AD&D/OSRIC Combat Example
The party:
Level 3 Magic-User: 10 HP, AC: 8, Dagger: 1d4/1d3, (2/1: Sleep, Magic Missile, Mirror Image and a scroll of Fireball)
Level 3 Fighter: 21 HP, AC: 2, Long Sword+1: 1d8+1/1d12+1
Level 3 Ranger: 20 HP, AC: 4, Spear +1: 1d6+1/1d8+1
The monsters:
A Cultist Priest served by his two cultists and the ghouls in their service.
Level 5 Cultist High Priest: 24 HP, AC: 2, Mace +1: 1d6+2/1d6+1, (3/3/1: Light, Cure Light Wounds, Command, Chant, Hold Person, Silence 15' Radius, Dispel Magic)
Level 1 Cultist Guard with long sword: (HP: 6, AC:4, Long Swords: 1d8)
Level 1 Cultist Guard short bow and short sword: (HP: 6, AC:5, Short sword or bow: 1d6)
Ghouls (HP: 13, 11) AC: 6, Move 9", HD 2; 3 attacks for 1d3/1d3/1d6 damage, SA: paralyzation
Distance is rolled as this is not a set encounter: The result on a D6 is 1+4 = 50 feet away.
Surprise is rolled: Players get a 5, Monsters get a 4. Nobody is surprised.
Round 1:
Declarations:
The monsters are going to attack, the High Priest is going to cast Command on the Fighter to 'Die!' which will cause him to drop to the ground for one round.
The party is going to charge the ghouls while the Magic-user, in a panic, casts Mirror Image on himself.
Initiative is rolled:
The players roll a 6, the monsters roll a 4. The players act first on segment 4, the monsters act on segment 6.
However charge operates outside of iniative. The only segment consideration for charging is covering a distance. The fighter has a movement rate of 6 (plate mail) and the ranger has a movement rate of 9 (chain mail).
Here is how the segment order would be broken up:
It will take 3 segments for the ranger to charge to his target (moving twice the speed for 18' per segment for 54' feet).
It will take 4 segments (moving twice the speed for 12' per segment gets him 48 feet) for the fighters charge to terminate within 10' of his target.
Casting will take 2 segments for the Magic-user which starts casting at the start segment 4, and finishes at the end of segment 5. (Casting means <initative roll> + <casting time> -1 = end of that segment)
The ghouls will be able to return attacks on segment 6 from the charging characters as they weren't engaged in combat.
The cultist guard swordsman has been ordered to defend the High Priest, so he holds his action.
The cultist guard archer will shoot the magic-user, his first shot happens on segment 6 and again at the end of the round.
The High Priests Command spell happens at the end of segment 6 as it has a casting time of one segment (so using the above quick math: 6+1-1= end of segment 6)
End of the round second shot from the bowman.
The ranger charges and rolls a 5, modified with +1 from the magic spear, +2 from charging and he hits AC 10 which is a miss but will still be 1 AC worse when attacked this round.
The fighter charges and rolls a 11, modified with +1 from the magic sword, +2 from charging and he hits AC 4 which is a hit. The fighter does 4 damage to the ghoul bringing it to 7.
The Magic-user's spell completes and 4 copies of him appear.
The fighters ghoul makes three attacks, claw, claw, bite. Rolling a 10 (miss), 18 (hit), 19 (hit). The ghoul did a total of 6 damage, bringing the fighter to 15 hp. The fighter rolls a 15 on a needed 13 for his saving throw vs paralysis and succeeds. Charging penalty was irrelevant.
The rangers ghoul makes three attacks, claw, claw, bite. Rolling a 2 (miss), 1 (miss), and 4 (miss). Charging penalty was irrelevant.
The archer shoots at the mob of magic-users. The archer rolls a 12, which would normally be enough to hit. However he only has a 1-in-5 chance of hitting the Magic-user. The random determination is rolled and one of the 'clones' is destroyed.
The High Priest commands the fighter to 'Die!' and the fighter is allowed a save vs. spell. He succeeds.
