The Combat Round

All combat and action encounters are divided into Combat Rounds.

Each Combat Round represents approximately five seconds in the game, regardless of how much real time it takes to resolve.

Thus, a single minute in game time takes about twelve Combat Rounds.

Each Combat Round, participants take actions like fighting, moving, speaking, or manipulating objects or the environment.

Each player takes a turn during the Combat Round and decides on how to use any of his or her character’s allotted actions.

The gamemaster takes turns and decides on actions for all the non-player participants.

Sides

A combat encounter typically has two or more “sides”.

Usually, there are two sides: the group of adventurers on one side and their enemies on the other.

The gamemaster and players should have clear expectations about who is on which side.

Initiative

At the start of the encounter, each side involved in combat will make a roll for Initiative.

To do this, a single die is rolled for each side. The side with the highest result (numerical result) will go first, followed by the side with the second highest result, etc.

Example: Aldric, Bertoz, and Enowan (the player characters) are on one side and two palace guards are on another side. The players make a single roll for their side: one six-sided die is rolled and the roll achieves a 4. The gamemaster makes a single roll for the palace guards: the roll achieves a 5. The palace guards’ side will go first.

If there are any ties, ties are broken by the side with the fewest number of player characters.

Example: Aldric, Bertoz, and Enowan (the player characters) are on one side and two palace guards are on another side. The players make a roll for Initiative and the roll achieves a result of 4. The gamemaster makes a roll for the palace guards and the roll achieves a result of 4. The palace guards’ side will go first; their side has 0 player characters while the other side has 3 player characters.

Turns on Each Side

Once the Initiative order of sides has been determined, each side allows one participant to take a turn and then passes to the next side.

Once the order of sides has been determined, individual actors on each side may choose how to play out their turns.

All participants on the first side take their turns, and then the turns pass to other side for all participants on that side.

This back-and-forth pattern continues until the encounter is resolved.

Example: Aldric, Bertoz, and Enowan (the player characters) are on one side and two palace guards are on another side. The palace guards go first, one of them takes his turn. The Initiative passes to the player characters’ side and Bertoz chooses to act first. The Initiative passes to the palace guards, and the second one takes his turn. The Initiative passes to the player characters, and Enowan takes her turn. There are no palace guards left, so that side does not take another turn. Aldric, the last remaining participant on the player characters’ side, takes his turn. The Combat Round ends, and a new one begins, starting with the palace guards’ side.

At the conclusion of the round, after all participants have taken a turn, a new Combat Round begins. At the start of the new round, the side that won the roll for Initiative elects a participant to take a turn first and then passes to the next side.

This pattern continues until all participants on all sides have taken a turn and the encounter is resolved.

Individual Turns

Within his or her side’s turn, a character may take either two Partial Actions or one Full Action.

A player may take as many free actions as allowed by the gamemaster.

Partial Actions

Partial Actions require little time to execute.

• A Partial Action may be used to do any of the following:
• Make a Melee or Ranged Skill roll.
• Move a distance equal to the character’s Speed rating.
• Make a Disarm, Dodge, Feint, or Grapple Special Combat Maneuver (as described in the Special Combat Maneuver section below).
• Draw or stow a readily available (sheathed, holstered, etc.) weapon or piece of equipment.
• Drop to or stand-up from a prone position.
• Cast a Spell that requires a Partial Action.
• Any other activity the gamemaster determines takes a Partial Action to perform.

Full Actions

Some actions require a participant’s entire turn to perform.

A Full Action may be used to do any of the following:

• Make a Charge, Coup de Grâce, or Focused Attack Combat Maneuver (as described in the Special Combat Maneuver section below).
• “Run” by moving up to a distance equal to four times the character’s Speed rating.
• Draw or stow a non-readily available (buried in a backpack or satchel, etc.) weapon or piece of equipment.
• Load a crossbow or string a bow.
• Cast a Spell that requires a Full Action.
• Any other activity the gamemaster determines takes a Full Action to perform.

When taking a Full Action, the participant cannot do anything else except take any Free Actions the gamemaster permits.

Free Actions

Free Actions require little or no meaningful time or effort to perform or are so simple that they can be performed alongside other activities.

