The Primordial Instinct to Kill

When a character attempts to harm or destroy an enemy, he takes an Attack Action and makes an **Attack Test**. How hard it is to hit the Target of this Attack Test varies greatly depending on the circumstances surrounding the Attack. This page will lay out the mechanical effects of the conditions that can be found on the battlefield.

# Preview

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# Making an Attack

The following steps apply any time an Attack is made, though Attacks will often not involve any Reactions, and thus will be much simpler to resolve.

**1. Attacker declares the Attack**

When it is a character's Turn to act, or an enemy has taken an Action which can provoke an Ambush, the character may declare that he is Attacking. The enemy being Attacked is referred to as the Target, and must be possible to reach with the means at the Attacker's disposal.

**2. Enemies declare any Reactions**

The Target may make a Defense Reaction to attempt to avoid the Attack, and/or the Target or his allies may attempt an Ambush Reaction to interrupt the Attack and possibly kill the Attacker before he can harm the Target.

Keep in mind:

* Unless the Attack from Step 1 has the **Reckless Drawback** (thus making the Attack **Vulnerable**), an Ambush requires the enemy to be on Watch, otherwise an Ambush can only trigger based on a Maneuver, not an Attack.
* An Ambush Reaction must be declared immediately after the Action that triggers it is declared. You cannot wait to see if anything else is going on before deciding to retroactively take an Ambush against a previously declared Action.

**3. Ambushes become the new Attack, and are resolved first**

If any Ambush Reactions are declared, they take over the spotlight and are treated as an Attack, starting a new Attack process and going back to Step 1 and proceeding from there. This continues until there are no additional Ambushes declared.

**4. All Attacks are resolved in reverse order of declaration**

Once all Reactions are declared, they are set in stone and cannot be altered based on the outcome of any Tests rolled. The last Reaction declared is resolved first.

Any character killed or incapacitated – or forced to take a Defense Reaction – before he can make his Attack or Ambush loses the ability to make that Attack, naturally.

# Attack Test

Any time an Attack is made, the attacking character makes an Attack Test against the Target, with the Difficulty determined by the conditions of the Attack and the state of the Target, which will be detailed **below**.

## Attack Types

The type of weapon used combined with the proximity to the Target determines which Attribute and Skill is used in the Attack Test.

### Close Attack

An Attack is a Close Attack if it is against a Target within the same Zone.

* Melee Weapons use Fitness (Assault)
* Ranged Weapons use Coordination (Reflexes)
* Thrown Weapons use Coordination (Dexterity)

### Distant Attack

An Attack against a Target in an adjacent or further away Zone is a Distant Attack. Distant Attacks take into account the **Distance** to the Target.

* Melee Weapons cannot be used to make Distant Attacks
* Distant Attacks with Ranged Weapons use Coordination (Marksmanship)
* Thrown Weapons continue to use Coordination (Dexterity)

### Blind Attack

Blind Attacks are a unique type of Attack that is often made out of desperation due to not knowing the exact location of an enemy or being able to see the Target, due to visibility limitations, blindness, or a refusal to expose oneself to enemy counter-attacks.

Blind Attacks have a unique set of penalties from other Attacks: When in the same Zone, Blind Attacks suffer a +2 Difficulty penalty on the Attack Test, with an additional stacking +4 Difficulty penalty per Zone of distance beyond that.

Blind Attacks completely ignore the **weapon's Range**. And Blind Attacks cannot benefit from the **Aimed Advantage**.

* Melee Weapons use Intuition (Assault)
* Ranged Weapons use Intuition (Reflexes) for Attacks made against Targets in the same Zone or Intuition (Marksmanship) for Attacks against Targets further away
* Thrown Weapons use Intuition (Dexterity)

 **Melee Weapon** | Fitness (Assault)
 **Thrown Weapon** | Coordination (Dexterity)

## Attack Test Results

The result of an Attack Test depend upon the type of Attack being made. But all Attack Tests share the following results:

