Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes

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Game design, background and graphics: Andrea Sfiligoi

The name “Norindaal” was suggested by Lukas Bayard and is part of the intellectual property of Andrea Sfiligoi and Damon Richardson.

Kickstarter management and video: Damon Richardson

Point calculator: Ray Forsythe Music: Fabrizio Maggiolini

Editing and proofreading: Victor Jarmusz, Justin Crozier, Rich Gorski, Chris Lendrum

Figure Sculpting: Micah Nichols, Chad Overter, Yann Hoarau, Paolo Fabiani, Andres Villaseca

Stock reference pictures and textures: ArtofDecay, FantasyStock, Liam_stock, inky stock, magikstock, aegean prince, skyestock, kiwidoc, jsf1, queenselphie, navistock, iamidaho, cobweb stock,, gd08, cyborgsuzy, camelfobia, lugubrumstock, chonastock, mjranum,

stein_steel, orcbruto, voivodess, neverfading, and Wikimedia Commons Playtesters and helpful comments: Diego Chisena, Massimo Moscarelli, Diego Riccitelli, Stefano Giombini, Daniele Fontana, Zarthas, Xenos.

This book would not exist without our generous Kickstarter backers: Samuele Mariotti, John C Miller-Wells, Kau, Peter Fulop, Gordon, Teskal Flink, Wereskunk, Jessica, gjl059, Alex Draper, Iván de la Osa, Berit Larsen, Potter, Casey & Mike, JJ Parus, Stuart Wiltshire, David, Jez Bbm, Josh Smith, GamerGuy95, Christopher King, Ian Silk, Foehammer, Anthony Selvaggio, ub3r_n3rd (Dark Lord of Enablers), stephanie wagner, Levi, Guillaume Lahouste, Stuart Davies, Casey Garske, William Bennett, Jonathan Stow, Joel Andersson, Aleksandar Saranac, David Mitchell, Alexander Mace, Jeffrey Runokivi, The Fett, Jen -Epimys, Lambert Caron, Robert Cook, forlatt_base, perno, Johan Malmström, Stuart Surridge, Gauthier Descamps,

Chris Williams, Paul Holden, Peter Engebos, durecellrabbit, Kevin G Stanley, dlshocker, Captain Y, Victoria Pullen, Lakshman, Alvaro Romero, massimo, Mark A. Siefert, Seán Sheehan, Fantastipo, Shane Lewin, Brad Fuhrmann, jeff dahl, Chris Hagerty, mironneau nicolas, jtsparks, Enrique Durand, Weresheep of Sin AKA Stefan, David Swanston, Scott Riley, John, Charles Howard, James Dalziel, Rikkano, Ken Campbell, Auston Butler, Curtis Yost, Sam Pate, Marja Feilen, S Vincent Gray, Gulix, Tim Mayse-Lillig, Barks, Joe, Vincent Noiseux, Patrick, Neil, JEVR, Colin Nash, steeldragon, Chris Robinson, John T Coleman, Joshua Lopatin, Tim "Zukar" Leuftink, Ronan, Nils hedglin, Adam Loper, Bob Hambleton, StaggerLee, Simon Arthur, OwlbearCamus, Ted Conn, Wellender, Yuri Kalinin, Kent Reuber, Nicholas Wright, Mauricio Carvalho Pedroso, Andrew James Princep, Adam Collier, Robert Strahan, Patrick Odell, Ralph Mazza, Henrix Gudmundson, Craig

Core Rules Handbook

Advanced

Song Of

Blades and

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Blackmore, James Ramsay, Michael Sauer, James Myers, Dain Lybarger, Rob Heinsoo, Patrick Jacquin, Jerry Autieri, Yoo Jin Lee Gomu Workshop, sharnofshaed, Nick Gittins, Mike Gingold, Mike J Brian, Michael Schuller, Carnus, Dubois Eric, S., CaitSidhe, Michael Joyce, Blackdere, Marc gales, Juan Luis Perez Borrego, Chris Green, George A Lindner Jr, Andrew Patrick, Bristlechin, Steen Jacobsen, Mark W, Behrens Mathias, Eric Lakin, Wim D., Allyric, Geoff Osterberg, Paul Cafiso, mchammas, Longstrider, Scott Cramer, Howard Hendrickson, Sebastian Steenbock, James LaManna, borriste, Bill V, Peter Thew, John Fu, Krystian Kaczmarski, SERVAIS, Mark S, David Hamilton, Luca Serasin, Nicola Cervellati, Bum Yong Kim, Jeff Hudson, Terrence Miltner, Thomas L Tuohy, William D. Gillespie, David Mathis, Mark J. Muir, Adli Ghani, Pejay, Red Richards, Thebigandyt, Pseudohazard, Raymond Wiggins, Chris Snyder, TSL, Erika, Eric Vaughn, Sean O'Neill, Michael, Suzanne Samson, Tom Glauser, Kherprigaze, Bryan Burge, Ramonet, Mike Davey, Justin Crozier, Ian Adly Iskandar Dzakurnain, Andrew Franke, Heath and Seth Robinson, GB, Daniel Watkins, James Cole, Jordi, Longshanx, Linda L. Martelle, Scott Weiler, Kennet, Sean Donnelly, Chad Ries, Micah Nichols Miniatures, Andy Skinner,Lee Torres, Scott Paquette, Michael Gellar, Mark Gottlieb, Fred Schmidt, Michael Taylor, Joel Shull,Richard Kurtin, David A. Zecchini, Barzam, William Powell, Scott Holmes, Shadowbooth, Paul Morin, Robert, Michael Muller, Mike Kozlowski, Vincent Curley, David Musser, Arthur Braune, Dustcrusher, Justin Hamilton, Edward Miller, Edward Mis, Joe Coleman,William Littlefield, Shiloe Swisher, Eric Kramp, Rich Simmons, Joel Siragher, Matthew, Andrew Johnson, John Buck, Art, manyslayer, Steven Bledsoe, Scott Maynard, Patrick McElveen, Ed Allen, Brendan Mayhugh, Stuart Wilson, Douglas Carter, Idilio Santos, Royal Hunter of Valoria, Arnaldo Matute, Clive Lewis Smith, Uwe Schumacher, Mark Kitching, Ian Stewart, John Kane, Mark S, David Drage, Phildeb,

