005: COMBAT COMPLICATIONS
Those who fight hand to hand have more than the basic punch and chop at their disposal. The following maneuvers cover most advanced attack types:
These modifiers reflect situations and maneuvers that can occur in any type of combat.
Ambush: The attacker automatically wins initiative Ambushed characters make a Perception + Alertness roll against difficulty 8 The number of successes indicates the number of dice available that first turn Preparing an ambush generally requires a Wits + Stealth roll (difficulty 6) as well as proper cover
Blind Fighting: Darkness, impaired vision (blindness, dirt in eyes) +2 difficulty on Brawl and Melee attacks Cannot make ranged attacks Can be negated by some disciplines (Heightened Senses, Witness of Darkness)
Blindsiding: +1 attack die when flanking or rearing Shields provide no protection against rear attacks and only protect one flank Storytellers may allow the target to make a Wits + Perception roll to avoid being blindsided Flank: difficulty 6 Rear: difficulty 8 To avoid giving the attacker this advantage, they must gain a number of successes equal to the attacker's Stealth Ability (minimum one success)
Immobilized Targets: Target is immobilized but still struggling: +2 dice to attack pool Target is completely immobilized: +2 dice to damage pool
Movement: A character may move up to his walking distance and still take an action in a turn More complex movement may be distinct actions or impose difficulty penalties on actions
Multiple Opponents: Suffer cumulative +1 difficulty penalties to attack and defense rolls for each opponent after the first maximum +4
Targeting: A skilled warrior can target a specific location, accepting increased difficulty in favor of heightened damage or targeted effects. The difficulty is dependent on the size of the target and the Storyteller should consider additional effects, depending on the attack and the target
Targeted Attacks
Bear Hug/Clinch (Strength + Brawl): The attacker attempts to wrap her arms around the target and crush the life from him. It requires the attacker to first get a grip on his target (Strength + Brawl) and inflicts Strength damage. In each subsequent round, the attacker and defender make a resisted Strength + Brawl roll. If the defender has more successes, the bear hug ends, otherwise the attacker may choose to continue or end the attack. A variant of the attack, the clinch, involves both characters attempting to crush the other. In a clinch, both characters sustain damage, and the one with the most successes decides if the attack continues or ends.
Bite (Dexterity + Brawl): Some supernatural creatures, such as werewolves and vampires, may use a bite attack against their opponents. To do so, they must first perform a successful bear hug, grapple, or tackle. On the following turn, the creature may bite. Such attacks inflict aggravated damage or lethal damage, depending upon what supernatural abilities are in effect.
Accuracy: +1 Damage: Strength + 1 (lethal/aggravated)
Claw (Dexterity + Brawl): Some supernatural creatures, such as werewolves and some vampires or Fae, may use a claw attack against their opponents. Such attacks inflict aggravated damage or lethal damage, depending upon what supernatural abilities are in effect.
Difficulty: Normal Accuracy: +1 Damage: Strength + 1 (lethal/aggravated)
Grapple (Strength + Brawl): Rather than inflicting damage, a grapple is intended to immobilize an opponent. The initial grapple is a Strength + Brawl roll, which if successful, indicates that the attacker has gripped the target and immobilized her, at least until her next action. At that time, the combatants should make a resisted Strength + Brawl roll. If the attacker has more successes than the defender, the grapple remains (if she so desires). If the defender has more successes, she breaks free. In the event of a tie, the grapple continues.
