Combat

Combat Options

Optional Combat Rules

Each of the following rules is entirely optional. They can add realism and dynamism to the game, but may also slow down play. Apply them at your group's discretion, and feel free to use all, none, or only those that suit your campaign.

Aiming

Characters wielding a missile weapon can spend one or more Rounds to Aim at their target, increasing their chances of hitting.

• Aiming is a Multi-Round Action.
• For each consecutive Round spent Aiming, the character gains a special +10 bonus to their next Attack Roll with a missile weapon against that target, up to a maximum of +40.
• Taking any other action besides Aiming or attacking with the missile weapon loses all accrued Aiming bonuses.
• Characters attacking a combatant who is Aiming gain a special +20 bonus to their Attack Rolls.

Charge

Charging means heading toward an opponent at maximum speed to deliver the most powerful blow possible.

• A Charge is a Full Action, allowing the character to move up to half their Move Rate and attack a target in melee with a special +20 bonus to their Attack Roll.
• Charging characters must move toward their target before attacking.
• Engaged characters cannot declare a Charge.
• Charging characters cannot Parry in the same Round they Charge.

Mounted Fighting

Fighting while mounted can be tricky, but provides a significant advantage to the mounted combatant.

Mounted weapons. Characters fighting from horseback must wield a proper weapon. Only Long or Longest one-handed melee weapons and ranged weapons (bows or crossbows) can be used while mounted. Two-handed weapons, Hand and Short weapons, and longbows cannot be used from horseback.

Ride check. Characters wishing to fight while mounted must pass a Ride Skill Roll the first time they declare their intention to fight in a combat:

• On a Critical Failure, the character falls from the mount and suffers appropriate consequences (typically falling damage and becoming Prone).
• On a Failure, the rider remains mounted but must spend a Half Action each Round to control the mount. Uncontrolled mounts will flee, attempt to unseat their rider, or attack randomly. Characters suffer a -20 penalty to their DEF and cannot attack while riding an uncontrolled mount.
• On a Partial Success, the character controls the mount as a Free Action (and gains the Higher Ground bonus against enemies on foot) for this Round, but must repeat the Ride Skill Roll next Round.
• On a Success, the rider controls the mount as a Free Action and gains the Higher Ground bonus against enemies on foot for the entire combat.
• On a Critical Success, the combatant also gains a special +20 bonus to their DEF for the whole combat while mounted.

The results of this Ride Skill Roll persist for the entire combat. Characters need not roll again unless specifically instructed to (for example, on a Partial Success), their situation changes dramatically, or they are struck in a way that could unseat them. Characters riding mounts that are not moving do not need to roll.

Attacking the mount. A combatant can strike at the mount instead of the rider. This attack resolves normally. If the mount suffers a Critical Strike, its rider must pass another Ride Skill Roll regardless of the Critical Strike result. If the mount is killed or seriously injured, the rider must dismount quickly or fall to the ground.

Charging from horseback. Characters charging into melee from horseback who have succeeded their Ride check gain an additional +20 bonus to their Attack Roll, on top of the standard Charge bonus.

Ranged Attacks in Melee

Normally ranged attacks target distant foes, but characters may sometimes be forced to use a ranged weapon or Spell while Engaged in melee.

• Engaged characters suffer a -20 penalty to all their ranged Attack Rolls.
• Combatants may Parry non-magical ranged attacks made by characters Engaged with them, as if they were wielding a shield.
• Readied thrown weapons do not suffer the -20 penalty to their Attack Roll.

Shooting into Melee

Characters Engaged in melee have Partial Cover against all ranged attacks aimed at them. Furthermore, if a ranged attack against an Engaged character misses its intended target, the attacker must immediately make another Attack Roll with a +0 CMB (ignoring all modifiers) against a random combatant adjacent to the original target.

Fighting With Two Weapons

Fighting with two weapons at once is rarely practical, but skilled fighters can be very effective against lesser opponents.

