EDRulebook: 12 Combat

RESOLVING ATTACKS

Because the most common action that characters take during Combat Rounds is to attack opponents, the procedure used to resolve attacks is summarized below. A complete explanation of each step of the procedure follows.

Make Attack Test
Determine Success
Make Damage Test
Adjust Damage for Armor
Check for Wounds
Make Knockdown Test
Check for Unconsciousness or Death

MAKE ATTACK TEST

Whenever a character attempts to attack a target, be it with a weapon, spell, or talent, the first thing he does is make a test for the appropriate talent or skill. If a Swordmaster, for example, is attempting to hit a foe with her sword, she makes a Melee Weapons Test. If an Archer is firing an arrow at a foe, he makes a Missile Weapons Test. If a Wizard is casting a spell at a target, he makes a Spellcasting Test.

The type of the attack determines the test’s Difficulty Number. For physical attacks, such as those involving melee or missile weapons, the Difficulty Number is the target’s Physical Defense. For attacks made with spells or talents, the Difficulty Number is usually the target’s Spell Defense, though some talents and spells use the target’s Social Defense instead. Each talent and spell description gives the Difficulty Number for using it.

Unless a talent or ability specifically permits otherwise, a character can only make one Attack Test per Combat Round. Attack Tests always require an action, as described in Actions.

The Difficulty Number for Attack Tests may be modified by range (for missile weapon attacks), environmental conditions (daylight, darkness), and many other factors (see Situation Modifiers). Many of the Combat Options also modify a character’s Physical Defense Rating (see Combat Options ).

DETERMINE SUCCESS

If the result of an Attack Test is equal to or higher than the target’s appropriate Defense Rating (Physical, Spell, or Social), the attack hits. The attacking player makes a Damage Test to determine the effect of the attack.

If the result of an Attack Test is less than the target’s Defense Rating (Physical, Spell, or Social), the attack misses. Do not make a Damage Test.

Armor-Defeating Hits

Some attacks are good enough to penetrate an opponent’s armor. Exceptionally well-placed attacks, lucky shots, or attacks that sufficiently focus a character’s magic can bypass a defender’s armor. Attacks that penetrate an opponent’s armor are called Armor-Defeating Hits.

An Attack Test with an Excellent success level or better against the target’s Physical Defense is an Armor-Defeating Hit. The defender takes the full amount of damage indicated by the Damage Test. His armor does not protect him in this situation.

Farliv shoots at an ice flyer, rolling a 14 on the Attack Test. The ice flyer has a Physical Defense Rating of 7. Consult the Success Level Table and find 7 in the Difficulty Number column. Reading across that line, we see that 14 is only a Good success. Farliv would have needed to roll a 15, the number listed under the Excellent column, for the shot to be an Armor-Defeating Hit.

Combat spells may also produce Armor-Defeating Hits. Compare the Spellcasting Test result to the target’s Spell Defense Rating. If the result is higher than the Difficulty Number by an Excellent or better level of success, the attack defeats the target’s appropriate armor, mystic or physical.

The game does provide a way for characters to better defend against this type of attack. Characters can purchase armor that requires an attacker to roll an Extraordinary success level to penetrate it. This type of armor is, of course, as expensive as it is rare.

Some creatures naturally produce such effective armor that characters will need an Extraordinary success to defeat it. And other creatures have armor that cannot be defeated at all (see Creatures).

MAKE DAMAGE TEST

After making a successful Attack Test, the character makes a Damage Test. The dice used for this test depend on the weapon used. Weapons add steps to a character’s Strength step to determine the Damage step of the weapon. For example, a broadsword adds 5 steps to a character’s Strength step. Thom Hammerblade, for example, has a Strength of 14, or Step 6. When he makes Damage Tests using his broadsword, he uses Step 11 (D10 + D8). Some talents allow the character to add Karma to Damage Tests. Include these dice, if applicable, when making Damage Tests. Remember that Bonus dice (see Game Concepts) also apply to all tests in Earthdawn, including Damage Tests.

When attacking an opponent with a talent or a spell, use the Effect step when making the Damage Test. Each spell description indicates the step number under Effect.

