A host of combat actions can be initiated in a given combat round; many of them are listed below. GMs are encouraged to modify this list based on their preference and play style.  The combat actions listed below are optional; GMs may exclude some or all of them. 

Active Defense - Places all focus on avoiding strikes/attacks and grants the defender +3 to his AC; Active Defense consumes one full combat action.  No attacks or other actions can be taken while Active Defense is in use. 

Active Parry is only allowed if the defender can see the attack coming.  The initiative does not matter, as a parry maneuver is an attack of opportunity.  Active parry consumes either a full or partial (in the cases of individuals with advance weapon training with multiple attacks) attack.  Both individuals roll an Attack roll.  If the defender rolls higher or equal, he deflects the blow without taking any damage.  If the attacker rolls higher, the blow lands normally.  Active Parry requires an item with which to parry, often one that can withstand the incoming blow. 

Parrying with a Shield:  Shields are designed to parry, and individuals gain bonuses to parry with them.  Armor Use skill is required to parry with medium and larger shields.  Shield size provides a base ‘parry’ dice added to the wielder's Dexterity rating to constitute the Shield Parry Dice pool.  Talents and enhancements can be used to provide additional bonuses to shield parry attempts. 

Parrying with a Weapon: Weapon skill dice are added to a Dexterity roll to determine a successful parry.  This is not a bonus attack and often consumes a full, or a part of, an action when attack dice are split. 

Shield Block – The more common use of a shield; this defensive maneuver does not consume a partial or full attack and can be employed regardless of initiative as an attack of opportunity.  If a Shield Block is used, however, movement automatically ends.  The blocker can attempt to block/deflect 50% of the incoming damage of a single blow that he can see and anticipate.  The main disadvantage to using a shield block is the loss of the AC benefit of the shield after the block has been attempted until the individual’s next action.  This occurs even if the block is unsuccessful.

  To block an attack, the defender rolls his Armor Use + Strength Dice pool versus the attacker's attack roll.  If the defender equals or exceeds the roll, the block is successful.  If not, the block does not work, and the attack is applied normally.

Example: A warrior with Medium armor, helm, and metal shield (base AC of Dex., (D8, rolling an 8) +6 (armor) for a total AC of 14, wants to block an incoming attack.  The attacker, wielding a long sword, rolls a 15 to hit.  The defender, with an Armor Use skill of D6 and a D10 strength, rolls to block; he rolls a 15.  The attack is blocked, resulting in 50% normal damage.  The reduced damage is then applied to the normal defenses of the defender (who is wearing medium armor in this case PDR=2).  The attacker rolls a D6 (long sword damage) + D8 strength dice damage for a total of 14 points.  The defender suffers 50% (7 pts), which is further reduced by 2 for his effective PDR, for a total damage of 5 points. 

  The attacker’s offhand attack comes next.  He rolls a 13 to hit, but because the defender blocked the first attack, he does not gain the AC (+2) benefits of the shield versus the second attack.  With the reduced AC, the off-hand attack hits.  The damage is applied normally.  Only ONE block is allowed per combat round, regardless of skill. 

Bull-Rush or Trample (employing this attack form requires a minimum of 50% of total movement prior to striking target(s)) - A player cannot employ Active Defense while attempting a Bull-Rush or Trample maneuver.  The player can use weapons in a Lancing maneuver or simply lower his shoulder and charge forward to hit opponents.  Bull-rush or Trample maneuvers are subject to Set-for-Charge damage by defenders.  A Bull-Rush or Trample attack receives a +1 to hit and damage but also suffers a -2 to AC for the entire combat round.  If the attack roll exceeds the target’s AC by 2, the attacker may, at his choosing, veer off and hit another target while rushing forward.  This applies, of course, if the attacker has not used up all of his movement and can reach the second opponent, continuing with his forward progress.  Once again, if the attack roll exceeds the target’s AC by 2, the attacker can move on to another attacker.  Logic and lack of movement bring this attack form to an end.  GMs may disallow this attack if movement is uphill or through thick brush/obstructions. 

