Combat is not a particularly complicated endeavor as far as The System is concerned. Each participant makes System Checks using one of their Abilities to attack, compares that Check result to the target or targets’ defenses, and deals the indicated damage or Effect if the attack is successful. Combat functions exactly as any other task under The System, with a few caveats.
Combat in The System is generally very fast paced and requires consistent focus. Each participant has only one action per round, and most of those rounds are spent increasing the Count (see Counting Rounds below). This means that for most of the time, a player needs only a few seconds to finish each turn and must immediately begin preparing for their next turn.
Any individual involved in combat is called a Participant, while anyone nearby not involved is called a Spectator. It is possible to be a participant in one combat and simultaneously be a spectator in a separate combat, such as in formal tournaments where different matches happen side by side or where hated enemies fight focused only on each other while others stay out of their way but fight amongst themselves.
Actions in Combat
On a participant’s turn, they can perform a single action.
Use an Ability
Each Ability has one or more Actions available to it. A participant can declare the use of an Ability to use that Action or increase their Count (see Counting Rounds below). All attacks or actions which intentionally harm another individual are always considered Using an Ability, even if that that harm is indirect. Within The System, swinging a sword to hack at an opponent is not considered any different than swinging a sword to cut the ropes supporting a bridge an opponent is crossing.
Movement
Basic movement, such as walking to a new location, is a single action and not considered the use of an ability. If performing a dramatic action or using a form of movement granted by an Ability, moving instead counts as Using an Ability. Dropping to the ground or standing up is also consider movement. Movement typically does not disrupt the Count (see Counting Rounds below).
Interact
This covers any simple actions which interact with an object or other participant but don’t use any specific Ability. Such actions may be drawing a weapon, drinking a potion, mounting a horse, handing someone an item, and opening or closing a door among others. Interactions typically do not disrupt the Count (see Counting Rounds below).
Reactions
Some Abilities and Actions may allow for a participant to have a Reaction to a situation. These always happen during another participant’s turn. In most circumstances, each participant may only make one Reaction per turn. Reactions may disrupt the Count, particularly if that Reaction uses an Ability.
Counting Rounds
Combat is simulated in rounds, allowing each participant a chance to act in turn and for the effects of those actions to be resolved in a reasonable manner. Each round, every participant has the opportunity to perform one action, which is called the participant’s turn. After each participant has taken a turn, that round ends, and a new round begins.
One round represents a segment of time during which noteworthy action occurs, but it has no fixed length. In most instances of combat, a round is somewhere between 1 and 5 seconds. In large scale conflicts, a single round may be as long as a minute or more.
Each round, a participant is allowed to perform one action, which is usually to increase their Count and prepare for an attack.
Tempo and the Count
Each action in combat takes a certain amount of time to complete, called its Tempo. Most actions have a Tempo of 1, meaning that they resolve immediately on the current round when performed. Some actions take longer to complete, as indicated by a higher Tempo.
One each turn, an individual selects an Ability to use, and their Count for that Ability increases by 1. When their Count equals the Tempo, that use of the Ability is completed. So, an action with Tempo 1 is resolved immediately, as the Count equals 1 as soon as it is started. An action with Tempo 2 would take 2 rounds to complete, while an action with Tempo 5 would take 5 rounds to complete.
When an action is resolved, the Count is reset to 0.
The details of an action do not need to be decided until the action is completed, but Count applies towards only a single Ability. A participant can make any possible use of that Ability they choose, provided they have a high enough Count and only have to make the final decision when the Ability is actually used.
It is also possible to use a lower value than your actual Count. This is useful in situations where the Effect of your Ability scales with Count but you prefer to use reduced effect. Regardless, the Count is still reset to 0 when the Action is resolved.
Losing Count
The Count is lost in only two circumstances: the participant chooses to use a different Ability or the participant fails to increase the Count for two consecutive rounds.
If the participant chooses to use a different Ability, the Count for the previous Ability is immediately reset to 0 while the Count for the new Ability increases to 1. Passive Checks, such as detecting hidden enemies, never disrupt the Count, but active Checks, such as climbing a wall or ducking and weaving through a group of enemies to avoid attacks do. The only other exception to this is an Ability which explicitly does not disrupt the Count. For example, some movement Abilities possess Augments that may prevent its use from disrupting Count.
If the participant decides to do something which doesn’t require the use of an Ability, they have exactly one round to do. Such actions do not increase the Count. For example, a participant could draw a new weapon, drop an item, drink a potion, move a short distance, or some similar action which does not require a Check. Any action which requires a Check disrupts the Count, as described above. The next action that the participant takes on their next turn must be to increase the Count or complete the action. If they are unable or choose not to do so, then the Count is immediately lost. This also applies if a participant is stunned, distracted, or otherwise unable to act; a single round of inaction does not lose Count, but more than one round does.
