ZWEIHANDER Combat BETA - RPG

8/12/2019 ZWEIHANDER Combat BETA - RPG

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COMBAT “Man by nature is animal; he can be cruel and callous.Where intrigue fails, combat is the only choice left to

resolve differences. Often swift and merciless, fighting ishis way to establish dominance, or to simply terminate theopposition all together. By conscious decision and intent,man is able to assert himself against the world and faceaggression in kind.”

- Father Victor, monk

Tactical skirmishes amidst a torrential downpour, viciousback alley knife fights, honorific duels to the death andhorrifying battles against dire abominations makes upseveral situations your Character will be drawn into.However, some may be more raucous and less deadly, suchas with a barroom brawl or fisticuffs erupting between aswindling pedlar and his customer. Combat can be fun andentertaining, but in a grim & perilous Campaign World,death can come at the drop of a hat. While exciting andoffers the opportunity for players to roll dice, the risk ofirrevocable death is always the foremost element withincombat. No amount of planning can truly prepare theunwitting against the strategic leadership of those who’reborn within the crucible of battle. Yet even then, plans havea tendency to fall apart very quickly, particularly as fast-paced as combat is. Even the most well-orchestrated planscan go terribly awry. Combat is deadly and numbersoftentimes prevail.

Unlike other role-playing games, combatants inZWEIHÄNDER aren’t given a vast pool of “hit points”,allowed to instantly recover from their wounds and get rightback up. It is savage and unrelenting, handlingconfrontation with all the excitement you’d expect to have ina fantasy adventure - but not without danger to one’s self orsanity.

THE STRUCTURE OF COMBAT For the most part, a Game Session is handled using a loosenarrative by the Gamemaster. Interactions within theCampaign World can transpire over hours, days or evenmonths of in-game time. If you tell the Gamemaster thatyou wish to book a coach between settlements, they maysimply respond “You pay a coachman and ride through thewilderness, only to arrive at your destination a few hourslater”. There aren’t any hard and fast rules to handle thesesort of interactions.

However, when the story has led the players towards a fithe game falls under a more structured way of handlingnarrative. To frame these white-knuckled action scenes,loose narrative is streamlined, made more uniform iterative. In order to control choices and formalized estage of combat, the Gamemaster restructures the narra

by introducing Turns. This allows the combatants - plaCharacters and Non-player Characters the Gamemacontrols - to take Action using their respective place in Initiative Order. And although Turns introduce a muniform way to handle Actions, it should never stymie rplaying. Both the Gamemaster and player should encouraged to describe their Actions with flourRepresenting adrenaline-packed scenes of fierce attacks daring stunts using your own personal descriptions is bexciting and enjoyable. Role-playing should never tak

backseat during combat.

Below are a few common questions you may have about hfights are resolved in ZWEIHÄNDER :

WHAT IS A TURN? Turns are an abstraction, reflecting each combatant’s tto catch their breath, pause, jockey for position and themselves up to render decisive blows. A Turnapproximately equal to one minute of in-game time, playout iteratively by all combatants. During a Turn, combatacan take a set number of Actions, dictated by their reserv“Action Points” (also called AP). And even though eplayer gains a Turn, all Actions are taking place about same time.

WHAT IS INITIATIVE ORDER? The Initiative Order decides the order of which combatants resolve their Actions In Combat. WheneverGamemaster announces combat is about to unfold, bplayer Characters and Non-player Characters will genertheir own Initiative results by rolling 2D10, adding thInitiative from their Character Sheet to the result. Initiais always reduced by the Overage value from a CharactEncumbrance Threshold, adjusted accordingly. The results are tracked from highest to lowest, displayed ope

for everyone to reference.

WHAT IS AN ACTION? Actions are formalized choices combatant make to chathe outcome of combat. Each Action possesses a relacost in Action Points which must be expended beforspecific Action may be taken. Providing a combatant enough Action Points, they can execute attacks against fomove around the battlefield, hamper their enemy’s abilit



gain ground and set aside a reserve to defend againstattacks. These “Actions In Combat” are described in furtherdetail in the oncoming pages. All combatants inZWEIHÄNDER make the same considerations forattacking, defending and the use of Actions In Combat,regardless if they’re played by players or the Gamemaster.

WHEN DOES COMBAT END? Once either side is defeated or yields, combat is over. Yet,not every fight needs to end in the wholesale slaughter ofthe other side. Most sapient creatures understand whenthey’ve been beaten, knowing when it’s time to give up.Bargains can be struck, former enemies can be made allies,foes can be brought to heel and others can be made to flee atthe first sign of danger. Animals or creatures defendingtheir young may fight to the bitter end, but others may fleeat the first sight of imminent danger. An enemy who mayhold important intelligence or information may be morebeneficial than simply spitting them on the end of your

spear. A politician (or Abyssal servant for that matter) mayattempt to strike a bargain with his captors in exchange forrelease. While death is certainly the foregone conclusion inmost fights, it should not be the only option. Sparing yourenemies (particularly if you have a “heroic” reputation touphold) can create interesting plot developments within theCampaign World.

Sidebar: Gamemaster Fiat Because of the wild and varied nature of combat,there may be situations that crop up from time totime that aren’t covered in these rules. Much likeany other ruling in ZWEIHÄNDER, theGamemaster will make the final call as arbiter andultimate authority while running the game.

COMBAT OVERVIEW Below is a quick guideline to follow whenever combatbegins:

STEP I: SURPRISE TURN Whenever combat is about to begin, the Gamemaster willindividually determine whether players or their foes get thejump on one another. If either party manages to catch theirenemies unaw are, they’ll act first during a Surprise Turn.

STEP II: INITIATIVE ORDER After a Surprise Turn has ended, combatants will determinethe order in which they may take their Turn. Each

combatant will roll 2D10 and add their Initiative to result.

STEP III: TAKE TURNS Once a combatant’s Turn comes up in the Initiative Orthey may spend Action Points to select specific ActionsCombat. Combatants receive 3 Action Points to dedicatdefend, move and attack as their Turn begins.

STEP I: SURPRISE TURN A Surprise Turn affects the very beginning of combatallows combatants to get a leg up over one another and ta Turn before the Initiative Order presides. Ultimately, the province of the Gamemaster to determine if the playor their enemies gain a Surprise Turn. This judgement ca

based on specific sets of circumstances or spe

preparations combatants have made in order to ambush another purposefully. Outlining these circumstances gabove and beyond the scope of this discussion, but Gamemaster will use common sense when determin

which sides gains the advantage of a Surprise Tu Whether either side gains a Surprise Turn, the Gamema will always explain in narrative terms why. It’s importanconsider what sort of preparedness your Character mhave elected to adopt, even before the fight begins. Kickin the door and expecting your foes to simply fold bef

your might may be an acceptable option in some games, in ZWEIHÄNDER it can get you killed.

Combatants who are Surprised are left Defenseless toattacks (meaning they cannot Dodge or Parry whatsoevand are unable to act immediately. Those who gain advantage of Surprise may take a free Turn, gaintemporary +20 Base Chance to succeed Attack Actions add a 1D6 Fury Die to any Damage they deal out during time. Once a Surprise Turn finishes, combat proceedsnormal according to the Initiative Order, and all benefitsSurprise are lost.

STEP II: INITIATIVE ORDER In any role-playing game, there must be a structure to order of which events unfold - particularly in the casecombat. For every combatant, each determines thInitiative individually. Using 2D10, every combatant roll and add their Initiative from their Character Sheethe result. But those who burden themselves wequipment tend to react slower, as their senses are du

beneath the weight of their harness. Any Overage penalthe Initiative. The result is then ranked from highest



lowest, displayed openly throughout combat on a markerboard or piece of paper for both the player andGamemaster’s reference. Each name is delineated, with theresulting Initiative Order indicated beside it with a hyphen.This determines the order that each combatant will act inuntil the fight is resolved. It also allows players to help theGamemaster keep everything straight during combat, asmost veteran players can generally attest - things canbecome hectic. All in all, whomever goes first tends to getthe upper hand - and speed can lead to a more favorableoutcome.

EXAMPLE It’s time to roll Initiative. There are six players - EdwinMortani, Graf von Bek, Leopold Coventry, MercutioSalvatore, “Patches” and Wilhelm Eckhardt. TheGamemaster is controlling several enemies - a Thug, aBounty Hunter and a Guttersnipe. Both the players andGamemaster roll Initiative, placing their names on a

marker board that can be referenced by everyone. Theresults follows, dictating the Initiative Order. Under thisexample, Wilhelm will go first, whereas the Thug will golast. Once everyone has taken their Turn, Initiative beginsagain with Wilhelm again until combat ends:

1. Wilhelm Eckhardt - 142. Patches - 13

3. Bounty Hunter - 104. Edwin Mortani - 8

5. Guttersnipe - 56. Leopold Coventry - 47. Graf von Bek - 38. Mercutio Salvatore - 29. Thug - 1 (the Thug was displaced down the

Initiative Order due to matching Initiative rolls)

Remember, ZWEIHÄNDER is a cooperative game andwhile the Gamemaster will be controlling your enemies(potential allies), you should work to help keep thingstracking right. Combat can sometimes grow confusing asyou move between each other’s Turns. The Gamemaster hasto worry about positioning, tactics, track conditions and plotout your enemy's strategies. All players should do their partto help track combat, working in concert with the

Gamemaster to progress the Initiative Order correctly.

sidebar: Roll Initiative At The Start Of A Session Some Gamemasters may prefer for players todetermine Initiative Order at the beginning of thesession. This enables the Gamemaster to movebetween loose narrative and the strict structure ofcombat smoothly. It keeps players focused on theevents “In-Character”, as opposed to breaking

stride during the Game Session. It also allows Gamemaster to transition into combat with eakeeping players on their toes and out of the loopthe Initiative Order for their enemies. In thinstances, the Gamemaster will determine his foInitiative results secretly and place it onto

board once combat begins.

MATCHING INITIATIVE RESULTS Should any combatant generate the same Initiative rescompare their Perception Primary Attribute. The highPerception always trumps the other, displacing tcombatant down the Initiative Order directly below thShould the Primary Attributes match, combatants wmatching Initiative should re-roll to determine who gfirst.

EXAMPLE

Mercutio Salvatore and the Thug rolls the same Initiatboth resulting in “12”. Mercutio’s Perception is 4whereas the Thug’s is 31%. Mercutio goes first, displacthe Thug to the very bottom of the Initiative Order.

ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS Sometimes the environment plays a role in comDetonated gunpowder explosions, roiling fires that threato collapse the floor, an impending rainstorm, the blindthreat of a blizzard, an out-of-control wagon barreling dothe street, a stampede of wild horses ready to burst fofrom their pen, the threat of an angry peasant mob other natural hazards can also influence the battlefieldthese special cases, the Gamemaster will roll 3D10determine the event’s Initiative. If this event is being kepsecret from the players, the Gamemaster may elect nodisclose the name of the event in the Initiative OrdInstead, they may track it with some other mark -asterisk, question mark or other short phrases such“ DOOOOM!” will suffice. This leaves everyone guessingto what may yet still unfold amidst the chaos of battle, fo

battle there is no law. These secret events may be repeti(such as the blazing of a fire) or a one-time event (suchthe strike of lightning upon the top of a building).

