vaelora/Rules/Combat.md

Combat in _Vaelora_ is swift, dangerous, and laced with consequence. Rather than slow the story, it sharpens it- every clash a turning point, every wound a reminder that magic and steel are not without cost. The system is designed to evoke the feeling of desperate duels, shifting battlefields, and hard-earned victories.

Whether facing a single cursed knight or a tide of shrieking horrors, players are meant to feel the pressure of decision-making under threat. Timing, resourcefulness, and adaptation are key to survival.

Combat is not a board game. It’s a **story told under pressure**, a blend of hard choices and unfolding narrative. Encourage players to think cinematically- climb the crumbling spire, shove a foe into the void, cast spells through a bloody grin.

Use the rules to **frame the stakes**, but let the story carry the weight.

## Simple Enemies
These are **Simple Enemies**- to run, to die, but dangerous in numbers and deadly when ignored.

>[!info] Summary:  Simple Enemies
>Simple enemies are not meant to outwit the players, but to test them, wear them down, and build tension. They exist to escalate threat and create tactical choices without grinding the pace of combat to a halt.
>
>- **No dice are rolled by simple enemies.** Instead, they rely on a fixed Difficulty Rating (DR).
>- To defeat a simple enemy, a character rolls an appropriate skill and must **accumulate enough successes to overcome its DR**.
>- If the character fails to defeat it outright, they **suffer harm** (typically based on margin of failure), but any gained successes are retained.
>- Simple enemies can have **Traits** that modify their DR, target multiple foes, impose debuffs, or interact with the environment.
>- They always act **after all characters and complex enemies**, and may attack automatically or follow a simple trigger.
>
>Simple enemies are best used in groups: a pack of half-seen stalkers in the mist, swarming cult acolytes, or a crumbling battalion of risen dead.
In the world of _Vaelora_, not every threat is meant to match a hero blow-for-blow. Some dangers come not from the strength of a single foe, but from **numbers**, **attrition**, and **context**. A dozen cursed villagers in the mist. A swarm of blood-wasps stirred by a careless step. A collapsing crypt full of half-dead acolytes desperate to protect their master’s tomb.

### What Are Simple Enemies?
Simple Enemies are **mechanically streamlined** adversaries designed for **speed, threat, and narrative impact**. They exist to pressure players into action, drain their resources, and create the feeling of being outnumbered or overwhelmed.

They **do not roll dice**, track APR, or take individual turns. Instead, they follow a fixed difficulty profile, resolved through player rolls.

### Core Mechanics
Each Simple Enemy has the following:

- **Difficulty Rating (DR):** A number (typically 2–6) representing how hard they are to overcome in a single roll. Players must accumulate this many **successes** to defeat them.
- **Traits:** Keywords that alter how they behave, affect players, or combine with others.
- **Harm Profile:** What happens when a player fails to defeat one in a roll. This usually results in a wound, a condition, or narrative harm.

When a character engages a simple enemy:

1. **The player chooses an approach** (e.g., Weaponry, Athletics, Spirit Binding).
2. **They roll a skill check**.
3. **Successes are compared to the enemy's DR.**
    - If **equal or higher**, the enemy is defeated.
    - If **lower**, the enemy survives, and the player **suffers harm** (see below).
    - Any **successes rolled are retained**, allowing another character to finish the job.

Simple Enemies create a dynamic of **group threat**, encouraging teamwork and tactical play.

### Harm and Attrition
Simple enemies are often not deadly in isolation- but failure stacks. Each failure typically causes:

- A **wound**, scaled by margin of failure.
- A **condition**, such as "Off Balance", "Disoriented", or "Burning".
- Or a **narrative setback**, like being pushed back, entangled, or separated from the group.

As GM you are encouraged to **tailor harm narratively**, especially if multiple simple enemies are acting at once.