Antonio Manuel Albaladejo Márquez, Holger Schubert, Antonio Ciocca, Alan Jonas Schiött, Ralph Plowman, Giles Pritchard, theblacksheep, Gordon O'Reilly, Urban Blom, Mike Strefford, Christian Taylor, Ferragus, Jörgen Karlsson, Gilis, Paolo Fagherazzi, yogourt, Tom Pugh, whisperkit, Lee Barker, Joakim Strom, James Latimer, Steven Snyder, Allan, William Keith mccutcheon, David McCartney, Dave Paterson, Magnus Lindström, D. Meijvogel, Roy Spence, giempe, Mike Tonberg, Roger Varnier, Dave Polhill, Simian, Gianpaolo Tomasi, Andrew Ligon, Graeme O'Neil, Chris Gibson, Ian Sturrock, Matias, Stephen, Jean FEDON, Talae, Tom “Original Timmy” Mills, Leah E, Vazanar, Tom Usher, John Ahlschwede, Longtown, Jim Roots, Chuck Gisi, Gary P Talaska, Steve Billups, Tim, David Langley, Matt Price, Joshua Rosenblum, Robert Knight, Adam Bisher, Louis-Thunder Badger Rudziewicz, Caleb Goodson, Tidko, Tad Lemon, jittle, Scott, Randy G., lacoste charles, Simon Kuenzle, Antony, Rik Baker, Battle Brush Sigur, Manbo, Michael Broer, Lemmeron, Charlie St Clair, Hans E Magnusson, Matthew Robinson, Justin Jenkins, Steven Lord, daniel ashline, Grzegorz Kucharski, Michael Chellew, Lee Moran, Pierre Bøurnøpøuløs, Chor Ghee Tan, Steven Waters, John F. Falconio, GameCommodore, Panthera, Highlord Tamburlaine Luxurious Reptile, Albert Fischer, Thomas Granvold, Jordan Arndt, Sean Jamison, wurrukatte, dmmorris, Timothy Berry, Pat Rollens, Craig Parent, The Phalanx Consortium, Will Cooper, Aki Koyama, Ray Karnes, Marc Gacy, Geist, Paul Dieken, Robert Bush, Leslie, John Jordan, Craig Gulledge, Alice Granger a.k.a. "ArcticBanana", garrett bowley, David Sulak, Paul F, Jeremy Nagle, Dan Bennett, Anthony Kapolka, Tim McDowall, Jeff Gregory, Chisena Diego, andy stearman, Phillip Nash, Peter Crann, Peter Hartree, ian whalley, sbarrie, Robert, Matthew Moore, Andrew Clough, David S, Peter Christopoulos, Lyndon Freeman, Thalji, Sylvain LEBEL, Paul

Grindrod, Tom McDonald, Nigel Phillips, Cdorf, Michael Guest, Randall Lennox, Beagle, Last Knight, Saeros, Miyuki, Peter Wright, Derik Badman, jim cockburn, Matthew McClure, Diego Riccitelli, Reinhard Hankofer, Gerulas, Aaron P, camoudragon, Peter Baldwin, Pat Sherwood, Matt Williams, xazil, Dennis Bollyn, Peter Edlin, zoroaster100, Jef Van Leuven, Lidless Eye Hobbies, Mary, Mark Ryan, Mike D., Craig Johnson, Kyle Van Dyke, Richard Meyer, Harrek, sjbaylus, Justin Agin, Darhkon, Willem-Jan Bertram, "DUMP", Colin Peake, Fab, JP, Mark A, Richard Gorski, Darkmeer, Nergal, Medicus Pestilenciae de Valoria, Gordon Munn, Hershaddow, Raffaele Pedroni, Matthew W Adams, James Welcome, Magnus Hellstrand, David Mason, Luke Borrelli, CEDRIC, Hobert S. Lanham II, David, Derek Morton, Tom, Brian, Svend Andersen, Alan Winterrowd, Per-Olov Gothe, Yong Siong Oon, Peter Grose, Rhel, Kirk Penner, Lukas Bayard, Larry Freeman, Morgan Hazel, Dennis Burgess, Philip, Michael Greenhill, Graeme Rigg, Jonathan Tilbury (Jontil the Beardless), Hans von Z. Buy miniatures on www.songofblades.com For more rulebooks, visit www.ganeshagames.net

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The author can be reached at andreasfiligoi@gmail.com

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Background

Norindaal, the world of Advanced Song of Blades

and Heroes, was created by thirty-three gods as

their playground. The gods would move through Norindaal via the Ley Gates, shortcuts they created to pass quickly from one continent to the other. Their location is hidden from most mortals, except for some fey creatures and powerful spellcasters. Many wars have been fought over the access to known Ley Gates.

How Norindaal Came To Be

In the beginning, there was only the Primal Force. It was thought, space, and matter at the same time, but it was lonely, bored, and without purpose, so it split into multiple forms to create the universe and order. The first form to appear was Tauramin, the god of time, who turned the great mill wheel of Time. So began the unfolding of the Ages. Then Elidra, the second form, appeared. The universe became a symphony of music, song and harmony, but Tauramin was deaf to the music of Elidra. Soon other gods were begotten from the shards of the great splitting, and Elidra's song had an audience. The music was good, and the other gods began the great celestial dance and were merry. And they created a world upon which they could play. They made it from the matter of stars, and Elidra called it Norindaal, which in Godspeech means “song”. Gobras, the green-skinned jester of the gods, proposed a game. Each god would sire a people. Tauramin decreed that each created race should be subject to the laws of time and be mortal, lest they rise to challenge the gods. Each race would be given an area of Norindaal upon which to live and prosper. Father Hulla made giants and titans out of rocks, and his wife, Mother Fari, created plants and animals for them to master and eat. Some gods took the creatures of Mother Fari and began to change them. Radah the rodent god claimed patronage over rats and mice and decreed that they could live anywhere as long as they did not claim an area as their own. This is the reason why today no nation is without rats, mice, or ratmen, but rodents have no nation of their own. Tezany took dominion of the Five Oceans and created creatures to rule over them. As sages say, “there are many gods on the earth and in the skies, but the seas all belong to Tezany.”

The Titans and Giants, tempted by the desire for more land, waged a great war. From their remains, Father Hulla and Mother Fari created the dwarves. There remained shards of the Primal Force in the bodies of Titans, and it is said that these are the gems that the dwarves seek today in order to gain immortality.

While the Godgame continued, Ssiklis the Scaled

One had, unknown to the other gods, scattered

thousands of her eggs all over Norindaal. While the dwarves dug deep into the mountains, Lizardfolk and the huge Thunder Lizards conquered the world above. Ssiklis believed that her creations were so superior that all other races were just food for her children. When the lizards tasted dwarf flesh, they found that it was good. Serpents and lizardfolk multiplied over all of Norindaal. Gro Khair, the god of hunger, had made their appetite insatiable. He planned to have the lizards attack and eat each other, decimating their numbers. Only then he could unleash upon Norindaal the race that he created in his own image: the orgas (ogres). The dwarves learned to fight to defend themselves, and used their talents to build weapons and armor, inspired by Darim, the smith god. However, the Lizardmen were too many, enslaved dwarves, and kept them as cattle.

The Light and Law gods, led by Luura and Tamas

Zeya, declared that all the moves performed by

Ssiklis and Gro Khair were invalid, and so wanted to start the game anew. They confined Ssiklis to a pocket dimension, the Netherwhere, where for 100 years she hissed and cursed. Meanwhile, the Light and Law gods caused a great flood through torrential rain followed by a fiery meteorite shower to fall upon Norindaal to destroy the lizardfolk, serpent people and thunder lizards. This was called the Century of Rain and Fire. Near the end of the Century, Elidra re-entered the Godgame. She made her chosen race, the elves, fall from the sky inside meteoritic wombs. The dwarves split open the glistening rocks, which freed the elves. “Mistakes were made, elves freed, and dragons let live” is a D'Harris (dwarven) proverb.

