CHAPTER 9: COMBAT

In many ways, combat is a game within the game. It introduces rules de- as long as the participants want to fight or until one side is completely
signed to address the intricacies of the battlefield and to account for com- defeated. The essentials of SIFRP’s combat system are simple to under-
bats between a pair of combatants to a host of foes. Outside of combat, the stand, but there are numerous variations and exceptions in the game,
game unfolds through the narrative, through the descriptions the Narrator with benefits, maneuvers, and abilities all making the combat system a
provides, the conversations the players have between themselves and the dynamic and engaging part of the game.
people of the larger world around them, the treachery of intrigues, and
through the achievement of the various goals the players chase throughout
the adventures and scenarios that make up play. However, punctuating the
Rounds, Turns, & Actions
unfolding story are the combats, the brutal exchanges of sword and axe,
When a combat begins, SIFRP cuts up game play into discrete mo-
the gritty action, and the deadly consequences that can result from these
ments called rounds. Each round lasts approximately six seconds. Thus,
battles. Combat is dangerous, and the outcome of a combat can leave a
ten rounds of combat equals about a minute of game time.
character dreadfully wounded, captured, or even killed.
During a round, each player and opponent get a turn to act. A turn is
an opportunity to do something significant (or not) that may affect (or

Combat Essentials not affect) how the combat develops. While there are only six seconds
in the round, each character acts in order of initiative, so a character who
goes first applies the effects of his or her choices before characters who
A combat is far more structured in its approach than other aspects of go later in the round.
SIFRP. To make sure each combatant has a chance to act—and possibly On a character’s turn, the player may perform any of a variety of
survive a combat intact—a combat unfolds over a number of rounds, actions. Most actions fall into one of three types: Greater, Lesser,
each one divided into a set of turns, one for each player. A combat lasts and Free.

“Oak and iron, guard me well or else I’m dead and doomed to hell.”
—Old Saying

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Greater Actions Abilities

A Greater Action consumes the largest chunk of a combatant’s turn,
All of the following abilities directly affect your character’s effectiveness
representing a furious series of sword blows, running across the battle-
in combat.
field, and so on. Performing a Greater Action uses up your entire turn,
so once you resolve your action, you’re done until it becomes your turn Agility
on the next round.
Agility represents your natural dexterity, flexibility, and nimbleness,
Lesser Actions your ability to defend yourself, and your ability to react to new threats.

Lesser Actions are similar to Greater Actions, but they take up less BB Your Agility rank is added to your Combat Defense.
time, allowing you to combine two Lesser Actions on your turn instead
of taking one Greater Action. Examples include aiming, firing an ar- BB You test Agility to determine order of initiative.
row from your bow, reloading a crossbow, and moving. During your BB Your Agility rank determines the base damage for most Marks-
turn, you may perform up to two Lesser Actions. You can’t save unspent manship weapons and some Fighting weapons.
Lesser Actions for the following round, so be sure to use them up before
BB You test Agility when taking the Dodge action.
the round ends.

Free Actions Athletics

Finally, Free Actions are minor actions that consume very little time. Athletics measures your physical prowess, strength, muscle, and ability
Usually, these things include shouting orders to men under your com- to use your physical resources.
mand, drawing a weapon, dropping your weapon to the ground, and
BB Add your Athletics rank to your Combat Defense.
just about anything else that consumes little or no time. Generally, you
can perform as many Free Actions as you like, but your Narrator may BB Athletics can modify how fast you move.
judge extensive conversation or rooting around in a saddlebag to be BB Athletics determines the base damage for most Fighting weapons
more time-consuming than a Free Action ordinarily allows. and some Marksmanship weapons.

Damage & Defeat Awareness

The object of every combat is to defeat your enemies. Defeat usually, but Awareness describes how attuned you are to your surroundings, helping
not always, means killing your foes. However, if your opponent yields, you notice hidden enemies and dangers.
flees, or is knocked unconscious, you’ve still defeated him.
The currency of defeat is damage, and most combat actions are BB Add your Awareness rank to your Combat Defense.
geared toward dealing damage enough to kill, maim, or force your BB Hidden opponents test Stealth against your passive Awareness result.
enemy to yield. Since healing and recovery can be uncertain and diffi-
cult, players may find it wise to yield when their characters face certain
defeat.
Endurance
The primary method for dealing damage is through conflict tests. Endurance describes your stamina, your natural toughness, and your
You roll a test using Fighting or Marksmanship against your oppo- ability to shrug off damage.
nent’s Combat Defense. A success deals damage as determined by
the weapon you’re using multiplied by your degree of success. The op- BB Your Endurance rank determines your Health.
ponent’s Armor Rating reduces the damage you deal, but any damage
BB Your Endurance rank determines the maximum number of injuries
left over comes off your opponent’s Health. Once you reduce an op-
you can take.
ponent to 0 Health, you defeat him and decide the consequences of
his defeat. BB Your Endurance rank determines the maximum number of wounds
you can take.

Combat Statistics BB You test Endurance to overcome injuries and wounds.

BB When attacked by poison or some other hazard, that attack must
beat your passive Endurance result.
Some abilities are more useful for combat than others. From these key
abilities, you derive vital information such as your Combat Defense,
Health, your weapon damage, and Movement. What follows is a sum- Fighting
mary of the game’s combat statistics and the methods for coming up
with their values. Fighting measures your skill and training in hand-to-hand combat.

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BB You test Fighting whenever you would use a weapon in hand-to- Example
hand combat.
Hal calculates his hedge knight’s Combat Defense. He has Agility 3,
Athletics 4, and Awareness 3. His base Combat Defense is 10. When
Marksmanship armed with a large shield, he increases his Combat Defense to 14, and
Marksmanship measures your accuracy and aim with missile weapons. when wearing his full plate armor, he drops his Combat Defense to
8. A large shield has a Defensive rating of +4, and full plate has an
BB You test Marksmanship whenever you would use a weapon in Armor Penalty of –6.
ranged combat.

Warfare Size
Hitting a large target is easier than hitting a small one. Small targets
Warfare describes your understanding of strategy and tactics, your mas- (children, dogs, and ravens) increase their Combat Defense by +2, while
tery of the battlefield. large targets (horses, mammoths, and giants) decrease their Combat
Defense by –2.
BB You may test Warfare to gain tactical advantages in combat.
Helpless Targets
Combat Defense Any target incapable of defending himself from attacks—sleeping, re-
strained, or otherwise prevented from taking actions—is considered
The first line of defense against attacks is your Combat Defense. This helpless. A helpless target loses his Agility from his Combat Defense
derived ability combines your dexterity, your perceptiveness, and your and grants his attackers +1D on Fighting and Marksmanship tests
athleticism to define how tough it is to hit you in battle. Your Combat made to attack him.
Defense is figured as follows:

Combat Defense = Agility + Athletics + Health

Awareness + Defensive Bonus
(from shields or parrying weapons) – Armor Penalty Health is your ability to absorb damage and keep on fighting. It doesn’t
(see Table 9–2: Armor on page 155) matter how much damage you’ve taken to Health; so long as you have
at least one point of Health, your abilities aren’t reduced, and you can
continue fighting.

Health = Endurance rank × 3

Example
Hal’s hedge knight has Endurance 4, so his Health is 12 (4×3).

Movement
Movement describes how far you travel when you use an action to move
on your turn. Most characters move 4 yards when unarmored or unbur-
dened by bulky items. Characters with bonus dice in Run may move
faster, while characters wearing armor may move slower.

Effects of Athletics
Physically fit characters can often move faster than unhealthy charac-
ters. For every two bonus dice of the Run specialty, you move an extra
yard on a move. If, however, you only have 1 rank in Athletics, you
reduce your Movement to 3 yards (a bonus die in Run negates this
penalty). For quick details, see Table 9–1: Movement.

Example
Hal’s character has 2B in Run, so his Movement is 5 yards.

