Combat

Table of contents

Combat

Before The Fight Starts

Surprise

In a case where one or both sides in a conflict have failed to notice the other, roll 1d6 to determine if either side is surprised. On a 1, the party is surprised. On a 6, the NPCs are surprised. The side that surprises the other gets a free round of actions/attacks before initiative is rolled. In some cases, such as an archer suddenly attacking from ambush, surprised combatants cannot use their HP (Hit Protection) to shield from attacks.

Certain situations or terrain can change these odds:

Low visibility (e.g. sandstorm or mist): changes to 1-2 and 5-6.
Natural element advantage (e.g., an apex predator): changes to 1-2 and 6.
No chance of surprise (e.g., night vision vs. no light): changes to 1-3 and none.

Reaction

When the party encounters NPCs whose reaction to the party isn’t immediately obvious, roll 2d6:

2d6	Result
2	Hostile
3-5	Wary
6-8	Curious
9-11	Kind
12	Helpful

Interpret the results based on the situation: a helpful wild animal might share food, while a kind monster might confuse the party members for the cultists that have been feeding it.

Take into account the context of a scene and what the PCs look like to others:

Unarmed/unarmored PCs look unassuming but also unintimidating. A hostile reaction might be “taking the party captive for interrogation” as opposed to “killing on sight.”
Heavily armed/armored PCs look aggressive and intimidating. A helpful reaction might be “nervously agreeing to whatever the party says to get them to leave” instead of “providing shelter from an oncoming storm.”
Having weapons drawn is likely to incite more aggressive reactions from (reasonable) sentient NPCs; consider subtracting 1d4 from the reaction roll result.
Having weapons sheathed might make NPCs more agreeable; add 1d4 to the roll.

Time & Place: Rounds, Ranges & Zones

Rounds

The game typically plays without strict literal time accounting. In a fight or circumstance where timing is helpful, use rounds to keep track of when something occurs. A round is roughly ten seconds of in-game time and is composed of turns. Rounds help to make sure all participants in combat take a turn.

Ranges

Distances are measured as:

Close: In your face. Within punch or sword range.
Near: In the same room as you: reachable within a few moments or quick paces. It takes one Move Action in combat to close in. When inside dungeons or buildings, all creatures in the same room are most likely Near each other.
Far: A few rooms away: optimal range for most ranged weapons. It takes one or multiple Move Actions in combat to get here.
Distant: Barely visible in the distance. It might take many Move Actions in combat to get here. By definition, Distant targets are beyond the range of ranged weapons. (If they are in range, they’d be Far.)

Zones

Block, Dodge, Parry works well with using zones instead of pure theater-of-the-mind or grid-based combat. The Warden divides the potential battlefield into zones. These don’t have definite sizes but are determined by what makes sense in context.

For each zone, consider…

Maximum number of occupants (to create chokepoints)
Environmental factors, such as bushes to hide in, bottles and kitchenware to throw, or logs to hide behind.
Environmental dangers, such as intense heat next to a forge, knee-deep water slowing movement, smoke, or fog.
What makes sense given the “level of detail” of a scene. A relatively bare room in a dungeon might just be one zone, while a bar fight might contain multiple (behind the bar, the entrance, the dining area with plenty of tables and chairs, the fireplace).

For ranges and movement:

During a turn, a combatant can move to an adjacent zone. Other occupants might hinder them. If a combatant uses their full turn to move, they can move an additional zone.
Moving out of a zone with enemies without carefully retreating can provoke a quick attack (1d4 damage).
Combatants in the same zone are considered Close or Near.
Combatants that are one or a couple of zones away are considered to be Far (in range for bows).

Initiative: Who Goes First?

The following system is partially inspired by the amazing Errant. This system works best in situations where there are two or more parties with weapons drawn, sizing each other up. In most cases, a simple “Succeed on a DEX Save to go first” works just fine. These rules add further depth, remove chance, and reward preparation and tactics.

