TOTE:Combat
Combat Rules 1.0
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 three 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. |
| Shoot | 0 | Combatant remains still, and makes a Shoot test, if a target is in range. |
| Shoot & Move | 1 | Combatant makes a Shoot test 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
At the beginning of a melee round, all unengaged combatants gain 1 Initiative. An unengaged combatant is one that neither dealt nor received melee damage in the previous round.
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. The foe may immediately make a return attack with the same +2 bonus, for no Initiative cost. The return attack does count as the foe's action for the round. |
| Assist | 1 | 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). 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, reduce the foe's Initiative value by one point. |
| Protect | 2 | If you are unengaged, nominate an ally. If that ally is attacked, you are instead the target of the attack. |
| Shoot | 3 | If you are unengaged, make a Shoot test against any one foe. |
Actions are resolved in Initiative order, starting from the highest to the lowest.
Engaged: Once a foe has done damage to you or you have done 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.
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
For each success in the to-hit roll, you will make an Effect Test for the weapon used. Each successful Effect Test does Fatigue damage equal to the weapon's Base Damage.
If the foe's Fatigue Points are under their Encumbrance rating, then you mark a point on their Damage Track if you caused any amount of damage this round. If a foe's Fatigue Points are exhausted, every point of damage is marked on their Damage Track.
Criticals: If your successful to-hit roll was a Critical, you do not do normal damage. Instead, the effect is as follows:
| Critical Type | Effect |
|---|---|
| B - Bash | Make a weapon Effect test for each To-Hit 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. Mark one spot on the foe's Damage Track for each success. |
| S - Slash | For each To-Hit success, do Fatigue damage equal to the weapon's Base Damage. No Effect Test is needed. |
Damage Track
The Damage 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.