Mechanics

I find a thread like this useful to save having to page through the book for common questions.

I'll fill it in shortly with details from my other Conan game.

Combat
Each round in your turn, you can take one Standard Afton, one Minor Action, and unlimited Free Actions.

FREE ACTIONS
..Adjust: Moving within Close range or in and out of Reach.
..Drop Item: Dropping an item held in one or two hands.
..Drop Prone: Dropping prone to the ground.
..Simple Task: Any small task requiring no skill test or a Simple (D0) test.
..Speak: Speaking without using a communication skill.

MINOR ACTIONS
..Clear: Ridding self or an item from an ongoing condition.
..Draw Item: Drawing an item or weapon.
..Movement: Moving within Medium range.
..Regain Guard: Stepping back and defending, requiring a Parry test.
..Stand: Standing from prone position.

STANDARD ACTIONS
..Assist: Granting an ally an advantage.
..Attack: Attacking a foe.
..Brace: Steadying an Unwieldy weapon for an attack.
..Exploit: Observing foe to discover a weakness, to exploit immediately.
..Pass: Doing nothing.
..Ready: Holding another Action to perform later.
..Recover: Attempting to recover lost Vigor or Resolve.
..Skill Test: Attempting a skill test.
..Sprint: Moving to any point in Long range.
..Treatment: Treating an ally within Reach to recover Vigor or Resolve.
..Withdraw: Withdrawing to Close range to avoid a Retaliate Action.

REACTIONS
..Defend: Parrying, blocking, or otherwise avoiding an attack.
..Protect: Defending an ally from an attack.
..Retaliate: Attacking a nearby foe when an opportunity is presented.

MAKING AN ATTACK
There are three different methods of attacking a target: Melee, Ranged, and Threaten. Making an attack using Sorcery is addressed in Chapter Seven: Sorcery. Regardless of the method used, the process for attacking remains the same.
■■ The attacker chooses a type of attack to make and nominates a single target within range.
■■ If the target is aware of the attack, the target may declare a Defend Reaction.
■■ The attacker attempts a skill test determined by the type of attack. This is an Average (D1) skill test, unless the target has declared a Defend Reaction. In this case, the skill test is a Struggle; the target’s skill is determined by the type of attack. If the attacker wins the Struggle, then the target is hit. If the target wins the Struggle, the attack misses.
■■ If the attack hits, then the attack inflicts damage as described in Damage and Recovery. If the attack misses, then nothing happens.The specific details for each type of attack are described below:
■■ A Melee attack is made using a melee weapon and the Melee skill, directed at a single enemy within Reach. It inflicts physical damage, and the target’s Defend Reaction uses the Parry skill. Melee attacks also compare the Reach of different weapons, as noted on page 123.
■■ A Ranged attack is made using a ranged weapon and the Ranged Weapons skill, directed at a single enemy the attacker is able to see. It inflicts physical damage, and the target’s Defend Reaction uses the Acrobatics skill. The distance to the target may increase the Difficulty of the attack, subject to the optimal range of the weapon: each range category different from the weapon’s optimal range (nearer or farther) increases the Difficulty of the attacker’s skill test by one step. If the attacker has an enemy within Reach, then the Difficulty of the Ranged Weapons test increases by one step and the attacker may be subject to the Retaliate Reaction.
■■ A Threaten attack is made using a Display (see Displays, on pages 124–126) and the Persuade skill, directed at a single enemy (or enemies) the attacker is able to see. It inflicts mental damage. The target’s Defend Reaction uses the Discipline skill. This func-tions the same way as do range categories used in Ranged attacks.

MOMENTUM SPENDS
Momentum Spend / Cost / Effect
Bonus Damage / 1 RA / character can increase the damage inflicted by a successful attack regardless of the type of attack. Each Momentum spent adds +1 point of damage (not +1§).

Break Guard / 2 / May only be used on an attack or a Defend Reaction. The target loses Guard.

Called Shot / 2 / The character can choose the hit location struck by a physical attack.

Change Stance / 1 / The character either goes prone or stands up.

Confidence / 1 R / The character gains 1§ Morale Soak per Momentum spent (maximum 4§) until the start of the next turn.

Disarm / 2–3 / One weapon held by the target is knocked away and falls to the ground within Reach. This costs 2 points of Momentum if the target is holding the weapon in one hand or 3 points of Momentum if the weapon is braced or held in two hands.

Penetration / 1 R / The damage inflicted by the current attack ignores an amount of Soak equal to twice the Momentum spent.

Re-roll Damage / 1 / The player may re-roll any number of damage dice from the character’s current attack.

Second Wind / 1 I,R / The character chooses a type of damage and recovers 1 point for each Momentum spent in the associated capability.

Secondary Target / 2 / A second target within Reach of the primary target is also affected by the attack, and suffers half the attack’s damage, rounding up (to a random hit location, if physical).

Subdue / 1 / The attack gains the Nonlethal Quality.

Swift Action / 2 / The character gains an additional Standard Action, increasing the Difficulty by one step on any skill test that action requires.

Withdraw / 1 / The character leaves the Reach of an enemy without triggering any Retaliate Reactions.

Damage

Damage is tricky. It uses a combat die (d6, see § below), that resolves as:
1: 1 damage
2: 2 damage
3,4: no damage
5,6: 1 damage plus Effect

You will often roll multiple damage, then total the results.

Damage is resolved in fundamentally the same way, regardless of the type of damage inflicted. Each weapon and technique determines damage based on several factors:
■■Damage Rating: Each source of damage has its own damage rating. This is normally defined as a number of §. For example, a sword has a damage rating of 4§, so four § are rolled and added together.
■■Bonus Damage: A character may inflict bonus damage if possessing above-average attributes. A character with a high Brawn will inflict additional damage on Melee attacks, and a character with a high Awareness will inflict additional damage on Ranged attacks. A character with a high Personality will inflict additional damage on Threaten attacks. See the Bonus Damage table, following.
■■Momentum: A player can spend Momentum when making an attack to add more damage to that attack. Each Momentum spent adds 1 to the damage (Repeatable).
■■Actions: The Exploit action has a Momentum spend (Repeatable) to add bonus d20s to the skill test and bonus § to the damage of the attack that follows it.
■■Resources: Ranged weapons can often spend Reloads. Each Reload spent adds a d20 to the skill test and +1§ to the damage of the attack that follows it.Once these factors have all been accounted for, the player making the attack should roll all the § indicated, and add that total to any fixed bonuses from the damage rating or Momentum spent. This is called the damage roll, and the final total is the amount of damage inflicted.

BONUS DAMAGE
Attribute Bonus
8 or less: None
9:........+1§
10 or 11: +2§
12 or 13: +3§
14 or 15: +4§
16 or more: +5§

To determine the damage bonus for a given type of attack, compare the associated attribute for that type of attack to the table above.
TYPE OF DAMAGE BONUS
Type of Attack: Associated Attribute
Melee:.Brawn
Ranged: Awareness
Threaten: Personality

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DETERMING DAMAGE
1. Roll the appropriate number of § and add the damage dealt.
2. Reduce damage by Soak.
3. Reduce current Stress (Vigor or Resolve) by the remaining damage.
4. If 5 points of Stress are taken, the character takes a Harm (Wound or Trauma).
5. If Stress is at 0 or becomes 0 the character takes 1 Harm (Wound or Trauma). If 5 points of Stress are taken and Stress is at 0 or becomes 0, the character takes 2 Harms.

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HIT LOCATION
Roll: Location
1–2: Head
3–5: Right arm
6–8: Left arm
9–14: Torso
15–17: Right leg
18–20: Left leg