The result of the Damage Test is the number of Damage Points the target takes.

ADJUST DAMAGE FOR ARMOR

To adjust damage for armor, the defender subtracts his character’s Armor Rating from the Damage Test result. Physical armor protects from attacks that inflict physical damage. Mystic armor protects from attacks that inflict astral or psychic damage.

The attacked character suffers the number of Damage Points remaining after subtracting his Armor Rating from the outcome of the Damage Test. The player records the damage in the space for Current Damage on his Character Record Sheet.

An Armor-Defeating Hit does exactly that—defeats the armor’s protection. As a result the defender does not subtract his Armor Rating from the Damage Test result, but takes a number of Damage Points equal to the ENTIRE Damage Test result.

[Wounded!]

CHECK FOR WOUNDS

If a character suffers a number of Damage Points equal to or higher than his Wound Threshold in a single attack, he takes a Wound in addition to the Damage Points. The player records it in the space for Wounds on his Character Record Sheet. If the Damage Points that cause a Wound also render the character unconscious, the player should record the Wound. If the same Damage Points that cause a Wound kill the character (see Character Death), don’t bother to record the Wound. Dead men don’t suffer pain.

MAKE KNOCKDOWN TEST

If a character takes damage equal to or higher than his Wound Threshold in a single attack, he can be knocked down. To determine whether the character resists being knocked down, the player must make a Knockdown Test using his Strength step. The Difficulty, or Knockdown, Number is the difference between the Damage Points taken and the character’s Wound Threshold, + 3. If the Knockdown Test is successful, the character remains standing. If the dice result is lower than the Knockdown Number, the character is knocked down. The gamemaster makes the Knockdown Test for creatures or gamemaster characters resisting knockdown.

Corvis the Thief has a Wound Threshold of 10. His opponent whacks him with a wicked sword stroke for 17 points of damage. Because the number of Damage Points inflicted in one attack is higher than his Wound Threshold, Corvis takes a Wound and must make a Knockdown Test. His Knockdown Number is 10 (17 points of damage – 10 = 7. 7 + 3 = 10).
Corvis’ player makes a Strength Test for his character to avoid knockdown. The result is 9. The next thing Corvis knows, he is flat on his back.

Knocked-down characters can act but suffer severe penalties to do so while knocked down. Subtract –3 steps from all tests made by a character while knocked down. Also, subtract –3 from the Physical Defense Rating of a knocked-down character. These penalties remain in effect until the character gets up. Standing up is a simple matter, but takes up the character’s action for that Combat Round. That means a character can use no talents that require an action during the same Combat Round in which he gets back on his feet.

CHECK FOR UNCONSCIOUSNESS OR DEATH

After a character takes damage from an attack, the player checks to see if his character has been damaged enough to fall unconscious or even die.

Unconsciousness

If the total damage a character has taken (Current Damage) is equal to or greater than his Unconsciousness Rating, but less than his Death Rating, the character falls unconscious. Unconscious characters can regain their senses by making a Recovery Test. See Recovering from Damage.

Character Death

If the total damage a character has taken (Current Damage) is equal to or greater than his Death Rating, the character dies. In Earthdawn, character death is usually permanent, but some methods of resurrection do exist. Because these methods require such powerful magic, attempts are rare. Characters who wish to purchase such magics must be warned that resurrection is very expensive.

BEGIN NEW COMBAT ROUND

After all characters capable of acting have taken and resolved their actions, or have chosen not to act, the Combat Round ends. If some combatants wish to continue fighting, the next Combat Round begins immediately.

TYPES OF COMBAT

Though all types of combat use the same basic attack and damage procedure, some types of combat alter that procedure by taking into account the situation, the environment, the weapon itself, the distance between opponents, and so on. This section describes the aspects unique to each type of combat, including melee, missile, spell, unarmed, mounted, aerial, and creature combat.

MELEE COMBAT

In melee combat, opponents attack each other with swords, daggers, staves, clubs, and so on while in close proximity to each other. In order to use a melee weapon against an opponent, a character must be within 2 yards of the opponent. A maximum of 6 opponents can attack a character in melee combat. The possible relative positions of attacking opponents appears on the melee combat diagram below.

