TOTE:Combat

Combat Rules 1.1

Initiative

At the beginning of combat, each participant or group (for group enemies) must determine their starting Initiative value.

Heroes calculate this by making a T8 Plan test, and adding the number of successes to their Hawk totem value.

Enemies calculate this by making a T8 Initiative test, and adding the number of successes to their base Rating.

Distance Rounds

Depending on the circumstances, heroes may find themselves able to make one or more rounds of attacks at a distance or find that their enemies have that advantage. The GM will determine the Distance (Far or Close).

In a distance round, there are four choices for each combatant:

Action	Init Cost	Result
Move	0	Combatant adds to or reduces the distance to the foe. Combatants that move from Close go into Melee Rounds, Combatants that move away from Far are attempty to Escape Foes, see below.
Prepare	0	You ready yourself for melee combat. Add one to your Initiative.
Shoot	0	Combatant remains still, and makes a Shoot test, if a target is in range.
Shoot & Move	1	Combatant makes a Shoot test with a -2 penalty at current range and then moves into another range category.

In a distance round, no one gains Initiative at the beginning of a round. Actions occur in Initiative order (heroes win ties against foes and break ties using their Hawk totem).

Melee Rounds

Actions are declared from the lowest Initiative to the highest.

Actions for the Round:

Action	Init Cost	Result
Assault	2	You make an attack against a foe (if already engaged, must be that foe) with a +2 bonus for the To-Hit roll. If the foe has not yet acted this round, the foe may immediately make a return attack with the same +2 bonus and with no Initiative cost. This attack does count as the foe's action for the round.
Assist	2	Nominate an ally, that ally gains 1 Initiative. Make a Strike test at a foe (if you are engaged, it must be that foe).
Attack	1	Make a standard Strike test against a selected foe (if already engaged, must be that foe).
Defend	0	All attacks against you suffer a -2 penalty this round. You may make a Strike test at a foe (if you're engaged, it must be that foe) with the same -2 penalty. Gain 1 Initiative.
Disengage	3	Move away from a foe. You will count as disengaged for the next round.
Grapple	0	Make a Brawl attack against a foe.
Intimidate	1	Make a Impress test against a Target of 7 + the Enemy's Rating (or the hero's Stag totem value). For each success (including bonuses), reduce the foe's Initiative value by one point.
Protect	2 or 0	If you are unengaged this action costs 0 Initiative. Nominate an ally: if they are attacked, you are instead the target of the attack. You now count as being engaged by that foe, even if the attack did no damage.
Recover	0	Make no attack this round. You gain 3 Initiative.
Shoot	3	If you are unengaged, make a Shoot test with a -2 penalty against any one foe.

Actions are resolved in Initiative order, starting from the highest to the lowest. As actions are resolved, Initiative is spent.

Engaged: Once a foe has done melee damage to you or you have done melee damage to a foe, you are engaged with that foe. Any actions must be focused on that enemy, unless you choose to Disengage from the enemy or have defeated them.

At the end of each round, any unengaged heroes raise their Initiative by 1. Any single unengaged enemies raise their Initiative by 1. Any groups with at least one member unengaged raise their Initiative by 1.

To-Hit Rolls

To-Hit tests are made with one of the Weapon skills (Strike, Shoot or Brawl) against a target number given by the foe's Block rating. Each success is one chance for the weapon to do damage.

Damage

If you successfully hit, you do Resolve damage equal to the weapon's Base Damage.

If you scored a single Bonus ('6' on one of the dice), make an Effect Test for the weapon used against the Resist value of the foe. If successful, do additional Resolve damage equal to the weapon's Base Damage.

If you scored two Bonuses ('6' on both of the dice), make an Effect Test for the weapon used against the Resist value of the foe. If successful, do additional Resolve damage equal to twice the weapon's Base Damage.

If the foe's Resolve is under their Encumbrance rating, then you mark a point on their Injury Track if you caused any amount of damage this round. If a foe's Resolve is exhausted, every point of damage is marked on their Injury Track.

Criticals: If your successful to-hit roll was a Critical, you do the Base Damage. But instead of rolling for additional damage, use the following effect:

Critical Type	Effect
B - Bash	Make a weapon Effect test for each To-Hit success (including the basic success). If one or more succeed, the foe is knocked down and cannot act in the next round. You no longer count as being engaged.
P - Pierce	Make a weapon Effect test for each To-Hit success (including the basic success). Mark one spot on the foe's Damage Track for each success.
S - Slash	For each To-Hit success (including the basic success), do damage equal to the weapon's Base Damage. No Effect Test is needed.

Injury Track

The Injury Track for a hero has six circles. The first five have a number associated with them... if you have a bubble filled in here, you can't select the corresponding number on the skill dice (the Paragon die always counts, no matter what). If you fill in the bubble marked 'U' then you're unconscious and could easily die.

Enemies might have more or less than six circles. In every case, the last bubble is marked 'U'. A buble marked 'N' means no effect for marking that bubble on the damage track.