The world was almost destroyed, but the gods of Life and Chaos were too invested in their creations, and they opposed the Light and Law gods. Life adapted and the races survived. The

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blue-skinned Atlis were created as the only air-breathing race to worship Tezany. When meteorites destroyed their Citadel, Tezany asked

Xichtul for help, and Xichtul turned the atlis into

Deep Demons so they could breathe water. Tezany felt cheated, as some of his creatures now worshipped Xichtul, but it was too late. Those who did not accept the change now live on the coasts of other continents, protecting them from their mutated, chaos-worshipping cousins.

The adaptations continued. Some thunder lizards were touched by Xichtul and became dragons. Antediluvian lizardfolk adapted to a subterranean lifestyle in the caves where they kept their dwarven cattle, sheltering from the water and the fire that fell from the skies.

How Xichtul and Ssiklis Sired the

Demons

Xichtul the Unholy, or the Formless, had lusted

for Ssiklis the scaled one, and was greatly angered that she was trapped where he could not have her. Gobras, the Trickster, seeing more opportunity for mischief, showed the Formless an access to the Netherwhere. It was a small opening, just large enough to let the Formless have a glimpse of his loved one. Gobras delighted in seeing Xicthul squirm with unrequited passion for Ssiklis. But any opening was enough for the Formless, who was not bound to ordinary laws and was therefore able to use his demonseed to fertilize thousands of eggs that the Ssiklis had laid in the Netherwhere. Thus, the demons were spawned, full of their mother's hate and resentment, and with a countless number of shapes like their father. This is how evil came unto Norindaal out of lust, vengefulness, trickery and spite. Today, the demons are still trapped in the Netherwhere, but the hole grows wider and wider and some have acquired so much power they have become gods themselves. Tamas Zeya, the goddess of Oaths, wrote new rules for the Godgame. All other gods chose to play by the rules, including Ssiklis the Scaled One, but not Xichtul, whose mind was chaos, lust, and madness. Xichtul even broke the law of Tauramin and shared some of his immortal power with lesser creatures, and two dragons (Ter

Za Necht and Sozara) became gods in their own

right. This is why dragon worshippers today call Xichtul and Ssiklis Father and Mother of the

dragon Race, and Demons call dragons siblings, although not all dragons are evil.

The Slumbering Gods

With the arrival of the dragon gods, the Godgame now became an open war between gods. Woe beset the heavens, woe beset all lands and seas, and thrice woe beset all living creatures. The foundations of the world shook and tore with the rage. Tauramin attempted to stop turning the wheel of time to prevent these battles of cataclysmic madness from destroying the world. But the other gods combined were too strong for him to stop the unfolding of ages. But Tauramin’s effort was not in vain: some gods were trapped in time and now wait for their followers to awaken them. For this reason, they are known as the

Slumbering Gods: He Who Lies Below, Ssiklis the Scaled One, Xichtul the Unholy, Radah the Rodent God, Pandalatra Telemvii and Asdzugh The Serrated Blade remain trapped in time, but

their minions and followers pray for their awakening.

Geography

There are eight main continents on Norindaal.

An-Mòr

This is inhabited by humans, elves, dwarves, halflings and fungi folk in the North and Center. The South is home to the Dorantian Empire. An-Mòr is blessed by plentiful water, a temperate climate, and fertile soil. Only the Northern Cape, Winterhome, is inhabited only by giants and trolls. Dorantia is the largest settlement of the world. It has a population of nearly one million souls, most of them humans, but there are halfling, dwarven and wood elf minorities who are well integrated into the human society. Dorantia is both the name of the Empire and the Golden City, thus called because of its wealth and the golden yellow plaster used on its buildings. The southern part of An-Mòr is a vast expanse of jungle called the Savage Lands, which is infested by lizardmen, thunder Lizards, and forest giants.

Kardalok

An-Mòr and Kardalok are called the Sibling Lands. Both are dominated by humans. Kardalokans are less civilized and less culturally open than Dorantians. The main city is Tezany's Cove, a large

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rambling seaport. In the North, Ice Volcanoes spew frosty gases that lower the temperature below freezing for leagues, creating an inhospitable land where only yetis, ice trolls, and the fabled Snow elves of Llirian can thrive. The much warmer south is dominated by strange but industrious insect men: Myrmecans (Ant-Folk) on the West and Melittans (Bee-Folk) on the East.

Qaarra, the Scarred Land

Once civilized by humans and elves, Qaarra was devastated by dark elves whose tampering with nature caused volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Dark elf pirate ships still haunt the small cluster of islands east of the main landmass. Qaarra today is a land of eerie abandoned villages, crumbling ruins, majestic overgrown edifices, and rumors of vengeful undead creatures. Plenty of riches and ancient artifacts from forgotten civilizations are available for those courageous enough to venture through this scarred land.

Enotria, Land of Spice and Wine

In Enotria, Centaurs, fauns, and nymphs live in an idyllic landscape, full of farms and wild bacchanalian feasts. The inhabitants trade wine, oil, perfumes, and spices with seafarers. Such is the beauty of the lands that the great emperor of Dorantia, Malarchus the Seventh, famously remarked “if I were not Emperor of Dorantia, I would be a humble Enotrian farmer instead.”

Edda, the Frozen Continent

Mount Frost, at the center of Edda, is the coldest region in all of Norindaal. Much of the land is hidden under a thick sheet of ice, and only ice worms and giant white bears can survive there. Legend states that Mount Frost was created by the goddess Winterheart. Sages write that “no matter how cold is Mount Frost, it is not cold enough for Winterheart, the goddess of Frost. Beware all who cross her path.” On the coasts, the temperatures are more hospitable due to warm currents. The small peninsula between Enotria and Ssiklia is the warmest region of Edda, the only area where farming is possible. It is inhabited by barbaric human tribes and even wilder orcs.

Ssiklia, the Rule of the Lizardmen

Originally called Monda Daenar, which ironically means “Land of the Free Men” in Godspeech, Ssiklia has been conquered by the Lyzaris (Lizardmen)

empire and renamed in honor of their goddess. This empire has a hatred of non-reptilian races and seeks to bring back the days before the great floods. Despite its dangers, Ssiklia is a beautiful land with vast forests and wide rivers. There are traces of former human cities, lost under jungle vines, but these have mostly been destroyed by the reptiles. The few human freemen fight a guerrilla war against the merciless Lyzaris. The resistance is strongest near the island of Fan-Zi, where the benevolent Celestial Unicorns (Ki-rin) and their Golden Guard (apemen related to Yetis) help rebels against their scaly oppressors.

Andamon, the Land of Sands

Andamon is a sparsely populated land. The cold North is inhabited by intelligent Catfolk, centered in the citadel of Lionhome. The great desert in the middle of the continent hosts An-Nur, a scattered human nation of seven nomadic tribes. Each is led by a Nomad Prince, who wage war against each for the possession of jewels of divine origin. An-Nur is a land of mysterious djinns, bejewelled minarets, powerful magicians, flying carpets, and loathsome ghuls. The South is dominated by a massive volcano called the Everflame. Around it lives a large community of Sand Goblins in underground tunnels beneath the ever-shifting sands. The White Skull island region in the south hosts pirates of various races. The Tori Islands, to the far south, are inhabited by Bird-men.