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Table 9–1: Movement Table 9–2: Armor

Run Bonus Modified Movement Armor Armor Rating Armor Penalty Bulk
0B–1B +0 yd 4 yd Clothing 0 0 0
2B–3B +1 yd 5 yd Robes, Vestments 1 0 1
4B–5B +2 yd 6 yd Padded 1 0 0
6B–7B +3 yd 7 yd Leather, Soft 2 –1 0
Leather, Hard 3 –2 0
Effects of Bulk Bone or Wood 4 –3 1
When carrying bulky items, you move more slowly than normal. Re-
Ring 4 –2 1
duce your Movement by one half of the Bulk carried, and your sprint
rate by your Bulk carried. Any bonus Movement from the Run specialty Hide 5 –3 3
applies before you adjust your Movement for Bulk. The most common
Mail 5 –3 2
sorts of bulky items include armor and large shields, but some Unwieldy
weapons also qualify. Bulk cannot reduce your move below 1 yard or Breastplate 5 –2 3
your sprint speed below 4 yards. Scale 6 –3 2

Example Splint 7 –3 3

While quick out of armor (movement 5 yds), Hal’s character slows down Brigandine 8 –4 3
when he wears plate armor since the armor has 3 Bulk points. In armor, Half Plate 9 –5 3
Hal reduces his movement by 1 yard for every 2 Bulk points he possesses,
dropping his movement to 4 yards. When sprinting in full plate (see Full Plate 10 –6 3
Bulk, below), he moves 13 yards ([4 yard base x 4] − 3 Bulk).
When you take the Sprint action (see page 160), you move a number
of yards equal to your modified movement x 4, minus a number of yards
Armor equal to the Bulk points you possess.

Armor signifies a warrior’s status, wealth, and prowess, but even though
armor serves to reinforce or diminish a warrior’s reputation, armor is
fundamentally protection. All armors have three statistics as shown on
Table 9–2: Armor.
Weapons
Weapons are more than just tools. Like armor, they are a symbol of status,
Armor Rating training, and expertise. A combatant armed with a Braavosi blade likely
fights differently from a warrior wielding a greatsword. Table 9–3: Weap-
Armor offers some amount of protection, represented by its Armor Rat- ons provides summaries of the most common weapons found in Westeros.
ing. When you take damage in combat, you reduce the damage taken
by your Armor Rating. Damage can be reduced to 0 but not below 0.
Weapon Traits
Armor Penalty Each weapon has several traits to reflect its assets and disadvantages in
Armor can turn aside killing blows, but it does so at a cost. Heavier combat.
forms of armor can interfere with your Movement, making you slower
to react to opponents and maintain your balance. Many forms of armor Specialty
impose a penalty that you apply to the results of all Agility tests (includ- This entry describes which specialty applies to your Fighting test when
ing passive Agility tests) and to your Combat Defense. wielding this weapon. When attacking with the weapon, you may roll any
bonus dice from the listed specialty in which you have invested.
Bulk Training
Wearing heavy armor confers bulk just as does carrying unwieldy Not all weapons are created equal, some are harder to use than are
equipment. To determining the effects of bulky armor, sum the armor’s others. Certain weapons require a minimum level of specialized train-
Bulk and any Bulk from other sources. For every 2 full points of Bulk, ing to wield properly and those without the minimum specialty rank
reduce your movement (after modifications from the Run specialty, see find fighting with these weapons more challenging than simpler ones.
Table 9−1) by 1 yard. Whenever a weapon indicates 1B, 2B, and so on under training, you lose

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Table 9–3: Weapons

Weapon Specialty Training Damage1 Qualities
Battleaxe Axes — Athletics Adaptable
Crowbill Axes — Athletics–1 Shattering 1
Hand Axe Axes — Athletics–1 Defensive +1, Off-hand +1
Longaxe Axes 1B Athletics+3 Bulk 1, Powerful, Reach, Two-handed, Vicious
Mattock Axes — Athletics+1 Powerful, Slow, Two-handed
Woodsman’s Axe Axes — Athletics+1 Two-handed
Ball and Chain Bludgeon 1B Athletics Powerful, Shattering 1
Cudgel/Club Bludgeon — Athletics–1 Off-hand +1
Flail Bludgeon 2B Athletics+3 Powerful, Shattering 1, Two-handed
Mace Bludgeon — Athletics —
Maul Bludgeon — Athletics +1 Bulk 1, Shattering 1, Slow, Staggering, Two-handed
Morningstar Bludgeon — Athletics Shattering 1, Vicious
Quarterstaff Bludgeon — Athletics Fast, Two-handed
Warhammer Bludgeon — Athletics Bulk 1, Powerful, Shattering 2, Slow, Two-handed
Fist Brawling — Athletics–3 Grab, Off-hand +1
Gauntlet Brawling — Athletics–2 Grab, Off-hand +1
Improvised Brawling — Athletics–1 Slow
Knife Brawling — Athletics–2 Fast, Off-hand +1
Whip Brawling 2B Agility–1 Entangling, Reach
Braavosi Blade Fencing 1B Agility Defensive +1, Fast
Left-hand Dagger Fencing 1B Agility–1 Defensive +2, Off-hand +1
Small Sword Fencing — Agility–1 Fast
Arakh Long Blade 1B Athletics Adaptable, Fast
Bastard Sword Long Blade 1B Athletics+1 Adaptable
Greatsword Long Blade — Athletics+3 Powerful, Slow, Two-handed, Unwieldy, Vicious
Longsword Long Blade — Athletics+1 —
Halberd Pole-arm 1B Athletics+3 Bulk 1, Powerful, Two-handed
Peasant Tool Pole-arm — Athletics+2 Fragile, Two-handed, Unwieldy
Pole-axe Pole-arm 1B Athletics+3 Bulk 1, Powerful, Reach, Two-handed, Unwieldy
Buckler Shield — Athletics–2 Defensive +1, Off-hand +1
Shield Shield — Athletics–2 Defensive +2
Shield, Large Shield 1B Athletics–2 Bulk 1, Defensive +4
Shield, Tower Shield 2B Athletics–2 Bulk 2, Defensive +6
Dagger Short Blade — Agility–2 Defensive +1, Off-hand +1
Dirk Short Blade — Agility–2 Off-hand +2
Stiletto Short Blade 1B Agility Piercing 2
Boar Spear Spear 1B Athletics+1 Impale, Powerful, Slow, Two-handed
Frog Spear Spear 1B Agility+1 Adaptable
Pike Spear — Athletics+2 Impale, Set for Charge, Slow, Two-handed, Unwieldy
Spear Spear — Athletics Fast
Tourney Lance Spear 1B Animal Handling+3 Bulk 1, Fragile, Mounted, Powerful, Reach, Slow
Trident Spear — Athletics Adaptable, Slow
†Minimum 1 Weapon descriptions can be found beginning on page 128.

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Table 9–3: Weapons

Weapon Specialty Training Damage1 Qualities
War Lance Spear 1B Animal Handling +4 Bulk 2, Impale, Mounted, Powerful, Slow, Vicious
Bow,
Bow 1B Agility+1 Long Range, Powerful, Two-handed
Double-curved
Bow, Hunting Bow — Agility Long Range, Two-handed
Longbow Bow 1B Agility+2 Long Range, Piercing 1, Two-handed, Unwieldy
Long Range, Piercing 2, Reload (Greater),
Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow — Agility+2
Slow, Two-handed, Vicious
Crossbow, Light Crossbow — Agility+1 Long Range, Reload (Lesser), Slow
Crossbow, Medium Crossbow — Agility+1 Long Range, Piercing 1, Reload (Lesser), Slow, Two-handed
Crossbow, Myrish Crossbow 1B Agility+1 Fast, Long Range, Piercing 1, Reload (Lesser), Two-handed
Frog Spear Thrown 1B Agility+1 Close Range
Hand Axe Thrown — Athletics Close Range
Javelin Thrown — Athletics Close Range
Knife Thrown — Agility–1 Close Range, Fast
Net Thrown 1B None Close Range, Entangling
Sling Thrown — Athletics–1 Long Range
Spear Thrown — Athletics Close Range
Trident Thrown — Athletics Close Range
†Minimum 1 Weapon descriptions can be found beginning on page 128.

the indicated number of bonus dice from your Fighting or Marksman-

ship tests with the weapon. If the penalty reduces your bonus dice to less
Adaptable
than 0 (or you have none to begin with), you take a penalty die on your An Adaptable weapon is designed for use with one or two hands.
tests with the weapon for each additional –1. When you wield this weapon in two hands, increase the weapon’s
damage by +1.
Example
A character using a whip loses two bonus dice. If she only has 1B in Bulk
Brawling, she loses the bonus die and takes a penalty die. If she has
no bonus dice in Brawling, she takes –2D on her Fighting tests with Some weapons are heavy or awkward and, thus, slow you down in com-
the whip. bat. If a weapon has a Bulk rating, it applies toward your total Bulk for
the purposes of reducing your Movement.

