Combat
When a group of characters intends harm on another group of characters, the situation turns into combat. Usually this occurs because each team is focused on conflicting objectives and combat is a method of stopping opposing teams from interfering with that objective.
Participants in combat are separated into teams. Teams and their members will take turns performing actions until one team remains or one team completes their objective. In rare situations, a team's objective may change from one round of combat to another.
Objectives
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Initiative and Rounds
Initiative is the order in which teams take their turns during combat. Whenever a character performs an action that leads to the beginning of combat, that character is setting their team at the highest initiative (first). The next initiative goes to the team being attacked, with every other team going next in whatever order the game master decides is appropriate.
The players accidentally alert some guards who being to sound the alarm.
In a bid to act first, one of the players decides to attack one of the guards.
The players will start with the highest initiative and the guards with the next initiative.
When that player takes their first turn in combat, they will start with their action to attack the guard.
Once initiative has been determined, combat will enter into rounds. Each round represents about six seconds, meaning there are about ten rounds in one minute. During each round, each participant in the combat will get one turn. Each team will select one member to take a turn, and then pass to the next team, until each team has given all of their members a turn. Once this happens, the next round begins.
The players go first, and they decide to let Roland take the first turn so he can get into a good position.
Next, the guards will decide to let their captain take a turn so he can rally the troops.
Then the players will go again, this time selecting Clementine who attacks one of the guards.
Then the guards will go again, selecting a guard who will move to and then attack Roland.
Teams will continue to alternate until all participants have taken their turns.
The round will then end and the next round will begin, repeating the process.
During new rounds, players may decide to take their turns in a different order than in a previous round.
If one team has much fewer members than another team, then they simply run out of members to give turns to. This means that any remaining teams with members may still continue to assign turns. Try not to get outnumbered.
The players manage to defeat a few of the guards, resulting in lopsided teams of four players versus two guards.
Once both teams have taken two turns each, only the players will have members on their team left to act.
The players may take the remaining as there are no other teams with remaining members to give turns to.
If at any time a character becomes unable to act (such as by becoming unconscious), they lose the ability to take a turn. When they regain consciousness, they may take their turn at the next possible opportunity.
During combat with the guards, one of them managed to knock Roland unconscious before he could take his turn.
However, on Clementine's turn she managed to resuscitate Roland and return him to consciousness.
Since a player just took a turn, it passes to the guard's team (if they have any members left to act).
After the guards take a turn, the players may decide to give Roland the next turn.
Surprise
Sometimes circumstances will lead a team to have the advantage of surprise. This can happen by using stealth or by starting combat when the opponents were not expecting it. In this case, the team with the benefit of surprise gets to take a whole round where only their team may take actions. After this round, teams will alternate taking turns as normal.
While exploring a room the players start to make a lot of noise.
As a result, a few goblins hear them and stealthily approach their position.
The players fail to detect the goblins, so they catch the players by surprise.
The goblins then proceed to all take turns as they attack the players.
During a surprise round, if there are any characters that do not have the advantage of surprise but also cannot be surprised, then they may take actions as normal even if the rest of their team cannot. In this case, the initiative of the teams are compared as normal during the surprise round instead of only when normal rounds begin.
Thankfully, Clementine has the danger sense talent and cannot be surprised.
During the surprise round, Clementine defeats one of the goblins.
As a result, there is one less goblin attacking them during the surprise round.
After the surprise round, normal rounds begin and each team takes their turns as normal.
Actions in Combat
Each turn in combat, characters may take three actions. Since each round is considered to represent six seconds of time passing, each action represents two seconds. By default, any action you can take during a turn is considered to take one action unless otherwise specified. Some actions will also specify if they require you to spend additional resources like stamina or focus.
Table: Actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Attack | Make an attack against a target with an item or weapon |
| Brandish | Choose what items you are holding in your hands |
| Command | Once per turn per target, spend 2 focus to give an ally one action during your turn |
| Interact | Use an object in the immediate area such as doors and inventory items |
| Guard | End your turn but gain a +1 bonus to all defences and defence tests until next turn |
| Move | Once per turn, move up to your speed |
| Ready an Action | End your turn declaring an action as a reaction with a trigger condition. Lasts until next turn or when triggered |
| Resuscitate | (Two actions) Go prone, then make a test to return someone to consciousness |
| Seek Cover | Give ranged attackers disadvantage while behind cover until next turn |
| Short Task | (Three actions) Perform a short task that requires making a test |
| Sprint | If you have already moved this turn, spend 1 stamina to take another move action |
| Stand Up | Get up from being prone |
| Wait | End your turn but gain an extra reaction until next turn |
During each round, characters may also take up to one reaction. Reactions can be taken on any character's turn and are recovered at the start of each turn.