Intentions

At the start of the round, each Player Character declares their intentions that round. The Warden decides what the enemies will do, and will telegraph this to some degree when prompted: “The orc seems focused on Mirah, his sword drawn.”

Quick Turns & Full Turns

Next, determine for each combatant whether those intentions are covered by a quick turn or a full turn. Quick turns are resolved before full turns.

Quick turns consist of a single action, such as attacking a close opponent, firing a bow, moving around, retreating, or casting a fast spell.

Full turns consist of moving + a single action, or actions that take more time, such as moving towards an enemy nearby before striking, attacking and then moving away, moving before or after making a ranged attack, or casting a spell or miracle.

Weapon Type & Damage Die

Weapon properties act as the tiebreaker of initiative.

When either or both opponents are closing a distance to attack, the longer weapon strikes first. The order is: weapons with reach before slow weapons (d10) before balanced weapons (d8) before fast weapons (d6).

When both opponents are close and already locked in combat, the shorter weapon strikes first. The order is fast weapons (d6) before balanced weapons (d8) before slow weapons (d10) before weapons with reach.

In Summary

Quick turns go before full turns.
When approaching, longer weapons strike first.
When already engaged, shorter weapons strike first.
If “ties” still remain, resolve with a DEX Save by the Player Character.

Example

Harold (an archer) and Fenris (an axe-wielding warrior) stumble upon a bandit archer and a bandit spearman. Harold and Fenris are close to each other, and the two bandits are near, and close to each other. Harold intends to shoot the bandit archer, and the bandit archer intends to shoot him. Fenris wants to charge at the spearman, and the spearman wants to attack Fenris. Harold’s turn is quick, as he only wants to do a single thing (fire his bow). The same goes for the bandit archer. Fenris wants to move and attack, just like the spearman. These are both full turns. Harold’s bowshot is resolved first. Since both combatants want to fire at each other, Harold rolls a DEX save to see who goes first. Next, Fenris charges. His axe is balanced (d8), just like his opponent’s spear (d8). The spear has reach, however, and thus does damage first, after which Fenris can attack (if he’s still standing).

Attacking

The Warden will declare which enemies will attack which character.

The attacker rolls their weapon damage die.
The target’s Armor is subtracted from the result.
Remaining damage is dealt to the target’s HP.
If HP is reduced to 0, leftover damage is dealt to STR.
Direct damage to STR triggers a Critical Damage Save after the damage is subtracted from STR.

Attacks that damage HP but do not reduce it to 0, can be narrated as leaving the target “off-balance,” “shaken,” “dazed,” “staggered,” etc. Only blows that damage STR should be narrated as leaving meaningful impact or wounds.

Your blow is deflected by the bandit’s shield at the last moment, but the defense is clearly taking a lot of effort. He can’t keep this up forever.

HP stands for your ability to protect yourself from hits; it could also be called ‘guard’ (as in “The enemy has his guard up”). Unaware targets are unable to protect themselves, meaning damage is done straight to their STR. Similarly, a character with a full inventory (10 slots) is overburdened to a degree that they are unable to defend themselves.

Only roll for damage when the attack can feasibly damage the opponent. In some cases, an attack is simply ineffective. An arrow shot at a stone golem will not inflict any harm. In the fiction, however, this action still takes place; it might alert the golem to the archer’s presence or act as a distraction.

Unarmed Combat & Brawls

Unarmed attacks always do 1d4 damage. In a brawl, PCs can use furniture and the like as improvised weapons. Bottle-sized objects do 1d6 damage, chair-sized objects do 1d8 damage, and table/bench-sized objects do 1d10 damage. All improvised weapons break after 1 attack. Unarmed/non-lethal attacks still do damage to STR, but failing a Critical Damage Save means the target is knocked unconscious instead.

Enhanced Attacks & Impaired Attacks

If fighting from a position of weakness (such as through cover or with bound hands), the attack is impaired and the attacker rolls 1d4 damage regardless of the attack’s damage die.

