Combat

Action Economy

Each round lasts for 5 seconds in game time, so each 12 rounds is one full minute of in-game time. During each round you have three actions to use. You can do many different things with a single action such as moving up to your speed, making an attack, or performing certain skills like using Athletics to climb. You can mix and match these three actions as you wish.

Combat Movement

A character’s combat movement speed is based on the character’s Speed score. To calculate your speed score Add your Dexterity, Stamina, and Power Ranking together, round up to the nearest number divisible by 5. So if you have a Dexterity of 5, a Stamina of 10, and are a Neophyte you will have a combat movement of 20 feet, (5 + 10 + 1 = 16, round up to nearest divisor of 5, for 20.)

***Movement in combat is based on 5 foot areas, which is why you round up to the nearest divisor of 5. This is to make it easier to use a game mat at the game table.

Attacking

Roll a d20, add bonuses (from skills and/or perks), then subtract any relevant penalties.

Attack Bonuses
- Combat Skill
- Magical Bonuses
- Situational Bonuses

Defending

Roll a d20, add bonuses (from skills and/or perks), then subtract any relevant penalties.

Defense Bonuses
- Combat Skill
- Magical Bonuses
- Situational Bonuses

If the attacker has a higher total number, they win and will proceed to roll for damage. If the defender has the higher total number, they win and no damage will be taken. Ties go to the defender.

Critical Hit

If the Attacker beats the defender’s roll by at least 10, after all bonuses and penalties are applied, that is considered a critical hit. Roll damage as usual, then double the total.

Damage

If the attacker wins the combat challenge, they will roll for damage.

The attacker will roll the damage as stated on the weapon or spell used. They will then add any relevant bonuses, then subtract any relevant penalties for the total damage, (there is always a minimum of 1 damage on a successful hit.)

Reduce the damage total by the total armor value of any armor worn by the defender.

Armor

The number that a defender’s armor reduces combat damage by is not lost, instead that number is taken from the armor’s total Durability score. If an armor’s Durability score is reduced to 0, the armor is destroyed and will need extensive repair before it can be used again. An armor cannot reduce combat damage by more than the current Durability it has remaining.

Fortitude

All damage is dealt to Fortitude before Health (unless otherwise stated.) Fortitude recovers at a rate equal to 1 point per tier of power that the character has attained. So if a character is a Neophyte, they will recover 1 point of Fortitude each round, if they are an Acolyte they will recover 2 points per round, an Adept will recover 3 points per round, and so on.

If Fortitude is ever reduced to 0, recovery is halted until no damage has been taken for 10 minutes.

Health

Recovering Health is much more difficult than recovering Fortitude. Health will recover at a rate of 1 point per tier of power the character has attained per day. So a Neophyte will recover only 1 point of Health per day, while a Master will recover 4 points of Health per day.

If the character is being aided in their recovery by someone with the Medicine skill, rolling at least a 50 each day, they will recover 1 more point per day. If the character rests the entire day, they gain an additional 1 point per day.

Wounds

A wound takes significantly longer to heal. One wound point will take one week to heal. If any additional wounds are gained during the wound recovery, all wound recovery time resets.

Ways to get wounds:

Taking 5 points of Health damage from one hit.
Dropping to 0 Health

Applying Damage

After the total amount of damage is calculated, the defender will first subtract from their Fortitude score before their health. Only once their Fortitude is reduced to 0 does any damage apply to a character’s Health.

Dying

If a character is reduced to 0 Health, they are dying. They will have a number of rounds equal to their Maximum Health score before they are dead. If they take any damage during this time, they are instantly killed.

If a single attack would deal more Health damage to a character than they have left, they are still considered at 0 Health. However, if the character takes enough damage, in a single hit, that would equal negative their maximum Health, they are instantly dead, i.e. if a character has 10 health max and they take 20 damage directly to their health, they are instantly dead. If a character has 2 health remaining, and a maximum Health of 10, and they take 12 damage (making negative 10 health) they are instantly killed.

Common Combat Maneuvers

Some combat maneuvers are basic enough that anyone proficient with any combat skill can attempt to perform them.

Standard attacks can be made by anyone, regardless of weapon proficiency, however making an attack with a weapon that you are not proficient with will cost the character a number of stamina points equal to the weight of the weapon, 1 for light, 2 for medium, and 3 for heavy weapons.

Melee Attack Options

When making a melee attack with a weapon, or unarmed, that you are proficient with you can decide to attack one of three ways. A standard attack, a stun attack, or a heavy attack.

Standard Attack: deals normal damage, as listed in the weapon description

Stun Attack: deals stun damage to the opponent

Heavy Attack: Use both Primary and Secondary actions to deal an additional 2 damage on a successful hit.

Shove

As a Primary Action, make an attack roll vs opponent’s defense roll, if the attacker is successful they can move their opponent 5 feet away.

Defensive StanceAs a Primary Action you can take a defensive stance, gaining a bonus +25 to defense rolls that round.

Grab

As a Primary Action, make an attack roll with your unarmed skill vs the opponent’s defense or wrestle skill. If you are successful you have grabbed your opponent. You cannot make any attacks while grabbing your opponent, but you can move the opponent at half your speed score with a move action. Your opponent can make an attack with a light weapon or unarmed, but it will require them to use both Primary and Secondary actions to do so. The opponent can also use their Primary action to make a Wrestle skill roll or an Unarmed Attack roll on their turn to break free of, or to reverse the grab.