EXAMPLE A raging fire erupts around everyone, threateningconsume the floor of the Tramp's Loft. The Gamemashas secretly decided that it will take three Turns before

floor collapses from the Raging Fire. Rolling Initiative,Gamemaster tells everyone to note that the Raging Fgoes on a “5”, but does not disclose that the floor collapse. Unwittingly or not, they better act quick befthe fire consumes everything around them!





5. Raging Fire - 5 (the Gamemaster made the call forthe fire to go before the Guttersnipe)

6. Guttersnipe - 57. Leopold Coventry - 48. Graf von Bek - 39. Mercutio Salvatore - 210. Thug - 1 (the Thug was displaced down the


NEW COMBATANTS Particularly sneaky enemies may simply lay in wait,watching for favorable circumstances to avail themselves.The Gamemaster may decide that even before combat

started that these same shadowy assassins are quicker, moreaware, or better prepared. This is one of the many tools theGamemaster can employ to keep combat unpredictable.Should new combatants enter the fray, they must determinetheir own Initiative. Regardless if the new combatant is anenemy or a potential ally, the Gamemaster indicates theirInitiative with a miscellaneous mark, similar to theenvironmental events above. The Gamemaster may evendictate that the new combatant gains Surprise, leaving thefirst victim Defenseless to an attack!

EXAMPLE An unscrupulous Cutthroat has been hidden the wholetime, watching the fight unfold. Announcing that t here’sanother participant that they don’t know about, theGamemaster tracks the Cutthroat with a series of questionmarks “???” and indicates that this combatant’s Initiative is“7”.



5. ??? - 7 (this is the hidden Cutthroat)6. Raging Fire - 5 (the Gamemaster made the call for

the fire to go before the Guttersnipe)7. Guttersnipe - 58. Leopold Coventry - 49. Graf von Bek - 310. Mercutio Salvatore - 211. Thug - 1 (the Thug was displaced down the


STEP III: TAKE TURNS Suddenly, it’s your Turn. What will you do? Will you borush forward, invoking the name of Count So-and-So? W

you elect to raise a litany of hate, seeking to unman yfoes? Will you throw someone else in front of you to behasty retreat? Whichever option you elect to take, they

always classified by one of many categories of Actions.

All combatants begin with 3 Action Points at the startheir Turn, which are then spent to commit to any of

Actions as their Turn comes up within the Initiative Ord You’re not required to spend all of these Action Points your Turn, as some can be held to Parry outside of yTurn. On the same token, a combatant cannot simply eto save 0 Action Points on their Turn, banking 6 ActPoints for their next Turn. Whenever a combatant’s T

begins, all of their remaining Action Points are consideto be spent and start with the normal allotment of 3 ActPoints.

Sidebar: Speaking During Combat Combatants may banter, jibe, insult and ma

battle cries whilst taking their Turn. This sortcommunication is generally limited to shsentences or expressions, and must be done Character. Should you wish to exude a longer amore verbose speech or even stirring soliloquyinspire your allies, you must dedicate Action Poito doing so.

While we encourage players to work together, i best to let each make their own decisions as to w Actions to take. Lording over other players atelling them what Action in Combat to use duringame can create confusion, breaks down

barrier between In-Character and out of Character interaction, limits the ability of playto grow more familiar with ZWEIHÄNDER’s ruand can quickly erode suspension of disbelCreative players will make sure that if they intend to issue orders to their fellow players, thedo it using their In-Character voice.

TAKE TURNS, RINSE AND REPEAT Combat may last for one or many Turns. Once Initiativdetermined, it remains in play throughout the encombat. Combatants will continue taking Turns until

battle ends. When the enemy is clearly decimated, givesor some other mitigating condition arises, the Gamema

will announce so.



ACTIONS IN COMBAT Action Points represent an economy of Actions combatantscall upon during combat. It reflects a reserve pool that acombatant can spend to use Actions. Readying a weapon,setting up a defensive posture, demoralizing the enemy,

swinging a sword, firing a gun, mounting a horse andreloading ranged weapons constitute examples of Actions InCombat.

At the beginning of their Turn, a combatant starts with 3Action Points. This dictates how often a combatant may acton their Turn, spent to use specific Actions. They are spentover the course of the combatant’s Turn, determining thespecific activities they may take. Whenever a combatantelects to end their Turn, it is the next combatant’s Turn toact.

Actions always have a relative cost. Combatants may spend1, 2 or even 3 Action Points to use one Action - like shovinga sword through someone’s stomach or barreling over theirenemies. They may also break up these Action Points to takemultiple Actions - such as moving over to the nearestenemy, shoving them over and cleaving them in twain whilethey’re on the ground Prone. A few Actions have no costwhatsoever, able to be used without the combatant havingto spend time managing minor activities (talking anddropping items typically don’t cost any Action Points touse). Other Actions can only be used outside of thecombatant’s Turn - disruptive attacks and defensive actionsas an example.

sidebar: Using Professional Traits, Racial Traitsand Talents in Combat Professional Traits, Racial Traits and Talentsoftentimes act as riders, working in coordinationwith Skill Tests. Some play a major role in combat,allowing your Character to “bend” the system’srules in certain cases, provide a unique benefit oraugment their abilities, Unless specificallyindicated within its description, the use of theseabilities cost 0 Action Points. Furthermore, theymay be used in conjunction with one another.However, this may not always apply where twoseparate abilities supplement the same Skill. Thesecases are always adjudicated by the Gamemaster.

TYPES OF ACTIONS There are four general categories of Actions combatantsmay use on their Turn. Within each category, there exists

specific Actions a combatant may use with a relative cos Action Points to execute:

MOVEMENT ACTIONS - A combatant position themselves on the field of battle.

ATTACK ACTIONS - A combatant can fight inflict Damage against a defender.

CHAIN ATTACK ACTIONS - A combatant inflict a variety of conditions that may hamper thenemy’s ability to find or defend.

SPECIAL ACTIONS - A combatant can attemstunts and other miscellaneous Actions that outside of movement, attacking and defending.

There is also a fifth type called REACTIONS, but thenever used on a combatant’s Turn. Reactions instead allocombatant to duck out of the way, turn away a blow or tan opportune moment to attack an enemy. Reactions htheir own unique limits on how often they may be us

clarified in the entries below.

TABLE SUMMARY HERE

MOVEMENT ACTIONS Movement Actions are used whenever a combatant need

jockey for position, bridge the Distance between their f

or tactically move between opponent’s swings to evade thattacks of opportunity:

CHARGE Movement Action You build up speed, using momentum to punch throuyour enemy’s defenses!

Cost: 2 Action PointsEffect: Move at a Distance equal to your ComMovement +3 additional yards. After Charging at leas

yards, you gain a +10 Base Chance to strike with your nHand-to-Hand or Melee Attack on this Turn. Howeveprovokes an Opportunity Attack if you leave Engagement.

Sidebar: The Meaning of an Engagement

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Sometimes you’ll see the term “Engagement” or“Engaged” referenced at specific times in thischapter. The term has broad application, butshould be applied very loosely. Inherently, anEngagement is when 2 or more combatants standtoe-to-toe against one another. They’re standingless than 1 yard away but close enough to strikewith melee weapons. Typically, an Engagementconsists of no more than 9 people. The Gamemastermay wish to further define what it means to bewithin an Engagement at their own option.

GET UP Movement Action You saddle up on your mount, set into a vehicle, pull anally up to their feet you’re standing next to or get up whilelying on the ground.

Cost: 2 Action PointsEffect: You stand up from the ground, get into a carriage ormount yourself atop an animal.

Sidebar: Provoking Multiple Opportunity Attacks You will note that some Movement Actions provokeOpportunity Attacks. Additionally, some Talents orTraits may allow attackers to make OpportunityAttacks. Should a combatant ever provoke multipleOpportunity Attacks from attackers with an action,only one attacker may take advantage of it. Forinstance, if a combatant made a Move whilesurrounded by 5 attackers in an Engagement, onlyone attacker may make the Opportunity Attack.Generally, the Gamemaster will elect who makesthe Opportunity Attack.

MANEUVER Movement Action You break away from combat, disengaging from yourenemies while zig-zagging between them.

Cost: 2 Action PointsEffect: Move at a Distance equal to your CombatMovement in yards without provoking Opportunity Attacks.This can allow you to move outside an Engagement and intoanother one if needed or to simply avoid Talents or Traitswhich may allow an attacker to use an Opportunity Attack.Otherwise, you simply avoid all Opportunity Attacksnormally provoked by Movement Actions.

MOVE Movement Action You jog forward without fatiguing yourself.

Cost: 1 Action PointEffect: Move at a Distance equal to your ComMovement in yards. However, it provokes an Opportun

Attack if you leave an Engagement.

RUN Movement Action You sprint at a fast pace, making it more difficult for yenemies to get a bead on you.

Cost: 3 Action PointsEffect: Move at a Distance equal to your ComMovement +6 additional yards. As a result, foes suffer a Base Chance to strike you with Attack Actions until

beginning of your next Turn. However, it provokesOpportunity Attack if you leave an Engagement.

After running at least 6 yards, make an Athletics Tessuccessful, you may horizontally jump 2 yards for everpoints of Strength Bonus (SB). However, if you fail this r

you fall to the ground Prone, drop what's in your hands suffer 1 Peril. If there is a pit or some other obstacle, may suffer Damage as well!

TAKE COVER Movement Action You drop behind cover, placing a barrier between you your foes.

Cost: 1 Action Point

Effect: Move at a Distance of 1 yard to a waist-high walhigher. The barrier or cover must come up to your msection and be made of wood, stone or metal to grant amprotection. Trees, a cart or low stone walls would qua

but shrubs or thick grasses would not. If behind lighcover or behind a shield with the Protective Quality, yfoe suffers a -10 Base Chance to hit you until the beginnof your next Turn. If behind heavier cover, your foe suffe-20 Base Chance to hit you until the beginning of your n



Turn. The Gamemaster will always determine how light orheavy the cover is for purposes of Taking Cover.

A FINAL NOTE ABOUT MOVEMENT ACTIONS There are other subtypes of Combat Movement, such asClimbing, Driving, Riding, Rowing, Sneaking andSwimming. These other types of Movement Actions act asriders, pairing on top other Movement Actions withoutincreasing the Action Point cost (although the Gamemasterhas the final say). Although it is not necessary to track theseon a Character Sheet, you can derive these other types ofCombat Movement referenced below.

Climb: 3 + Strength Bonus (SB)

Drive: 3 + Strength Bonus (SB)

Ride: 3 + Agility Bonus (AB)

Row: 3 + Strength Bonus (SB)

Sneak: 3 + Agility Bonus (AB)

Swim: 3 + Strength Bonus (SB)

ATTACK ACTIONS Attack Actions are used whenever a combatant needs tosubdue their enemies using melee, ranged and hand-to-hand attacks:

Sidebar: Bleeding To Death! Anytime a combatant is unarmored and suffersDamage greater than their Toughness Bonus (TB),they immediately bleed for 1 Damage. Theycontinue to bleed at the beginning of their Turn,unless they are given medical care by someonesuccessfully with a Heal Test.

CALLED SHOT Attack Action Lining up a perfect attack, you attempt to debilitate yourenemy in some capacity with the flat of your blade, acarefully-placed shot or with a powerful hand-to-hand

blow.

Cost: 2 Action PointsEffect: Attack a specific body part with a relevant Athletics,Melee-based or Ranged-based Skill Test. After successfullystriking, roll Damage as your foe considers two defensiveoptions. If they successfully Dodge, they suffer no Damageand you cannot move into a Chain Attack. If they

successfully Parry, they compare Damage to th Additional Soak and you move into a Chain Attack.