Examples of Free Actions include:

• Speaking (several words or a single, simple sentence).
• Turning one’s facing.
• Making certain Skill rolls as part of another action (such as Languages or Perception Skill rolls generally or Pilot or Ride/Team Skill rolls made as part of a maneuver attempt).
• Stamina and Willpower Skill rolls.
• Any other activity the gamemaster determines takes a Free Action to perform.

Participants are limited in the number of Free Actions that they may take during a single Combat Round, as determined by the gamemaster (a limit of 1 or 2 Free Actions is advisable).

Making Attacks

Participants in combat can make either Melee or Ranged attacks using the Melee or Ranged Skill, respectively.

Melee Skill attacks are made against opponents within the attacker’s reach (firsts, clubs, axes, swords, crowbars, chair legs, etc.).

Ranged Skill attacks are made against opponents beyond the attacker’s direct reach (thrown stones, slings, spears, bows and arrows, crossbows, etc.).

The Attack Roll

When the attacker makes a Melee or Ranged Skill roll, he or she applies three separate components to determine the number of dice rolled:

1. The attacker’s Melee or Ranged Skill dice.
2. The attacker’s Weapon Dice (based on the type of weapon used).
3. Any positive or negative modifiers to the roll (like Cover or Range).

Example: Ardric makes a Melee Skill roll to thrust his spear into a nearby enemy mercenary. Ardric has Melee 4 and the spear adds 1D Weapon Dice. Ardric will roll 5D for his attack with the spear.

Melee and Ranged Skill rolls achieve successes on dice results of 3, 4, 5, or 6, like other kinds of Skill rolls.

Parry and Armor

Parry and Armor may reduce the effectiveness of an incoming attack.

Parry

Parry rates a combatant’s ability to dodge or deflect attacks. Parry (unless permitted by a special ability) is only applied against incoming Melee Skill attacks.

For each point of Parry, the defender ignores one result of 3 or 4 on the attacker’s Melee Skill dice results.

Example: Ardric attacks a nearby mercenary with a spear; his Skill and Weapon Dice yield a combined 5D for the roll. The mercenary has Parry 2. Ardric’s Melee Skill roll yields results of 1, 3, 4, 4, and 6. Four successes. The mercenary’s Parry 2 allows him to ignore up to two results of 3 or 4 on Ardric’s dice roll. The Melee Skill roll effects only 2 successes, instead.

A defender may apply his or her Parry only if he or she has full range of movement. If a defender is pinned, trapped, incapacitated, or immobile, he or she cannot apply his or  her Parry against opposing attacks.

Armor

Armor rates a defender’s ability to soak damage due to worn manufactured armor, toughened hide or skin, or via special abilities.

Armor applies against both Melee and Ranged Skill attacks.

For each point of Armor, the defender ignores one result of 3 or 4 on the attacker’s Melee or Ranged Skill dice results.

Example: Enowan fires a shortbow at a hiding thief. Her Ranged Skill roll is made with 4D. The thief has Armor 1, due to wearing a suit of leather armor. Enowan’s Ranged Skill roll yields dice results of 2, 3, 5, and 5. Three successes. The Ranged Skill roll effects only 2 successes, instead.

Furthermore, when defending against Melee Skill attacks, Armor and Parry (described above) stack.

Example: Bertoz makes a Melee Skill roll against an opposing militiaman with a club. His Melee Skill roll is made with 3D. The militiaman is carrying a light shield (giving him Parry 1) and wearing leather armor (giving him Armor 1). Bertoz’s Melee Skill roll yields dice results of 2, 4, and 4. Two successes. The Melee Skill roll effects no successes, instead.

Damage

A Melee or Ranged Skill attack deals 1 point of damage per roll result, minus 1 point of damage for each applied Parry and/or Defense point.

Example: Ardric makes a Melee Skill roll against an enemy mercenary. Ardric rolls 4D for his Melee Skill roll and the enemy mercenary has Armor 2. Ardric makes the roll and the dice results are 2, 3, 4, and 4. Three successes. The mercenary’s Armor 2 cancels up to two results of 3 or 4. The mercenary takes 1 point of damage.

Each point of damage a combatant sustains means one box on the damage track is ticked. A combatant with no boxes ticked has no damage. A combatant with any boxes ticked occupies the status of the lowermost ticked box.