Maximum Count
Most Abilities have a maximum Count. This is most commonly equal to the Ability’s Rank or double the Rank. An individual can continue to increase the Count beyond this limit, but any Count in excess of the maximum is simply lost when an Action is resolved.
Different Actions within the same Ability may have a different maximum Count.
Actions with Tempo Zero
A few rare Actions have Tempo 0. These Actions either take no meaningful time to activate or are used to modify or enhance a different Action. These Actions normally do not affect the Count, even if they require a System Check.
You can perform a Tempo 0 Action in the same turn as your normal action. You may perform no more than one Tempo 0 Action on any turn. This means that if you perform a Tempo 0 Action during your normal turn, you can’t later also perform one during a Reaction on that same turn.
Under normal circumstances, you can perform a maximum of one Action, one Reaction, and One Tempo 0 Action on a turn.
Actions that Reduce Count
Some Actions, particularly those activated as Reactions, may only reduce the Count instead of completely resetting it zero. Using these Actions doesn’t risk losing the Count, even though you aren’t actually increasing the Count.
Combat Details
The following character details are relevant in combat encounters.
Initiative
Determining who goes first is a standard System Check, with the highest result going first and each participant acting in descending order. If a participant does not have an Ability which affects Initiative, they make an Untrained Check using Agility. Initiative is only rolled once at the start of each combat and does not change during that fight, unless an Ability or Effect requires it to change.
Spectators do not possess an Initiative. If they are pulled into the fight, they determine Initiative as normal and act when it would next be their turn, following the normal Initiative order.
Vitality
This is a measure of how much physical punishment an individual can endure before succumbing to injury and exhaustion. It takes into consideration their physical resistance to damage, the ability to evade attacks or turn deadly strikes into glancing blows, and how long an individual can continue to exert themselves before being overcome by exhaustion.
A person’s Vitality is equal to the sum of their physical Attributes (Might, Fortitude, Dexterity, and Agility), their Prowess Aptitude, and twice their total Level.
Defeated Participants
When an individual’s Vitality is reduced to 0, they are Defeated. A defeated participant is typically unconscious, heavily wounded, or otherwise completely unable to act or defend themselves. They are removed from the battle and initiative order and become a spectator. In most cases, they are not quite dead, but they are wounded enough that simple first aid and basic healing magics used during battle cannot revive them or return them to fighting condition.
A defeated participant has an Evasion of 0 (see Defenses below).
A defeated participant can be slain with any intentional attack that deals damage to them. This death blow is called a coup de grâce and is typically used to end the suffering of a dying enemy.
Defenses
An individual has three forms of defense: Evasion, Toughness, and Resilience. In general, only one of these Defenses will apply against an attack.
Physical Defenses
Evasion
This is a person’s ability to dodge or evade attacks. Ducking and weaving through melee, sidestepping arrows, or leaping out of the way of an explosive magical fireball are all forms of Evasion. When making an attack, your System Check for that attack must overcome the target’s Evasion to successfully hit them.
An individual’s Evasion is equal to their Agility plus any bonuses from equipment, magic, or other effects.
Toughness
The ability to sustain damage and withstand attacks is called Toughness. This number is subtracted from any amount of physical damage an individual takes, whether that’s from a weapon, a spell, or simply falling and scraping a knee. For attacks which don’t deal damage, Toughness may reduce or negate the effect.
An individual’s Toughness is equal to their Fortitude plus any bonuses from equipment, magic, or other effects.
Non-Physical Defenses
Psyche
This is a person’s ability capacity to safeguard their mind and spirit against non-physical attacks, such as mental manipulation, psychic intrusions, and spiritual harm. Psyche is representative one’s inner strength, resilience, and mental fortitude, serving as a vital shield against esoteric and metaphysical dangers.
An individual’s Psyche is equal to their Guile plus any bonuses from equipment, magic, or other effects.
Resilience
The measure of an individual’s ability to endure mental and magical attacks is known as Resilience. This number is subtracted from any amount of non-physical damage an individual takes, such as from many forms of magic, psychic assaults, and certain energy attacks. For attacks which don’t deal damage, Resilience may reduce the duration or lessen the severity of the effect.
An individual’s Resilience is equal to their Presence plus any bonuses from equipment, magic, or other effects.
Damage and Recovery
Although there are several different types of damage, most damage is suffered as a reduction of Vitality. Only particularly severe damage or harm leaves any kind of lasting injury on an individual. Lesser wounds simply vanish, healed automatically by The System as Vitality is restored.
Basic Damage
Basic damage comes in various different damage types; however, these damage types are only important if the individual taking damage has a particular Resistance or Weakness to the damage type. Otherwise, they have no meaningful effect and should be considered as thematic.
The following is a list of common damage types but should not be considered exhaustive:
- Aetheric – Damage dealt by exposure to aether or aetherial effects.
- Chemical – This is damage caused by a chemical reaction, usually a strong acid or base, that causes rapid harm to a target.