### Traits
Traits modify a Simple Enemy’s behavior, threat level, or interaction with players and the environment. Use them to create variety, theme, and emergent tactics.

|Trait|Effect|
|---|---|
|**Swarm**|Gains +1 DR for each additional copy in the group.|
|**Persistent**|Retains partial success values; does not reset.|
|**Piercing**|Ignores basic armor when dealing harm.|
|**Sporecloud**|Applies a condition on failure (e.g. Hallucinating).|
|**Explosive**|On defeat, deals harm or causes an effect (e.g. burst of fire, poison gas).|
|**Latch**|Grapples or attaches on failure; costs 1 APR to remove.|
|**Elusive**|Can only be targeted after a successful Awareness or Tactics check.|
|**Pack Tactics**|Gains +1 DR if adjacent to another of its kind.|
|**Withering**|Inflicts Fatigue on failure instead of physical harm.|

Traits can be combined. A **Swarm + Withering + Latch** group of rootlings might choke a character into unconsciousness over several rounds if left unattended.

### Example Simple Enemies
#### The Hollowborn Cultist
> They come with eyes burned hollow and mouths still murmuring scripture- reverent, eyeless, utterly damned.

**Name:** Hollowborn Cultist  
**DR:** 3  
**Harm on Failure:** 1 Wound (Piercing)  
**Traits:** Persistent, Pack Tactics, Piercing

**Description:** These broken souls serve the Choir of Ash, wandering in murmured prayer even as their bodies rot. They fight without strategy, only fervor- yet when they gather, they become dangerous. Their jagged relics ignore most mundane armor, and even a glancing blow is a curse waiting to bloom.

**GM Notes:**
- Players who roll 2 successes retain them - another player can finish the kill.
- If three are adjacent to the same player, their DRs increase to 5 via Pack Tactics.
- Failure means harm **ignores armor**, unless magical.

### Narrative Tips for Simple Enemies
- **Use them for tempo.** A fight with two elite enemies can be made frantic by adding a wave of simple enemies entering each round.
- **Give them presence.** Even if they die quickly, describe them vividly- their tattered robes, the unnatural movements, the stench of wet decay.
- **Let them evolve.** When tied to the environment or boss enemies, simple enemies can become hazards- exploding on death, releasing fog, dragging characters into other zones.

### Designing Your Own
To make a simple enemy, choose:

1. A **threat profile** (1–6 DR; 2–4 is standard).
2. 1–3 **traits**.
3. A **harm effect** on failure.
4. A **narrative identity**- what makes them memorable, even fleetingly?
    
**Examples:**
- _Ashmotes_: DR 2 | Traits: Swarm, Explosive | Harm: Fire 1 on failure or death
- _Drowned Ghosts_: DR 4 | Traits: Elusive, Withering | Harm: Fatigue 1, Aura of Dread
- _Veil-Lost Rats_: DR 1 | Traits: Pack Tactics, Sporecloud | Harm: Hallucination, Minor Wound

Simple enemies are **not less important**- they simply serve a different purpose. Where complex foes dominate a duel, simple enemies make the world feel **crowded, cruel, and alive.**

## Complex Enemies
>[!info] Summary Complex Enemies
>Complex enemies are the real threats- creatures and characters who fight on equal footing with the players.
>
>- They roll dice, track their own health, and use the same action economy as player characters.
>- Complex enemies act in **Initiative order**, employ abilities, react to player moves, and adapt over time.
>- They may have unique **abilities**, **tactics**, and even **narrative triggers** tied to their health, environment, or the phase of battle.
>
>These are your duelists, cursed lords, corrupted beasts, and void-warped monstrosities. Treat them with narrative weight- when one enters a scene, the players should feel it.

**Complex enemies** are the centerpiece of a fight -  champions, horrors, or masterminds meant to test the full breadth of the party's tactics. Unlike swarming foes or fodder enemies, complex enemies use the **Action Point Reserve (APR)** system just like players do. They spend points to move, strike, cast, or react with intent and intelligence, demanding focused effort to defeat.

These foes are **not abstractions** -  they are actors in the scene. They think, plan, and press the party through the same tactical language that defines PC combat.

### Core Traits of Complex Enemies
A complex enemy:
- Has an **APR** (typically 3 to 6).
- Uses **the same action system** as player characters: each turn, they spend APR to perform any legal actions they possess.
- Has full **attributes**, **skills**, **defenses**, and often **unique abilities** or resources.
- May include **morale thresholds**, **phase shifts**, or **tactical rules** to evolve across the encounter.
- Is usually **individually significant**, sometimes supported by lesser enemies.