Additionally, you can use a Called Shot against a foe thsleeping, unconscious, pinned beneath something heaIncapacitated otherwise Helpless. In these cases, you nehave to roll to strike or Damage; you instantly slay th

with a coup de grace!

You cannot make a Called Shot with a ranged weapon win an Engagement, unless using a weapon with Gunpowder Quality. Once you’ve attempted a Called Sh

whether successful or not, you cannot use any other Att Actions until your next Turn.

CAST MAGICK Attack Action Summoning powers beyond most kith, you draw foraw, formless ethereal energies to take shape.

Cost: 1, 2 or 3 Action PointsResist: As indicated within the Magick’s listing Effect: Make an Incantation Test to cast a Petty, LesseGreater Magick spell. Each spell has its own descriptionindicated in Chapter ???: Grimoire. You must have bhands free and be able to speak in order to Cast Magick.

Once you’ve attempted to Cast Magick, whether succesor not, you cannot use any other Attack Actions until ynext Turn.

HAND-TO-HAND ATTACK Attack Action You place your ability to defend attacks in jeopardy as ylash outwards with a powerful blow, intent to puthrough your foe’s defenses with fury.

Cost: 1, 2 or 3 Action PointsEffect: When Engaged with a foe, spend 1 AP and make

Athletics Test to strike. You may instead spend 2 AP to gan additional +10 Base Chance to your attack. Alternativspend 3 AP to gain an additional +20 Base Chance to yattack. After successfully striking, roll Damage as yourconsiders two defensive options. If they successfully Dodthey suffer no Damage. If they successfully Parry, tcompare Damage to their Additional Soak.



Once you’ve attempted a Hand-to-Hand Attack, whethersuccessful or not, you cannot use any other Attack Actionsuntil your next Turn.

MELEE ATTACK Attack Action You focus your precision and might behind a series ofstrikes to slay your enemies!

Cost: 1, 2 or 3 Action PointsEffect: When Engaged with a foe, spend 1 AP to make arelevant Melee-based Skill Test, referencing the Skillrequired to use your weapon. You may instead spend 2 APto gain an additional +10 Base Chance to your attack.

Alternatively, spend 3 AP to gain an additional +20 BaseChance to your attack. After successfully striking, rollDamage as your foe considers two defensive options. If theysuccessfully Dodge, they suffer no Damage. If theysuccessfully Parry, they compare Damage to theirAdditional Soak.

Once you’ve attempted a Melee Attack, whether successfulor not, you cannot use any other Attack Actions until yournext Turn.

Sidebar: Multiple Attacks?

In ZWEIHÄNDER, combat is abstracted to a greatdegree. The mechanics behind Damage, Soak, thechances to evade and avoid particular effects havebeen carefully balanced and play tested. Because ofthis, multiple attack rolls on the same Turn are nota consideration of the system, even if you arewielding two melee weapons.

RANGED ATTACK Attack Action

Closing the range between you and an enemy, you targetthe chinks in their armor with a ranged shot.

Cost: 1, 2 or 3 Action PointsEffect: When at a Distance from a foe, spend 1 AP to makea relevant Ranged-based Skill Test, referencing the Skillrequired to use your weapon. You may instead spend 2 APto gain an additional +10 Base Chance to your attack.Alternatively, spend 3 AP to gain an additional +20 Base

Chance to your attack. After successfully striking, Damage as your foe considers two defensive options. If tsuccessfully Dodge, they suffer no Damage. If tsuccessfully Parry, they compare Damage to th

Additional Soak.

You cannot make a Ranged Attack while in an Engagemunless using a weapon with the Gunpowder Quality. O

you’ve attempted a Ranged Attack, whether successfunot, you cannot use any other Attack Actions until your nTurn.

Sidebar: Using Actions Against Larger and SmalFoes Some attacks may suffer penalty to attack

wrangle foes larger than yourself. For instancemay prove incredibly difficult to Chokehold a Trif you’re a measly Dwarf or even be easier to us

Melee Attack against a creature larger than barnside door! In these situations, the Gamemas will change the Difficulty Rating, taking unconsideration these varying factors.

CHAIN ATTACK ACTIONS Chain Attack Actions are used whenever a combatant neto debilitate their enemies with Combat Conditions. Ch

Attack Actions must be chained off of a Called Shot bef you may use them, but they cannot be used in conjunc

with one another (e.g. you cannot move from a Chokehto a Joint Lock). However, some Talents or other traits mallow you to inflict these effects. Finally, note that Ch

Attack Actions cannot be Dodged or Parried - they can o be Resisted, as per the listings that follow:

CHOKEHOLD Chain Attack Action You tighten the grip around your enemy’s neck, restricttheir ability to breathe.

Cost: 0 Action PointsHit Location: HeadCalled Shot Type: Hand-to-Hand (only bare handgarotte or whip)Resist: (Standard +/-0) AthleticsEffect: Your foe must make a successful Athletics Test (Standard +/-0) Difficulty Rating or be Choked. WChoked, your foe cannot use Movement Actions and suf



3 Damage (Soak Notwithstanding) at the beginning of theirTurn until they successfully Shake It Off (Athletics). Youcannot use any Attack Actions when you maintain aChokehold, but may release it at any time.

DISARM Chain Attack Action With a weapon in-hand, you try to deprive your enemy oftheir only means of offense.

Cost: 0 Action PointsHit Location: ArmsCalled Shot Type: Melee weaponsResist: (Standard +/-0) CoordinationEffect: Your foe must make a successful Coordination Testat a (Standard +/-0) Difficulty Rating or be Disarmed.

When Disarmed, your foe loses one weapon, thrown at aDistance just outside of easy reach.

JOINT LOCK Chain Attack Action You twist a foe’s arms, restricting their ability to fightback.

Cost: 0 Action PointsHit Location: Arms

Called Shot Type: Hand-to-Hand (only bare handed,garotte or whip)Resist: (Standard +/-0) AthleticsEffect: Your foe must make a successful Athletics Test at a(Standard +/-0) Difficulty Rating or be Joint Locked. WhileJoint Locked, your foe cannot use Attack Actions and suffers3 Damage (Soak Notwithstanding) at the beginning of theirTurn until they successfully Shake It Off (Athletics). Youcannot use any Attack Actions when you maintain a JointLock, but may release it at any time.

KNOCKOUT! Chain Attack Action Using a sap or a square punch to the jaw, you tryrendering one enemy unconscious.

Cost: 0 Action PointsHit Location: HeadCalled Shot Type: Hand-to-Hand or melee weapons

Resist: (Standard +/-0) ResilienceEffect: Your foe must make a successful Resilience Test (Standard +/-0) Difficulty Rating or be knocunconscious. When knocked out, they immediately falthe ground, knocked unconscious for a number of minuequal to your Strength Bonus (SB). During this time, tcan instantly be slain with a Called Shot. Knockout! o

works against Surprised foes.

STUNNING BLOW Chain Attack Action With a kidney punch or a solid bludgeoning instrumyou try to stun your enemy.

Cost: 0 Action PointsHit Location: Body

Called Shot Type: Hand-to-Hand or melee weaponsResist: (Standard +/-0) ResilienceEffect: Your foe must make a successful Resilience Test (Standard +/-0) Difficulty Rating or be Stunned. WStunned, they begin their Turn with 1 less Action Pothereafter until they successfully Shake It Off (Resiliencefoe cannot be made victim to Stunning Blow more thonce.

TRIP Chain Attack Action

You lurch forward to try dropping your foe to the gro Prone with a throw or kicking their feet out frunderneath them.

Cost: 0 Action PointsHit Location: LegsCalled Shot Type: Hand-to-Hand (only bare handgarotte or whip)Resist: (Standard +/-0) CoordinationEffect: Your foe must make a successful Coordination Tat a (Standard +/-0) Difficulty Rating or be knocked Pronto the ground. When knocked Prone, the foe keeps h

of their weapons despite having fallen.

SPECIAL ACTIONS Special Actions are used to complete miscellaneous Actithat do not hinge on movement or attacking. Ready

weapons, interacting within the environment, shaking



the effects of Combat Conditions and boosting the moral ofallies constitute these sort of Actions:

DRAW WEAPONS

Special Action You draw any one-handed or two-handed weapon intoyour hands.

Cost: 1 Action PointEffect: You may draw any weapon either from your ownbody, something you dropped at your feet, swap weapons atyour side, give a weapon to an ally or even take one from anally.

You may drop any item in your hand at any time,

immediately at your feet. Anything dropped at your feetrequires you to Draw Weapons afterwards.

GRIM RESOLVE Special Action You grit your teeth and try to withstand the pain of yourwounds by mentally psyching yourself up.

Cost: 2 Action PointsEffect: You immediately gain a temporary pool of health,

equal to your Willpower Bonus (WB). Should you sufferDamage again during combat, subtract it first from thetemporary pool of health before consideration of Damage toyour Damage Threshold. At the end of combat, anyremaining temporary health disappears. You can only useGrim Resolve once during combat.

EXAMPLE Leopold Coventry’s current Damage Threshold is 7.Leopold uses Grim Resolve, immediately gaining 6temporary health. Leopold later suffers 5 Damage,drawing it first from his temporary pool of 6 health - this

leaves him 1 temporary health. Combat then ends and hisadrenaline cools. Leopold remains at a Damage Thresholdof 7, while the remaining temporary pool of healthdisappears.

INSPIRING WORDS Special Action

You rally the morale of a comrade with a stirring speech

Cost: 1 Action PointEffect: You may attempt a (Standard +/-0) DifficRating Leadership Test. If successful, one ally who clearly see and hear you is immediately Inspired. WInspired, that ally gains a +10 Base Chance to all Skill Te

An ally can only be made subject to Inspiring Words oduring combat, and cannot be Inspired if alreIntimidated.

INTIMIDATION TACTICS Special Action You break the morale of your enemy by spouting a litaof hatred.

Cost: 1 Action PointEffect: You may attempt a (Standard +/-0) DifficRating Intimidate Test. If successful, one foe who clearly see and hear you is immediately Intimidated. WIntimidated, that foe suffers a -10 Base Chance to all STests until they successfully Shake It Off (Discipline). Acan only be made subject to Intimidation Tactics oduring combat, and cannot be Intimidated if alreInspired.

Sidebar: Intimidating Animals & Creatures In some cases, this can also be used agaicreatures to cause them to flee. The effects creatures yielding before you varies, left to Gamemaster to interpret. You could potentiascatter a pack of rats by stomping around wildswing lit torches towards a pack of wolves to cauthem to cower, make loud noises to overawe a bechase away small animals by flapping your armsmack a dog firmly on the nose or even raissymbol of your faith, causing those with the UndeCreature Trait to recoil and turn away!

LOAD Special Action With haste, you prepare another shot

Cost: 1, 2 or 3 Action PointsEffect: Before and after you fire a ranged weapon, must Load it with ammunition. Spend the requisite amoof Action Points to Load, as indicated within the ran



weapon’s listing in Chapter XXX: Trappings. However,you must have both hands free to Load.

PERILOUS STUNT

Special Action You can perform dangerous feats that places your life indanger which grants you fortune and advantage!

