1. Combat and Actions

Rounds, Initiative, and Surprise:

• Combat and other time-sensitive situations are broken into rounds of 6 second length.
• Order of action during a combat round is determined by initiative.
  • Group initiative: Each side rolls 1d8 and add the highest DEX modifier.
  • Individual initiative: Each participant rolls their own initiative using their own DEX modifier.
• Surprise rounds can occur when a group is ambushed or surprised by a foe.
  • The more alert a target, the harder they will be to surprise.
  • In order for an alert group to be taken by surprise, the ambush will either need to happen extremely suddenly, or from a location that they never would have expected.

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The Action Economy:

• Main Actions: Actions that take up most of the actor’s round.
  • Every round, each participant gets one Main Action.
• Move Actions: The participant moves at their normal movement rate.
  • Every round, each participant gets one Move Action.
  • Climbing, swimming, and crossing difficult terrain halves an individual’s movement rate.
  • A Main Action can be used for an additional Move action.
• On-Turn Actions:
  • Quick simple acts that take very little time.
  • Examples: Falling prone, saying a few words, reloading from a Readied quicker, drawing out a Readied object, etc.
  • Can do as many On-Turn actions as the GM finds reasonable, but only on their own turn.
• Instant Actions:
  • Actions so fast and simple that the participant can use them at any time, even on other people’s turns.
  • Instant Actions can even be used after rolls, or in response to other instant actions.
  • Instant reactions resolve in the order most reasonable to the GM.
  • There is no restrictions on the amount of Instant Actions a participant can take.

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Attacking:

Attack Actions and Hitting:

• To attack a foe using weapon, a combatant needs to roll an Attack/Hit Roll.
  • This is calculated by rolling a d20, then adding in relevant combat skill, class attack bonus, and attribute modifier.
  • You must at least have a level-0 combat skill in the weapon being used. If not, you suffer a -2 penalty to hit.
  • If the total is equal or greater than the target’s Armor Class (AC), then the attack hits and damage is rolled.
  • If the attack is missed, reference the shock rules below to see if Shock damage applies.

Hit Roll Modifiers:

Circumstance	Modifier
Ranged attack on a distant prone foe.	-2
Shooting or meleeing an adjacent prone foe.	+2
Melee attacking while prone.	-4
The target is at least behind half cover.	-2
The target is behind full cover.	-4
Thrown attack while being meleed by a foe.	N/A

Damage:

• Damage is rolled based on the weapon, attribute modifiers, and any other bonuses from Foci, magical weapons and other benefits.
• Rolled damage may not be lower than the weapon’s shock damage.
• Non-named NPCs and generic monsters die. Named NPCs, important figures, and PCs are Mortally Wounded.
• If non-lethal damage takes a combatant to 0 HP, the target becomes incapacitated for 10 minutes.
  • Unarmed attacks can always be non-lethal
  • Blunt and forgiving weapons such as baton, staves, or clubs may also qualify, if the GM decides.
  • Psychic and emotional attacks can also be used as non-lethal damage.
• “A “hit” in combat doesn’t always mean a physical blow landed. Creatures or PCs with many hit points might take several “hits” before actually going down. In such a case, these successful hits are blows that exhaust the target, tax their luck, force them out of position, or otherwise bring them closer to losing. It may be that the only serious physical hit is the one that brings them down.”

Shock Damage:

• “Some melee attacks inflict shock. It’s the inevitable harm that is done when an unarmored target is assailed by something sharp in melee range”
• In the weapon table, you can see the amount of shock damage the weapon will deal and the AC at which it applies.
• The weapon’s attribute modifiers are added to the shock damage as well.

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Alternate Attack Options:

Duel Wielding:

• Requires two single-handed weapons and a Stab-1 skill.
• +2 to damage rolls. (does not include shock)
• -1 to hit rolls.

Shoving and Grappling:

• To shove an opponent back or to the ground, the attack must first hit a regular attack for no damage.

  • Once hit, there must be an opposed Str/Punch or Str/Exert check.
  • If the attacker succeeds, the target is forced 10 ft back or to the ground prone.

• To grapple, the attack needs to hit an unarmed attack with no damage.

  • Once hit, there must be an opposed Str/Punch check. If the attack succeeds, the defender is grappled.
  • The defender must spend a Main Action to attempt escape. This is another opposed Str/Punch check.

• Combatants can not move while grappling, and the only attacks that are allowed are unarmed.

• For an attacker to move a grappled target, they must use a Main Action and win opposed Str/Punch skill check.

  • If the attacker wins, the target is either moved 10 ft. or thrown 5 ft. and dropped to the ground prone.
  • If the attacker loses, the defender breaks free.

• Attackers can only grapple one defender at a time, though multiple attackers can grapple to the same person. The Defender’s opposed roll is then compared to the rolls of all Attackers.

• The grappled defender takes damage at the end of a round equal to the unarmed attack of all grappling attackers.

• Grappling significantly larger creatures can be done at a -2 penalty.

• Grappling barely plausible creatures can be done at a -4 penalty.

Execution Attacks:

• Only usable in situations where the target is completely unaware or incapable of defending from danger.

• Setting up an attack requires a full minute of preparation.

  • “Archers and other ranged attackers must spend it judging distance, wind, and details of aim.”
  • “Melee assassins must use it to drift up to the target and position themselves in the exact right place for the attack.”

• If the target is alerted, the opportunity is lost.

• An attacker will use a Main Action to use an execution attack.

  • Assuming the weapon can hurt the target, the AC does not matter.

• Melee execution attacks will always hit.

• For a ranged Execution Attack to hit, the attacker must succeed at a Dex/Shoot skill check:

  • DC 6 at point blank.
  • DC 8 for normal range.
  • DC 10 for extreme range.
  • Warrior’s Veteran’s Luck can be used only to reroll a missed attack, not force a hit.

• If the Execution attack goes through, the target will need to roll a Physical Saving throw at a penalty equal to the attacker’s combat skill level.

  • A failure will lead to Mortally Wounded (or knocked unconscious if the attack could plausibly be non-lethal).
  • A success will lead to max weapon damage.
  • An unconscious or incapacitated target will always leave them Mortally Wounded.

List of Common Combat Options

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.

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