Our world is won back, inch by bloody inch, by the muscle and steel of its heroes driving back the Horrors and their minions.
— Karlon Sharpwhisper, troll Warrior
In the world of Earthdawn, your characters can expect to confront any number of dangerous beings in the course of their adventures. Sometimes you’ll be able to get what you need without combat. Sometimes you’ll have to fight for what you want. This chapter explains the mechanics for handling those situations in which your characters must fight to survive, and those times when they join battle for the sheer pleasure of matching skills against an opponent.
Combat in Earthdawn happens fast and loose, allowing characters to perform a wide variety of actions. Swinging swords, casting spells, and intimidating your enemies are all just part of the action.
Combat is conducted in a series of turns called combat rounds, or simply, rounds. Each combat round equals roughly six seconds of game time. The exact length of each round is usually not important to the story—it is simply a convenient unit of measure.
During each round, your character can do a number of things: perform simple tasks (including movement), and use talents or skills that require different kinds of actions.
To learn whether your character can successfully perform his desired actions, you will make one or more tests. After making an Initiative test to determine the order in which actions are resolved, players make an Attack test which, if successful, is followed by a Damage test. These, and the other kinds of tests that players make during combat, are described in the Actions (p. 373), and Resolving Attacks (p. 377) sections.
The following summary outlines the general sequence that makes up a combat round. Each element is explained more fully later on in this chapter.
Most of the following rules apply equally to player and gamemaster characters. Whenever a rule applies solely to a gamemaster character or creature it is noted. References to the term character refer to any player or gamemaster characters or creatures participating in the combat.
All characters declare the general type of action they intend to perform during the round, along with any combat options (see p. 382) they intend to use. This doesn’t need to be overly formal. Combat options need to be chosen before Initiative is rolled because many combat options have effects that last the entire round, such as raising or lowering defense ratings.
Each round, characters make an Initiative test to determine the order in which their actions are carried out. Talents, spells, armor, and shields can modify the Initiative Step, as listed in their descriptions. A character’s Initiative Step cannot voluntarily be lowered below Step 1. A character whose Initiative Step is involuntarily reduced below Step 1—for example, through Wounds or magic—acts last in the round, with an effective Initiative of 1.
Players roll their characters’ Initiative; the gamemaster rolls for other characters and creatures. The character with the highest result acts first, followed by the character with the next highest result, and so on. If two or more characters have the same Initiative, their actions occur at the same time and are resolved in whatever order the gamemaster prefers. One method of breaking ties is comparing the characters’ Dexterity values; comparing Initiative Steps is another. If a player character ties with a gamemaster character or creature, the player character should get to take his actions first—Earthdawn is a game about heroes, after all!
¶ Take The Initiative
Optional Rule: In large combats, which can take a lot of real time to resolve (thus slowing game play), the gamemaster may speed up the combat round by choosing not to make Initiative tests for gamemaster creatures or characters; he simply uses the Initiative Step as the test result.
¶ Speeding Up Initiative
While players are usually responsible for a single character, the gamemaster is often required to keep track of multiple creatures or gamemaster characters. To simplify the Initiative process, it is recommended that the gamemaster make one Initiative test for groups of similar characters under his control. For example, it makes more sense to roll one test for a group of six identical ork scorchers than keep track of individual Initiative test results for each ork. On the other hand, if the group consists of five ork scorchers accompanied by a captain, the gamemaster may ch oose to make one test for the five ork scorchers and a separate test for their captain.
Once the Initiative order has been determined, the characters declare the specific talents, skills, or spells they intend to use and whether they plan to spend Karma on any actions. They resolve their actions by making the appropriate tests and evaluating the results. This includes making Damage tests, spell Effect tests, and so on.
After all characters have resolved their actions, the round ends. If some characters wish to continue fighting, the next combat round begins.
¶ Battle Maps And Miniatures
While it is possible to handle combat abstractly, with the action occurring solely in everyone’s imagination, the use of a hex-based battle map and miniatures can help visualize the fight.
When using a battle map, we recommend that a hex be 2 yards wide. Any distance specified can be easily halved to determine the distance on the hex grid. It is usually best to round up to cover a full hex; if an effect has a range of 1 yard, it should cover 1 hex.
During each combat round, a character can take one Standard action and any number of Simple actions. He can use Sustained actions over the course of several turns, and he can use Free actions when the ability allows it. The different types of Actions are described in more detail in the Talents chapter, p. 118.
Each round, a character can freely move a distance up to his Movement Rate. If you want to move farther, you must use your Standard action. Movement may be done before or after your character’s Simple and Standard actions.
Depending on the environment (and gamemaster discretion), a character’s Movement Rate may be reduced. For example, characters fighting in knee-deep water may find their Movement Rate halved. See Impaired Movement, p. 389, for more information.
A character can perform one Standard action per combat round. Many of the Simple and Free actions a character takes on his turn depend on the character taking a Standard action with another ability.
Many talents and skills require characters to use their Standard action. A character can use only a single talent or skill that requires a Standard action during a combat round. This is because the talent or skill requires a major part of the character’s focus to execute. Talents and skills that require a Standard action usually require a test to determine their success (see Using Talents, p. 119, and Using Skills, p. 184). This includes most combat and Interaction talents and skills, and any use of magic, including weaving threads and casting spells.
A character may spend his Standard action to move, allowing him to move up to double his Movement Rate.
Not all tasks can be completed in a single round. Some talents use Sustained actions, identified by the “Action: Sustained” notation in talent or skill descriptions. A Sustained action for a talent or skill usually requires the character to spend more than one round before a test is made. Sometimes this represents days of work to craft an item or train an animal, sometimes it is an extra round or two for additional preparation or a short speech to one’s allies. Unless specified, the gamemaster should determine a reasonable length of time for the completion of such actions.
Examples of actions that might require multiple rounds to complete include:
Some Sustained actions are not covered by the rules or not listed as possibilities, because they depend too much on the situation. If a character is under pressure to complete the action quickly, the gamemaster may allow him to speed up the process by making an Action test (often an Attribute test) at the end of each round to determine success. This usually prevents the character from taking any other actions during the round.
Ulm wants to retrieve a key he found to lock a door behind his group as they flee a nasty Horror construct. Unfortunately, he stowed the key in his backpack, along with his other adventuring gear. The gamemaster decides it will take Ulm three rounds to retrieve the key. He would really like to find it sooner.
The gamemaster allows Ulm to quickly search through his backpack, and the troll makes a Dexterity (6) test each round to see if he finds the key sooner.
Apart from his Standard Action, a character can perform a variety of Simple actions during a combat round, which may or may not require him to make a test. Some talents and skills do not require a Standard action to use; these are often considered Simple Actions, and include talents or skills such as Anticipate Blow, Astral Sight, Battle Shout, or Second Attack.