Atlis, the Sunken Continent

Atlis is buried under the Sea of Storms. All those who have ventured in search of its mysterious secrets have either never returned or have come back empty-handed. Originally inhabited by a civilized race of blue-skinned humans who mastered a now-forgotten technology, it was nearly destroyed during the Century of Rain and Fire. Some Atlisseans were mutated into water-breathing, monstrous fish–man hybrids. Others fled to the coasts of Kardalok, where they cohabit with Sea elves and Humans, defending the coasts from their mutant, chaos-worshipping cousins.

For more information on Norindaal, visit https://sites.google.com/site/norindaal/

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Introduction

To play this skirmish-level wargame, you need 3 six-sided dice, miniatures (8 to 12 figures for an average game, but the number may vary), three measuring sticks, a play surface and scenic material — hills, trees, boulders, ruins, giant mushrooms, and so on. A few simple markers, referred to as a “game stones,” might also be needed, as well as spell area templates if spell casters are present. A satisfactory game can be played in under one hour even by novice players. Once you know the rules, a 400-point game requires about 45 minutes, making a three-scenario campaign in a single evening possible. The game uses miniatures mounted individually on round or square bases and works in any scale. However, our preference goes to 28mm figures on round bases. The rules are written for two players, but it is possible to play with more, even with an odd number, as long as you arrange their forces in two sides and initiative passes between the two sides as explained under “Activation.”

The ground scale is 10mm =1 yard. One figure represents one creature. One turn represents a few seconds. In 28mm scale, the recommended play area is 90x90cm (3’x3’). Distances are measured with three sticks:

Short (75mm), Medium (120mm), and Long (180mm) (see the table for other scales).

Pre-measuring before deciding on a course of action is allowed. You may measure distances at any time, except when a character is jumping. Throughout the book, “model,” “character,” “miniature,” and “figure” signify a playing piece. A player’s baseline is the side of the table where his figures are deployed at the start of the game. The masculine form is used for brevity. When we say “he,” we mean “he, she, or it.”

Profiles

Every model is described by a profile. For example:

Spearman (20 pts) Q4 C2

Traits: Long Reach

Points: This is the cost of the model. More

powerful models cost more points.

Quality (Q): This is an indication of the

model’s willingness to fight, reaction speed, initiative and morale. It is the minimum number to be rolled on a die to activate the model, so the lower the number, the better. Q 2+ is better than Q 3+, and Q 3+ is better than Q 4+.

Combat (C): This is a measure of how well the

model fights. In a fight, this value is added to the roll of a die and compared to the opponent’s Combat score plus the roll of a die. The same number is used for shooting, dodging ranged attacks, and melee. It is often influenced by Traits (e.g. a figure with the Good Shot Trait has +1 to C when performing ranged attacks) and situational modifiers (e.g. a figure on higher ground than his opponent fights at +1 to C).

Traits: This catch-all category includes all of a

model’s distinctive abilities, such as weapons, armor, natural talents, and spells. Detrimental Traits decrease the model’s point value. Traits are very important: two figures with identical Q and C may play very differently because of their Traits. 15 mm or smaller 20 mm or larger Short 50 mm 75 mm Medium 80 mm 120 mm Long 120 mm 180 mm Table Size 600 x 600 mm 900 x 900 mm

Recommended measuring sticks and table size depending on scale

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Select your Figures

Players select their models secretly from their faction lists. In a typical game, the total points value of all models in each warband must not exceed 400 points, and players may not

spend more than half of the total on Personalities (profiles with a P after their

name). Play with fewer points for a faster game or with more for an epic battle. In addition to this book, other works like Fightin’

Fungi or Hammer and Forge and narrative

campaigns like Axe and Brimstone have detailed factions with hundreds of profiles.

Attacker and Defender

Both players roll a die. Reroll ties. The higher roller decides if he wants to be the attacker or the defender. The defender lays out the terrain, arranging scenic features such as hills, huts, or woods. If playing a scenario, players must abide by the scenario’s rules for terrain placement and troop deployment.

The attacker decides from which baseline his force will enter. The defender deploys his troops on the opposite side, within 1 x Medium distance of the table edge. Players alternate deploying one model at a time (or groups of 3-4 models for large games).

Initiative

Both players roll a die. The player with the higher roll is called the acting player and takes the first turn. His opponent becomes the active player when the turn of the current player ends, either because he has activated all of his miniatures, because he rolled a Turn-Over, or he has decided to pass.

Initiative is rolled ONLY on the first turn of the game, and then players alternate taking turns until the end of the game.

Sometimes, a scenario states who has the initiative.

Activation

The acting player nominates one of his figures, and rolls one, two or three dice to activate

it. The player chooses how many dice to roll.

Rolls are made against the model’s Q. The model may perform as many actions as the number of successes rolled. When making Q

rolls, a roll of 1 is always a failure, and a roll of 6 is always a success.

The character is allowed a maximum of one action per success rolled.

Example: You roll two dice. Both rolls are equal to or greater than the model's Q, so they are successful. You may perform two actions with that character.

You are not forced to use all the available actions — you may always choose to pass or abort an action.

Every failure rolled entitles your opponent to attempt a reaction with one of his figures during your turn. The reactions

happen BEFORE you have a chance to act.

Example: you choose to roll two dice, and score one success and one failure. Before your character can perform his own action, the opponent selects one of his characters and attempts a reaction with that. A reaction is an activation that happens in the opponent’s turn. If his roll is successful, he performs that action BEFORE you perform yours.

If you roll multiple failures in a single activation attempt, the opponent MAY OPT to either use all failures as Reactions, OR he may steal initiative, causing a Turn-Over.

Example: you roll three dice, resulting in one success and two failures. Your opponent may attempt a reaction on two dice OR opt to take the initiative.

You are NEVER certain that you will move all of your figures in any given turn. There

may be turns in which you do not activate any figures at all.

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In all other cases, your turn continues, and you may nominate another figure and try to activate it, unless all of your figures have already been activated. When all of your models have been activated, or whenever your opponent uses two reactions to take the initiative, play passes to the opponent. Do not state what you intend to do with your actions until you have rolled the dice. There is no declaration of intention: just identify the figure you want to activate and roll the amount of dice you want to roll. Then check the results and decide how to use the available actions. Exception: Spell-casters

must announce that they are casting a spell and which spell they plan to cast, if they want to do so, because spells may

backfire, and each spell has a different backfire effect.

Other Quality Rolls

Q rolls are not only for activation. Sometimes the rules will ask you to roll for other activities with an uncertain outcome, such as jumping over a chasm or resisting a spell. Generally, the rule will tell you how many dice you should roll and what modifiers apply. For example, when you resist a spell, you roll a number of dice equal to its Power (that is, the number of actions that the mage used to cast the spell). A more skillfully cast spell is harder to resist! When the rules tell you to make (or “pass”) a Q roll and they do not specify how many dice, roll a single die.

End of the Game

Play continues until one side is wiped out (all models are Out-of-Action, transfixed, entangled, asleep, or routed off the table) or until the scenario victory conditions are met.

Activated Figures

An activated figure may perform one, two or three actions. Among other things,

actions can be used to move or to attack. No character may perform more than one attack (ranged or melee) per turn, unless a Trait allows it. Models may spend one extra action on an attack (melee or ranged) to make it more powerful. This is called a Power Blow in melee and an Aimed Shot in ranged combat, but both work in the same way: the character spends two actions to perform the attack, and the opponent’s Combat score against that attack is reduced by 1, making it more likely that the target will be put Out-of-Action by the attack.

