Damage and Injury

If your attack roll succeeds and
your target fails his defense roll (if
any), you hit him! If your attack is one
that can do damage, you must now
make a “damage roll.” This tells you
how much basic damage you deal to
your target.
Your weapon (and, for muscle-
powered weapons, your ST), or your
natural or Innate Attack, determines
the number of dice you roll for dam-
age. If your target has any Damage
Resistance (DR) – from armor, the
Damage Resistance advantage (p. 46),
parry using Boxing, Judo, Karate, or
any fencing skill (Main-Gauche,
Rapier, Saber, or Smallsword), a
retreat gives +3 to Parry, as these
forms make superior use of mobility.
Your step back takes place immedi-
ately. It is assumed to occur as your
foe is striking. If it would take you out
of your attacker’s reach, he still gets his
attack. If he has multiple attacks (e.g.,
from an Extra Attack, All-Out Attack,
or Rapid Strike), your retreat does not
put you beyond the reach of his
remaining attacks. However, you get
your retreating bonus on all active
defense rolls against all of his attacks
until your next turn.
If your opponent attacked you with
a maneuver that allows a step, but has
not yet taken his step, he can choose
to follow you by taking his unused
step. In effect, he is forcing you back!
You can retreat only once during
your turn. In other words, once you
retreat, you may not retreat again
until after your next turn.
You cannot retreat while in a sit-
ting or kneeling posture, or while
stunned. You also cannot retreat if you
moved faster than your Basic Move on
your last turn (that is, if you were
sprinting or using Enhanced Move).
You can retreat (by rolling) if you
are lying down.