. If you miss, you gain a cumulative +5 bonus to your next attempt until you succeed or take any other action. This bonus vanishes as soon as you succeed or take any other action. You cannot enter a melee while already in one.

Exiting a Melee: To get out of a melee, you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check against the highest Dexterity DC or Strength DC among the participants in that melee that don't want you to leave it (or DC10 whichever is greater). If you hit, you get out of the melee. If you miss, you gain a cumulative +5 bonus to your next attempt until you succeed or take any other action. This bonus vanishes as soon as you succeed or take any other action.

Entering a Grapple: If you have a free hand, you can make a Strength (Brawn) or Strength (Melee) attack against a melee target's Dexterity DC and Strength DC. If you succeed, you can enter a grapple with them. While in a grapple a creature:If you attempt to enter or exit a melee while in a grapple, you add all other participants in the grapple to your carrying load for the purposes of determining if you can still move. If you're strong enough to carry them, you can drag them out of the melee and possibly into a new one with a successful movement.

Exiting a Grapple: Exiting a grapple functions like exiting a melee but you can make a Strength (Brawn) or Strength (Melee) check instead of Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) if you wish.

Exiting a Scene: Exiting a scene functions like leaving a melee but against ALL creatures and obstacles in the scene and it has a +10 to the DC. It usually takes multiple consecutive attempts to exit a scene.


RANGED VS. MELEE WEAPONS
Long Range Weapons:* Suffer disadvantage if they target a creature in a melee.
Short Range Weapons:* Suffer disadvantage if they target a creature that is not in a melee.
Melee Weapons: Can only target creatures within the same melee as you. You can throw them as a short range weapon but always have disadvantage unless the target was in the same melee as you at some point during the current round.
*You can use the "Take Aim" action to ignore ranged disadvantage until the start of your next turn.
Critical Miss: Any ranged attack that critically misses a creature in a melee hits a random object or creature in that melee instead of the intended target. The GM picks targets randomly with "nothing" being one of the options representing you hitting nothing significant.


OBSTACLES
Some obstacles require you to make a separate check to escape melee with it. Unless noted otherwise, entering melee with an obstacle is an automatic success since they are immobile and not check is required, even if you're unaware of the obstacle such as is the case with hidden traps.
     Sometimes a GM may describe obstacles in the area which can affect movement or attacks. For example, you may need to traverse muddy terrain or slip and fall every time you move or take an action that requires a check. So one of your actions is automatically resisting the terrain and if you fail, you suffer the effects of the terrain. (e.g. getting stuck in the mud, falling prone on the ice, slipping over the edge of the cliff, getting caught in the black tentacles, etc.)
     Every round you are not in a melee represents you moving or avoiding melee but still requires constant movement in battle. The GM randomly determines if you encounter an obstacle every round such as difficult terrain, traps, etc. Typically the more dangerous the area the higher chance. When you encounter an obstacle, the GM merely "moves" the obstacle into melee with you on their turn and you must decide whether to escape it or not. You do not randomly encounter more obstacles while in a melee unless a creature uses an ability to create an obstacle.


MOUNTED MOVEMENT
Whether you're on horseback or driving a starship, steering a mount gives you quite an edge on speed. An appropriately sized vehicle or a willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, using the following rules.

CONTROLLING A MOUNT
While youÂ’re mounted, you have two options. You can either control the mount or allow it to act independently. Intelligent creatures act independently. You can control a mount only if it has been trained to accept a rider. Domesticated animals are assumed to have such training. The initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it. It moves as you direct it, and it has only three action options: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it. All vehicles are considered controlled mounts, unless a feature says otherwise.
     An independent mount retains its place in the initiative order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might flee from combat, rush to attack and devour a badly injured foe, or otherwise act against your wishes. In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while youÂ’re on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.

MOUNTING
Mounting or Dismounting a driver or rider seat is a minor action for a willing mount or a STR or DEX attack as a major action against the target's DEX defense for an unwilling one.

THROWN OFF
If an effect moves your mount against its will while youÂ’re on it, you must succeed on a DEX saving throw or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within 1 yard or meter of it. If you or your mount are knocked prone while mounted, you must make the same saving throw.


UNDERWATER MOVEMENT
Non-aquatic creatures must hold their breath while underwater. Creatures without a swim speed have disadvantage on all attack rolls and Dexterity-based checks while submerged in water. All ranged attacks cut their range in half while underwater. Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to heat damage from nonenvironmental sources.

COVER
Fog, walls, darkness, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide cover during combat, making a target more difficult to hit. A target can benefit from cover only when an attack or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover.

There are 2 types of cover and 3 degrees of cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies, not added together.

COVER TYPES
There are two types of cover: soft cover and hard cover.Some objects and creatures might be treated as soft cover due to being incorporeal (such as ghosts) or being too fragile (such as tall grass or stained glass windows).

COVER DEGREES
There are three degrees of cover: minor, major, and total.
CREATURES PROVIDING COVER
Sometimes, creatures in close proximity create a veritable mess of bodies, potentially causing attacks targeting one to hit another. Using this variant, if an attack would miss a creature by an amount less than or equal to the bonus to AC granted by the cover of another creature, and the attack would hit that other creature, the GM might consider having that other creature take the attackÂ’s damage.




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