Combat Options and Maneuvers

Action Announcement
Combat attacks, like all actions, must be announced in advance and can be cancelled but not changed. Action Announcements can use phrases like “the first foe to [do something].”

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

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. You cannot riposte. You must back up out of Melee Distance, whether or not you lose your action. A successful attacker may choose to advance to maintain Melee Distance.

Suicidal Action
So long as you would otherwise roll at least 4 dice for your Defense Roll, you can choose an alternate step 5. Roll ½ your normal Defense Roll for defense, but take your (later) action normally if you are still up.

Guard (Delayed Action)
You can announce that your 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. If you move before going on guard, you cannot move again when that guard is triggered.

Attack of Opportunity
An attack of opportunity allows you to use your existing Action Roll to attack a moving character who attempts to move through, without stopping in, the range of your currently-held weapon (sword 5’, spear 10’, missiles 15’ to 30’ donut). You may make an attack of opportunity only if
 * You chose a Guard action and have not acted yet, or
 * Your target was taken down before you could act.

Surprise
Ordinary surprise gives you 1 round in which your foe may defend normally but may not act and also initiative advantage on the next round. Superior surprise additionally gives you +4 to your Action-Rolls in the first round.

Changing Weapons
Subtract dice from either the last roll with the old weapon or the first roll with the new weapon. Subtract 2 for a quick change (eg. drop bow and draw sword), or 4 for a more difficult change.

Targeted Shot
Initiative and Hit Disadvantage, but Damage Advantage if it hits.

Chosen Ground
If you can choose the ground for a battle, your side may add 0 to 6 dice to your Melee and/or Missile attacks. Add +0 for a featureless plain; +6 for a castle wall. You always find the best tactical advantage the local terrain can offer.