Combat Damage
In combat, damage is determined by rolling the attack score of the attacker vs. the defensive score of the one being hit. Attack score is determined in melee attacks by STR plus the weapon bonus plus a bonus based on the success rate of the attack. If the attack is ranged, it is usually based on the base damage score of the ranged weapon plus bonuses based on the success rate of the attack. For magical attacks, refer to the specific attack's description. For non-attack-based damage, see
Other Damage.
Defense rolls are usually STR plus armor bonuses, unless the attack or defender is magical or otherwise indicates a different stat for defense.
Attack Rolls
All melee or thrown attacks default to prowess. Any missile attacks are a skill - firearms, archery, etc. If the character has no skill in a missile weapon, they roll awareness as the default, but with a penalty (usually between -3 and -6, depending on the weapon being used). If the character has a higher AWA than PRO, they may take a turn to aim a thrown weapon and roll AWA for a bonus to PRO the next round. They may do this for a missile weapon even if their skill is lower than their AWA.
When a character attacks, they roll their PRO or relevant substat or skill against the target's athleticism/dodge or PRO/block/parry. The following chart explains the results of such a contest:
| Roll |
Description |
Parry Result |
Block Result |
Dodge Result |
Damage modifier |
| 10 or more below target |
Critical failure |
Attack is parried, target may counter attack with a special maneuver or take a single full action |
Attack is blocked, melee weapon might break, missile may ricochet |
Attack is dodged, missile may ricochet |
None |
| 7-9 below target |
Exceptional failure |
Attack is parried, target may counter attack with a special maneuver |
Attack is blocked, target may attempt disarm if in melee |
Attack is dodged |
None |
| 4-6 below target |
Special failure |
Attack is parried, target may counter attack |
Attack is blocked |
Attack is dodged |
None |
| 1-3 below target |
Normal failure |
Attack is parried |
Attack is blocked |
Attack is dodged |
None |
| Tie |
Tie |
Grazing hit |
Grazing hit |
Grazing hit |
-3/-3 |
| 1-3 above target |
Normal success |
Normal hit |
Normal hit |
Normal hit |
None |
| 4-6 above target |
Special success |
Special hit |
Special hit |
Special hit |
+3/+3 |
| 7-9 above target |
Exceptional success |
Exceptional hit |
Exceptional hit |
Exceptional hit |
+6/+6 |
| 10 or more above target |
Critical success |
Critical hit |
Critical hit |
Critical hit |
+9/+9 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Damage and Toughness
When a hit is successful, the attacker rolls damage and the target rolls toughness (or defense). This defaults to a strength roll, but there may be bonuses if the target is wearing armor or the attacker using a weapon. Both roll stun and wound.
Stun is the effect of the attack on the target's ability to continue fighting. Wound is the physical damage done to the target.
Stun
The degree of success on a stun roll determines the level of disorientation or consciousness of the target.
| Roll |
Description |
Effect |
| |
|
|
| 10 or more above target |
Critical stun |
Target is knocked out and suffers permanent brain damage (-1 to AWA and -1 to WIL) |
| 7-9 above target |
Exceptional stun |
Target is knocked out - they will not wake up until intentionally awakened |
| Attacker rolls below target's roll |
Failure |
No effect on target |
| 1-3 above target |
Normal stun |
Target loses their next action |
| 4-6 above target |
Special stun |
Target is stunned - they cannot act until they roll their WIL against the base stun score of the attack |
| Attacker and target tie |
Tie |
Target rolls -1 to their next action |
Wound
The degree of success on a stun roll determines the level of physical damage on the target.