These creatures are meant to **last**, to **threaten**, and to **define** the rhythm of an encounter.

### Designing Complex Enemies
When building complex enemies, consider the following pillars:

#### 1. APR Economy
The heart of a complex enemy is their **action loop**. Consider what they can do with a typical round’s APR -  attack twice and reposition? Strike, cast, and guard? React twice and move once?

Avoid giving them more APR than they can use meaningfully, but ensure they can act across multiple axes: offense, movement, denial, and reaction.

#### 2. Internal Synergy
A great complex enemy **feels like a concept**. Their abilities should reinforce one another: a poison blade that weakens enemies who move, combined with an aura that pushes them, and a counterattack when they flee.

Ask: “How does this enemy reward specific behavior, and punish others?”

#### 3. Distinct Threat Profile
What makes them dangerous? Is it raw damage? Disruption? Battlefield control? Endurance? Each complex enemy should have a **clear identity** in play.

## The Rhythm of Combat
Combat in _Vaelora_ unfolds in **Rounds**, each lasting a few heartbeats of action. During a round, each participant takes a turn in order, using their resources to act, react, and survive.

### Initiative
At the onset of battle, all characters and complex enemies determine turn order by rolling **Initiative**.

- **Initiative** = (Agility + Cunning) ÷ 2 (rounded up).
- Roll 2d6 + Initiative Score.
- Ties are broken by higher Agility, then Wit, then a reroll.
- Simple enemies **do not roll** Initiative and always act last in the round.

### Action Point Reserve (APR)
>[!aside|show-title right] Common Action Cost
>|Action|APR Cost|
>|---|---|
>|Strike with a weapon|2|
>|Use a bound spirit ability|1–3|
>|Move up to Speed|1|
>|Dash (double Speed)|2|
>|Interact with an object|1|
>|Attempt to disarm/grapple/trip|1|
>|Stand from prone|1|
>|Take cover or reposition tactically|1|
>|Ready an action (specify trigger)|2|
>|Counterattack|1|
>|Block a blow|1|
>|Rely on armor|0|

Each character and complex enemy has an **Action Point Reserve (APR)**- a pool of energy they spend each turn to act. Your APR refreshes at the beginning of each turn and is equal to

> APR = 1 + (Agility + Focus + Wits)/3 (rounded down)

Each action you take, like striking an enemy or defending against blows, costs one or more Action Points. You may want to **reserve APs** in order to react or interrupt outside of your turn, for example to block an enemy blow with your shield. You can set aside as many Action Points as you like in your turn to spend them on reactions later on. 

A character might strike once with brutal force (3 APR), or weave between enemies with multiple smaller actions (two 1-point moves and a reaction). Some abilities may refund APR under certain conditions, or allow borrowing from next round at a cost. Actions cost between **1 and 3 points**, depending on their complexity and impact. You can Points **do not carry over** between rounds.

Certain talents, traits, or magic effects can modify APR costs, provide free actions, or trigger off enemy behavior.

### Turn Structure
Each participant (player or complex enemy) takes a turn in order:

1. **Start of Turn Effects**: Resolve any conditions, auras, or cooldowns.
2. **APR Refresh**: Reset APR to maximum.
3. **Declare and Execute Actions**: Spend APR on actions. Players are encouraged to describe intentions and be cinematic.
4. **End of Turn Effects**: Handle any ongoing effects, checks, or triggers.

After all have acted, simple enemies act in unison (see below), and the round concludes.

### Simple Enemy Phase
Once all Initiative turns are complete, **simple enemies** activate as a group. Their behavior should follow narrative logic, but mechanically:

- Each player targeted by a simple enemy makes a defense check (or simply takes damage) based on the enemy's **Threat Profile**.
- Damage is usually narrative, scaled by DR and Traits.
- Multiple simple enemies may **combine their DR** to raise threat, forcing players to act quickly or be overwhelmed.

This creates a sense of **rising danger** and encourages tactical choices like protecting allies, breaking lines, or retreating.