Difficulty: Normal Accuracy: Normal Damage: None
Kick (Dexterity + Brawl): Kicks are not the roundhouse blows or aerial spins but simple front-kicks (though a character may experience such attacks if she strays too far east). The base difficulty of a kick is one higher than normal, and the kick inflicts Strength + 1, though Storytellers may modify these values to better suit the circumstances. As a rule, however, the complexity (and thus difficulty) of a kick increases in parallel with its damage rating.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength + 1B
Punch (Dexterity + Brawl): A simple attack with a fist. The base difficulty and damage values are for a standard punch. Characters wearing heavy gauntlets may inflict greater damage but may also find themselves at a disadvantage (+1 difficulty, +1 damage)
Difficulty: Normal Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength + 0B
Sweep (Dexterity + Brawl/Melee): In a sweep, the attacker attempts to knock her opponent to the floor by sweeping her legs from under her. This may be carried out with the attacker’s own legs, or he may use a staff or similar weapon. If the attacker’s roll is successful, the target takes Strength bashing damage and must immediately make a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 8) or suffer the effects of a Knockdown (see “Damage Types”, p. 80). If a weapon is used in lieu of the attacker’s own limbs, the weapon’s damage statistic is used instead of Strength.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength + 0B or weapon damage; Knockdown
Tackle (Strength + Brawl): In a tackle, the attacker charges at her opponent and attempts to use momentum to bear her to the ground. The maneuver requires a Strength + Brawl roll (difficulty 7) and if successful, it inflicts Strength + 1 bashing damage. Furthermore, both combatants must make a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 7) or suffer a Knockdown (see “Damage Types”, p. 80). Even if he is not knocked down, the target is unbalanced for the next turn and suffers +1 difficulty to any actions.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength +1B; Knockdown.
Disarm (Dexterity + Melee): With this maneuver, the attacker attempts to deprive his opponent of her principal weapon, via strength or finesse. To try to disarm the target, the attacker makes an attack roll (difficulty 7). If successful, damage is rolled normally but neither applied nor soaked. Instead, if the number of damage successes exceeds the opponent’s strength, the opponent is disarmed. Failure on the attack roll or insufficient successes means the disarming effort fails (but may be considered a Weapon Bash, see p. 71), while a botch indicates the attacker is disarmed or is struck by the target’s weapon.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Special
Double Knife Strike (Dexterity + Melee]): Close-in knife fighting does not rely on the massive blows and endurance of traditional melee. Instead, it favors speed, lightning reflexes and a succession of smaller blows. Characters using a double strike can divide their dice pools for the action between two or more attacks against the same target, each of which is resolved separately but occurs as part of the same action (hence happening before any other character has a chance to act). Each attack’s dice pool receives one additional die but the difficulty of the attack increases by one. Determine damage normally for each attack. The character’s Dexterity + 1 is the maximum number of dice that can be used for each attack, and the maximum number of attacks is equal to half her Melee skill (round fractions down).
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: +1, divided dice pool Damage: Normal
Paired Weapon Strike (Dexterity + Melee): Although it is not common until the Renaissance, fighting with two weapons is an old concept. A second weapon — usually a dagger — may be used as a parrying device (p. 67), for attack or a combination of the two. Such fighting techniques are most common among the Saracens (some of whom favor two swords) and the Northern barbarians (who may use two axes). Directing two weapons is not, however, an easy task, and it requires considerable skill and determination. A character must have a Dexterity + Melee pool of at least five dice before she can use two weapons at once for attacking. The weapons can be used in separate actions through the standard rules for multiple actions, or the attacker can use them together for greater damage. Such a paired strike is not easy, however, and it incurs a difficulty penalty.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: +1 (to the more damaging of the two weapons used)
Shield Bash (Strength + Melee): Though designed for defense, a warrior will occasionally use a shield as an ad- hoc weapon, bashing her opponent (often in the face) as an attack of opportunity — or desperation. Such an attack may be made only if the target has engaged in melee combat with the attacker in the current turn or the immediately preceding one. Such ad-hoc attacks are awkward (difficulty 8), and they inflict less damage than a regular attack, but the target of a successful shield bash attack suffers a –2 penalty to her initiative in the next turn.
