Combat¶

Initiative & Turn Order¶

When combat is joined, game time is broken down into flexible rounds, up to a few seconds per round. During this time characters take turns resolving their actions until everyone has had a turn, at which point either the combat ends, or a new round begins. The order of combat is as follows:

1. Surprise Round. The GM determines if one side or the other is entitled to a free round as a result of surprise (eg: during an ambush, p.77).

2. Players Roll for Initiative. Each PC makes a Dex check. If the PC fails, they act after the monsters. If they succeed, they act before the monsters. On a great success, they also act before any Boss monsters. If two (or more) PCs fail or succeed, players work out the order between themselves, or alternatively the character with the best margin goes first.

3. Resolve Turns. Each turn, a character may take one action and one move. Remember that if a character suffers any damage before their turn, they may not cast a spell that round.

4. Combat Ends or New Round. The round is complete. If the battle is not finished, a new round begins at step 2.

Delay Turn¶

A character may delay their action until after another character's turn is complete.

Ready Action¶

A character may ready an action in response to another event at the GM's discretion. The player describes the triggering event and the character takes her action simultaneously with the triggering event. If the two acts cannot occur simultaneously, a Dex contest determines who acts first. If the triggering event does not occur, the character's action is generally lost (GM discretion).

Initiative Variants¶

For those GMs interested in trying some variant initiative rules, three further options are provided below.

#1: Original Lfg Initiative¶

Each player rolls 1d20 for their adventurer, and the GM rolls for the monsters, acting in order from highest to lowest. Some GMs prefer to make a single roll for all monsters, possibly with a separate roll for monster leaders. Initiative might be checked just once per combat, or at the start of every turn (rolling each turn gives more unpredictability, but slows combat).

#2 Turn Cards¶

In this initiative variant, instead of rolling dice to determine turn order, cards are drawn from a deck. Each PC has one card in the deck. Monsters are generally represented by a single card, although Boss monsters get their own. The GM might also give spell casters or other special NPCs their own cards.

Initiative is determined by drawing cards from the deck. A single card is drawn and that character (or group of monsters) acts. Once that turn is complete, a second card is drawn, revealing the next character (or group of monsters) to act, and so on, until all combatants have had a turn. At the end of the round, the cards of all surviving combatants are reshuffled, ready to begin the next round. The effect of this variant is that no-one knows who will act next until the current turn ends and the next card is revealed.

At the GM's discretion, PCs or monsters with an initiative bonus (eg when using a shortsword granting +2 initiative) gain a second card in the deck (increasing their chances of acting earlier). The character acts when the first card is drawn (ignore the second card).

#3 Five Finger Countdown¶

In this variant, when the GM indicates it's a player's turn, that player has to the count of five to declare their PC's action & move, or they automatically take the dodge action and forfeit their movement. Delay Action is not available under this variant. The GM indicates the count by extending the fingers on one hand. The effect of this variant is faster, more spontaneous, and more dangerous combat, but may frustrate those who prefer nuanced party co-ordination.