An Example of Combat

Our hero Geralt has been called out on a duel by Felix' brother, Stefan. Geralt has a ST of 5, a TO of 4, a Reflex of 6, and his Combat Pool is 15. He is carrying a longsword and wearing no armor. Stefan has a ST of 5, a TO of 5, a Reflex of 4, and his Combat Pool is 13. He is wearing a full suit of chainmail, a pot-helmet, and carrying a heater shield; this reduces his CP to 9. They are fighting on foot.

Seneschal (controlling Stefan): Stefan salutes you and inches forward in a neutral stance.

Geralt: I set up in a defensive stance. This guy looks dangerous—and he's got a shield. I hate shields.

Seneschal: Declare attack or defense.

Both parties grab a red die and a white die and throw one simultaneously. Both throw white dice.

Seneschal: The two of you circle for a moment, sizing up your respective opponents. Throw again.

Both parties again grab a red die and a white die and throw one simultaneously. Both again throw white dice. After circling for a moment they both throw again and again.

Seneschal: Stefan, tired of circling, begins to taunt you, insulting your family and your skill.

Geralt: I'll return the favor. I say, "It's your brother whose

This time Stefan throws a red die—he was taunted into it—while Geralt stays white (so as to benefit the most from his stance).

Seneschal: He comes in quickly, cutting sideways at your head, zone IV, from his right.

He's spending 5 dice on that attack.

Geralt: It's about time! I'm going to duck and weave so that I can strike him from the side, and get past that darn shield! I'm spending 9 dice.

They both roll. Stefan rolls 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9... even with the aggressive stance bonus of +2 dice that's only two successes against his weapon's ATN of 6 Geralt rolls 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 9, 9, 0... three successes with the defensive stance bonus (+2 dice), beating Stefan by 1! 1t's plenty,

and Stefan's sword goes whizzing harmlessly by—opening a big hole for Geralt to strike through.

Seneschal: You've evaded his blow and may attack. He loses 3 CP because of the Duck and Weave.

Geralt: Excellent! It was close, but it worked.

I'm spending my remaining six dice trying to hit his left side; that's zone III.

Seneschal: He's going to try and evade (partially), spending his last 4 dice.

head this inbred, unskilled blade-slinger tore from its shoulders. Perhaps you would like to join him in hell!"

Seneschal: Your insult seems to be really working him up. He changes to an aggressive stance and increases the ferocity of his insults. Throw initiative.

Again, both throw white dice.

Geralt: He wants me to attack first, but this just might work. I say, "Your brother never even put up a fight. I felt bad after I killed him—it was like slaying a hand-maiden!"

Seneschal: It looks like that did it. Throw initiative.

Again, they roll. Geralt, the attacker, rolls 4, 5, 5, 7, 8, 0... five successes at his weapon's ATN of 5 (it's a very nice sword). Stefan rolls 1, 7, 8, 0... three success at his DTN of 7 (due to partial evasion). That gives Geralt a margin of 2, plus his sword's damage rating of 8 (ST +3, a greatsword), for a subtotal of 10. He then rolls 1d6, getting a 3; according

to the cutting damage tables (see Appendix) that's a blow to Stefan's upper abdomen, just below the ribs. Stefan subtracts his own toughness and armor rating (his chainmail covers that area), total 8, to finally receive a level two wound (10

— 8 = 2). That wound (again, see Appendix) reads: "Deep laceration, bleeding, and some torn muscle. BL 5, Shock 3,

Pain 6 -WP" Next exchange Stefan will have only 6 dice to work with, and only 7 dice every exchange thereafter.

Seneschal: You duck under his sword and land a solid blow to his side-were it not for his armor you would have killed him. Nonetheless your blow leaves him reeling somewhat, and you may attack again, though he is able to spin himself around for defense somewhat.

We're beginning round two; pools refresh.

Geralt: Let's do that. I'll swing up from below at VI for 10 dice. I'm gonna gut this puppy.

Seneschal: He's going to attempt to block, using his shield, with 4 dice.

Geralt rolls 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 7, 7, and 7... (bad luck!) only three successes against an ATN of 5. Stefan rolls 2, 3, 7, 9... two successes against a difficulty of5 (shield's DTN).