Technically, there is no limit to the number of Simple actions a character can perform during a combat round. However, the gamemaster may choose to limit what a character can reasonably do during a (roughly) six-second time period, balanced against the fact that Earthdawn is a fantasy game, and limiting actions should serve the goal of telling an exciting story. Here are some examples of Simple Actions that could reasonably be carried out during a single combat round:
Free actions are usually part of other actions a character takes, enhancing them. There are no activities that are Free actions on their own, and as such there is no list of example Free actions as there is for other action types. Most Free actions are either enhancing the outcome of another Simple or Standard action (such as increasing damage), or they are a reaction to another character’s action, such as dodging an attack. As a rule of thumb, only one defensive talent or skill can be used against a single attack. For example, it isn’t possible to use the Avoid Blow and Riposte talents against the same attack.
Starting with the highest Initiative test result, characters perform their declared actions, one at a time, until all characters’ actions have been resolved.
The gamemaster counts down Initiative values, starting with the highest result. Each character takes his turn performing actions. Characters often make Attack tests when engaged in combat, but an action might also consist of casting a spell, running, or using a non-combat talent while the arrows and spells fly. The character makes the appropriate test, announcing the result after rolling the appropriate dice, including any Karma or bonus dice rolls.
Each character’s actions are resolved before the next character acts, unless the description for the talent or skill being used specifically states otherwise.
Instead of acting on his Initiative, a character may choose to wait until later that round for a more appropriate moment to act. This is referred to as reserving an action.
Reserving an action allows a character to react to other events, perhaps even preventing them. When reserving an action, the character specifies an event and has the right to act at any later point during the round when that event occurs, interrupting the character whose turn it is.
When resolving his reserved action, the character who reserved his action goes first. The concentration required while waiting for the right moment increases the difficulty of the action performed. Characters taking a reserved action add +2 to the Difficulty Number of all actions performed on their turn.
Taking a Reserved Action is often the only way a character can attack opponents making Charging Attacks (see p. 396) or Swooping Attacks (see p. 398).
¶ Talent and Ability Interactions with Delayed and Reserved Actions
Some talents and abilities require a character to have a higher Initiative than his opponent. These abilities may only be used if a character’s Initiative test result is higher than his opponent’s. If a character chooses to delay or reserve his action, it does not retroactively trigger other character’s abilities that require a higher initiative - the Initiative test result does not actually change.
Herekar the Warrior uses Cobra Strike to try and gain an advantage against Kira the Thief. Kira ends up with a higher Initiative test result, and so Herekar does not gain the Attack test bonus the talent provides.”
If Kira decides to delay her action and act after Herekar, he still does not gain the test bonus from Cobra Strike, even though he is now taking his action before the Thief.
Herekar is looking out for his friend Tairin during a fight with five cadaver men. Herekar has the highest Initiative result with a 14, and declares a reserved action—saying he wants to intercept anyone who tries to attack Tairin.
One of the cadaver men, with an Initiative of 8, moves to attack Tairin. Herekar decides to jump in. He attacks the cadaver man, adding +2 to the undead’s Physical Defense. His attack knocks the cadaver man down.
The cadaver man then takes his turn. He can try to attack Tairin from the ground, or do something else.”
Instead of acting on his Initiative, a character may simply choose to act later in the round. This is referred to as delaying an action. When delaying an action, the character may act at any time later in the round, and does not suffer any penalties.
However, the character cannot interrupt another character’s action simply by delaying his own action.
If he does not act during the current round, a character may delay his action into the following round. His Initiative for the next round is automatically 1 higher than the highest Initiative rolled for the new round. If he chooses to roll his Initiative normally, he loses his delayed action.
Maloren is first to act during a round. He intends to cast the Flame Weapon spell on one of his companions, but wants to see which one will find himself on the front line. He decides to delay his action. Later on Initiative count 6, Maloren sees that his friend Herekar has moved in to fight off the cadaver men. Maloren decides Herekar will benefit the most from the Flame Weapon spell, so after Herekar has has resolved his action, Maloren steps in and casts the spell.
Because the most common action that a character will take during a combat round is to attack an opponent, the procedure used to resolve attacks is summarized below, followed by a complete explanation of each step:
Clarification: Effects that refer to “Attack tests” don’t generally refer to Spellcasting tests unless specified. For example, the bonus from Anticipate Blow provides a bonus to an Attack test, but this doesn’t include a Spellcasting test unless the Anticipate Spell knack is used. This is all subject to gamemaster interpretation and how the table as a whole wants to handle this in specific instances.
Whenever a character attempts to attack a target, whether with a weapon or a spell, he makes a test using the appropriate talent or skill. This type of test is usually referred to as an Attack test. For example, if a Swordmaster is attempting to hit a foe with his sword, he makes a Melee Weapons test. If an Archer is firing an arrow at a foe, he makes a Missile Weapons test. If a Wizard is casting a spell at a target, he makes a Spellcasting test.
The type of attack determines the test’s Difficulty Number. For physical attacks, such as those involving melee or missile weapons, the Difficulty Number is usually the target’s Physical Defense. For attacks made with spells, the Difficulty Number is usually the target’s Mystic Defense. Some talents, skills and spells use the target’s Social Defense or another Difficulty Number instead. The ability description usually gives the Difficulty Number for using it.
The Difficulty Number for an Attack test may be modified by the distance to the opponent (for ranged combat attacks), environmental conditions (daylight, darkness, cover, and so on), or other factors (see Situation Modifiers, p. 386). Several combat options also modify a character’s Defense Rating (see Combat Options, p. 382).
The Attack test result is compared to the Difficulty Number. If the test succeeds, the attack hits and the attacker makes a Damage (or Effect) test to determine how effective the attack is. If the test fails, the attack misses. The character resolves any other actions he is taking that round, then finishes his turn.
Some attacks are good enough to overcome an opponent’s armor or shield, or deal extra damage to a target. Exceptionally well-placed attacks, lucky shots, or attacks that sufficiently focus a character’s magic—these can all result in more effective attacks. If a character achieves more than one success on an attack test against his opponent’s Physical Defense, he gains +2 bonus damage for each extra success.
Silar fires a bolt at an attacking griffin, with test result of 18. The griffin’s Physical Defense is 7, so Silar scores three successes! The two extra successes each add +2 damage, so Silar’s crossbow goes from Step 10 to Step 14 damage.
Spells intended to inflict damage on their target may also produce critical hits. If a magician achieves extra successes against his opponent’s Mystic Defense, he gains the bonus noted in the spell description.
Maloren, a dwarf Elementalist, casts the Earth Darts spell at a charging thundra beast. His Spellcasting result of 21 achieves three successes against the thundra’s Mystic Defense of 7. The duration of the armor reducing effect is increased by four rounds, and the damage makes the thundra even more upset—it suffers a Wound as well! Maloren hopes his friends can take it down before it tramples him underfoot.
After making a successful Attack test, the character makes a Damage test. The dice rolled for this test depend on the weapon used. Unless otherwise noted in its description, all weapons add their Damage Step to the character’s Strength Step to determine the total Damage Step of the attack.
A battle-axe has a Damage Step of 7, adding +7 to a character’s Strength Step when inflicting damage. Thrak has a Strength Step of 7. When he hits an opponent with his axe, he makes a Step 14 Damage test (7+ 7 = 14) to determine the damage inflicted on his opponent.
