Combat Options and Maneuvers

Pre-Attack Roll Options
These are alternatives to the normal declaration of action and target which may be used both by both players and NPCs.

Choose to Guard
-- 11-May-22 -- Loosened up "cannot change action" rule at players' request.

A character who announces that he will “Guard” cannot move and must choose his action normally, but can choose the target of that action when his initiative arrives. If he wishes, he can choose "Guard" again when his initiative arrives and choose his target at the end of the round.

Exception: Attack of Opportunity: If a character is on Guard and has not yet acted he can move 5’ to attack a foe who is trying to move past him without attacking him. He still cannot damage foes who were out of his range when the round began, but his attack can stop their movement. This attack happens on the foe's turn as the foe moves past the character.

Choose Defense as Your Action
Make no Action Roll, but get +4 dice to every Melee Defense Roll. You can riposte.

Choose to Make a Fighting Retreat
Roll as if making a melee attack. Only characters who roll higher than you can attack you. You get +6 dice to your melee Defense Roll. You cannot Riposte. You must back up out of Melee Range, whether or not you lose your action. A successful attacker may choose to advance to maintain Melee Range.

Choose to Delay your Action
You can announce that your movement and action will follow some other event (such as some other character’s action). You then act during or immediately after the triggering event, so long as your initiative was higher. For example, you could declare that you will attack the first person to come through a door.

Choose to Use a Different Weapons
Subtract dice from either the last Action Roll with the old weapon or the first Action Roll with the new weapon. Subtract 2 dice for a quick change (eg. drop bow and draw sword), or 4 dice for a more difficult change.

Choose to Speak
-- 08-May-22 -- New Section

When speech is chosen as the main action, its initiative is determined by a Awareness Roll as the Action Roll.

Changing an Action When Initiative Arrives
-- 11-May-22 -- Loosened up "cannot change action" rule at players' request.

When his initiative arrives, a character may: Penalty represents the time lost changing direction.
 * 1) Change his action to Retreat without penalty.
 * 2) Cancel his action or change it to Defend at the cost of losing all movement.
 * 3) Change his target and/or his movement with a penalty of Hit Disadvantage to his Action Roll and a reduction of movement from 15’ to 10’ (or one-half movement for a movement action).

Choose to Avoid Losing A Good Action Roll (Suicidal Action)
So long as a character would otherwise roll at least 4 dice for his Defense Roll, he can choose an alternate step 5. He rolls ½ his normal Defense Roll for defense, but takes his (later) action normally if he is still up.

Surprise
Ordinary surprise gives the non-surprised character both Superior surprise additionally gives you +4 to your Action-Rolls in the first round. A successful use of Stealth before combat will usually grant surprise.
 * 1) 1 round in which his foe may not act but may defend normally, and
 * 2) initiative advantage on the next round.