Damage from Melee or Ranged Skill attacks is usually Wound damage (though attacks with some weapons or the Bash, Improvised Attack, or Unarmed Attack special maneuvers (as described in their own separate sections below) deal Fatigue damage instead.

Penalties

Wound, Fatigue, and Fear damage comes with penalties.

These penalties, shown as dice penalties (0D, -1D, and -2D) apply for all Skill rolls the damaged character makes. These penalties also apply to the character’s Movement (each 1D of penalties equals one lost Movement point; e.g. -2D in penalties equals -2 Movement).

All dice penalties stack.

Weapon Dice

Different types of weapons, including the attacker’s own body or improvised weapons, possess varying levels of lethality.

Weapons are classified as follows:

Weapon Type	Weapon Dice	Examples
Unarmed	-2D	Elbow strike, headbutt, kick, punch
Improvised	-1D	Broken chair leg, glass bottle, stone
Light	0D	Billhook, club, dagger, dart, hand ax, knife, mattock, peasant’s flail, quarterstaff, short sword, sickle, sling
Medium	1D	Arming sword, battle ax, bill, falchion, horseman’s pick, javelin, lance, light crossbow, mace, morning star, poleax, short bow, spear, war hammer
Heavy	2D	Flail, heavy crossbow, longbow, long sword, pike

Cover Dice

If a defender against a Melee or Ranged Skill roll is concealed from the attacker’s vantage point, the defender may receive Cover Dice.

Target is…	Cover Dice
≈25% concealed	1D
≈50% concealed	2D
≈75% concealed	3D
More than 75% concealed	No Ranged attack possible

Cover Dice are applied as penalty to the attacker’s Melee or Ranged Skill roll, in addition to any penalties from Armor Dice or range penalties.

Effective Range

Effective ranges for Ranged weapons varies based on the type of weapon used:

Weapon	Effective Range
Longbow or heavy crossbow	30 yards
Short bow or light crossbow	20 yards
Javelins or slings	10 yards
Thrown daggers, darts, knives, or hand axes	2 yards
Other objects	1 yard

If a Ranged Skill roll is made against a target that is within range, no modification to the roll is made.

For each range increment between the attacker and target beyond the first, a cumulative -1D penalty is applied to the roll.

Eample: Elnowan uses a short bow to fire an arrow at an enemy that is 90 yards away. Elnowan’s effective range for the attack is 20 yards (the shortbow’s effective range increment). Elnowan’s Range Skill roll suffers a -3D penalty, because 90 yards is three range increments beyond the first one.

The gamemaster has final say—based on the circumstances—whether a Ranged Skill roll is within range or not.

Wounds

Most living creatures can sustain 3 Wounds.

When a character sustains Wound damage, the next available open Wound on the character sheet is marked off.

Any penalties from lost Wounds apply to all the character’s rolls.

If a character would reach 4 or more Wounds, he or she dies immediately.

Restoring Wounds

A character heals Wounds with proper rest and care.

After one full day of rest, a character that has sustained Wound damage makes a Stamina roll, applying his or her current Wound penalty to that roll.

Each success on the roll restores 1 Wound point.

Structure

Non-living objects have a statistic called Structure that acts similarly to Wounds.

Structure cannot be healed but may be restored through proper repair of the object.

Depending on the object and the damage sustained, it may be impossible to restore Structure points (for example, nothing can reverse the damage of a half-burnt wooden table that has sustained 2 Structure damage).

Fatigue

Most living creatures can sustain 3 Fatigue.

When a character sustains Fatigue damage, the next available open Fatigue on the character sheet is marked off.

Any penalties from lost Fatigue apply all the character’s rolls.

If a character would reach 4 or more Fatigue, he or she immediately falls unconscious.

Restoring Fatigue

A character restores Fatigue with proper rest.

A 4-hour of continuous rest restores 1 lost Fatigue point.

Fear

Most living creatures can sustain 3 Fear.

When a character sustains Fear damage, the next available open Fear on the character sheet is marked off.

Any penalties from Fear apply all the character’s rolls.

If a character would reach 4 or more Fear, he or she immediately flees from all sources of conflict or danger.

The character continues to flee until he or she reaches a place that is free from conflict or danger.

Restoring Fear

A character restores 1 point of Fear between Scenes, provided he or she is no longer faced with conflict or danger.

If conflict or danger persists, no Fear is restored.