Some talents or abilities allow the character to add a Karma die to the damage test. Remember that Bonus Dice apply to all tests the character makes, including Damage tests. When attacking an opponent with a spell, the spell will usually direct the magician to make an Effect test to determine how much damage he inflicts. The magician uses the Effect Step given in the spell’s description, which is usually based on his Willpower, not Strength, and may be modified by talents such as Willforce, p. 180.
Regardless of whether the attack is made with a weapon or a spell, the Damage test result determines the number of damage points inflicted on the target.
Armor reduces the damage a character suffers, adding to the character’s Physical (and sometimes Mystic) Armor. Generally, Physical Armor protects against sources of physical damage, while Mystic Armor protects against astral or psychic damage. If there is any uncertainty, the gamemaster decides which type applies. Some attacks, for example certain spells or creature powers, are never reduced by armor. This is noted in the spell or power description where applicable.
The character subtracts the appropriate Armor rating from the result of the Damage test. The modified result is the number of points added to the character’s current damage.
If the damage from a single attack equals or exceeds a character’s Wound Threshold, he takes a Wound. Wounds represent major trauma and slow the character’s ability to recover damage (see Recovering from Injury, p. 380). Wounds can also have a negative effect on the character’s tests (see Wound Penalties, p.381).
If the damage that causes a Wound renders the character unconscious or dead, the player should still record the Wound. Some talents, spells and magic items have the ability to bring a character back from the brink of death, but any Wounds the character has will penalize such healing.
If the damage dealt exceeds a character’s Wound Threshold by five or more, he could be knocked down. The player makes a Strength test against a Difficulty Number equal to the difference between his Wound Threshold and the damage dealt.
If successful, the character remains standing, otherwise he is knocked down (see Situation Modifiers, p. 389).
Tomas the Wizard has a Wound Threshold of 8. He is hit with a wicked axe stroke for 15 damage, after accounting for his armor. Because the damage inflicted is more than 5 points over his Wound Threshold, Tomas not only suffers a Wound, but he must make a Knockdown (7) test (15-8 = 7) to keep his feet. Tomas doesn’t have any talents that help, so he makes the test using his Strength Step, and rolls a 5. The next thing Tomas knows, he is on the ground and in pain.
Other causes of knockdown, such as the attacking to knockdown combat option (p. 383) or being dismounted (p. 395), may require a character to make a Knockdown test.
After a character takes damage from an attack, the player checks the character’s Current Damage to see if he is unconscious or dead.
A character with Current Damage at least equal to his Unconsciousness Rating, but less than his Death Rating, falls to the ground unconscious. Unconscious characters may take no actions other than making Recovery tests, and are considered both Blindsided and Knocked Down. They can regain their senses by recovering enough Damage Points to reduce their Current Damage below their Unconsciousness Rating (see Recovering from Injury, below).
A character whose Current Damage equals or exceeds his Death Rating immediately falls to the ground. Unless the character has a talent such as Life Check, or is quickly tended to by another character with a healing aid, such as a Last Chance Salve, the character is dead. In Earthdawn, character death is usually permanent. Some methods of resurrection exist, but they require powerful and dangerous magic, and attempts are rare. Characters who wish to pursue these methods should be warned that they are very expensive—and the price is rarely just financial.
Characters should expect to suffer harm at some point during their adventures. This section provides information on how characters return to full health after taking damage.
A character makes a Recovery test to heal damage he has taken. The test result is typically subtracted from his current damage. A character who has not taken any damage does not need to make a Recovery test. The Step for this test is based on the character’s Toughness Step.
Each character has a limited number of Recovery tests available to him, also determined by his Toughness. Some talents and spells give the character additional Recovery tests, which must be used within a short time (usually one day). Unused Recovery tests cannot be saved from one day to the next.
Characters may spend Recovery tests as they wish, but must meet the following conditions:
Characters must also wait at least one hour after engaging in combat before they can make a Recovery test. This time must be spent in a state of relative rest; the character cannot undergo any strenuous physical activity during this time. Apart from certain talents and spells, or the use of healing aids, the only exception to this rule regards unconscious characters.
If he has one available, an unconscious character may make a Recovery test one minute after he falls unconscious. Another character can use a Standard action to try and revive him, allowing the unconscious character to make the test immediately. If the unconscious character does not recover enough Damage points to regain consciousness, he must wait another hour before he can make another Recovery test.
Characters suffer no direct ill effects from the number of Damage Points they receive. Damage only affects a character’s ability to function when it results in a Wound. Wounds limit the character’s ability to heal damage. When a character makes a Recovery test, the test result is reduced by the number of Wounds he has. Regardless of modifiers, the minimum damage a character recovers from a Recovery test is 1.
Herekar the Warrior has been through the wringer. He is suffering from 3 Wounds and 41 Damage Points. Herekar makes a Recovery test with a result of 12. Because of his 3 Wounds, he only recovers 9 Damage Points (12–3 = 9), bringing his Current Damage down to 32.
While not an optional rule, Wound Penalties are best used after the players and gamemaster become familiar with the basic game rules. For each Wound, a character suffers a cumulative –1 penalty to all tests. For example, if a character has 2 Wounds, he suffers a –2 penalty; if he has 4 Wounds, he suffers a –4 penalty. This penalty does not apply to Recovery tests—those are already affected as described above.
Wounds are difficult to heal. A character heals one Wound per day under the following conditions:
Curses or magical effects that prevent a character from making a Recovery test in the morning will keep Wounds from healing. Wounds can also be healed by some healing aids, spells, or abilities.
Recovering from the effects of poison or disease is handled differently from normal damage. See the Challenges and Obstacles chapter of the Gamemaster’s Guide for more information on how poisons (p.171) and diseases (p.186) work.
The Earthdawn game provides characters with several options allowing them to exercise different tactics, such as fiercely attacking an opponent, or hanging back and acting more defensively. These options provide flexibility to a character’s fighting style: sometimes the character may want to simply slug it out with an opponent, but other times he may want to modify his approach.
If a player wants to use a combat option he must declare it before he makes his Initiative test. A character who is knocked down cannot use a combat option until he is standing.
Many combat options have disadvantages as well as advantages. Some are limited to use only in close or ranged combat (see Types of Combat, p. 391). Because they can complicate things, it is recommended that the players and gamemaster become familiar with the basic combat rules before using these different options.
The Combat Options Table summarizes the different combat options and their effects.
| Combat Options Table | ||
| Combat Option | Strain | Effect/Modifier |
| Aggressive Attack | 1 per attack | +3 bonus to Attack and Damage tests; –3 penalty to Physical and Mystic Defense |
| Attacking to Knockdown | 0 | Possibly knocks opponent down; inflicts no real damage to opponent |
| Attacking to Stun | 0 | Damage test inflicts Stun damage |
| Called Shot | 1 | –3 penalty to Attack test; if successful, attack hits designated area |
| Defensive Stance | 0 | +3 to Physical and Mystic Defense; –3 penalty to all tests (except Knockdown tests) |
| Jump Up | 2 | Allows a character to stand up and use a Standard action. No other movement allowed. |
| Setting Against a Charge | 0 | Allows the character to unhorse a charging opponent |
| Shattering a Shield | 1 | Breaks opponent’s shield |
| Splitting Movement | 1 | Allows a move/action/move combination; character is considered Harried |
| Tail Attack [t'skrang only] | 0 | Allows an additional Unarmed Combat attack (–2 to all tests) |
The character assaults his opponent with a ferocious flurry of blows. Aggressive Attack increases his ability to strike his opponent and inflict damage, but allows him to be struck more easily in return. Each close combat Attack test made by the character causes him 1 Strain. The character always takes at least 1 Strain, even if he doesn’t end up making any Attack tests during the round.