Potential actions and their cost:

You can perform the actions in any order you want.

Example: A character with three actions may use one to move into contact with an opponent, the second to attack in melee, and the third to move into contact with another target after knocking out the first, or to stand up after falling, or to move away from the current engagement.

Action Cost

Move 1 action per

movement Melee attack 1 action Melee Power Blow 2 actions

Ranged attack 1 action

Aimed Shot 2 actions Break a Transfix 2 actions

Break an Entangle 2 actions

Stand up 1 action

Cast a spell 1, 2 or 3 actions Pick up something 1 action

Bank an action 1 action, spell-casters only

Other actions As per scenario or player agreement

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A character may not perform a melee and a ranged attack in the same turn. For

example, a character may NOT loose an arrow at a target with his first action, move into contact with him with his second action, and attack the target in melee with his third action. A character may not cast a spell

and attack in the same turn unless the spell description allows it.

Banking actions: This is allowed only to

spell-casters who want to cast a defensive spell (such a Counter-spell) in the opponent’s turn. The caster spends one or more actions in the current turn so that he is ready to cast the spell later. Mark the character with a game stone as a reminder.

Tasks: Sometimes the rules tell you that

performing a complex action, such as digging a hole in the ground or building an improvised fence, is an X-action Task, (where X is a number of actions). Keep track of all actions performed towards the completion of that Task with a die. When enough actions have been accumulated, the action is completed. Additional models, if space and the situation allow, can contribute actions towards a Task.

In some cases, scenarios will restrict Tasks only to characters with specific Traits.

Reactions

When your opponent fails one or more activation rolls, you pick up those dice and may immediately attempt to activate one of your figures. This is a Reaction — a short burst of activity, a momentary stealing of the initiative, a sudden action that throws a wrench in the works of your opponent’s plan.

Who can react: A figure may successfully

react only once during the opponent’s turn. It can try several times. A reaction may consist of multiple actions. Mark models who successfully react by putting a game stone next to the figure. When your turn comes, remove all stones. Use the following rules:

● Bound, Transfixed, Unreactive, and mind-controlled figures may not react. ● Figures who have already successfully

reacted during this turn may not react again.

● Models who have attempted to react and failed may try again whenever possible.

A Reaction may be used exactly as an action. Since a Reaction takes place before the (eventual) action, use of a Reaction includes things such as shooting at a charger before he closes on you, moving away from a stampeding animal, or charging a missile-armed foe before he manages to shoot.

If a figure fails two or more dice, the opponent has the option to use them as Reactions OR to cause a Turn-Over (take the initiative), but not both.

Reaction rolls are modified by the Leader bonus, and by any other rule that affects a model’s Activation rolls, unless the rule

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explicitly says that the modifier does not count on Reaction attempts.

Some players prefer LIMITED Reactions. Under this system, figures that wish to react must be within both 2 x Long and in Line of Sight (LoS) of the figure that failed to activate. In any case, there is no obligation to direct the Reaction against the activated opponent. If you choose not to use Reactions, any activation failure of two or more activation dice is a Turn-Over.

Movement

Most models have Medium move. They can move from one end to the other of a Medium stick by spending one action. Models on large bases will move a bit more than models on regular bases, but more opponents will be able to gang up on them.

All models have Medium move unless otherwise indicated on their profiles.

Unusually short-legged characters have Short Movement. Fast or long-legged creatures, cavalry and most flyers have Long Movement. Heavy, clumsy riding beasts may have Short or Medium.

Partial Movement: A model may move less

than the full distance if desired, or it may not move at all.

Reduced Movement: If any part of the

movement stick passes through any sort of difficult ground, such as a marsh or thick vegetation, the model’s speed is reduced. Medium becomes Short, Long becomes Medium. Short Movement is not reduced.

Movement is always performed in a straight line along the length of the measuring stick.

Linear Obstacles

A model may move through a linear obstacle such as a hedge, a fence, or a low wall, but its speed is reduced. With his first action, the model stops in contact with the linear obstacle, and with the second action the model moves to the opposite side of the obstacle. If a character does not want to stop, he can continue, but must pass a Q roll on a single die (receiving +1 if he has the Acrobat Trait). If the roll is successful, the model does not stop and moves its full movement distance. If the roll fails, the model falls on either side of the obstacle — as chosen by your opponent!

Linear obstacles taller than half the model’s height must be climbed. This may require the expenditure of an extra action or passing a Q roll on a single die to avoid falling.

Flying models move over obstacles without any movement reduction.

The movement of non-flying mounted models is reduced for rough terrain. The movement of flying figures is reduced only through thick woods IF the model wants to fly safely. If he is taking chances, the model may use its full move but, on any roll of 1 at the end of a move, the model receives a C2 attack (hit by a branch). If the figure is put Out-of-Action, it means the model crashed against a tree!

Determine the nature of obstacles before the game.

Minimum Movement: The Step

Regardless of its speed and terrain, a model may always spend one action to perform a “step” — a movement of one base. If its base is larger than 1 Short stick (e.g. some huge animals), the model’s step is 1 x Short, measured from any part of its base.

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Free Moves

Characters with no active foes within 2 x Long may perform a single non-combat move INSTEAD of dicing for activation.

This represents a slow tactical advance. The character uses his standard movement distance. As soon as he comes within 2 x Long of any active foe, he may no longer perform free moves. Transfixed, bound, and Out-of-Action enemies are not “active” for the purposes of this rule. Free moves may not be used to move into melee.

Moving through Friends

A character may move freely through friends as long as he has enough movement to clear their bases. If the movement is not enough, he must move a shorter distance or stop in contact with the friend. A model may move through the base of a friend even if the friend is Prone or in melee.

A character may not move through foes.

His movement immediately stops if he comes in contact with the base of a foe (unless that foe is Prone or Transfixed) and the model is now in melee with that foe even if his base of the model just touches the foe’s base. Any contact with an opponent arrests a character’s movement.

Movement is NEVER stopped by entangled, Prone, dead, Out-of-Action, Sleeping, or Transfixed foes.

A model with Free Disengage must stop when he comes into contact with an enemy, but he may then use an additional action, if available, to move away from the melee.

Moving through friends is NOT allowed in cramped situations such as going through a door, fighting in a corridor or inside a building, etc. Players may agree to extend this to other situations as the scenario suggests. Moving through friends is allowed during a recoil, providing it does not take place in a cramped

situation as described above. For more about this, see “Recoil” (below).

Jumping

A character can jump his normal movement distance with a Q roll. The player is NOT allowed to pre-measure (not knowing a distance builds tension). The roll is at +1 if he spends one movement action to perform a running start, and -2 if he is Heavily Armored. If he doesn't make the roll, he jumps one move category less (Long move becomes Medium, Medium becomes Short, and Short becomes a one-base-width). If the jump is not enough to clear the distance, the model falls, potentially taking damage as per “Falling Damage” (below). Wet roofs, moss covered stones, dungeon floors, etc. also count as Slippery for Jumping purposes. The model will have to test its Q BEFORE and AFTER making the jump (he risks falling at the end of his running start and when landing).