Any time 4 or more attackers set upon 1 target at the same time, that character is considered Harried. Harried characters suffer a penalty of –2 steps for all tests attempted while Harried. A Harried character remains Harried until fewer than 4 attackers surround him. See Situation Modifiers.

MISSILE COMBAT

When characters use bows, slings, spears, and other thrown weapons in order to damage an opponent from a distance, they are engaging in missile combat using ranged weapons. In order for the attack to be effective, players must account for several factors when resolving missile combat. These include range, scatter, firing into a melee, and cover, as described below.

Range

All missile weapons have range limitations. Depending on the weapon, missiles and thrown weapons are effective only up to certain ranges. The three range categories are Short, Medium, and Long. Missile weapons cannot be fired at targets beyond long range. The complete statistics for each weapon appear in the Goods and Services section. The Missile Weapon Table below presents the ranges for the missile weapons available in Earthdawn.

With the exception of blowguns, the minimum range for missiles or thrown weapons is 2 yards. If an opponent and attacker are within two yards of one another, they cannot attack using missile weapons. The minimum range for blowguns is 1 yard.

Range Modifiers

When firing (or throwing) a ranged weapon, the distance to the target may modify a character’s Attack and Damage Test steps. Step modifications related to range are called Range Modifiers. For attacks made at short range, use the character’s normal Attack and Damage Test steps. When firing at targets at medium range, subtract 2 steps from the character’s Attack and Damage Test steps. When firing at targets at long range, subtract 3 steps from the character’s Attack and Damage Test steps.

Farliv, an elven Archer, is doing his part for his companions’ defense by firing arrows at a band of ork scorchers emerging from the nearby forest. The gamemaster tells Farliv’s player that the orks are currently 100 yards away from his position.
Farliv’s weapon is an elven warbow, which puts the orks at medium range for his attack. Farliv has a Step 12 Missile Weapons Talent (Action dice of 2D10). If Farliv fires an arrow at the orks from medium range, he must subtract 2 steps from his Missile Weapons step number. This means that Farliv uses a Step 10 (12 – 2 steps = 10), or 1D10 + 1D6 Action dice when firing at the orks.
Farliv skillfully fires an arrow at a particularly ugly ork, easily hitting his target. The normal Damage step of Farliv’s elven warbow is 10 (1D10 + 1D6 Action dice). When making his Damage Test against the ork for a hit at medium range, Farliv uses Step 8 (2D6).

MISSILE WEAPONS

	Damage	Strength	Range (in yards)
	Step	Minimum	S	M	L
Blowgun	1	1	1–2	3–4	5–6
Sling	2	7	2–15	16–40	41–100
Troll Sling	4	15	2–25	26–60	61–100
Windling Bow	3	5	2–25	26–80	81–100
Short bow	3	10	2–25	26–80	81–120
Longbow	4	13	2–40	41–100	101–220
Light Crossbow	4	10	2–50	51–125	126–200
Medium Crossbow	5	13	2–50	51–175	176–275
Elven Warbow	5	13	2–40	41–200	201–300

Throwing Objects

As in life, fighting characters sometimes want to throw objects such as rocks, flasks of oil, or even tree trunks (ever seen a really mad troll?) that are simply not designed to fly. The throwing ranges of commonly thrown objects (i.e., rocks, oil flasks) are included on the Throwing Weapons Table.

To throw an object at a target, the character makes a Throwing Weapons (or Dexterity) Test. The Difficulty Number for this test depends on the intent of the thrower. If a character throws the object at another character, make the test against the target’s Physical Defense Rating. To throw an object at a specific spot, use a Difficulty Number of 7. If the test succeeds, the character hits the target. If the object misses the target, it (or its component parts) may scatter.

