Combat

Homebrew Rules

• Ranged Weapons
  • There's no need to track a large amount of ammunition. Instead, if you fail the attack roll 3 times then you're out.
    • If you roll a Critical Failure, this counts as 2.
  • This resets to 3 after combat if you have time to search, using the "Reclaiming Bolts and Arrows" rule, otherwise it stays as is.
  • Special ammunition is tracked per unit, whilst normal ammunition is managed using this method
• Rapid Fire // Bloodthirst // Code of Honor (Koj)
  • Once hit, you're able to use Adept/Master Rapid Fire in addition to Novice, but you must pass a successful Quick roll to do so.
  • If an ally gets hit for more than or equal to their Pain Threshold, this also applies.
• Polearm Mastery (Adept)
  • Only applies when the enemy approaches, not the other way.

Optional Rules (p178, CRB)

• Modifications for Critical Damage
  • Whenever a creature suffers damage that surpasses its Pain Threshold, it is given a second chance to fail all success tests until the end of the scene.
  • A player character that is critically damaged rolls twice whenever it makes a test and picks the worst result (the higher number).
  • If it is the enemy who is critically wounded, the player rolls twice and picks the better result (the lower number).
  • The effect of the critical damage lasts until the creature recovers or is healed at least one (1) point of Toughness.
  • Note that this rule does not affect undead, since they have no Pain Threshold – technically, they become more powerful if this optional rule is used, since everybody else become more vulnerable.
• Perfect Hits & Fumbled Defence
  • ◆ Perfect Hit (1 on 1D20 when attacking): The player character deals +1D6 damage.
  • ◆ Fumbled Attack (20 on 1D20 when attacking): The enemy receives a Free Attack against the player character.
  • ◆ Perfect Defence (1 on 1D20 when rolling Defence): The player character receives a Free Attack against the attacking enemy.
  • ◆ Fumbled Defence (20 on 1D20 when rolling Defence): The enemy deals +3 damage.
• Movement by Scale
  • A Movement Action represents 5 squares (2 paces or 2 meters per square).
  • Creatures that stand next to each other are engaged in melee combat, and ranged attacks are required if there are one or more squares between the combatants.

Alternate Rules (p98, APG)

• Alchemical Weapons
  • ◆ Alchemical Fire Tube (portable): requires Siege Expert (adept) to be used without risk.
  • ◆ Alchemical Fire Tube (stationary): requires Siege Expert (adept) to be used at all.
  • ◆ Alchemical Grenade: requires Alchemy, Siege Expert or Pyrotechnics to be used without risk.
  • ◆ Alchemical Mine: requires either Trapper or Pyrotechnics to be used at all.
  • ◆ Breaching Pot: Anyone can make use of a Breaching Pot, but only a person with the ability Siege Expert or Pyrotechnics can do so without risk.
• Distance Categories
  • Each combat encounter starts at a distance determined by the situation and terrain (the GM decides).
  • The distance categories modify damage and the chance to hit, and correspond to the number of movement actions needed for the combatants to engage each other in melee combat.
  • Note that mystical powers are not in any way affected by this rule.
  • An obvious effect of the rule is that characters with ranged weapons cannot fight effectively at short range; they have to move (and suffer Free Attacks) or switch weapons. This means that the abilities Acrobatics, Arrow Jab and Quick Draw become even more valuable.