Difficulty: +2 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength -1 (bashing Special
PASSIVE DEFENSE
Shields are the most common piece of equipment used for parrying, but a second weapon sometimes also serves, notably among the Moors. Shields are favored not only because they are effective at actively intercepting incoming attacks (using the parry maneuver), but also because their size allows them to reduce an attacker’s effective options and even protect against unseen missile attacks. This “passive” use of a shield or other parrying weapon simply adds to the difficulty of the attacking character. It does not require the defender to take an action, and it applies to all attacks made against the character in that combat turn. Most items have differing scores for missile and melee defense. Shields or parrying devices may only be used to protect the character from attacks from the front or the side where the shield is held. They provide no protection from rear attacks.
It is possible to use passive parrying if one is armed with only a sword and no shield or other parrying item, but only if the character does not attack with that weapon this turn. Assuming the character has actions, however, she may use “active” parry maneuvers.
It is not possible to use active and passive defense at the same time. Defensive devices may be used either to parry attacks or passively defend against them, but not both. The defender can choose which sort of defense the weapon offers on a per-attack basis, however, so it still offers some protection when her dice pool is exhausted. The player must choose before the dice are rolled for the attack.
Soaking damage is fine, but it is better yet to get out of harm’s way all together. Combatants who are under attack can do several things to escape damage, from ducking out of the way, to limiting an enemy’s options of attack with a shield, blocking her strikes blow for blow.
Blocking (Dexterity + Brawl): A block is an interception of an incoming attack with the defender’s bare hands (or another body-part). Only brawling attacks that cause bashing damage can be blocked, though the Storyteller may allow skilled combatants (Brawl 3+) to block bashing melee attacks. Characters with wearing armor can block lethal attacks. Successes on a blocking attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack.
Dodging (Dexterity + Athletics): A dodge is an effort to avoid an incoming attack altogether and is useful against any attack the defender can sense coming (Storyteller’s discretion). Even missile weapons such as crossbow bolts — which move faster than the eye can see — can be dodged by diving for cover if the target sees the archer taking aim. The basic difficulty of the attempt is 6, which assumes a typical combat situation such as fighting a single armed opponent in close combat, or having access to cover from arrow fire not far away. Use the following chart to modify that difficulty as appropriate. A player whose character is suffering multiple simultaneous attacks can divide successes from a single Dexterity + Athletics roll between the attackers, but the difficulty of the dodge attempt suffers a +1 penalty for every attacker past the first. Successes on a Dodge attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack.
Dodge Modifiers
Parrying (Dexterity + Melee): A parry is a block using a melee weapon or shield. It is useful against bashing and lethal melee attacks, and it can even be used to block brawling attacks, although weapons (not shields) used for this purpose suffer a +1 difficulty penalty. The standard difficulty of a parry is 6, but shields and certain specialized weapons have lower difficulties that reflect their distinctive design (see weapons charts, starting on p. 76). Successes on a parrying attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack. It is not possible to parry missile attacks, though in some circumstances it may be possible at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Parrying devices are of limited effectiveness against strong opponents. A parrying weapon (e.g., dagger, sword) cannot be used if the attacker’s Strength is twice that of the defender (or more). Shields may be used against any opponent, but can sustain only limited damage. Whenever an opponent rolls a 10 in a Melee roll, the shield takes a point of damage. For each point of damage to the shield, reduce any passive defensive bonus by one (to a minimum of 0) and reduce the number of dice used in an active parry attempt by one.
BASIC MODIFIERS
These modifiers reflect situations and maneuvers that can occur in any type of combat.