## Attacking and Defending
Combat in _Vaelora_ is visceral, cinematic, and unforgiving. Every sword stroke and counterstrike is resolved not in abstraction, but through **opposed rolls**, where attacker and defender test skill, nerve, and momentum in the moment of impact. There is no rigid initiative ladder- only opportunity, readiness, and the ever-dwindling fuel of your **Action Point Reserve (APR)**.

At its core, every blow is a contest. Whether with blade or spell, claw or arrow, the flow of violence is governed by your ability to act- and to survive.

### The Attack Roll
When a character launches an attack, they declare their intent (e.g., "I lunge with my spear," or "I loose a shot at the rider") and spend **Action Points** from their APR to do so. The cost varies by weapon or power, but most standard attacks cost **1 AP**.

The attacker then builds a **dice pool** based on:

> **Attribute + Skill + Weapon + Modifiers**

- **Attribute** reflects the source of power - ususally this is **Might**, but some weapons or abilities allow you to use **Agility** for finesse, or **Presence** or **Spirit** for mystical force.
- **Skill** depends on the method- **Melee**, **Ranged**, **Unarmed**, **Spellcraft**, or **Improvised Weapons**.
- **Weapon** refers to the dice bonus granted by a weapon (e.g. a longsword adds +2 dice to your attack)
- **Modifiers** include:    
    - Traits, abilities, or conditions
    - Tactical circumstances (e.g., flanking, elevation, concealment)
    - **Marked dice**, which are special dice tagged with effects like _vicious_, _binding_, or _shattering_

Then, both attacker and defender roll their pools and compare results.

### The Defense Roll
Defenders have options, and choosing the right one matters. Whenever a creature is attacked, they may declare one of the following reactions **before** the attacker rolls:

| Defense Option    | AP Cost | Roll                       | Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| ----------------- | ------- | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Evade**         | 1 AP    | **Agility + Dodge**        | Avoid the attack entirely and position yourself. Reduce the damage taken by the number of successes rolled. When you have a positive Success Margin you can choose to reduce the defense penalty for the rest of the round. |
| **Counterattack** | 1 AP    | **Agility + Weapon Skill** | A risky maneuver. If you win the roll, the attacker takes the Success Margin as damage. If you lose you gain additional injuries to the missing successes.                                                                  |
| **Block**         | 1 AP    | **Agility + Shields**      | Solid and reliable. Reduce the damage taken by the number of successes. Any Success Margin reduces the attackers dice on the next action. Can include marked dice from shield traits.                                       |
| **Parry**         | 1 AP    | **Agility + Weapon Skill** | You deflect an incoming blow with your weapon. Reduce the damage by the number of successes. Any Success Margin may be used as bonus dice against your next attack against the enemy until end of your next turn.           |
| **Rely on Armor** | -       | **Flat dice from armor**   | Passive. Always usable. It does not stop the hit, but you reduce the damage taken by the successes.                                                                                                                         |

Each additional active defense after the first in a round imposes cumulative penalties of -2 dice to the rolle:

- Second: –2 dice
- Third: –4 dice
- Fourth: –6 dice
- and so on

*Rely on Armor* is never penalized in this way. It's passive and always available- even when out of AP. You man only use a defensive option, except *Rely on Armor*, if you have at least 1 die on the roll.

### Resolving the Clash
Both attacker and defender roll their full dice pools. Every result of **5 or 6** is a **success**. Then:

- If the **attacker rolls more successes**, the difference is the **margin of success**, which becomes the number of **Injuries** the defender suffers.
- If the **defender rolls equal or more successes**, the attack is avoided, parried, or blocked.
- **Ties always favor the defender.** Except for a counterattack.

### Combat Tips

- Defense is about **timing**- choose when to spend AP, and when to absorb a hit.
- **Counterattacks** are ideal when you’re already under pressure and can risk a reversal.
- **Dodging** is best early in a fight, when you still have AP and terrain to move through.
- Don’t forget **passive armor soak** when you're depleted. It won’t save you forever, but it buys time.
    
## Consequences of Combat
Injuries in _Vaelora_ represent serious harm- deep cuts, broken bones, exhaustion, internal bleeding, and spiritual dissonance. They are **not abstract HP** or life points. Each point of Injury reflects significant strain, and their accumulation steadily degrades a character’s ability to act.

