The Lore of Combat in Luminaria

The Lore of Combat in Luminaria

Tempo, Tactics, and Keeping the Steel Singing

When Battle Begins

Combat starts when you declare it. Roll Initiative only at that moment—never to fish for features. If a character clearly triggers the fight, grant them Advantage on Initiative to reflect momentum.

Initiative Scores (Optional): Skip rolling by using fixed scores.

  • Characters: 10 + all modifiers to Initiative.

  • Monsters: Use the stat block’s Initiative score.

  • Adv/Disadv: +/- 5 to the score.

Track in a hidden list (for surprises and notes) or an open list (to let players plan). Always call the current turn and the next to keep tempo.

Tracking the Enemy

Give each foe an identity (scarred ogre, helm ogre, mud-smeared ogre). Track HP secretly (subtracting) or track damage dealt (adding) to conceal totals. Color stickers, letters, or unique minis help table clarity.

Conditions: Hand out tokens/cards for Poisoned, Prone, etc. Mark monster minis with rings or clips.

Grids, Space, and Sight

Tactical Maps: Squares (common), hexes (flexible), or theatre of the mind. Terrain tiles, dry-erase maps, or VTTs all work.

Size & Space (squares / hexes):

  • Tiny: 4 per square/hex

  • Small/Medium: 1

  • Large: 2×2 / 3 hexes

  • Huge: 3×3 / 7 hexes

  • Gargantuan: 4×4+ / 12 hexes+

Areas of Effect: Choose an intersection as origin; any square/hex half covered is affected.

Line of Sight: From any corner of the origin space to any part of the target space without passing through blocking terrain.

Cover: From an attacker’s corner to every corner of one target square/hex.

  • 1–2 lines blocked = Half Cover

  • 3–4 (or 4+ on hexes) blocked but target reachable = Three-Quarters Cover

Diagonal Movement: Fast play: every square is 5 ft. Accurate play: 5/10/5/10… pattern for diagonals.

Long-Range Skirmishes:

  • Paper tally of distances from a 0-point.

  • Upscale a small grid (each square = 30 ft).

  • Dice as range counters beside minis.

Speak the Steel (Narration)

Avoid pure “gamespeak.” Fuse fiction with mechanics:

“Your slash just clears his shield—steel kisses jaw; blood fans across the flagstones.”

Reveal useful truths:

  • Bloodied foes look beaten and ragged.

  • Elemental immunities/resistances show in the fiction (fire washing harmlessly over a Fire Elemental).

  • When an enemy Readies an action, describe the posture: “crossbow leveled at the door, finger white on the trigger.”

Spellcasting: V/S/M cues signal Counterspell windows—chants, sigils, foci. Distinguish innate powers from formal spells.

Heroic Inspiration: Award when players heighten fun—bold choices, big laughs, sharp tactics, genre embrace.

Keeping Fights Sharp

If pace sags, change the state—don’t reset it.

  • Hasten a Demise: If victory is assured, let a foe drop. The story already decided.

  • End Hostilities: Parley, surrender, feign death, or bolt.

  • Add a Combatant: Predator wanders in; cult reinforcements arrive—roll them into Initiative.

  • Change the Terrain: Falling pillars, opening fissures, choking fumes, planar tears—create movement.

  • Change the Monster: Cocoon pops—new horror emerges; blood-frenzy triggers Advantage for both sides to speed the end.

Adjusting Difficulty: Use the same tools to rescue an over-hard or over-easy fight (ally swaps sides, route opens, cover appears).

Fight or Flight

Most creatures won’t die pointlessly. Before Initiative, if unsure, have the leader make a DC 10 Wisdom save to decide whether they commit to battle.

During combat, creatures likely flee when:

  • They start their turn Bloodied and most allies are dead/incapacitated while the other side stands.

  • They start their turn Bloodied and Frightened.

Failing a DC 10 Wisdom save? They run or beg terms.

Avoiding / Ending a Fight:

  • Flight: Pick a destination and, if chased, run it as a chase.

  • Parley: Pause Initiative for negotiation; resume if talks fail.

Table Techniques That Win Wars

  • Call turn + on-deck every time.

  • Keep a visible state: who’s concentrating, who’s prone, who’s bloodied.

  • Use sum-of-damage tracking for clarity.

  • Narrate consequences (cover, terrain, conditions) so choices feel tactical.

  • Reward decisive action and genre flair with Inspiration.

“When the blades are out, tempo is king. Keep the count, change the state, and let the steel tell the story.”