Encounters

Encounters

Any meeting between the Heroes and NPCs is an Encounter. Time is fluid, but can turn to Combat when violence is (un)necessary. You can use the following tables to determine something's Distance from the Party, as well as their initial Reaction to keep encounters varied.

NPC Distance

When needed, you can use this table to determine something's distance from you when first encountered.

NPC Reaction

Roll 2d6 to determine an NPC's Reaction. You can also use the Reaction table when determining if you convince an Enemy to end Combat or other social Checks.

Combat

Combat begins when a Being physically harms another. Time is then measured in Rounds, which are broken up into Turns for each Group in the Combat. One Round lasts about 10 seconds. Beings involved in the Combat will be placed in one of these Groups, getting an Action and Move during their Turn.

Turn Order: Heroes take the first Turn. If there is a risk of surprise, the Heroes must pass a Detect Check. Those that fail can't act on the Heroes' first Turn.

VARIANT RULE: CLOCKWISE TURN Groups that would like more order to the Turn can choose to instead act clockwise from the GM.

Actions

You can take your Action at any point during the Turn, choosing from the Actions below, or in a way that isn't accounted for here.

Attack: Make an Attack Check with your Weapon, dealing its damage on a pass.

Cast: You cast a Spell (p. 90).

Hold: Use an Action or Move on an Off-Turn.

Jump: Spend half your Speed to leap up to that distance horizontally.

Rush: Gain Speed this Turn equal to your Speed.

Use: Interact with or use an Object.

Move

Your Speed is how far you can Move during your Turn, which you can break up as you like.

Defending

You can either Block or Dodge attacks if you aren't Incapacitated.

Block: Endure Save, which is Hindered if the attack is a Ranged attack.

Dodge: Reflex Save, which is Hindered if you are wearing Heavy Armor. If the Save passes, you ignore one of the attack’s highest rolled damage dice.

Ending Combat

Combat ends in a victory for the Heroes when all their Enemies are defeated, typically through one of the following means:

Death: Enemies are dead.

Surrender: Accepted surrender.

Flee: A side successfully Retreats.

Retreating

If a Group flees, they must spend their Action and Move doing so. Unless another Group is giving chase, the combat ends after this Turn.

Running Enemies

In Guided play, GMs control Enemies. Enemies have a sequence of prioritized Actions and a Zone that describes how they use their Move (p. 110). Enemies also have a Morale score, as described below.

Zone

To determine how an Enemy acts during Combat, it is given a Zone:

Frontline: Moves Close for Melee Attacks

Midline: Moves Close to Attack, then Move to Near. If a Midliner is at half HP or lower, it acts as Backline.

Backline: Stays Far from opposing forces for Ranged Attacks and Casts.

Morale

Enemies make Morale Checks at the following times during a Combat:

• The first death in their Group.

• Their HP is at half or less, or half their

Group is Incapacitated. To check Morale, roll 2d6 and consult the Group's Leader's statblock. If the 2d6 result is higher than its Morale, the Group fails and either retreats or surrenders.

Action Gambit

A GM can always choose from the Actions available to the Enemy. However, their Actions are listed in order of priority for how they would typically use them. If the top-most Action isn't available, go down the list to the next one.

Multi Actions

Multi Actions allow it to take multiple Actions with its Action. If one of the Actions isn't available, it can still use the Multi Action option, but it doesn't use the unavailable one.

Recharge

Actions that Recharge do so after a certain amount of time. If a countdown die is indicated, this die is rolled each Round. STATBLOCK READING EXAMPLE This Griffon's Zone is Frontline, and its Morale is an 8. The top Action is Multi-Attack, making it its prioritized Action if available. As a Frontliner, the Griffon will Move into Melee to use its Multi-Attack. It retreats on a Morale Check (2d6) of 9 or higher. TL: 3.7

Griffon

Hybrid creatures displaying both the head, wings, and forelegs of an eagle, and hind-quarters of a lion. Known to pick up horses and drop them for sport. HD: 7 (31 HP) Speed: 30' (Fly 80') Zone: Frontline Morale: 8 # Appearing: d4 Armor: 2 [as Chain] Weak: Shock ACTIONS Multi-Attack: 2×Claw and 1×Beak Beak [Melee Attack]: 9 (2d8) Claw [Melee Attack]: 2 (d4)

Midline

Zones

Frontline

Backline