• Characters wielding a one-handed Hand or Short melee weapon in their off-hand, or two identical one-handed weapons, may strike with the second weapon as a Free Action when attacking with their primary weapon.
• Both attacks suffer a special -20 penalty to the Attack Roll.
• Both attacks must be directed against opponents directly in front of the attacker.
• The Clumsy Range for both weapons is doubled, to a maximum of 1-10.
• The length of each weapon is reduced by one step (minimum: Hand).
• Parry CMB is subtracted from the total CMB of each attack. However, characters wielding two weapons can split their CMB into two pools, using each pool to Parry a different opponent.

Improvised Weapons

When caught without a proper weapon, heroes may defend themselves using work tools, rocks, furniture, or other improvised items. Characters using an improvised weapon may attack using either their Brawl Skill Bonus or an appropriate Combat Skill (for example, Blunt for a hammer or Polearms for a pitchfork), with a special -20 modifier to their Attack Roll. Use the stats of the weapon most similar to whatever is being wielded, raising its Clumsy Range by one. The maximum result for improvised weapon attacks is capped at 140, regardless of shape or size.

Martial Moves

Martial Moves are special attacks and defenses for obtaining effects not covered by a normal attack: disarming enemies, knocking them down, or trapping their weapons. All Martial Moves are optional and can be adopted, changed, or ignored.

Disarm

Characters can attempt to remove an opponent's weapon from their grip instead of making a normal attack. A Disarm attempt is a Full Action resolved in the Other Actions Phase. The character may still use their CMB to Parry while making this attempt. It is resolved as a Conflicting Action, using the Disarming character's CMB (minus any amount used for Parrying) against the full CMB of their opponent:

• On a Critical Failure, the Disarming character fumbles their own weapon and rolls on the Fumble Table.
• On a draw or loss, the Disarm fails and nothing happens.
• On a win, the opponent is disarmed and their weapon drops to the ground.
• On a Critical Success, the opponent is disarmed and their weapon lands out of reach. If the attacker has a free hand, they may grab the weapon instead.
• If the defending character wins with a Critical Success, the attacker fumbles their weapon.

Feint

A Feint tricks the target into Parrying a false attack, leaving an opening for a real one. The feinting character uses a Half Action during the Melee Phase, resolved as a Conflicting Action using the feinting character's Deceive against their opponent's Perception:

• On a Critical Failure, the feinting character fumbles their weapon.
• If the feinting character wins, they gain a special bonus equal to the margin of victory to all their Attack or Disarm Rolls against that opponent for the rest of the Round.
• If the defending character wins, they gain a bonus equal to the margin of victory to all their Attack or Disarm Rolls against the feinting character for the rest of the Round.
• On a tie, neither side gains a bonus.

Knock Down

A Knock Down forces an opponent to the ground with brute force or clever footwork. It requires a Full Action and is resolved in the Melee Phase as a Conflicting Action, pitting the attacker's Brawl Skill against the target's Brawl Skill (or the CMB of the attack the target is using, for beasts and monstrous creatures):

• On a Critical Failure, the attacking character fumbles their attack.
• If the attacker wins, the target is knocked Prone.
• If the defender wins, the attacker loses the action, is thrown off balance, and must make an Assessment Roll at the beginning of the next Round.

Lock

A Lock binds or traps both combatants' weapons, preventing either from attacking or defending freely. Like a Disarm, it is a Full Action resolved in the Other Actions Phase, allowing the character to use their CMB to Parry. It is resolved as a Conflicting Action, using the Locking character's CMB (minus any Parry) against the opponent's full CMB:

• On a Critical Failure, the Locking character fumbles their weapon.
• If the Locking character wins or ties, both attacker and defender become Locked. While Locked, neither can move, attack, or Parry. They must take another Conflicting Action at the start of each Other Actions Phase to resolve the Lock. Characters can also escape by dropping their weapon.
• If the defending character wins, the attacker loses the action and fumbles their weapon.

Shield Bash

In the hands of a skilled fighter, a shield is not only a defensive tool but also a weapon. Characters wielding a shield can attempt a Shield Bash as a Full Action, attacking with either their Blunt or Brawl Skill Bonus with a special -20 penalty to the Attack Roll. If a shield is used to attack, it cannot be used to defend in the same Round — its DEF bonus is not added. A shield may also count as a secondary weapon for the purposes of the Fighting With Two Weapons rules.