Often, a Bull-Rush or Trample attack aims to knock opponents back or to the ground.  This is resolved by rolling a resisted roll.  The attacker rolls his Strength Dice and adds +1 (larger creatures +2), and the Defender rolls his raw Strength Dice in opposition.  If the attacker’s roll is equal to the defender, the defender is only pushed back slightly (1-2 feet at most).  If the attacker’s roll is less than that of the defender, the defender does not move at all.  If, however, the attacker’s roll exceeds the defender’s roll, the defender suffers 1 level of knockback (4-8 ft pushback).  Logic applies here: Bull-rush or Trample may not work on opponents larger than the attacker.  

Charge Attack (employing this attack form requires a minimum of 30 ft of movement prior to striking a target) – A player cannot employ Active Defense while attempting a Charge.  A leader employing a charge attack at the head of a group of soldiers automatically adds +1 to Moral to those that follow him into battle.  A charge attack adds +1 to Damage at the cost of -1 to AC. 

Defensive Retreat (giving ground to the enemy while still maintaining defensive posture) – this movement type is limited to 75% of the total movement allowed for a character in a single combat round.  No attacks are allowed during Defensive Retreat.  Active Defense can still be used. 

Delay Action (see Holding One’s Action above) allows the attacker to hold off an attack until later.  It allows him to forgo his action based upon the initiative card drawn and see how his opponents move or attack.  At any point after the attacker’s drawn initiative the attacker can elect to take his action.  A Delay Attack must be used before the following combat round or it will be lost. 

Disarm - this maneuver can only be used to disarm opponents and does not apply to creatures using natural weaponry.  Both individuals roll an Attack roll; if the person attempting the disarm scores higher on the roll, the disarm succeeds.  If not, the disarm failed.  Ties go to the defender.  Disarming two-handed weapons are a bit harder, adding a +2 to +3 bonus to the defender’s rolls.  

Dodge for Cover (versus Ranged Attacks or Area of Effect attacks only) – Sometimes players can opt to use a combat action to take cover.  This is particularly important when Area of Effect attacks/spells are employed against them.  In order to dodge for cover, the cover must be within a 10 ft radius of the player.  Often, GMs put the availability of cover on a Luck Dice roll (see Table 10d below), or simply decide based on the terrain at hand.  In either case, there are two types of cover: soft and hard.  Dodging for cover consumes a FULL COMBAT ACTION.  It can be employed as an opportunity defense, which simply means that it can be employed at any time, even if it is not the defender's turn to act.  If an individual has already used his action, he/she cannot dodge for cover.  Dodge is an everyman skill, possessed by nearly all characters and creatures and is commonly paired with Luck dice to determine success.  The roll must equal or exceed the attack roll to be successful.  Dodging Area of Effect attacks, such as a fireball or vial of acid splash, does not negate damage, it only reduces it by 50%.  The GM sets the TD for the dodge based on cover if any. 

Soft Cover – refers to cover that can obstruct view but not necessarily provide a physical barrier.  This type of cover includes bushes, darkness, and/or smoke.  Soft cover only provides bonuses to AC based upon how much of the defender’s body is covered/obscured. 

Hard Cover – refers to physically solid cover providing both a physical and visual barrier.  Examples of this type of cover include boulders, wooden planks, and/or other creatures.  Hard cover provides both AC bonuses and absorbs some level of damage based on how much of the body is covered/protected.

Damage Absorption – if the obscuring object cannot absorb the damage delivered, the remaining damage is transferred to the individual behind the hard cover.  Each hard object has a damage desistance factor (hardness) as well as a set number of hit points – often, the GM sets these values.  Thus, a bolder that offers 25% hard cover may only possess 5 pts of PDR and 5 hit points – if an attack delivers 12 hit points of damage, 2 points of that damage will be applied to the defender behind the bolder as the bolder crumbles to dust. 

Draw Weapon/Make Ready – this action allows individuals to draw melee weapons or make ready two-handed weapons or missile weapons.  The weapon focus enhancement allows this action to be taken automatically.  This is often considered a half-action and can be employed with other half-action maneuvers. 