• Feats
  • Feats cost one (1) Experience – or one (1) permanent corruption – to activate.
    • NPCs may do this for Corruption only.
  • ◆ Clean Hit: The hero makes a normal attack and the successful hit or hits deal maximum damage.
  • ◆ Fearless: The hero ignores horror effects, like from the monstrous trait Terrify.
  • ◆ Ignore Corruption: During the rest of the turn, the accumulated corruption of the hero does not matter; all tests are made as if he or she had zero corruption.
    • However, the hero suffers corruption as usual, which comes into play the following turn.
  • ◆ Perfect Defence: The hero parries or dodges a successful attack that otherwise would have hit him or her.
    • Perfect Defence may only be used once per turn.
  • ◆ Quick Strike: The hero attacks first in the turn.
    • If someone else is using Quick Strike, the order of initiative is settled in the normal way.
  • ◆ Resilience: +1d4 Armour for the rest of the turn.
  • ◆ Steely Gaze: The hero's gaze makes an enemy step back and refrain from attacking the hero.
    • If the fight is already on, the enemy may choose to attack another creature; if the fight has not started, the enemy will not attack before someone else deals the first blow.
  • ◆ Whirlwind Attack: In one combat action, the hero performs one attack against each enemy engaged in melee.
  • ◆ Prepared (Homebrew): Possess a mundane item or piece of lore (previously unaccounted for or unrecorded, but not unreasonable to possess), that provides a +1 on relevant non-combative tests for the rest of the Scene.
    • Can be used for limited strength items such as Herbal Cure, but double currency must also be spent on these.
• Traps
  • ◆ Setting a Trap: With a passed Cunning test, the character can set a ready-made trap.
    • Untrained individuals (i.e. those who do not have the ability Trapper) can only set mechanical traps, which require a passed Cunning test.
      • If the outcome of the test is 20, the trap is sprung in their faces.
    • Trained trappers can ready both mechanical traps and alchemical mines with a combat action, and they can also craft improvised traps.
      • This requires the ability Trapper, or Pyrotechnics if only using alchemical mines.
  • ◆ Discovering a Trap: Anyone at risk of activating a trap discovers it with a passed [Vigilant←Discreet] test.
  • ◆ Bypassing a Trap: A discovered trap can be bypassed in two ways:
    • It can be jumped over as part of a movement action, which requires a [Quick←Cunning] test.
      • If the test fails, the trap is sprung and the character is caught by it, i.e. movement is interrupted.
    • If the terrain allows, a trap can always be ignored by going around it.
      • This costs an extra movement action, or more depending on the terrain.
  • ◆ Disarming a Trap: A discovered trap can also be disarmed.
    • An untrained individual cannot disarm traps – they have to incapacitate them by shooting or poking at them with a long instrument (the quality Long).
      • The procedure counts as a combat action and requires a passed [Accurate←Cunning] test.
    • An individual with the ability Trapper can roll a [Cunning←Cunning] test to disarm a trap, and does not require an instrument with the quality Long to do so.
  • ◆ Getting Free from a Trap: Traps often deal damage, specified in the description of the trap or, in the case of improvised traps, in the description of the ability Trapper.
    • Furthermore, if the trap has such qualities it may hold the victim in place.
    • If so, this is mentioned in the description, combined with information on what it takes to get free.
• Manoeuvres
  • ◆ Careful Aiming: You take the time to aim carefully with a ranged weapon and get a second chance to pass the attack test.
    • The cost is a movement action, meaning that you cannot move during the turn.
  • ◆ Charge: You charge at the enemy and make a double movement plus a combat action in melee.
    • The charge must be in a straight line towards the target.
      • Corners may connect assuming the target is not behind cover.
    • If the attack test fails, the target gets to make a Free Attack.
  • ◆ Delay the Initiative: You choose to delay your initiative during the turn, to let someone else go first.
    • When it is your time to act, you specify who will get to act before you.
    • The next turn, you are back at your normal place in the order of initiative.
  • ◆ Disarm: You attack the enemy's weapon or shield, hoping to make him or her drop it [Accurate←Strong].
    • The attack deals no damage, and if the test fails you expose yourself to a Free Attack from the enemy.
  • ◆ Full Defence: You stake everything on defence and have a second chance to pass all Defence tests during the turn.
    • You are not allowed to perform any attacks.
  • ◆ Full Offense: You stake everything on melee attacks for a turn, giving you a second chance to pass all melee attacks.
    • Because of this you simultaneously have a second chance to fail all Defence test during the turn.
  • ◆ Hold: You attack with a wrestling manoeuvre aimed at stopping the target from moving [Strong←Strong].
    • The trait Robust gives a bonus to the test, +2 at level I, +4 at level II and +8 at level III. This modification applies to both the wrestler and its target, if the latter is Robust.
    • A test is made each turn to maintain the hold.
      • If the test fails, the target gets to make a Free Attack.
      • Also, note that you cannot perform any other actions while maintaining the hold.
  • ◆ Knock Out: You attack from an Advantage, aiming to render the target unconscious.
    • The attack is made as usual, but instead of dealing damage, 1d12 is rolled against the damage value; if the outcome is lower than the value, the target is knocked out.
    • If the attack fails, you lose the Advantage over the target (see page 162 in the Core Rulebook for more on Advantage).
  • ◆ Poison on Weapons: With a passed Cunning test, you may use a combat action to apply poison to your weapon.
    • If the outcome is 20 something goes wrong and you yourself are poisoned.
    • The poison is enough for one hit, then a new dose must be applied.
  • ◆ Push Back: You lunge at the target with the intention of pushing it backwards – out of a room, over the edge of a cliff or similar.
    • You have to start your turn with the push and must spend both your combat and your movement action doing so.
    • A passed attack test deals half damage but will also push the target half a movement back (five meters).
      • If the test fails, the target gets to make a Free Attack.
  • ◆ Tackle: You attack hoping to knock down the target [Strong←Strong].
    • The risk is that you also topple over, whether you make a successful tackle or not; a passed Quick test lets you remain standing.
    • The tackle counts as your combat action and if you are Robust you add +2 to the Strong test per level acquired in the trait.
  • ◆ Take the Initiative: You roll a Resolute test hoping to gain the initiative.
    • If successful you gain a +5 bonus when deciding your place in the order of initiative.
    • The downside is that your speed has a negative impact on your precision; you have a second chance to fail all success test during the turn, no matter if the Resolute test was successful or not.
    • The next turn, you are back to your normal place in the order of initiative.
• Reclaiming Bolts and Arrows
  • An ordinary projectile proves to be damaged if the player rolls over 10 with 1d20. This applies to all projectiles without qualities.
    
