4.1 -- Before Combat

Make sure that the following information is kept handy:
• Your Initiative score, determined as follows, for each weapon the character might use in this combat:
  • Initiative = Agility
  • If the character's Skill with the weapon he is using in the combat is greater than his Agility, he receives a +1 to his Initiative. The character will have a different Initiative depending on which weapon he uses. This is to show the fact that Skill affects how fast you can swing a weapon in addition to how well that weapon is swung.
  • Example: Bob the Knight has a Fair Agility and his Skill in Broad Sword is Great, and that is the weapon he uses in Combat. Thus his Initiative is a Good (Fair + 1 = Good). When he uses his Dagger though, with his Skill of Fair Dagger, his Initiative is only Fair (Fair from Agility, with no bonus).
  • Unmarmed Combat and any other Skills that might be used offensively should also be figured for their initative scores as well. Dodging and other defensive skills need not have initatives, since there's no point in Dodging first.
• Skill levels of: Weapon(s), Shield Defense, Dodge and/or Acrobatics.
• Your character's Attributes, and how they affect combat.
  • Strength: Affects damage.
  • Agility: Affects Initative.
  • Damage Capacity: Determines how well you take damage and your ability to pass Death Tests (see Section 4.3 -- Damage and Wounds for more details).
  • Stamina: Determines how well you can deal with the stress of being wounded and affects the Consciousness Tests (see Section 4.3 -- Damage and Wounds for more details).
• Armor worn, the Armor DL, and the Armor damage modifier (the damage modifier is explained more in the Damage and Wounds section).
• Anything else that might make a difference in combat (Like previous wounds).

Armor

Keep in mind that the minimum DL to hit someone is always Poor. An attack must be at least at Poor level to attempt to affect an opponent.

Difficulty Level and Armor Type -- with Damage Modifier
• Poor: No armor (clothes, bare skin)
• Mediocre: Light, pliable non-metal (such as soft leather or padded clothes) -- (-1)
• Fair: Hard, rigid non-metal (hardened leather) or light/flexible metal (light chain) (Light chain is the heaviest armor that can be worn under clothes) -- (-1)
• Good: Metal, medium (heavy chain, scale) -- (-2)
• Great: Plate armor, combination armor (heavy chain and leather), or other heavy/thick metal. -- (-2)