Table: Reactions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Block | Spend 1 stamina to use a shield to redirect incoming damage |
| Dodge | Spend 1 stamina to attempt to avoid an attack by making a test |
| Fortify | Spend 1 stamina to attempt to prevent a physical effect by making a test |
| Intercept | Spend 1 stamina to move and displace an ally replacing them as a target, then may take any defensive action as a free reaction |
| Parry | Spend 1 stamina to use an item to add to your deflection |
| Resist | Spend 1 focus to attempt to prevent a mental effect by making a test |
Actions that are longer than a single turn (more than six seconds or three actions) are called extended actions. Extended actions and any other action which takes more actions than you have left in a turn can be taken the same as any other action, but you must wait until the full action time has occurred before you can perform the effects of that action. If during a future turn you wish to abandon an action that you have already started, you may do so at no extra cost and take your turn as normal.
During her turn, Petra fires her crossbow at an enemy, then decides to seek cover.
Reloading her crossbow requires that she takes two actions but she only has one action remaining.
She decides to start reloading her crossbow with her remaining action.
On her next turn, she will need to spend her first action to finish reloading before taking any other actions.
Actions that are longer than a single turn (more than six seconds or three actions) are called extended actions. You may take any action that requires more than you have left by spending actions from future turns. However, the action will only be completed once the full action time has passed. You may cancel an action started this way at any time during your turn at no extra cost, and take your turn as normal.
Some actions may also be free actions or free reactions, which do not count against your action and reaction limit per turn.
Table: Free Actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Drop Item | Drop any held item onto the ground |
| Drop Prone | Become prone, giving ranged attackers disadvantage and melee attackers advantage |
| Step | Once per turn, take a 1m step instead of a move action |
Movement and Distances
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When using a square grid to track discreet movement, treat every second diagonal space moved as 2m instead of 1m.
Attacks
To make an attack with a weapon, make a test using one of the attributes listed for that weapon, plus your combat skill, and any relevant proficiency. Compare the result against the target's evasion. If the test succeeds, the attack hits. Otherwise, it misses.
Boudica attacks an enemy with her spear, which can use either strength or dexterity, and finesse or martial proficiencies.
She chooses to make her attack test using her strength (d6), combat skill (d6), and martial proficiency (+1).
She rolls 2d6+1, resulting in a 6. The enemy has an evasion of 6, so she just hits with her attack.
The amount of damage dealt by an attack that hits is equal to the result of your test plus the weapon's damage. This damage is then reduced by the target's matching damage reduction to a minimum of 1. Damage is first dealt to the target's endurance, with any excess damage being dealt to the target's health.
Boudica attacks and hits an enemy with her spear, with a test resulting in a 6.
The damage from her spear is 4 (piercing), which she adds to her roll of 6, resulting in a total damage of 10 (piercing).
The enemy has a physical damage reduction of 8, which is subtracted from her damage, resulting in a total damage taken of 2.
The luck die modifies an attack differently than a normal test. Instead of adding a +4 when the luck die rolls a 20 or greater, if your luck roll is greater than or equal to the weapon's critical threshold, the attack cannot miss, and it uses its critical damage instead of its normal damage.
Boudica attacks and hits an enemy with her spear, with a test resulting in a 6.
Additionally, her luck die rolls a 19 which is within the weapon's critical threshold of 19+.
The critical damage from her spear is 8 (piercing), which she adds to her roll of 6, resulting in a total damage of 14 (piercing).
The enemy has a physical damage reduction of 8, which is subtracted from her damage, resulting in a total damage taken of 6.
If your weapon is thrown or fires a projectile and your target is within 1m of other characters, then there is a chance to hit those characters instead of your intended target. If your luck roll results in a 1 or less, then your attack randomly targets one of those adjacent characters instead.
Agnessa uses her shortbow to attack an enemy who is next to one of her allies.
Unfortunately, her luck die rolls a 1, which results in her targeting another nearby character.
Only her ally is nearby, so she must target her ally instead.
She finishes the attack as normal, but with her ally as the new target.
Attacks get a -2 penalty for each attack made before it during the same round. This penalty also applies to attacks from maneuvers. This is known as the multiple attack penalty.
Agnessa attempts to attack the enemy again using her shortbow.
She makes her second attack this turn, resulting in a 5, but this time with a -2 penalty, for a new result of 3.
Unfortunately, this attack is not enough to hit her target's evasion, so she misses.
Attacks made against enemies who cannot see you or who are surrounded on two opposite sides, are made with advantage. These are known as sneak attacks and flanking attacks respectively. You do not need to be contributing to a flank to make a flanking attack (such as making a ranged attack against a flanked target). If you make an attack that is both a sneak attack and a flanking attack it will provide you with double advantage.