If fighting from a position of advantage (such as against a helpless foe or through a daring stunt), the attack is enhanced, allowing the attacker to roll 1d12 damage in addition to their normal die.

If a player narrates a cool, dramatic move in combat which takes advantage of context and situation, their attack is enhanced. Do include some additional risk to this move: If their foe is still standing afterwards, or if there are other foes around, the first incoming attack against them might be enhanced too, as a risk for their stunt. Alternatively, they might take Fatigue, STR damage, or lose gear.

As Dane turns the corner, he spots a goblin moving up the stairs towards him. He decides to make a dramatic leaping attack, throwing his full weight at the creature. His attack is enhanced — but if the goblin survives or isn’t alone, it’s likely he’ll take an enhanced blow before he can get back on his feet.

Dual Weapons

If attacking with two weapons at the same time, roll both damage dice and keep the single highest result. If both weapons have different lengths for the purposes of initiative, one of which would allow the user to go before the target and one of which would usually require a DEX Save (or go after the target altogether), the user can choose to either strike only with the quicker weapon or wait and strike with both.

Marlok is attacking an orc, which is close. He wields a longsword and a dagger. The orc wields a scimitar. Both intend to attack each other this turn. Marlok can choose to only attack with his dagger, which is faster, or attack with both weapons at the same time. This means that the “length” of the longsword is used. Both attack each other with a balanced weapon (d8, longsword and scimitar), so Marlok must make a DEX Save to go first and attack with (d6+d8) instead of just d6.

Multiple Attackers

If multiple attackers target the same foe at the same time, roll all damage dice and keep the single highest result. Note that a creature can still take damage at multiple moments during a round (before and after their turn, as part of Fight Back, etc.), and that these separate moments do not use a shared single highest result.

Also note that only the weapon tag/effects of the highest result are used; it’s as if only the highest result lands the blow.

Many Attackers: Detachments

Large groups of similar combatants together are treated as a detachment. In some cases, a particular powerful or enormous foe can act as a detachment too, such as a dragon. A detachment uses the same stat block as a single member of the group, except:

Attacks against a detachment by individuals are impaired, except for Blast attacks.
Instead of the sum of Magic Dice, detachments take the highest value as damage. If the spell includes Blast, take the sum of the dice.
Attacks against individuals by a detachment are enhanced and have the Blast property.
When making a Critical Damage Save, a detachment rolls WIL instead of STR. On a failure, it is routed. At 0 WIL, it is destroyed.

Three brave adventurers draw their swords at a group of goblins. For their sword strikes, they roll 3d4 and keep the highest value. The goblins roll a d6 (shortsword) and a d12 (enhanced) for their attack, keeping the highest value, separately for each adventurer attacking them (Blast).

Use a detachment when:

In the fiction, the party encounters a group which you’d summarize as “a whole bunch” or “a lot.” When accidentally stumbling into the barracks during a break-in, do you want the group to face one or two sleepy guards, or a whole group, in the middle of their lunch?
In function, it is clear that a combatant would have trouble landing blows against the group and that the group could easily land multiple blows on their attackers (one defending the other, with multiple weapons pointed at you at all times)?

Stunts & Maneuvers: Performing Gambits

When making an attack, a character can choose to make a gambit instead. A gambit is a move such as stunning, shoving, disarming, tripping, and so forth. A gambit should be decided upon when an attack is declared. Gambits deal no damage.

To perform a gambit, the weapon damage dice of the attacker is rolled. If this roll comes up 1, 2, or 3, this becomes the Difficulty of the Save. On a 4 or higher, no Difficulty is applied.

The type of Save is determined by the Warden, and the target of the Gambit must make this Save equal or under their Ability and above the Difficulty.

If the target fails, the gambit succeeds. If the target succeeds, they may immediately try a gambit of their own against the performer of the gambit. This effect can cause a chain of failed gambits, until one succeeds.