Jumping Down: A model may jump down

from a height no greater than its own automatically. Jumps from a greater height use the falling damage rules. In many cases, a jump down is treated as climbing an obstacle. Four-legged animals automatically pass the Q test unless the terrain is slippery or they are jumping over a difficult obstacle like a stockade or a barricade.

Some animals are more agile or better suited to move over certain obstacles. Use the abilities of real-world equivalent animals as a rule of thumb (e.g. a horse will easily jump over a small hedge).

Falling Damage

If a model falls when at the edge of a cliff, bridge or other elevated structure, he must make a Q roll, using one die if the fallen distance is Short, two dice if Medium, three if Long. On any failure, the model is Out-of-Action. Complete success means that the

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model is fine. However, to represent the shock of the fall, the character will need two actions to stand up.

Random Directions

If a rule asks you to move in a random direction, roll two dice next to the figure, and draw an imaginary line from the lower-scoring die to the higher-scoring die. The line shows the direction of movement. If the dice roll the same number, the figure remains motionless.

A model will generally need more than one action to turn round a corner or move past a foe. Changing a model’s facing during this movement does not expend an action. There’s no such thing as facing in these rules. As you can see in these three pictures, two actions (linear movements) are spent to move around the corner of the fence.

1

2

3

The model is actually “leapfrogging” the stick, so it moves from its current location to any point of the stick.

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Melee

A model must be adjacent (in base-to-base contact) with a foe to fight in melee. As soon as two models are adjacent, they are in melee, even if no model performs an attack.

Melee is simultaneous: Either model

involved in the fight may make Recoil, knock Prone, or put Out-of-Action the other. In some cases, a combatant is allowed a Free Hack, an attack without consequences (e.g. a stab in the back of a foe who is running away). The model performing the Free Hack may affect the target of the Free Hack, but he may not be affected. The target of the Free Hack rolls a die and adds his C as normal, but his roll is purely defensive. If he wins, he manages to avoid the attack. If he loses, he is hit and suffers the normal consequences.

If two models are in melee and one of them spends one or more actions to attack, both roll dice to fight.

A turn represents a few seconds. All combatants have a chance of dealing a telling blow at some point. Even if the models do not roll dice (because the player chooses so or has no available actions to do so), they are still in a melee, parrying each other’s blows, studying each other, or waiting for an opening.

This system ensures that all participants stay involved and roll dice, even during their opponent’s turn. It makes the decision to attack a conscious choice on the player's part.

Each model fighting in melee rolls one die and adds its C score. If the result is a tie, nothing happens — the models parried or

dodged each other, or the blows bounced off their armor.

If one model beats the other, the loser falls Prone (if the winner’s die score is

even) or Recoils by one base width directly away from the attacker (if the winner’s die score is odd).

Example: A C2 Goblin attacks a C3 Elf. He rolls a 4 on his die. The Elf rolls a 2. The Goblin's total is (2+4)= 6. The Elf’s total is (3+2)= 5. The Elf is beaten (as his opponent’s total of 6 is better than his total of 5). He falls to the ground, because the opponent rolled an even number. The actual number rolled on the die, and not the total, is checked. If the Goblin had rolled a 5, he would still be the victor, but the Elf would recoil instead of falling.

If the winner doubles the loser, the loser goes Out-of-Action and is removed from

the tabletop.

If the winner TRIPLES the result of the loser, he inflicts a Gruesome Kill, causing

a Morale check for all the enemies who witness the kill (see “Morale”). The figure is dead.

Modifiers that lower C increase the likelihood of doubling or tripling a target’s C score.

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Lethal Attacks

In certain cases, such as when attacking a Sleeping, Prone, or Transfixed foe, an attack is said to be Lethal. A Lethal attack causes an Out-of-Action result just by winning, even if it is by a single point. If you double the foe’s score, you inflict a Gruesome Kill result.

Table 3: Common Melee Modifiers

Outnumbered - 1 to the outnumbered model per every adjacent foe above the first. E.g., -2 to C against 3 opponents.

Attacking a Transfixed or Prone foe

+ 2 and blow is Lethal. You inflict a Gruesome Kill if you double the target.

Power Blow Requires two actions. Gives -1 to the opponent’s C score.

Ambush bonus + 1

Mounted model attacking a non-mounted model

+ 1

Defending an obstacle and/or fighting in elevated position

+ 1

Large model attacking a smaller model

+ 1

Unarmed -1 unless using a martial arts Trait

Outnumbered

A model adjacent to more than one foe has his C score reduced by 1 for every opponent beyond the first.

Example: a C3 model in melee with three enemies is has C1 (3, -2 for two extra opponents beyond the first).

Prone foes count for purposes of this rule. Entangled, Bound, Paralyzed, and

Transfixed foes do not count.

Example: a C4 model in melee with a Prone foe and a non-Prone foe fights at -1. The Prone foe is still grabbing his weapon arm or holding onto his legs.

When an outnumbered model tries to move away from a melee, the C penalty for being outnumbered is applied to any Free Hacks performed against him. The Free Hack is explained below.

The penalty applies if the outnumbered model is spending actions to attack or if he is defending (rolling a C die when a foe spends actions to attack him).

Transfixed, Prone, Entangled, or

Sleeping Foes

Melee or ranged attacks against Transfixed opponents are Free Hacks at +2, and are Lethal. Transfixed models

cannot fight, so their roll is purely defensive. Nothing bad can happen to the attacker if the Transfixed foe wins the Combat.

Attacks against Prone foes are at +2 and Lethal but they are NOT Free Hacks. A

Prone foe hits back.

Ranged attacks against Prone targets are Lethal but they do not enjoy the +2 bonus.

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A Prone model may attack during his initiative, but the opponent will still enjoy a +2 bonus for fighting a Prone foe. Usually, the best course of action for a Prone model is to use his first available action to stand up.

A melee or ranged attack on a Sleeping foe is a Lethal Free Hack at +2, and the Sleeping model’s Combat score counts as 0. Models may be asleep because of

scenario rules (a night raid on a camp) or because of the Sleep spell. Waking up a sleeping character is a one-action Task that can be attempted by any adjacent friend. A Sleeping character also wakes up if he is attacked and survives the Free Hack. The gods have protected him!

Ambush Bonus

Models that at the beginning of a turn are hidden behind a scenic feature (like a tree or a building) or a Wall spell receive a +1 on their first C roll if they shoot missiles from within cover or attack in close combat. If a Trait allows the ambusher to perform multiple attacks, the ambush bonus applies only on his first attack.

To claim an ambush bonus, a character must be completely hidden by a scenic feature, and the opponent he is charging or targeting with a ranged attack must not be able to draw a LoS to him before the attacker moves out of his hiding place.

Size Bonus

Models larger than man-sized have the Big, Huge, or Gargantuan Traits. Huge creatures are larger than Big creatures; Gargantuan creatures are the largest. Whenever a larger creature attacks a smaller one in melee, the larger one has +1 to C (just +1, NOT +1 per size difference). Smaller than man-sized creatures (halflings, goblins) are treated as normal-sized creatures. Much smaller creatures (e.g. pixies) have the Tiny Trait.