The character gains a +3 bonus to his close combat Attack and Damage tests. Because of the force of his attack the character is somewhat uncontrolled—he pays less attention to attacks directed against him and suffers a –3 penalty to his Physical and Mystic Defense that round.
Erratum: The penalty to Defenses (-3) also applies to active defenses (e.g., Avoid Blow, Resist Taunt, and Steel Thought).
A character cannot use the Aggressive Attack and Defensive Stance options in the same round.
Instead of attacking an opponent in close combat with the intent to cause harm, the character attempts to knock him down.
The character makes his close combat Attack test as normal. If the attack hits, the opponent must make a Knockdown test, even if the damage dealt would not normally trigger the test. The attacker rolls a Damage test to set the Difficulty Number for the Knockdown test, modified for armor. Regardless of the outcome, the character’s opponent takes no damage.
In his fight with a rampaging dyre, Thrak decides he wants to try to knock the beast down. Thrak’s attack succeeds and his Damage test is 21. The dyre has 8 points of Physical Armor. The gamemaster makes a Knockdown test for the animal against a Difficulty Number of 13 (21–8=13).
The character makes a non-lethal attack against his opponent. He makes a close combat Attack test as normal, but any damage inflicted to his opponent is recorded as Stun damage. Although it is added to the character’s Current Damage total, Stun damage cannot kill him.
If the Stun damage sends a character’s Current Damage higher than his Unconsciousness or Death Rating, the character falls to the ground unconscious. The character comes around when his Current Damage falls below his Unconsciousness Rating.
Creatures who have an Unconsciousness Rating of “NA” are immune to Stun damage.
Stun damage does not cause Wounds. If a character would normally take a Wound from the damage inflicted, he is considered Harried for the rest of the round, and he may still be knocked down based on the Damage test result.
A character recovers Stun damage more easily than he does normal damage, sometimes shaking it off through sheer will. The character adds his Willpower Step as a bonus to the first Recovery test he makes after taking Stun damage. This bonus applies only to that test and the result can only be used to recover Stun damage. A character may forego adding a Willpower bonus and heal both Stun and normal damage with a single Recovery test.
A character makes a precise attack against a target, attempting to strike a specific body part, hitting a weapon, striking a designated object, and so on. The player declares what object or part of his opponent his character is attempting to hit with the called shot. The character suffers a –3 penalty to his close or ranged combat Attack test. At the gamemaster’s discretion, more difficult shots may incur a higher penalty. The concentration required causes the character 1 Strain per Attack test. If the test succeeds, the character strikes the chosen object or the intended area on his opponent.
A Called Shot cannot be used to increase the damage of an attack (see p. 378). If attempting to hit a weapon or other object, the target must make a successful Strength test against the Damage Step of the attack to hold on to the item. If an opponent is holding the item with two hands, he gains a +3 bonus to his Strength test. Other uses must be adjudicated by the gamemaster on a case-by-case basis (with a lesser or greater penalty, if required).
Sometimes it is more important that a character survives a fight. With this option a character adopts a defensive posture that reduces his chance of being hit. The character adds +3 to his Physical and Mystic Defense for all attacks directed against him that round, but the character only receives this bonus against attacks he is aware of. The character suffers a –3 penalty to his tests that round, except for Knockdown tests.
At the gamemaster’s discretion, this penalty may also be waived for defensive actions, like Avoid Blow tests. A character cannot use the Defensive Stance and Aggressive Attack combat options in the same round.
Erratum: The bonus (+3) also applies to active defenses for Physical and Mystic Defense (e.g., Avoid Blow, Riposte, and Steel Thought). The penalty (-3) applies to Action and Damage tests. Action tests for active defenses and abilities that only provide a bonus to Physical and/or Mystic Defense (e.g., Acrobatic Defense, but not Anticipate Blow) don’t receive a penalty.
This combat option may only be used by characters that are knocked down. Instead of taking a Standard action to stand up, the character attempts to get back on his feet as a Simple action.
The character takes 2 Strain and makes a Dexterity (6) test. The test is modified by the Initiative Penalty of any armor he is wearing, but does not suffer the -3 penalty for being knocked down. If successful, the character leaps to his feet and may use a Standard action, but he may not perform any other movement that round. If the test fails, the character may still get to his feet using a Standard action.
Any penalties for being knocked down apply to the character until he is on his feet.
Characters fighting mounted opponents are often at a disadvantage, and they sometimes cannot attack a mounted fighter on their Initiative. The defender often has to use Delayed or Reserved Actions to attack at all. Against a Charging Attack (see p. 396), the defender on foot can employ the Setting Against a Charge combat option to turn the rider’s high momentum to his advantage.
The defender must use a weapon long enough to reach his attacker beyond the mount’s fore section. This usually means a spear or similar weapon. The defender takes a Reserved Action, and strikes the moment the attacker rides into range. The defender makes an Attack test as normal, but replaces his Strength Step with that of the mount to determine the Damage. If he scores any extra successes on the Attack test, the defender may knock the rider off the mount; the rider makes a Knockdown test with the Damage test result as the Difficulty Number (modified for armor as normal). If this test fails, the rider is knocked off his mount. This Knockdown test is made in addition to any the rider might make for suffering a Wound.
Setting Against a Charge can be used in combination with the Defensive Stance and Attack to Knockdown combat options.
A character facing a shielded opponent may want to soften their defenses by smashing his shield. Only weapons of Size 3 or greater can shatter a shield. The character takes 1 Strain and makes a close combat Attack test against his opponent. If the test succeeds, the character makes a Damage test against the shield’s Shatter Threshold (see p. 435), adding his weapon’s size as a bonus to the test.
If the test succeeds, the shield shivers and breaks—it is now useless, and confers no further protective benefits. Magical shields are considerably harder to destroy than their mundane counterparts. The character must beat the Shatter Threshold by at least 10 to smash a magical shield.
Regardless of the Attack test result, the bearer takes no damage from the attack.
Herekar is still facing the opponent with a body shield. Herekar decides to remove the protection and declares that he wants to shatter the shield. He makes a successful Attack test, with a single success. Herekar makes a Damage test and rolls a 23—more than the shield’s Shatter Threshold of 21! Herekar’s sword comes down on his opponent’s shield, rips through the metal rim, and splits the shield down the middle. Herekar’s opponent drops the fragments and gets ready for a harder contest.
