CORE RULES ~ CHAPTER VI
VI. Combat
VI.1. Melee attacks
Combat is a sub-application of the general rules on actions of the previous chapter; the principles are the same adapted to such specific use case.
A character declares an attack in hand-to-hand combat against another subject (see Sequence of the game) and uses the following formula:
Melee ARC = KS + US + ES Adj + Other Adj - Weapon level
This formula is identical to the ARC presented in the previous chapter with one difference: the result is affected by a negative modifier of the level of the attacker’s weapon (for details on the weapon level, see Weapons).
A character with BU 7, VIG 4 and ES Combat art with axes 4 declares an attack on an enemy in close combat with his hand axe (level 2). He rolls 1d6 (corresponding die to ES score of 4) and gets 2. The result of his ARC is 7+4+2-2=11 (the assumption is that there are no ‘other adjustments’). This is the value of the attack.
The attacked subject can decide either to defend, to avoid the attack or to carry out another action (like attacking the opponent). In case of defense, he can use the same formula with a negative modifier of the weapon used to defend himself. The two ARC are then compared:
Melee ARC (attacker) > Melee ARC (defender)
If the attacker's ARC is higher than the defender’s one, the attack succeeds.
Keeping the previous example: the attacker’s ARC is 11; the target has already declared to defend with his weapon: a bastard sword (level 3). The target’s stats are BU 6, VIG 5, ES Combat art with heavy blades 3. The target rolls 1d6 (corresponding die to ES score of 3) and gets 4, therefore the ES adjustment is -1. The result of his ARC is 6+5-1-3=7. The attacker hits the target since his result (11) is higher than that of the defender (7).
The attacked subject can opt to defend with a shield instead of a weapon:
Melee ARC = KS + US + ES Adj. + Other Adj + Shield level
Compared to the ARC with a weapon, the negative modifier of the weapon level is replaced by the positive modifier of shield level: this check is calculated on the ES Trained in shields.
Keeping the same example with the attacker’s ARC of 11. The defender has his small shield (level 1) equipped and decides to defend himself with it against the attacker blow. The defender’s stats are BU 6, END 3, ES Trained in shields 2. The defender rolls 1d4 (corresponding die to ES score of 2) and gets 1. The defender’s ARC is 6+3+1+1=11. There is a tie in the check, therefore the attacker misses the target.
The attacked subject can defend by trying to avoid the blow, in this case an ARCO with ES Dodge is required. This ARC is a plain check as described in the overall rule in Performing an action with no weapon or shield modifier.
Keeping the same example where the attacker’s ARC is 11, the defender opts to dodge the blow. The defender’s stats are CO 5, AGI 3, ES Dodge 5. The defender rolls 1d8 (corresponding die to ES score of 5) and gets 4. The defender’s ARC is 5+3+4=12. The attacker failed his blow.
When the attacked subject declares to do something different than defend (i.e. defense with a weapon, a shield or dodge), the attack is an ARCT with the score of target’s Agility as a threshold.
Keeping the same example where the attacker’s ARC is 11, the defender decides that it is more important to continue doing something other than defending himself. The player then declares that his character carries on the action he was already doing. The target does not need to roll any die. The result is merely his score of AGI: 3. The blow hits the target.
When attacker and target have different sizes, an adjustment (within the ‘Other adjustments’ of the ARC formula) for each step of difference in size has to be applied for both subjects as follows:
positive (+1) for each step of the target’s size greater than the opponent’s one;
negative (-1) for each step of the target's size smaller than the opponent’s one.
A human (medium) attacks a bear (large): the human’s size is one step smaller than the one of the bear; in this case the attacker has a +1 bonus to be included in the ARC for the attack and the target suffers of -1 for the same reason in his ARC as well. If, on the other hand, the human attacks a snake (tiny) the modifier is -2 since the human has two steps more in size than the target; the snake, in turn, has a +2 modifier in its ARC.
A character can carry out a number of turns of melee equal to the double of his BU score; if he keeps on fighting exceeding this limit, he is considered fatigued until he rests for a full turn (for details see States of the character), this rule is equivalent to a non-combat prolonged action (see Non-combat cases).
When the attacker hits the target, there is no need to roll for the damage suffered since it is calculated as follows:
Damage = Result of the ARC + Attacker’s weapon level – Target’s armor level
Where the result of the ARC is the difference between the results of attacker and defender or the threshold.
Retrieving all the examples detailed until now and assuming the defender wears a full leather armor (level 1), the damage is as follows: for the weapon’s defense the damage is (11-7)+2-1=5; for both shield defense and dodge there is no damage; for the last case the damage is (11-3)+2-1=9. Where the calculation in parentheses is the difference between the ARC of attacker and defender (i.e. the result of the ARC).
It is possible that the final score of the damage is zero or even negative; this means that even if the attacker has hit the target there is no damage.
When attacker and target have different sizes, the damage suffered is affected. The damage has to be adjusted as follows:
negative (/2) for each step of the target’s size greater than the attacker’s one;
positive (x2) for each step of the target's size smaller than the attacker’s one.