When the number of Injuries taken exceeds the Health of the character, the character is [[#Being Subdued|subdued]].

>[!warning] Health does **not** refresh between scenes.
>Healing requires rest, medicine, or magic. Even then, recovery is slow- and scars may last. The wounds of _Vaelora_ are more than numbers; they’re carried into the next story.

This table serves both as a mechanical reference and a **storytelling prompt**. Let each threshold mark a change in tone. _Wounded_ characters aren’t just less efficient- they’re more dramatic. _Overwhelmed_ characters are fighting for every breath. _Subdued_ ones don’t just fall- they fall meaningfully.

### Trauma from Injuries
Not all wounds heal cleanly. In **Vaelora**, violence leaves its mark- sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for life.
After a violent encounter each wounded combatant has to make a **Trauma Roll**:

- **Each character rolls 1d6 for every unhealed Injury.**
- For **each success (5 or 6)**, gain a **Physical Trauma** from the table below.

|3d6|Trauma|Description & Temporary Effect|
|---|---|---|
|**3**|**Crushed Spine**|Major motor damage. Paralyzed below the waist or loses fine control. Character is **Downed** and requires aid to move.|
|**4**|**Fractured Skull**|Dizziness, blurred vision, disorientation. –1 die to all **Wits** and **Awareness** checks.|
|**5**|**Partial Deafness**|Ringing ears or burst eardrums. –1 die to hearing-based Awareness; vulnerable to stealth.|
|**6**|**Blinded Eye**|One eye bloodied, swollen, or gouged. –1 die to ranged attacks and depth perception.|
|**7**|**Twisted Knee**|Damaged ligaments. –1 Speed and –1 die to sprint, jump, or climb.|
|**8**|**Cracked Ribs**|Sharp pain with every movement. Gain 1 **Fatigue** after each physically demanding round.|
|**9**|**Disfigured Face**|Cheek split, jaw broken, or skin torn. –1 die to social rolls involving charm or presence until healed.|
|**10**|**Shattered Fingers**|One hand is partially unusable. –1 die to actions requiring grip or dexterity.|
|**11**|**Shredded Flesh**|Skin scorched or melted. –1 die to resist **Pain**, vulnerable to cold or abrasion.|
|**12**|**Broken Arm**|One arm cannot lift or grip. Two-handed weapons/tools unusable.|
|**13**|**Deep Laceration**|Bleeding or muscle torn. Any **Strenuous action** causes 1 Fatigue.|
|**14**|**Smashed Foot**|Swollen, crushed, or broken toes. –1 die to run, sneak, or maintain balance.|
|**15**|**Severed Tendon**|Joint becomes unstable or limp. –2 dice to strength or finesse with that limb.|
|**16**|**Nose or Jaw Fracture**|Nose shattered or jaw dislocated. –1 die to speech-based rolls; eating/drinking is painful.|
|**17**|**Lost Ear**|Eardrum or outer ear torn away. –1 die to resist disorientation and sonic effects.|
|**18**|**Blinded (Both Eyes)**|Vision completely lost. The character is **Blind** and suffers maximum difficulty for visual tasks.|

Temporary Traumas persist until the associated Injury is healed.  Permanent Traumas become part of the character unless removed by magic, medicine, or narrative intervention.

### Being Subdued
Being **Subdued** means your character has taken more Injury than they can withstand. But unlike many games, **death is not the default**. Instead, being subdued marks a turning point- where wounds linger, fates diverge, and scars become stories.

Once a character is Subdued, the GM and player should choose (or roll) a consequence that fits the tone, context, and stakes of the scene. Was the blow a clean knockout? A vengeful strike? A magical backlash? The outcome should reflect it.