Full Movement (typically a trot) allows the character to move 56% - 100% movement, covering ground on the combat mat.  Full movement takes a full action.  Active Defense cannot be used during a full movement action. 

Full Retreat (turn tail and run) – full movement away from an enemy is allowed.  Attacks and Active Defense are not allowed during a full retreat.  The GM can determine if an enemy gains a free attack versus the fleeing target; if so, shield bonuses and parries are not allowed by the fleeing individual/creature. 

Grappling (overbearing) – Sometimes, grappling an opponent is better than a full physical assault.  Grapple attacks have one significant advantage: they ignore armor bonuses for AC.  Thus, a person wearing half-plate and a person not wearing armor would have the same AC with regard to grappling.  Damage Reduction for armor is not adjusted or ignored in any way and still applies to grappling damage.  A grapple attack takes two combat rounds to accomplish.  The first round focuses on the actual Grab, followed by the Hold. 

Grab is determined by rolling Dexterity Dice to actually grab the target; the roll must EXCEED the defender’s AC value.  The mundane/physical armor value does not apply to AC for such determinations.  Weapon skills, martial arts skills, or similar combat skills are not used to augment grappling dice.  Only talents/enhancements specific to Grappling add dice to the attack pool.  Unarmed Combat skills (and some martial arts skills) may apply at the whim of the GM.  Once a successful grab has been scored, the attacker can apply damage on the Hold phase during the following combat round.  For each individual attempting to grab a target, the group gains a +2 to hit.  Thus, a group of individuals can potentially bring down a larger, more powerful opponent.  A man-sized target can be attacked by no more than 3 other man-sized creatures at once.  Based on GM ruling, additional smaller creatures can be added to the base 3 allowed. A Grab consumes a full combat action and cannot be split.  

Example:  A fully armored opponent is the target of a grapple attempt by (3) townsfolk.  None of the townsfolk have any unarmed skills, but their leader possesses a D8 Dexterity.  The defender’s AC (not accounting for armor bonuses is equal to his Dexterity roll (for that combat round, he rolls a 6 on a D8.  He also has a +1 to AC due to a combat enhancement, bringing his AC to 7.  The three attackers roll a D8 + (2 for each person in the group, or +6).  If they score an 8 or greater, they effectively grapple the defender.  Parries or blocks are not allowed to foil a grapple. 

Hold – the attacker(s) can apply his Strength Dice in damage at the beginning of the combat round, which follows a successful grab regardless of the initiative card drawn.  If the defender is wearing armor, he can reduce the incoming damage by the Physical Damage Reduction value of the armor worn.  Only a single person applies damage, gaining a +1 for each individual involved in the hold.  A man-sized individual cannot have more than three individuals (man-sized) holding them down. 

Breaking Free – a grappled opponent often has limited combat options available to him without breaking free of a HOLD.  A defender can attempt to break free of a GRAB by rolling his Dexterity dice.  He must EXCEED the roll used to Grab him to break free.  Breaking free of a Hold is relatively the same, except that the defender uses his Strength Dice to break free.  Both Attacker and Defender roll Strength Dice; the one with the HIGHER roll wins.  If the attacker wins, the hold is maintained; if the defender wins, the Hold is broken. 

Larger or Smaller opponents – Grapple works best versus similar-sized creatures.  Smaller creatures are harder to grab (+2 to AC for each size category difference) because of their size.  Larger opponents, which are typically stronger, can support more attackers due to their larger bodies (GM’s call for how many more). 

Half-Movement (typically a short burst of speed) allows a character to move no more than 55% of his full movement.  Once movement has been completed, the character can then take the remaining half of his action.  No further movement is allowed until the following combat round.  When no other actions have been performed, Half-Movement can be followed by an Attack (ranged, melee, spell, or psionic).  This is considered a half-action maneuver. 

