A lot of d20 gamers play without using a map or grid. This is a bit annoying since so many of the rules take range and threatened reach and all that jazz into account. Here are a few rules to convert a grid game to a gridless game. When you set up a battle, you roll initiative normally.

AREAS OF EFFECT
Instead of targeting an area, AoE effects target a limited number of creatures of your choice. The number of creatures that can be targeted vary by the type of AoE.

Cone: Every 10 feet = 1 medium creature that can be targeted. Exceptions are in close-quarters (hallways, tunnels) where you can target double this many.

Line: Every 20 feet in the line = 1 medium creature that can be targeted. Exceptions are in close-quarters (hallways, tunnels) where you can target double this many.

Radius: Every 5 feet in diameter = 1 medium creature that can be targeted. So a fireball is a 20-foot radius giving it a 40-foot diameter and thus can target up to 8 medium creatures. This does not increase in close-quarters. Melee bursts count as melee weapons with reach for the purposes of targeting climbing/flying/burrowing/swimming creatures.

Size Categories: Large count as 2, huge as 4, gargantuan as 8 and colossal as 16. Swarms can be targeted but take half effect (except HP damage which they take 150%). Even if your AoE isn't technically large enough, you can always choose to target ONE large or larger creature with an AoE.

Swarm: Swarms can envelop up to as many creatures as will fit in their space as a move action that provokes AoOs and while doing so they count as engaging them in melee.

Selective: If you have a selective special ability that allows you specify targets (such as Selective Channeling), this instead just allows you to hit targets in grapple or flank without being forced to also target all other creatures in grapple or flank with them.

Targets in Melee: AoEs targeting creature that is engaged with another creature must target all creatures in the melee engagement first, regardless whether they are friend or foe. If the AoE isn't big enough to hit all of them, it targets the most inconvenient targets first (determined by the GM).

ATTACKING

There are several new rules regarding the way attacking works.

Attacks of Opportunity: When an AoO is provoked, only enemies that are currently engaged with you can make AoOs.

Engaging: You become "engaged" in melee combat with an enemy when you make a melee attack or combat maneuver against them or when they do so against you. This lasts until you or they disengage. You can only take AoOs and full-attacks against enemies that you have engaged, unless you have reach equal to or greater than half their base speed.

Ranged Attacks: Ranged attacks provoke AoOs from enemies that have engaged you in combat or have reach equal to or greater than half your base speed. Ranged attacks against an enemy that is engaged in melee combat with an ally takes a -4 penalty (see Precise Shot).

ACQUIRE/MAINTAIN COVER/CONCEALMENT (Move or Full-round)

If there is cover available on the field, you can take cover behind it. This functions like Disengage or Withdraw except that you gain cover that applies to both melee and ranged attacks instead of dodge bonuses against just melee attacks. You also suffer no penalty for close-quarters. However, depending on the nature of the cover, enemies may be able to walk around it by taking the same action. If you withdraw into cover or concealment, you can use Bluff instead of Acrobatics to avoid AoOs (via distraction).

Stealth: As long as you have cover or concealment and then move again while you are not engaged, you become hidden from attackers. Being hidden functions like being invisible for all intents and purposes except that you don’t get the +20/+40 to Stealth. However, you can still be targeted albeit a 50% miss chance (20% for AoEs) and you still get your cover bonuses against them.

POSITIONING
Positioning on the battle field has been simplified to conditions. Dodge bonuses granted by positioning also apply to Reflex saving throws against auras, bursts and emanations, but not other AoE effects.

5-FOOT STEP (Free): Taking a 5-foot step simply allows you to perform your next action without provoking AoOs so long as no monster with reach is engaged with you. Remember, anything that impedes your speed even a little bit, completely disables your ability to take a 5-foot step.

CHARGE (Full-Round): Characters can only charge an enemy that they are not currently engaged in melee with. If they are engaged with other enemies when they start a charge, they provoke AoOs from those enemies that they are currently engaged with.

FLANK (Move): You can flank an enemy that you are currently engaged with if an ally is also engaged with them. Doing so provokes an AoO from that enemy unless you succeed on an Acrobatics check (or Swim if underwater or Fly if flying) vs. the enemy’s CMD.

Surrounded: If 4 or more enemies are flanking you, you cannot take a 5-foot step.

DISENGAGE (Move Action): Disengaging an enemy provokes AoOs from all those whom you disengage from (up to as many enemies as you are engaged in at a time). After disengaging, you are no longer considered engaged or flanked. After disengaging, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC per 10 feet in your base speed against melee attacks made by those you disengaged from until the start of your next turn (you also take a penalty to melee attack rolls equal to this same amount). Ranged attacks also treat your distance as equal to your base speed for the purpose of range increment penalties until the start of your next turn. Close-quarters (such as fighting in a tunnel, room, cave, hallway and whatnot) cuts this dodge bonus in half. Anything that lowers your effective base speed (slow, fatigue, difficult terrain, entanglement, exhaustion) also reduces your dodge bonus accordingly.

Burrow: If you use a burrow speed to disengage, you gain total cover (from the ground) until the start of your next turn. Effects with the [earth] descriptor ignore this cover. If you withdraw with a burrow speed, you can make a Climb or Escape Artist check instead of an Acrobatics check to avoid provoking an attack of opportunity.

Climb/Fly: If you are NOT in close-quarters and use a climb or fly speed to disengage, attackers take a penalty to melee attack rolls against you equal to -1 for every 10 feet that your climb or fly speed exceeds their height + reach. If you withdraw with a climb speed, you can make a Climb check instead of an Acrobatics check to avoid provoking an attack of opportunity. If you withdraw with a fly speed, you can make a Fly check instead of an Acrobatics check to avoid provoking an attack of opportunity.

Reach: If you have reach greater than 5 feet, you can make attacks of opportunity even against creatures you have not engaged as long as your reach is at least 1/3rd the base speed that they used to disengage.

Swim: If you use a swim speed to disengage, you gain total cover (from the water) until the start of your next turn. Effects with the [water] or [cold] descriptor ignore this cover. If you withdraw with a swim speed, you can make a Swim check instead of an Acrobatics check to avoid provoking an attack of opportunity.

WITHDRAW (Full-Round): Functions as Disengage except that you make an Acrobatics check (or Swim if underwater or Fly if flying or Climb if climbing or Escape Artist if burrowing) vs. enemy CMDs to avoid AoOs. Also, dodge bonuses from withdrawing apply against ranged weapons with a base range increment equal to or lower than your base speed. If you can withdraw three times without any melee attacks landing a hit on you, you successfully escape an encounter.
This message was last updated by the GM at 01:53, Mon 29 Sept 2014.