Possible Mapless Combat approach for DF Felltower

I’m trying to do more mapless combat in my DF Felltower game, especially because it’s hard to get a combat map of every place in Felltower up for the PCs to fight in.

In order to make mapless combat work quickly, but also to avoid player demands to used mapped to not lose out on perceived advantages of their characters, I am thinking of the following rules.

In these rules, the term “narrative reason” is used a few times. Only the GM will decide if there is a narrative reason for an exception to occur.

Melee

Mapless combat will assume that fights are in a rough melee, with multiple combatants able to engage one another more-or-less freely. If narrative reasons dictate it’s more of a series of small duels, that will occur instead.

Flanks, Back shots, and Runarounds

These only occur if a GM-ruled narrative reason explains them. Exception: Backstabs work normally, but require the appropriate rolls and situational prerequisites.

Retreat

Each character can Retreat once per turn, unless it is prevented by some GM-ruled narrative reason that prevents it (backed into a corner, especially tight formation, etc.) or rule that disallows it (Grappled, Rooted Feet, took a Maneuver that forbids it, etc.). Not actual “movement” takes place.

Range Bands

Characters in melee will be treated as using the Melee ranged band with one another. Characters outside of Melee are at Short range to the Melee, and either Short or Medium to foes also outside of melee depending on the GM-ruled narrative situation.

Movement

It takes a Move or Move and Attack to close from the back ranks into Melee, or from Melee to the back ranks. You can’t move “partway” in order to reduce spell penalties; penalties are fixed by range band.

Reach

Weapon reach is essentially a non-factor. You cannot use your longer reach weapon to keep a foe at bay or “step” in order to keep reach. Neither can your opponents. You’re just in melee and able to strike at will. Close combat still works as written, for attackers and weapons that require it. Optionally, there can be no Close Combat unless you’re grappled, but I’m concerned this creates a big difference between mapped and mapless resolution results for attackers that depend on CC.

I think as an accepted basis of the game, this can work. You can’t get flanked. You don’t have to worry about “leaving room to Retreat” becuase you just get that bonus once per turn. It should just work, especially for fights that can’t be easily mapped. My approach would be to use this by default, and used mapped for cases where it seems like a big potential set-to.

I’ll see what my players think of this and try to give it a formal go during our next game.