Fabian sneaks up behind an enemy and attacks them with his dagger.
Because the enemy did not see him coming, he gets advantage to his attack as a sneak attack.
Agnessa attacks an enemy with her shortbow who has two of her allies nearby them, one on each side.
Because the enemy is surrounded, she gets advantage to her attack as a flanking attack.
If there is a difference in size between you and the target, then treat their evasion and deflection as modified by this difference. If you are larger, treat their evasion as increased and their deflection as decreased. If you are smaller, do the opposite.
Fabian attacks a goblin with his dagger.
Because Fabian is medium sized (4) and the goblin is small sized (3), he is larger by a difference of 1.
During this attack, Fabian will treat their evasion as 1 higher and their deflection as 1 lower.
Defensive Actions
In addition to the standard defensive actions of dodge, fortify, and resist, against attacks you can also block and parry.
Block
When you block an attack, you may use a wielded item with the block property to absorb the damage before you. If you do, the item is considered to be hit instead of you. Reduce the damage by the item's block value instead of your damage reduction, then deal the remaining damage to the item's durability to a minimum of 1. If possible, any effects that apply from being hit are dealt to the item instead. Otherwise, they cause no effect. You may decide to block after you would get hit but before you take damage.
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If an item you are blocking with would be dealt damage from an attack in excess of its durability, the excess damage is dealt directly to you as though it was from a successful hit. Any effects that apply from being hit are still dealt to you as normal.
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Parry
When you parry an attack, choose a wielded item to use for the parry. If that item has a parry value, add it to your physical defense. If it does not, add 1 instead. After you parry, that item receives 1 damage to its durability.
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If an item does not have a listed durability and it is made of metal, it has a durability of 10. Otherwise, it has a durability of 4. Items that are broken (have zero durability) cannot be used to block or parry.
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Damage
When a character is hit by an attack, a trap, or by any means, they will usually take damage. Damage is separated into multiple categories such as physical, elemental, and typeless damage. Most sources of damage will deal either physical or elemental damage. If a type is not specified, then it can be considered typeless damage. Normally, only physical and elemental damage can be reduced by deflection.
Table: Damage Types
| Name | Type | Name | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcane | Elemental | Psychic | Typeless |
| Bludgeoning | Physical | Radiant | Elemental |
| Cold | Elemental | Shock | Elemental |
| Fire | Elemental | Slashing | Physical |
| Piercing | Physical | Void | Elemental |
Damage that characters take is first dealt to their endurance. While at half of their endurance or less, they are considered to be harmed. If damage is dealt in excess of endurance, that damage is instead dealt to health. While at less than their maximum health, they are also considered bloodied.
Boudica is attacked and takes 7 damage.
With an endurance of 12, her endurance is reduced to 5.
Because she has an amount of endurance equal or less than half of her maximum, she is also considered harmed.
When a character loses health, if their missing health is greater than their constitution, they must either become unconscious or fortify against a difficulty equal to their missing health to remain conscious. Fortifying in this way is still a reaction.
Boudica is attacked again and takes 10 more damage.
With a remaining endurance of 5, her endurance is reduced to zero, with the excess of 5 being dealt to her health.
With a health of 12, her health is reduced to 7.
Because her missing health (5) is greater than her constitution of 4, she must choose to fortify or become unconscious.
She spends 1 stamina, rolls her strength (d6) and athletics (d4), then adds her fortitude (+1), resulting in a 7.
She succeeds her test against her missing health and manages to maintain consciousness.
Because she has any of her health missing, she is also considered bloodied.
Death
When a character is reduced to zero health, they immediately become unconscious. If the damage they received exceeded their remaining health, then they also risk death. They may make a luck test attempting to roll a 10 or greater. If they fail, they die. If they succeed, they cheat death, and this difficulty value is permanently increased by 5.
Boudica is attacked a final time and takes 8 more damage.
With a remaining health of 7, her health is brought to zero, and she becomes unconscious.
Because the damage exceeded her remaining health, she also risks death.
She makes a luck test attempting to cheat death, but rolls a 1.
She fails her luck test and dies.
While a character is unconscious, another character may use any nonlethal weapon to kill them instantly. This is called a killing strike. This requires making a test (with advantage) using the combat skill against their constitution. If it fails, then a sneak attack is made instead of causing instant death. While in combat, this requires taking the activity action (which takes three actions).
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When a character is brought to zero health from damage that would exceed their remaining health and that damage is from a nonlethal source, they do not immediately risk death. Any more damage taken while at zero health, including from a nonlethal source will cause them to risk death as normal.