This combat option allows characters to split their movement during a combat round. A character uses part of his movement to approach a target, make an attack, then uses the rest of his movement to move away. Use of the Splitting Movement combat option causes the character 1 Strain. A character who uses this option is Harried (see p. 388) during the round.
This combat option is only available to t’skrang. The character makes an additional attack in close combat using his tail. The character makes an Unarmed Combat test, and suffers a –2 penalty to all tests that round. The character makes a Damage test using his Strength Step.
A character relies on his wits, skills, and talents to make his way successfully through his adventures, but even the best-prepared adventurer can find himself at the mercy of circumstances beyond his control. Many of these situations can occur during combat and affect a character’s performance. Called situation modifiers, these conditions can affect both tests and Defense ratings. The effects of different situations are described below, with specific modifiers summarized in the Situation Modifiers Table.
| Situation Modifiers Table | ||
| Situation | Action Test Modifier | Defense Modifier* |
| Blindsided | - | -2 |
| Cover - Partial | - | +2 |
| Cover - Full | - | NA |
| Darkness (Blindness; Dazzled) - Partial | -2 | - |
| Darkness (Blindness; Dazzled) - Full | -4 | - |
| Harried | -2 | -2 |
| Impaired Movement - Light | -2 | - |
| Impaired Movement - Heavy | -4 | - |
| Knocked Down | -3 | -3 |
| Range - Short | - | - |
| Range - Long | -2 | - |
| Surprised | No tests allowed | -3 |
| * Also applies to Social Defense, at the gamemaster’s discretion. | ||
When a character cannot see his attacker in order to react effectively to an attack, he is considered Blindsided. The character subtracts –2 from his Physical and Mystic Defense against the attack. In certain situations the gamemaster may apply this penalty to the character’s Social Defense. Examples of Blindsided attacks include attacks from the rear, attacks made against a blinded character, or attacks made from an ambush (although a character who is completely surprised suffers that penalty instead; see Surprised, p. 390). The attacker must be able to see his target in order to take advantage of the Blindsided modifier.
Clarification: Simply walking behind someone does not make them automatically Blindsided; running in circles around each other is ridiculous, not a legitimate tactic. The examples are left open to allow gamemasters freedom to adjudicate based on the circumstances. A general recommendation is characters can turn to address new threats as needed. If they were attacked in close combat previously (and not Blindsided), they must keep that attacker in their “front” (see the diagram on p. 391 for an example in hexes), but can adjust them to anywhere in that arc. Abilities that grant Blindsided (e.g. Vault Opponent) specifically bypass this.
Characters can take advantage of nearby objects, such as trees or boulders, or even items of furniture, as protection. Cover modifiers are applied against any attacks made against the character.
Partial: The cover obscures part of a character’s body, but the attacker can still see enough of his target to attack. Partial cover gives a +2 bonus to Physical and Mystic Defense.
Full: Full cover completely obscures a character’s body, and they cannot be attacked without the use of special abilities or talents.
Tomas is being shot at by an ork scorcher with a crossbow. To reduce the chance of being skewered while he prepares a spell, the Wizard decides to take cover behind a nearby tree. The gamemaster decides that Tomas has partial cover, and adds +2 to his Physical Defense. The ork takes a shot, but misses, his arrow sinking into the bark near the Wizard’s face. Tomas smiles and starts weaving threads for his spell.
Characters sometimes find themselves fighting in the dark. If a character does not possess Heat Sight (p. 45), Low-Light Vision (p. 46), or a similar sense, then his actions will be impaired. Darkness modifiers are based on the amount of ambient light present.
Partial: Partial darkness is equivalent to a character being in a shuttered room on a cloudy day, or outside on a moonlit night. There is some ambient light, but the environment is dark, with a lot of shadow.
A character in partial darkness suffers a –2 penalty to any sight-based tests.
Full: Full darkness is equivalent to a character being in a shuttered room at night, allowing some moonlight to filter in through the cracks, or outside on an overcast or moonless night. A kaer or cave with some form of luminescence would provide a similar environment; there is almost no ambient light, and a lot of deep shadows. A character in full darkness suffers a –4 penalty to any sight-based tests.
Characters with Low-Light Vision are not affected by partial darkness, and treat full darkness as if it were only partial darkness. Characters with Heat Sight are not affected by partial or full darkness.
Some spells or powers cause magical darkness, and can affect characters with Low-Light Vision or Heat Sight. The spell or power description normally includes information relating to the application of any darkness modifiers for that effect. At the gamemaster’s discretion, darkness may affect a character’s Movement Rate (see Impaired Movement, p. 389).
A character who is blinded, whether from natural or magical causes, will suffer a darkness penalty for the duration of the effect. Blindness penalties tend to be equivalent to full darkness unless the character still possesses some ability to see, albeit in a very hazy and indistinct manner.
Intense light will sometimes dazzle a character. Dazzled penalties tend to be equivalent to partial darkness; only rarely will a light blind a character to the level of full darkness.
A character who is being attacked in close combat by four or more opponents is considered harried. The effects of some talents or spells may also cause the character to become harried.
A harried character suffers a -2 penalty to his Action tests as well as his Physical and Mystic Defense ratings. Opponents that are attacking from behind also gain the benefit of the Blindside modifier (see p.386)
Mica is surrounded by five ghouls. Because of the number of opponents, the Swordmaster is harried—at least until he can dispatch a couple of them. The undead cause the dwarf to suffer a -2 penalty to his Attack tests and his Physical Defense is lowered from 10 to 8. The ghouls behind him make their attacks against a Physical Defense of 6 because of the blindside status.
Multiple sources of distraction could further disorient an already harried character. A harried character suffers a further –1 penalty to his tests and Defense ratings for each additional harried effect he incurs after the first.
Movement in the Earthdawn game assumes the character is relatively unimpeded. At the gamemaster’s discretion, characters could suffer movement or test penalties depending on the environment.
Light: Light brush, narrow alleyways, cramped rooms, partial darkness, and similar environments could reduce a character’s Movement Rate by 5, or cause a -2 penalty to movement-based tests.
Heavy: Dense underbrush, a packed marketplace, full darkness, waist-deep water, and similar environments could reduce a character’s Movement Rate by 10, or cause a -4 penalty to movement-based tests. In addition, characters might need to pass Dexterity tests to avoid tripping or having their movement halted (this test should not suffer the -4 penalty).
None of these modifiers will reduce a character’s Movement Rate below 1.
A character who is knocked down can still act but he is severely impaired while he is prone. The character suffers a –3 penalty to his Action tests, and subtracts –3 from his Physical and Mystic Defense (in certain situations the gamemaster may apply this penalty to the character’s Social Defense). These penalties remain in effect until the character stands up.
Standing is a simple matter, but uses the character’s Standard action to get back on his feet (see Standard Actions, p. 373).
A character cannot move until he stands up. If he chooses to remain on the ground, a character may crawl at a Movement Rate of 2.
Things were looking up for Mica. He has dispatched two ghouls, and is no longer harried. Unfortunately, one of the undead lands a nasty blow, inflicting a Wound and knocking the Swordmaster down. Until he stands up, he not only suffers a –3 penalty to his tests—including his next Initiative test—but his Physical and Mystic Defense are also reduced. Mica hopes his companions arrive soon to help him out!