Cost: 1, 2 or 3 Action PointsEffect: Attempt a death-defying stunt or use your Skills in away not described by the other Action types. A PerilousStunt qualifies Actions that are above and beyond the fold ofnormal combat options presented in this chapter. They canbe particularly useful for those not well-trained in thefighting arts. You should be creative with your description,so that the Gamemaster can interpret it in a way that’s both

death-defying and exciting! The Gamemaster will decide therequired Tests you must make, depending solely on thedescription of the Actions you wish to take. The options arevirtually limitless.

Below are several examples of stunts you may attempt,using them as a guideline to create your own uniquePerilous Stunts:

Banter and Gibe (Charm Test) Put on a goodshow by juggling, storytelling and acting the fool tostun your opponents into thinking you’re simply a

japster and harmless, ignoring you for theremainder of the fight until you initiate an attack!

Burn Them All (Coordination Test) Ignite amolotov cocktail and throw it at your enemy’s

wagon, catching them all (horses included) on fireas the wagon crashes into a nearby home!

Chink In The Armor (Awareness Test) Look forthe weakest link in your opponent’s armor, detecttheir next Action and let your allies know what theyintend to do, allowing them to bypass Soak withtheir next attack!

Dungeon Siege (Athletics Test) Kick in a door andknock over someone on the other side, roll a

burning barrel of spirits through the threshold andfire a gunpowder weapon to explode the barrel!

Dirty Tricks (Guile Test) Grab a handful of sandand throw it into your opponent’s eyes, blindingthem for a Turn while quickly getting away!

Drunken Master (Resilience Test) Down apitcher of ale, throw it at your enemies and kick thetable over to take cover!

Eastern Promises (Athletics Test) Grab yfoe’s arm as they lunge inwards, leap over them flip them onto the ground Prone!

Funeral Dirge (Intimidate Test) Initiatefirebrand’s speech about the sins of your enemthe curses that will befall them and trick them i

believing you’re the instrument of a far-flung go vengeance!

Roadie Run (Resilience Test) While Clinchinfoe, push them forward along with you, using thas a body shield to suffer Damage in your stead

you barrel through your enemies!

Search (Awareness) You can attempt to find thioverlooked, identify a weak part of a foe’s defenlook for hidden enemies or determine a fimmediate intentions.

Swandive (Athletics Test) Dive through yenemy in a somersault, sliding on your back and a gunpowder shot at a foe’s vitals!

SHAKE IT OFF Special Action

Focusing inwards, you try to rally from any number ofeffects.

Cost: 2 Action PointsEffect: You may attempt a successful (Standard +/Difficulty Rating Skill Test to escape from any numbeCombat Conditions. Roll once, referencing each Skill rela

to the number of conditions you’re suffering from purposes of this Test: Choked (Athletics), Intimida(Discipline), Joint Locked (Athletics) or Stun(Resilience). If you’re affected by multiple conditiocompare the results to each condition. If successful, theffects disappear immediately. If you fail, you may attemto Shake It Off on your next Turn.

WAIT Special Action You position yourself into a watchful position, waiting

condition to play out during a fight.

Cost: 0 Action PointsEffect: Whenever you Wait, you opt to interrupt someelse’s Turn by succeeding an Awareness Test; failing t

you act immediately afterwards. You may take any serieactions, up to 3 Action Points. You must act before ynext Turn comes up in the Initiative Order; otherwise,



are no longer waiting. Once you’ve acted, you assume a newposition within the Initiative Order.

REACTIONS Reactions are always used by combatants outside of theirTurn as a response to their enemy’s attacks and movement,disrupting another’s Turn or defending themselves againstthe onslaught:

DODGE Reaction Using quick reflexes or out of desperation for lack ofprotection, you attempt to entirely avoid an oncomingattack by ducking out of the way.

Cost: 0 Action PointsEffect: Whenever you are successfully hit by Hand-to-Hand, Melee or Ranged Attack immediately after Damage isdetermined, attempt a Coordination Test. Your Test’sDifficulty Rating receives either a penalty or a bonus, basedon the Difficulty Rating of your foe’s attack. It is always theopposite bonus or penalty. This means if your foe’s attackhas a Difficulty Rating of (Hard -20%), your DifficultyRating to Dodge is (Easy +20%). Additionally, theGamemaster may raise the Difficulty Rating depending onthe relative speed of the weapon you’re attempting to avoid -

or even the size of your foe. For instance, Dodging out of theway from a rampaging horse or an arrow may beconsiderably more difficult than simply ducking out of theway of a club’s swing!

If you fail, you remain on your feet. If successful, youentirely avoid all Damage, throwing yourself away 1 yard(and potentially out of the Engagement). However, youimmediately fall to the ground Prone.

Should you be Defenseless or Surprised, you cannot Dodgeattacks. Nor, can you Dodge on horseback or in a vehicle

unless you possess a Talent or Trait which allows you to doso. Furthermore, Dodge allows you to avoid Damage only.Finally, you cannot Dodge against Chain Attack Actions.

EXAMPLE The Bounty Hunter successfully hit Patches with a MeleeAttack. Patches wishes to Dodge out of the way. However,because the Bounty Hunter’s Difficulty Rating to attack

was (Easy +20%), Patches’ Difficulty Rating to Dodge(Hard -20%).

OPPORTUNITY ATTACK

Reaction You lash out with a disruptive attack against an expo

foe!

Cost: 0 Action PointsEffect: In specific situations, make a free Hand-to-HanMelee Attack at a 0 Action Point cost. A foe is always Defenseless to an Opportunity Attack. However, you canmake Opportunity Attacks while laying on the grouProne, Surprised or with weapons that possess the ReQuality.

PARRY Reaction Using martial understanding, you attempt to mitigateoncoming attack by interposing your weapon or bhands against a foe’s attack.

Cost: 1 Action PointEffect: Whenever you are successfully hit by HandHand, Melee or Ranged Attack immediately after Damagdetermined, attempt an Awareness Test. Your Te

Difficulty Rating receives either a penalty or a bonus, baon the Difficulty Rating of your foe’s attack. It is alwaysopposite bonus or penalty. This means if your foe’s atthas a Difficulty Rating of (Easy +20%), your DifficuRating to Parry is (Hard -20%). Additionally, Gamemaster may raise the Difficulty Rating dependingthe size of the weapon you’re using to def end yourself win regard to the size of your attacker’s weapon. For instanparrying a zweihänder may be incredibly difficult warmed only with a knife. Similarly, parrying a knife witround shield may prove a cinch!

If successful, you can reduce the Damage you take, equathe sum of your Additional Soak. Additional Soak in case of Parrying with a hand-to-hand or melee weapon sum of 3 + Soak + your shield’s Defense Value.

Be aware that you cannot Parry a hand-to-hand or me weapon unless you are armed with a melee weapon yourIf you’re armed with a shield, you may attempt to Paranged weapons. However, if both you and the attacker



fighting hand-to-hand, you may attempt to Parry theseblows.Should you be Defenseless, Surprised or have no ActionPoints left in reserve, you cannot Parry attacks. You canParry while on foot, mounted or even while driving orpiloting a vehicle. Furthermore, Parry allows you to mitigateDamage only. Finally, you cannot Parry against ChainAttack Actions whatsoever.

EXAMPLE Patches decides to return the favor, lashing out towardsthe Bounty Hunter with his knife. The Bounty Hunterwishes to Parry this attack. However, because Patches’Difficulty Rating to attack was (Simple +30%), the BountyHunter’s Difficulty Rating to Parry is (Arduous -30%).

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER Below is an example of the way combat is ran. Gamemastersand players can use this as a quick reference to understandhow to pull together the basics of a fight. Colorfuldescriptions were omitted on purpose, so that the focus ispurely on the raw mechanics of Actions in Combat:

EXAMPLE It is Wilhelm Eckhardt’s Turn in the Initiative Order. Hewants to position himself a bit closer to the Guttersnipeand attack. Wilhelm moves forward with Move (1 AP). Atthe end of the Move, he swings his vicious mortuary sword

with a Melee Attack spending 1 additional AP to add +10Base Chance to strike (2 AP). This immediately slays theGuttersnipe! It’s now the end of Wilhelm’s Turn, left with 0AP.

It’s now Patches’ Turn in the Initiative Order. He needs todisengage from combat, as Patches is wounded prettybadly and surrounded. He Maneuvers (2 AP), avoiding anOpportunity Attack the Thug could have made. It’s now theend of his Turn, opting to keep 1 AP in case he needs toParry.

The Gamemaster is controlling the Bounty Hunter. Shedecides to attack with her crossbow with a Ranged Attack,spending all 3 Action Points to get a better chance to strikewith a +20 Base Chance (3 AP). The Bounty Huntersuccessfully hits Patches, but Patches immediately attemptsto Dodge (0 AP) and succeeds! It’s now the end of theBounty Hunter’s Turn, left with 0 AP.

Edwin Mortani’s Turn is up in the Initiative Order. storms towards the Bounty Hunter with a Charge (2 Aterminating with a Melee Attack (1 AP). But because

Bounty Hunter ended her last Turn with 0 AP, she can Parry his attack! Edwin unfortunately rolls a Crit Failure with his Melee Attack; the Gamemaster decthat he falls over a table flat on his face, left Defensel

Edwin’s Turn immediately ends with 0 AP.

It’s the Gamemaster’s Turn with a new combatantCutthroat! She’s been hidden the entire time, unnoticedall. The assassin leaps out from behind a table, lungingat Wilhelm Eckhardt with a Called Shot (2 AP). Becausewas hidden and unseen the entire time, the Cutthroattack against Wilhelm strikes successfully! The Cutthrimmediately leads into a Knockout! (0 AP), but Wilhresists. She ends her Turn, and the Gamemaster updathe Initiative Order with the Cutthroat at 0 AP.

The Raging Fire continues to rage, slowly creeping up supporting beams on the bottom floor of the Tramp's LThe Gamemaster updates the Initiative Order with hash mark beside the number (ex. Raging Fire - 5 x). Tindicates that there’s some sort of time constraint,something will eventually unfold should the fire be unchecked. The Raging Fire’s Turn is now over.

The Guttersnipe was killed earlier by Wilhelm Eckhardthis dying breath, he curses Wilhelm and keels over deThe Gamemaster removes the Guttersnipe entirely frthe Initiative Order.

Leopold Coventry’s Turn comes up in the Initiative Ord He Draws Weapons (1 AP) with a throwing kn propelling it at the Cutthroat with a Ranged Attack (1 A He hits the Cutthroat, and she attempts to Dodge (0 APresponse. The Cutthroat fails and takes Damage! LeopoTurn ends, retaining 1 AP to Parry if needed.

Graf von Bek’s Turn comes up. Knowing that he andallies outnumber their enemies, he grants wordsencouragement with Inspiring Words (1 AP) and succee

Graf decides to hold onto his last 2 AP, in case he need Parry.

Mercutio Salvatore’s Turn now begins. He feels confidthat his friends can take on these ruffians, but the fclearly presents a different sort of challenge. He asks Gamemaster if there’s any barrels of water arouTramp’s Loft as he searches around. Unfortunately, thenothing he can see within the vicinity. Mercutio recalls t



it’s raining outside, and proposes to the Gamemaster thathe wishes to use a Perilous Stunt, describing into detailwhat he wishes to do. The Gamemaster OKs the request,issuing that it costs 3 Action Points and three successfulCoordination Tests. Mercutio makes a series of dice rollsand succeeds! Mercutio carefully balances outside onto thewindow sill, and using his strength, breaks the rain gutter.Water begins to pour into Tramp’s Loft, in hopes to dousethe flames. His Turn now ends with 0 AP.

