Combat

Movement in combat is measured in the traditional 5 foot measurements on a square grid. Movement in any direction orthogonal or diagonal is treated as just 1 space of movement at a time. Moving through difficult  terrain doubles the amount of speed required to pass through it. Movement that leaves a threatened area incurs an attack of opportunity. You may dash during a move action, allowing you to move up to twice your movement speed but incurring a -2 penalty to your next test. This penalty can persist between rounds until you attempt a test. When 2 move actions are taken in a single turn you may dash for both of them but take both penalties on your next turn.

If at any point you need to move into an opponents square it provokes an immediate attack of opportunity. Even though you are not leaving threatened space, and even if the target has already used it’s attack of opportunity.

Instant actions can be done on on any combatants turn in response to any action other than your own. Instant actions resolve before the action they are used in response too including when an instant action is used in response to another instant action.

When making an attack, skill check, or saving throw; first determine the total of your penalties and bonuses, add the appropriate dice to you pool (2D12 + bonus/ penalty dice), and add up the totals on the dice to determine success. That’s it, no secret values, hidden modifiers, or cross checking documents. All rolls are determined by the value of the dice. Bonuses can not go above +15.

Taking a defensive posture uses your standard action but gives you “Protection from the Next Attack”. You lose this protection after the first time it’s activated.

Whenever a spell, ability, artifact, etc refers to bonuses  or penalties for anything other than armor/shroud, they are referring  to the bonus dice pool that is charted on your character sheet. In the event your bonus goes over 5 or 10 then you keep the d12 in your pool and start back at the d4. For example if you have a total bonus of +8 on an attack roll then your pice pool for the attack is 2d12 + d12 + d8 rolled and totaled up. If you instead had a penalty of -2 then your roll would be 2d12 - d6 with the d6 subtracted from the total of the 2d2.

Melee attack rolls against prone or flanked targets get a +1 bonus.

When making attacks while dual wielding weapons they receive a - 1  penalty for light weapons and a - 3 penalty for all other weapons.

Certain weapons incur bonuses or penalties specific to themselves or in specific circumstances. That information is listed with the equipment section with the sole exception of ranged combat weapons which will be explained  below.

Attacks made with ranged weapons incur penalties unique to the act of ranged combat. Whenever you make a ranged attack outside of your weapons listed range there is a -1 penalty for each 5 foot space over the limit. Additionally whenever you make a ranged attack against a target that is within 5 foot of another combatant (henceforth referred to as shooting into a crowd) there is a -1 penalty for each living thing “based” with the target. If a  target is under half cover or behind full cover then the shooter takes a -5 and -10 penalty respectively. If a shooter makes an attack from full cover then he must use his move action to step out and step back into said cover.

Ranged attacks made to target an area rather than a combatant, such as using a grenade weapon, dropping caltrops or, throwing a torch down a dark hallway, require a Very Easy Ranged Combat test. In the event of failure the item is sent in a random direction an amount spaces equal to the difference.

Surprise is considered to be any situation in which a defender could not have been aware of an incoming attack and. Can not reasonably defend themselves. Unless the player is under the effect of an ability or skill that takes advantage of this the state of. Surprise gives no other numerical benefits. If this surprise would be at the start of an encounter then it would be considered a surprise round in which case any enemy combatants would receive no turn. Outside of the surprise round the first attack made into an enemies back arc by a combatant that has not previously attacked that enemy is considered a surprise attack.

Any time 2 or more allied combatants are on opposite combat arcs of an enemy, while not sharing an arc, they are considered to be flanking. Flanking grants the allied combatants a +1 bonus to their attacks against the flanked target.

Any time 2 or more allied combatants find themselves adjacent to each other the comfort and safety of having an ally at their literal back grants both of them the banding bonus. Banding grants both recipients a +1 bonus to AS and SS from attacks from any adjacent enemy combatants.

If a combatant is both flanked and banded then the effects will cancel each other out and will be considered neither until one of the adjacent combatants moves, in which case the players check to determine if anyone is now flanked or banded.

Directional Facing and Arcs
In certain circumstances such as a combatant trying to use Twist The Knife or make a surprise attack, it may be important to know in what direction a combatant front arc is facing. In these circumstances it is always assumed to be in the direction of the last attack or test It made or in the direction of the encounter at large. Unless otherwise stated of course. However players and Chroniclers alike should not try to game the system by performing all of their actions for the round and then spin to put their backs in the most advantageous situations.

All combatants have 4 directional arcs for the purposes of establishing this directional facing as well as flanking. A front arc, a back arc, and 2 side arcs. The corners where 2 arcs meet are considered to be in both of those arcs.

Combat Maneuvers
When attempting any given combat maneuver you start by making a combat maneuver roll and the target receives an opposed  combat maneuvers check or active physical save.

Upon a successful trip attempt your target is knocked prone and must use a move action to stand back up.

Upon a successful disarm attempt your target loses its weapon can use a move action to retrieve it, but doing so provokes attacks of opportunity.

Upon a successful grapple attempt you pin an opposing target with your appendages and they can take no actions beyond attempting to escape as a move action.

Upon a successful push attempt you force your target to move back 5 feet in the opposite direction of you. This movement can provoke attacks of opportunity. You may follow up with a 5 foot step into the now emptied space. This can be represented as either a literal shove, a shoulder block, or a flurry of blows designed more to scare than harm depending on player preference.