Determining Scatter

If a character throws an object and misses (makes an unsuccessful Throwing Weapons Test), the gamemaster makes a Scatter Test for the thrown object by rolling 1D6 and consulting the Scatter Diagram below. This determines the direction in which the object actually travels. (This test does not use Action dice, so do not roll Bonus dice for results of 6.) To determine exactly how far away from the target the object lands, subtract the result of the Throwing Weapons Test from the Difficulty Number, and use that as the step number. Next, consult the Step/Action Dice Table, and roll the indicated dice for the step to find the distance the object scattered from the target in feet.

Targ Boneslicer, troll Sky Raider, heaves a boulder at an enemy troll. Targ rolls a 6 on his Throwing Weapons Test against his opponent’s Physical Defense Rating of 10. Targ fails to hit his target.
The gamemaster makes a Scatter Test to see in what direction the boulder actually went and gets a scatter direction of 1. The gamemaster then rolls 1D6 for distance (Difficulty Number of 10 – test result of 6 = Step 4), with a result of 5. The boulder lands 5 feet beyond the target. Now Targ is really upset.

Firing Into A Melee

Characters often want to use missile or throwing weapons to attack a target engaged in melee combat. This hazardous practice is known as Firing into a Melee, and can result in a character inadvertently hitting a companion instead of his target. To resolve a missile attack fired into a melee, use the following procedure.

Determine how many other characters or creatures stand between the target and the character firing the missile weapon. Add this number to the Physical Defense Rating of the target. The attacking character then makes his Missile (or Throwing) Weapons Test against the modified Physical Defense of the target. If the dice roll is equal to or higher than the modified Physical Defense Rating, the attack is successful and hits the target. If the test result is less than the Difficulty Number, compare that number to the Physical Defense Ratings of each character between the target and the attacking character, beginning with the one closest to the attacking character. If the Attack Test result is equal to or higher than the Physical Defense Rating of any of those characters, that character takes the weapon hit instead of the target.

Farliv, elven Archer, fires an arrow at what he hopes is an opponent in the roiling mass of bodies and weapons engaged in melee combat before him. The target he chooses has a Physical Defense of 8, but 5 other characters shift back and forth between Farliv and his target, raising the Difficulty Number of the Attack Test to 13. Farliv rolls a 9 on his Missile Weapons Test, missing his target.
The gamemaster then compares the result of the Attack Test (9) with the Physical Defense Rating of each of the 5 characters between Farliv and his target, starting with the one closest to Farliv. The closest character is an enemy with a Physical Defense of 10, so the arrow does not hit him. The next character is Farliv’s companion Jerreck, with a Physical Defense of only 8. Farliv’s arrow strikes Jerreck instead of the original target, and Farliv suddenly wishes for the silver tongue of a Troubadour to explain his mistake to his friend.

Cover

Targets can increase the Difficulty Number of missile weapon attacks made against them by using cover. Using cover means hiding behind an object of some kind to obscure the attacker’s aim. The two types of cover usually available are Full Cover and Partial Cover. Full Cover completely hides a character and prevents missile attacks from being made against him. Partial Cover obscures the target, but attackers can still see enough of their target to fire. When firing at a target behind Partial Cover, a character must subtract 2 steps from his Attack Test.

SPELL COMBAT

When resolving combat that involves spellcasting (a very common occurrence in most of Barsaive), keep several things in mind. First, when a character casts a spell at a target, the Difficulty Number is always the target’s Spell Defense Rating. When making Damage Tests, use the effect of the spell as the step to determine damage. See Spell Magic for more information.

UNARMED COMBAT

Some characters prefer to fight their battles without weapons, using their bare hands. Fighting this way is called unarmed combat. For this type of combat, characters use their Unarmed Combat Talent or Skill to make Attack Tests and use their Strength step for the Damage Test.

Characters battling opponents in unarmed combat may use a special option called Grappling.

Grappling

A character can attempt to grapple an opponent rather than making his normal Attack Test. When attempting a grapple attack, the character makes an Unarmed Combat (or Dexterity) Test against the target’s Physical Defense. If the player rolls a Good success or better, the character successfully grapples the target. The character making the grapple attack should record the result. As a grapple attack does no damage to the target, the attacking character makes no Damage Test.