Ambush: The attacker automatically wins initiative Ambushed characters make a Perception + Alertness roll against difficulty 8 The number of successes indicates the number of dice available that first turn Preparing an ambush generally requires a Wits + Stealth roll (difficulty 6) as well as proper cover
Blind Fighting: Darkness, impaired vision (blindness, dirt in eyes) +2 difficulty on Brawl and Melee attacks Cannot make ranged attacks Can be negated by some disciplines (Heightened Senses, Witness of Darkness)
Blindsiding: +1 attack die when flanking or rearing Shields provide no protection against rear attacks and only protect one flank Storytellers may allow the target to make a Wits + Perception roll to avoid being blindsided Flank: difficulty 6 Rear: difficulty 8 To avoid giving the attacker this advantage, they must gain a number of successes equal to the attacker's Stealth Ability (minimum one success)
Immobilized Targets: Target is immobilized but still struggling: +2 dice to attack pool Target is completely immobilized: +2 dice to damage pool
Movement: A character may move up to his walking distance and still take an action in a turn More complex movement may be distinct actions or impose difficulty penalties on actions
Multiple Opponents: Suffer cumulative +1 difficulty penalties to attack and defense rolls for each opponent after the first maximum +4
Targeting: A skilled warrior can target a specific location, accepting increased difficulty in favor of heightened damage or targeted effects. The difficulty is dependent on the size of the target and the Storyteller should consider additional effects, depending on the attack and the target
Targeted Attacks
| Target Size | Difficulty | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Large (door) | 0 | 0 |
| Medium (limb, chest) | +1 | 0 |
| Small (hand, head) | +2 | +1 |
| Tiny (eye, heart, lock) | +3 | +2 |
ATTACK MANEUVERS
Bear Hug/Clinch (Strength + Brawl): The attacker attempts to wrap her arms around the target and crush the life from him. It requires the attacker to first get a grip on his target (Strength + Brawl) and inflicts Strength damage. In each subsequent round, the attacker and defender make a resisted Strength + Brawl roll. If the defender has more successes, the bear hug ends, otherwise the attacker may choose to continue or end the attack. A variant of the attack, the clinch, involves both characters attempting to crush the other. In a clinch, both characters sustain damage, and the one with the most successes decides if the attack continues or ends.
- Strength + Brawl to get a grip on the target
- In each subsequent round: resisted Strength + Brawl
- If the defender wins, the bear hug ends
- If the attack wins, he may choose to continue or end the attack
- Variant: Clinch Both characters attempt to crush each other/ Both suffer damage/ The payer with most successes decides if the attack continues or ends
Bite (Dexterity + Brawl): Some supernatural creatures, such as werewolves and vampires, may use a bite attack against their opponents. To do so, they must first perform a successful bear hug, grapple, or tackle. On the following turn, the creature may bite. Such attacks inflict aggravated damage or lethal damage, depending upon what supernatural abilities are in effect.
- Must first make a successful bear hug, grapple or tackle maneuver
- On the following turn, the player may declare a bite attempt and make a roll
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: +1 Damage: Strength + 1 (lethal/aggravated)
Claw (Dexterity + Brawl): Some supernatural creatures, such as werewolves and some vampires or Fae, may use a claw attack against their opponents. Such attacks inflict aggravated damage or lethal damage, depending upon what supernatural abilities are in effect.
Difficulty: Normal Accuracy: +1 Damage: Strength + 1 (lethal/aggravated)
Grapple (Strength + Brawl): Rather than inflicting damage, a grapple is intended to immobilize an opponent. The initial grapple is a Strength + Brawl roll, which if successful, indicates that the attacker has gripped the target and immobilized her, at least until her next action. At that time, the combatants should make a resisted Strength + Brawl roll. If the attacker has more successes than the defender, the grapple remains (if she so desires). If the defender has more successes, she breaks free. In the event of a tie, the grapple continues.