  • A projectile with some kind of quality (e.g. Balanced or Deep Impact) is damaged if the player rolls over 15 with 1d20.
  • Projectiles with mystical qualities are damaged if the player rolls over 17 with 1d20.
• Hit Locations
  • ◆ Aim High or Low: The character can choose to aim high or low in order to hit unprotected parts of the target, or to cause a certain effect – for instance that the target loses a movement action or drops something.
    • Aiming high or low gives −2 on the attack test.

• Hit Locations (cont.)
  
  • ◆ Aim at Body Part: The character can take aim at a specific part of the enemy's body, hoping to hit a less protected area or achieve a specific effect.
    • Aiming at a specific body part gives –5 on the success test.

• Hit Locations (cont.)
  • ◆ Armour Segments: The character can use different armour on different body parts, to save money and reduce the level of impediment while still protecting the most vital parts as much as possible.
    • Armour segments cost a part of the price of the full armour and have a part of the armour's value in Impeding.
    • The impediment is rounded up so that 0.5 becomes 1.

Turn Order

• Initiative
  • The character with the highest Quick can choose to either act first or to wait.
    • If two persons have the same Quick value, then compare Vigilant.
      
    • If they still share the same value, roll 1D20: the highest outcome goes first.
  • You may choose to place your Initiative later in the turn order, but once the order is established it cannot be changed.
    