The target of a successful grapple attack can perform no actions while grappled, except to try to break free of the attacker’s hold. To break free of a grapple, the target makes an Unarmed Combat (or Strength) Test using the result of the Grapple Attack Test as the Difficulty Number. If the dice result is equal to or higher than that number, the target breaks free of the grappling character.

Maintaining A Grapple Hold

Once a character successfully grapples an opponent, he can maintain the hold simply by declaring that he is doing so as his action for consecutive rounds.

MOUNTED COMBAT

Mounted combat is a common form of combat in Earthdawn. In addition to being the favored form of combat of Cavalrymen Adepts, large numbers of mounted ork scorchers also roam across Barsaive. This section provides guidelines for resolving mounted combat.

Charging Attack

The most common mounted combat is the charging attack. Most characters use lances to make charging attacks, though other melee weapons also work (see below). Resolve charging attacks using the standard procedure, but note the distinctions outlined below.

When making a charging attack, the character makes a Melee Weapons Test against the Physical Defense Rating of the target. If the test succeeds, the character hits his target and then makes a Damage Test. If the test is unsuccessful, the character misses his target.

The Damage Test of a charging attack benefits from the attacker’s momentum. Add the mount’s Strength step to the Damage step.

Gralk, an ork Cavalryman, makes a charging attack against his enemy. The target’s Physical Defense Rating is 9. Gralk rolls a 10 on his Attack Test, successfully pounding his opponent. Gralk increases the damage of this attack by his trusty mount’s Strength step. Gralk has a Strength of 17 (Step 6). A lance adds +6 steps to Gralk’s Strength, for an unmodified Damage Step of 12. The mount Gralk is riding has a Strength Step of 7, giving Gralk’s charging attack a Damage Step 19 (D20 + 2D6).

Staying Mounted

While a successful charging attack using a lance or spear offers the character many advantages, the attacker also risks being thrown from his mount with this attack. After making his Damage Test, the charging character makes a Strength Test against the target’s Toughness step number. If the dice roll is equal to or higher than the Difficulty Number, the character remains mounted. If the dice roll is lower than that number, the character is thrown, and takes Step 5 falling damage. Cavalrymen with the Charge Talent use their Charge step instead of their Strength step when making this test.

Mounted Melee Attacks

Characters can use melee weapons in mounted combat. Use the charging attack guidelines above for similar attacks with any type of melee weapon.

A character making a mounted attack with a melee weapon rather than a lance or spear is less likely to be knocked off his mount. Instead, the strength of the attack might force a character to drop his weapon. If the character’s Mounted Attack Test is successful, he then makes a Strength Test against the Toughness step of the target. If the test succeeds, the character manages to hold on to his weapon. If the test fails, the character drops his weapon. Cavalrymen with the Charge Talent can use their Charge step instead of their Strength step for this test.

Mounted combat offers characters another bonus in addition to increased damage. Characters making mounted attacks may also split their movement and attack during a Combat Round. This rule is an exception to the guidelines in Movement.

When attacking on a mount, a character can use part of his Combat Movement to approach and attack a target, then use the rest of his Combat Movement to ride away. This is called Splitting Movement (see Combat Options). This rule is a double-edged sword, however. Though it allows characters to attack and then flee, it also weakens the character’s defenses. When a mounted character splits his movement to attack a target, his Physical Defense Rating drops by –2 for that round. During that round all opponents attack the character at the advantage of the reduced Physical Defense, in addition to any other penalties the character might be suffering at that time.

When a mounted character splits his movement and attacks, the only characters who can attack him are those with a higher Initiative who delay their attack to the same Initiative as the mounted character.

Gralk is charging a new enemy (after neatly killing the last one). This opponent is a troll raider, and Gralk decides to split his movement and attack. Gralk has an Initiative of 12; the troll has an Initiative of 14. The troll player declares he is reserving his action until Gralk’s Initiative of 12. When Gralk approaches and begins his swing, the troll can attack first, and (he hopes) knock Gralk off his mount.

Setting Against A Charge

Characters on the ground face a great disadvantage against mounted opponents. They may, however, use one tactic that can be very effective against mounted attacks. This tactic is called Setting Against a Charge. A character who intends to use this tactic must have a weapon at least the length of a spear or a lance (approximately 7 feet), and must win Initiative against the mounted opponent. The character must also be able to close to melee combat range with the mounted opponent.