Injuries

Sometimes damage causes injuries to a character beyond mere Wound or Fatigue damage.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, a character that sustains Wound or Fatigue damage from an attack (or due to blunt force trauma, electrocution, fire, etc.) may receive a corresponding injury commensurate with the type and method of damage, as well as the severity.

Common injuries include:

Injury Type	Effect
Hand or arm	-1D penalty to rolls with hand or arm.
Foot or leg	Speed rating reduced by one category.
Eye	-1D to sight-based rolls.
Ear	-1D to hearing-based rolls.
Open wound	Each hour, a Luck Roll for Wound damage is made against the character until injury is treated.

Injuries should only be considered by the gamemaster if they serve a dramatic effect on the campaign and/or if the damage from an attack or other source is sufficiently high (say 3 points or more from a single instance).

Unless the injury is permanent, the character can recover with time, rest, and proper medical care.

Movement

During a Combat Encounter, a participant may move using several types of movement.

Crawl or Sneak

A participant may crawl or sneak a number of yards equal to half (rounded down) his or her Movement score.

Crawling or sneaking requires a Partial Action.

Walk

A participant may walk a number of yards equal to his or her Movement score.

Walking requires a Partial Action.

Jog

A participant may jog a number of yards equal to double his or her Movement score.

Jogging requires a Full Action.

Run

A participant may run a number of yards equal to quadruple his or her Movement score.

Running requires a Full Action.

Jump

A participant may jump either vertically or horizontally, making an Athletics Skill roll.

A vertical jump can be made up to 1 foot per roll success.

A horizontal jump can be made up to 2 feet per roll success from a dead stop, or up to 3 feet per jump success with a running start.

Vertical jumps and horizontal jumps from a dead stop require a Partial Action. Horizontal jumps with a running start require a Full  Action.

Climb

A participant may climb by making an Athletics Skill roll.

The participant can climb up to 1 yard per roll success if climbing without equipment or up to 2 yards per roll success if climbing with equipment.

Climbing requires a Full Action.

Special Combat Maneuvers

During a combat participant’s turn, he or she may use one of the following maneuvers.

Bash

The character may attack with the blunt end of a lethal weapon (such as the face of a shield, the pommel of a sword, or the pole-end of a spear).

A Melee Skill roll is made as normal, but the resulting damage is Fatigue instead of Wounds.

All weapons used for this maneuver apply 0D Weapon Dice, regardless of their normal Weapon Dice rating.

Heavy shields cannot be used for Bash Maneuvers.

A Bash attack may be combined with the Charge or Focused Attack maneuvers.

Coup de Grâce

If the character takes a Full Action to make a single Melee or Ranged Skill roll against an incapacitated (unconscious, restrained, held, or tied down, asleep, etc.) target, the target is immediately slain.

The attacker makes the attack roll as normal, and provided the attack achieves at least 1 success, the target dies.

The attack used for this maneuver must be capable of dealing Wound damage.

Charge

As a Full Action, the character runs at his or her target and then makes a single Melee Skill roll.

The character must move at least 10 feet in a straight, unobstructed line at his or her target at a running pace.

The character then makes a single Melee Skill roll with a +1D bonus.

Dodge

As a Partial Action, the character may increase his or her Parry +1 until his or her next turn in the Combat Round.

Disarm

A character may use a Partial Action to disarm an opponent.

The character and target make an opposed Melee Skill roll. Both rolls add the respective Weapon Dice.

If the character’s roll beats the target’s roll by 1 successes or more, the target is disarmed, and the weapon is knocked 1 yard away in a random direction.

Feint

A character may attempt to trick an opponent into lowering his or her defenses. This maneuver requires a Partial Action.

The character and target each make opposed rolls:

• Character makes a Persuasion Skill roll adding one of his or her weapon’s Weapon Dice.
• Target makes a Willpower Skill roll adding +1D for this roll for each point of  his or her Parry and/or Armor.

If the character’s roll beats the target’s roll by 1 success or more, the target loses his or her Parry (cannot apply his or her Parry against any attacks) until the start of his or her next turn.

Focused Attacked

By using a Full Action, a character may put all his or her effort into a single strike.

The character makes a single Melee or Ranged Skill roll, adding a +2D bonus to the roll.

Grapple

Characters may attempt to grapple and pin their opponents by using a Partial Action.

