Melee Combat

To make a melee attack, your target must be within reach of your weapon or unarmed attack. You then roll against the skill related to the weapon you're using.

If the attack hits, you then roll your weapon's damage dice and subtract the result from your target's Hit Points.

You add your STR Talent Die to damage with STR-based attacks and your AGI Talent Die to damage with AGI-based attacks.

You can have up to three weapons or items ready. A ready weapon does not mean it's in your hand, just that it is available to easily draw as a free action before your attack. Grabbing a weapon from the ground or your inventory counts as an action.

Some weapons have a required STR rating. Wielding a weapon that you don't meet the STR requirement for inflicts Disfavor on all attack, or Parry rolls with it. If your STR is lower than one-half the STR requirement, you cannot wield it at all.

Weapons are either one-handed or two-handed. You can wield two one-handed weapons or one two-handed weapon. Wielding a one-handed weapon with two hands reduces the STR Requirement by 3.

A weapon's Reach trait determines how far it can reach and threaten your target. Weapons with a reach longer than 2 meters can be used to attack past barriers and allied characters.

Rolling an Ace or Bullseye on your attack roll can only be parried or evaded with an Ace or Bullseye roll. Critical hits also gain an additional effect in line with rolling an Ace or Bullseye. For example:

• Rolling an Ace forces a roll against AGI to avoid tripping and falling prone.
• Rolling a Bullseye allows you to bypass your target's armor and roll double damage.
• Rolling an Ace allows you to immediately make a free attack against another target within reach.
• Rolling a Bullseye allows you to deal one-half damage directly to your target's Death Clock.

Parrying is a reaction triggered by being targeted with a melee attack. You must have a melee weapon or shield in your hand. Roll against your weapon skill contested by your attacker's roll. Success allows you to transfer your attacker's damage roll to your weapon's (or shield's) Durability. Failure means you are hit as normal.

Your weapon's Durability represents how hard of a hit it can take without breaking. If a parried attack deals more damage than your weapon has Durability, the weapon is damaged. A weapon stays damaged until it is repaired with a Shift and Crafts roll.

A Damaged Weapon can still be used, but it has Disadvantage on every roll, and it's Durability is halved. A Damaged Weapon that parries enough damage to overcome its Durability is broken and cannot be repaired.

Piercing weapons do not deal damage to a parrying weapon.

Counterattacking is a reaction triggered by being targeted with a melee attack. You must have a melee weapon in your hand to counterattack. Roll against your skill contested by your attackers' roll.

This is not a normal contested roll; if both participants succeed, both may deal their damage as usual. However, if the defender rolls lower than the attacker but still succeeds, they can give up their damage to treat the reaction as a successful Parry. Additionally, if you roll a Bullseye on your counterattack, you may treat it as both a successful Parry and a successful Attack.

Evading is a reaction triggered by being targeted by an attack. Roll against your Evade contested by your attacker's roll. Success negates the incoming attack and allows you to move up to 2 meters in any direction.

Taking turns hitting each other with sticks is fun and all, but sometimes you need to be more strategic. Using the Stunt system, skilled warriors can perform feats of skill.

Here are a few examples of what you can achieve by adding a Threshold to your attacks -

At this level, the stunt is primarily flash and aesthetics. Something like cutting your initial into your target's tunic.

At threshold 6, you are essentially squeezing two actions into a single attack. This could be attacking with your dominant hand and off-hand, firing two arrows at a single target, or shoving your target with the force of your attack.

At this level, you can start inflicting conditions with your attack. You can also use this Threshold to ignore a condition you are suffering from.

At Threshold 12, you can start using your attack to affect small areas. This could be a single sweeping attack or a volley of arrows.

Stunt Thresholds and Armor Ratings stack, forming a two-layer Threshold. If your intent is to deal damage, you have to overcome the Armor Rating. Non-damaging effects must overcome the Stunt Threshold. Either can fail independently, or they may both pass simultaneously.

A warrior can reduce the Threshold of their Combat Stunts by spending HP. Each point of HP spent in this way reduces the Threshold by one.

Beyond reactions, there are a few combat actions that rely on a contested roll to execute.

You can attempt to disarm your opponent with a roll against your weapon skill contested by your target's own weapon skill. Success disarms your target and throws their weapon d6 meters away in a random direction.

You can attempt to grapple your opponent with a contested roll against Brawling.

If you fail, your opponent can choose to grapple you instead.

While grappled, you have disadvantage on any action other than attempting to break free. As the character grappling your target, you may attempt Brawling attacks or weapon attacks with Subtle weapons as well as any special attacks.

To break free from a grapple, you must succeed on a contested roll against Brawling.

Wielding a weapon in your off-hand increases its STR Requirement by 3. Attacks with your off-hand are made with Disfavor..