Combat is one of the core aspects of any RPG. In this edition of Mechanics Monday, we'll dive into the concept of Momentum, and how it relates to what a player character can achieve on their turn in combat.
Like many other games, within the Visions of Zumea system combat is split into rounds. During a combat round each player character has a single turn, the order of which is determined by Initiative rolled at the beginning of combat.
A character's ability to accomplish tasks (or actions) on their turn is captured via their available Momentum. Momentum is similar to Action Points in other RPG systems, and is a measure of your character's ability to perform actions within a certain amount of time and in coordination with each other. For example, some character classes may be able to perform certain actions quicker than others, while other classes may instead be able to seamlessly weave in certain actions without interrupting their other actions. Momentum captures both of these scenarios.
Each player character has a default of 3 Momentum each turn, which they can spend on various Actions. Each Action within combat has a specific Momentum cost, and performing an Action reduces your available Momentum (by its cost). Here is a list of some common Actions, and their default Momentum costs (this is not exhaustive - for that, see the full Player Guide!):
Move [1 Momentum]
Attack [2 Momentum]
Search [1, 2 or 3 Momentum]
Cast a Spell [Varies]
One of the critical rules for Actions is that unless otherwise specified each Action can only be performed once per turn. Even if you have sufficient Momentum to take a particular Action twice, you cannot do so unless that Action (or some other feature or trait your character has) says you can!
Let's look at a few examples:
Move. Move is one of the few actions which specifically states it can be taken multiple times in a turn. Each time you take the Move action, you can move a distance up to your character's Movement Speed. You can do this all at once, or in-between other actions. If you need to move a little, you can just spend 1 Momentum to take the Move action once. If you need to move farther, it may take 2 or even 3 Momentum to get where you're going, which can affect what other actions you can take that turn!
Search. The search action can be used to try to find something hidden, via an Inspection or Observation check. By default the Search action is 2 Momentum. You can choose to make the search quickly (for 1 Momentum), but you then make the Skill Check at disadvantage. Alternatively, you can choose to make a thorough search - giving yourself advantage on the Skill Check, in exchange for using 3 Momentum (a full standard turn).
Attack. Attacking is one of the more interesting actions, since many class features can affect it. By default the Attack action takes 2 Momentum, and so a character can attack once in a turn (for example, they could spend 1 Momentum on the Move action, and then their remaining 2 Momentum on the Attack action to move and then attack).
The Warrior class has a feature that allows the Attack action to be reduced to 1 Momentum, and for it to be used twice (instead of just once) per turn. A Warrior could therefore Move (1 Momentum), Attack (1 Momentum) and then Attack again (1 Momentum) for a total of two attacks!
The Rogue class has a feature that allows them to seamlessly weave an attack in-between other actions. This is reflected mechanically by reducing their Momentum cost for the Attack action to 1 Momentum. Unlike the Warrior, however, this class feature does not allow the Rogue to use the Attack action more than once per turn. This reflects the ability of the Rogue to multitask - they are not as fluid in their chained attack motions as a Warrior, but they are much better at evading an attack and quickly slipping their dagger into the back of an unsuspecting foe.
Cast a Spell. The Cast a Spell action is special, unique to spellcasting classes (as discussed in the previous Mechanics Monday article). The cast time of a spell can vary, but spells that are able to be cast on a single turn range from 1 to 3 Momentum. Remember the rule that an action can only be used once unless explicitly stated otherwise - Cast a Spell can only be used once per turn, regardless of cast time! The Shadowstep spell has a cast time of 1 Momentum, but a Magus casting this spell could not cast another spell (for any Momentum cost) that same turn because they have already used the Cast a Spell action!
The Momentum system within Visions of Zumea aims to improve the granularity of control that players have on their turn, while at the same time forcing trade-offs. Does the Warrior run to a critical target that is far away (requiring two Move actions), reducing the number of attacks it can make to one? Or does he attack a closer target twice? This Momentum-based combat system emphasizes this type of decision making, allowing for more dynamic and varied turns for each player.
Take our combat system for a spin yourself today in our first free playtest, available here!
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