Quick Reference Table:
| Action Name | Description/Details | Action Type |
|---|---|---|
| Melee Attack | ”The combatant attacks an enemy within melee range with a Readied weapon.” | Main |
| Ranged Attack | ”The combatant fires or throws a Readied ranged weapon at a target.” | Main |
| Snap Attack | ”A combatant with a Readied weapon can rush their attack, sacrificing accuracy for speed.” | Instant |
| Swarm Attack | A group attack increasing the damage and chance to hit for one attacker. | Main |
| Charge! | ”A combatant can make a wild charge before hurling a weapon or crashing into a foe.” | Main and Move |
| Shatter a Shield | ”Using an axe, mace, Focus-improved unarmed attack, or some other crushing or hewing attack to break a shield.” | Main |
| Screen an Ally | ”The PC moves up to their normal Movement rate towards an ally then physically blocks opponents from attacking that ally.” | Move |
| Total Defense | ”The combatant focuses on nothing other than avoiding knives, arrows, hurled spears, or other perils in the vicinity.” | Instant |
| Run | ”The combatant moves their normal combat movement rate.” | Move |
| Fighting Withdrawal | ”The combatant disengages from melee foes around them.” | Main |
| Use a Skill | ”The combatant uses a skill that could be plausibly applied in a few seconds.” | Main |
| Ready or Stow an Item | ”The combatant draws a weapon, extracts an item from their backpack or otherwise moves an object around on their person.” | Main |
| Reload a Crossbow | ”The combatant reloads a crossbow from a Readied quiver.” | Main |
| Reload a Bow (unskilled) | “The combatant reloads a Bow from a Readied quiver. Combatant has a Shoot-0 or below in skill.” | Move |
| Reload a Bow (skilled) | “The combatant reloads a Bow from a Readied quiver. Combatant has a Shoot-1 or above in skill.” | On-Turn |
| Drop an Item | ”The combatant drops something they’re holding.” | Instant |
| Pick up an Item | ”The combatant can scoop an object off the floor if they have a free hand, leaving it Readied in their grip.” | Move |
| Stand Up | ”The combatant gets up from a prone position, gathering any dropped belongings.” | Move |
| Go Prone | ”The combatant falls flat to the floor.” | On-Turn |
| Hold an Action | ”The combatant can delay taking the rest of their actions until later in the round, activating them as an Instant action.” | Move |
| Delay an Action | ”The combatant simply chooses to delay the remainder of their actions this turn until after a particular other participant has acted.” | On-Turn |
Make a Melee Attack:
- Main Action.
- The combatant attacks an enemy within melee range with a Readied weapon.
- Shock damage may apply on a miss (depends on weapon used).
- Damage on a hit cannot be lower than the shock damage.
Make a Ranged Attack:
- Main Action.
- The combatant fires or throws a Readied ranged weapon at a target.
- Cannot be used if the combatant is using a two-handed weapon in range of an enemy with a melee weapon.
- One-handed and thrown weapons can be used with a -4 penalty to hit.
Make a Snap Attack:
- Instant Action.
- The combatant must have their Main Action impending or available. The Main Action is sacrificed for an Instant Action attack with a -4 penalty to hit.
- Multiple Snap Attacks are resolved instantaneously.
- Only used by very well-trained or experienced combatants. Do not use for regular enemies.
Make a Swarm Attack:
- Main Action
- Each assailant takes this action against a target in range of their current weapon, up to a maximum of 4.
- After the final participant has taken this action, any one of the group can use an Instant Action to attack.
- +2 bonus to hit and +1 damage per alive participant. With a maximum of +6 to hit/+3 to damage with the full 4 participants.
- Damage bonus does it apply to shock damage, nor can it make a weapon do more than it’s max damage.
- Shock damage is ALWAYS applied in a swarm attack. Even on a miss or even when AC is too high for the weapon.
Charge!:
- Main Action and Move Action together.
- Combatant moves twice their normal move in a straight line before making a melee or thrown attack.