Prone Models

A model falls Prone (lay the miniature on its back) when its opponent wins a combat with an even result on the die. In other words,

your model falls Prone when it loses a C roll in which the opponent rolled 2, 4, or 6. It is

the score on the die, not the total, that counts. A Prone model may still attack in melee, but his opponents strike at +2 and any hits on him are Lethal. If a Prone model is doubled by any attack, it suffers a Gruesome Kill. A Prone model may spend one action to stand up.

The model may not have literally fallen: he may have just lost his balance for a second, or maybe his weapon turned in his hands; maybe he lost the grip on his shield, or opened his guard too much. Being Prone represents a moment in combat where the model is vulnerable, not necessarily a fall on the ground. Rename it “Stunned” if it sounds better. However, it DOES represent a fall when a model is in a precariously balanced situation, such as fighting on the edge of a cliff. In that case, a fall is literally a fall— check for falling damage.

Recoiling

A model recoils when its opponent wins a combat with an odd result on the die. In other

words, you recoil if you lose a combat in which the opponent has rolled a 1, 3, or a 5. It is the score on the die rather than the total

that counts.

The recoiling model is moved one base width away from the attacker that caused the recoil. The owner of the model decides the exact direction of the recoil. Remember, there is no such thing as facing in these rules, so feel free to ignore the facing of the model and have it recoil wherever there is space.

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Unless the combat is taking place in a cramped location (e.g. a narrow dungeon corridor or through a door), the recoiling model may also recoil through an adjacent friend (just place the recoiling model behind the friend).

If the recoil brings the model in contact with an active foe, the foe gets one Free Hack against the recoiling model.

Recoiling From Multiple Opponents

A model recoiling from multiple opponents does not receive Free Hacks from the additional opponents.

A recoil is a fighting withdrawal, not turning one’s back to the enemy and running. The model has chosen to give ground, catching his breath for a moment.

No Space to Recoil

If there is no space to recoil (e.g. the model is completely surrounded by foes, is at the table edge, or with its back against a tree or a wall), the recoiling model automatically falls Prone.

A model recoiling on the edge of a cliff or other similar scenic feature falls and takes falling damage.

A model is surrounded if he cannot recoil in any direction without touching the base of a foe.

Following Up

Any model causing a recoil immediately receives a free action to keep in contact with the recoiling foe if he wants. If the recoiling

model has Free Disengage, following up is not possible. If a model is recoiling from

multiple opponents, only the model who caused the recoil may follow up.

If the retreating foe recoils behind a friend, the model that is following-up may contact the friend.

Leaving Melee and the Free Hack

A model who wants to leave a melee can do so freely if the opponent is Prone or unable to attack (bound, Sleeping, Entangled, mind-controlled, or Transfixed). If disengaging

from an active opponent, a model receives one Free Hack from each adjacent opponent at the moment of breaking contact. If the disengaging model wins the die

roll, he moves away from the opponent. If he loses, he suffers whatever combat result has been caused by the opponent and does not move away.

Exception: Models with Free Disengage are not attacked when they leave a melee, or when a recoil brings them in contact with an active enemy. A model may have Free Disengage as a Trait or receive it thanks to superior movement abilities. Mounted models get Free Disengage when disengaging from non-Mounted models. Flying models get Free Disengage when disengaging from non-flying models. All figures get it when disengaging from foes with the Lumbering Trait. If a model has Free Disengage versus some but not all of his adjacent foes, only those who can perform a Free Hack will do so.

Example: A Flying model is trying to disengage from a melee with two foes, one Flying and one not. The retreating model will receive a Free Hack from the Flying foe but NOT from the non-Flying foe.

A model with Free Disengage has to stop when it comes in contact with a foe. If the model has another action and also wants to leave that combat, it can do so without receiving a Free Hack.

Disengaging from Multiple Foes

If a model voluntarily disengages from multiple foes, each of them can perform a Free Hack at him, but the order in which

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the retreating model. If the effect of a Free

Hack makes the retreating model an invalid target for further Free Hacks (for example, because the first Free Hack causes the character to recoil), the additional Free Hacks are not performed.

A Free Hack does NOT apply if the model is recoiling because of a combat result. A

recoiling combatant is facing the enemy and dodging the blows. He loses ground but he is not stabbed in the back.

If a model leaves a melee because of a failed Morale check, any adjacent enemy gets a Lethal Free Hack at him.

Charge

Sometimes the rules refer to a “charge.” This is the movement action that brings one model into melee with another. There is no “charge bonus,” although Traits such as Dashing benefit a model moving into contact.

Players familiar with other games may expect a charge modifier. In ASOBH, there is none.

Unarmed Models

Certain abilities may disarm models. If a model with a generic melee weapon is disarmed, his C is reduced by 1 in melee only and he loses any weapon-based Traits until he recovers the weapon or spends an action drawing a secondary weapon. Weapon-based Traits are marked by a (W) in the Trait’s name. Note that an unarmed model with a Martial Arts Trait (marked with a MA in the Trait’s name) does NOT suffer this modifier, as his empty hand attacks are assumed to be as powerful as a weapon. Characters represented without weapons cannot be disarmed. This includes all animals and beasts that fight with claw or bite attacks (like dragons).

A disarmed character fights as Unarmed (-1). If the model is carrying an obvious second weapon, it needs to spend one action to draw

it. If not, it must either fight with the Unarmed (-1) modifier or move to where its weapon landed (which will entail a Free Hack if it is still in combat). When the model reaches its weapon, it must spend an action to pick it up. A weapon can also be picked up from a dead foe. For simplicity's sake, the Disarm effect applies only to melee weapons (although players can agree to extend it to missile weapons if they wish).

If a Disarm effect is applied to a character wielding more than one weapon, the disarmer decides which weapon is disarmed. A disarmed weapon falls on the ground up to 1 x Short away from its owner’s base. Mark the spot with a spare weapon or a counter.

Ranged Combat

A model with a ranged weapon or ranged natural attack is able to hit a target from a distance.

Range Modifiers

Every shooter has a range stick (Short, Medium or Long) on his profile. If the target is within one stick, the shooter may attack him using his normal C. If the target lies within 2 sticks, the attack is at -2. If the target lies within 3 sticks, the shot is at -4. If the target lies beyond that, the shot is impossible.

Spells used as ranged attacks are performed at -1 at double range, and at -2 at triple range. No spell may be cast over more than 3 range sticks unless its description says otherwise.

Some weapons use different range modifiers. See the respective Trait descriptions for details.

Resolving Ranged Attacks

Ranged combat is resolved by comparing the C scores of the shooter and the target. Only the shooter can affect the target; the target’s roll is purely defensive. Shooter and target each roll a die and add to the results their

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respective C scores. If the overall result is a tie or if the target wins, then the shot missed.

If the shooter wins, the target falls Prone (if the winner’s die score is even) or recoils by one base width (if the winner’s die score is odd).

A fall may mean that the target had to drop to the ground to avoid being hit, or that he was wounded and fell because of the pain. A recoil means that the target dodged the attack by stepping away.

If the shooter doubles the target’s score, he has scored an Out-of-Action result. If the shooter triples the target’s score, he has scored a Gruesome Kill.

For more details, see the “Melee” rules: the effects are the same.