* **Victory**: The Attack hits, and can be improved in the following ways:
	+ ✠ (1 VP, repeatable) **Vicious**: Apply a +2 Difficulty penalty against Champions on their Resilience Test to resist Damage, or increase Damage by 1 against Combatants
	+ ✠ (1 VP, repeatable) **Precise**: Reduce the Hit Location die from a d20 to a d8, determining Hit Location by choosing a number between 0 and 12 and adding that to the d8 roll
* **Success**: The Attack hits and inflicts normal Damage.
* **Dilemma**: Choose one:
	1. **Glancing Hit**: The Attack hits at reduced effect, lowering Damage by 3
	2. **Near Miss**: Require the Target to make a Courage Test [ADD HYPERLINK]
* **Failure**: The Attack misses entirely
* **Disaster**: The Attack misses entirely, and something goes terribly wrong. Options include:
	+ **Weapon Slip**: The weapon used to make the Attack jams, is damaged, or dropped. The character must spend 1 Focus and pass a Coordination (Dexterity) Test to get it readied again
	+ **Friendly Fire**: The Attack hits an intervening ally instead of the enemy, doing normal Damage
	+ **Unsafe Technique**: The Attack has **Vulnerable** applied to it retroactively if not already done so

# Attack Advantages and Drawbacks

When an Attack is made, the specific Attack Action taken has the option to add Advantages and possibly a Drawback to grant an additional Advantage too.

Only **one Advantage or Drawback** can be taken **from each row**. So if an Attack has the Evasive Advantage, it cannot also have the Safe Advantage or the Reckless Drawback, for example.

 **Evasive**: +2 Difficulty to enemy Ambushes
 **Barrage**: Expend Breath or Ammo for extra hits
 **Fierce**: +1 Damage, use Fitness, only for Melee/Thrown Weapons with the Strength Trait

## Attack Advantages

Each Attack Advantage has a benefit that is automatically applied to the Attack Test, and most also have a additional options on which Victory Points can be spent, on top of the regular choices.

### Aimed Advantage

Attack becomes Aimed, gaining a +2 Advance Effectiveness bonus on the Attack Test.

* **Victory**:
	+ ✠✠ (2 VPs) **Centered**: Reduce Hit Locations Die size to a d3, determining Hit Location by choosing a number between 0 and 17 and adding that to the d3
	+ ✠✠✠ (3 VPs): **Bullseye**: Select exact Hit Location, including any subset locations (such as Eyes when hitting the Face)

### Evasive Advantage

Gain **Evasive** against any enemy Ambushes made in response to this Attack.

* **Victory**: ✠ (1 VP): **Scramble**: Take 1 free Reposition Action after the Attack, to change Stance

### Safe Advantage

Without looking, a character can shoot a suitable Ranged Weapon or throw a Thrown Weapon while staying safely behind Cover.

The resulting Attack must be a Blind Attack (and as such cannot benefit from the Aimed Advantage), but does not reduce the character's Full Cover to Partial Cover as normal Attacks do.

### Barrage Advantage

For Ranged Weapons:

* Spend extra Ammo (up to weapon’s Rate) on the Attack, and gain a number of bonus dice on the Attack Test equal to the amount of extra Ammo spent.
* Suffer an Effectiveness penalty equal to any unmitigated Recoil [ADD HYPERLINK], subtracting that many Advances on the Attack Test.

For Melee Weapons:

* Expend 1 Breath on the Attack, and gain a number of bonus dice on the Attack Test equal to the weapon's Agility rating [ADD HYPERLINK].

Barrage Advantage cannot be used with Thrown Weapons.

* **Victory**: ✠ (1 VP, repeatable): Land additional hits at starting Attack Power.

### Fierce Advantage

The Attack has extra effort put into it, increasing Damage by 1.

The Fierce Advantage can apply to Attacks using using Melee Weapons, as well as Thrown Weapons with the Strength Trait [ADD HYPERLINK]. In the case of the latter, the Attribute used on the Attack Test changes to Fitness instead of Coordination.

Fierce is applied automatically to Close Attacks with Melee Weapons after a Maneuver to reflect the added momentum from a Charge. As normal, only one Fierce Advantage may be applied to a single Attack.

* **Victory**: ✠ (1 VP, repeatable): **Smite**: Increase Damage by +1

## Attack Drawbacks

### Wild Drawback

The Attack is Wild, and suffers a -2 Advances Effectiveness penalty on the Attack Test.

Victory Points cannot be spent on additional Hit Location Dice.

### Reckless Drawback

The Attacker is **Vulnerable** while making the Attack, giving enemies an easier time landing an Ambush Attack.

### Wasteful Drawback

The Attack is exhausting in either stamina or munitions, causing the Attacker to expend 1 Breath or spend 1 additional Ammo.

### Weak Drawback

The Attack is hesitant or underpowered, lowering Damage by 1.