Harald wants to shove his opponent down some stairs. He’s wielding a dagger, so he rolls a d6, and rolls a 2. The goblin now needs to roll equal or under their STR of 8, and above 2.

Gambits cannot be blocked, dodged, or parried. If multiple attackers attack a single target and one or more attackers choose to perform a gambit, resolve those before checking who rolled the highest damage. To determine the priority of Gambits in the initiative order, use the size of your weapon as normally done for initiative.

Defending

Armor

Before calculating damage to HP, subtract the target’s Armor value from the result of damage rolls. Shields and similar armor provide a bonus defense (e.g. +1 Armor), but only while the item is held or worn. No one can have more than 3 Armor. 1 Armor is referred to as light armor, 2 Armor as medium armor, and 3 Armor as heavy armor. See Armor in Weapons & Gear for a suggested list of armored equipment.

Sacrificing Gear

When in a desperate spot, a character can sacrifice their equipment to negate an incoming blow. Performing such a feat requires either desperation or complete dedication. The character needs to either be at 0 HP or choose to lower their defense and “drop” to 0 HP voluntarily. This move destroys the used equipment, which is now useless unless repaired. Repairing costs are 75% of the item’s cost when new, but shields are always broken when sacrificed and cannot be repaired.

Mundane attacks (weapons, claws, teeth, etc.) can be stopped with Balanced (d8) and Slow (d10) weapons, shields, and medium and heavy armor.
Special attacks (magic, elemental energy, etc.) can only be stopped with heavy armor and shields.

Block, Dodge & Parry

Before damage is rolled, Player Characters under attack have the following options:

Defend. The character tries to defend themselves without taking any particular risks or trying any moves. This is resolved by simply taking the damage to HP — the default option.

Fight Back. The defender chooses one attacker and makes an attack, after they’ve taken the incoming damage. Fighting back incurs 1 Fatigue.

Block. Incoming Fast (d6) or Balanced (d8) attacks become Impaired. To block, the defender must wield a balanced or slow weapon or a shield. Blocking incurs 1 Fatigue, unless it is performed with a shield or slow weapon while wearing heavy armor (3 Armor), in which case it incurs no Fatigue.

Dodge. Any incoming Slow (d10) or Balanced (d8) attacks become Impaired. It is not possible to dodge in heavy armor (3 Armor) or while wielding a slow weapon. Dodging incurs 1 Fatigue, unless it is performed with a fast weapon (or unarmed) while wielding light (1 Armor) or no Armor, in which case it incurs no Fatigue.

Parry. The defender chooses one attacking opponent that they are able to attack in return and rolls weapon damage.

If the defender rolls higher attack damage than the attacker, the attacker’s dice roll is invalidated, and the defender deals their damage straight to the attacker’s STR. This damage does not trigger a STR Save.
If the attacker rolls higher, the damage is dealt to the defender’s STR instead. This damage does not trigger a STR Save.
If the two rolls are equal, both weapons bounce off each other with a satisfying twing! and a rain of sparks. No damage is done to either party.

Each of these options is essentially a reaction — they happen in the split-second in which a character is attacked. Some enemies might also have access to these abilities as well. Note that an attacking creature cannot take a reaction; if an orc blademaster strikes at a PC and the PC fights back, the orc cannot block or take similar reactions, as that could create an infinite chain of reactions.

The Block, Dodge, Parry from which this game derives its name is meant to give PCs meaningful tactical decisions: First, do you fight back to inflict damage as retaliation, or do you try to mitigate damage by blocking or dodging? If you decide to defend, are there multiple enemies attacking you, dealing different types of damage? Would you rather dodge the big warhammer, or block the incoming arrows? Finally, is it may be so personal or dire that you opt for the all-or-nothing risk of a parry, instead?

The End of the Fight

Morale

Non-player characters must pass a WIL Save to keep fighting when the first of their group falls and when they lose half the number in their group.

Structured groups may use their leader’s WIL in place of their own. Lone foes save when they’re reduced to 0 HP. Player Characters do not need to make Morale Saves, but their allies do.

