Wulf AGE: General Rules

## GENERAL RULES

Explained in this chapter are the rules that govern the game in a general sense. We call them “rules” because they operate like rules, but we really consider them to be more like guidelines, in that the GM can choose to apply or ignore a rule as befits the situation. We only encourage GMs to be consistent and fair in their application of their rulings.

### Specific Beats General

This is a simple guideline for handling situations where two parts of the rules seem to be conflicting with each other. If a specific rule seems to be in conflict with a general rule, follow the specific rule.
    For example, the general rules of dual-weapon fighting restrict the character to using two melee, one-handed, light weapons. But then you have a talent that allows the character to use two melee, one-handed, non-light weapons. In this case, the talent is a specific rule, and it trumps the general rules of dual-weapon fighting.

### “Cannot” Beats “Can”

There will be situations where two rules are on the same level (both are specific, or both are general), but they are still contradicting each other in what does or does not happen. In such cases, the rule that says it cannot happen has precedence over the rule that says it can.
    For example, you use an attack that allows you to move the target to another spot up to several yards away. However, that target has a special ability that says forced movement imposed upon it has no effect unless it willfully allows itself to be moved. In such a case, if the target chooses to resist the attack, the two rules come into conflict – and in this case, the target’s ability to fully resist movement wins, because it is essentially saying that “the target cannot be moved” while the attack is saying “the target can be moved”.

## COMBAT

In most role-playing games, combat takes a significant portion of the rules. This is primarily because it is arguably the deadliest scenario in the game, posing the threat of death upon the characters. Also, it is during combat that time becomes most essential, as every moment is critical to a character’s survival. As such, it is in combat that the rules become really detailed.

### General Mechanics

To facilitate combat, creatures take it in turns to take their actions. In essence, all of the characters are acting at the same time, but the game allots turns to each player so that the GM can better focus on each character’s actions in battle. Your options with regard to actions will depend greatly on whether or not it is your turn.
    Combat is broken down into consecutive rounds, with each round occurring within roughly six seconds of in-game time (which is the time perceived by the character in the game, not by the player in the real world). Below is the sequence typically followed in a combat scenario:

1. **Each creature involved in combat makes a Dexterity (Initiative) roll**. This determines the order in which combatants will take their turn. The one with the highest Initiative goes first, the next highest goes next, and so on. In case of ties, the one with the higher Dexterity score goes earlier. If still tied, those combatants must roll for initiative again to determine who goes first among them.
2. **Determine surprise, and conduct a surprise round if necessary**. Surprise happens when one party is aware of the other party in coming into combat, while the reverse is not. In such a case, the aware party gets one round (called the surprise round) to act before normal combat begins. Those who are not surprised get to act in the surprise round according to their Initiative order. Those who are surprised cannot act in the surprise round. If both parties are unaware of each other going into combat, then they are all of equal awareness, and thus combat begins normally.
3. **Normal combat begins**. In normal combat, every combatant gets to act on its turn, as determined by the Initiative order. Once the last combatant has taken its turn, a new round begins, and the first in the Initiative order gets to act again, and so on.

### Actions in Combat

The actions allowed to each combatant will depend largely on whether or not it is that combatant’s turn. Below are the primary categories of actions, as well as specific actions that fall under each category. You have only one of each primary action in any given round, and you may choose to forego some of them or all of them (essentially meaning that you do nothing for the round).

#### **MAJOR ACTION**

This represents significant effort, and action that consumes most of your time in the round. You may only use a Major Action during your turn, unless an effect specifically mentions otherwise. You can choose to spend your Major Action to perform a Minor Action instead - so, potentially, you can perform two Minor Actions instead one round. Some actions will specify if they require the expenditure of your Major Action. Below is a list of Major Actions that are available to most characters.