The Fierce Advantage can apply to Attacks using using Melee Weapons, as well as Thrown Weapons with the Strength Trait [ADD HYPERLINK].

# Attack Circumstances

There are six main factors to consider when determining the Difficulty of an Attack:

* **Attacker Position**: The relative position of the Attacker to make an Attack
* **Attacker and Target Size**: The size of the Target
* **Target Bearing**: The mobility of the Target
* **Target Visibility**: Conditions that might obscure the Target
* **Target Distance**: The amount of space between the Attacker and the Target
* **Target Stance**: The fighting posture of the Target

The first four factors are summarized in the table below, but Distance and Stance are a bit different.

# Size

The relative size of the Attacker and the Target can affect the Difficulty of the Attack Test. If both the Attacker and the Target are the same Size, there are no modifiers. But if they are, the Difficulty modifiers from both the Attacker's Size and the Target's Size affect the Attack Test.

## Examples

If a Large-Sized Attacker shoots at a Medium-Sized Target, the Attack Test suffers a +2 Difficulty penalty (from the Attacker's Size Modifier).

If a Small-Sized Attacker shoots at a Huge-Sized Target, the Attack Test enjoys a -6 Difficulty bonus (-2 Difficulty from the Attacker's Size Modifier, and -4 Difficulty from the Target's Size Modifier).

## Cover and Hit Locations

Attempting to lay out every potential iteration of how Cover might interact with Targets of every Size would be too exhaustive, so Gamemasters are encouraged to use common sense. Most considerations of Cover on the battlefield are intended for Medium characters, but smaller ones should have an easier time finding Cover and perhaps a more difficult time shooting over Cover intended for larger characters. Conversely, larger characters would not be able to take cover behind nearly as many sources of protection.

Additionally, common sense should be employed when a character uses a Melee Attack against a character of a different Size regarding Hit Location. Using a smaller dice size and/or adding additional dice and taking the higher/lower result might be appropriate so as not to have a 2 foot tall character hitting the head of a 20 foot tall character, for instance.

## Race/Sex Sizes

Most Races are Medium and as such apply no penalties or bonuses to Attack Tests against them, but there are a few exceptions:

* **Dragon Daughters**: Huge
* **Half-Horses**: Large
* Female **Sea Hounds**: Big
* **Wolfen** in Brute Form: Big
* **Jackdaw** (both sexes) and female **Magpie** **Night Ravens**: Slight
* **Burrowers**: Diminutive

# Target Bearing

The movements of the Target are referred to as the Target's Bearing, and they greatly affect the Difficulty of the Attack. There are three possible Bearings: Vulnerable, Active, or Evasive.

## Vulnerable

The Target is at risk, either as a result of standing still (in the case of **Distant Attacks**) or not able to move effectively to protect himself (in the case of **Close Attacks**). This can be caused as a result of focusing on an Action to such a degree that defensive considerations are abandoned, being gripped by fear or indecision, or being in a prone position or otherwise unable to move.

There are three downsides to being Vulnerable:

* The Attacker gains a -2 Difficulty bonus to the Attack Test
* The Attacker can ignore the Unwieldy Trait [ADD HYPERLINK] of any weapon he is wielding
* Any Action that makes a character Vulnerable immediately triggers an Ambush from all eligible enemies, not only those who've taken the Watch Anticipation

## Active

The standard Bearing of any fighter in battle is Active, meaning periodic movements or shifting, peeking and repositioning. Targets that are moving as a result of taking part in the fight – or otherwise avoiding staying still – are considered Active.

When a Target is Active, there is no modifier to the Attack Test.

## Mobile

A moving Target is a more difficult one, so anyone who running to a different position on the battlefield is considered Mobile. The penalty to Attack a Mobile Target depends upon the Speed of the Target:

* Fast Speed characters: +3 Difficulty penalty to the Attack Test
* Normal Speed characters: +2 Difficulty penalty to the Attack Test
* Slow Speed characters: +1 Difficulty penalty to the Attack Test

A character can benefit from Mobile at the same time as Evasive.

## Evasive

Evasive Targets are ones that are actively focusing on avoiding exposing themselves to danger as much as possible. They may be ducking behind cover aside from quick glances around it, dodging and weaving side to side, or running in a stopping and starting manner with plentiful crouching to avoid being out in the open too long.

When a Target is Evasive, the Attacker suffers a +2 Difficulty penalty to the Attack Test.

A character can benefit from Evasive at the same time as Mobile.