Line of Sight

To perform a ranged attack, the shooter must be able to trace a line of sight (LoS) to his target. Draw a straight line from shooter to target. If this line goes through a solid obstacle or model, the shot is not possibl e . A shooter adjacent to a friend, however, may shoot over his friend’s shoulder.

Because of the position of models or the shape of scenic items, it may not be obvious whether the shooter has LoS. Use a length of thread or a laser pointer if in doubt. Measure from any point of the shooter’s base to any point of the target’s base. if you can draw a line, a shot can be fired.

Targeting Priorities

A shooter must always shoot at the closest foe, unless that foe’s point value is less than

half of the shooter’s, or the foe has the Irrelevant Trait.

Example: A 50-point archer may ignore foes of 24 points or less.

The shooter may also ignore an enemy who is Hiding, Prone, or protected by cover. A shooter may also ignore regular-sized foes in order to shoot a larger model.

Other priorities may be assigned by scenarios. For example, in a “hunting” scenario, every hunter may fire at the quarry.

No Shooting In or Out of Melee

If either the target or the shooter are engaged in melee, shooting is impossible. You cannot shoot if you are in melee, and you cannot shoot at someone who is in a melee because you might hit your friend. If the shooter is in melee with a Prone foe only, the shooter can fire, including shooting at the Prone foe. A shooter cannot shoot an enemy in contact with a Prone friend, as the risk of hitting his friend remains.

A shooter with the Fire Into Melee Trait may fire into a melee at no penalty.

Shooters in Melee

Even if a miniature is armed with a ranged weapon only, the model is still considered to be equipped with a melee weapon of sorts. Maybe he has a knife tucked away in his boots, or his bow is reinforced and can be used as a club. If the model is contacted in melee, he will fight with his C score.

To create a character who is a decent shooter but a lousy melee fighter, give him a low C score and the Good Shot and/or Unerring Aim Traits.

Cover

If a target is visible but partially obscured by a scenic item, any ranged attack against him is at -1. A model completely obscured by a scenic feature is not a valid target.

A shooter on higher ground may be able to negate the cover.

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Example: A shooter on a roof may ignore the fact that his target on the street below is hiding behind an upturned cart.

Draw LoS from the base of the shooter to the target using a length of string, and check if shooting from an elevated position allows the shooter to ignore cover.

Shooting at Prone Models

A ranged attack on a Prone model is Lethal — the model dies if beaten even by a single point. If doubled, the shot inflicts a Gruesome Kill.

Woods

A wooded area is best represented on the tabletop by a piece of green felt upon which model trees and shrubs are placed so that they can be moved away to allow for character movement. A character does not have to spend multiple actions to move around trees — his movement rate is simply reduced by one step (from Medium to Short, for example) as if he is in broken terrain. To determine whether a model is within the woods, just check if his base is on the felt or not. Models with the Forester Trait move normally.

Count large trees as obstacles if you want. Just make sure you agree with your opponent that a certain tree is an obstacle and may not be moved around.

Woods block LoS. A character outside a wood cannot shoot a model inside the wood. A model inside the wood can shoot out of it at +1 (Ambush bonus; see the “Ambush” section, above) if it is adjacent to the edge of the wooded area. A model outside of the wood but adjacent to its edge has two advantages: 1) He may shoot at a target inside the wood at -1 (cover modifier), and 2) The Ambush bonus of the figure inside the wood does not count against the figure outside the wood.

Two models inside the woods can target each other only at Short range and at -1 (cover modifier).

Scenarios may feature thick woods where LOS and movement are further reduced or use different rules. Missile Expenditure

Models are assumed to have enough missiles to last through the battle, so you do not have to keep track of how many shots are fired. However, whenever a shooter rolls an unmodified 1 on his Combat die roll, roll again; on another 1, the shooter suffers an accident and may not attack in ranged combat until the end of that game. This doesn’t mean that the attack has no effect: if the total is enough to affect the target, it does. Weapons have different rules for the accident. For example, a Longbow string snaps, a handgun explodes, a crossbow breaks, and a javelin user simply runs out of javelins. Read the description of the specific weapon Traits for details.

Aimed Shots

A model may spend two actions to perform an Aimed Shot. An Aimed Shot gives -1 to the target’s C score. This simulates a shot to the vitals or through an unprotected spot on the target’s body.

Size in Ranged Combat

Large targets are easier to hit. Any ranged attack targeting Big, Huge, or Gargantuan models is at +1.

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Magic

Models with the Spell-caster Trait can cast spells. Being a spell-caster is a 0 point Personality rule. It costs no points, but it makes the character a Personality. Each spell is a separate Trait with its own point cost. A

character can know a maximum number of spells equal to 8 minus his Q number.

Example: a Q4 Spell-caster can know up to 4

spells. Spell-casters may learn new spells

beyond this limitation in campaign play.

General Spell Mechanic

The player declares his intention to cast a spell before activating the character, chooses the spell he wants to cast, and rolls one, two or three dice, as normal, for the Spell-caster's activation roll. The number of successes

rolled is the number of Power points the spell-caster may use to cast the spell. So,

for example, with 2 successes you have a Power 2 spell. The Spell-caster must announce which spell he is casting because of backfire (see below). This is the only situation in the

game where a model declares his intent before rolling the activation dice. The

spell-caster’s Q is modified by the Leader Trait bonus, if applicable.

Not all the successes need be used in the spell — a caster who rolled three successes may use one to move and two to cast a Power 2 spell, may move twice and cast a Power 1 spell, or he may abort the spell altogether and move three times!

Backfiring Spells

If a Spell-caster declares that he will cast a spell and rolls three failures at activation, the spell backfires. Each spell has a different

backfire; see the spell text for details. The backfire happens even if the Spell-caster was attempting to cast a spell as part of a group activation.

Scenario Spell Modifiers

In some cases, scenario rules will give Power bonuses to certain spells. For example, a scenario may state that a cursed graveyard gives +1 Power to any necromantic spell cast while standing within its walls. In any case, no spell will have more than Power 3.

Magic Energy Fluctuation

Much like weather, magic energies accessible to casters will ebb and flow with the time and place. If not specified by the scenario, roll a die once all models have been deployed. On a 5 or 6, a magic complication is present. Roll a die on the table below.

Magic Fluctuations Table

1) Winds of Change. There is no modifier now, but reroll on this table every time a Spell-caster announces that he or she is casting a spell. The roll is made after the spell is announced and BEFORE Q dice are rolled and the spell is actually cast.

2) Low Energies. All Spell-casters are at -1 to Q rolls until a Power 2 or Power 3 spell is cast. 3) The Gods Want Blood. No spells may be cast until at least one model is killed.

4) Dark Entity on the Prowl. As soon as a Spell-caster rolls a backfire, ignore that backfire. Instead, a Q3 C4 Flying creature appears within 1d3 Medium sticks of the caster in a random direction but not directly in melee with any figure. The caster’s opponent runs that creature as if it were part of his warband. As soon as the creature kills a model, the creature switches sides. This goes on for the whole game, with the creature switching sides every time it kills a model, until the creature is put Out-of-Action.

5) Energy Spiral. Set the current magic energies level at 0. Each time a spell is successfully cast, roll a die. On a 1, the magic energies decrease by 1. On a 6, magic energies increase by 1. There is no effect on a roll of 2 to 5. All spell-casters add the current energy