If this WIL Save is failed, the creature will try to flee or surrender.

Retreat

Some battles cannot be won — and running away should always be a viable option. Just like in base Cairn, a successful DEX Save allows a PC to run away from a dangerous situation, as long as there is a safe place to run to.

Retreating from an enemy that is nearby or further away, i.e., not close, can be done as a quick turn.

Retreating from an enemy that is close, i.e., in melee range, takes two actions (one to create some distance, one to make the retreat attempt) and takes a full turn.

On a failed Save, the fight might just move to a different location, or the enemy gets a few more hits in before the party manages to flee — depending on the determination of the opponents.

Example of Play

The party consists of Harald, a human fighter wearing chainmail (2 Armor) with a longsword and shield; Elmyra, an elven archer wearing leather (1 Armor); Thibaldus, a halfling wizard; and Narvi, a dwarf with a greataxe.

Warden: So you’ve made your way through the large, cathedral-sized room, moving past the columns and the piles of bones, moving up the wide set of stairs, and now stand at the sarcophagus on the dais. What do you want to do?

Elmyra: Well, we came here for the crown of the pontiff, so I suppose we open up the sarcophagus?

Warden: It’s a heavy stone lid covered with carved writing. Who wants to try and open it?

Narvi: I’ll give it a go. Do I roll anything?

Warden: No, no need; you are established as being quite strong, and there’s no particular rush. You rest your axe against the side of the sarcophagus and give a firm push with both hands. There’s a bit of resistance at first, but then the lid flies off and lands a few meters away, cracking in two. You trip, scramble backwards with your axe and… a bony, robed figure rises from the now-open sarcophagus. An eerie light illuminates empty eye sockets. Elmyra, Thibaldus and Harald — you hear a strange noise down the stairs. The bone piles have stirred to life, and three skeletal warriors emerge, one with a rusty scimitar, one with a spear, and one with a bow and arrows.

Harald: Okay, time to earn our paycheck.

Warden: Let’s sum up the situation: there are three zones in play here. Our three skeletal friends are at the Entrance, which is a roughly rectangular area with four large pillars. It borders on the Stairs, which are just as wide as the Entrance, and go up a good 5 meters. The Stairs lead to the Dais, which is where all of you are right now, together with the pontiff. Spear-skeleton and Scimitar-skeleton are getting ready to move up the stairs and attack you, Bow-skeleton is taking aim, while the pontiff is hovering above the sarcophagus. What do you want to do?

Thibaldus: Let’s fight fire with fire. I’m going to charge up a spell to attack the pontiff with.

Warden: Cool! That takes a full turn, so we’ll get back to you in a bit. Anyone else?

Elmyra: Can I take out the archer before he shoots?

Warden: Let’s see… He’s far, so range isn’t an issue for your bow. I would say that seeing who shoots first might be a toss-up, so you’ll have to roll for that. Regardless, it’s a quick turn, so let’s make note of that. Narvi, Harald, what do you do?

Narvi: I want to charge at this floating fella with my axe.

Harald: I want to move towards the stairs and intercept whoever is coming up.

Warden: Perfect! So, we’ll do it as follows: Elmyra, you roll a DEX Save to see if you fire your arrow before the archer does. The archer then takes their shot, if they survive. Next is Narvi; let’s have you roll DEX as well. You are quite close, but the pontiff intends to fly out of reach, so you might not be quick enough. Then we’ll see what happens to Harald, as he meets the two skeletons on the stairs. Lastly, Thibaldus lets his magic fly. Sounds good? Elmyra, go ahead!

Elmyra: I rolled a 12; that’s under my DEX of 14! Let’s roll damage… that’s 1d6, a 5!