- Initial roll: Strength + Brawl
- If successful
Difficulty: Normal Accuracy: Normal Damage: None
Kick (Dexterity + Brawl): Kicks are not the roundhouse blows or aerial spins but simple front-kicks (though a character may experience such attacks if she strays too far east). The base difficulty of a kick is one higher than normal, and the kick inflicts Strength + 1, though Storytellers may modify these values to better suit the circumstances. As a rule, however, the complexity (and thus difficulty) of a kick increases in parallel with its damage rating.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength + 1B
Punch (Dexterity + Brawl): A simple attack with a fist. The base difficulty and damage values are for a standard punch. Characters wearing heavy gauntlets may inflict greater damage but may also find themselves at a disadvantage (+1 difficulty, +1 damage)
Difficulty: Normal Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength + 0B
Sweep (Dexterity + Brawl/Melee): In a sweep, the attacker attempts to knock her opponent to the floor by sweeping her legs from under her. This may be carried out with the attacker’s own legs, or he may use a staff or similar weapon. If the attacker’s roll is successful, the target takes Strength bashing damage and must immediately make a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 8) or suffer the effects of a Knockdown (see “Damage Types”, p. 80). If a weapon is used in lieu of the attacker’s own limbs, the weapon’s damage statistic is used instead of Strength.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength + 0B or weapon damage; Knockdown
Tackle (Strength + Brawl): In a tackle, the attacker charges at her opponent and attempts to use momentum to bear her to the ground. The maneuver requires a Strength + Brawl roll (difficulty 7) and if successful, it inflicts Strength + 1 bashing damage. Furthermore, both combatants must make a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 7) or suffer a Knockdown (see “Damage Types”, p. 80). Even if he is not knocked down, the target is unbalanced for the next turn and suffers +1 difficulty to any actions.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength +1B; Knockdown.
Disarm (Dexterity + Melee): With this maneuver, the attacker attempts to deprive his opponent of her principal weapon, via strength or finesse. To try to disarm the target, the attacker makes an attack roll (difficulty 7). If successful, damage is rolled normally but neither applied nor soaked. Instead, if the number of damage successes exceeds the opponent’s strength, the opponent is disarmed. Failure on the attack roll or insufficient successes means the disarming effort fails (but may be considered a Weapon Bash, see p. 71), while a botch indicates the attacker is disarmed or is struck by the target’s weapon.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Special
Double Knife Strike (Dexterity + Melee]): Close-in knife fighting does not rely on the massive blows and endurance of traditional melee. Instead, it favors speed, lightning reflexes and a succession of smaller blows. Characters using a double strike can divide their dice pools for the action between two or more attacks against the same target, each of which is resolved separately but occurs as part of the same action (hence happening before any other character has a chance to act). Each attack’s dice pool receives one additional die but the difficulty of the attack increases by one. Determine damage normally for each attack. The character’s Dexterity + 1 is the maximum number of dice that can be used for each attack, and the maximum number of attacks is equal to half her Melee skill (round fractions down).
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: +1, divided dice pool Damage: Normal
Paired Weapon Strike (Dexterity + Melee): Although it is not common until the Renaissance, fighting with two weapons is an old concept. A second weapon — usually a dagger — may be used as a parrying device (p. 67), for attack or a combination of the two. Such fighting techniques are most common among the Saracens (some of whom favor two swords) and the Northern barbarians (who may use two axes). Directing two weapons is not, however, an easy task, and it requires considerable skill and determination. A character must have a Dexterity + Melee pool of at least five dice before she can use two weapons at once for attacking. The weapons can be used in separate actions through the standard rules for multiple actions, or the attacker can use them together for greater damage. Such a paired strike is not easy, however, and it incurs a difficulty penalty.
Difficulty: +1 Accuracy: Normal Damage: +1 (to the more damaging of the two weapons used)
Shield Bash (Strength + Melee): Though designed for defense, a warrior will occasionally use a shield as an ad- hoc weapon, bashing her opponent (often in the face) as an attack of opportunity — or desperation. Such an attack may be made only if the target has engaged in melee combat with the attacker in the current turn or the immediately preceding one. Such ad-hoc attacks are awkward (difficulty 8), and they inflict less damage than a regular attack, but the target of a successful shield bash attack suffers a –2 penalty to her initiative in the next turn.
Difficulty: +2 Accuracy: Normal Damage: Strength -1 (bashing Special
PASSIVE DEFENSE
Shields are the most common piece of equipment used for parrying, but a second weapon sometimes also serves, notably among the Moors. Shields are favored not only because they are effective at actively intercepting incoming attacks (using the parry maneuver), but also because their size allows them to reduce an attacker’s effective options and even protect against unseen missile attacks. This “passive” use of a shield or other parrying weapon simply adds to the difficulty of the attacking character. It does not require the defender to take an action, and it applies to all attacks made against the character in that combat turn. Most items have differing scores for missile and melee defense. Shields or parrying devices may only be used to protect the character from attacks from the front or the side where the shield is held. They provide no protection from rear attacks.
