Combat

Initiative

When combat begins, each side makes a teamwork dexterity roll for initiative. Whichever side rolls the highest goes first, then turns alternate for the rest of the battle. If one side has surprise, they have advantage on their initiative rolls.

Actions

Every turn, you get one action, which you can use for attacking, casting a spell, moving, or attempting some other task, like opening a door or attempting to intimidate an enemy. Some movement will require a roll to be successful, like climbing a wall or leaping over a pit.

You can use an action to switch weapons or equip a shield, but armor must be put on or taken off outside of combat. Getting something out of your inventory requires an action as well.

You can do certain things without expending your action. These include things like falling prone, dropping a weapon or shield, saying something brief, switching from holding an object with one hand or two hands, or looking around to get an idea of your surroundings do not require actions.

Movement and Ranges

Movement rates only matter during chases, when it's relevant to compare one character's speed to another. Characters who move fast will always outrun those who move slow unless other actions are taken to affect the chase, such as intervening obstacles, knowledge of shortcuts, or using magic and equipment to affect the outcome.

There are only three categories: close, near, and far. It is helpful to think of these as ranges between meaningful locations in the battle, not between individual characters. Melee attacks can only be made against close enemies, short range attacks hit anyone nearby, and long-range attacks can hit someone far away. It takes one action to change your range to a target, such as moving from near to close to make a melee attack, and could also require a roll if that movement involves any sort of obstacle, challenge, or danger.

Attacks

To make an attack, roll your strength (for melee) or dexterity (for ranged) plus your proficiency bonus of you are proficient with the weapon. Using a melee weapon with both hands adds +2 to the damage it inflicts. When attacking with two one-handed weapons, you suffer a -2 penalty on your attack roll with your off-hand weapon. You can move and make a melee attack with one action.

Simple weapons inflict 1d6 damage.

Finesse weapons inflict 1d6 damage. You use your dexterity instead of your strength for attack and damage rolls with a finesse weapon and do not benefit from using two hands.

Martial weapons inflict 1d8 damage.

Heavy weapons inflict 2d6 damage and require two hands to use, so they always gain the benefit of using two hands.

Throwing weapons inflict 1d6 damage and can hit nearby targets. You use your dexterity for attacks and strength for bonus damage when you throw them. You can also use a throwing weapon as a melee weapon, in which case it uses strength for attack and damage rolls.

Archery weapons inflict 1d8 damage and can hit far away targets. If you try to use an archery weapon against a close target, you have disadvantage on your attack roll. They require an action to reload.

Arcane weapons inflict 1d6 damage and can hit nearby targets. You use your intelligence for attacks and bonus damage with arcane weapons. Unlike other ranged weapons, they do not require ammunition or actions to reload.

Natural Weapons inflict a varying amount of damage depending on the creature type. Unarmed strikes made by people inflict 1d4 damage.

Maneuvers

Instead of attacking with a weapon or spell, a character can perform a maneuver using either their strength, dexterity, or charisma, depending on what they’re trying to do. For example: Pushing a target would be based on strength, disarming them would require dexterity, and feinting would rely on charisma.

Maneuvers are resisted by saves that make sense against each type of maneuver. The difficulty of a save against a maneuver is equal to the attacker’s roll. The exact effects of a maneuver are highly situational, but should usually result in advantage for the attacker or its allies or disadvantage for the defender.

Cover

If you have cover, you have advantage on your reflex saves against effects originating from the other side, such as dragon’s breath. Targets on the other side of your cover have disadvantage on ranged attacks against you. You can also attempt a dexterity roll to hide.

Armor

Light armor provides 2 points of defense. Heavy armor provides 5 points of defense, but causes disadvantage on all rolls involving movement, such as climbing, jumping, or swimming; additionally, you move slower than normal in heavy armor. If you are proficient with the type of armor you’re using, you add your proficiency bonus to your defense.

Shields

While using a shield, you can attempt a reflex save once per turn when you are targeted by a weapon attack. If the result of your roll is higher than the attacker’s roll, you block the attack and suffer no damage. If you’re proficient with the shield you’re using, you add your proficiency bonus to your reflex save to block.

Damage

When you score a hit with a weapon, you deal damage to the enemy’s health. You add your strength as a bonus on all melee and throwing weapon damage rolls, as well as attacks with natural weapons.

Critical Hits

If you roll a natural 20 with a weapon attack, you score a critical hit and automatically deal the maximum possible damage.

Healing

Healing can never increase your current health above your maximum. To stabilize a dying character, a close ally must succeed on a difficulty 10 wisdom roll or use some other form of healing magic, such as a potion or spell. Stabilized characters remain unconscious until the battle ends.

You can regain health by resting as well. After a full night’s rest, you heal an amount of health equal to your level multiplied by your constitution.

Dying

When you are reduced to 0 or less health, you are dying. You don’t track health below 0; any attack that would reduce you below 0 instead sets your health to 0. Every turn, you must make a difficulty 10 fortitude save. On a success, you stabilize but remain unconscious. On a failure, you suffer a -1 penalty to your constitution. When your constitution reaches 0, or if you suffer any damage while dying, you are dead.

Attribute Loss

Certain effects and enemy attacks can cause you to lose attribute points. When an attribute reaches 0, you suffer one ongoing effect until your attribute is restored to at least 1. If your casting attribute is reduced to 0, you cannot cast spells.

Strength

If your strength is reduced to 0, you are exhausted and cannot move.

Dexterity

If your dexterity is reduced to 0, you are staggered and automatically fail any physical action that requires a roll.

Constitution

If your constitution is reduced to 0, you are unconscious and cannot take any actions.

Intelligence

If your intelligence is reduced to 0, you are confused and take random actions.

Wisdom

If your wisdom is reduced to 0, you are terrified and flee from any threat.

Charisma

If your charisma is reduced to 0, you are demoralized and automatically fail any social action that requires a roll.

Restoring Attributes

While some spells and magic items can restore attribute points, the most common way of doing so is by resting. After one full day of rest, all of your attributes heal 1 point, up to their normal maximums.

Conditions

Some enemies and environmental effects might apply a condition to you, such as poison, stun, or blindness. Conditions are lasting effects that usually allow saves to avoid or reduce their duration. You might be able to get a new save or end a condition entirely by taking a specific action, like drinking an antidote to remove a disease or jumping in a river to extinguish flames.

Here are some sample conditions:

Snake Venom causes disadvantage on all physical rolls until a difficulty 12 fortitude save is made, which can be attempted once per scene.

Wasting Disease causes 1 point of strength damage each day until a difficulty 15 fortitude save is made, which can be attempted every morning.

On Fire causes 1d6 damage every turn until extinguished.

Mental Block causes disadvantage on all spellcasting rolls until a spell is successfully cast.

Size

While all player characters are considered medium size, some certain effects can cause them to grow or shrink. For every size category smaller than medium, subtract -1 from strength and add +1 to dexterity. For every size category larger than medium, add +1 to strength and subtract -1 from dexterity. The lowest any attribute can fall due to shapeshifting or other size-altering effects is 1.