* **Full Attack**: You use a weapon (your unarmed strikes count as weapons) to make one basic attack against a target within the range specified for the weapon. You can choose to draw one weapon with this action – it must be within easy reach, and it can be the same weapon that you’re attacking with.
* **Disengage**: You back away from the thick of melee defensively. Your movement for the rest of the turn does not provoke opportunity attacks.
* **Heal**: You attend to wounds and injuries. This action has several possible uses.
	+ *Attend to the Dying*: You immediately stabilize an adjacent, dying creature. In addition, if you have a healing kit in hand, you may expend one use of the healing kit to attempt a TN 11 Intelligence (Medicine) test as part of the same action. On a success, you cause your target to regain an amount of Health equal to the result of the Stunt Die. The target cannot regain more Health than his or her maximum in this manner.
	+ *First-Aid*: You attempt to apply first-aid on yourself or an adjacent creature. With a successful TN 9 Intelligence (Medicine) test, you cause the target to regain an amount of Health equal to the Stunt Die. A creature cannot benefit from another successful Heal (First-Aid) action until the next time it takes damage.
* **Help**: You forego your own action to contribute to another’s. This action has several possible uses.
	+ *Aid Another*: You lend your aid to another creature in completing a task. The creature you aid gains advantage on the next ability test it makes to perform the task that you’re helping with. The creature must make the test before the start of your next turn, or it loses this benefit. This only applies to ability tests that are not attacks or spells.
	+ *Distract the Foe*: You aid a friendly creature in attacking an enemy that is adjacent to you. You feint and distract the target, causing it to lose focus on your ally. The next attack roll that your designated ally makes before the start of your next turn has advantage. The ally must be visible to you to gain this benefit.
* **Hide**: You make a Dexterity (Stealth) test in an attempt to hide. There must be significant obstruction or distraction to make this attempt. Attempting to hide behind a large box in a fighting pit where there is only you and your foe in that pit will get you nowhere.
* **Hurry**: You gain additional movement equal to your Speed for the rest of your turn. Any change in your Speed likewise changes this additional movement. With a speed of 10 yards, you get to move up to 20 yards on your turn. If your speed is reduced to 5 yards, you only get to move up to 10 yards.
* **Ready**: You ready an action (either a Major Action or a Minor Action) to use it as a Reaction later in the round. If you have any movement left from your Speed, you may also spend your remaining movement as part of the readied action.
	+ First, you specify a trigger for your readied action. This trigger must be a perceivable or measurable circumstance, such as enemies running through the door, or your ally making her move. Then, you choose the action that you will take in response to that trigger, such as operating the lever when the enemy steps into the trapdoor, or backing away when the foe comes within reach.
	+ When the specified trigger occurs, you can choose to spend your Reaction (if you haven’t used it yet) to take your readied action, or to ignore the trigger altogether. In any case, your readied action is retained until you use it or until the start of your next turn.
	+ You may also choose to ready a spell, in which case you cast it normally, but then you hold its energy in your hand or arcane device, only releasing it with the readied action. For a spell to be readied, it must have a casting time of one Major Action at most, and holding its energy will require concentration (see the chapter on Magic). If your concentration is broken, your readied spell is dispelled, its energy dissipating without effect. If you do not discharge or use the spell by the end of your next turn, it dissipates without effect.

* **Search**: You put your complete attention into finding something. Depending on the nature of the search that you’re conducting, this can be a Perception test (e.g. trying to spot an oddly-colored panel on the wall by looking) or an Intelligence test (e.g. trying to find a particular object in a dragon’s hoard).
* **Total Defense**: You put all of your efforts into defending yourself from harm. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +2 bonus to Defense.
* **Use Object**: This can be a complex interaction with one object (e.g. punching in a specific sequence on a keypad), or simple interactions with several objects (e.g. slinging a bow to your shoulder, unsheathing two swords, passing two handheld objects to an adjacent creature).

#### MINOR ACTION

This consumes significantly less effort and time than a Major Action. You may only use a Minor Action during your turn, unless an effect specifically mentions otherwise. Some actions will specify if they require the expenditure of your Minor Action. Below is a list of Minor Actions that are available to most characters.

* **Aim**: You take careful measure of your opponent to find a weak spot in its defenses. You gain a +1 bonus on your next attack roll. You lose this bonus if you haven't spent it by the end of your next turn, or if you take any other action that does not involve making an attack.
* **Stand Firm**: You lower your weight and prepare to resist any and all efforts to move you from where you stand. Until the start of your next turn, any effect that imposes forced movement or that attempts to knock you prone must succeed on an opposed test against your choice of your Strength (Might) or Dexterity (Acrobatics). If the attack does not specify which ability to use, the attacker uses its Strength (Might). If the effect is from a spell and does not specify which ability to use, the caster uses its Willpower (Self-Discipline).
* **Use Object**: This is a simple interaction with a single object (e.g. pulling a lever, drawing one weapon, picking up an item off the floor, drinking a potion, passing a handheld object to an adjacent creature).

#### MOVEMENT

This is a creature moving physically over a distance, with the maximum distance specified by the creature’s Speed. You may only move on your turn.

* You may choose to use up some, all, or none of your total Speed for the round. For example, you can move just 4 yards even though you've got a Speed of 12 yards.
* You can intersperse other actions into your movement. For example, if you have a Speed of 10 yards, you can move 4 yards, use a Major Action, then move another 3 yards, use a Minor Action, and finally move another 3 yards.
* If you have different modes of movement, how much movement you can perform in each mode is determined by the total distance that you have already covered in the round, regardless of mode. For example, assume that you have a Walking Speed of 10 yards, and a Flight Speed of 20 yards. If you walk for 8 yards, you can still fly for another 12 yards. If you flew 15 yards and land, you cannot walk any further for the rest of the round because your total distance covered has already exceeded your Walking Speed.

#### REACTION

This represents a very quick action in response to another action. You can only take a Reaction in response to some specified trigger. The most common Reaction is the opportunity attack.

* **Opportunity Attack**: If you are wielding a melee weapon (remember that unarmed strikes are considered to be melee weapons), you can spend your Reaction to make a melee basic attack against a creature that moves out of your melee reach. This only applies to movement that uses the creature’s Speed. In this way, a creature that is thrown or shoved out of your reach does not provoke an opportunity attack from you.

#### Casting Spells and Other Improvised Actions

Each spell specifies the type of action that is involved in its casting. This action can be a Minor Action, a Major Action, or a Reaction, or can otherwise be expressed as a measure of time, such as minutes or hours.
    In addition, creatures may attempt actions that do not fall under the categories described here, such as breaking down a door, intimidating a foe, jumping up a wall, trying to spot a weakness in a magical defense, or calling out for negotiations in the middle of battle. When you describe such an action, the GM tells you whether that action is sensible and possible, and also what kind of test you need to make, if any is needed at all.