Shattered Kingdoms

Can anyone explain a bit from a mechanics standpoint how attacks per round work?

I know fighters get 2nd-4th attack and may or may not actually get those extra attacks depending on weapon speed. I also understand that fury and specialize may result in an extra attack.

questions:
Does say a centaur, with less natural dex than a human, get less attacks per round with both chars at their racial max and all other variables held equal? I've heard that sprites get an extra attack, is that a side effect of reaching natural "lightning" dex or is it a racial bonus? Does the haste spell do nothing for a "lightning" sprite, or can it add yet another attack?

Thanks in advance for any answers. Hoping to have a char started in the next week or so.

A centaur barbarian wielding a shuriken with haste and berserk (and presumably max dex) will get 6 hits a round. Of course, shurikens are literally the fastest weapons in the game. I'm not sure if a centaur would get 4 attacks with, say, a no-dachi or an ahlspiess.

Thanks for the quick reply, though I'm hoping for something a little more general though so I can roll a character with some ideas of its limitations/benefits going into it - I don't want to commit to a berserk ninja centaur =P

I guess I was looking for an answer to this general question: "Do differences in racial max dex affect # of attacks per round or are attacks per rounded determined using other criteria"

6 is what - 1st-4th attack, berserk +1 attack, and haste +1 attack? That seems like it'd suggest that even though they can't hit "lightning" dex, racial limits dex doesn't affect attack per round. But I'd love someone to confirm that or shoot it down as it's just conjecture.

edit, while we're on the subject of melee and racial differences... how much does size affect melee dmg?

attacks per round is based off of the weapon's speed parameter. Higher weapon speed gets more attacks per round. Especially fast weapons *can* get more attacks per round with special provisions, like a paladin can get 4 attacks a round with an epee or sai while under the haste spell. Fury and specialise give the same bonuses.

Size has a considerable effect on melee damage. Smaller races are noticeably weaker damage-wise. It doesn't make certain race-class combos unplayable but people are very reticent to make sprite swashes or rogues for ex. when they know they can roll a human, get hasted and have higher max con and str along with higher base damage due to size.

Size also factors into certain things like bashing and dodging. Smaller races are more likely to "fail" bashes and trips on larger races, while larger races are more likely to "miss" smaller races the bigger their differences.

Between every other race, differences in max dex have no effect on number of attacks. The only things in question are their profiency in 2nd/3rd/4th attack, the weapon's speed, and modifiers to weapon speed (such as haste, fury, specialize).

Most 4th-attack-capable weapons cap at 5 hits I think w/ things like haste and specialize, but a few extremely fast weapons are capable of getting another attack.

I think perhaps it used to be that lightning dex was equal to another attack... but I don't think that's true anymore. A hasted hellion w/ lightning dex wielding a great-axe for example will never get 3 hits even though he normally gets 2, because the haste doesn't mod the weapon speed far enough.

I'm pretty sure a hasted hellion will get 3 attacks with a greataxe. It's the fourth attack that is the hardest to come by with that particular weapon.

Not that I'm advocating that hellions use greataxes.

DEX has no effect on the number of attacks per round.

Haste increases two things on a character: Dexterity and weapon speed. The strength of these enhancements is dependant on the level of the haste spell used (Whether from a low-level pill or vial, or from a grandmaster sorceror).

So yes, even a sprite with lightning dex will get a bonus to weapon speed and possibly an extra attack via haste: This is also completely independant of the extra attack that sprites get, to my knowledge.

Thanks all!