Rulebook: Attacks and Defences

The Basic Attack

A basic attack in melee is exactly that: roll d20 and add your attack modifier with the weapon you are using. If you beat the target's AC, you hit and do damage; if not, you either missed or their armour protected them - either way, no damage is inflicted.

Critical success applies to attack rolls, but critical failure does not. So, if you roll a natural '20' on the die, you should make a confirmation roll. If successful, you have scored a critical hit.

If you hit and do damage, roll to see what damage has been caused. This will depend on the weapon used, and is a standard magnitude roll.

Unarmed Attacks

Unless a character has specific training that applies, his unarmed strikes do very little damage. Otherwise, an unarmed strike functions in exactly the same way as an armed attack; there is no penalty associated with attacking without a weapon.

Ranged Attacks

A basic ranged attack is exactly the same as a basic melee attack, with two exceptions:

• You cannot make a ranged attack while in melee range of an enemy. The presence of an enemy so close prevents you from doing so.
• Ranged attacks occur at one of four ranges, and apply a modifier to the attack roll. The ranges are as follows:

- Point-blank (attacking in the same zone): +2
- Short (attacking in the adjacent zone): +0
- Medium (attacking at a two-zone distance): -2
- Long (attacking at a three-zone distance): -5

Ranged attacks at greater than Long range are typically not possible. However, if you have a power or other effect that allows such attacks, they are made with a -10 penalty.

Firing into a Melee

In general, it is possible to make a ranged attack into a melee without penalty. However, if the target is surrounded, or your line of sight it otherwise blocked, the DM may rule that the target has cover, and so impose disadvantage on the attack.

Area Attacks (targetted)

There are two forms of area attacks in the game. The first is a targetted attack - you identify a primary target of the attack.

Make an attack roll against the primary target's Reflex defense. If you hit, you do full damage to the target. In addition, creatures within the area of effect (broadly, those who might be affected) must make a saving throw, or suffer half damage.

If your targetted attack misses, all creatures in the area of effect, including the primary target, must make a saving throw or suffer half damage.

Creatures who are permitted a saving throw, and who succeed on the saving throw, take no damage from the attack.

(Note that some spells, such as lightning bolt may have two primary targets - due to the spell striking in a straight line between two points. In such a case, make a separate attack roll against each primary target. Other creatures are affected, or not, as normal.)

Area Attacks (grenade-like)

There are two forms of area attacks in the game. The second is a grenade-like attack - you throw the weapon into an area, and target all present.

When using a grenade-like weapon, no attack roll is necessary. All creatures within the area of effect must make a saving throw or take full damage from the attack. If they succeed on the saving throw, they instead take half damage from the attack.

(Note that grenade-like attacks are generally better than targetted area attacks. However, to compensate for this, grenade-like attacks generally do less damage overall.)

Who is affected by an area attack

When resolving area attacks, it will inevitably be necessary to make some adjudication as to who is affected and who is not.

When using a battle-grid, this adjudication should generally be quite simple: place the area effect marker on the intended target. Figures who are under the marker are therefore affected and must make a saving throw. Figures who are only partially under the marker may be affected... and so must make a saving throw. (Area effects are considered to have "hot edges" - even creatures who are just barely touched by the effect must make a saving throw.)

When not using a battle-grid, a ruling must be made. This should generally be done in relation to appropriate terrain features, and a sense of fairness.

Note that it is generally not possible to precisely aim area effects so as to avoid friendly targets. If there is an argument over whether a given character is included or not, then the character must make a saving throw.

Advanced Attacks

Of course, the above are only the basic attacks. Through the use of powers, magic items, and the like, characters will have typically be able to make a variety of advanced attacks. Each of these powers, magic items, and the like will provide the specific rules for its use, which may supersede some or all of the above rules.

Spellcasting in Combat

In general, a character cannot cast spells while engaged at melee range with an enemy. The presence of an enemy so close prevents you from doing so. However, characters with the "combat casting" power may attempt to cast spells while in melee range. Additionally, some spells are specifically designed for this use; this will be noted in the spell description.

Finally, it is worth noting that a spellcaster can typically use his Move action to first move out of melee range, and then his Standard action to cast his spell. However, if his opponents have Readied an action to stop him, or know the "No You Don't" or "Disrupt" reactions, he may find himself unable to cast his spell.

If, for any reason, a character takes damage while in the process of casting a spell, he must make a Concentration check against a DC of 10 plus the damage taken, or lose the spell without effect.

The Defences

Each character has seven defences, used to protect him against specific threats to his person:

Armour Class: This, quite simply, represents how well the character is protected by his armour. Characters wearing heavier armour will have a higher AC than those in light armour, while those without any armour will have a low AC indeed. It is important to note that if an attack against AC fails, this does not necessarily indicate that the blow missed; it may equally mean that the blow was deflected or absorbed by the character's armour. Either way, no damage was caused - failed attacks against AC never cause damage.

• Fortitude: This represents the raw toughness of the character himself. It is used to defend against poison, crushing blows, and similar. Essentially, if it is a matter of just toughing it out, and especially if the character's armour can't absorb the blow, it is an attack against Fort.
• Reflex: This reflects the character's ability simply to dodge an attack. This is used against attacks, and frequently spells, that must merely touch the character to take effect.
• Will: This represents the character's mental toughness, his ability to withstand shocks, avoid being dominated, tricked by illusions, or otherwise manipulated. Most attacks against Will cause damage to the character's Resilience rather than his Hit Points.
• Combat Defence: This represents the character's battle experience and training. It is used to protect against all the little tricks and tactics an opponent might try - to prevent a opponent from capturing the higher ground or taking an advantageous position, to defend against being disarmed, having his weapon sundered, or being grappled, and so on and so forth.
• Social: The Social defence is seldom used in combat. It represents the character's ability to spot and resist attempts to con, lie to, or seduce the character.
• Perception: Likewise, the Perception defence is seldom used in combat. It protects the character from stealthy characters, from sleight of hand, and from some traps.