Warden: Amazing! Elmyra is fast on the draw. With trained reflexes, your arrow flies towards your target. The skeletal archer isn’t particularly skilled or strong; it’s an undead automaton, following simple arcane instructions. The arrow pierces the yellowed skull of the skeleton! [3 HP reduced to 0, STR reduced from 8 to 6] I’m rolling for a Critical Damage Save… [A 3 on a d20, lower or equal than 6] No. While the skull is now partially shattered, the eldritch energy binding this skeleton to serve endures. It looses its arrow in your direction — that’s 1d6, a 4!

Elmyra: My 1 Armor stops 1 damage, meaning I take 3 damage to my HP, right? No worries, there’s still 4 HP left! After my shot, I quickly duck — no harm done!

Warden: Great! Narvi, you’ve scrambled up, axe in hand — roll a DEX Save to see if you can reach the pontiff in time!

Narvi: Here goes… a 16, and I only have a DEX of 9.

Warden: That won’t do — you leap forward, but your axe arcs through the air without connecting. The pontiff now hovers three, four meters in the air. Harald, let’s focus on you! Spear-skeleton and Scimitar-skeleton are approaching, and you’d intercept them halfway, on the stairs. The spear has reach and will be able to poke you before you can strike…

Harald: Could I leverage my high ground? Like, would that not be an advantageous position?

Warden: You know what, you’re right — in this situation I’ll rule that your high ground negates the reach of the spear. That’s still two weapon attacks coming at you. You’re all using d8 weapons, so make a DEX Save to see who goes first!

Harald: That’s a… 15, and my DEX is 12.

Warden: The two skeletons go first! I’ll roll 2d8 and pick the highest value…

Harald: I’m going to Block and take 1 Fatigue.

Warden: That’s probably smart! You raise your shield and hunker down; both attacks are Impaired, so their attacks only deal… [roll 2d4, highest value] 3 damage, which is negated by your 3 Armor! [Shield + Chainmail]. Your turn to strike!

Harald: I’m feeling daring today. Can I use my high ground to just… throw myself at one of the skeletons? Let’s say, the one with the spear?

Warden: Uh, sure! Let’s say your attack becomes Enhanced, and, hmmm… I’ll have the skeleton make a DEX Save. On a failure, it’ll tumble down the stairs with you. On a success, you’re the only one ending at the bottom of the stairs. Falling down the stairs will deal… 1d4 STR damage, but no Critical Damage Save. It’ll bruise you but not kill you, I think that’d be a bit harsh.

Harald: Yeah, screw it, let’s go. I roll… 6 on a 1d8, and 9 on my 1d12!

Warden: That means the skeleton takes 9 damage [3 HP reduced to 0, STR reduced from 8 to 2]! The skeleton [DEX Save, 1d20, rolls a 13, DEX of 10, failure] is bodied by your heroic lunge, and tumbles down the stairs with you. If his buddy still had eyebrows, he’d definitely look confused. You take 1d4 STR damage — that’s a 3, and the skeleton takes 1d4 — that’s a 4 [STR reduced from 2 to 0]! As you grapple with the skeleton on the way down, you manage to twist around at the last moment, landing with your full weight on the skeleton at the bottom of the stairs. His bones shatter and scatter; that’s one down! Let’s leave you at the bottom of the stairs and focus on Thibaldus — what are you casting?

Thibaldus: I’ve been gesturing and chanting away, and I’m ready to go - I think I’ll use three Magic Dice, and see what comes up! That’s 3d6 — a 4, a 2 and a 1. I mark 1 Fatigue — no doubles, that’s lucky… I’d like to use two MD, the 4 and the 2, for damage, for a total of 6. Can I use one MD to try and knock him out of the air?

Warden: Sure! White flames and lighting crackle from your hands as you complete your incantation, and with a gesture, a searing beam of arcane energy hits the pontiff in the chest! I’ll have him roll a DEX Save to see if he stays floating… [DEX Save, 1d20 - a 14, higher than 10, failure] He is knocked out of the air and lands somewhere behind the sarcophagus. This provides a great opening for Narvi! However, Thibaldus, you now feel a crackle of arcane energy coming from the pontiff… Ok everyone, next round, what would you like to do?