Rules - Combat

Encounters

Robbing the definitions of Encounter and Exploration Modes directly from Pathfinder 2E:

When every individual action counts, you enter the encounter mode of play. In this mode, time is divided into rounds, each of which is 6 seconds of time in the game world. Every round, each participant takes a turn in an established order.

In order to start an Encounter, all participants must first roll an Initiative (= [[Stat_Agility | Agility]] + [[Stat_Awareness | Awareness]]) (a special type Contested Check that is fully passive). As a courtesy to the Players, ties are decided in their favor.

Participants who are not surprised start their first round with 4 Action Points (AP). AP can be used to perform Actions during the participant's turn or to use Reactions at any point. They are refreshed at the end of the participant's turn. That means users do not need to decide whether to "save" AP for reactions.

Often, battles involve leaving all opponents Incapacitated, which causes the urgency of the turn-based structure to end (and allows the winning force to decide the fate of the losers). When a creature becomes Incapacitated, they are not dead, nor dying - rather they are fully exhausted of some or all of their resources, and thus unconscious and helpless. At that point, they could be executed with a Coup de Grace, or they might incur Consequences (a more permanent type of damage). Vitality, Focus and Spirit Points can be fully restored with a Short Rest, while Consequences might require more involved treatment.

Typically, while on combat, Attacks by other creatures cannot incur Consequences directly until the target is Incapacitated, but rather the battle represents a back and forth of non-lethal attacks depleting resources (points) and maybe causing temporary Conditions. However, certain scenarios such as traps or environmental hazards might cause Consequences even if the target is not Incapacitated.

Actions

Actions are the fundamental building blocks of combat and interaction in Shattered Wilds.

Each character has a limited number of Action Points (AP) per turn that they can spend to perform actions (including reactions).

Type: Movement

These are actions associated with movement, and can take several forms. All movement forms can move at least 1 Hex, regardless of the character's Speed. Unused movement cannot be saved for later.

-- TODO: difficult terrain

Movement Actions

Stride AP: 1 : Move up to Speed hexes. Movement cannot be saved for later.
Side Step AP: 1 : Move 1 hex in any direction. This does not trigger Opportunity Attacks.
Get Up AP: 1 : Clears Prone.
Run AP: 3 : Move up to 4 * Speed hexes. Exert (10 + hexes moved).
Climb AP: 1 : Climb one reasonable ledge (one hex). Harder climbs might require a Lift check.
Swim AP: 1 : Swim up to Speed / 2 (round up) hexes.
Escape AP: 1 : Contested Evasiveness check to clear Immobilized against grappler.
Drag Grappler AP: 1 : Move 1 hex while Immobilized, dragging your grappler with you. Requires a contested Muscles check against Stance with a -3 modifier. You can use more APs to move extra hexes.
Stumble Through AP: 1 : Contested Finesse check against opponent's Stance. Move past one enemy to an adjacent hex, as long as your Speed is 2 or more.
Ride Mount AP: 2 : -- TODO.
Hide AP: 1 Concentrate : Try to conceal yourself; make a Finesse active check that can be contested by each opponent's Perception Check.
Sneak AP: 1 : Move Speed - 1 hexes making an additional Finesse check. Any other participant for which you are Concealed can make a contested Awareness check to spot you.
Charge AP: 2 : (this is a combined Movement + Attack action): Move Speed + 1 hexes in a straight line, followed by Melee Attack with Muscles instead of STR. This can be used for a "Tackle" if the "Shove" Attack Action is chosen, in which case a Circumstance Bonus of +3 is granted to the attacker.

Type: Attack

These are actions in which the intent is to inflict damage (either to VP, FP or SP) to an opponent. Attack Actions are an active contested check against the target's Defense (which depends on the nature of the Attack).

Attack Actions can be either Basic or Special. Basic Attack actions are always an Attribute Check (STR or DEX for Physical attacks or the Spellcasting Attribute for Spell Attacks) contested by the target's Realm as Defense (for example, a STR check against a target's Body). Basic Attacks typically cause one damage when they succeed, and Shifts cause extra damage points.

Special Attacks are contested against specific Skills, depending on the nature of the attack. Special Attacks might cause other effects, such as Conditions, and also cause damage.

Attack Actions

Stun AP: 1 Melee : Melee only; Basic Attack. Causes Off-Guard. Shifts deal FP damage.
Feint AP: 1 : Special Attack against Tenacity. Causes Distracted. Shifts deal FP damage.
Strike AP: 2 : Basic Attack
Focused Strike AP: 3 Concentrate : Pay 1 FP; Basic Attack with a +3 CM.
Trip AP: 1 Melee : Melee only; Special Attack against Stance. Causes opponent to be Prone. Shifts deal VP damage.
Shove AP: 1 Melee : Melee only; Special Attack against Stance. Shoves opponent to the next hex in the incoming direction.
Disarm AP: 2 Melee Concentrate : Melee only; Special Attack against Muscles or Finesse. Requires at least one Shift to succeed.
Grapple AP: 1 Melee : Melee only; Special Attack against Evasiveness. Does not deal damage but causes target to become Immobilized.

Type: Reaction

These are actions that can be taken at any time in combat, often in response to a specific event or situation. Unlike other systems, a character can take as many Reactions as they want, as long as they have the AP to afford them.