It’s now the Gamemaster’s Turn with a Thug. Givingcareful consideration to the devastating blows WilhelmEckhardt is dealing out, the Thug makes a Called Shot (2AP) and attempts to Disarm (0 AP) Wilhelm. Not only is hisDisarm attempt successful, but he rolls a Critical Success!The Thug snatches away the sword and tosses it halfwayacross the room, directly into the source of the fire. HisTurn ends, retaining 1 AP to Parry if needed.

Initiative begins again with Wilhelm Eckhardt,unfortunately left disarmed...

A QUICK AND DIRTYGUIDE TO ATTACKING This covers the most common Action in combat - the attack!Whenever a combatant is armed with a melee, ranged or

hand-to-hand weapon, an attack and the Damage dealt isdetermined the same way. There are seven simple steps tocompleting an attack:

Step I: Melee, Ranged or Hand-To-Hand Attack?

Step II: Determine Difficulty Rating Step III: Make The Attack Step IV: Enemy Defends Step V: Roll Damage Step VI: Call Out Condition Step VII: Determine Injury

STEP I: MELEE, RANGED OR HAND-TO-HAND ATTACK? Whenever a combatant wishes to fight, they must first takeunder consideration what kind of weapon being used andDistance. Melee weapons are useful for those who like to getup close and personal, while ranged weapons serve the

purposes of more cowardly (or some may wiser) fightHand-to-hand fighting works well when a combatant wato take down their foe with what little they may have at tdisposal. However, there are benefits and drawbacks,matter the choice a combatant makes when using a weap

What fighting style a Character uses is generally reflectivtheir Profession or Social Class, taught at a formative

when they first learned to defend themselves againstunforgiving world. Tutelage from a master swordsman relatively common practice amongst the Aristocr

whereas the Lowborn and Branded may have taken tlicks in the streets, fighting with clubs and rocks. No mathe instrument of death, all weapons confer genadvantages and disadvantages, based on the type of weapHere are a few general distinctions:

Two-handed melee weapons generally deal higDamage. Unfortunately, should the weapon dropped or disarmed, an attacker may be

without a way to fight. They typically cannotused for Opportunity Attacks, due to their ReQuality.

One-handed melee weapons generally have loDamage. However, 2 one-handed weapons mayheld simultaneously, should an attacker wish tomore flexible with the type of attacks they’re usin

One-handed ranged weapons have lower Damand poor Distance, but two-handed ranged weapgenerally need to be Loaded between shots have supreme Distance rates.

Two-handed ranged weapons always have advantage of Distance, but force an attacker to f

without a shield while Parrying. This can bparticularly dangerous prospect, since they unable to take advantage of a shield’s Defe

Value. However, two-handed ranged weaponsgrievous Damage as they strike true.

Ranged weapons with the Gunpowder Quality deout high Damage and can be used while Engaged

with foes. Furthermore, foes are left Defenseless when struck by these same weapons. However, tare notoriously volatile should an attacker generaa Critical Failure.

Shields are superior, as they allow a defenderabsorb additional Damage when Parrying

defend against Ranged Attacks. However, wused with another one-handed melee weapon, amount of Damage an attacker can deal palescomparison with an attacker armed with a thanded melee weapon.

Hand-to-hand weapons are useful for other waytake down other combatants. These weapons win a pinch. However, fighting against combataarmed with more dangerous weapons maattacking in this manner incredibly diffic



Additionally, all hand-to-hand weapons possess the Weak Quality, reducing their Damage Modifierfrom 2D6 to 1D6 when employed against Mail,Munitions or Full Plate armor (as all Hand-to-Hand

weapons have the Weak Quality).

MELEE WEAPONS From a simple farmer’s tool, to a poisoned dirk, a heavy ironmorningstar or even a thin rapier, melee weapons are themost common stock of hand weapons used. They’retypically cheap to purchase, easy to use and reliable evenunder the worst of conditions. With a melee weapon, theattacker will make either a Simple Melee or Martial MeleeTest, depending on the type of weapon they’re armed with.For most melee weapons, the attacker must be Engaged,otherwise standing next to their intended target, in order toattack. While most melee weapons can only be used whileEngaged, some may possess the Reach Quality. Weaponswith this Trait can be used to attack foes outside of an

Engagement, up to 1 yard away.

Sidebar: Primary Hand And Off-Hand While a favored option of many players, using twoweapons in combat can be difficult for theGamemaster to balance. We prefer a simplermethod of application, taking under account thedelicate balance of ZWEIHÄNDER’S gamemechanics.

You can wield any 2 one-handed weapons incombat. However, you should indicate on yourCharacter Sheet under Background what yourprimary hand is. When attacking with a weaponheld in your off-hand, you flip the results to failwith the Attack Action. However, you provoke nopenalties to Parry in these cases if employing anytype of shield. Should you possess theAmbidexterity Talent, you suffer no penalties to useyour off-hand in combat whatsoever, using eitherweapon with equal effectiveness.

RANGED WEAPONS Nothing like the “plunk” of lead shot blasting through plate

armor is more satisfying to the ear, save perhaps theresounding “hum” of an arrow as it shivers within thetarget’s breastplate. Thrown axes, yew wood bowscranequin-driven crossbows can be incredibly deadly, albeittaking time to Load between shots. With a ranged weapon,the attacker will make either a Simple Ranged or MartialRanged Test, varying by the kind of weapon their wielding.Akin to melee weapons, the attacker must consider Distanceto their intended target when attacking with a rangedweapon. However, ranged weapons also possess further

Distance to strike. These reflect the number of yardsattacker can accurately fire their weapon:

Short Distance is the minimum range an attacmay stand without suffering additional penaltytheir attack. This mean there’s at least 1 y

between the attacker and their intended tarEach ranged weapon has a Short Distance tied t

within Chapter XXX: Trappings. While at ShDistance, the attacker does not suffer any additiopenalties to their attack roll.

Medium Distance is the sum of Short Distanplus 3 additional yards. This means an attacker stand even further away from their intended tarand fire effectively. While at Medium Distance, attacker suffers -10 Base Chance to their attack r

Long Distance is the sum of Short Distance, p6 additional yards. At this range, firing a ran

weapon can be considerably difficult. While at L

Distance, the attacker suffers -20 Base Chancetheir attack roll.

There are some ranged weapons that reference an attackStrength Bonus (SB) for range, possessing the ThrowQuality. In these cases, these weapons can never be throfurther than the Distance listed; they always are at ShDistance, and do not have a Medium or Long Dista

value.

One final note about ranged weapons - if an attacke

standing next to an enemy, this means they effectivEngaged, unable to use a ranged weapon (unless it iGunpowder weapon).

HAND-TO-HAND WEAPONS Not every fight necessarily has to boil down to outrmurder. Underground pugilist’s clubs sponsored by aristocracy, the tried and true tavern brawl, “bridge wa

between rivaling guilds and sanctioned gladiatorial boxmatches are part and parcel within the context o

believable Campaign World. There are times wpunishing someone for their transgressions with a ssmack to the jaw or the lashing of a whip is a better lesso

teach another, rather than spitting them on the end of y blade. Violence, while a very real threat, should overshadow the more gentlemanly ways to settle a scThis style of fighting is an excellent way to take downenemy without having to resort to a fight to the death. WEngaged in hand-to-hand, there are a few important rucombatants should consider:



Reference the Athletics skill when using hand-to-hand weapons. Fighting with a blackjack, garrote,knuckleduster, bare handed or a whip referencesthe Athletics skill when fighting in this style.

Hand-to-hand weapons like fists, headbutts andkicks function as a bare handed weapon, as

indicated in Chapter ???: Trappings. Hand-to-hand weapons never outright kills a foe. If

an enemy is somehow Injured by a hand-to-hand weapons, they are immediately knockedunconscious for a number of minutes equal to theattacker’s Strength Bonus (SB), otherwisefunctioning as the Knockout! Chain Attack Action

with no way to resist its effects.

Hand-to-hand weapons can be Dodged and Parried.However, it is a dangerous proposition to Parrymelee weapons bare handed. Should a defenderattempt to do so, they may take advantage of

Additional Soak, but immediately begin to Bleed. Whenever a combatant Bleeds, they immediately

suffer 1 Damage (Soak notwithstanding) and at the beginning of your subsequent Turns until theyreceive medical care from someone with the HealSkill.

Sidebar: Tactical Grid Some Gamemasters prefer to use a tactical grid toillustrate tabletop combat. This gives everyonearound the table a bird’s eye view of the battlefield.Some gaming groups use this option to bettervisualize how combat plays out. ZWEIHÄNDERmakes general assumptions about Combat

Movement in yards, but doesn’t require a tacticalgrid to play. If your Gamemaster prefers a grid forcombat, reference the following for weapons atReach or with Distance:

A battlemat should be used to representdistinct movement. There are a variety ofmats available in the marketplace, but graphpaper will work as will any marker board.The mat should include lines to representhexes or squares, typically around 1 inch

between each line.

Each hex or square represents 1 Segment. ASegment is equal to 1 yard in width, heightand length for purposes of measurement.

Figurines should be used to distinctlyrepresent each combatant participating inthe fight. You can use store-bought models,coins or cardboard stand-ups to representeach combatant’s positioning on the

battlemap.

Melee weapons generally require combatant to be Engaged to strike foes. Tmeans the attacker is standing in a Segm“adjacent” to the defender, their Segmentouching the Segment the defender stanin.

With melee weapons that have the ReaQuality, they represent a maximum numbof Segments between the attacker adefender. For instance, with a spear attacker’s figurine can be placed 1 Segmaway from the defender and still be withreach to strike.

With ranged weapons, the same princiapplies as above. However, Ranged Distanrepresents a range of Segments betweenattacker and a defender. For example, if Short Distance of a ranged weapon is 6means the attacker can place a figurrepresenting their Character anywhere fr

1 to 5 Segments between them and defender without suffering any additiopenalty. At Medium Distance of 9, tmeans the attacker can have anywhere fr7 to 8 Segments between them and defender while suffering -10 Base Chanceattack. At Long Distance of 12, the attaccan have anywhere between 10 to Segments between them and the defend

while suffering -20 Base Chance to attack.

STEP II: DETERMINE DIFFICULRATING There are several key factors that may influencecombatant’s ability to successfully hit a foe with thattacks or evade their incoming blows. Positioning, ambimodifiers by their abilities and types of Actions can rapchange the difficulty to strike enemies. These modifiersresultant of the Actions combatants use and persoconditions they may be suffering from.

BASE CHANCE Before a combatant makes an attack, they must take un

consideration any penalties or benefits that the Att Action confers immediately. Some Attack Actions gr bonuses to strike. For instance, spending 1 additional AcPoint with a Melee Attack grants +10 Base Chance to strSimilarly, the attacker may be suffering from a ComCondition, a persistent Injury or a lower Peril Threshthat further penalizes their chances of success.



Once these personal modifiers have been tallied by theattacker, the result determines the Base Chance. Alwaysreference the Action in Combat’s modifier to your own BaseChance. The maximum total bonus that can be applied is+30%, while the maximum total penalty is -30%. Should thebonuses or penalties exceed these two numbers, they areignored. Having a sum greater than “30” never results inautomatic success or automatic failure.

