The Crossing of Cratered Ground

= Preview =
* Maps are divided into hexagonal Zones which are 20 yards wide
* Going from one Zone to another is accomplished by taking a Maneuver Action
* Characters can have one of three Speeds: Fast, Normal, or Slow
*There are five types of Maneuvers: Dash, Jog, Run, Prowl, and Sprint
*Dash, Jog, Run, and Prowl allow a character to travel a set amount of Zones depending on Speed
*Sprint lets a character make a Sprint Test to attempt to travel further than a Run or with other benefits
*Reaching the limits of Encumbrance can reduce Speed and apply other penalties
*Zones with difficult Terrain count as twice as many Zones to travel, slowing movement through them
*Sprinting through challenging Terrain or suffering a Disaster on an Athletics Test requires a Balance Test
__TOC__
=Zones=
The battlefield is divided up into a hex grid, with each hexagon referred to as a Zone. The Zone that a character is located within is referred to as his “current Zone.” A Zone that is located immediately next to his current Zone is referred to as an "adjacent Zone."
Each Zone has a width (i.e. the minimal diameter from the center of one side to the opposite) of 20 yards. Another way to describe this is to say that moving from the center of one Zone to the center of an adjacent Zone covers 20 yards. Multiple characters can fit within a single Zone without issue.
Movement is done one Zone at a time, going from the character’s current Zone to an adjacent Zone. Even if a movement allows going more than one Zone, it must take into account all Zones being traveled through, outside of the rare instance of flying characters.
===Half Zones===
Two Move distances of ½ across two successive Turns can combine together to travel 1 full Zone. Keep track of partial movement by moving the character's token toward the edge of the Zone being moved into. The destination cannot be altered between Turns, though the movement can be canceled halfway through, returning the character to the center of the starting Zone as if no movement had been attempted.
=Speed=
Characters are divided into three separate Speeds: Fast, Normal, or Slow. Speed determines the default number of Zones a character can cover with Maneuvers. 
There are several things that can lower Speed by one category each: 
*Being Down (only relevant when using the Prowl Maneuver)
*Certain injuries (those with the Ambulatory Complication)
*Being overloaded with too much weight
Suffering enough penalties to lower Speed below Slow results in the character becoming Immobilized and unable to move without assistance.
===Normal Speed===
Most characters move at Normal Speed by default.
===Fast Speed===
Fast characters can move at twice the speed of Normal characters.
Some Races, forms, or modes of transportation can cover more distance than others, and as such are grouped together as Fast characters. These include:
*Night Ravens in flight
*Dragon Daughters
*Half-Horses
*Wolfen in Wolf Form
*Burrowers using Stone Walk
===Slow Speed===
Slow characters can only cover half the distance of Normal characters within the same amount of time.
The only Race that moves at Slow Speed by default is the Burrowers, whose small size renders their movements slower when not using their magical abilities to travel faster through rock.
=Maneuvers=
There are five Maneuvers which allow a character to go from one Zone to another:
Maneuver 	Maneuver 	Dash 	Jog 	Run 	Prowl 	Sprint
Expenditure 	Expenditure 	1 or 2 Focus 	2 Focus 	3 Focus 	3 Focus 	3 Focus1 Breath
ZonesTraveled	Fast Speed 	1 	2 	
4 	2 / 1 	See Sprint ManeuverGain Moving
ZonesTraveled	Normal Speed	½ 	1 	2 	1 / ½ 	See Sprint ManeuverGain Moving
ZonesTraveled	Slow Speed 	 	 	 	 	See Sprint ManeuverGain Moving
½ 	1 	½ / - 	 	 	 	See Sprint ManeuverGain Moving
Special 	Special 	See ChargeGain Moving +1	See ChargeGain Moving	Gain Moving	See Prowl below	
== Dash ==
A Dash is a very short burst of speed to cover a small amount of distance. Only characters with Fast Speed can travel a full Zone with a single Dash, but Normal Speed characters can travel a full Zone with two Dashes.