Geralt hits with a margin of one, plus weapon damage gives a subtotal of 9. Rolling location (see Appendix), Geralt's blow lands on Stefan's inner thigh. Stefan's armor and TO bring that down to zero (0), giving Stefan a level 0 wound to deal with - just a scratch.

Seneschal: You land a hit on the inside of his leg, but it fails to break Stefan's chainmail armor. You still have initiative, and may attack.

Geralt: You know it! I'm spending those last five dice to hit him in that same side again (zone III).

Seneschal: He's blocking with two (that's all he's got).

Geralt rolls 1, 2, 2, 4, 8... one success (ATN 5). Stefan rolls land 9... two successes! He manages to block Geralt's attack (TN 7). Thus ends round two. As round three begins, the Seneschal rolls blood loss (TN 2) for Stefan. He rolls 2

successes, and Stefan is fine for now. The Seneschal also applies pain modifiers to Stefan's CP leaving him with 7 dice.

Seneschal: This is round three; pools refresh. Stefan now has initiative and attacks your side, zone III, from his own right. He's spending five dice.

Geralt: No problem. I'll parry sideways with 8 dice.

Stefan rolls 4, 5, 7, 7, 9... three successes (weapon ATN 6).

Geralt parries, rolling 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 9, 0, 0... four successes (weapon DTN 6).

Seneschal: You just barely manage to knock his sword to the side, and may now attack.

Geralt: Time to finish this guy. Seven dice at IV from my left.

Seneschal: He's going to try a block again, for two dice.

Geralt rolls 2, 2, 3, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8... five successes. Stefan rolls 1 and 9... only one success. Geralt margin is 4, and rolling a d6 Geralt gets a 5-the blow lands on 5• the face!

Geralt's blow does 12, minus Stefan's TO (5), but no armor.

That's a level five wound! The damage table reads: "Death.

Destruction of cerebellum. Really messy."And that ends the

fight.

Seneschal: Blood spatters all over you as your opponent drops like a bag of sand. Now his retainers start advancing on you...

Geralt: Okay, time to get out of here...

And that's how combat works. Lots of freedom, but it was really that first hit that won the fight.

THE FIRE had started suddenly, without thought to warn the inn's few dozen patrons. At first Jeral, the barkeep, had seen and smelt a wisp of smoke from the back room. The flame must have hit the barrels of ale and barlywine then, because the entire back wall blew outward, sending shards of glass and pottery jugs in a burst throughout the common room. Snowden's first thought, after picking himself up, was to check on Sylpha the Fey.

" Vestavai," he told her to get up. The young Elf-mother did so carefully, before panic took her eyes.

"Gwenllygad! My child, Snowden—where's my child!" Frantically they both surveyed the hall, squinting from the bright flames. Here and there men dragged their companions from beneath burning rubble, all fleeing toward the crowded exit. All but two...

"HURRY DYREK!"

"I've got the kid, I've got the kid." The two thugs pushed against the panicked mob, rushing toward the doors. "Wait!" Dyrek and his accomplice froze in their tracks. The woman was up, and some man with her.

And they were coming right toward Dyrek and the child, swords drawn.

"We're not gonna make it to the door... to the stairs, Dyrek, to the stairs." The pair wheeled around and mounted the staircase. Halfway up Dyrek's companion burst into flames, and rolled back off the stairs, wailing

and thrashing about.

Setting the second thug aflame drained Snowden, sending him reeling to the floor with another inch of hair on his head and beard. In the rush to escape, no one noticed either that the thug had nearly exploded without touching any fire, the half-conscious man on the floor, or the furious woman stepping over the both of them toward the stairs.

DYREK'S LEGS couldn't carry him fast enough. The child's mother—what kind of mother carries a longsword, he mused—was right behind him. He ran to the edge of the rooftop—the inn wasn't as long as he'd have liked—and leapt. He managed to land on his feet without slipping on the slick tile of the next rooftop and resumed his flight. She made the leap right behind him, and seamlessly continued pursuit. Damn she ran fast, he thought.