Damage Close Range

The damage a weapon deals is derived from both its construction and A Close Range weapon has an effective range of 10 yards, meaning you
the ability of its wielder. The base damage is equal to your rank in the can attack opponents within 10 yards at no penalty. You can still at-
listed ability. Many weapons include modifiers as well, which you add tack opponents beyond this range, but you take –1D for every 10 yards
to or subtract from your rank in the associated ability. Most Fighting beyond this range. Thus, attacking an opponent that’s 11 yards away
weapons use Athletics, and most ranged weapons use Agility, but there imposes –1D on your Marksmanship test.
are several exceptions. Multiply this base damage times your degree of
success on the attack test. Only after you have totaled the damage do Defensive
you reduce it by your opponent’s Armor Rating.
Defensive weapons serve a dual function. They can be used as weapons,
Qualities but they are often more effective in knocking aside your enemies’ at-
tacks. If you are armed with a Defensive weapon and do not attack
Qualities individuate weapons from other weapons, providing a group
with it, you add the weapon’s Defensive rating to your Combat De-
of functions that make a particular weapon stand out from the rest.
fense. Many Defensive weapons also have the Off-hand quality, which
Qualities can take the form of advantages that provide a tactical bene-
allows you to wield them and a primary weapon at the same time. If
fit in combat, while others impose drawbacks to make up for improved
you choose to add your Off-hand bonus to your damage, you lose the
damage or an advantage. Most weapons have at least one quality.
Defensive Bonus until the start of your next turn.

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(Brawling applies; A Lesser Action). A grabbed opponent can only

Entangling make attacks using Brawling weapons or short blades. Finally, grabbed
An Entangling weapon contains your opponent. A foe struck by an En- opponents take a –5 penalty on their Combat Defense (minimum 1).
tangling weapon reduces its Movement to 1 yard and takes a −5 penalty While you grab an opponent, you cannot move, and you may only
to all tests. The target can free itself by spending a Greater Action and make attacks against that opponent using a Grab or Off-hand weapon.
succeeding on a Challenging (9) Athletics test (bonus dice from Strength
apply) or Agility test (bonus dice from Contortionist apply). You cannot Impale
make further attacks with an Entangling weapon so long as the target is
Impale weapons punch through their victim. Whenever you get three
contained by its effects.
or more degrees with an Impale weapon, you drive the weapon through
your opponent. You must immediately succeed on a Challenging (9)
Fast Athletics test. A failed test indicates you are disarmed, as the weapon
A Fast weapon is designed to slip past your opponent’s defenses and en- remains in your opponent. If you succeed, your opponent cannot move,
able its wielder to strike rapidly. When you make a divided attack using but you cannot attack with the weapon, either. To yank the weapon free,
a Fast weapon, you gain +1B on each test. Bonus Dice gained from the you must succeed on an Athletics test as a Lesser Action, against a Dif-
Fast quality can exceed the normal limits. ficulty of 3 + the opponent’s Armor Rating. A success frees the weapon,
and every additional degree deals the weapon damage again.
Fragile Pinning an Opponent
Whenever you get two or more degrees of success with a Fragile weap-
As a Greater Action, you can use an Impale weapon to pin an impaled foe
on, it automatically breaks.
to the ground, wall, or some other surface. Roll an Athletics test against
your opponent’s passive Endurance result (Resilience applies). A success-
Grab ful test prevents your opponent from moving until he pulls himself free.
Grab weapons let you seize and hold onto an opponent, preventing them
from moving away from you. Whenever you successfully hit an opponent
Getting Free
with a Grab weapon and also equal or beat that opponent’s passive Ath- An impaled opponent may remove the weapon by spending a Greater
letics result (Strength applies), you may, if you choose, grab that opponent. Action and by successfully rolling a Challenging (9) Athletics test.
A grabbed opponent cannot move until you release him (a Free Removal inflicts 1 injury—or 1 wound if the victim cannot take any
Action) or until that opponent beats you on an opposed Fighting test more injuries. An ally may remove the weapon safely by succeeding on

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a Formidable (12) Healing test as a Greater Action. Failure removes ing test made with a Shattering weapon, you reduce the opponent’s De-
the weapon but deals 1 point of damage for every 5 points by which the fensive Bonus or Armor Bonus by the amount indicated by the quality.
test failed (minimum 1 point). The Shattering weapon affects weapons with a Defensive Bonus first.
Reducing a weapon’s Defensive Bonus or an armor’s Armor Bonus to
Long Range 0 destroys it.

Provided you have a clear shot, you can fire a Long Range weapon at
targets up to 100 yards away. For every 100 yards of distance between
Slow
you and your target, you take –1D on your Marksmanship test. A Slow weapon is cumbersome and difficult to wield with speed and
grace. You may not make Divided Attacks using these weapons.
Mounted
Mounted weapons are too large and bulky to be used on foot and, thus,
Staggering
are intended for use while mounted on a horse or some other steed. Us- The force of a Staggering weapon’s hit can knock a foe senseless. When-
ing these weapons on foot imposes –2D on your Fighting tests. ever you attain two or more degrees with a successful Fighting test using
a Staggering weapon, you may sacrifice one degree to prevent your foe
Off-Hand from taking a Greater Action on his next turn.

An Off-hand weapon can be wielded in your off-hand, allowing you

to add your Off-hand modifier to your primary weapon damage on a
Two-Handed
successful Fighting test. To gain this benefit, you must spend a Greater Large weapons need both hands to be wielded properly in combat. If
Action to make a Two-weapon attack (see page 163). you use only one hand, you take –2D on your Fighting test.

Piercing Unwieldy
Piercing weapons bypass armor. Whenever you hit an opponent with When using an Unwieldy weapon while mounted on a steed, you take a
a Piercing weapon, your damage ignores an amount of Armor Rating −2D penalty on any test related to the weapon. For melee weapons, the
equal to the listed value. penalty applies apply to Fighting tests. For ranged weapons, the penalty
applies to Marksmanship tests.
Powerful
Strong characters can put more muscle behind Powerful weapons and,
Vicious
thus, deal more damage on a successful hit. For every bonus die invested Some weapons are so good at what they do that fighting with them
in Strength, you can increase a Powerful weapon’s damage by +1. produces ugly outcomes. If you defeat a foe when wielding a Vicious
weapon, the consequences of defeat are always death. A victim may
Reach burn a Destiny Point, as normal, to avoid this fate.

When armed with a Reach weapon, you can attack opponents that are
not adjacent to you. You can roll a Fighting test with a Reach weapon
at any opponent up to 3 yards away. However, attacking any foe inside 3 Combat
yards with a Reach weapon imposes –1D on your Fighting test.

Reload
Structure
All combats use the same series of steps, each of which are repeated over
A Marksmanship weapon with the Reload quality requires an action to a number of rounds until the combat ends. This procedure is simple,
reload the weapon after it has been fired. The weapon’s quality specifies and after running a few combats, you won’t even have to reference these
what sort of action is required to reload the weapon, either Lesser or steps; they’ll become second nature.
Greater.
Step One: Battlefield Step Four: Action
Set for Charge Only Step Two: Detection Step Five: Repeat

A Set for Charge weapon is too unwieldy for use in normal combat and Step Three: Initiative Step Six: Resolution
functions only when used with the Setting for a Charge variant of the
Counterattack action. See page 173 for details. Step One: Battlefield
Shattering The Narrator describes any salient features found on the battlefield.
Shattering weapons are designed to smash through shields, parrying Muddy ground sodden with rainwater and blood can suck at boots,
weapons, and armor. Whenever you get two or more degrees on a Fight- slowing the combatants as they struggle for victory. A cloudburst send-

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ing down sheets of rain can render ranged attacks worthless, and smoke
can weaken the fighters as they spend half their time coughing and
struggling for breath. These factors are called Battlefield Qualities, and
nearly every combat has at least one, but some may have as many five.
When the combat begins, the Narrator describes the battlefield’s ap-
pearance and the general. During this description, the Narrator also
points out any relevant Battlefield Qualities.
Battlefield Qualities are salient factors that modify combats, in-
terfering with or augmenting attacks, creating obstacles and oppor-
tunities for victory. A Battlefield Quality can be broad, affecting all
characters equally, or narrow, in which it is constrained to a specific
location on the battlefield. Smoke might be a broad Battlefield Qual-
ity, while a raging river could be narrow. All Battlefield Qualities affect
characters exposed to them in the same way, usually offering bonus or
penalty dice. However, characters with Destiny Points can spend them
to augment a Battlefield Quality’s effects for one round to create an
opportunity to strike their victim or make a quick getaway.

Boundaries
Boundaries are things that halt movement. Examples of boundaries in-
clude walls, locked doors, cliffs, and anything else that prevents moving
in a specific direction.

Destiny: If you spend a Destiny Point, you find a way around or

through a boundary, such as an unseen passage, a nearby key to un-
lock the door, a tangle of vines to aid in climbing up or down a cliff
face, and so on. You decide the nature of this new avenue subject so
long as the explanation is logical and possible and is always subject
to the Narrator’s approval.