To grapple, both the character and target make opposed Melee Skill rolls. The target may add the Weapon Dice of a weapon he or she bears and his or her Parry Dice.

If the character’s roll beats the target’s roll by 1 success or more, the target is grappled and cannot move.

The target may attempt to break the grapple by making an opposed Melee Skill roll (this time, not adding Weapon or Parry Dice).

While a character has his or her opponent grappled, the character may use a Full Action to automatically inflict 1 Fatigue damage to the opponent by crushing or levering the target’s limbs.

Improvised Attack

A character can make an improvised attack using either the Melee or the Ranged Skill.

Improvised attacks are attacks made with objects that do not serve a combat function or weapons used outside of their normal mode of use.

For example, picking up a barstool to smash into an enemy (Melee), throwing a rock (Ranged), using a longbow as a club (Melee), or throwing a short sword (Ranged).

Improvised attacks apply -1D Weapon Dice and deal Fatigue damage.

The Effective Range for an improvised Ranged Skill roll is generally 1 yard per the attacker’s Ranged Skill Level.

Unarmed Attack

A character can make an unarmed attack by using the Melee Skill.

Unarmed attacks are made using the character’s own body as a weapon: punches, kicks, elbow strikes, headbutts, etc.

This is a normal Melee Skill attack that applies -2D Weapon Dice and deal Fatigue damage.

Mounted Combat

Mounted Combat rules take effect when a character rides a creature as a form of conveyance.

Common mounts are found in donkeys, horses, mules, and oxen, though some more exotic mounts might present themselves during a campaign (bears, dragons, wolves, and other fantastical creatures).

Creatures will not allow a rider to mount them unless they are suited and trained for that purpose. Training an animal to accept a rider and function under a rider’s control takes many years and is an expensive endeavor.

Wild creatures cannot serve as mounts.

Controlling the Mount

A well-trained mount can follow basic orders from its rider including moving at a walking pace, allowing a rider to mount or dismount, or accepting a relatively light cargo load.

More difficult tasks require the use of the Ride/Team Skill as determined by the gamemaster.

This is especially the case for controlling the mount in combat, executing attacks, jumps, or other maneuvers, or keeping the mount steady during bad weather or dangerous situations.

Turns and Turn Order

The rider and mount share the same turn order and take turns together during the Combat Round.

Mounted Actions

During the rider and mount’s turn in the Combat Round, the rider decides what the mount does, if anything.

The rider has two Partial Actions available to him or her or a single Full Action.

Additional actions the rider may take include:

• The rider and mount move together using the mount’s form and rate of movement.
• The rider can induce the mount to make an attack (like biting, clawing, stomping with hooves, trampling, etc.).

Mounted Attacks

Mounts can be induced to attack by their riders.

To do this, the rider makes a Ride/Team Skill roll and applies a modifier based on the mount type:

Mount Type	Examples	Modifier
Small, without claws/fangs	Donkey, mule	-1D
Small, with claws/fangs	Wolf	0D
Large without claws/fangs	Horse, ox	+1D
Large with claws/fangs	Dragon	+2D

Mounted attacks deal Wound damage.

Vehicle Combat

Vehicle Combat rules take effect when a driver (with along perhaps some passengers) rides aboard a vehicle.

Common vehicles include carriages, carts, chariots, and wagons.

Vehicles require one or more trained, suitable creatures (donkeys, horses, mules, oxen, etc.) to pull them.

A group of such creatures are called a “team.” (For the purposes of these rules, a “team” also refers also to a single creature that pulls a vehicle).

Controlling the Vehicle

A well-trained team can follow basic orders from the driver including moving at a walking pace, allowing the driver or passengers to embark or disembark, or accepting a relatively light cargo load.

More difficult tasks require the use of the Ride/Team Skill as determined by the gamemaster.

This is especially the case for controlling the vehicle in combat, executing attacks, jumps, or other maneuvers, or keeping the vehicle and team steady during bad weather or dangerous situations.

Turns and Turn Order

The driver and vehicle share the same turn order and take turns together during the Combat Round.

Vehicle Actions

During the driver and vehicle’s turn in the Combat Round, the driver decides what the vehicle does, if anything.

The driver has two Partial Actions available to him or her or a single Full Action.