At the end of the round, the bowman fires at the magic-user posse, rolling a 10 and missing.
Round 2:
Declarations:
The magic-user is going to attempt to cast his fireball scroll (perhaps not realizing that the fireball will cook his friends too, or not caring). The rest are continuing to fight.
The priest is going to dispel magic on the group of magic-user images. The ghouls and the archer are going to continue their attacks. The swordsman cultist is going to run through the doors to the east to go raise the alarms for the rest of the cult.
The players roll a 2, the monsters roll a 6. The monsters act first on segment 2, the players act on segment 6.
Here is how the segment order would be broken up:
The cultist swordsman is not being contested so operates out of initative order, simply just running at the start of the round. His movement is 9, so he's covering 18 feet by the time segment 2 starts. He has 45 feet total to go, so he'll get there (and well away from the fight) before the end of the round.
The ghouls will attack on segment 2.
The archer will first attack on segment 2.
The High Priest will begin casting dispel magic on segment 2.
The fighter would attack on segment 6 (tie breaker on weapon speed if you want to get granular).
The ranger would attack on segment 6.
The magic-user would start reading his scroll on segment 6.
The end of segment 7, dispel magic will complete. 2+6-1= end of segment 7)
The end of segment 8, fireball will complete. 6+3-1= end of segment 8)
The archers last shot.
The fighters ghoul makes three attacks, claw, claw, bite. Rolling a 15 (hit), 4 (miss), and 7 (miss). He does another 2 damage to the fighter. The fighter also rolled an 18 on his saving through and is not paralyzed.
The rangers ghoul makes three attacks, claw, claw, bite. Rolling a 12 (barely a hit), 6 (miss), and a 11 (barely a miss). He does 1 damage to the ranger who rolls a 3 on his saving throw and is now paralyzed.
The archer shoots the magic-user and rolls a 5, hitting nothing.
The High Priest begins casting.
The fighter attacks and rolls a 14, which is a hit. He does 8 points of damage, killing the ghoul.
The ranger is paralyzed.
The magic-user begins reading the scroll.
The High Priest completes his dispel magic. The mirror images disappear and the Fireball is cancelled.
The archer takes aim and hits AC7, dealing 4 damage to the Magic-user.
Reinforcements for the cult will be arriving soon. The magic-user is exposed. The fighter will try to save the ranger from the ravenous ghoul.
Round 3:
Declarations:
The magic user is going to cast sleep, aiming to eliminate the archer. The fighter has to engage the ghoul which is pouncing on the paralyzed ranger.
Three cultists soldiers will run into the room to assist their leader. The ghoul will rend the ranger. The High Priest will cast Hold Person on the fighter.
The players roll a 6. The monsters roll a 4. The party begins on segment 4, the monsters on segment 6.
Here is how the segment order would be broken up:
The reinforcements are simply moving and before segment 4 are able to get just at the doorway.
The fighter is able to engage the ghoul in combat, therefore distracting it from it's meal.
The magic-user's sleep spell completes at the end of segment 4.
The ghoul turns its attention to the fighter and no attacks can be made during engagement.
The archer will fire his first arrow on the magic user on segment 6.
The High Priest casts Hold Person starting on segment 6 (6+5-1= end of segment 10)
Reinforcements arrive at the doorway and are continuing to move in.
The fighter has engaged the ghoul.
The Magic-user's sleep spell completes and rolls a 2 and a 2 on 2d4 for 1 Hit Dice creatures. The area of effect coincides with the cultists at the doorway. All four fall asleep.
The ghoul has been engaged.
The archer is asleep.
The High Priest completes Hold Person. Unfortunately, the fighter rolls a 10 on his save with a -2 penalty and has been held. The ghoul will eat well today.
Round 4:
Declarations:
The magic-user runs (movement of 12).
The High Priest cannot catch him, so decides to wake the archer.
Initiative is pointless here, so the magic-user simply runs away. The ranger and the fighter are eaten.