| Roll |
Description |
Effect |
Recovery |
| Attacker rolls below target's roll |
Failure |
The target is unharmed |
None needed |
| Attacker and target tie |
Flesh wound |
A superficial wound forms on the target |
Within a day or so |
| 1-3 above target |
Normal wound |
Minor bleeding or bruising, -1 to all rolls during combat, -3 to all rolls outside of combat (except STR) |
Within a few days if attended to, within a week if not, roll against a 4 to resist infection if untended |
| 4-6 above target |
Deep wound |
Moderate bleeding or bruising, -3 to all rolls during combat, -6 to all rolls outside of combat (except STR), target rolls STR against wound score-3 to see if a bone breaks |
Within a week if attended to, within a month if not, roll against a 10 to resist infection if untended, if a bone breaks, recovery times are tripled, permanent penalties if the broken bone is untended |
| 7-9 above target |
Mortal wound |
Major bleeding or damage, -6 to all rolls in combat, -9 to all rolls outside of combat (except STR), target rolls STR against wound score to see if a bone breaks |
Within a month if tended to, no recovery if not tended to - character bleeds out within 5 minutes from external or internal injuries, if a bone breaks, recovery times are tripled, permanent penalties if the broken bone is untended |
| 10 or more above target |
Critical wound |
Massive bleeding or damage, -9 to all rolls in combat, -12 to all rolls outside of combat (except STR), target definitely has a broken bone, target roll STR against wound score+3 to see if they lose a body part |
Within a year if tended to, no recovery if not tended to - character bleeds out within 3 minutes from external or internal injuries, missing body part cannot be healed mundanely, permanent penalty of -3 to relevant stat depending on lost body part, -6 if poorly tended |
| |
|
|
|
Doubles and Triples
If there are two exceptionals or two criticals in the hit, stun, and/or wound, it will create special conditions.
| Hit |
Stun |
Wound |
Result |
Healing Difficulty |
| Lower |
Exceptional |
Exceptional |
Target suffers permanent bodily damage and cannot be awakened from unconsciousness until the next day |
Wound+3, Stun+3 |
| Exceptional |
Exceptional |
Lower |
Target is in a coma and will not come out of the coma until they receive mundane or magical medical attention |
Stun+6 or 5d20+20 days |
| Exceptional |
Lower |
Exceptional |
Target loses a minor body part or breaks a major bone that will not heal right without mundane or magical medical attention |
Wound+6 |
| Exceptional |
Exceptional |
Exceptional |
Target is medically dead and may only be recovered on a mundane or magical medical roll |
Stun or wound+12 OR 19, whichever is higher |
| Lower |
Exceptional |
Critical |
Target suffers permanent bodily damage and cannot be awakened from unconsciousness until the next day |
Wound+3, Stun+6 |
| Lower |
Critical |
Exceptional |
Target suffers permanent bodily damage and cannot be awakened from unconsciousness until the next day |
Wound+6, Stun+3 |
| Exceptional |
Lower |
Critical |
Target loses a minor body part or breaks a major bone that will not heal right without mundane or magical medical attention |
Wound+9 |
| Exceptional |
Critical |
Lower |
Target is in a coma and will not come out of the coma until they receive mundane or magical medical attention |
Stun+9 or 5d100+200 days |
| Critical |
Exceptional |
Lower |
See exceptional stun |
Stun |
| Critical |
Lower |
Exceptional |
See exceptional wound |
Wound |
| Lower |
Critical |
Critical |
Target suffers permanent bodily damage and falls into a coma |
Wound+12, Stun+12 or 1d20 years |
| Critical |
Lower |
Critical |
Target loses a major body part that will not heal right without mundane or magical medical attention |
Wound+12 |
| Critical |
Critical |
Lower |
Target is in a permanent coma and will not come out of it without mundane or magical medical attention |
Stun+12 |
| Exceptional |
Exceptional |
Critical |
Target is medically dead and may only be recovered on a mundane or magical medical roll |
Wound+15 or 22, whichever is higher |
| Exceptional |
Critical |
Exceptional |
Target is medically dead and may only be recovered on a mundane or magical medical roll |
Stun+15 OR 22, whichever is higher |
| Critical |
Exceptional |
Exceptional |
Target suffers permanent bodily damage and cannot be awakened from unconsciousness until the next day |
Wound+6, Stun+6 |
| Exceptional |
Critical |
Critical |
Target suffers permanent bodily damage and falls into a coma |
Wound+15, Stun+15 or 3d20 years |
| Critical |
Exceptional |
Critical |
Target is medically dead and may only be recovered on a mundane or magical medical roll |
Wound+18 or 25, whichever is higher |
| Critical |
Critical |
Exceptional |
Target is medically dead and may only be recovered on a mundane or magical medical roll |
Stun+18 or 25 whichever is higher or 5d20 years |
| Critical |
Critical |
Critical |
Target is dead beyond recovery |
N/A |
| |
|
|
|
|