Combat

Structure of Combat

Initiative

Each participant in Combat will make an Initiative Test before Combat begins. Players will roll for their characters while the Game Master rolls for Non-Player Characters. These results will be placed in descending order to Track who acts when.

Rounds

One round of combat encapsulates the turns of each participant. Rounds begin at the top of Initiative then descend down Initiative order. A new round begins once each participant has completed their turn.

Turn

Each participant in combat will get one Turn per round. During their turn, you character may perform Actions that take up a fraction of it. Most actions will be listed as Quarter (1/4), Half (1/2), or Full (1) Actions.

Combatants also have two special types of actions. Quick Actions, and Reactions. You get one Free Quick Action during each of your turns and one Reaction inbetween your turns.

Attacking

Attacking an enemy is an Opposed Test that pits your combat skill against your Target's Guard.

First, you must be in range of your target. This is either in base to base contact with the target or within your readied weapons listed Range or Reach.

Next, you will roll the Attack Test. You calculate the Test Number of like this:

If you pass this Test, you Hit the Target and your roll the weapon's Damage. The resulting damage is then reduced by the Target's Protection with remaining damage reducing the health of the target.

Health, Injury, Dying, and Death

Health

Each character starts with a maximum health equal to five plus their Physique. Certain Abilites may change effect this. Your current health can be reduced by being damaged in various ways.

Healing

Certain spells, items, and the Medicine Skill can attempt to restore health to a Character thats current health is below its maximum value. A character cannot be healed over thier maximum health.

Being Wounded

During your travels you can and will be harmed by the challenges you face.

Whenever you are reduced below half of your character's health your character becomes Wounded. There is no innate mechanical penalty for being wounded, but certain spells and abilities will have additional effects on wounded targets.

Trauma

Trauma is a temporary reduction of maximum health due to grievous injury. The most common way to receive Trauma is taking damage while dying. Each point of trauma reduces the maximum health of the character by one until they are able to recuperate.

Dying

When a character's health is at or below 0, that character receives an injury and is dying. A dying character takes one point of damage at the end of each round.

There are two main ways for a character to die. The first happens if they have taken Trauma equal or greater than their maximum Health. The other way is if they receive the “Mortal Blow” injury from the Injury Table.

When you are put into the dying state Roll 1D10, add five for each injury you already have, then consult the chart.

By luck or miracle the character avoids being badly injured. They are still dying as normal.

“Sliced muscle. Cracked bones. Debilitating harm is left by the attack.”

You receive an -X modifier to any Skill Tests, Saves, or Damage Rolls until your trauma is reduced to 0.

“What happened? I can’t feel it? This can’t be real… can it?”

The character is reeling from the attack. The Character is dying as normal, but this injury takes effect if they are stabilized or healed. At the start of the character’s turn they must take a Fear MSvs Trauma they received from the attack. If the test is failed they are Stunned and can’t act on their turn. This effect ends once the character succeeds on this save.

If this result is rolled again from a separate injury, the character falls into a coma and won't wake from it until their Trauma is reduced to 0.

A part of you has been mangled to the point of uselessness. Roll 1D6 and consult the table.

If you receive this injury again and roll the same result, that part is removed and you take an additional 3 + 1D3 Trauma.

If both your arms are maimed you cannot use Actions that would require them. Likewise, if both your legs are maimed you may only use the Crawl Move Actions. If both your eyes are maimed, you are Blinded as long as the injuries persist.

“A chance wound to the gut has pulled out what shouldn’t see the light of day. Now you have to hold them in place.”

Until the character has fully recovered they must make a BSvs Damage Taken each time they take damage. If this save is failed the character’s would reopens, causing them to take one point of Trauma. The Character is considered Dazed and may only take the move action until they receive medical treatment.

The attack that injured the character was fatal. The character is dead.

Death

Death is a serious matter in this world. There are no ways of returning the dead from the here-after, and no attempts should be made. At best you will desecrate a corpse. At worst you will create another monster to put down.

With that being said, you must press forward. The people you guide through this world are fighting for the hope of living another day. Though the shadow of the reaper looms over us all, a life lived in the sun is always better than a life spent cowering in safe shadows.