Since your AP is replenished at the end of your turn, you do not need to decide whether to "save" AP for reactions.

Reaction Actions

Sheathe Unsheathe AP: 1 : Equip / unequip carried weapons and/or shields.
Reload AP: 1 : Reload a weapon with the [Reload] trait.
Catch Breath AP: 3 : Spend 1 FP to perform a Medium Stamina Check (DC 20): +1 VP. Regardless of result: Clears Off-Guard.
Focus AP: 3 : [Concentrate] Medium Discipline Check (DC 20): +1 FP, Regardless of result: Clears Distracted
Inspire AP: 3 Concentrate : Medium Speechcraft Check (DC 20): +1 MP to one ally within hearing range. -3 CM if they cannot see you.
Heroic Relentlessness AP: 4 : A special Action you can take as a full-round action when you are Incapacitated by paying a Heroism Point to make a Hard FOW Check (DC 25). Restore your Vitality, Focus and Spirit Points to at least 1 each, thus clearing Incapacitated (you get a level of Exhaustion as usual).

Type: Miscellaneous

These are actions that do not fit into the other categories.

Miscellaneous Actions

Opportunity Attack AP: 1+ : Triggered by an opponent either (1) leaving your threat area or (2) performing a Concentrate action on your threat area. You can choose what kind of Melee Basic Attack to perform as your opportunity attack (this will cost the same amount of AP as that Action would).
Dodge AP: 1 : Defend Body against a Basic Attack with Evasiveness + 3 instead.
Take Cover AP: 1 : Defend Body against a Ranged Basic Attack with Speed + 6 instead when already benefiting from Basic Cover.
Shield Block AP: 1 : Add Shield Bonus to a Defend Body contested check.
Shrug Off AP: 1 : Immediately as taking >1 VP damage, you can attempt a Medium Toughness (DC 20) check to reduce the damage by 1 (+ Crit Shifts).
Flank AP: 1 : When an ally attack, if on Flanking position, give them a +3 Circumstance Bonus.
Taunt AP: 1 : Spend 1 FP; roll a Speechcraft check against targets Resolve to persuade an enemy attempting to Melee attack a different target to instead attack you (when you are also in range and would be a valid target).
Distract AP: 1 :

Type: Meta

Turns in Shattered Wilds are very reactive due to the higher possibility of Reactions to act as interruptions. However, there are still a few meta-options to change or interact in more direct ways with the turn ordering.

Meta Actions

Decrease Initiative AP : At the start of your turn, you can choose to decrease your Initiative to any value below the current. Your turn then does not start and moves down the turn order. You can never raise your initiative.
Prepare Action AP: 1+ Concentrate : You can prepare a specific Action to be executed during the next round as a reaction. You must pay 1 extra AP to prepare, plus the AP associated with the Action you are preparing now, and will be Concentrating and cannot take any other Action or Reaction until your trigger procs next round. You will be Concentrating during this period and therefore can lose the action if you become Distracted. Depending on the complexity of the trigger, the DM might need to ask for an IQ, Perception, or some other check to determine your ability to properly react.

-- TODO: find a place to cover Cover

Basic Cover

When there is not a clear line of sight for a ranged attack, there are enemies or allies in the way, or the target is adjacent to a wall, you automatically benefit from Basic Cover against ranged attacks.

Basic Cover can be:

TODO

Conditions

Conditions are temporary effects that can be applied to characters during Encounters and other situations. They represent various states of impairment or advantage that affect a character's capabilities.

Conditions can be caused by various sources such as Actions, spells, environmental hazards, or other game effects. Some conditions last until the end of the affected character's next turn, while others can be cleared with a Action.

Conditions

Blinded : The character is unable to see. Add a -6 CM to all Actions that require sight (including Attack Actions), and a -3 CM to Body Defense Checks.
Distracted : The character is in mental turmoil and unable to use Concentration actions.
Distraught : The character is in emotional and spiritual turmoil and unable to use Channel actions.
Immobilized : The character is physically restrained, typically through grappling.
Incapacitated : The character is severely incapacitated when their VP, FP or SP reaches 0.
Off Guard : The character has reduced defensive awareness and readiness.
Prone : The character is knocked to the ground or lying down.
Silenced : The character is unable to speak or make verbal sounds.
Unconscious : The character is not awake, and cannot take any Actions. Depending on the cause of the unconsciousness, the character can be waken up by different means, and might have fallen Prone.

Consequences

Consequences are longer-term harms and injuries incurred to creatures that do not get cleared on a simple Short Rest. Consequences involve a specific penalty and specific ways to treat it (normally this can take a longer amount of time). There is not a set number of Consequences one can have, though as they start to severely debilitated, you might incur the ultimate Consequence: Death.

Consequences

Exhaustion : Exhaustion represents a slightly longer term form of tiredness that cannot be healed by a simple Short Rest. Exhaustion comes in levels, each character starting at 0 Levels of Exhaustion.
Poisoned : -- TODO
Death : Death is the ultimate consequence. In Shattered Wilds, there is no revival - once your Soul is severed from your Body, they can never go back. That means stakes are always high and some decisions are final (not only regarding the players, but more importantly, NPCs and enemies).