|**d6**|**Result**|**Description**|
|---|---|---|
|**1**|💤 **Unconscious**|The character blacks out. They awaken in **1d6 minutes** (or after the scene) with **1 fewer Injury**.|
|**2**|🩸 **Bleeding Out**|The character is dying. They have **3 rounds** to be stabilized (via Medicine or Spirit magic), or they **perish**.|
|**3**|💀 **Maimed**|A lasting physical injury- a shattered limb, ruined eye, or scorched flesh. The character gains a **permanent Trait** like _Lame_, _One-Eyed_, or _Shattered Nerve_.|
|**4**|🔗 **Captured**|The character is taken alive- **bound, gagged, shackled**, or **restrained** by magical or mundane means.|
|**5**|👁️ **Spiritual Trauma**|The character’s **soul is scarred**. They gain a **Burden** such as a haunting voice, corrupted aura, ancestral curse, or unwanted spiritual presence.|
|**6**|⚔️ **Death**|The character dies. This should **only occur** if the **tone calls for it**, or if the attacker used a **marked die with the tag _Vicious_**.|

>[!warning] _Marked for Death_
> If the attacker used a **Marked Die with the tag _Vicious_** to subdue their opponent, the result is always *Maimed* on a roll of 1-3 and *Death* on a roll of 4-6. Vicious weapons always strike to kill or maim.

### Healing Injuries
Wounds linger- etched into flesh and spirit alike. Healing is no simple matter of rest. It is a struggle against entropy, pain, and time. The body remembers its injuries, and without care, those memories can become permanent.

#### Natural Recovery
Each **rest period**, which is typically a full night of sleep or a day of secure downtime, a character may attempt to naturally recover Injuries.

**Natural Healing Roll:** At the end of a rest, the character rolls a number of dice equal to their **Fortitude**. Without proper care one die has to be marked as *risky*.
- **Each success** heals **1 Injury**.
- **No successes** means no healing.
- **If the risk die is a failure** the Injury worsens: One less wound is healed, or, if there are no successes, a new Injury is caused.

#### Medical Treatment
A character trained in **Medicine** can attempt to treat Injuries during downtime or after combat.

**Treat Injury Roll:** Roll for Wits + Medicine. This can be done once a day and takes about an hour to apply. Treating injuries requires to have according materials (e.g. bandages, herbs, desinfectants, tools, etc.) and a quiet environment.

|Result|Effect|
|---|---|
|1 Success|The patient gains +1 die to their next Fortitude roll to recover that Injury and the risky die is removed from the recovery roll.|
|More Succsses than Inuries|One Injury is healed immediately.|
|No Successes|No effect.|

#### Untreated Injuries and Permanent Effects
If an Injury remains unhealed for **one week of in-game time**, or across a significant narrative arc, it may become permanent.

**Untreated Injury Check:** Roll **Fortitude** once per untreated Injury.
- **Failure:** The wound becomes **permanent**. Only major surgery, corrective action or a ritual can reverse this.
- **Success:** No change; the Injury still lingers, no further check is required on this Injury.

## Armor
Armor in _Vaelora_ offers physical protection, but it comes at a cost- weight, noise, heat, and bulk. It is not just a number on a sheet, but part of a character’s presence, training, and strategy. While light armor may offer mobility and stealth, heavy armor can turn deadly blows into bruises- if one is strong enough to carry it and smart enough to use it.

Armor does **not reduce damage passively**. Instead, when a character chooses to **rely on their armor**, they gain a pool of **Soak Dice** to roll against the incoming attack. This is a deliberate action: trusting in steel, scale, or leather to take the blow.

Some armor also has **traits**, which modify how it interacts with other systems- combat, movement, stealth, knockback, etc.

Usually armor without any according traits, influcts a **Armor Penalty** to half the Soak value to all skills that require finess and dexterity. A number of dice according to the Armor Penalty have to be marked as *locked* in such rolls and cannot carry any other marks.

### Armor Traits
|Trait|Effect|
|---|---|
|**Bulky**|Reduces available actions by 1.|
|**Silent**|No penalty to Stealth or surprise checks.|
|**Bulwark**|+1 die to resist knockdown or forced movement.|
|**Insulated**|Provides protection from environmental heat or cold, granting the Soak dice as bonus to fortitude rolls.|
|**Encumbering**|Your speed is reduced by the Soak value.|
|**Fitted**|Armor is custom-designed. You may declare one die as *lucky* when relying on armor|
|**Deflecting**|Declare one die as *lucky* when struck by Piercing or Ranged attacks.|
|**Plated**|Mark one die as *exploding* when relying on this armor.|
|**Slashresisting**|Mark one die as *lucky* against slashing damage.|

