Step 1: Attack
The attacker first chooses their target, weapon, and Combat Style for the attack before making the attack test and applying any relevant circumstantial modifiers. Weapons not included in the character’s combat style are made at the standard untrained -20 penalty for all attack and defense tests.
- Melee Weapon Attacks: The attacker makes a Combat Style test using either Strength (Characteristic) or Agility (Characteristic) against a target within the range of their weapon.
- Ranged Weapon Attacks: The attacker makes a Combat Style test using Agility (Characteristic) against a target within the range of their weapon.
- Cast Magic Attacks: The attacking caster makes a Skill Test with the skill corresponding to the school of the spell.
Step 2: Defend
The defender then picks their method of defense and combat style before making the defense test. A character must be aware of an attack to defend against it, and must choose to defend before the attacker has rolled.
Step 3: Roll Tests & Determine Result
If one character is able to gain a significant advantage over their opponent in melee, they are said to have gained an Advantage. Note that if a defender does not try to defend, or cannot do so, they are treated as having automatically failed.
- Both characters fail: Neither attack nor defense resolves.
- 1 character fails: The winner gains an Advantage (if melee).
- Attacker wins: The attack is successful, the attacker chooses how to utilize their advantage, and resolves it.
- Defender wins: The defense is successful, the defender chooses how to utilize their advantage and resolves it.
- Both characters pass: No characters gain an advantage.
- Attack vs. Block: The defender blocks the attack regardless of attacker degrees of success. Resolve the block using the rules in Step 4 as if the defender won.
- Attack vs. Parry or Evade: The defense is negated if the attacker has more degrees of success. Resolve the attack.
- Counter-Attack: Whichever character achieves more degrees of success hits the other. If both characters achieve the same degrees of success, then neither the Attack nor the Counter-Attack resolve.
Critical Success/Failure
If one character critically succeeded, treat it as if they succeeded with more DoS than their opponent (if their opponent succeeded at all). They also gain an advantage. If one character rolls a Critical Failure, and their opponent passed, then their opponent counts as having critically succeeded. If one character critically succeeds and the other fails, or one succeeds and one critically fails, then the character who succeeded gains two advantages, which can stack if applicable. If both sides roll a critical success or failure, then no advantage is gained, and neither attack nor defense resolves.
Step 4: Resolve Attack & Advantages
Finally, resolve the attack based on the result.
Attacker Won
The attack hits the target and deals damage. If the target’s armor values differ across hit locations, then check to see where it hit using the ones digit of the attack roll or a d10 (count 10 as 0). (You can often skip this step entirely or delay it until it is necessary).
| Result | Location Hit |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | Body |
| 6 | Right Leg |
| 7 | Left Leg |
| 8 | Right Arm |
| 9 | Left Arm |
| 0 | Head |
| Next, resolve any Advantage gained from the combat roll. Ranged attackers and spells cannot gain or utilize advantage. Then roll the damage of the attack and subtract the Armor Rating (AR) of the hit location struck. Reduce the target’s HP by the remaining amount. Some types of AR only mitigate certain types of damage. If the damage dealt after reduction exceeds the target’s Wound Threshold, the attack has also caused a wound. See Physical Health for details. |
Defender won
If the defender won an advantage, resolve it first:
- Evade (Reaction): If an attack is evaded it is negated entirely. The character may move up to 1 meter in any direction for free. This movement does not provoke Attack of Opportunity (Reaction).
- Parry (Reaction): If an attack is parried it is negated entirely.
- Block (Reaction): If an attack is blocked, roll the damage of the attack. If the damage exceeds the shield’s Block Rating against that damage type, then the character takes the full damage to their shield arm. Otherwise no damage is taken. Magic damage treats BR as half (round up) unless there is a magic BR. Should there be multiple defenders against a single attack, only one defender gains a defensive advantage.
Transclude of advantage