Combat

There are four basic types of actions; move, standard, bonus, and reaction. Most of these actions are only relevant during combat, however. Movement, standard, and bonus actions can only be taken on ones initiative. Reactions can be taken anytime, as long as their triggering conditions are met. You are not required to take any of these actions on your turn if you do not want to. Sometimes, you may not have any actions of a certain category available.

Initiative

Combat is broken up into rounds. At the onset of battle, every participant (or a handful) makes an initiative roll to determine their place in the countdown. The combatant with the highest initiative score acts first, and all other combatants act in descending order of initiative. 

Ambush

To successfully spring an ambush, the attacking party must succeed on a group stealth check against the highest enemy alertness value. Failure means that someone notices and shouts a warning in time. In this situation, roll initiative normally. If surprise is achieved, all combatants still roll initiative normally, but the ambushed party does not act on the first combat round. This is extremely dangerous. Most successful teams have (at least) one member with high alertness to reduce the threat of being surprised.

Attacks & Damage

To make an attack on a characters intiative, roll a d20 and add the weapons calculated hit bonus. If the resulting number meets or exceeds a targets defense, roll the damage die and add any calculated bonuses. Deduct the targets soak value from this damage if applicable. The target then sustains any remaining damage to its health pool. Melee attacks must be made within a weapon's reach. Missile attacks suffer disadvantage if an attacker is threatened in melee or shooting at creatures engaged in melee with its allies.

Combat Chaos. Attack rolls of 1-2 always miss, and attack rolls of 19-20 always hit. 

Critical Hits & Misses. A natural 1 on a melee attack always provokes an attack of opportunity from the target (requiring a reaction). A natural 20 on an attack roll is always a critical hit and deals double damage. Damaging spells can only score critical hits if they use spellcraft as an attack bonus. Spells that involve a saving throw can never score critical hits. 

Maneuvers 

There are also several maneuvers a creature can perform in battle. 

• Attack. You attack one target. If you have the extra attack ability you attack twice. If you are a warrior of 15th level or higher you attack three times. You can divide your attacks between multiple targets, or move up to your speed between attacks. This is an action. It involves rolling a d20 and adding your hit bonus. If you meet or exceed the targets defense score, roll damage and subtract the targets soak value.

• Brace. You set a polearm to impale a charging foe with lesser reach from a single direction. If you are charged while bracing, you can attack your assailant once as a reaction before it attacks you. If it succeeds, this attack is always considered a critical hit. Bracing is a bonus action.  

• Charge. You move up to double your speed in a straight line. If you move 20+ feet before attacking, you deal +2 damage with your first attack. If you are wielding a polearm, this damage bonus becomes +4. This maneuver uses both a move and an action.   

• Constrict. You deal your unarmed damage die plus twice your MIGHT modifier in crushing damage to an opponent you have successfully grappled. This is an action or a bonus action, but it can only be done once per round. 

• Dash. You move up to your regular foot speed. This is a move.  

• Defend. You actively guard yourself or an ally within melee reach. Melee and missile attacks against you or that ally (not both) suffer disadvantage for the round. This is an action.  

• Disarm. You attempt to disarm your target with an opposed melee attack roll made at disadvantage. It provokes an attack of opportunity (reaction) from your target. This is an action. 

• Grapple. You try to wrestle your target down and immobilize them. This is an opposed athletics roll, and if your target is armed you make the roll with disadvantage and provoke an attack of opportunity from your target. This is an action. 

• Hold. You delay your initiative until later in the round. If you act on the exact initiative count as other combatants, you take your turn after theirs. This becomes your new initiative in subsequent rounds. This does not take an action.  

• Kipup. If you have the acrobatics skill, you can instantly regain your feet without provoking an attack of opportunity as a reaction or a bonus action. There is no roll for this.

• Push. You attempt to shove your target up to 10’. This is an opposed athletics roll, and if your target is armed you make the roll at disadvantage. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This is an action. 

• Support. You set up your ally for advantageous strikes. Your ally gains advantage on attacks against a specific target they are currently threatening in melee for the rest of the round. This is an action. 

• Trip. You try to knock your target prone. This is either an opposed athletics or acrobatics test (either may be used) or a melee attack roll, made with disadvantage. It provokes a melee attack of opportunity (reaction) from your target. This is an action.