• Combat With Weapons Ready
  • When combat starts it is important to know whether the combatants have their weapons drawn or not.
  • Also, remember that Long weapons get a Free Attack against one enemy during the first turn of melee combat, provided that the enemy does not have a Long weapon as well.
• Surprise
  • It usually requires a successful [Discreet←Vigilant] test to surprise someone.
  • If a group tries to surprise another group, instead of individual against individual, use the attackers' lowest Discreet modified by the defenders' highest Vigilant.
  • He or she who surprises an enemy is allowed to make one Free Attack against said enemy at the start of the turn.
  • After that, follow the regular turn order, based on the combatants' Quick values, as described above.
  • If any of the combatants are surprised at the start of combat, they must draw their weapons.
    • All Short weapons can be unsheathed as a Free Action, thanks to their small weight and length.
    • To unsheathe a weapon is otherwise considered a Movement Action.
  • Another option is of course to not draw any weapons and instead choose to use punches and kicks; an individual's or creature's natural weapons are always considered ready and do not have to be drawn or unsheathed.

Actions in Combat

• Combat Action
  • The attack is preferably performed with an Active ability, if your character masters such a skill.
    
  • Passive abilities always act together with active ones.
  • The attack is made with [Accurate←Defence].
    • Note that some abilities can allow you to attack using other Attributes besides Accurate, and calculate Defence using something else than Quick.
  • A Combat Action does not have to be an attack.
    • To provide first aid to someone or to use any other active ability also counts as a Combat Action.
  • A Combat Action can be replaced with an additional Movement Action, but not the opposite: a Movement Action cannot be replaced with an additional Combat Action.
• Movement Action
  • Normally, the exact distance is not of any great importance.
    
  • What does matter in combat is who can make a melee attack and who can use ranged attacks.
  • If a more exact distance needs to be calculated, then a Movement Action represents 10 paces (10 meters), but characters who engage an enemy in melee combat naturally stop by the enemy if the distance is shorter than that (in other words, the character does not have to move the full 10 paces).
  • Movement Actions are used to:
  • ◆ Reach an enemy and engage it in melee combat.
  • ◆ Take up a flanking position next to an enemy already fighting an ally.
  • ◆ Move past an enemy to reach another one that stands further away (enemies that are bypassed may perform a Free Attack).
  • ◆ Withdraw from melee combat (which allows the enemy to perform a Free Attack against the character).
    • If fighting multiple enemies, then each enemy is allowed a Free Attack.
  • ◆ Create a clear line of sight to an obscured enemy.
  • Instead of moving, the Movement Action can be used to perform other kinds of Actions:
  • ◆ Switch weapons.
  • ◆ Stand up from a prone position (requires a Quick test).
    • Alternatively, you may use your whole turn (both actions) to stand up, without needing to pass a Quick test.
  • ◆ Drink/apply an elixir to yourself.
• Reactions
  • They can be performed at any time during the turn and are not tied to the character's Initiative.
    
  • The character can perform as many Reactions as is called for per turn, as long as there are triggers to react to.
  • Reactions can use the effect of passive abilities, but not of active ones.
• Free Attack
  • This most commonly happens when the character is armed with a Long weapon, when an enemy tries to flee from an ongoing melee combat or when an opponent tries to run past the character in order to reach someone or something behind it.
    
  • There are also some abilities which trigger Free Attacks under special circumstances.
  • Free attacks can use the effect of passive abilities but not of active ones, and normally the character can only gain one Free Attack per triggering factor and turn – if two enemies try to withdraw from melee only 1 Free Attack is gained, but if one withdraws and one runs past, the character gains one Free Attack on each.
• Defence
  • You are allowed to attempt to defend yourself against any attacks that your character is aware of.
  • The character's Defence is usually based on Quick, then modified by such things as armour qualities and whether or not the character carries a shield.
  • When a character is attacked, defence is tested as [Defence←Accurate].
    • If the test is successful the character has avoided the attack by either parrying or dodging it.
    • If this test fails, the attack hits and deals damage if the weapon's damage value is higher than the outcome of the roll for the character's Armour.
      