- +2 to hit for the attack, -2 to AC for the rest of the round.
- Must have at least 10 ft of straight runway to achieve momentum.
Shatter a Shield:
- Requires an axe, mace, Focus-improved unarmed attack, or another crushing/hewing attack.
- Roll to hit, then requires an opposed Str/Stab skill check between attacker and defender.
- Defender receives a +1 bonus to their check.
- If the attacker wins no damage is done. Only the shield breaks.
- Magical shields cannot be broken.
- Patching a damaged shield takes a scene’s worth of time and a Craft-0 skill.
Screen an Ally:
- Move Action.
- The PC moves up to their normal Movement rate towards an ally then physically blocks opponents from attacking that ally
- Must stay within 10 ft of the ally for the action to still apply.
- Enemies who wish to make an attack on the Screened Ally must succeed a successful Str or Dex-based opposed skill check.
- Attacker’s weapon vs screener’s weapon for the skill check.
- On a failure the attack is instead directed towards the screener.
- Can only screen against a number of attackers in one round equal to your combat skill.
- With a Level-0 combat skill or less, you cannot screen at all.
- Multiple PCs can screen the same ally.
- Attacker’s opposed skill check is compared to all screeners, attacking only the lowest-rolling successful blocker.
- PCs can only screen against foes and attacks that could plausibly be physically parries or blocked with a shield.
- Rule of Cool(?): Blocking a projectile like an arrow with a sword or knife.
Total Defense:
- Instant Action.
- The combatant must have their Main Action impending or available. The Main Action is sacrificed for an Instant Action.
- Combatant is immune to all shock damage, and gain a +2 bonus to AC until their next turn.
Run:
- Move Action.
- Combatant can move up to their normal movement rate.
- Climbing, swimming, or moving through difficult terrain halves the normal movement rate.
- May include a Str/Exert check at the GM’s discretion.
- Prone characters also crawl, crab, or scramble at half move speed, halved again to a quarter if moving through difficult terrain.
- If combatants choose to run away from melee range of opponents without first making a Fighting Withdrawal, incurs an Instant Action attack from them.
Fighting Withdrawal:
- Main Action
- The combatant disengages from melee attackers.
- Does not include movement. Only allows for movement away from attackers without incurring an Instant Action attack (Attack of Opportunity).
Use a Skill:
- Main Action.
- The combatant uses a skill that could be plausibly applied in a few seconds.
- Examples:
- Using a Int/Heal or Dex/Heal check to stabilize a wounded comrade.
- Using Str/Exert check to turn a creaking engine wheel
- Using a Cha/Lead check to rally timid NPC allies or Cha/Convince to intimidate enemies.
Ready or Stow an Item:
- Main Action.
- The combatant draws a weapon, extracts an item from their backpack, digs a potion out of a belt pouch, or otherwise moves an object around on their person.
- They can Ready an item this way or Stow it.
Reload a Weapon:
- Main Action to reload a crossbow.
- Move Action to reload a bow with Shoot-0 skill or below.
- On-Turn Action to reload a bow with a Shoot-1 skill or above.
Drop an Item:
- Instant Action.
- A combatant drops what they’re holding.
Pick up an Item
- Move Action.
- Picks an item off the flood, leaving it Readied in their grip.
Stand Up:
- Move Action.
- The combatant gets up from a prone position, gathering any dropped belongings.
- Needed after being revived from unconsciousness before doing much else.
Go Prone:
- On-Turn Action.
- Incurs a penalty to movement rate.
- Ranged attacks have a -2 penalty to hit against prone targets.
- Melee attacks have a +2 penalty to hit against prone targets.
Hold an Action:
- Move Action.
- The combatant can delay taking the rest of their actions until later in the round, activating them as an Instant action.
- Different from Delay an Action due to the instantaneous trigger.
- If used in response to another action, the held action goes first.
Delay an Action:
- On-Turn Action.
- The combatant simply chooses to delay the remainder of their actions this turn until after a particular other participant has acted.
- Cannot choose to act earlier than the participant they delayed for.