Obstacles
A Battlefield Quality is deemed an obstacle if it slows but doesn’t stop
movement. Obstacles can include unlocked doors, pillars, columns, stat-
ues, windows, and the like.
Moving over or through an obstacle is a Lesser Action and is not part of
normal movement. Thus, crawling over an altar would require one Lesser
Action to reach the altar and one Lesser Action to climb over the altar.

Obstacles as Cover
Obstacles provide cover. When standing behind an obstacle, you gain a
+5 bonus to your Combat Defense against attacks from which you have
cover. If you crouch down behind cover and take no other actions, the
bonus increases to +10.

Destiny: By spending a Destiny Point, you can move over or

through an obstacle as part of your normal Movement. Alternatively,
you can increase the bonus to your Combat Defense gained from
cover by an additional +5.

Bystanders
Bystanders include anyone not involved in the combat. Bystanders
are often crowds of smallfolk, horses, sheep, and just about anyone
or any creature not directly involved in the fight. Bystanders merely

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watch the combat; they don’t participate in the action. While bystand-
ers don’t generally find themselves in danger, they can be of use to Miniatures
opportunistic combatants.
Some gaming groups use miniatures as aids to help resolve
Bystanders as Cover conflicts. While miniatures are certainly not required for this
game, having some sort of representative token can go a long
As with obstacles, bystanders provide cover. However, when an attack way toward keeping track of what the various characters are
misses because of the cover afforded by the bystander, the attack strikes doing and their relative positions. So even if you don’t have a
the bystander instead. The attack deals damage to the bystander as nor- pile of painted or pre-painted figures to use, dice, glass beads,
mal. Smallfolk and other minor characters usually do not negate dam- game components from board games, or anything else may
age by taking injuries; thus, these attacks can be and are often lethal to serve. Simply assign a piece to each player character and to
bystanders. each opponent, and arrange them based on the starting posi-
tions before the start of the conflict, usually during Step One:
Destiny: Whenever you are hit by an attack and are standing next Battlefield.
to a bystander, you may spend a Destiny Point for the damage to Many gaming groups also use wet-erase mats lined with grids.
apply to the bystander instead of you. These are excellent tools because the Narrator can sketch out the
scene quickly with a wet-erase pen, noting any qualities, terrain
Things & Stuff features, and other details that could affect the conflict’s outcome.
These maps also provide a sense of scale (each square equals 1
Battlefields are littered with all sorts of things, from weapons and shields, yard). For groups that prefer to use terrain without a grid, one inch
to carcasses, broken wagons, scorched wood, and countless other miscel- equals 1 yard. Again, these accessories are not necessary to enjoy
laneous items. Even beyond the fields of war, useful and not-so-useful SIFRP, but they can certainly enhance play.
items lay about anywhere you look. A fight in a tavern might have mugs,
trenchers, knives, pots of scalding soup, barstools, and more. The Narrator
will describe the most useful and obvious items present, but spending a Darkness
Destiny Point can put a useful item directly into your hands.
Darkness occurs on moonless nights, in dark rooms, or underground.
Destiny: Spending a Destiny Point allows you to find a minor In darkness, all terrain counts as treacherous (see Terrain following).
useful object. Examples include a broken sword when disarmed, a You also take –2D on all Agility, Athletics, Awareness, Fighting, and
battered shield when hard-pressed, and so on. Thievery tests, and –4D on all Marksmanship tests.

Visibility Destiny: If you ignite a light source in an area of no lighting, you

can spend a Destiny Point to blind all targets within the radius of
Visibility describes the quality of sight on the battlefield and notes the the light source for one round. Effectively, these targets do not ben-
effects of anything that impedes vision. Examples include darkness, efit from the improved lighting until the start of their next turn.
smoke, fog, rain, and even foliage.

Lit Terrain
Any terrain that is difficult to move through, such as deep water, rub-
Sunlight, torches, or lanterns, all provide illumination enough to see
ble, extensive underbrush, ice, snow and so on is called treacherous
clearly. When in lit areas, you take no penalties.
terrain. Such terrain decreases the rate at which you move through
the area. For every yard you would travel, treacherous terrain costs an
Shadowy extra yard of your Movement. So if you move 1 yard over rubble, you
Shadowy lighting occurs when the lighting is poor, such as being just must spend 2 yards of Movement. Charging and running are impos-
inside a cave on an overcast day or at the outer edge of light cast by your sible in areas of treacherous terrain.
campfire. Shadowy lighting can also occur in smoke-filled areas, during The effects of treacherous terrain are cumulative, so each factor present
downpours, snow, twilight, or even in the light of a full moon. When in that would create treacherous terrain costs an extra yard of Movement to
an area of shadowy light, you take –1D on all Agility, Athletics, Aware- move through. If you do not have enough Movement to move even 1 yard
ness, Fighting, and Thievery tests. You take –2D on all Marksmanship of Movement, you may spend a Greater Action to move 1 yard.
tests.
Destiny: You can spend a Destiny Point to ignore the effects of
Destiny: You may spend a Destiny Point in areas of poor visibility treacherous terrain for one round.
to slip away from your opponent and make a Stealth test to hide.
You may also spend a Destiny Point to remove the effects of poor Other Qualities
visibility for you for one round, getting a break in the fog or a mo- There are many more possible Battlefield Qualities than those described
mentary respite from the rain. here, including such things as temperature, the deck of a rocking ship,

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Ties
If there’s a tie, compare the bonus dice from Quickness. If there’s still
a tie, the characters test Agility again to see who goes first. The result
of this second test doesn’t change the order in the initiative as it relates
to other combatants; it only determines which combatant who had the
tie goes first.

Delaying
The Agility test result describes the earliest a character may act in the
round. You may always wait until later in the round to act, but you can-
not interrupt another character’s turn. You may only take your action
after another character has completely finished his turn.

Step Four: Action

During the first round, each character acts, in order of highest initiative
to lowest, taking one Greater Action or two Lesser Actions.
Combat lives in actions. The choices that the combatants make, the
success or failure of their rolls, and how they interact with the battle-
field all work together to simulate the thrill and danger of battle. Your
imagination is the only limit on what you can attempt in battle, but this
extensive section covers the most likely and most successful actions a
character might attempt.

Greater & Lesser Actions

When it’s your turn to act, you may perform a variety of actions. You
have two Lesser Actions, or you may combine them for one Greater
clouds of biting flies, and more. The Narrator is free to apply modifiers
Action. A Lesser Action could be moving, attacking, standing up, or
based on these factors, using guidelines described under Penalty Dice
diving for cover. A Greater Action includes dodging, charging, knock-
in Chapter 2: Game Rules on page 31. When spending a Destiny
ing a foe to the ground, pulling a rider from his horse, and so on. As
Point to augment these qualities, you could negate their effects on you
a rule of thumb, a Lesser Action takes about three seconds of time,
or increase their effects against a single opponent for one round.
while a Greater Action takes six seconds. So if you want to try some-

Step Two: Detection thing not described in this chapter, your Narrator will judge how long
the effort will take and whether or not your action qualifies as a Lesser
or Greater Action.
Hidden characters roll Stealth tests against their foes’ passive Aware-
ness to gain surprise. Detection is an optional step that only comes up Attack Varies
when one side hides or is otherwise concealed from their opponents. If
any combatants attempt to hide, they must test Stealth against a Diffi- The attack is obviously the most common action in combat. Anytime
culty equal to their opponent’s passive Awareness. Any opponents they you are armed with a weapon, unarmed (but feisty), or when wielding
beat are surprised by their attacks. an improvised weapon, you may attack an opponent.

Surprise BB When armed with a Fighting weapon, you must be adjacent to

your opponent. This situation is called being engaged.
When attacking an opponent you have surprised, you gain +1D on your
BB When armed with a Reach Fighting weapon, you can attack foes
Fighting and Marksmanship tests during the first round of combat.
up to 3 yards away.

