Combat

Tactical Movement

Movement must be tracked more carefully during combat than in other situations, as both heroes and enemies constantly maneuver through the battlefield.

The Battlefield

At the beginning of combat, the GM describes the area where the fight takes place, including potential obstacles, lighting conditions, and terrain features that may influence the battle. The GM also sets the starting position of each combatant. A sketched map of the battlefield is strongly recommended, giving everyone at the table a clear sense of the situation.

Combat Areas

Optional rule: Abstract Positioning. Some groups find tracking exact positions tedious. Instead of measuring meters precisely, this rule divides the battlefield into Combat Areas: small, identifiable zones within the location where the fight takes place. Rooms, corridors, small clearings, ship decks, and rooftops are all examples of possible Combat Areas.

There is no fixed dimension for a Combat Area. As a rule of thumb, it should be small enough that any character can reach any other within it in a single Round, and large enough to contain at least two characters. A battlefield should normally have two to four Combat Areas — more than four risks isolating some combatants entirely.

At the start of combat, the GM lays out and describes the Combat Areas, placing each combatant inside one. Characters in different Combat Areas cannot Engage in melee without first moving into the same Area, but can freely attack one another with ranged weapons.

Features

As the GM presents the Combat Areas, they may highlight one or more Features that can influence the fight. For example, large weapons may be unwieldy in a cramped room; a dark cavern could impose penalties to Perception Rolls and Ranged Attacks; a half-submerged field may be difficult to cross.

Not every Feature is a disadvantage. A ruined battlement may be hard to reach but offer good protection against arrows; a spike of rock can provide Higher Ground for overhead attacks; darkness could help a character trying to sneak past a fearsome foe. Players are encouraged to find ways to turn Features to their advantage, and the GM should always reward clever tactical thinking.

Movement in Combat

Characters within the same Combat Area at the start of combat are either Engaged or Within Reach of one another.

• Engaged characters are at melee range and can fight one another. They cannot move away without Disengaging or Running Away first.
• Within Reach characters are not yet in melee but can Engage — and be Engaged by — any character in the same Combat Area with a single Move to Engage action.

During the Move Phase, a character can spend a Full Action to move to an adjacent Combat Area, or anywhere within the same Combat Area. Characters can also spend a Half Action to Move to Engage an enemy in the same Combat Area, or to move at walking pace without leaving the Combat Area they started the Round in.

Movement Actions

The distance a character can cover during the Move Phase depends on their Move Rate and the type of action taken. A Skill Roll is usually not needed for movement unless the character is crossing treacherous terrain, attempting a difficult maneuver, or overcoming an obstacle — in those cases the GM may call for an appropriate roll.

Full Movement and Sprinting

A character spending a Full Action may move up to their Move Rate in meters, or Sprint up to twice their Move Rate. Sprinting characters cannot Parry and cannot add their Shield bonus to their Defense.

Half Movement

A character spending a Half Action moves up to half their Move Rate at a walking pace. Characters cannot Sprint and take a Half Movement in the same Round.

Arduous Terrain and Obstacles

In combat, Arduous Terrain includes any area that is difficult to traverse or puts a combatant at a disadvantage: thick vegetation, knee-deep water, slippery floors, or debris-filled ground. Each meter of Arduous Terrain costs two meters of Move Rate. For example, crossing 3 meters of Arduous Terrain requires 6 meters of Move Rate.

Obstacles are terrain features that completely halt movement: walls, crevasses, closed doors. Some obstacles offer Cover, block Line of Sight, or deal damage and inflict Conditions on those coming into contact with them (such as a bonfire or a pool of poisonous liquid). Characters must either find a way around an obstacle or overcome it.