Turn Based Combat (MWSE)

Turn Based Combat

What if Morrowind had turn-based combat? An experimental joke mod.

Part of May Modathon 2025.

Showcase (Catbox, not YouTube)

Requirements

Morrowind Script Extender (MWSE)

Description

This mod implements turn-based combat in Morrowind. When enabled (default setting), combat initiates when the player or his followers attack someone or are attacked. The (B) key ends ongoing combat or toggles turn-based mode.

During combat, participants are sorted by priority based on their Speed and Agility attributes (Speed + Agility/2) and grouped by hostility. No actors within a group can be hostile toward each other. The highest priority in each group determines the order in which groups take turns.

Each turn lasts a minimum of (4) seconds, plus 1 second. Actors have action time which can be spent on most activities:

• []Movement

  []Attacks

  []Spellcasting

  []Using potions (2s)

  []Using enchanted items (2s)

  []Equipping items (1s per 10 weight, minimum 0. 1s)

  []Being paralyzed, stunned, or knocked down/out

  Actors can only deal damage through attacks and magic during their turn. At turn's end, actors receive action time equal to the turn duration. Magic-over-time effects from casters no longer in combat become active for the same duration. At the start of each turn, groups receive fatigue as if the turn time has passed, and action time is set to at least (1/3) of the turn duration.

  During his turn, the player can press (C) to end it early and gain up to (30) points of Agility until the end of his next turn.

  Combat ends when no hostile actors remain or when the player enters/exits an interior cell. After combat ends, the player and his followers will move last for their first turn if combat restarts within (2) seconds. This penalty also applies after loading a save (2s) or manually ending combat (turn duration).

  Two bars appear above the health, magicka, and fatigue bars during combat:

  • []Upper bar: turn duration

  • Lower bar: player's action time (green and slightly wider during player's turn, red otherwise)

    Mod config: soon.

     Compatibility

    This mod is likely incompatible with mods that:

    - Rely on world or real-time

    - Change fatigue recovery rate via scripts

    - Add new magic effects