Since most combat options require freedom of movement, a character who is Knocked Down is unable to use any until he is standing, with the exception of Jump Up (see Combat Options, p.382).
When making a ranged attack, the character may suffer a penalty to his Attack and Damage tests due to the distances involved (see Ranged Combat, p. 392).
Short: There are no modifiers at short range; the character makes his tests as normal.
Long: The character suffers a –2 penalty to his Attack and Damage tests.
Silar, a t’skrang Archer, is doing his part by firing his crossbow at a group of bandits. The bandits are currently about 60 yards away—long range for the crossbow. Silar has a Missile Weapons Step of 13. When firing at this distance, his Missile Weapons Step is 11, due to the –2 penalty. Firing at a particularly ugly dwarf, Silar hits his target. His crossbow normally inflicts Step 10 damage. However, at long range he suffers a –2 penalty and rolls Step 8.
From time to time, characters and creatures appear in unexpected places. This may be an intentional tactic, as when a group plans an ambush, or an accidental encounter, as when a creature suddenly appears from behind a tree in the forest. In either case, those caught off guard may be surprised.
Surprised characters cannot take any actions during the combat round in which they are surprised. They also suffer a –3 penalty to their Physical and Mystic Defense during the same round (in certain situations the gamemaster may apply this penalty to the character’s Social Defense). The effects of surprise last until the end of the combat round.
To determine whether a character is surprised, he makes a Perception test against a Difficulty Number based on the situation. This is usually equal to the lowest Dexterity Step among the characters or creatures encountered, but is otherwise determined by the gamemaster. If the test fails, the character is surprised. If the test succeeds, the character can act or react as normal.
Mica is having a rough day. He is facing three ghouls, and has suffered a Wound. However, Mica’s companions have returned, sneaking to within striking distance. The gamemaster makes a Perception test for the undead to see if they notice the other characters approaching—none of them do. The ghouls are surprised as Mica’s friends leap out from around a building and attack.
Most combat uses the same basic Attack and Damage test procedure, but other factors can come into play based on the situation, the type of weapon, the distance between opponents, and so on. There are three primary types of combat: close, ranged, and spell combat. Within each combat type there may be one or more types of attack.
Close combat: Melee and unarmed attacks.
Ranged combat: Missile and thrown attacks.
Spell combat: Spell and magical power attacks.
The following sections describe each type of combat in more detail, including mounted, aerial, and creature combat.
Close combat is any type of physical combat that occurs within reach of the combatants. This is usually a 2 yard distance between opponents, but some longer weapons allow for greater reach. The two types of close combat are:
Melee attacks: Made by hitting an opponent with a hand-held melee weapon, such as a broadsword or a battle-axe. Melee attacks are most commonly made using the Melee Weapons talent or skill.
Unarmed attacks: Made by an attacker punching, biting, kicking or generally employing his limbs against his opponent. Unarmed attacks are most commonly made using the Unarmed Combat talent or skill.
A maximum of six human-sized opponents can attack a character in close combat. Any time four or more attackers set upon a character at the same time, he is considered Harried (p. 388). The character remains Harried until fewer than four attackers surround him. Note that some small creatures or pack animals can swarm an opponent, allowing more attacks against their opponent than normal. Regardless of the number of combatants, the relative positions of the attackers appears on the Melee Combat Positions diagram.
Some weapons, such as whips, not only cause damage to those struck, but also wrap around the victim, preventing him from acting. These weapons are noted in their description as entangling weapons (see the Goods and Services chapter, p.400).
If the attacker scores an extra success on his Attack test with an entangling weapon, he entangles his target. Extra successes used for this do not increase damage. The entangled character is considered harried for any actions other than breaking free.
To free himself, the target must make a successful Strength or Dexterity test against a Difficulty Number indicated in the weapon’s description. If he was holding a one-handed bladed weapon when struck, he may add the weapon’s Damage Step as a bonus to this test (this will help to cut him free, which ruins the entangling weapon).
Sometimes a character will want to hit another character with an object not normally used as a melee weapon, such as a chair, tankard, or rock. The gamemaster determines the statistics for this improvised weapon, including any Strength minimum and the item’s Damage Step. Because of the unbalanced nature of the weapon, the character suffers a –2 penalty to his Attack tests when wielding the item.
A character can attempt to wrestle or grapple an opponent instead of making a normal unarmed attack. When attempting a grappling attack, the character makes an Unarmed Combat test against the target’s Physical Defense. To successfully grapple, he must score an extra success on the test. Grappling attacks do not cause damage, so the attacker does not make a Damage test.
A grappled character cannot move, and the only action he can take is to try and break free of the attacker’s hold. The grappled target makes an Unarmed Combat or Strength test against the Unarmed Combat Step of the grappling attack. If the test succeeds, the target breaks free.
At the gamemaster’s discretion a grappled character can take other actions, but must beat the Unarmed Combat Step of the grappling attack to succeed.
Silar, the t’skrang Archer, has been grappled by a bandit with a Physical Defense of 8 and an Unarmed Combat Step of 10. Silar attacks the bandit with his tail using his own Unarmed Combat skill. To hit he must succeed against a Difficulty Number of 10.
Once a character makes a successful grappling attack against an opponent, he can maintain the hold by declaring that he is doing so as his standard action during consecutive rounds. The character may choose to let go of his opponent at any time.
Ranged combat is any type of physical combat that occurs beyond the reach of the combatants. Normally, this is reserved for weapons that project a missile, or are thrown, toward a target more than 2 yards away.
The two types of ranged combat are:
Missile attacks: Made by firing a missile weapon, such as a bow or a sling (see Missile Weapon Descriptions, p. 409). Missile attacks are most commonly made using the Missile Weapons talent or skill.
Thrown attacks: Made by hurling a throwing weapon, such as a flight dagger or a throwing axe (see Throwing Weapon Descriptions, p. 410). Thrown attacks are most commonly made using the Throwing Weapons talent or skill.
Ranged combat attacks are only effective up to a certain distance; missile and thrown weapons cannot be used to attack a target beyond their maximum range. A character making a ranged combat attack may incur a penalty based on whether his target is at short or long range (see Distance, p. 389). The range statistics for missile and throwing weapons appear in the Goods and Services chapter, p. 400. If an attacker is within the minimum range given for his ranged weapon, he cannot attack with ranged combat.
Characters will sometimes want to make a ranged combat attack against an opponent engaged in close combat. This can result in the attacker inadvertently hitting an ally or a companion instead of the desired target.
The number of characters or creatures between the attacker and his target is added to the target’s Physical Defense. The attacker makes his ranged Attack test against this modified Physical Defense. If successful, the attack hits the target and inflicts damage as normal.
If the test fails, the attacker compares the test result to the Physical Defense of each character between himself and the original target, starting with the closest character. If the test succeeds, that character is struck instead of the target.
The attacker continues on to the next target until he strikes a character, or all possible intervening targets have been tested for a hit.