Melee Attack (employing melee or unarmed attacks in melee) – standard melee range is 3-5 ft for most weapons.  Polearms and some two-handed weapons can expand melee range to 10 ft.  Split dice pools must be declared before the first attack is employed. 

Weapon Damage (Melee) – determine base weapon (Small = D4, Medium = D6, Large = D8).  This damage value is the base weapon damage.  For melee weapons, the base Strength dice are also added, followed by any damage affecting talents and enchantment.  Thus, a person wielding a long sword (D6 Base weapon damage), assuming a strength rating of D8 and an enhancement that grants +1 to melee weapon damage, would roll a D6+D8+1 to determine damage scored on a successful hit. 

Psionic Use (activating psionic items also fall into this category) – Active Defense is possible while using/activating MINOR psionic devotions.  Active Defense is not possible when employing MAJOR or GRAND devotions.  The same applies to activating MAJOR and GRAND devotion with or through a psionic item.  A few psionic devotions (even minor ones) also require concentration – using these devotions disallows Active Defense, but Dexterity Dice are still rolled for AC. 

Ranged Attack (employing a missile weapon) – allows an individual to fire a missile weapon.  Split dice pools must be declared before the first missile is discharged. 

Weapon Damage (Missile) – unlike melee weapons, missile weapons do not configure strength dice in the same manner to determine damage.  Missile weapons limit the ‘strength’ factor of the user to the maximum of the base damage dice employed with the missile weapon.  Thus, a person using a short bow (D4 base damage); this is the limitation of the ‘pull’ value of the short bow.  A longbow with greater base damage (D6) also has a greater ‘pull’ value, allowing individuals to use up to a D6 strength to add more damage.  Crossbows do not add strength values and use the base weapon damage listed.  Talents and enhancements that improve damage still apply, however.  Final note: missile weapons (slings, hand crossbows) that have D3 weapon damage never add strength to damage.  Bows especially designed for stronger individuals (strength bows) can be used to provide a higher amount of missile damage. 

Throwing Things are covered based on the target the thrower is seeking to hit.  There are two categories here to consider.  If an individual is throwing a rock at another creature, the target number is equal to the AC of the target.  If, however, the thrower is throwing an Area of Effect item, such as a flask of oil, acid, or holy water, the target to his is the area and ALL the creatures within that area.  The base target number to hit a 5 ft. radius area (1 hex) is a 3.  This number is modified by environmental factors such as poor visibility, rain, and, of course, Range.  If the thrower successfully rolls a hit, then all creatures within the target area are considered to be ‘hit’ (splashed) with the attack.  It is possible, and often likely, that targets can dodge away from an Area of Effect attack such as an oil grenade.  See Dodge Rules above for details. 

An untrained adult (D6 in both Strength and Dexterity) can throw a baseball at speeds ranging from 45 to 65 miles per hour (mph); a standard Baseball weighs 5.5 ounces.  An average person can throw that baseball about 90 ft.)

Things to consider:  Mechanics and Technique (covered by the Athletics talent/skill), Power and Conditioning (covered by the Strength Stat), Range of Motion and Targeting (covered by the Dexterity stat). Aerodynamics of the thrown object (GM’s call). 

     Mechanics/Technique – individuals that possess any bonus or dice for Athletics skill can gain such bonuses/dice when throwing objects. 

    Thrown Distance and Accuracy – is a function of the character’s strength dice and the weight of the object thrown.  The GM can and should modify these ranges based on the Aerodynamics of the object thrown.  A javelin/spear (no modifier) is designed to be thrown, while a stool or chair is not (-1 to -3 to hit).  As a general rule, a 1-pound object throw ranges from 15/30/60 ft. Short/Medium (-2)/Long (-4) ranges categories.  Each time the base weight is doubled reduced throwing range by 5 ft. doubled for each range category.  Thus, a 2-pound object would have a range of 10/20/40 ft.  Stronger individuals can throw farther, each dice category adds +5 ft. doubled for each range category.  A person with a D10 strength throwing a 1-pound object would have a 20/40/80 ft. throwing range.  Actually, throwing an object is a Dexterity + Athletics skill check (modifiers for aerodynamics, possible talents & enhancements, and, of course, range and environmental conditions are applied). 