Dash is the only Maneuver that can be taken twice in a single Round, but the second Dash Maneuver costs 2 Focus due to the stop-and-start nature of the movement, for a total of 3 Focus to take two concurrent Dash Maneuvers. This might be preferable to a Run Maneuver in spite of covering less distance because of the additional +1 Difficulty Moving Penalty applied against enemy Ambushes.
Dash Maneuvers apply the Charge bonus to an immediate Melee Attack made after the Dash on the same Round.
== Jog ==
A Jog Maneuver is a longer period of consistent movement, allowing a character with Normal Speed to cover an entire 20 yard Zone in one go.
Jog Maneuvers benefit from the Moving Penalty against enemy Ambushes, and apply the Charge bonus to an immediate Melee Attack made after the Jog on the same Round.
=== Charge ===
A character rushing toward a foe to strike has increased momentum with which to successfully deliver the blow. Both Dash and Jog allow the character to Charge for an immediate follow-up Close Attack with a Melee Weapon. The Close Attack must be made on the same Round, not first thing on the next Turn.
When the character is Charging, he adds 1 free Advance on his Attack Test, and may add the Fierce Advantage as a free Advantage to the Attack.
Keep in mind that enemies get the opportunity to make an Ambush Attack against Maneuvers without needing to take the Watch Anticipation first, so Dashing or Jogging into Melee Attack range can be risky.
== Run ==
A Run Maneuver represents an entire Turn of movement, focused on covering as much distance as possible without risking exhaustion. Run Maneuvers benefit from the Moving Penalty against enemy Ambushes.
==Prowl==
Normally, a character cannot move if Covered, Concealed, or Down, but he can take a Prowl Maneuver to move if the circumstances permit it.
===Down===
A Prowl Maneuver while Down represents crawling in a prone position. This is the slowest possible way to move, and as such effectively lowers the character's Speed by one category, reducing his normal Prowl rate by half. 
Fast characters cover 1 Zone with 3 Focus of Prowling while Down, while Normal characters require two full Rounds of Prowling to make it 1 Zone. Slow characters cannot Prowl while Down, as they would move too slow for it to be worth tracking, though if the Gamemaster feels like it and the situation is dire, he can let a Slow character Prowl while Down in 4 full Rounds.
===Covered or Concealed===
A Prowl Maneuver while Covered or Concealed is a low, crouching movement behind a barrier or through obscuring terrain. For a Covered or Concealed character to be able to take a Prowl Maneuver, there must be continuous Cover or Concealment between his current Zone and the adjacent Zone(s) he wishes to move to. This might be a connected trench network, a straight wall, or a field of obscuring crops.
A Covered character taking a Prowl Maneuver does not reduce Total Cover to Partial Cover during the movement. A Concealed character remains Concealed throughout the entire movement.
If the Cover or Concealment is not contiguous, the character will have to take a Reposition Action to disengage from his current Cover or Concealment, and then take a Dash or Jog Maneuver to move to the adjacent Zone where he would then have to take another Reposition Action to look for new Cover or Concealment.
==Sprint==
If a character wishes to move further, faster than a regular Maneuver allows, he can spend all 3 Focus on a Sprint Maneuver. This represents exerting himself to move as quickly as possible for the entire Round. Taking a Sprint Maneuver requires making a Sprint Test using Fitness (Athletics), and requires having a point of Breath available to spend.
===Sprint Test===
As with all Standard Tests, the initial Difficulty for the Sprint Test when taking a Sprint Maneuver is 4.
Double all Zones traveled for Fast characters. Halve all Zones traveled for Slow characters.