Silar, a t’skrang Archer, fires his crossbow at what he hopes is an opponent in the mass of bodies and weapons before him. The target has a Physical Defense of 9, but there are four other characters shifting back and forth in the way, increasing the Difficulty Number of the Attack test to 13. Silar makes a Missile Weapons test, with a result of 9; he misses his intended target.
The gamemaster compares the test result against the Physical Defense of each of the four intervening characters, starting with the one closest to Silar. The closest character is an enemy character with a Physical Defense of 10, so the bolt does not hit him. The next character is Silar’s companion Ulm, with aPhysical Defense of 8. Silar’s bolt strikes Ulm, and the Archer starts readying an apology for his friend.
Some thrown weapons, like bolas and nets, are entangling weapons. Refer to the section on entangling weapons under Close Combat, p. 391, for details on entangling attacks and how they work.
As in life, characters will sometimes want to hurl objects that are not designed to be thrown, such as rocks, flasks of oil, or even furniture.
The gamemaster must determine the range and Damage step of objects not shown on the Throwing Weapons Table. The character makes his Attack test with a –2 penalty, due to the unbalanced nature of the object being thrown.
To throw an item at a target, the character makes an Attack test. The Difficulty Number depends on the intent. If throwing the object at another character, he uses the target’s Physical Defense. If throwing an object at a specific target area, the Difficulty Number is 7. If the test succeeds, the character hits the target and makes a Damage test, as normal. If the object misses the target, it (or its parts) may scatter.
If a character throws an object at a target and misses, the gamemaster rolls a D6 and consults the Scatter Diagram to determine the direction in which the object actually travels. To determine how far away from the target the object lands, the gamemaster subtracts the Attack test result from the Difficulty Number; the difference becomes a Step used by the gamemaster to make a test, the result of which is the distance in feet that the object scattered from the target.
Brighton, a human Troubadour, throws a flask of oil with a burning rag at an enemy. Brighton rolls a 6 on his Throwing Weapons test against his target’s Physical Defense of 9. The gamemaster rolls a D6 to determine where the flask goes and gets a scatter direction of 5. He makes a Step 3 test (9–6=3) to determine the distance in which the flask scatters from the target, with a result of 5. The flask shatters five feet beyond the target. The flask shatters, spreading flaming oil across the floor, but not otherwise having any effect.
Spell combat involves attacks made against an opponent using spell magic, or a similar magical power. They usually require the magician to make a Spellcasting test against his opponent’s Mystic Defense. Spells targeted against an opponent’s MysticDefense allow the possibility of achieving extra successes with the magician’s Attacktest (his Spellcasting test). Most combat spells are easily differentiated by the fact that they often involve making an Effect test as a Damage test, as noted in the spell description. This is not always the case, but is a good rule-of-thumb for the gamemaster to apply when determining what constitutes a combat spell.
See the Spells chapter, p. 246, for more information about casting spells and descriptions of the many different spells available to magicians in the Earthdawn game.
Mounted combat is common in the world of Earthdawn. Tribes of nomads and ork scorchers roam the plains of Barsaive, and magic has forged a whole Discipline dedicated to fighting while mounted, the Cavalryman. This section explains special rules that apply to mounted combat. There are abilities that alleviate the disadvantages or improve the advantages of fighting from a mount, most of them found in the Cavalryman Discipline. In this section a mounted character is referred to as a rider, and the animal that has a rider as a mount.
Clarification: This section doesn’t exist and this shouldn’t be necessary to write, but here we are. If a windling is riding a biped into combat, both suffer two instances of Harried, making them Overwhelmed unless they have a way to ignore this. This is in addition to whatever additional penalties the gamemaster wants to throw their way, such as sharing Initiative Penalties, acting on the lowest Initiative, etc.
The amount of training a mount has determines how easy it is for the rider to handle it during combat or daily travels. Untrained mounts are not used to carryingNamegivers on their backs, and are often wild. They can hardly be ridden and spook away from combat, but some abilities such as Dominate Beast or Tame Mount allow a rider to control them quickly. Trained mounts are the type usually sold and allow riders. Their main purpose is for travel, as combat will frequently spook them. Combat mounts are accustomed to the sounds of the battlefield, trained to ride into or straight at other creatures on the rider’s command, and may even attack them. They are usually more expensive than trained mounts.
Mounting an animal takes a Standard action and requires the animal to be a trained mount. An untrained mount requires the character to make a Trick Riding test against the mount’s Social Defense. Dismounting is a Simple action. A rider may jump off his mount to attack in close combat; or he may throw himself off his mount to grapple (see p. 392) a target. If grappling a target this way, the rider suffers Step 5/D8 damage from the impact of the fall. If the grappling attempt is successful, the target also suffers Step 5/d8 damage.
If the mount fails a Knockdown test, the rider is automatically knocked down as he falls off his mount. This fall and any other event that knocks a rider off his mount cause Step 5/D8 damage (an exception applies when using flying mounts, see Aerial Combat, p.398). If only the rider fails a Knockdown test, he falls off his mount, but the mount is unaffected. The gamemaster may disallow a rider the use of some abilities that enhance Knockdown tests, such as those that bind the character to solid earth or another object. Other abilities like the Sure Mount talent provide enhanced knockdown tests specifically for the purpose of staying mounted.
The combat sequence for mounted characters is the same as the normal combat sequence (see p. 371), but some special rules apply. The rider and his mount eachhave their own actions. If trained, the mount acts on the rider’s Initiative. Untrained mounts act on their own Initiative, which makes combat difficult at best, impossible at worst, as the mount moves and acts independently from the rider.
A trained mount that did not have a rider at the beginning of the round changes its Initiative to that of the rider once mounted, but cannot take actions it has already used (in most cases, its standard action and movement).
For the purpose of movement, a rider and his mount are treated as one character as long as the rider controls the mount. While mounted, a mount’s Movement Rate is used instead of the rider’s. A character cannot use his own movement in a round in which he uses the mount’s movement, even if he dismounts; it is assumed he has already moved—investing the effort normally put into his own movement into directing the mount.
Additionally, characters not familiar with their mounts must succeed at a Trick Riding test against the mount’s Social Defense to take their mounts into (but not away from) combat; Cavalrymen and Beastmasters are assumed to be familiar with their mounts at all times.
A rider can instruct his mount to use its Standard action to move (see p. 373). Doing this does not use the character’s Standard action. When using the Splitting Movement combat option (see p. 386), the rider takes the Strain and is affected by the Harried modifier, not the mount.
In many instances of mounted combat (see Charging Attacks below), both of these combat options will be used. Some abilities of the Cavalryman Discipline (see p. 94) serve to alleviate these conditions.
Charging attacks allow a mounted character to use the momentum of the mount’s movement to deliver devastating blows. A charging attack requires a combat-trained mount or a successful Trick Riding test against the mount’s Social Defense.
To make a charging attack, the rider must move towards the target in a relatively straight line at a rate higher than the mount’s Movement Rate (using the mount’s standard action to move). If the rider plans to move after the attack, by using the splitting movement combat option, it also has to be in a relatively straight line.