EXAMPLE Patches throws his knife at the Thug. Patches’ SimpleRanged skill is 45% and he’s standing at Long Distance,which penalized his roll by -20 Base Chance. Patchesdecides to spend 2 Action Points with a Melee Attack,granting him +10 Base Chance to his next Attack Action.Using this Action, it should offset some of the inherentdifficulty stacked against him. Tallying the results, Patchesdetermines his Base Chance is 35% (45 - 20 + 10 = 35).

SIdebar: Location-based Attacks? Some Gamemasters and players may prefer to usethe Piecemeal Armor rules from Chapter ???:Trappings. Reference the second page of theCharacter Sheet to determine hit location. In thesecases, the unit’s die always references the specificbody part struck:

Result of 1: head Result of 2 to 3: right arm Result of 4 to 5: left arm

Result of 6 to 8: body Result of 9 to 10: legs

DIFFICULTY RATING IN COMBAT The Gamemaster will now adjudicate the Difficulty Ratingfor the attack, above and beyond any personal modifiers theAction in Combat may apply. These circumstances arealways the result of outside influence, used by theGamemaster to either negatively or positively influence theoutcome. For instance, should one side outnumberanother’s within an Engagement, it plays into their favor.On the same token, should an attacker find themselvesfiring into an Engagement where their intended targetsstand amongst their own allies, it will work against them.The Gamemaster will impose these final bonuses orpenalties, and the results of these determine the MaximumChance for success the attacker will need to meet. Shouldyou be the attacker, your Gamemaster will tell you theDifficulty Rating. Similarly, your Gamemaster will alwaysannounce the Difficulty Rating of their combatant’s attacks,adjudicated situationally. Here are a few examples you maysee:

Automatic Success

Render the killing blow to a Helpless foe.

Hit the broadside of a barn.

Instantly slay a Helpless villager as they

huddled over their loved one.

(Simple +30%) Difficulty Rating

Strike a horse while it’s standing motionless.

Fire a shot at a person whose climbing a tree.

Defend against an oncoming hail of arrows wpositioned behind ample cover.

(Easy +20) Difficulty Rating

Strike a foe whose moving away from you withManeuvering.

Attack while hidden from your foes or durinSurprise Turn.

Parry a ranged shot that’s fired at Long Dista with a shield.

(Routine +10) Difficulty Rating

Flank foes who are outnumbered in a meengagement.

Attack while standing on higher ground.

Parry a ranged shot that’s fired at Medium Dista with a shield.

(Standard +/-0%) Difficulty Rating

Fight someone toe-to-toe without any additioenvironmental modifiers to confuse or hamper thability to attack.

Parry a ranged shot that’s fired at Short Dista with a shield.

(Challenging -10) Difficulty Rating

Disarm a foe whose armed with a sword w you’re only holding a knife.

Attack someone that’s partially concealed in desmoke, fog or mist.

Attempt to Dodge or Parry when surrounded inEngagement 3 to 1.

(Hard -20) Difficulty Rating

Fire a ranged weapon into an Engagement w your allies are standing toe-to-toe with tadversaries.

Shoot a crossbow or throw an axe in a dense fore



Attempt to Dodge or Parry when surrounded in anEngagement 6 to 1.

(Arduous -30) Difficulty Rating

Fire a shot at a minute object, such as a cup, a lock

or rope. Attack someone in complete darkness.

Attempt to Dodge or Parry when surrounded in anEngagement 9 to 1.

Automatic Failure

Attempt to throw a zweihänder at a foe standingmore than a few yards away.

Attack anyone while blinded by the misfire of agunpowder weapon.

Stab a broken arrow into a fully-plated knight.

EXAMPLE Patches is ready to attack. Unfortunately, the Thug isstanding amongst Patches’ friends. This will make itparticularly difficult to get a shot in, requiring extremeprecision in Action. Should he Critically Fail, Patches mayhit one of his own allies! The Gamemaster says thatPatches’ Difficulty Rating is (Hard -20%). Patches’Maximum Chance is 25% or below in order to attack theThug (45 - 20 = 25).

STEP III: MAKE THE ATTACK

Although it may appear at first glance that combat isiterative in the game world, it is anything but that. WhileTurns adhere to a strict structure, your Character isconstantly on the move - spinning this way to feint anattack, turning that way to position themselves for a bettershot. It’s that one attack, that one final shot that makes allthe difference as you make a decisive blow, finally rollingthe dice. This is where the fun and excitement of combatcomes in, as a good roll can turn the tide of the battle but apoor roll could result in extreme misfortune! Much likeother Skill Tests, the attack is resolved using the same rulescovered back in Chapter I: How To Play .

MAXIMUM CHANCE Once an attacker has taken under consideration whatweapon they intend to use, what the Base Chance is andknow the Difficulty Rating, it’s time to roll the dice. Shouldthe result meet the Maximum Chance or result below it, theattack succeeds! Should the result exceed the MaximumChance, the attack fails. It may even be a good idea toannounce the Maximum Chance if you’re a player beforeyou roll Percentile Dice, so that you can keep yourself

honest. The confusion of a fight and all of its relamodifiers can sometimes delay even the most level-heaplayer. The Gamemaster likely won’t announce Maximum Chance, so it keeps the players guessing unawares of their foe’s true capabilities.

EXAMPLE Adding up all the modifiers, Patches’ Maximum Chanc25% or below. Rolling the dice, he comes up with a 2barely succeeding - but still hits the Thug! If he would hrolled a 26% or above, he would have failed.

MATCH - CRITICAL SUCCESS! Some attacks allows a combatant to trigger a special ef

whenever they roll a Critical Success with an attack. In thcases, Talents and Professional Traits may allowcombatant to incur a mechanical bonus or triggering effcovered in its description. The effect automatically trigg

generally disallowing the defender to avoid its effeHowever, not all combatants gain these sort of bonusescases where the combatant doesn’t gain a special effect ttriggers on a Match with an attack, they may gain

benefits of a narrative or simple cinematic bonus confer by the Gamemaster. These are always contextual, left inGamemaster’s hands to decide, underscoring the excitemof a well-executed blow. The examples below outline a that may be used by the Gamemaster to describe combatant’s favorable benefit:

Gain 1 additional Action Point to be used before

end of the Turn! Trigger one Chain Attack Action of the attack

choice!

Exploit an opening, leaving a foe Defenseless to tattack’s Damage!

Add a 1D6 Fury Die to Damage!

Immediately restore 1D6 Peril!

Immediately restore 1 Damage Threshold!

MATCH - CRITICAL FAILURE? Rolling poorly with an attack during combat generally no immediate adverse effect. Should a combatant ro

Critical Failure with any melee or ranged weapon, it leathem open to some sort of misfortune. As with CritSuccesses, a Critical Failure’s penalties are alwinterpreted by the Gamemaster, contextual to the situatto explain the dangers of a poor dice roll. There armultitude of cinematic effects they may employ. Th

below only begin to scratch the surface as to what sorcontextual penalties a combatant may incur:



Lose 1 Action Point on this Turn!

Remain Defenseless to one enemy’s attack!

Fall over from overswinging a weapon!

Stumble and drop whatever was held in hand!

Miss completely, instead hitting an ally!

Accidentally drop the weapon the attacker was

using! Snap the bowstring or cause a crossbow’s firing

mechanism to simply break!

STEP IV: ENEMY DEFENDS Those engaged in a fight aren’t simply standing around.They’re feinting, thrusting, side-stepping, bobbing andweaving around, jockeying for a better position. Shoulddefender be aware and ready, they can attempt topurposefully turn away a blow distinctly. Whenever acombatant hits their target but before Damage is rolled, the

defender may absorb the Damage or try to defend againstthe attack. If the defender decides to take the hit, theyreference Soak to absorb Damage. But if they try to defendthemselves against the attack, the defender may attempt toDodge or Parry instead.

SOAK A defender always takes under consideration Soak to reducethe amount of Damage they take. Soak is a combination oftheir armor’s Damage Resistance, plus Toughness Bonus(TB). It is an ambient form of defense that absorbs Damage,regardless if the target is aware that they’re being attackedor not. When a target elects to simply absorb the Damage,

subtract Soak from Damage and record the result. However,no matter if the Soak exceeds the Damage dealt, a defenderalways suffers 1 Damage - even if struck by a Weak weapon.

EXAMPLE The Gamemaster considers the type of armor the Thug iswearing and his Toughness Bonus (TB). He’s wearingQuilted armor, which has a Damage Resistance of 1. TheThug has a Toughness Bonus (TB) of 4. The sum of these isSoak. His total Soak is 5 (1 + 4 = 5).

DEFENDING THE ATTACK - DODGE OR PARRY? Should the target instead wish to avoid an attack, they maytry to allay additional Damage by Parrying or avoid it alltogether by Dodging. However, there are a few restrictionsas to how often the Dodge or Parry Reactions may be used:

Defenders cannot Dodge or Parry attacks whileSurprised or Defenseless.

A defender makes the choice to Dodge or Parry aDamage is rolled.

Dodging costs 0 AP, but the defender ends up Pron the ground if they Dodge successfully.

Parrying costs 1 AP. A defender must have at lea AP left over from their last Turn in order to Parry

The Difficulty Rating to Dodge or Parry is alwthe opposite of the attacker’s Difficulty Ratingattack.

When a defender successfully Dodges, they ignall Damage but immediately fall Prone onto ground.

After Dodging, a defender is now 1 yard away frtheir attacker (and potentially outside of Engagement).

A defender cannot Dodge an attack after failingParry, nor can they elect to Parry an attack tfailed to Dodge.

DODGE - AVOID ALL DAMAGE BUT END PRONE

Whenever you are successfully hit by Hand-to-Hand, Mor Ranged Attack immediately after Damage is determinattempt a Coordination Test. Your Test’s Difficulty Ratreceives either a penalty or a bonus, based on the DifficuRating of your foe’s attack. It is always the opposite boor penalty. This means if your foe’s attack has a DifficRating of (Hard -20%), your Difficulty Rating to Dodg(Easy +20%). Additionally, the Gamemaster may raise Difficulty Rating depending on the relative speed of

weapon you’re attempting to avoid - or even the size of yfoe. For instance, Dodging out of the way from a rampag

horse or an arrow may be considerably more difficult tsimply ducking out of the way of a club’s swing!

EXAMPLE The Bounty Hunter successfully hit Patches with a M

Attack. Patches wishes to Dodge out of the way. Howevbecause the Bounty Hunter’s Difficulty Rating to attwas (Easy +20%), Patches’ Difficulty Rating to Dodge(Hard -20%).

If you fail, you remain on your feet. If successful,

entirely avoid all Damage, throwing yourself away 1 y(and potentially out of the Engagement). However, immediately fall to the ground Prone. You must Get Up

your next Turn and spend a requisite number of ActPoints to pick up your belongings afterwards (at yoption).

EXAMPLE





possesses the Punishing Quality, roll 3D6 and dropthe lowest result, keeping only two dice todetermine the Damage Modifier

If the attacker generates a Natural 12 (or two 6s on both dice), it inflicts additional Fury Damage. Roll1D6 Fury Die, and add it to the Total Damage result.

EXAMPLE Patches successfully hit with his throwing knife, whichdeals Ranged Bonus (RB) - 3 Base Damage. Patches’Ranged Bonus (RB) is 6, which means it modifies BaseDamage by 3 (6 - 3 = 3). He rolled 2D6, rolling a “6” and a“6” - a Natural 12! He now adds 1D6 Fury Die, generatinga “4”. Patches inflicts 19 Total Damage (3 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 19).

