Martial Exploits¶

Adventurers may attempt Minor, Major and Rescue Exploits, as outlined below. Major and Rescue Exploits are exclusive to player characters.

Major Exploits¶

All adventurers may attempt Major Exploits; impressive feats of power and skill that inspire allies and turn the tide of battle. Major Exploits are exclusive to PCs.

An adventurer might shatter a foe's weapon, impale a wolf on a fence spike, grab an enemy in each hand and crack their skulls together (stunning both of them), decapitate an ogre (subject to the hit dice rule below) or cut off a wyvern's wing.

In prior LFG campaigns, some successful Major Exploits included:

• Spearing a Tyrannosaurus Rex in one eye, causing it to suffer Perc penalties and a 33% miss chance.
• Finishing off a fearsome witch hunter by trampling him with a horse and carriage.
• Making wild swings with a cold iron flail to drive away three Shades clustered around a fallen ally.

Major Exploits may affect more than one target and can result in very serious and permanent effects, including death. Subject to the rules below, they are limited only by the player's imagination and the scenario at hand.

• Major Exploits do not increase hit point damage to a single target (but might increase total damage by affecting multiple targets).

• Major Exploits cannot instantly kill or incapacitate a single target, unless the target's hit dice are less than the adventurer's level.

• Special exceptions apply to Boss Monsters (p.184).

• The GM has the final say on whether a proposed exploit is possible.

For a Major Exploit to occur, the adventurer usually needs to first hit and cause damage as normal. The adventurer then makes a Luck check, modified at the GM's discretion. If the check is successful the exploit occurs and the character's Luck attribute is reduced by 1, as usual. The GM makes a ruling to determine the effect.

Minor Exploits¶

Characters may attempt various Minor Exploits during combat, often but not always improvised to fit the situation at hand.

Minor Exploits are limited to one target and have instant or short durations (often one round or less). They occur as part of an attack action. Minor Exploits cover the usual range of combat options found in most tabletop RPGs, for example: tripping, pushing, disarming or grabbing hold of an enemy. The GM determines whether a proposed exploit is possible. For a Minor Exploit to occur, the character must first hit and cause damage as normal. The GM then makes a ruling to resolve the exploit. For example:

• An opposed Str check to knock on opponent off his feet, grab hold of him with one hand, drive him backwards 10 feet, or throw him through a window.
• An opposed Dex check to throw sand in an opponent's eyes, temporarily blinding them for one round.
• An opposed Dex check (perhaps modified by level) to disarm.

Different GMs will make different rulings to suit their table. The above are a guide only.

If the exploit is successful, the intended outcome occurs; the target is tripped, or thrown through the window, etc. The GM makes a ruling to determine the effect. If the exploit fails, see p.75.

Rescues¶

In certain situations, an adventurer may attempt a Rescue Exploit, which may only be used to protect another person or thing. Rescue Exploits are only available when it is not the adventurer's turn, in response to something happening within approximately 30 ft. A Rescue allows one player to negate or reverse an adverse event for another player or NPC. Rescues are exclusive to PCs.

The player must explain to the table how his adventurer intends to achieve the Rescue. A Rescue might include such things as pushing another adventurer out of harm's way, using a shield to deflect arrows targeting an ally, or grabbing hold of a henchmen as they plummet into a pit trap.

If the GM agrees a Rescue is possible, the adventurer must first make a successful Dex check to move into position, react fast enough to intervene, etc. If the adventurer moves out of melee, enemies within reach get a free attack as normal.

Finally, the rescuer must make a successful Luck check, modified at the GM's discretion. If the Luck check is successful, the Rescue occurs, and the rescuer's Luck attribute is reduced by 1 as usual.

Failed Exploits¶

If a Minor, Major or Rescue Exploit fails, a character may not attempt another exploit against the same target until the circumstances significantly change in their favour (eg the target becomes Staggered, or an ally comes to assist, etc). The GM determines what qualifies as a significant change.

At the GM's discretion, a natural 20 on an exploit based attribute or Luck check may result in a special setback. For instance, in the Rescue example above, both the rogue and magic user might be caught in the lightning blast. In the beastman example, the adventurer might lose his grip on his weapon, slip over on some blood, or cry out during an attempt to be stealthy, etc.