Fitness (Athletics) Test results: 
*Victory: Travel 3 Zones at the cost of 1 Breath, modified by spending Victory Points: 
**✠ (1 VP, repeatable) Swift: Travel 1 additional Zone
**✠ (1 VP) Efficient: Avoid expending any Breath
**✠✠ (2 VPs) Weave: Sprint defensively, adding Evasive on top of the Moving penalty that enemies suffer if attempting an Ambush Attack
**✠✠ (2 VPs) Slide: Take a free Reposition Action at the end of the Sprint Maneuver to become Down, Concealed, or Covered
**✠✠✠ (3 VPs) Expeditious: Gain 1 free Focus after finishing the Sprint Maneuver
*Success: Travel 3 Zones at the cost of 1 Breath
*Dilemma: Choose one:
*#Exhausting: Travel 3 Zones at the cost of 2 Breath
*#Conservative: Travel 2 Zones without expending any Breath
*Failure: Travel 2 Zones at the cost of 1 Breath
*Disaster: Travel 0 Zones and make a Balance Test to attempt to avoid injury
The basic results are presented in the following table for quick access:
 	Results of Sprint Maneuver	Results of Sprint Maneuver	Results of Sprint Maneuver	Results of Sprint Maneuver
Character Speed	Failure 	Dilemma 	Success 	Each 1 Victory Point
Fast 	4 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	6 ZonesExpend 2 Breath 	6 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	
Fast 	4 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	4 ZonesExpend 0 Breath 	6 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	Expend 0 Breath
Normal 	2 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	3 ZonesExpend 2 Breath 	3 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	
Normal 	2 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	2 ZonesExpend 0 Breath 	3 ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	Expend 0 Breath
Slow 	1 ZoneExpend 1 Breath 	1 ½ ZonesExpend 2 Breath 	1 ½ ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	
Slow 	1 ZoneExpend 1 Breath 	1 ZoneExpend 0 Breath 	1 ½ ZonesExpend 1 Breath 	Expend 0 Breath
=Impediments=
There are several circumstances which can slow a character down: Wounds, Encumbrance, and difficult Terrain.
==Injury==
Wounds that inflict the Ambulatory Complication can reduce a character's speed by one step if severe enough.
==Encumbrance==
If a character is carrying too much weight compared to his strength, he will be impeded by the load he bears. There are four levels of movement Penalties applied by Encumbrance: 
#Burdened: Character is within 40-60% of Carrying Capacity
#*Suffer a -1 Advance Effectiveness Penalty on all Fitness (Athletics) Tests and Coordination (Gymnastics and Reflexes) Tests
#Overburdened: Character is within 60-80% of Carrying Capacity 
#* Lower the character's Speed by one step
#*Suffer a -2 Advance Effectiveness Penalty on all Fitness (Athletics) Tests and Coordination (Gymnastics and Reflexes) Tests
#Crushed: Character is carrying between 80%-100% of Carrying Capacity 
#* Lower the character's Speed by one step
#*Each Maneuver requires the character to expend 1 Breath
#*Cannot attempt Sprint Maneuvers
#*Suffer a -4 Advance Effectiveness Penalty on all Fitness (Athletics) Tests and Coordination (Gymnastics and Reflexes) Tests
#*Suffer a +1 Difficulty Penalty on all other Tests (except for Resist Tests)
#Immobilized: Character is trying to carry more than his Carrying Capacity, and he cannot
#*He is unable to move until he lightens his load
==Terrain==
Unless the method of travel avoids difficult ground (such as flying over or tunneling under), unfavorable terrain can make traveling difficult. If a Zone does not have some level of difficult Terrain, it is an Easy Terrain Zone and acts as normal. 
Keep in mind that characters can split movement up across multiple Rounds if they are unable to complete a move in one Round. 
#Rough: muddy ground, shallow (less than two feet depth) water, thick brush or tight trees, rocky/broken ground, going uphill, flying upward to gain altitude, restrictive features (including barbed wire), barriers (such as hurdles or fences) 
#* Moving into a Zone with Rough Terrain counts as traveling 2 Zones
#Treacherous: cliffsides, deep (two or more feet depth) water, two Rough Terrain features combined 
#*Moving into and out of a Zone with Treacherous Terrain counts as traveling 2 Zones
#*A character attempting to take a Sprint Maneuver into or out of an area of Treacherous Terrain suffers the following penalties:
#**He must make a Balance Test with a -2 Advances Effectiveness penalty before the Sprint Test
#**He suffers a -2 Advances Effectiveness penalty on the Sprint Test
=Balance Test=
Any time a character rolls a Disaster on an Athletics Test or attempts to Sprint through Treacherous Terrain, that character must make a Balance Test using Coordination (Gymnastics) to avoid a fall and potential injury. Rolling a Disaster on a Sprint Test through Treacherous Terrain after a Balance Test does require a second Balance Test.
