Combat Example: The Lone Hero

The "Combat Example" from The Strategic Review #2, written by Gary Gygax, raises more questions about combat mechanics in OD&D than it resolves.  One is also left wondering about the fate of our lone hero.  Let's examine, further.

10 ORCS surprise a lone Hero wandering lost in the dungeons, but the die check reveals they are 30' distant at the time of surprise, so they use their initiative to close to melee distance.  Initiative is now checked.  The Hero scores a 3, plus 1 for his high dexterity, so it is counted 4.  The Orcs score 6, and even a minus 1 for their lack of dexterity (optional) still allows them first attack.  As they outnumber their opponent so heavily it is likely that they will try to over-power him rather than kill, so each hit they score will be counted as attempts to grapple the Hero:

Gygax doesn't specify what constitutes a high dexterity for the purposes of a bonus to initiative, although it might apply to dexterity scores of 15 or greater, when fighters get their dodge/parry bonus to AC (as introduced in the Greyhawk supplement).

The Judges Guild "Ready Ref Sheets" included initiative modifiers for dexterity in their "Weapon Priority" table (reproduced at Zenopus Archives, here).  The D&D Basic Rulebook edited by Tom Moldvay tweaks this, with dexterity scores of 13-17 getting +1, and scores of 18 getting +2.

- Assumed armor of the Hero: Chainmail & Shield -- AC 4.
- Score required to hit AC 4 -- 15 (by monsters with 1 hit die).
- Only 5 Orcs can attack, as they haven't had time to surround.

Assume the following dice scores for the Orcs attacks:
Orc #1 - 06; #2 - 10; #3 - 18; #4 - 20; #5 - 03.

So, why "only 5" Orcs? I think Gygax might have had this table in mind, from the soon to be published Greyhawk supplement, pg 13:

In other words, no orcs are able to attack from behind (although, that implies that up to 8 assailants can attack a single character).

Two of the Orcs have grappled the Hero, and if his score with 4 dice is less than their score with 2 dice he has been pinned helplessly.  If it is a tie they are struggling, with the Hero still on his feet, but he will be unable to defend himself with his weapon.  If the Hero scores higher than the Orcs use the positive difference to throw off his attackers, i.e. the Hero scores 15 and the Orcs scored but 8, so the Hero has tossed both aside, stunning them for 7 turns between them.

This is such a simple, elegant way to resolve unarmed combat, something necessary in running any D&D session.  Having a swarm of humanoids attempt to overwhelm a character or party adds a touch of pulpy "realism" to play.

- Round 2: Initiative goes to the Hero.
- Score required to hit Orcs -- 11 (4th level fighter vs. AC 6).

Assume the following dice score by the Hero.  Note that he is allowed one attack for each of his combat levels as the ratio of one Orc vs. the Hero is 1:4, so this is treated as normal (non-fantastic) melee, as is any combat where the score of one side is a base 1 hit die or less.

Hero: 19; 01; 16; 09. Two out of four blows struck.  There are 8 orcs which can be possibly hit.  An 8-sided die is rolled to determine which have been struck.  Assume a 3 and an 8 are rolled.  Orcs #3 and #8 are diced for to determine their hit points, and they have 3 and 4 points respectively.  Orc #3 takes 6 damage points and is killed.  Orc #8 takes damage point and is able to fight.

- All 7 surviving/non-stunned Orcs are now able to attack.

This illustrates the OD&D approach to multiple attacks.  4th level fighters get 4 attacks/round against creatures of 1 hit die or less, while 8th level fighters get 8 attacks/round against creatures of 1 hit die or less.

Continued attempts to over-power the Hero are assumed, and no less than 4 Orcs are able to attack the Hero from positions where his shield cannot be brought into play, so his AC is there considered 5, and those Orcs which attack from behind add +2 to their hit dice.  In the case it is quite likely that the Orcs will capture the Hero.

If one refers to the table from Greyhawk, below, then 3 of the remaining 7 orcs are attacking the L. Flank, L. Front, and Front positions,* while the other 4 are attacking the R. Front, R. Flank, and 2 Rear positions (the latter 2 adding +2 to their hit rolls, rather than their hit "dice", I gather).

*Incidentally, that means that 2 of the orcs involved in the initial attack should have also been rolling to hit AC 5, rather than AC 4, although this wasn't mentioned.

I've traditionally permitted up to 3 opponents to engage a defender in combat, but should remember to account for a shieldless AC for 2 of the attackers, and a bonus of +2 to hit for 1 of the attackers, attempting to circle behind the defender.

Returning to our lone hero, it's possible to attempt to determine his fate, based upon what we've learned.  Orcs #1-3 need a 15 to hit, orcs #4-5 need a 14 to hit, and orcs #6-7 need a 12 to hit.  Breaking out a couple of dice, this is what I got:

Orc #1 - 06; #2 - 09; #3 - 07; #4 - 04; #5 - 10; #6 - 19; #7 - 07.

Orc #6 was the only one to successfully grapple our hero.  Rolling 4d6, the hero scores 19, and rolling 1d6, the orc scores but 1, so the Hero has tossed orc #6 aside, stunning him for 18 rounds..

Rolling initiative for round #3, the hero gets a 3 (+1=4) and the orcs get a 3, so initiative goes to the hero, on account of his dexterity bonus (that was close).

Hero: 16; 14; 17; 03.  Three out of four blows struck.  There are 6 orcs in the fight.  A 6-sided die is rolled to determine which have been struck.  A 4, a 2, a 5, and a 6 are rolled.  Orcs #4, #2, #5 and #6 are diced for to determine their hit points (rolling 1d6), and they have 2, 6, 4, and 4 points respectively.  Orc #4 takes 5 points and is killed, orc #2 takes 6 points and is killed, orc # 5 takes 6 points and is killed.  Things are looking better for our hero.

All 3 surviving/non-stunned orcs are now able to attack.  They attempt to circle our hero, so that orc #1 will need a 15 to hit, orc #2 will need a 14 to hit (attacking from the right side), and orc #3 will need a 12 to hit (attacking from behind).

Orc #1 - 17; #2 - 5; #3 - 17.

Two of the remaining orcs have grappled the hero.  Rolling 4d6, the hero scores 20, and rolling 2d6, the orcs score 6, so the hero has tossed both aside, stunning them for 14 rounds between them,  There is only 1 orc left standing.

At this point I turned to the morale rules from Chainmail.  1 hit die creatures need to check morale after losing 25% of their numbers.  After 3 rounds of combat, 4 of the orcs lie slain, 5 are stunned.  The remaining orc needs to roll greater than 8 on 2d6.

One might argue that the orc would simply flee, but let's assume a deep hatred for this interloper from the upper world, so he hesitates.  I roll 2d6 - it's a 5.  The orc books it, and our hero lives to continue searching for an exit from the dungeons.