Step Three: Initiative BB When armed with a Close Range Marksmanship weapon, you can
attack foes within 10 yards at no penalty.
Initiative sets the order of when each combatant takes his turn. Each BB When armed with a Long Range Marksmanship weapon, you can
combatant (or group of similar combatants) tests Agility (bonus dice attack foes within 100 yards at no penalty.
from Quickness apply). The Narrator then arranges the results from
If you meet the conditions, roll a Fighting or Marksmanship test
highest to lowest. The character with the highest result goes first, followed
and compare the result to your opponent’s Combat Defense. A suc-
by the next highest, and so on until every combatant has had a turn to act.
cessful hit deals base damage times degree of success. Once you have

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 CHapter 9: Combat

totaled the damage, your opponent reduces the damage by his AR and
applies any left over to his Health. There are several forms of attack as wear mail (AR 5), which reduces the damage (4) to 0. Gerald’s next
follows. You may make only one attack in a round, regardless of action it attack is a 10 as well, which hits but is not enough to get past the
requires; to attack multiple opponents at once, use the divided attack or second knight’s armor.
two-weapon attack options.
Two-Weapon Attack Greater
Standard Attack Lesser
Whenever you wield a weapon in your main hand and an Off-hand
The standard attack is the default and most common attack in combat. weapon in your other hand, you can combine them to make a more
It involves a simple conflict test. powerful attack. Simply add the weapon’s Off-hand modifier to your
primary weapon’s damage. You deal this damage on a successful Fight-
Example ing test. If your Off-hand weapon has the Defensive quality, you lose
Gerald attacks a sworn sword to his rival’s house. Gerald has Fight- that quality until the start of your next turn.
ing 4 (Long Blades 4). His opponent has a Combat Defense of 8.
Gerald’s player rolls eight dice—four for ability rank and four for his Example
specialty—and keeps the best four, getting a total of 19, which hits Mikala is a vicious mercenary from beyond the narrow sea. Favor-
by 11. Normally, a longsword deals damage equal to the attacker’s ing the fighting style of Braavos, she wields a Braavosi Blade in her
Athletics+1. Gerald has rank 4, so a regular successful attack would right hand and a dagger in her left. She’s toyed with the brute for a
deal 5 damage. However, Gerald got two degrees of success (he beat the few rounds, nicking him here and there, but has finally grown weary
Difficulty by at least 10), so Gerald deals three times this damage (5 + of the conflict and decides to press in for the kill. She drops the +1
5 + 5) for 15 damage. His foe wears ring mail (AR 4), so the armor Defensive Bonus from her dirk to add +1 to her damage. She attacks
reduces the damage to 11, a solid—and ugly—hit. and hits with three degrees. Normally, she would deal 4 damage with
her Braavosi blade, but because she also attacked with her dirk, she
Example deals 5. After her three degrees of success, she inflicts an impressive 15
Gerald’s companion, Aran, a scout and huntsman, stands on points of damage.
a nearby hill. Armed with a longbow, he takes a shot at the same
sworn sword. Aran has Marksmanship 4 and Bows 2B. Aran’s Combining Attacks Greater
player rolls six dice and keeps the best four, getting a 17, a solid hit.
Since he beat his opponent’s Combat Defense (8 from the previous Although divided and two-weapon attacks all require Greater Ac-
example) by more that 5, he gets two degrees, allowing him to deal tions, you can combine them into a single attack as follows. You may
extra damage. Longbows deal Agility+2 and have Piercing 1. Aran split your Fighting dice between multiple opponents. Resolve the at-
has Agility 3, so his attack deals 10 damage (5 + 5). Ordinarily, the tacks as normal, but increase your damage on each attack by your Off-
sworn sword’s armor would reduce this damage to 6, but because hand weapon.
longbows also have the Piercing 1 quality, thus reducing AR by 1,
the sworn sword takes 5 points of damage, which is enough to defeat Mounted Attacks
the sworn sword.
A mounted attack occurs whenever you attack from the back of a steed.
Fighting from horseback provides a variety of advantages, including en-
Divided Attack Greater hanced mobility, the advantage of height, and—if the mount is trained
for war—the steed’s own hoof and bite attacks. When riding a steed,
When facing several opponents, you may switch your tactics to battle you gain the following benefit:
all your enemies at once, making attacks against each foe. When doing
so, you may divide your Fighting test dice in any way that you wish BB Use the mount’s Movement in place of your own.
between your opponents. You may also need to split your bonus dice, if
BB Gain +1B on Fighting tests made to attack non-mounted opponents.
any, as your bonus dice can’t exceed your test dice. Resolve each attack
separately as normal. When riding a steed trained for war, you gain the following benefits:
Example BB If your mount doesn’t move during your turn, increase your damage
Seeing Gerald strike down the sworn sword in short order, two on a successful Fighting test by +2.
hedge knights come barreling toward the warrior to get revenge.
Now faced with two opponents, Gerald decides to attack both in the Attacking Steeds
same round. He splits his attack evenly, so his first attack uses two
test dice plus two bonus dice from his specialty and his second attack Although deemed dishonorable to attack a rider’s steed, your mount
is the same. The hedge knights both have a Combat Defense of 9. On is always at risk of injury when you ride it into battle. Enemies at-
Gerald’s first attack, he rolls a 10, which hits. Both hedge knight tacking you may choose to attack your steed. Should your mount’s
Health fall to 0, it dies. However, you may spend a Destiny Point to

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give your steed an injury or wound to remove this damage as normal Charge Greater
(see Injuries on page 166).
Throwing caution to the wind, you surge forward to destroy your en-
Slain Steeds emies. Charging allows you to combine Movement with an attack. You
can charge any opponent that’s up to twice your Movement away. At
Should your mount die while you’re riding it, you must immediately
the end of your charge, you may make a standard attack. You take –1D
succeed on a Formidable (12) Animal Handling test. If you succeed,
on the attack, but you increase the weapon’s damage by +2 for the round.
you leap clear of the collapsing steed and land within a yard of the
poor beast. If you fail, you take damage (ignoring AR) equal to the Dodge Greater
mount’s Athletics rank from the fall and are trapped beneath the dead
animal. Freeing yourself requires a Greater Action and a Challenging In the face of overwhelming odds, sometimes it’s best just to get out
(9) Agility or Athletics test (bonus dice from Contortions or Strength of the way. When you take the Dodge action, you may move up to half
apply). Other characters may assist as normal or pull you out by suc- your Movement if you choose, usually to reach cover. Roll an Agility
ceeding on an Athletics test against the same Difficulty. While trapped, test (Bonus dice from the Shield specialty apply if you are armed with
you take a –5 penalty to your Combat Defense. a shield). The result replaces your Combat Defense (even if worse) until
your next turn. Add any Defensive Bonuses gained from weapons to
Pulling a Rider from a Mount Greater your test result.

In addition to a straight attack, you can also try to pull a rider from his Interact Lesser
mount. You may do so only if you are armed with a Grab weapon or a
pole-arm. Roll a Fighting test against your opponent’s passive Animal Manipulating an object includes picking something up from the ground,
Handling result (Ride applies). If you equal or beat the Difficulty, you moving an object, retrieving a stowed possession, drawing a weapon from
pull your opponent from his mount, and he lands prone on the ground, a scabbard, and so on. It also includes opening doors or windows, pulling
adjacent to his steed. levers, and anything else you would move, shove, or pull in the environ-
ment. Interact also allows you to mount a horse or climb inside of a ve-
Pin Greater hicle. Some hard-to-reach items, such as a small item at the bottom of a
pack, may require more time as determined by the Narrator.
If you are grabbing an opponent at the start of your turn (see Grab on
You can draw a weapon while moving, but you take –1D on all at-
page 158), you can pin your opponent to the ground by beating your op-
tacks until your next turn.
ponent on an opposed Athletics test. If you succeed, you can maintain
the pin by spending a Greater Action each round. Move Lesser
A pinned opponent can take no actions other than to try to break
the pin. As a Greater Action, the pinned opponent must beat you on an A move is a brisk walk, and you may move a number of yards equal to
opposed Fighting test (Brawling applies). A pinned opponent counts as your Movement. If you spend both Lesser Actions to move, you can
helpless. See Helpless Targets on page 154. move up to twice your Movement.