STEP VI: CALL OUT CONDITION

Any time a combatant takes Damage, they must announceto the group what their current Condition is (this includesthe Gamemaster and players alike). Remember - even if acombatant ignored Damage because his Soak or AdditionalSoak exceeds the Damage dealt, they still suffer at least 1Damage. Whenever a combatant is hurt, tally the Damageand subtract it from the overall Damage Threshold. Afterthe results are tallied, the results determine what currentCondition the combatant is in.. The defender shouldimmediately call out what Condition they are in to thePlayers and Gamemaster around the table. However, theywill never indicate what the actual numeric value is. Instead,use these terms:

If the defender’s Damage Threshold isn’t reduced whatsoever, they remain Unharmed.

If the defender’s Damage Threshold is equal to 13 orhigher (yet not Unharmed), they are Lightly

Wounded.

If the defender’s Damage Threshold is equal to 12 to7, they are Seriously Wounded.

If the defender’s Damage Threshold is equal to 6 to1, they are Grievously Wounded.

If the defender’s Damage Threshold is 0, they areInjured, gain 1 Corruption Point and immediatelysuffer an Injury .

EXAMPLE The Thug suffers 11 Total Damage. The Thug only had aDamage Threshold of 6 remaining and reduced to 0. TheGamemaster describes the vicious blow, indicating thathe’s suffered an Injury!

STEP VII: DETERMINE INJURY DETERMINING THE INJURY

Whenever a defender suffers enough Damage to redtheir Damage Threshold to 0, the defender immediagains 1 Corruption Point, is moved to the Injured Conditand suffers the effects of an Injury. Even though a defen

may be suffering from an Injury, they may continue fighton...guaranteeing the Injury doesn’t outright kill them! Ain some cases, particular Talents or other traits may msaid Critical Injuries more (or less) severe.

The Gamemaster will roll a 1D6 Chaos Die to first determthe severity if the Injury. If the result is 1 to 3, it results iMinor Injury. If the result is 4 to 5, it is a Moderate InjuIf the result is 6, it is a Major Injury. Once the severitdetermined, the Gamemaster will roll Percentile Dice reveal the results!

TABLE FOLLOWS

PercentileDice Minor Injury Injury Description

1 - 8 Lady's Mercy! Ignore Injury, and remaat 1 Damage Threshold!

9 - 16

Temporary

Aphasia

Until treated, reduce yoPeril Threshold by 3 and

rendered unable to spea

17 - 25 Head Trauma Until treated, reduce yoInitiative by 3.

26 - 33 Muscle Spasms

Until treated, reduce yoEncumbrance Threshol

by 3.

34 - 41 Twisted Leg Until treated, reduce yoCombat Movement by 3

42 - 49 Incompetence

Until treated, suffer a -1Base Chance to all SkillTests.

50 - 58 Blurry Vision

Until treated, you suffer20 Base Chance for allPerception-based SkillTests.

59 - 67 Powerlessness

Until treated, you suffer20 Base Chance for allStrength-based Skill Tes

68 - 76StrainedLigament

Until treated, you suffer20 Base Chance for all

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnV4VG-fnInOnV9ey85s2Tgz-w_h1cFBVllix3_XUMQ/edit#gid=0





Ranged-based Skill Tests.

77 - 85 Broken Fingers

Until treated, you suffer a -20 Base Chance for allMelee-based Skill Tests.

86 - 92 Bewilderment

Until treated, remain

Defenseless and unable toResist Magicks.

93 - 100 Misfortune! Reference the ModerateInjuries table instead.

PercentileDice

ModerateInjury Injury Description

1 - 8 Lady's Mercy! Ignore Injury, and remainat 1 Damage Threshold!

9 - 16 Anxiety

Until treated, any time youmake a Skill Test, suffer 1Peril.

17 - 25 Ineptitude

Until treated, suffer a -20Base Chance to all SkillTests.

26 - 33 Memory Loss

Until treated, you cannotadd Skill Ranks to yourSkills.

34 - 41 Bewilderment

Until treated, remainDefenseless and unable toResist Magicks.

42 - 49 Melancholy

Until treated, reduce all

Damage you inflict by yourFellowship Bonus (FB).

50 - 58 Confusion

Until treated, you cannotuse Special Actions incombat.

59 - 67 Enfeeblement

Until treated, you cannotuse Movement Actions incombat.

68 - 76 Demoralization

Until treated, you cannotuse Attack Actions incombat.

77 - 85 Weaping Wound

Until treated, any time you

make a Skill Test, suffer 1Damage (SoakNotwithstanding).

86 - 92Physical

Exhaustion Until treated, remain at 0Peril Threshold.

93 - 100 Misfortune! Reference the MajorInjuries table instead.

PercentileDice Major Injury Injury Description

1 - 8 Lady's Mercy! Ignore Injury, and remaat 1 Damage Threshold!

9 - 16 Mangled Grasp

Permanently lose 3 toMelee, but remain at 1Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

17 - 25 Elbow Fracture

Permanently lose 3 toRanged, but remain at 1Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

26 - 33 Frailty

Permanently lose 3 toStrength, but remain at Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

34 - 41 Achille's Heel

Permanently lose 3 to Agility, but remain at 1Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

42 - 49 Collapsed Lung

Permanently lose 3 toToughness, but remain Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

50 - 58 Vitreous

Hemorrhage

Permanently lose 3 toPerception, but remain Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

59 - 67 Skull Fracture

Permanently lose 3 toIntelligence, but remain1 Damage Threshold. ThInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

68 - 76Rattled Frontal

Lobe

Permanently lose 3 to Willpower, but remain a

Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.

77 - 85Disfiguring

Scar

Permanently lose 3 toFellowship, but remain Damage Threshold. ThiInjury cannot be treatedand is permanent.



86 - 92 Mutilation

Permanently mutulated;roll 1D6 Chaos Die forresults: 1, lose nose. 2, loseeye, 3, lose ear. 4, losefingers. 5, lose hand. 6,lose arm. Until treated,

remain Incapacitated at 0Peril Threshold.

93 - 100 A Swift Death! Sacrifice a Fate Point, orelse you are instantly slain!

FIGHT OR FLIGHT? Once in the Injured Condition, it’s likely a good idea for acombatant take cover or simply run away. However, ifthey’re trapped, unable to run away or simply stupid enoughto continue fighting, the poor sod is likely to end up in thedead book...but perhaps go down in a blaze of glory.

In combat, it is impossible to treat an Injury untilafterwards. Should a combatant suffer Damage again withan untreated Injury, they are instantly slain in anyparticular gruesome fashion the Gamemaster desires!

Sidebar: Instant Death Some Gamemasters prefer to keep the momentumof combat fast and light. They may rule that once adefending enemy is Injured, they’re instantly killed.This is a cinematic option Gamemasters can employfreely to keep the frenetic pace of combat movingforward.

SACRIFICING A FATE POINT TO ESCAPE INJURYOR DEATH Gods be damned if you’re going out like that! You may(unconsciously) politely tap the shoulder of whatever god(or Abyssal servant) who watches over you to intervene onyour behalf. When you’re facing death, you may sacrifice aFate Point to remain unaffected by the coup de grace orInjury following these two guidelines:

AVOID INJURY

If you sacrifice a Fate Point to escape Injury, you may do soeven after the Gamemaster has announced their effects. Youdo not suffer an Injury, remain at 1 Damage Threshold andmay continue fighting on.

AVOID DEATH If you sacrifice a Fate Point in this manner, you fallunconscious, apparently dead to all. Ten minutes later, you

awaken at 1 Damage Threshold with no Critical Inju(hopefully not already buried six feet under)!

You’ve likely forgotten the entire experience. Or, maybe wake up believing yourself the proxy to some mysterielder god that only you know the name of! Perhaps

believe that your wherewithal got you through sgruesome circumstances. This is an ample opportunitycreate an interesting story hook, explaining how you rfrom the dead. But the choice is ultimately yours.

Sidebar: Maimed Characters Loss of a limb can be particularly disheartening any player, but creative players will find a wayturn these weaknesses into a strength. We urge yto soldier forward with your Injuries, even ifmeans your Character has to wear a gilded no

veteran’s hand or a false leg. Some of history’s b

and brightest suffered from handicaps, but th were no less formidable. These debilitations athe events which caused them provides yoCharacter with a unique life experience, leadinginteresting and robust story development. In right circumstances, any weakness can be madstrength. Developing these into DistinguishMarks that further your renown can have lolasting effects on the campaign’s ongoing stoDon’t feel as if you need to immediately scrap yoCharacter should you suffer from a lost limb. Wo

with your Gamemaster to find a way to turn tsudden loss into a positive strength for yoCharacter. After all, what isn’t potentially mosinister than a one-eyed, half-handed killer men?!?

HEALING AFTER COMBAENDS The Heal skill represents an acute understanding of significance in the humours of the body, how they relatone another and how the wounded can be treated by pay

heed to these temperaments. People within a grimperilous Campaign World have a very archunderstanding of the human body. Germs and bacteria unheard of, as most disease and ills are attributed toexcess of biles within the body, miasma or the influenc

Abyssal spirits. Even the most renown physicians comma very ill-conceived purview of how the body truly woQuacks, charlatans and other snake oil peddlers litter medical field. Finding a legitimate doctor is a trial u



itself. Despite these misunderstandings, the Heal skillrepresents not only the knowledge of physiology, but of itsinterconnection to the spiritual world around it. That meansyou better pray, because you’re going to need all the helpyou can to get back on the mend.

Sidebar: Magical Healing? In a grim & perilous game, healing potions andresurrection aren’t readily available. Those whothrust themselves into the jaws of hell must rely onBarber Surgeons and trained Physicians to treattheir Critical Injuries. Fortune and Fate Points mayhelp bridge the gap between bad dice rolls andcircumstance, but don’t throw yourself into asituation where you’re counting on it to save yourhide. After all - who knows when you’ll need thatFate Point next?

DAMAGE THRESHOLD &CONDITIONS It is important to know everyone’s current Condition, as itpaints a portrait of how wounded a combatant may be whileinforming other players how their companions are holdingup. It also informs their allies as to where to appointsupport and focus during combat. Cohesion amongst alliescan make all the difference, resulting in a greater chance ofsuccess and survival rate. You’ll find that the healingprocess in ZWEIHÄNDER is oftentimes a lengthyproposition, as Character carry their Conditions over fromsession to session. It is a good idea whenever players start afight or even the beginning of a Game Session to announceto everyone around the table what their current Conditionis. The bottom line is that if your Character is hurt - telleveryone about it, so they’ll throw someone else in front ofthose marauding chaos berserkers!

There are five Conditions to be aware of:

UNHARMED You may have old wounds that are scarred up and scabbedover, stitches and sutures that no longer threaten infectionor bandages that cover lacerations and bruises. YourDamage Threshold has not been reduced whatsoever.Carouse with friends, cavort with strangers, “make it rainlike m’lords do”, slum it up or go pick a fight - you’re thevery picture of good health!

LIGHTLY WOUNDED You have small cuts, light bruising and perhaps an itchmild pain. You can shrug most of this off with a bit

bedrest and perhaps a visit to the local barber surge When Lightly Wounded, your Damage Threshold is equa13 or more. You’v e been hurt at some point, but a bit of r

should help.

SERIOUSLY WOUNDED You have moderate bruises, cuts that require sutures lesions that may threaten infection. You’re not dead (y

When Seriously Wounded, your Damage Threshold is eqto 12 to 7. You’re suffering in pain, and likely won’t makon your own without the aid of a physician.