# Target Visibility

Visibility applies to **Distant Attacks** when conditions do not allow a clear sight picture to the Target. This can be as a result of smoke, rain, fog, darkness, concealment, or any other obscuration.

## Good

There is nothing reducing Visibility and as such there are no penalties to Distant Attacks.

## Poor

Poor Visibility is the result of lower light levels around late dusk or early dawn, or shrouding weather conditions such as steady rain or considerable mist.

Poor Visibility applies a +2 Difficulty penalty to Distant Attacks.

## Minimal

Minimal Visibility is the result of the darkness of night with enough star- or moon-light to still see by, or thick smoke or torrential rain that drastically reduces vision.

Minimal Visibility applies a +4 Difficulty penalty to Distant Attacks.

## None

If there is no visibility whatsoever, due to total darkness such as overcast night-time or impenetrable obscuration, the Attack must be a **Blind Attack**.

# Target Distance

## Point-blank

Standing immediately next to a Target is considered point-blank distance, and if the Target is not moving or attempting to avoid the Attack, the Attacker gains an Effectiveness bonus of +2 Advances to the Attack Test. This is usually the result of the Target being surprised or unaware that an Attack might be coming.

If the Target is **Active** or **Evasive**, he is moving or resisting, and Attacks against him simply count as Close (see below).

## Close Attacks

Standing within the same Zone as the Target is generally a **Close Attack**, and does not inflict a distance penalty outside of **Blind Attacks**.

## Distant Attacks

Any Attack against Targets further away than being in the same Zone is a **Distant Attack** and the distance applies a penalty to the Attack Test.

Ranged Weapons and Thrown Weapons have a Range stat which determines its ability to reach further away Targets. The Difficulty of a Distant Attack increases by +1 for every [Range] Zones of distance the Target is from the Attacker, **rounding up**.

In other words, if a weapon has a Range of 4, and the distance between the Attacker and the Target is 1, 2, 3, or 4, the distance penalty is +1. At a distance of 5 Zones the Difficulty penalty increases to +2.

Range is set by the weapon type, but can be modified by Scopes, Racial Abilities, and Talents. [ADD HYPERLINK] For Thrown Weapons, Range is determined by the character's Fitness.

## Mobile

A character who does not have any other Stance is Mobile, and is simply out in the open, without cover or concealment. The character might be standing, crouching, or kneeling, but he is considered Mobile all the same. Attacking a Mobile Target has no modifier.

Characters who have yet to assume any other Stance are Mobile by default, and moving via a Maneuver Action (besides the Prowl Maneuver) requires being Mobile.

## Down

* +4 Difficulty to enemy Attacks
* Add Unwieldy +1 on any weapons used to Attack while Down.
* Risks getting equipment dirty in Mud.
* When hit by an Attack when Down, the enemy adds 1 additional Hit Location Die and takes the highest result.

### Spotting Test

Allows an Attack to target a Concealed Target. Additionally, the Attacker can make a Spotting Test, which is an opposed Investigation/Awareness vs the Target’s Stealth [+Visibility and Camo] Test, with the result determining level of Concealed penalty that applies.

The Attributes/Skills used on the Spotting Test depend upon whether the Spotting Advantage was added to a regular Attack Action or an Ambush Reaction:

* **Attack**: Intellect (Investigation) Test vs. the Target's Intuition (Stealth)
* **Ambush**: Intuition (Awareness) Tests vs. the Target’s Coordination (Stealth)

In both cases, the Target's result is modified by battlefield **Visibility** (including the illuminating effect of flares) as well as the help of any camouflage.

**Spotting Test Results**

* **Victory**: Concealment does not add any Difficulty to the Attack Test
	+ ✠✠ (2 VPs): **Designate**: Point out Target to allies, ending the Target's Concealed status.

* **Success**: +2 Difficulty to the Attack Test.
* **Dilemma**: Choose one:
	+ +4 Difficulty to the Attack Test.
	+ Cancel the Attack Test, wasting 1 Focus/Reaction, but not any other cost associated with the Attack.
* **Failure**: +6 Difficulty to the Attack Test.
* **Disaster**: The Attacker is unable to detect the Target. The Attack is canceled, wasting 1 Focus/Reaction, as well as any other cost associated with the Attack (such as Breath or Ammo).

### Flanked

Any character with Cover who has had someone move behind the direction of their previous Attacks or attention is considered Flanked, and is treated as Exposed by the flanking character.