This had come up during conversations about what is and isn't an attack routine, how it factors into multiple attacks in a round, when they occur, and what can further be extrapolated from defining an attack routine. I had written a draft and bounced it off EOTB. He took the time to spell out some very important distinctions that I hadn't, so a huge share of the credit goes to him!
Attack Routines
Let's properly define an attack routine with EOTB's help stolen text. The AD&D 1e DMG defines attack routines as "the attack or attacks usual to the creature concerned, i.e. a weapon (or weapons) for a character, a claw/claw/bite routine for a bear...". Having multiple attacks routines is different than merely having multiple attacks. Using this definition:
- A ghoul's claw/claw/bite is a single attack routine
- A 0-level man-at-arms shooting two arrows in a round from a short bow is a single attack routine because anyone who can use a bow gets two attacks per round with that weapon (presuming sufficient ammo)
- But a higher level fighter using a two-handed sword to attack twice per round is an example of multiple attack routines - two routines in this case - because a normal human (or elf or half-orc) attacking with a two handed sword only gets one attack per round; i.e., one attack per round is the number of attacks "ususal to...a [two-handed sword] for a character"
Normally for players, getting the benefit of multiple attack routines will be due to either
- Exceptional skill with melee weapons, such as having gained a high level in the fighter class - this is exemplified by the "Attacks Per Melee Round" table on pg. 25 of the 1E PHB
- A magical increase in the character's action economy such as receiving a haste spell, drinking potion of speed, etc. - note such magic is the only way to increase missile weapon attack routines; a hasted giant could throw two boulders per round, an elf who drank a potion of speed could shoot two arrows twice per round, etc.
- Investing in weapon specialization (if used) in a melee weapon*
Combatants having multiple attack routines are eligible for special combat rules, which can be summarized as having an initiative advantage over anyone having fewer attack routines. In short, the greater attacks go first. Equal attacks are initiative decided. Everything weaves in for alternating sides.
The Details on Multiple Attack Routines
Anyone having initiative advantage goes before anyone not having initiative advantage - the initiative roll doesn't even matter in this situation. If you have a hasted 2nd level fighter attacking twice per round - presuming his action choice for the round is to make melee attacks and that is a valid choice for the circumstances - then that fighter goes first, automatically, even if his side otherwise rolled a losing initiative die result. After the fighter has attacked once, everyone else plays out the rest of the round according to the normal initiative process/result. Then, at the end of the round, the hasted fighter makes another melee attack and the round ends.
If you have one side with a 2nd level fighter ("Harry") going against a high level fighter ("Chad Lord"), then Chad Lords attacks per round gives the attacking first benefit:
Example: Harry (italicized) wins initiative with a "5" and Chad Lord (bolded) loses initiative with a "2".
The initiative doesn't matter. As he enjoys multiple attacks per round, Chad Lord will strike first, then Harry, then Chad Lord again. (FIRST, SECOND, THIRD)
The only time initiative rolls matter to these characters is if both sides have combatants with this sort of initiative advantage.
Same example: but with Harry under the effects of a Haste spell. Both combatants attacks per round are 2/1. Using the same initiative rolls as above, Harry goes first. (FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH)
Getting more advanced, if you have one side with that hasted 2nd level fighter ("Hasted Harry") and also a thief with a short sword of quickness ("Tricky Dick") going against a group led by a high level fighter ("Chad Lord"), all three of these characters might enjoy the benefit of "going first" due to multiple attack routines or other magic.
In this case, the initiative results are used to order only these three combatant's attacks - the first attacks of each all going before anyone not having a "going first in the round" initiative advantage - and afterwards the remaining combatants going in normal order according to their action choices and the pertaining initiative die results. Lastly, all those with extra routines remaining (which in this case is only the hasted fighter and the high level fighter as the short sword grants "first in the round" but not extra attacks per round) go again for their last attacks, in the same order between them as in the beginning of the round.
Example: Hasted Harry's group wins initiative with a "5" and Chad Lord's group loses initiative with a "2". Everyone is able to make melee attacks without any movement needed.
- Hasted Harry and Tricky Dick each roll a melee attack
- Chad Lord rolls a melee attack
- Their two groups go in the action order dictated by their action choice and initiative rolls
- Hasted Harry makes his final attack (no further attack for Tricky Dick as he didn't have multiple attack routines, only a special sword power)
- Chad Lord makes his final attack
- The round ends
The vast majority of table play utilizing this rule will be situations like the above where one or more combatants has two routines while other combatants have only a single routine - but there are rules for scaling this up when that is necessary. Don't worry about wrapping your head around how ultra-high level characters juiced up on magical 'roids granting them many attack routines interact with each other right now - just concentrate on the basics. If you're comfortable running the basics, the other will make sense when it arises in play.
Final Notes
Haste
It should also be noted what Haste actually does. If you read the text of the spell, haste doubles the attack rate. If a fighter has an attack rate of 3/2, they would then have 3/1. A weretiger having an attack routine of 3 (1-4/1-4/1-12), they would double that. Likewise, they should be following the FIRST...LAST model of when attacks occur within a melee round.
A note on slow is that it also specifies attack rates. This means that a monster with a 3 attack routine would attack one routine every two rounds. A fighter with an attack rate of 3/2 would attack 3/4 rounds.
Breaking off from Melee
It's worth mentioning that breaking off from melee is granted an attack routine.
So there you have it. An attack isn't an attack routine. A ghoul or a lion jumping on you does all three. Carrion Crawlers fuck over one person most likely. Fleeing from an Owlbear means that they get their whole routine and has better statistical chances to grab/hug a fleeing character. Fleeing from a high level fighter means they get to hit you just once.
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