A successful attack during a charging attack adds the mount’s Strength Step to the Damage Step due to the high momentum of the impact. If two riders make Charging Attacks against each other, they add the Strength Steps of both their mounts to the Damage Step, not just the Strength Step of their own mount. The high momentum can cause the rider to be thrown off his mount or lose his weapon. After a successful charging attack, the rider makes a Strength test against the target’s Toughness Step. If the test fails, a rider using a spear or lance-type weapon is thrown from his mount, suffering Step 5/D8 of damage and becoming knocked down. A rider using a shorter melee weapon like a sword or mace loses his weapon. Unarmed riders suffer no ill effect. Some weapons are not suited for Charging Attacks and may shatter on impact (refer to the weapon descriptions, p. 406). If a weapon shatters, the rider is not knocked off his mount and retains only a fractured piece of his weapon.
When splitting movement on a charging attack, the rider may not use additional attack abilities, such as the Second Attack, Second Weapon, or Momentum Attack talents or skills, as rider and mount move past the target too fast. Only when ending their movement next to a target can these abilities be used. There are several specialized talents that allow for additional attacks during a charge, however.
Handling Mounted Combat
Mounted Combat can seem difficult to handle during the game because of the requirements for a charging attack and the many combat options involved. This guide presents the typical procedures for different types of mounted attacks and suggests some terms for identifying them during a game in which mounted combat frequently occurs.
Stationary attacks do not involve movement. The rider simply attacks from his mount’s back, and the mount can also make attacks. Some talents, such as Down Strike or Wheeling Defense, enhance stationary Mounted Combat. There are no extra combat options or modifiers to consider.
Mobile attacks are those where the mount moves before or after the attack. They share a lot of traits with stationary attacks. There are no modifiers for the attacker, but the defender may have to delay or reserve his action to attack in close combat (if his Initiative is higher and he cannot move far enough on his turn to reach the mount, which often has a higher Movement Rate). If the defender’s Initiative is lower than the attacker’s and the attacker moves away after attacking, the defender often cannot attack in close combat.
Charging attacks require the mount to use its Standard action to move. It cannot attack and must move more than its Movement Rate towards the target. The rider’s damage is enhanced by the mount’s Strength Step (and possibly the Charge talent). The mount’s movement ends next to the target. A defender can Set Against a Charge to strike the attacker before being hit and may profit from the momentum if successful.
Ride-by attacks use the splitting movement combat option. The mount moves before and after the attack so the mount’s movement does not end next to the target. The mount may attack. Splitting movement causes the adept to be harried and take 1 Strain, although Cavalryman abilities can circumvent this. Damage is not increased as with a charging attack. The defender can delay or reserve actions as with a mobile attack.
All-out charging attacks use both splitting movement and the mount’s Standard action to allow for a charging attack that does not end next to the target. The mount moves more than its Movement Rate towards the target, and up to what remains of its doubled Movement Rate away. The mount cannot attack. Damage is enhanced as per charging attacks, and the rider takes 1 Strain and is harried, except where abilities circumvent this. The defender may set against the charge. The Wheeling Attack talent allows a character to circumvent the requirement to move before the attack, but the mount has to move the full distance during the round, usually after the attack.
Davon rides a mount with Movement Rate 15. He looks around for enemies he can target with a charging attack. His opponents are at distances of 14, 21, and 27 yards away. To make a charging attack, his mount must move at least 17 yards (more than its normal Movement Rate of 15), so two opponents are eligible for a charge, the ones 21 and 27 yards away. He chooses to attack the closer opponent, moves 21 yards to be adjacent to him, and his attack is successful. After the attack, he is directly adjacent to that opponent.
He could have used the splitting movement combat option to move another 9 yards away from that opponent, which might have set him up for a charging attack against another enemy.
Mounted characters can use long weaponry like lances or spears differently from other characters due to their special posture and the ability to hook them to their armor, saddle, or brace them under their arms, allowing them to wield these weapons with one hand. This situation is only beneficial when there is enough room to maneuver or while charging. If the mount would not be able to move at least 2 yards (regardless of if it actually does), the rider receives the difference between the weapon’s size and his one-handed size limit as a penalty to all Attack and Damage tests with the weapon, as it becomes unwieldy in a close-quarters fight.
Combat-trained mounts may be directed by their rider to use their Standard action to make their own attacks, employing the Steps and abilities found in the creature’s description. Mounts not trained for combat may also make attacks, but these are not controlled by the rider, and the mount usually only attacks if threatened.
Some creatures and characters, including windlings, are capable of flight. Therules governing combat between characters and flying creatures requires additional explanation, as flight introduces additional complications to the Earthdawn game.
The Flying Movement rate of creatures appears with their statistics in the Creatures chapter of the Gamemaster’s Guide. For simplicity, flying creatures are not limited in their ability to move—they can freely move vertically or horizontally as part of their normal movement. Flying creatures or characters can use combat options as normal. Unless stated otherwise, flying creatures do not need to use their Movement Rate to stay airborne and can hover in place.
Some flying creatures and characters prefer to make close combat swooping attacks against their opponents.
The creature or character must use the splitting movement combat option (see p. 386).
The attacker flies into close combat using a portion of his Movement Rate, makes his attacks, and flies off using the remainder of his Movement Rate. Characters who wish to attack swooping creatures or characters in close combat must have a higher Initiative than their opponent that round and use a reserved action (see p. 376) to intercept the attacker.
Mounted combat involving flying mounts is handled the same as other mounted combat. The rider may make swooping attacks just as any other flying creature or character, and may make flying charging attacks per the same rules. The mechanics for handling attack and defense are the same for mounted combat involving split movement and swooping attacks. The major difference is the result of failed Knockdown tests by characters riding flying creatures, as described below.
Flying creatures and characters can be knocked out of the sky. A flying character or creature who fails a Knockdown test is knocked to the ground and may take falling damage based on the distance fallen (see Falling Damage in the Gamemaster’s Guide, p.167). Once the character or creature stands back up it can again take to the air. If a character riding a flying mount fails a Knockdown test and is knocked off his mount, he receives falling damage based on the distance fallen instead of the normal Step 5/D8 damage for a land-based mount. Many riders of flying mounts strap themselves into the saddle to limit this danger.
¶ Long Falls
Optional Rule: The gamemaster may decide that a creature or character flying at a considerable height or with special physical properties or features does not hit the ground after failing a Knockdown test. Instead, they plummet towards the ground over several rounds. There are no simple rules to determine how fast a creature falls each round; variables include body weight, wind, wings that might slow the descent, and so on. Flying creatures and characters that have been knocked down, but haven’t yet hit the ground, can spend their Standard action to make a Dexterity (6) test to “stand up.” If the test succeeds, the creature or character stops falling.
A creature or character that is unconscious and falling makes a Recovery test after one round of uncontrolled descent, as if he were being roused by another character (see Recovering from Injury, p. 380). If the creature or character manages to regain consciousness, he can attempt to make the Dexterity (6) test to“stand up” as noted earlier, otherwise he continues to fall until he hits the ground or is somehow rescued.