Keeping the example of a human (medium) against a bear (large): the human hits the bear and the blow does, for instance, 4 damage: this result is affected by the difference in size and is therefore halved (1/2 due to one step of size difference). If, on the other hand, the same human hits a snake (tiny) doing 2 damage, the final amount of damage is 8 since there is a positive adjustment of x4 due to the two steps in size difference.
The adjustments due to a difference in size between attacker and target can lead to a damage smaller than 1; this should be recorded by the target even if it does not affect any stat as long as the score is smaller than 1. In case the sum of these damages reaches 1 (or more), then the target has to reduce the relative stat subsequently.
Again, using the example of a human (medium) against a bear (large):with a second hit he human does an overall 1/2 damage (the damage is 1 halved due to the 1 step of difference in size), the GM keeps track of this damage without applying any change in the bear’s stats. In case in the following turns the human hits a second time the bear with another 1/2 damage again, then the GM reduces the bear’s Vigor by 1 due to the combined effect of two different shots of 1/2 the bear suffered in that fight.
VI.2. Ranged attacks
For attacks with ranged weapons, either with a bow, crossbow or thrown weapons, the mechanics are similar to those of the melee attacks.
If a character does a ranged attack, the formula is the same as melee.
The target can defend only if he has a shield, opting for that solution and applying the same formula of melee defense with shield. No defense is allowed with weapons unless specifically stated in the weapon description.
If the target wants to dodge a ranged attack, an ARCO with a negative modifier of 0/-2/-4 respectively for long/mid/short range is required.
In case the target does not want to defend, the threshold is the same as melee (Agility score) with a negative modifier of 0/-2/-4 if the target is in a long/mid/short range respectively.
A character can get the status of fatigued with ranged attacks after a number of turns of 4 times the BU score. In case the character performs both ranged and melee attacks, then the threshold is the one of the melee attacks (2 times the BU score). This rule is equivalent to a non-combat prolonged action (see Non-combat cases).
VI.3. Actions in combat
Brawl: this type of action includes two types of attack; the first relates to creatures endowed with natural weapons (claws, fangs and so forth); the second relates to a human fighting with his bare hands. In the first case, the attack works like the one defined in Melee attacks; natural weapons also have a level (with a score from 1 to 4) and the mechanics are the same both to hit and to injure the opponent. Any being cannot defend with natural weapons unless otherwise stated. With reference to the second case, an attack with either a punch or a kick works in line with the rules of Melee attacks considering the weapon level of 0 (i.e. no modifier for weapon level in the formulas); even in this case, there is no chance to defend with bare hands; the stun % for this type of attack is 33% (see Stun). The ES Brawl is required for both types of attacks.
Cover: when a character hides behind an object (which is not part of his equipment, such as a wall, a door and so forth), he gains a modifier of +1 for every 10% of hidden body for all defensive rolls, in particular for ranged attacks. The GM evaluates the hidden % and the resulting bonus. A 100% of coverage does not allow the covered subject to suffer any hit but, equally, to carry out any attack. Similarly, the modifier for an attack is -1 for every 10% of coverage of the attacker.
Helpless targets: if a character wants to attack a helpless target (e.g. a person unconscious), the attacker performs an ARCT with a threshold trivial (i.e. 3); the damage is calculated accordingly.
Hit silently: a character with the ES Workmanship vile arts is able to attack without noise; this attack implies that the attacker has the ability to perform a melee or ranged attack without making any noise. Before making the silent attack, the character has to succeed an ARCT on ES Workmanship vile arts (the threshold is defined by the GM): if both check and attack are successful, no one can hear noises from that action.
Stun: any weapon, unless otherwise noted in its description, has a chance to stun the target: the blackjack, for instance, is a weapon that produces no damage and has only the option (100%) to stun the target. The default chance for any weapon is: 20% for impact-type weapons, 10% for slash-type and 0% for pierce-type. In case a PC declares his willingness to stun the target, the GM rolls for the probability according to the type of weapon: in case of success no damage is suffered but the target is stunned (see States of the character).
Withdraw: in a fight, one of the two sides can decide to abandon the fight and retreat; the retreating character cannot take any other action and to the attacker is granted an ARCT with threshold of the target’s Agility.
Wrestle: a character in a fight can opt to wrestle. Some prerequisites are necessary: the attacker should have both free hands, be in close combat with the target and have the ES Wrestle. If all these prerequisites are met, then he can perform an ARCO like a melee attack with a difference: the target can either counter the action using the ES Wrestle (he also has to meet all the prerequisites) or dodge the attack. In case of success in the ARCO, the attacker does not cause any damage but he can decide between 2 outcomes: the first is that the target is unbalanced and falls to the ground; the second is that he manages to immobilize the target with a grapple. In the second case, the attacker is asked to perform a successful ARCO (again against either ES Wrestle or Dodge) every turn he wants to keep the target grappled. The grappled target is unable to carry out any action which requires use of either arms or legs (see States of the character).