As with all Standard Tests, the initial Difficulty for the Balance Test is 4. Sprinting through Treacherous Terrain subtracts 2 Advances from the results of this Test.
Coordination (Gymnastics) Test results:
*Victory: Successfully avoid tripping
**✠✠ (2 VPs, repeatable) Nimble: Gain a Minor Bonus (-1 Difficulty) on the immediate next Athletics Test
**✠ (1 VP, repeatable) Adapted: Gain a Minor Bonus (-1 Difficulty) on the immediate next Balance Test
*Success: Successfully avoid tripping
*Dilemma: Choose one: 
*#Scramble: Successfully avoid tripping but expend 1 Breath doing so
*#Tumble: Suffer a Tripping Injury of Damage 4
*##
*##
*Failure: Suffer a Tripping Injury of Damage 6
*Disaster: Suffer a Tripping Injury of Damage 9
=== Tripping Injury===
A Tripping Injury is treated as a normal successful Attack, however it can be resisted with Coordination (Gymnastics) instead of the usual Fitness (Resilience) Resist Test, if desired. Tripping Injuries have the following stats: 
*Hit Location: Roll 2d20 and take the lowest result
*Damage: Determined by the result of the Balance Test. Treacherous Terrain adds +1 Damage
*Damage Type: determined by the Gamemaster (most often Impact, but thorny brush or sharp rocks might be Slashing while exposed rebar might be Puncture)
* Piercing: None
=Movement Examples =
Two characters, Alfred and Charlotte, are attempting to make it into a dense forest with thick underbrush. Alfred is moving toward point B and Charlotte is going toward point D. 
The dark green Zones are dense foliage, which is Rough Terrain and as such counts as 2 Zones to travel through.
When it comes to Encumbrance, Alfred is not carrying a heavy load, but Charlotte is Overburdened.
==Non-Sprint Maneuvers==
===Alfred===
Traveling through an Easy Terrain Zone and then a Rough Terrain Zone counts as 3 Zones total, so Alfred can travel the distance with a Jog Maneuver and a Run Maneuver. The order in which he takes them doesn't matter, though if he takes the Run Maneuver on the first Turn, he'll have to remember that he's half of the way to point B.
===Charlotte===
Charlotte is Overburdened, which lowers her Speed by one step, from Normal to Slow. Since one Easy Terrain Zone and one Rough Terrain Zone count as 3 total Zones that need to be moved through, Charlotte would require three full Turns of Run Maneuvers to make it into the brush. 
==Sprint Maneuvers ==
===Alfred===
Alfred can attempt to travel the distance with some benefits if he does well on a Sprint Maneuver. Since Alfred isn't suffering from Encumbrance, he doesn't have any Penalties on his Sprint Test.
As long as he gets a Dilemma or better, he can make it into the brush in a single Turn. The only question is how many points of Breath must he spend to get there, or how many extra benefits he can get if he does even better.
===Charlotte===
Charlotte can cut the number of Turns required to make it to the Brush down to 2, and possibly even to 1 depending on how well she does on her Sprint Test.
Since she is Overburdened, she suffers a -2 Advance Effectiveness Penalty on Athletics Tests. In order to earn enough Victory Points to travel the 3 total Zones in one Turn, Charlotte would need to score 12 Advances on her Sprint Test! More likely, she's going to have to Sprint across two Turns in order to make it, though a Sprint Maneuver plus a Run Maneuver could easily get her to the brush in two Turns.
Category:Mechanics
Category:Combat