It is possible to use passive parrying if one is armed with only a sword and no shield or other parrying item, but only if the character does not attack with that weapon this turn. Assuming the character has actions, however, she may use “active” parry maneuvers.
It is not possible to use active and passive defense at the same time. Defensive devices may be used either to parry attacks or passively defend against them, but not both. The defender can choose which sort of defense the weapon offers on a per-attack basis, however, so it still offers some protection when her dice pool is exhausted. The player must choose before the dice are rolled for the attack.
DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS
Soaking damage is fine, but it is better yet to get out of harm’s way all together. Combatants who are under attack can do several things to escape damage, from ducking out of the way, to limiting an enemy’s options of attack with a shield, blocking her strikes blow for blow.
Blocking (Dexterity + Brawl): A block is an interception of an incoming attack with the defender’s bare hands (or another body-part). Only brawling attacks that cause bashing damage can be blocked, though the Storyteller may allow skilled combatants (Brawl 3+) to block bashing melee attacks. Characters with wearing armor can block lethal attacks. Successes on a blocking attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack.
- Only brawling attacks that cause bashing damage can be blocked
- The Storyteller may allow skilled combatants (Brawl 3+) to block bashing melee attacks
- Successes on a blocking attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack
Dodging (Dexterity + Athletics): A dodge is an effort to avoid an incoming attack altogether and is useful against any attack the defender can sense coming (Storyteller’s discretion). Even missile weapons such as crossbow bolts — which move faster than the eye can see — can be dodged by diving for cover if the target sees the archer taking aim. The basic difficulty of the attempt is 6, which assumes a typical combat situation such as fighting a single armed opponent in close combat, or having access to cover from arrow fire not far away. Use the following chart to modify that difficulty as appropriate. A player whose character is suffering multiple simultaneous attacks can divide successes from a single Dexterity + Athletics roll between the attackers, but the difficulty of the dodge attempt suffers a +1 penalty for every attacker past the first. Successes on a Dodge attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack.
- Can even dodge missile weapons if seeing the archer taking aim.
- Successes on a dodging attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack.
Dodge Modifiers
| Situation | Difficulty Modifier |
| Multiple attackers | +1 per extra attacker |
| Close Combat | |
| Attacker unarmed | -1 |
| Limited mobility | +1 |
| Ranged Combat | |
| Full cover within half a step | -4 |
| Full cover within diving distance | -2 |
| Partial cover only within three yards | +1 |
| Flat and featureless terrain | +2 |
Parrying (Dexterity + Melee): A parry is a block using a melee weapon or shield. It is useful against bashing and lethal melee attacks, and it can even be used to block brawling attacks, although weapons (not shields) used for this purpose suffer a +1 difficulty penalty. The standard difficulty of a parry is 6, but shields and certain specialized weapons have lower difficulties that reflect their distinctive design (see weapons charts, starting on p. 76). Successes on a parrying attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack. It is not possible to parry missile attacks, though in some circumstances it may be possible at the Storyteller’s discretion.
- Successes on a parrying attempt reduce the net success of the incoming attack
- Useful against bashing and lethal melee attacks
- Can block brawling attacks. Weapons doing this suffer +1 difficulty penalty (shields excluded)
- Base difficulty: 6
- It is not possible to parry missile attacks (Storyteller's discretion)
SHIELDS
Parrying devices are of limited effectiveness against strong opponents. A parrying weapon (e.g., dagger, sword) cannot be used if the attacker’s Strength is twice that of the defender (or more). Shields may be used against any opponent, but can sustain only limited damage. Whenever an opponent rolls a 10 in a Melee roll, the shield takes a point of damage. For each point of damage to the shield, reduce any passive defensive bonus by one (to a minimum of 0) and reduce the number of dice used in an active parry attempt by one.
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