Special Actions

• Blind Fighting
  • To fight blinded is hard, and the same goes for fighting under bad lighting conditions such as in darkness, smoke or thick fog.
  • If both parties in a battle are affected, then no adjustments are needed.
    • Otherwise, the affected party gets two chances to fail its success tests – if the character is affected, the player rolls twice and picks the worst result; if only the enemy is affected the player rolls twice and picks the best result.
• Disengage From Melee Combat
  • Disengaging from a melee combat is done on the character’s Initiative and costs a Movement Action.
  • The enemy is allowed a Free Attack against the character.
    • This also applies to situations when the character is facing multiple opponents, in which case each opponent is allowed a Free Attack against the character when he or she chooses to disengage.
• Use/Apply Elixir
  • To use or apply an elixir on either yourself or your equipment counts as a Movement Action.
  • To use or apply it on somebody else counts as a Combat Action.
• First Aid
  • To perform first aid on a wounded person counts as a Combat Action and requires a herbal cure, the Medicus ability or other healing powers.
  • ◆ Natural healing happens at a rate of one (1) point of Toughness per day.
  • ◆ Alchemical herbal cures heal one (1) point of Toughness immediately.
  • ◆ The Medicus ability heals 1D4 Toughness, even more when combined with herbal cures.
  • ◆ Mystical powers, such as Lay on Hands, and the Recovery ability both heal Toughness; see their respective descriptions for details.
    
• Stand Up
  • Fighting while lying down is possible, but not recommended, because each enemy that has engaged the character in close combat gets an Advantage against a prone character. See rules for Advantage below.
  • If the character makes a successful test against Quick it only takes a Movement Action for the character to get back on its feet.
    • Otherwise, it takes an entire turn, meaning that the character cannot perform a Combat Action while getting up.
• Line of Sight
  • Ranged weapons cannot shoot past other combatants, meaning that the shooter (or the mystic) may need to use Movement Actions to manoeuvre for them to have line of sight.
  • A rule of thumb is that if a shooter or a mystic stands behind an ally so that the targeted enemy is forced to trigger a Free Attack to reach the shooter, then the target is obscured from view by the shooter’s ally.
• Shield
  • Anyone can defend themselves with a shield, providing +1 to Defense.
  • The use of a shield makes it impossible to use ranged and Heavy weapons and neutralizes the reach advantage gained from a Long weapon, since the wielder must use it in one hand.
    • The buckler is an exception to this, allowing the use of both hands, as well as giving the user +1 to Defense.
• Flanking
  • If two persons flank an enemy, both of them gain an Advantage against the target.
    
  • A maximum of four persons can surround a person or creature; any combatant beyond that will be unable to reach the target and can only step forward if one of its allies retreats or goes down.
    • Doors, corridors and narrow passages can be used to prevent enemies from flanking.
  • Remember that attempting to move past an enemy triggers a Free Attack.
    • The Free Attack can be avoided if the combatant opts to trade its Combat Action that turn for an additional Movement Action, making it possible to go around the enemy without entering into melee.
• Advantage
  • To create advantages when fighting on plain and even ground requires the use of Actions, attacks or movements.
  • If your character has the Advantage in a combat situation, it receives a +2 modification to the relevant Attribute when making a Success test, and its attacks deal 1D4 extra damage.

Clarifications

• Quake (Staff Mage Ritual)
  • When used on a creature, standard weapon damage applies. A Passed Defence test still inflicts half damage.
• Familiar // Beast Companion (Rituals)
  • Whether an attack affects the Pain Threshold of the wounded or not depends on the physicality/type of the attack.
  • A strong or forceful attack will make damage exceeding the Pain Threshold come into action, prior to being able to split the damage.
• Curse (Mystical Power)
  • Concentration does not apply, so taking damage does not require a Resolute roll to upkeep the ongoing effect.
  • Defending does not count as an action.
• Regeneration (Monstrous Trait)
  • Does not function when unconscious or dying.
  • Only active during the character's turn.
• Miscellaneous
  • Values from Monstrous Traits are rolled as die, instead of flat.