Attacking

Whether using the ordinary combat rules or the Variant: Tactical Combat rules, resolving attacks is done in more or less the same way (tactical combat does add some complexity in terms of computing boons and banes).

Attacking is fundamentally a skill contest between an Attacking character and one or more defending characters.

Step 1. Declare an Attack

A character who wishes to attack does one three things:

• Attacks, using these rules.
• (Optional Rule) Attacks, using the spellcasting rules from the magic module.
• (Optional Rule) Under Variant: Tactical Combat, uses a Combat Maneuver.

All three of these attack types have attack-like properties which will reference these basic rules. An attack is declared by stating your intention to attack a character. You always attack with the weapon(s) you have equipped. See the Variant: Tactical Combat rules.

An attacker has two options for their attack:

• Fight normally, or;
• Called shot (Tactical - ranged only);
• Fight defensively (Tactical - melee only).

When fighting defensively, until the start of their next turn, a player has traded a bane on their checks to hit (see below) in exchange for a boon against checks made to react to attacks against them. Called shots are a little more complicated, and are discussed further down the page.

Step 2. Declare a Defense

A defending character has some options for how best to deal with the incoming attack, some of which may or may not be allowed given the circumstances. Be sure to carefully read the rules for your combat variant, weapon type, skill type and so on.

• Dodge (skill) - By selecting dodge as their response skill, if succeeding on the Attack Contest (step 3), the character may avoid taking damage at all.
• Block (skill) - By selecting block as their response skill, a character may use a weapon or item to reduce incoming damage by a certain amount if they win the contest.
• Sponge (skill) - By selecting sponge as their response skill, a character instantly fails the attack contest, but may receive the benefit of their worn armor, if any.
• By choosing to Counter Attack using the weapon skill for their own equipped weapon, a character who wins the attack contest receives damage from their opponent, but lands a hit on the target as well, dealing their normal weapon damage to the attacker. With the appropriate traits, a counter attack may be made in the form of a combat maneuver, or permit a special effect to the counter. See the stock Parry (trait), an ability trait that causes the winning defender in a counter attack to take no damage from the incoming attack as well as dealing damage normally for a counter attack.

Optionally, certain traits may grant other benefits to these options or whole new options for combat response.

Step 3. Attack Contest

At the start of an attack contest, once both characters have chosen their attack method or defense method, calculate the total boons and banes each player receives according to their situation. The players then execute a skill contest for their respective skills, with the following special notes:

• If the attacking or counter-attacking character ever make a critical threat on any of their checks as part of their contest, they will deal damage to the other character regardless of the outcome of the contest otherwise. If the defender is counter-attacking, make all three rolls of the contest even if the attacking character threatens or confirms a critical threat. A confirmed critical made as part of an attack contest using a weapon skill is a Critical Hit.
• If the defending character threatens a critical for a dodge, block, or sponge contest, that counts as two successes. If they confirm the critical, they win the contest outright.
• A character who critically fails a dodge is knocked prone.
• A character who critically fails a block or sponge is knocked one cell backwards, if physically possible.
• Any character who critically fails an attack or counter-attack must succeed on a subsequent weapon roll immediately or be disarmed.

If the attacking character has won the attack contest or was opposed by a counter attack, they are said to have hit the target. If not, the attack is either missed or deadlocked.

Sponge Checks

Facilitator's note: Optionally some settings might break sponge out into multiple armour skills. The principal is the same.

Winning a sponge contest is somewhat different to winning other contests. Amour has a damage reduction rating as well as hit points, similar to a player character's hitpoints. When non-critically hit as a part of a sponge contest where you have won the contest:

• Reduce the incoming damage by the damage reduction, and;
• Reduce the armour's hitpoints by the result, down to a minimum of 0 armour hp.
• Apply any remaining incoming damage (if greater than 0) to your own hitpoints.

You may only reduce damage using armour by as many hit points are left in the armour. Armour at 0 hp is said to be broken and can no longer be used to sponge or reduce damage, but any other penalties or effects from the armour still apply.

Critical hit damage is not sponged by armour even if you won the sponge contest. By definition, a critical hit is critical because it managed to find a critical portion of your anatomy.

Confirming a critical sponge roll as part of the attack contest reduces the damage suffered by you and your armour by half, after applying the normal damage reduction.

Sponge example: Tony the Gate Guardsman has 7 HP and is Wearing Armor with DR 3 and 7 HP of its own. In the distance, Big Angry Amy fires her crossbow at Tony, who has the option to trust his chainmail armour accordingly. Since he wins the sponge contest, Amy still rolls damage, and in her case totals up 8 damage. Tony's armour reduces the incoming damage by 3 to 5 HP, which lowers his armour to 2 HP. In a subsequent turn, Bigger Angrier Amanda emerges from the bushes and wins an attack contest with her hand axe, dealing 15 damage. Tony's armour reduces this to 12 HP. His armour is reduced to 0 HP, leaving 10 points of damage he must himself absorb. This reduces him to 0 HP (by way of the hit points rules), leaving him dying on the ground.

Step 4. Compute Damage

Parties who are damaged as part of a combat contest take damage equal to the result of the die roll indicated on the weapon's equipment entry, plus any bonus damage from traits or the melee bonus damage rules.

Parties who are damaged by a critical hit as a result of the attack contest take the result of the die roll, multiplied by the weapon's critical multiplier, and any associated bonus damage from traits.