### Armors
Each armor type offers a number of **Soak Dice** and includes one or more **traits** that define how it interacts with damage, movement, and the marked dice system. Choose armor that suits your strategy- whether for silent infiltration, weathering brutal hits, or resisting specific threats.

|Armor Name|Soak Dice|Traits|Notes|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Cloth Robes**|1|Silent|Common among scholars, mystics and commonfolk.|
|**Padded Vestments**|2|Silent, Insulated|Useful in cold or hot regions, worn by travelers.|
|**Studded Leather**|2|Fitted, Deflecting|Balanced armor for skirmishers and scouts.|
|**Reinforced Jerkin**|3|Fitted, Slashresisting|Well-suited against bladed foes; favored by duelists.|
|**Chain Shirt**|3|Deflecting, Encumbering|Light mail armor often worn under tabards.|
|**Lamellar Harness**|4|Fitted, Bulwark, Encumbering|Modular scales used by disciplined troops.|
|**Brigandine Coat**|4|Plated, Fitted, Slashresisting|Popular among mercenaries and hardened veterans.|
|**Half-Plate**|5|Plated, Bulwark, Encumbering|Heavily fortified yet not fully enclosing.|
|**Full Plate**|6|Plated, Bulky, Encumbering, Slashresisting|Ultimate defense at the cost of speed and agility.|

## Weapons
Weapons serve more than just a martial function- they shape how a character engages with combat and danger. Each weapon adds a **bonus die** to attack rolls, reflecting its deadliness, balance, or reach. Beyond raw power, weapons are defined by **traits** that grant unique tactical advantages- some cause grievous wounds, others allow deft counters, or amplify the chaos of the marked dice system.

When choosing a weapon, consider both your fighting style and the situational advantages its traits provide. A slow, brutal axe is different from a duelist’s blade- not just in form, but in how it plays.

### Weapon Traits
|Trait|Effect|
|---|---|
|**Vicious**|If this attack Subdues a target, it maims or outright kills the target (see [[#Being Subdued]]).|
|**Maiming**|Any injury this weapon causes goes into effect immediately instead of after the combat.|
|**Sweeping**|May strike multiple adjacent foes on a success; You may mark one die as *risky*. If it is a success you may strike an additional enemy in range, on a 1 your attack misses entirely.|
|**Piercing**|Ignores 1 Soak Die when dealing damage.|
|**Winding**|You can use the weapon bonus of this weapon when executing a Counterattack.|
|**Knockdown**|Mark one die as *effect*; If it rolls a success the target must test Fortitude or be knocked prone on receiving an injury.|
|**Hooked**|Mark one die as *effect*. If it rolls a success, the target must test Agility or become disarm or unbalanced t instead of dealing damage.|
|**Accurate**|Mark one die as _lucky_ when attacking with this weapon.|
|**Deadly**|Mark one die as _exploding_ when attacking.|
|**Balanced**|Gain +1 die when parrying with this weapon.|
|**Reach**|Melee attackers suffer −1 die to hit you while you wield this weapon.|
|**Two-Handed**|Requires two hands to wield, cannot use a shield or carry an item in another hand|

### Melee Weapons
|Weapon|Bonus Dice|Traits|Notes|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Dagger**|1|Accurate, Piercing|Easily concealed; ideal for strikes and stealth kills.|
|**Shortsword**|2|Balanced, Accurate|and versatile; a duelist’s go-to weapon.|
|**Arming Sword**|2|Balanced, Winding|Reliable and well-rounded for defense and offense.|
|**Hand Axe**|2|Vicious, Hooked|Chops into armor or shields; can be thrown.|
|**Battleaxe**|3|Vicious, Maiming, Two-Handed|Heavy, brutal, and cleaves through flesh and armor.|
|**Warhammer**|3|Maiming, Knockdown|Especially effective against armored opponents.|
|**Flail**|2|Sweeping, Knockdown, Two-Handed|Unpredictable arc bypasses defenses.|
|**Longsword**|3|Winding, Accurate, Two-handed|An all-purpose weapon of knights and mercenaries.|
|**Spear**|2|Reach, Piercing, Balance, Two-Handed|Excellent for defensive stance and formations.|
|**Trident**|2|Reach, Hooked, Balanced|Control-oriented weapon for entangling or disarming.|
|**Glaive**|3|Sweeping, Reach, Maiming, Two-Handed|Slashes in wide arcs; strong battlefield presence.|
|**Halberd**|3|Reach, Maiming, Knockdown, Two-Handed|Hybrid of axe and spear; very effective against mounted or armored foes.|
|**Greatsword**|4|Vicious, Deadly, Knockdown, Two-Handed|High damage, but requires strength and space.|

