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, heroes may only select the Move or Shoot options from the list of combat actions.

Engagement

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.

Certain actions may create an Engagement even if no damage has been done.

Melee Rounds

Actions are declared from the lowest Initiative to the highest.

Actions for the Round:

Action	Init Cost	Result
AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS
Assault	2	You make an attack against a foe (if already engaged, must be that foe). If you succeed at the to-hit roll, you do not do normal damage. Instead, use the rules for the weapon's Critical type. If the foe has not yet acted this round, the foe may immediately make a return attack with no Initiative cost. This attack does count as the foe's action for the round.
Attack	1	Make a standard Strike test against a selected foe (if already engaged, must be that foe).
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.
Shoot	2	You must be unengaged to take this action. Choose a foe to make a Shoot attack at, if that foe is Engaged the Shoot attack has a -2 penalty.
DEFENSIVE ACTIONS
Defend	0	If you are attacked this round, you may make a Strike or Grapple test in response to the attack. If you are not attacked, you take no action but gain 2 Initiative.
Disengage	3	Move away from a foe. You will count as disengaged for the next round.
Move	0	You must be unengaged to take this action. Move one range step closer or further away from the enemy. If you are at Long Distance and move further away, you have fled the battle.
Recover	0	Make no attack this round. You regain 2 Resolve. Your current Resolve cannot exceed your starting total.

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

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 Damage.

For each Bonus ('6' on the dice), add 1 to the Damage value.

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.

Or, if a foe's Resolve is exhausted, instead every point of damage is marked on their Injury Track.

Criticals

If you rolled a Critical on your to-hit (and successfully hit) you do your normal damage and follow the below rules. If you selected Assault you only do the Critical effect, not the normal damage.

Critical Effects You must make a test in order to determine if your Critical was able to defeat their Resist value. Make another test, but use the Weapon's Effect value as your Skill rating. You may not invoke Totems or Aspects on this test.

Critical Type	Effect
B - Bash	The foe is knocked down and cannot select an action next round. Each bonus showing on the Effect test reduces the foe's Initiative by 1 (Initiative can go no lower than 0)
P - Pierce	Mark one spot on the foe's Damage Track. For each bonus showing on the Effect, mark another spot.
S - Slash	Do standard damage equal to twice the weapon's Damage rating. For each bonus showing on the Effect test, do one additional point of damage.

Injury Track

The Injury Track for a hero has six circles. The first five usually 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 bubble marked 'N' means no effect for marking that bubble on the damage track.