Other Actions Sprint Greater

In addition to attack, there are a number of other actions you might You may sprint by taking this action, allowing you to move at four times
perform in combat. your Movement, modified for Bulk. Additionally, you subtract a num-
ber of yards from your Sprint movement equal to the number of Bulk
Assist Lesser points you possess.
As described on page 29, you can assist when another ally would test an
ability. To do so, you must be adjacent to the ally (and the ally’s oppo-
Stand Up/Fall Down Lesser
nent if you are aiding a Fighting test) and the ally must usually be able You can drop to the ground or pick yourself up as a Lesser Action. If your
to see and hear you (Narrator’s discretion). You grant the ally a bonus Armor Rating is 6 or higher before any Qualities or Benefits, it requires
to his next test result with a particular ability equal to one-half your a Greater Action to stand.
rank in the ability you’re testing. In the case of multiple assistants, the
bonuses to the test results are cumulative. Ride or Drive Varies
For the purposes of limits on attacks, assisting on a Fighting, Marks-
manship, or some other attack counts as your attack for your turn. When mounted on a steed, your mount’s action is spent moving or attack-
ing; however, you must spend a Lesser Action to control your beast if it is
Catch Your Breath Greater trained for war or a Greater Action if not. If your steed is injured, regard-
less of its training, controlling the animal is a Greater Action. See Animal
You can take a quick rest as a Greater Action to catch your breath. Roll Handling in Chapter 4: Abilities & Specialties on page 57 for details.
an Automatic (0) Endurance test. Each degree of success removes one Vehicles drawn by animals work much in the same way. Driving a ve-
point of damage. hicle requires a Lesser Action each round. If the driver is slain or leaves his

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post, the vehicle moves as long as the animal is inclined to pull it, usually in
the direction it was pointed last. Other characters on the vehicle may move
about normally, but the vehicle counts as treacherous terrain. If moving
Defeat &
would carry a passenger out of the vehicle, he or she may take damage from
the fall. A fall from a slow-moving vehicle deals 1d6–3 points of damage,
Consequences
while a fall from a fast-moving vehicle deals 1d6+3 points of damage. If at any time your Health drops to 0 or lower, you are defeated and re-
moved from the combat. The opponent that defeated you decides what
Pass Greater happens to you. Common choices include any of the following. Remem-
You opt to wait and see what develops. You take no action on your turn ber, defeat by an attack using a Vicious weapon always results in death.
but gain +2B on the next test you take, subject to the normal limits on
bonus dice. Any excess bonus dice are lost. Multiple rounds spent pass-
Death
ing are not cumulative. This outcome is the most common when defeated. You are dead. Depend-
ing on the era in which you play as well as where you died, your corpse
Use Ability Varies might stir into unlife… if you believe in that sort of thing.

You may use other abilities not directly related to the combat. You Maimed
might use Athletics to break down a locked door, Awareness to look for
Your opponent might leave you alive but gives you something by which
an exit, Agility to catch a swinging rope, and so on. The test’s Difficulty
you will remember him. Examples include a wicked scar across the face
depends on the action intended. Chapter 4: Abilities & Specialties
or the loss of an eye, thumb, or some other body part. Permanently re-
presents useful benchmarks for abilities, but some tasks may be harder
duce one ability of your opponent’s choice by one rank.
given the distractions of the combat.
In addition, many abilities can be used in one round, but some are far
Ransom
more involved and may require several rounds to complete, indicating
you have to spend several rounds working toward completing the task Your opponent holds you or some possession for ransom. In tourna-
while the conflict rages around you. ments, ransom usually means the victor gains the loser’s armor and
horse. In war, it might mean captivity until the loser’s family can offer
Use Destiny Points No Action up sufficient coin or a valuable hostage of their own.

Destiny Points grant you a bit more control over your fate and allow you Take the Black
to modify circumstances in minor and major ways. Spending or burning
Those who see honor in service to the Night’s Watch may allow their
a Destiny Point in combat is not an action. For details on using Destiny
enemies to take the black and join the rangers on the Wall. For many,
Points, see pages 71-72 in Chapter 5: Destiny & Qualities.
this is a fate worse than death, as it means being stripped of status, fam-
ily, and worldly possession. For those who value life above such minor
Yield Greater things, taking the black offers a chance to live.
On your turn, you may sacrifice your entire action to yield, placing your-
self at the mercy of your foes. Most knights and other honorable op- Unconscious
ponents recognize surrender and call off their attack. Others may not. You are knocked out and left for dead. You awaken 2d6 hours later.
You take this risk when you surrender. While unconscious, you are helpless and may be killed or eaten by
You may re-enter the conflict, but doing so is a dishonorable action. someone or something else. This fate is often the same as death.
You take –1D on all Persuasion and Status tests made to interact with
anyone who witnessed your treachery. This penalty remains until you
improve the target’s disposition to Friendly or better.
Yielding
You may choose to yield in order to choose the outcome of your defeat.

Step Five: Repeat If you fear imminent defeat, you may, on your turn, offer the Narrator
terms by which your character will go down to defeat, including the
outcome. So for example, you can offer to have your character defeated
Combat proceeds over a number of rounds, each participant acting on and left unconscious or taken for ransom. The Narrator has the option
his or her turn until the combat ends. Each round gives each combatant of accepting your terms, making a counter-offer, or rejecting them. If
a new set of actions and an opportunity to spend them in whatever way you reject the Narrator’s counter-offer, you cannot yield.
they wish. Repeat this step until there is a clear victor.
Destiny & Defeat
Step Six: Resolution You may also burn a Destiny Point to choose a fate other than the one
your opponent chooses for you. If your family is particularly poor, you
Once one side has fled or has been defeated, the combat is at an end, might choose maiming or death over a ransom. Similarly, if your op-
and the victors determine the fates of the losers. ponent would see you dead, you might opt for unconsciousness instead.

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Injuries
Damage An Injury is a minor, rarely fatal wound. Anytime you take damage, you
can accept an injury to reduce the damage taken by an amount equal
Whenever an opponent hits you in combat, you are at risk of taking to your Endurance rank. Each injury you accept imposes a –1 penalty
damage. Any damage taken in excess of your Armor Rating applies to to the results of all of your tests. You cannot accept more injuries than
your Health. Damage doesn’t reduce your effectiveness in any way un- your Endurance rank.
less it reduces your Health to 0 or less, at which point you are defeated.
Example
Damage & Lesser Battling a savage warrior of the Burned Men, Mikel is hit for 7 points
Characters of damage. Knowing he can’t take all the damage, he opts to take an
injury. His Endurance is 3, so he can remove 3 points of damage per in-
jury accepted. He takes two, reducing the damage to just 1 point. Hence-
Outside of player characters, only the most important Narrator charac-
forth, for the duration of the combat, he reduces all test results by –2.
ters accumulate injuries. Common soldiers, brigands, and the like don’t
usually pick up injuries and are defeated once their Health is reduced
to 0. Wounds
Some attacks are so brutal and so deadly that the only way you can
Reducing Damage overcome them is by accepting a wound. A wound removes all damage
taken from a single hit in exchange for taking –1D on all tests. If the
Although you have a small pool of Health, there are many of ways to number of wounds taken equals your Endurance rank, you die.
remove damage, enabling you to avoid defeat. Reducing or removing
damage in any of the following ways does not count as an action. Example
Furthermore, you can reduce damage at any time, even if it’s The assassin leaps out of the shadows and strikes Roberk with a dag-
not your turn. These methods are in addition to the ger, dealing 20 points of damage, more than enough to defeat him
Catch Your Breath action. outright. Knowing the assassin intends to kill him, Roberk faces death
with defeat. He could reduce the damage with injuries, but it would
cripple him for the duration of the battle. Instead, he accepts a wound,
gaining –1D on all tests.

Recovery
The wounds you sustain in combat heal—eventually. The rate at which
you recover depends on the type of injury you sustain. Damage to Health
vanishes rapidly. Injuries take longer, sometimes as long as a week or
more. Wounds can plague you for months, such are the perils of battle.

Damage
Damage is a minor injury, little more than a few cuts and scrapes. At the
end of the combat, you remove all damage to your Health.

Injuries
Injuries are more significant than damage and, thus, take longer to heal.
One day after gaining an injury, you may roll an Endurance test. The
Difficulty depends on your activity level.

Activity Example Difficulty

No fighting, riding, or physical
Light or no Routine (6)
activity
Moderate Travel, some physical activity Challenging (9)
Fighting, riding, hard physical
Strenuous Formidable (12)
activity

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Non-Conflict Damage
Certain situations may result in injuries that do not directly result from conflict. For example, a captured character noted for his skill
at swordplay might have his sword-hand severed (like a certain famous member of the Kingsguard). Such a loss would have repercussions
throughout the character’s life, possibly across a wide number of abilities, more than would normally result from a permanent injury. In
these cases, the character burns a Destiny Point and gains a flaw.
Aside from lasting injuries, any damage a character takes in or out of combat can be reduced using the normal rules for resolving damage.
A character who catches fire, for example, could reduce the damage by taking one or more injuries (burns) or wounds (severe burns). Likewise,
a character who falls from a height could reduce the damage by breaking a bone (injury) or shattering a leg (wound). If damage exceeds the
character’s Health, the character usually dies—nature isn’t forgiving. As damage is removed at the end of the encounter, any damage sustained
out of combat has no effect unless it results in an injury or wound.
But some threats are so deadly that not even a wound is enough to avoid death. A fall from several hundred feet, being dipped into a
pool of lava, and drinking a tankard full of wildfire are events so lethal that surviving them requires the intercession of fate. Whenever you
are faced with certain death, you can only escape your fate by burning a Destiny Point.