### Ranged Weapons
|Weapon|Bonus Dice|Traits|Range|Notes|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Throwing Knife**|1|Accurate|Short (5–10m)|Silent and concealable. Can be dual-wielded.|
|**Javelin**|2|Piercing, Balanced|Medium (10–20m)|Heavy throw; good penetration. Can also be used in melee.|
|**Sling**|2|Accurate, Deadly|Medium (15–30m)|reloads, deadly when aimed well.|
|**Shortbow**|2|Accurate, Deadly|Medium (20–40m)|Versatile and light; good for ambushers.|
|**Longbow**|2|Piercing, Deadly, Two-Handed|Long (40–80m)|Difficult to use in tight quarters. Strong draw.|
|**Crossbow**|3|Piercing, Deadly, Vicious, Two-Handed, Bulky|Medium (25–50m)|High damage, slow reload. Great vs armor.|

## Shields
Shields are defensive tools that provide bonus dice when actively used to **Block**, and often come with tactical traits to enhance defense or utility. A character must wield a shield in one hand to benefit from it, and may not wield a two-handed weapon simultaneously.

To benefit from a shield, a character must use the **Block** defensive option, which grants bonus dice equal to the shield’s listed value and activates any relevant traits. Some shield traits also trigger passively while the shield is readied.

Shields provide excellent tactical flexibility when used defensively, and can turn the tide in a clash-heavy or ranged-focused encounter. Some characters might specialize in shield use through feats or talents that enhance blocking, bashing, or coordinated defense.

Shields must be wielded in one hand and cannot be used with two-handed weapons.

### Shield Traits
|Trait|Effect|
|---|---|
|**Bashing**|May be used as a melee weapon or for counter attack (1 bonus die, Knockdown).|
|**Covering**|+1 die to defend against ranged attacks.|
|**Bulwark**|+1 die when resisting knockdown or shoves.|
|**Spiked**|When Bashing, deal +1 damage and inflict _Bleeding_ on a 6.|
|**Rebounding**|Mark a die as *cooperative*. On a success, an ally can gain your shield bonus dice to their next attack, all dice marked as _cooperative_.|
|**Reinforced**|Mark one die as _exploding_ when blocking with the shield.|
|**Towering**|When braced for 1 action, grants partial cover to adjacent allies. Taking cover (1 action) behind the shield gives a +1 bonus on defensive options.|
|**Protecting**|Grants half the shield’s bonus (rounded up) as bonus Soak dice when using **Rely on Armor**.|
|**Quick**|Mark one die as _lucky_ when using this shield to Block or Counterattack with the shield.|
|**Bulky**|Reduces your dice pool by 1 when making attacks while wielding this shield.|

### Shield Types
|Shield Type|Bonus Dice|Traits|Notes|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Targe**|1|Bashing, Rebounding|A small round shield favored by duelists and light skirmishers.|
|**Buckler**|1|Quick, Bashing|Minimalist shield for agile fighters and parrying.|
|**Round Shield**|2|Bashing, Covering|Reliable all-purpose defense; standard infantry issue.|
|**Kite Shield**|2|Covering, Bulwark|Offers good protection from arrows and charges.|
|**Spiked Shield**|2|Bashing, Spiked|Built for brutal shield strikes.|
|**Reinforced Shield**|2|Reinforced, Bulwark|Sturdy and resistant to shattering blows.|
|**Large Shield**|3|Covering, Protecting, Bulky|Massive defense at the cost of mobility and offense.|
|**Tower Shield**|4|Covering, Protecting, Towering, Bulky|A huge shield that you brace in the ground before you.|