Step

A Step is a small movement allowed before or after most maneuvers, such Attack, Aim, Feint and Evaluate. A Step is 1/10 a character's movement (rounded up), so most characters' Step distance is 1 yard.Basic Set, p.368 This allows for small retreats, advances, and side-strafing, like during a swordfight. 
== High-Move Steps ==
Note that this allows especially fast entities (with high Move) to have Steps above 1!
Move 	Step	Examples
1-10 	1 	Almost all humans and human-scale characters.
11-20	2 	Most flying creatures, like birds or Flaming Skulls
21-30	3 	Unknown, possibly Speedsters
etc. 	 	
== Ain't Wasting Steps ==
* A Movement Point can be used instead for some Change Posture instead of dedicating an entire Maneuver. However it requires attacking and options like Move or Defensive Attack are not listed as possibilities for this free access to lower postures.Martial Arts, p.98
* Erlking in October 2014 pointed out for example how rising from kneeling to standing can be done via a "step", but that maneuvers which use Movement Points instead of steps do not contain that option for a cheaper kneel.
** December 2014 this was addressed by Peter V. Dell'Orto on Dungeon Fantastic when commenting on how Berserkers can't do Change Posture and Douglas Cole replied:
:Note that I do exactly this for my newly-defined Change Position maneuver in Technical Grappling. You can do it by accepting a penalty for any maneuver that allows a step, or you can do it by itself if required. A user pointed out that the second one was good when changing position needed to be done by brute force (a Contest of ST), where combining it with an attack or other move was when it needed to be done with skill.
==Retreats==
If your opponent attacked you with a maneuver that allows a step, but has not yet taken his step, he can choose to follow you by taking his unused step. In effect, he is forcing you back!Basic Set, p.377
==Quotes==
===Kromm===
====2007====
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=454308&postcount=3
:you could certainly make six feints at -15 -- making the first three on people in your forward arc, then turning 180° as your step (perfectly legit; see p. B386) and making the second three on fighters who were formerly behind you.
What he was referencing is somewhat unclear. Movement in Tactical Combat includes related but nonspecific mention:
*Each yard of step – usually one yard, for humans – equals one hex of movement. You may change facing freely before or after you move.
Presumably you can choose to "step" into the hex you're still presently occupying
B368 (a similar page number with the last 2 digits swapped) is probably what Kromm meant to reference:
:You may always turn to face a different direction as part of any step (or as the step, if you just want to change your facing).
387's Facing Changes and Movement only specifies "At the end of your turn" It does add:
:You may also change facing before or during your movement on a Move, Move and Attack, or All-Out Defense (Increased Dodge) maneuver
But it says "turning 180° costs three movement points", not that it can be done as a step.
Spinning (Acrobatic Movement) doesn't really allow that either, it only applies when using movement points, not steps.
====2013====
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=1678048&postcount=23
:Spinning to attack someone behind you is no harder than not moving at all to attack someone in front of you.
That doesn't sound right. This is why Movement Points should entirely replace "step" (just treat Step in maneuvers as 20% movement points!) because it would be harder!
==See also==
*Retreat
== References ==
Category:Rules