Each degree of success removes 1 injury. A failed test, however,

means you don’t recover at all. If you roll a Critical failure, you gain
another injury. If you cannot accept another injury, you gain a wound
instead.
Tournaments
Of all the diversions in Westeros, none are as beloved by smallfolk and
Wounds nobles alike as are tournaments. A tournament is a grand event, part
spectacle, part sport, an occasion that draws warriors from all over to
Wounds are the nastiest injuries, the ones that take the longest to
compete for glory and financial reward. Sponsoring a tournament and
heal and can cause the most lasting harm. One week after gaining a
offering up the prize are means to improve a house’s Glory (see Chap-
wound, you may roll an Endurance test. The Difficulty depends on
ter Six: House and Lands), so in times of peace, there’s almost always
your activity level.
a tournament somewhere in the Seven Kingdoms. The most common
activities include jousting, grand melees, archery contests, and eques-
Activity Example Difficulty
trian events.
No fighting, riding,
Light or no Challenging (9)

Moderate
or physical activity
Travel, some physical activity Hard (15)
Jousting
Fighting, riding, hard physical The prime event of the tournament is the joust, which allows knights
Strenuous Heroic (21)
activity from across the Seven Kingdoms to compete for glory and honors.
Tourney jousting is about unhorsing your opponent, so lances are
A successful test removes 1 wound. You may remove an additional blunted and meant to shatter on impact with the opponent’s shield.
wound for every two degrees of success. If, however, you roll a Criti- Knights wear full armor, but accidents still happen: a fall from a gallop-
cal failure on the Endurance test, you gain another wound. If you ing horse might result in injuries ranging from minor to severe, and it
cannot accept another wound (your wounds equal your Endurance is not unknown for a “misplaced” lance to strike a visor, throat, or other
rank), you die. vulnerable spot. A crushed breastplate can do real damage, as can the
thundering hooves of a panicked horse. Squires waiting off the field
Healing move quickly to assist fallen knights in distress.
The lists are arranged in a series of paired eliminations. The loser
The best way to recover from an injury is to receive Healing. The Heal- of each competition is eliminated from the tourney, whereas the win-
ing ability can help speed recovery from injuries by allowing the healer ner advances on to the next round. This process halves the number of
to substitute his or her Healing test result for the Endurance test. Since competitors each round until two are left for the final round. As a large
injuries impose a penalty on all tests, the presence of a healer can greatly tourney, the event at King’s Landing has six rounds, including the semi-
improve a character’s chances for recovery. final and final, so the first round has room for sixty-four knights, a roster
To use Healing, a healer must devote at least 4 hours per day of easily filled out by the houses attending.
treatment to the injured character. When the character would roll an
Endurance test, the healer instead rolls a Healing test. The result of this Rules of the Joust
test must be taken. A failed Healing test does not result in the worsen- The rules of the joust are simple. Each mounted knight starts at either
ing of injuries. end of the jousting field—a picket or fence divides it down the middle,
though poorer jousting fields have only a nominal dividing line. Each

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combatants’ attack tests simultaneously; it is possible for both riders to

Duels and Battles for Honor unhorse each other.

Jousts and melees may also be used to settle an issue of honor. Attack
Opponents may engage in hand-to-hand combat, fighting until
The two jousting combatants make simultaneous Fighting tests as a
first blood is drawn or to the death. Likewise, they might begin
regular attack (bonus dice from Spears specialty apply). Since a jousting
with a joust and fight on foot if unhorsed until one opponent
attack is by definition a charge (see page 164), both attackers take –1D
yields. The parameters of these contests are set before the match
on their Fighting tests; chosen maneuvers might increase or reduce this
begins and may include battles pitting seven knights against seven
penalty. The Difficulty for the Fighting test is the opponent’s passive
knights, one opponent may be permitted to choose the nature of
Animal Handling test result (Ride specialty applies).
the duel and the other to choose the weapons, and so on.
Knights can choose one of the following maneuvers when making
a pass in a joust. None of these maneuvers are required; if the knight
knight charges down the field to the right of the picket and tries to chooses, apply only the standard penalty dice and damage bonus for the
strike his opponent’s shield with his lance with sufficient force to throw charge attack, which is not optional given the format of the joust. You
the other knight from the saddle. Deliberately aiming for a target other must choose your maneuver, if any, before making a pass and before you
than your opponent’s shield is considered poor form at best and out- roll any tests.
right cheating at worst, though lances do sometimes slip off of shields
to strike rider or horse—accidentally and deliberately. Aggressive
Jousting lances are simple wooden poles, blunted at the ends and You focus on the ferocity of your attack, giving less heed to your own
expected to splinter or shatter on impact. A knight’s squire keeps several defenses, perhaps even lowering your shield more than is wise. Apply
replacement lances on hand, in case the knight’s lance breaks. a bonus of +1 or +2 (your choice) to the result of your Fighting test,
The first knight unhorsed loses the joust. If both knights manage to and subtract the same amount from the result of your passive Animal
remain in the saddle for three passes, an impartial judge might award Handling test.
the win to the knight with the most solid hits (in effect, the greatest
total degree of success). Although, spectators prefer a prolonged joust Braced
to continue until one of the competitors falls, as that is more exciting to
You focus on bracing yourself against the impact of the charge, at the
watch and a more satisfying win for the victor.
cost of blunting your own attack. Subtract 1 or 2 (your choice) from
Initiative the result of your Fighting test, and add the same amount to the result
of your Animal Handling test to remain in the saddle if you are struck.
Jousts are designed for the two opponents to strike at roughly the same
time, so characters do not roll for Initiative. Make and resolve the two
Defensive
You angle your body and shield to lessen your profile and better deflect
your foe’s attack, weakening your own in return. Apply a bonus of +1 or
Table 9–4: Jousting Results +2 (your choice) to the result of your passive Animal Handling test to
Test Result Outcome determine the Difficulty for your opponent to hit you, and subtract the
same amount from the result of your Fighting test.
Critical
A clean miss or glancing blow
Failure
Eyes Fixed
Lance shatters on opponent’s shield
Failure
but has no other effect A knight normally turns his head away from his opponent a moment
Lance shatters on opponent’s shield; before impact, mainly to avoid having splinters from a broken lance fly
One the opponent takes damage and must succeed into the slits of his visor. You can choose not to do so, and fix your eyes
Degree on a Challenging (9) Animal Handling test on your opponent, instead. Apply a bonus of +1 to the result of your
or be unhorsed Fighting test. However, increase the base damage of your opponent’s
Lance strikes opponent; attack by 1 point (increased by degree of success as usual). If your op-
Two the opponent takes damage and must succeed ponent defeats you, he can choose severe consequences, such as death or
Degrees on a Formidable (12) Animal Handling
maiming (losing an eye).
test or be unhorsed
Lance strikes opponent; High in Saddle
Three the opponent takes damage and must succeed
Degrees on a Hard (15) Animal Handling You ride high in the saddle, which gives you a slight advantage in height
test or be unhorsed and momentum but makes it more difficult for you to keep your seat if
Lance strikes opponent; you are struck. Apply a bonus of +1 or +2 (your choice) to your Fight-
Four the opponent takes damage and must succeed ing test, and subtract the same amount from the result of your Animal
Degrees on a Very Hard (18) Animal Handling Handling test to remain in the saddle if you are struck.
test or be unhorsed

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This attack deals normal damage, as if in combat, potentially killing