To set against a charge, the character must act at the same Initiative as the mounted opponent (see Reserved Actions). The character setting against the charge makes a Melee Weapons Test before the mounted opponent makes his attack. If the test is successful, the character setting against the charge strikes the mounted opponent before the latter can attack, and the charging opponent takes damage. If the test result is a Good success or better, the set character also knocks the mounted opponent off his mount. The Damage Test step for setting against a charge is the step bonus of the weapon, plus the Strength step of the mount.

Gralk is still charging the same troll he named as his enemy in the last example. The troll carries a spear and decides to set against the charge. The troll hits Gralk, getting a Good success and knocking the hapless ork off his mount. The troll’s player makes a Damage Test for his stalwart warrior using the step of the spear (4) plus the Strength step of the horse (7) for a total of Step 11 damage (D10 + D8).

Knockdown and Mounted Combat

Characters who use mounted combat run the risk of being knocked off their mount. When a mounted character makes a Knockdown Test and fails, he falls to the ground, taking Step 5 damage. Opponents facing mounted attackers often employ the Attacking to Knockdown Combat Option, as described on page 200.

If a mount fails its Knockdown Test when attacked by an opponent, the mount is knocked down and takes his rider with him. In this case, both the mount and his rider take Step 5 damage.

AERIAL COMBAT

Some creatures in Earthdawn are capable of flight, including windlings. The following section explains how to resolve combat between characters and flying creatures and characters.

Flying Movement

The Flying Movement Rate of creatures appears with their statistics in the Creatures section. The Flying Movement Rate of each individual windling is determined by its Dexterity (see Creating a Character).

Attacking While Flying

Creatures and characters capable of flight can attack opponents while flying. When doing so, the creature or character can either stay within melee range or make swooping attacks. Many creatures attack from within melee range because this allows them to use all their attack abilities and does not affect their defense. Many windling warriors also employ this tactic.

Swooping Attacks

Some flying creatures and characters prefer to make swooping attacks. To make a swooping attack, a creature or character must split his movement (see Combat Options). The swooping attacker flies into melee combat using a portion of his Combat Movement, makes his attack, and flies off using the rest of his Combat Movement. As with mounted characters who split their movement, creatures or characters who use swooping attacks suffer a –2 penalty to their Physical Defense for the entire round (see Mounted Melee Attacks). Characters who wish to attack swooping creatures or characters must win the Initiative over their opponent that round and delay their attack until the same Initiative as the swooping attacker (see Reserved Actions).

Knockdown

Flying characters can be knocked from the sky. A flying character or creature who fails a Knockdown Test is knocked down to the ground. On its next action, it can get up as usual and take to the air again.

CREATURE COMBAT

Characters often encounter creatures in the course of their adventures, and more often than not must fight the creatures they encounter.

Creature Attacks

The Creatures section provides the descriptions, statistics, and combat abilities for many creatures from the world of Earthdawn. Many of these creatures can use the Combat Options and other types of combat described in this chapter. For example, thundra beasts often make charging attacks, griffins like swooping attacks, and so on. The Creatures section also describes how to use a creature’s stats in the game. Use the following additional guidelines for creature combat.

Initiative

When creatures engage in combat, the gamemaster uses the Initiative step given with the creature’s description.

Attack Tests

The individual creature descriptions explain how the creature attacks, including any magical attacks or spell-like powers. Many creatures can attack more than once per Combat Round. For example, a dragon may attack once with each claw and make a bite attack in the same round. A creature makes all its Attack Tests for a Combat Round at its Initiative. A creature’s attacks all happen at the same time. Each potential creature attack uses a specific Damage step, also listed with the creature’s statistics.

Creatures And Karma

Only the most powerful creatures in Earthdawn possess a reserve of Karma Points that they can spend in combat. Unless a creature’s description specifically states otherwise, all creatures with available Karma Points may add Karma dice to any combat test, including Attack Tests, Damage Tests, Knockdown Tests, and so on.