Additional actions the driver may take include:

• The driver moves the vehicle—and everyone and everything aboard it—using the vehicle’s form and rate of movement.
• The driver can induce the team to make an attack (like stomping with hooves, biting, clawing, trampling, etc.).

Vehicle Attacks

Vehicle teams can be induced to attack by their drivers.

To do this, the driver makes a Ride/Team roll and applies a modifier based on the mount type:

Team Type	Examples	Modifier
Small, without claws/fangs	Donkey, mule	-1D
Small, with claws/fangs	Wolf	0D
Large without claws/fangs	Horse, ox	+1D
Large with claws/fangs	Dragon	+2D

Vehicle attacks deal Wound damage.

Waterborne Combat

Waterborne Combat rules take effect when a pilot and one or more passengers ride aboard a ship.

Common ships include boats, canoes, caravels, galleons, rafts, and any other water-faring vehicle large or small.

Controlling the Ship

Controlling a ship of any size requires the use of the Pilot Skill.

The Difficulty of controlling any ship is primarily based on its size:

Ship Size	Base Difficulty
Raft, canoe, four-man boat	Easy (1)
Cog, longship	Moderate (2)
Caravel, carrack, galley, hulk	Difficult (3)

The gamemaster may modify the Difficulty as necessary: increasing the Difficulty for more complex tasks or decreasing it for easier ones.

The Difficulties listed above assume ordinary tasks with calm weather and ample crew to assist the pilot.

Turns and Turn Order

The pilot and ship share the same turn order and take turns together during the Combat Round.

Ship Actions

During the pilot’s turn in the Combat Round, the pilot decides what the ship does, if anything.

The pilot still has two Partial Actions available to him or her or a single Full Action.

Additional actions the pilot may take include:

• The pilot moves the ship—and everyone and everything abord it—using the ship’s form and rate of movement.
• The pilot can ram another ship or target with his or her own ship.

Ship Attacks

A pilot can ram a ship or another target with his or her own ship.

To do this, the pilot must use a Full Action that can move the ship into its target (the ship must be within its Speed range of the target).

The pilot makes a Pilot Skill roll and adds a modifier based on the ship’s size:

Ship Size	Modifier
Raft, canoe, four-man boat	-3D
Cog, longship	-2D
Caravel, carrack, galley, hulk	-1D

Ramming attacks deal Structure damage.

The ship that makes the ramming attack sustains half the damage (rounded down) dealt to the target.

If the attacking ship has a dedicated ram built into it and this is used to make the attack, the attacking ship sustains no damage instead.

Poisons

Poisons are substances that cause great harm or death.

These substances are often intentional creations used in espionage, treachery, and warfare.

Strengths of Poison

Poisons come in strengths each with a corresponding Target Number.

Strength	Target Number	Cost*
Weak	1	4 ½sp
Mild	2	6 ¾sp
Strong	3	10sp
Vile	4	15sp
*Assumes a 1oz. dose.

When a living creature is exposed to enough poison to make an effective dose, it must make a Stamina Skill roll.

If the creature succeeds at the roll, it is immune to the poison and any additional doses of that same batch of poison do nothing to it.

If the creature fails, it dies if the antidote is not consumed by the creature within time.

A creature will die of a sufficient dose of poison (if it does not consume the antidote) within 6 hours minus the poison’s Stamina Skill roll Target Number.

Example: A character consumes a Strong Poison (Target Number 3) and fails his or her Stamina Skill roll to resist the poison. The character will die within 3 hours (6 – Target Number) if he or she does not consume the antidote.

While the creature is dying from the poison, it experiences nausea, vomiting, and delirium. The creature suffers a -2D penalty to all rolls it makes, and its Speed rating is reduced by half.

Application

Poisons are often brewed in small batches at very great expense.

An effective dose depends on the weight of its target:

Dose	Weight of Target
¼ oz.	Up to 75lb.
½ oz.	76-150lb.
¾ oz.	151-300lb.
1 oz.	300-600lb.

Poisons may be hidden in food and drink or coated on blades and arrow heads.

Properly applying a poison requires a Medicine Skill roll with a difficulty number equal to the poison’s Stamina Skill Target Number.

Failure to properly apply the poison ruins the batch and may (if the roll fails by 2 or more points) poison the applicator, requiring him or her to make a Stamina Skill roll against the poison’s Target Number or suffer its effects.