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Combat

Initiative

When diplomacy gives way, and a contest of arms is inevitable, the referee will initiate combat by calling for an Initiative roll. Combatants are organized into one of two Sides. Each side rolls Initiative on a d6. Whichever Side rolls a higher result can Attack the other Side, forcing their opponents to take damage and potential casualties. If one Side is able to successfully surprise or subvert the other Side before combat begins. that Side goes first and Initiative is not rolled.

Bouts

A Bout is the measurement of time for each turn of Combat. One Bout is approximately equivalent to ten seconds. During a Bout, both sides either Attack or Defend themselves in whatever way seems advantageous to them. When a Bout has ended, the referee either calls for another Initiative roll unless one of the fighting Sides calls for a Retreat, one Side surrenders, or one Side is destroyed and unable to resist the other.

Order

1. Roll Initiative.
2. Melee Zone combatants Attack or Defend.
3. Near Zone combatants Attack or Defend. Spellcasting characters go last.
4. Distant Zone combatants Attack or Defend. Spellcasting characters go last.
5. This process repeats until one side surrenders, retreats, or is destroyed.

Attack

To successfully damage an NPC or object, roll an Attack Check with a d20. An Attack is successful if the result of the roll is at least 13. Powerful or defensive monsters may be more difficult to successfully damage and require higher Attack rolls to successfully damage. Each character only rolls one Attack per Bout.

When a player character succeeds on an Attack, they inflict as much Damage as they can roll on their Will dice. When a player fails an Attack, they inflict the minimum possible damage.

When an Attack shows a natural 20, this is called a Critical Hit. Maximum damage is inflicted. If a character rolls three Critical Hits with the same weapon, the weapon breaks and the final Critical Hit deals double the maximum damage.

When an attack roll shows a natural 1, this is called a Critical Miss. No damage is inflicted. If a character rolls three Critical Misses with the same weapon, the weapon breaks.

Defense

To successfully defend oneself from harm, roll a Defense Check with a d20. A Defend is successful if the result of the roll is at least 13. Powerful or defensive monsters may be more difficult to successfully damage and require higher Defense rolls to successfully avoid damage. You may roll more than one Defense check during a Bout.

When a player character succeeds on a Defend, they take the minimum possible damage from the attack. When a player character fails a Defend, the monster inflicts damage or applies an effect.

When a defense roll shows a natural 20, this is called a Critical Parry. No damage is taken from the incoming attack. When a defense roll shows a natural 1, this is called a Critical Breach. Maximum damage is inflicted by the incoming attack.

Armor & Health

When a character suffers damage, their Armor is reduced by that amount. If Armor is reduced to 0, the remaining damage does not carry over to that character's health. Health is reduced to 0, that character is taken out of commission for the rest of the session and the player must roll on the Misadventures Table. The player can resume roleplaying that character only at the beginning of the next gameplay session. The third Misadventure is always DOOM.

Range Zones

At the beginning of a battle, always be clear about which Zone each combatant is inhabiting before Initiative is rolled. During a Bout, a combatant may freely move between one Zone to an adjacent Zone.

Melee

This is close-quarters fighting. Characters that are Torch-Bearers begin fights in the Melee Zone. Neither Spells nor Ranged weapons can be used at this distance. Combatants in this zone can target other combatants in the Melee Zone without any penalty to Attack, Defense, or [[P&K - Spellcasting]]. When a Melee Zone combatant attacks a Near Zone combatant, the roll has a penalty of -4. Melee Zone combatants cannot target Distant combatants.

Near

This is directly behind or surrounding the Melee. Characters that are Scouts begin fights in the Near Zone. Melee weapons cannot be used, but Ranged weapons and Spells can. Combatants in this zone can target other combatants in the Near or Melee Zone without any penalty to Attack, Defense, or [[P&K - Spellcasting]]. Melee Zone combatants cannot target Distant combatants.

Distant

Distant characters can fire Spells and use Ranged weapons freely. Characters that are Candle-holders begin fights in the Distant Zone. Melee weapons cannot be used, but Ranged weapons and Spells can. Combatants in this zone can target other combatants in the Near or Distant Zone without any penalty to Attack, Defense, or [[P&K - Spellcasting]]. Melee and Near Zone combatants cannot target Distant combatants.

Victory

One Side has been disarmed or destroyed. Prisoners disarmed by way of Surrender provide the same Experience reward as enemies that are destroyed.

Surrender

The victorious Side must either take prisoners or allow the defeated Side to leave disarmed and unharmed. Experience is rewarded for each prisoner ransomed as well as the treasure earned from the exchange. Prisoners can be ransomed back to their commanders for handsome prices. It is honorable to return prisoners to their commanders unharmed and well-treated, and those who do so can always expect the same treatment from others. A torturer becomes a well known villain very quickly.

Taming

When a Fish, Beast, or Plant surrenders, it is known as Taming. A Tamed creature will follow around the player characters for at least one week of game time.

Retreat

To initiate a Retreat, one Side has to move all of their combatants out of the Melee, Near, and Distant zones. Any Side can initiate a Retreat once after a Bout, even before Initiative is rolled. Characters in the Melee Zone must roll a Check on a d20 of at least 13 to move to the Near Zone. Near Zone characters must roll a Check of at least 10 to move to the Distant Zone. Distant characters leave combat without rolling. Once all characters have left combat, the Retreat is successful.

Pursuit and Evasion

If the players decide to chase after a retreating Side, or if they are being chased after themselves, they must roll a [[P&K - Rolling Checks and Saving Throws|Check]] above 16 for every Round they decide to spend pursuing or running away. Chasing after someone calls for a Pursuit Check If their Pursuit is successful, they can continue Combat with the other Side until one surrenders or is Destroyed. If unsuccessful, their quarry has escaped. If their Evasion is successful, the player characters escape - if unsuccessful, the Combat resumes...

DOOM!

The third time a character reaches 0 Health will be the last - the third Misadventure is always DOOM. When a character dies, their soul immediately leaves their body, never to return. The adventures of that character have ended, and we can only speculate as to their ultimate fate in the uncertain cosmos. Roll a new character and begin another epic tale!

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