- Eldritch – This damage is inflicted by the powers of beings from outside the normal rules of reality.
- Elemental – The basic elements—Air, Earth, Fire, and Water—and similar physical concepts—Electric, Ice, etc.—are forms of elemental damage.
- Magic – The basic damage dealt by spells and magical effects. This is the damage type most likely to have other types added to it.
- Mental – Damage inflicted by direct attacks against the mind.
- Sacred – Damage dealt through the influence of divine power, both good and evil.
- Weapon – The basic damage type of all physical weapons. This damage type can be further subdivided into types such as Cutting, Stabbing, or Blunt.
Resistance and Weakness
Resistance to a particular damage type doubles an individual’s Toughness and Resilience to damage of that type.
Conversely, Weakness to a particular damage type halves Toughness and Resilience to damage of that type.
Afflictions
Severe physical injury and mental or spiritual trauma have longer lasting effects that are not so easily healed. Afflictions can reduce maximum Vitality or any of the four Defenses. They can inflict Disadvantage or other penalties as well. The most severe can even reduce Attributes or Aptitudes while they remain.
Being Defeated always causes an Affliction.
Recovering Vitality and Removing Afflictions
At the end of an action sequence or combat encounter, Vitality is automatically restored to full, requiring only a brief rest and the most basic first aid. As long as the individuals have a chance to catch their breath, their Vitality is restored by The System. However, if an immediate threat remains, The System may without this automatic healing until that threat is resolved.
During battle and action scenes, the use of various Abilities can also restore Vitality.
Afflictions are more difficult to remove and require the use of powerful Abilities, extended rest and recuperation, or meeting special requirements. The method for removing any given Affliction is included in the details for that Affliction.
Movement and Position
The System does not spend time measuring precise distances or use a grid overlay to determine position. Instead, The System uses what it believes to be “intuitive” measures. While it may be useful to use miniatures to represent the location of individuals in combat, don’t get caught up in trying to calculate exact distances or positions.
Position
Consider a character’s location to be approximate, as they will be constantly shifting around in the flow of battle. The only important aspect to track is relative position, such as who is in front or back, if two individuals are engaged in melee, if someone is ducking behind cover, and similar positions.
You can best establish position with descriptions such as “peeking around the corner” or “standing in front to guard my allies” or “sneaking through the shadows on the rightmost edge of the battle to get behind the enemy.” If using miniatures, assume that they only represent the general vicinity of an individual.
The most important part of positioning to remember is “in front” and “behind.” It’s difficult to get past an individual in front to attack the individual behind them without risk.
Distance and Range
Distance is categorized into several abstract ranges.
Self
The absolute closest possible range: yourself. This range is used almost exclusively to describe the range of Abilities which can only affect the individual using that Ability.
Adjacent
Participants are considered adjacent when they are within arm’s reach or no more than a step or two away. Adjacent participants can engage in melee combat with one another. A participant can be adjacent to other participants, objects, or certain terrain features such as a door, wall, or large rock.
Near
Near is the default range for most action scenes and combat encounters. Any location within about one movement action (see Movement below) is considered within Near range. Participants can easily speak with, shoot at, and generally interact with anything within near range; however, interaction that requires direct touch requires a participant to move into adjacent range.
Far
Far range places a participant at a distance away from other participants. This distance requires more than one movement action to cross, whether that’s actual distance or just a significant obstacle, or some significant effort or dramatic action to cross. Two participants standing at what appears to be nearby may still be considered to be far apart if there’s a chasm between them.
Distant
The farthest range at which participants can interact. Moving beyond this range typically removes a participant from an encounter. This distance can typically only be reached by the longest range magic and arrows. The far edge of distant range is typically limited by a participant’s vision.
Remote
Any location that is too far to be seen (whether that’s due to actual distance, a turn in a cavern tunnel, or a massive wall) or that is beyond the ability for a participant to physically interact with is considered to be a remote location. Only special technology or magic can interact with remote locations.
Variable Ranges
It’s possible to be considered at different ranges for different purposes. In the above example of standing on opposite sides of a narrow chasm, the participants would be far away for movement but nearby for the purposes of shooting at one another. Use your best judgment for determining the range when resolving a particular Ability.
Movement
The movement speed of creatures is measured in Paces, which is defined as two Steps. Take a step with your left foot, then a step with your right. That’s one Pace. For the average adult human, this is approximately five feet or one and a half meters. Now forget that measurement, because The System just uses approximate distances anyway.
Movement and Ranges
In general, a participant can move to any location nearby as a single action. Any far away location will require at least two actions to reach, and a distant location will require a dedicated effort over a period of time to get there. Remote locations will typically take longer to reach than what is reasonable within the scope of a single combat scene, and moving to a Remote location almost certainly means you’ve fled from the battle.
When adjacent to an enemy, moving away may allow them to use a Reaction to attack or try to prevent your movement.