Example: A barbarian warrior wants to throw a body (dead halfling weighing 32 lbs.). He possesses both the Athletics Skill (D8) and a D12 strength and dexterity rating.  The body is considered a poor aerodynamic object (-3 to hit).  The barbarian could throw that body 5/10/20 ft. with a -3 to hit, using his Dexterity + Athletics dice pools (D12 + D8 -3).  His TD = AC of the other fleeing halflings (AC:8). 

Example: A mage is attempting to throw a flask of oil at an area that contains three kobolds.  This is considered an Area of Affect attack, and thus, the mage’s base TD to hit the ‘hex’ is a 3.  The mage possesses a D6 Strength, no athletics skill/talent, and the flask of oil weighs only 1 pound.  The GM determines that the flask of oil is not aerodynamic and assigns a -1 to hit as a result.  The mage has the following range: 15/30/60 ft.  The target hex is 40 ft away, Medium range (-2 to hit).  The mage has to roll a 6 or more to hit the target hex.  Fortunately, the mage possesses a D10 dexterity and rolls a 7, hitting the hex.  Two of the kobolds see the oil grenade and opt to dodge out of the area.  Each kobold rolls its Luck + Dodge dice (GM determines the TD to be 7) to jump away.  One rolls an 11, the other a 4.  The flask of oil hits and splashes oil upon the two remaining kobolds in the area.  The mage’s companion, a warrior, fires a flaming arrow into the area to light the oil, burning the kobolds to a crisp in an agonizing death. 

Regain Footing (typically applies when a person has been knocked down or was in a prone position).  This is considered a half-action maneuver.  It can ONLY be combined with a half-move OR Draw weapon/Ready Maneuver.

Speaking (non-spell verbalization, limited to short (4-6 word) sentences) – such communication in combat does not cost any actions to accomplish, and in most cases, is considered good role-play to aid, inform, warn, or rally allies.  Listen + Perception rolls may be required based on range and noisy conditions. 

Spell Casting (activating magical items also fall into this category) – Active Defense is not possible while spell casting.  Some talents can allow a spellcaster to get a Dexterity roll for AC while casting spells. Otherwise, Dexterity dice cannot be used for AC while spell casting.  A few spells that require intense concentration may negate Dexterity rolls for AC until concentration is concluded. 

Splitting Attacks (multiple attacks) – this maneuver allows a character with Advance Weapon skill (D8 or greater) to split his weapon skill dice to gain multiple attacks for both melee and/or missile combat.  Thus, a person with a D8 Dex and a D8 for weapon skill could roll a single D8 + D8 attack or two D8 + D4 attacks, effectively splitting his weapon skill dice.  Further, a person with a D8 Dex and a D12 in weapon skill could roll D8 + D12 or two D8+D6 or three D8+D4 to attempt to hit opponents up to 3 times.  D2, D3, D5, and D7 dice are not allowed, only the standard D4, D6, D8, D10, D12.  Thus, a person with a D8 Dex and D10 Skill dice could take a Single D8 + D10 attack or one D8 + D6 and one D8 + D4 attack.  The total value of his weapon skill dice (6 + 4) must equal 10. 

Optional Rule – Splitting Attacks as half-action maneuvers.  It is possible for a person skilled in arms (D8 skill or better) to split his action into two and accomplish another half-action maneuver.  This is typically employed when a person wants to get to his feet or draw a weapon and attack in the same combat round. 

Turning/Commanding Undead – like casting spells, this action requires both verbal and somatic movements as the cleric/priest actively displays his holy symbol and rebukes the undead.  The cleric cannot use Active Defense while turning undead – he is fearless while channeling the power of his deity.  Turning Undead can be used after a half-action maneuver.  Dexterity and Armor bonuses to AC and PDR apply normally. 

Here is an optional table that can be used to determine fumble occurrences if the GM does not wish to arbitrate them.