GRIEVOUSLY WOUNDED Splintered bones, hyperextended muscles, deep cuts

black bruising characterize your body. Your clothing is li blood-soaked, as is the hands of your would-be kiShould you play your cards right, you’ll live to talk abou

When Grievously Wounded, your Damage Thresholdequal to 6 to 1. You are under an intense amount of phovering at the threshold. Get thee to a physician, ye!

INJURED Deep lacerations, fractured bones, torn muscles persistent trauma grieves you. You’re at death’s door, are immediately debilitated by some heinous, nasty likely long-lasting injury. Veteran’s hands, noses and lare typically the result of being Injured. When Injur

you’re at 0 Damage Threshold and immediately sufferInjury. Left untreated, an Injury places you in an immedlife or death situation. If you suffer any Damage w

bearing an untreated Injury, you die!

HEALING WITH NATURARECOVERY Fortunately, wounds can be recovered by resting once day, but only after a good night’s sleep. However, the mserious your related Condition, the Difficulty Rating of yResilience Test increases:



(Standard +/- 0%) Resilience: Lightly Wounded

(Challenging -10%) Resilience: Seriously Wounded

(Hard -20%) Resilience: Grievously Wounded Impossible: Injured or suffering from Infection

If you succeed a Resilience Test after a good night’s sleepover 8 hours, you immediately recover from 1 Damage. Ifyou do nothing but rest for 24 hours, you automaticallysucceed your Resilience Test to recover from 1 Damage. Ifyou Critically Succeed this Skill Test, you recover fromDamage equal to 1 + Toughness Bonus (TB). However, aCritical Failure means your wounds have grown Infected!

HEALING WITH THE HEAL SKILL Fortunately, wounds can be treated with the Heal Skill onceper day. A healer must be armed with rags, a jug of water orother medical instruments. However, the more serious yourCondition, the Difficulty Rating of the Heal Test increases:

(Standard +/- 0%) Heal: Lightly Wounded (Challenging -10%) Heal: Seriously Wounded (Hard -20%) Heal: Grievously Wounded Impossible: Injured or suffering from Infection

In order to be healed, a caregiver must have Skill Rank:Apprentice in Heal and be left uninterrupted for at least tenminutes. If you’re treated with a successful Heal Test, youimmediately recover from 3 Damage. If the healer doesnothing but tend to you for the entire day, theyautomatically succeed their Heal Test and you recover from3 Damage. A Critical Success indicates you recover fromDamage equal to 3 + Intelligence Bonus (IB). However, aCritical Failure means your wounds have grown Infected!

Sidebar: Other Considerations To The HealingProcess Sometimes, the Gamemaster may adjust the Base

Chance for natural recovery with Resilience andHeal Tests depends on the quality of the tools (orlack thereof), how sanitary (or flea-ridden) theconditions are where the procedure will take place(preferably not bleeding on a donjon’s floor) andwhether Damage was dealt by unclean creatures orrendered in an unsanitary environment (such as abog, sewer or midden).

HEALING INJURIES Oftentimes nasty, Injuries can result in serious trauma, of a limb and can lead to an irrevocable end for CharactThey have lasting effects that persist far beyond comb

While some are temporary and require Recuperation, othcan haunt a character for a lifetime. They manifest in m

different ways - as a result of a fall, being shot, stabbedattacked by predators and other wild creatures. SoInjuries may temporarily incapacitate the ability to funct

whereas others result in broken ribs and a rare few cause in blindness, loss of limb, a punctured lung or woInjuries serve as a grave reminder of the brutal and violnature of a grim & perilous world. In a fight, it is rare

walk away unscathed for those daring (or foolish) enoughdraw their sword.

TREATING INJURIES Left untreated, those with an Injury immediately face de

if they suffer Damage whatsoever. Fortunately, Injuries be treated with the Heal Skill once per day. A healer musarmed with appropriate medical instruments - generallfrightening array of bone saws, scissors, sutures needles. However, the more severe the Injury, the DifficuRating of the Heal Test increases:

(Standard +/- 0%) Heal: Minor Injury (Challenging -10%) Heal: Moderate Injury (Hard -20%) Heal: Major Injury Impossible: Dead patient!

In order to be healed, a caregiver must have Skill Ra Apprentice in Heal and be left uninterrupted for at leasthour. If you’re treated with a successful Heal Test, immediately recover from 1 Damage and are ready to beRecuperation. If the healer does nothing but tend to youthe entire day, they automatically succeed their Heal T

you recover from 1 Damage and are ready to beRecuperation. A Critical Success indicates you recover frDamage equal to 1 + Intelligence Bonus (IB) and are reto begin Recuperation. However, a Critical Failure me

your wounds have grown Infected!

RECUPERATION Unlike normal healing, you continue to suffer the penalassociated with your Injury but no longer face the riskdeath by suffering Damage again. You may now hthrough natural recovery and benefit from the use of Heal Skill. However, you must Recuperate a number of dfrom your Injury, as the effects continue to persist. The odifference is that the time to recuperate differs, based onseverity of the Injury:



Minor Injury: 1D6+1 Days Moderate Injury: 2D6+2 Days Major Injury: 3D6+3 Days

During this time, you may heal normally as indicated above.However, you may suffer additional Injuries - compoundingyour risk over time.

SUCCUMBING TO INJURIES Untreated Injuries left to themselves can prove extremelydeadly. With an untreated Injury, you instantly die if yousuffer any sort of Damage.

BLEEDING Some attacks may cause you to begin Bleeding, such asbeing struck by a weapon while unarmored or as a result ofa fall, Injury, Parrying a melee weapon bare handed or anumber of other circumstances. Only the stupid (orincredibly proficient) picks a fight with a swordsman whileonly wearing their Sunday’s best!

If you are unarmored and suffer Damage greater than yourToughness Bonus (TB) - even if your Soak absorbs allDamage - you begin to Bleed. Whenever you Bleed, youimmediately suffer 1 Damage (Soak notwithstanding) at the

beginning of your subsequent Turns until you receivemedical care.

STEMMING BLOOD LOSS Fortunately, those who Bleed can be treated any time theysuccumb to the condition. In order to be kept from Bleedingto death, a healer must be uninterrupted for one minute, asthey apply pressure upon the wound and bandage it up. It’sgenerally a pretty sickening sight, so it’s best to simply closeyour eyes and pray that you’re not dealing with a quack orthe uninitiated. Providing the healer has at least Skill Rank:Apprentice in Heal, it doesn’t require a Test to stem

Bleeding. If you don’t have a trained healer handy, you canalways ask the nutter with a penchant for sadism tocauterize the wound for you with a hot poker or torch...butyou suffer 1 Damage (Soak notwithstanding) as a result.

SUCCUMBING TO BLOOD LOSS Should you continue to suffer from Blood Loss and reach 0Damage Threshold, you bleed out to death. This isirrevocable, save for the expenditure of Fate Points.

INFECTED WOUNDS Infected wounds grow red and swollen, issuing bad pus

throbbing with pain as gnats gather around the soInfection can result from being thrust into a midden hethrown into a dungeon while suffering from Injury, fal

victim to wounds dealt from an unclean creature, getcaught in a booby trap of feces on sharpened stakes, m

victim to a quack’s mishandling of unclean instruments onumber of other circumstances that may lead to gensickness.

A Critically Failed Resilience Test to recover from y wounds or Critically Failed Heal Test to mend your woualways causes infection. Once Infected, you cannot recofrom Damage or Peril until it has been appropriately d

with. Infection lasts indefinitely, until it has been proptreated.

TREATING INFECTION Fortunately, Infection can be treated once per day. Usinknife and a solution of wine and water, a healer mustuninterrupted for one hour, as they scrape away at infection. It’s typically a nausea-inducing process for untrained, particularly those who are not familiar with

body’s humors and how they must be “expressed” bloodletting. Should they succeed a Heal test, your Infectimmediately goes away and you may recover from y

wounds normally. Should the healer fail, they canattempt to treat you again until the following day. Howethe more serious your Condition, the Difficulty Rating ofHeal Test increases:

(Standard +/- 0%) Heal: Lightly Wounded (Challenging -10%) Heal: Seriously Wounded

(Hard -20%) Heal: Grievously Wounded (Arduous -30%): Injured

SUCCUMBING TO INFECTION

Should you continue to suffer from Infection a numbedays greater than your Toughness Bonus (TB), immediately drop to 0 Peril Threshold and remIncapacitated. For the first and every additional day thatInfection is left to fester, you permanently lose 5% fr

your Toughness Primary Attribute. Should your Toughnever reach 0%, you succumb fully to infection and are sla



MISCELLANEOUS CIRCUMSTANCES Combat in ZWEIHÄNDER game should be exciting andriveting. Your Gamemaster will create interesting anddramatic situations where your Character will be tested totheir utmost limits. Combat will push your Characters to thevery edge, presenting large set piece battles that should

never feel mundane. A variety of dynamic circumstancescan rapidly change the battlefield conditions, presenting all-new challenges that require you to use Skill Tests beyondmaking attacks. You can use them to your advantage, suchas leaping behind cover and using it to impede your enemy’sattacks against you. At other times, these conditions canimpose difficulty upon all combatants, such as inclementweather can pose difficulty upon attacks. You should feelencouraged to look around your environment and listen toyour Gamemaster’s explanations of any clutter or additionalenvironmental Characteristics that may impose fortune ormisfortune upon your Character. These options can be bothdangerous and exciting, adding a whole new element of riskto combat. Keeping tabs and paying close attention to thesefactors can give you circumstantial benefits and hamperyour enemy’s ability to overcome you and your allies. Beloware a number of additional considerations to make. Othercircumstances may be introduced by your Gamemaster attheir option.

HARD TERRAIN Mud, thick bushes, tangled undergrowth, creek beds,snowfall and clutter within interior spaces can createadditional challenges during combat. Combatants cannotCharge or Run through Hard Terrain.

HELPLESS Any time a combatant is asleep, unconscious, pinnedbeneath a heavy object or otherwise unable to move on theirown accord, they are rendered Helpless. While Helpless, anattacker can instantly slay you with a single stroke with aCalled Shot, no matter what your current DamageThreshold is.

IMMOLATED BY FIRE A specific attack or otherwise unfortunate Turn of eventshave resulted in being set on fire. Catching on fire can bring

a painful and grotesque end to combat, should a defenderhave the misfortune of being immolated. In order to beimmolated by fire, they must be wearing somethingflammable like clothing, fur or doused in oil. Explosions ofgunpowder can also recreate the same result. Whenever acombatant is on fire, they suffer 1D6+1 Damage per Turn(Soak notwithstanding). They must throw themselves on theground to extinguish the flames. Should they succeed aCoordination Test (otherwise using Shake It Off), the flamesare put out.

INCAPACITATED Any time a combatant is at 0 Peril Threshold they Incapacitated, unable to face any measure of danger. What 0 Peril Threshold, a combatant is Defenseless, unableResist Chain Attack Actions or the effects of Magick.

MOUNTED OR DRIVING When astride a mount and if the rider has at least one SRank in Ride, they may reference the Hustle, Charge Run values of their mount. All the same goes for somedriving a vehicle; providing they have at least one Skill Rin Drive, they may reference the Hustle, Charge and R

values of the vehicle they are driving.

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ZWEIHANDER Combat BETA - RPG