Jousting Results the rider or mount, though important characters can choose to suf-
The result of the Fighting test in a joust determines the outcome, as fer injuries or wounds to limit the damage and use Destiny Points to
shown on Table 9–4: Jousting Results. evade death.
A tourney lance inflicts (Animal Handling +3) base damage and is a If the cheating competitor attempts to conceal his duplicity, make a
Powerful weapon, which adds +1 damage per rank of Strength specialty Deception test, and use the result as the Difficulty for an Awareness test
a wielder has. Since a tilt with lances involves a charge, the lance does an to detect that the attempt was anything other than an unfortunate ac-
additional +2 base damage. Apply any modifiers from the knight’s cho- cident. Of course, even if caught red handed by someone, a determined
sen maneuvers (previously) before determining the final damage based cheater can still claim it was an accident.
on degree of success. Being caught cheating in a joust results in immediate disqualification
and potentially a fine or honor price paid to the injured party or, if he
Example does not survive, his family. The cheater might also suffer a price paid
in Glory as well.
Ser Merik (Animal Handling 3, Strength 2b) inflicts base 10 damage
with his tourney lance: 3 for his Animal Handling rank, +3 for the
lance, +2 for his Strength specialty rank, and +2 for the charge maneu-
Jousting Knights
ver undertaken as part of the joust. He applies –1D to his Fighting Opponents in the second through fourth rounds of the tournament
test due to the charge, plus any modifiers for his chosen maneuver(s). should be capable, after the chaff has been winnowed out from the field.
The hedge knight sample Narrator character from Chapter Eleven
A combatant knocked from his saddle falls and suffers damage equal provides a quick set of game stats, perhaps with slight variations in spe-
to the jousting attack’s base damage. Armor does not reduce this damage. cialty ranks (additional Ride for Animal Handling, for example, or an
A combatant can defeat his opponent by reducing his Health to zero. It is extra specialty rank in Spears). By the fourth round, a contender might
possible for both combatants to unhorse each other in a jousting pass, in have as high as rank 5 Fighting, if you want to provide a knightly char-
which case their squires assist them back to their mounts for another pass, acter with more of a challenge.
or in the case of a formal challenge, they continue the conflict on foot. The fifth and sixth—or semifinal and final—rounds of the jousting
tournament are the most challenging, as the field is whittled down to
Between Passes just four knights in the fifth round. In the sixth round, the two previous
winners compete against each other. If a character advances this far, it is
Between passes, squires assist their knights by knocking dents out of their against difficult odds, and he faces some of the most skilled combatants
armor, unlocking jammed joints, or removing damaged pieces, and they in the Seven Kingdoms.
replace their knight’s shattered lance and corral the knight’s horse (if nec- Choose suitable knights as opponents, either Narrator characters
essary). It allows the knight a short breather, sufficient for a Catch Your from your own series, or named characters from the SIFRP Campaign
Breath action. Roll an Automatic (0) Endurance test; each degree of Guide. The tourney is an opportunity for a player character to face off
success removes 1 point of damage. Although Catch Your Breath is a against the big names of the novels.
Greater Action, each knight can take only one in between passes. If you create your own knight(s) for these rounds of the tourney, they
should be Fighting rank 5 and have at least 2b to 3b in Long Blades and
Defeat and Yielding Spears, Animal Handling rank 4, and at least 2b in Ride. Some contend-
ers might have even higher ranks. Although, keep in mind rank 6 is truly
An opponent knocked from his steed loses the match to one who man-
exceptional and rank 7 virtually unheard of; such a paragon, if not already
ages to retain his mount. If the knights make three passes and neither
widely known, soon would be after such an amazing display of ability.
unhorses the other, the knight with the greatest total degrees of success
can be counted the winner.
The loser forfeits his steed and armor to the victor, but he can buy
them back, provided he can meet the ransom price. The ransom is usu-
Other Tourney Events
ally equal to the value of the armor and steed combined, but some Although the joust and the melee are the main events of the tourney,
tournaments might have steeper fees, whereas others might have less. other events exist for the characters to participate in, if they so desire,
Etiquette deems it poor form to charge more than a reasonable market including archery and horsemanship, as well as a gathering of maesters
amount as a ransom price. hosted by the Grand Maester in the service of the king. These events
Opponents defeated by taking damage in excess of their Health can serve as background color and opportunities for characters other
face consequences determined by the victor. For competitions, such than knights to show off their abilities, or even as important elements
outcomes usually mean unconsciousness or potential embarrassment, of the plot, depending on how you present them.
though maiming and death can and do occur.

Cheating
The Archery Competition
Compared to the jousting and the melee, the archery competition is
A competitor can choose to shift his lance to strike a more lightly relatively simple: the contestants stand in a row, take aim, and fire three
armored area of his opponent, or even to strike his opponent’s mount. shots at a straw target. Missing the target all three times eliminates
a competitor from the competition. The targets are then moved back,

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Optional Tourney Events

Make an effort to let as many of the characters shine in the tourney as possible. If a member of the Home House has a particular area of
expertise, include an event for it in the tourney or on the fairgrounds, so the character can show off a bit. Possible additional events include
the following.
• Knife or axe throwing at straw targets or posts, with the potential of a throw going a bit awry [Throwing test, modified by weapon
specialty].
• Feats of strength such as rock throwing or a caber toss, wherein the thrower balances an entire log on its end before hurling it end over
end as far as possible [Athletics test, Strength specialty modifies].
• Various athletic contests such as foot races, wrestling, climbing a greased pole to reach a wreath balanced at the top, log rolls, and so
forth [Athletics tests, modified by the appropriate specialty]. Most of these events are likely to be unofficial.
• Various unofficial gambling events, from betting on other contests to floating dice games conducted in taverns and alleyways. Some
of these events are rigged scams to bilk visitors out of as much coin as possible [Cunning or Thievery test, depending on tactics and
circumstances, modified by specialties involving gambling].

and another round takes place, repeating until all competitors but one ing the tourney, and it is an opportunity for them to discuss, debate,
or two have been eliminated. In the final round, the competitor who compare notes and observations, and partake in the sort of long-wind-
shoots the most arrows closest to the center of the target wins. ed conversations maesters enjoy. The Conclave provides something for
The Difficulty for the Marksmanship test starts at Routine (6) and maester characters to do during the tourney (apart from treating the oc-
increases by one level each round, typically reaching Hard (15) in the casional combat-related injury). Having a Home House maester attend
fourth and final round. The archer with the highest total degrees of suc- the Conclave might prove useful to the party later on; the Conclave
cess from all three shots in the last round is declared the winner. represents a collection of the best-educated minds in Westeros and of-
fers a wealth of information to someone with access.
Grand Melee Although most people do not consider the maester’s Conclave a
“competition,” it is only because they do not understand the subtle aca-
A grand melee is a competition of arms. Usually, the participants gather
demic infighting of the graduates of the Citadel. The maesters use their
in teams of seven, but some might involve just a pair of warriors or more
Conclave to discuss and debate a variety of scholarly questions, present
than seven warriors, especially in competitions designed to “reenact” a
findings from their own studies and research, and stake out important
historical event. A grand melee resolves as a normal combat using all
new discoveries; although, a good deal of what goes on is more political
the rules found in the chapter. Many melees are fought to the drawing
than intellectual.
of first blood to give the spectators a bit of color and to add the risk of
If a maester character has a particular finding or agenda for the Con-
danger to the fight. The first opponent to take an injury or wound loses.
clave, feel free to play it out, and allow opportunities for intrigue and
The Equestrian Competition the like. For a simple, abstract idea of how events transpire, you can ask
the maester’s player for a Knowledge test using the appropriate spe-
Although the primary riding competition at the tourney is the joust, cialty; the result demonstrates how well the other maesters receive his
other opportunities exist for riders to demonstrate their skills on a ideas. A particularly good result might garner attention from influential
mount without armor, shield, and lance. The equestrian competition patrons, whereas an especially poor result could lead to censure or loss
involves jumping over pickets, hay bales, and mud puddles, as well as of standing within the Conclave.
walking, cantering, and galloping along a track before an audience, most
of whom hope for an embarrassing fall from the saddle that lands the
rider in the mud.
Advanced
In a series of rounds, the competitors make Animal Handling (Ride)
tests. Judges decide the best half of the results, and winners move on
to the next round. In the final round, the highest test result determines
Combat
which rider wins. The competition also serves to show off horseflesh Once you have mastered the basic rules of combat, you may find you’d
from various parts of Westeros and is of particular interest to breeders, like to add more depth to your battles. The following rules expand the
so the owner of a winning horse might receive overtures to breed it. combat options, offering player characters and Narrator characters a
variety of tactical choices and techniques to add tactical options to
The Maesters Conclave combats. Since these rules also increase the complexity of the game,
Particularly large tournaments may play host to a maesters conclave, they are recommended for experienced groups. However, there’s no
usually hosted by the maester attached to the House hosting the tour- reason why you have to use all of the rules provided here. You can use
nament. Most of the attending maesters are attached to a house attend- one, many, or all of them at your Narrator’s discretion.

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Table 9–5: Criticals

Sixes Result

Solid Hit: You land a solid blow. Increase the base damage of
1
your weapon for this attack by +2.
Powerful Hit: Your attack leaves your opponent reeling. In-
2
crease the base damage of your weapon for this attack by +4.
Bloody Wound: Your attack leaves a bleeding wound. In addi-
tion to the damage dealt, your target gains 1 injury. This injury
3
does not reduce damage. If your opponent cannot take another
injury, he takes a wound. If he cannot take a wound, he dies.
Crippling Wound: You cripple your opponent with a dreadful
wound. In addition to the damage dealt, your target gains 1
4
wound. This injury does not reduce damage. If your opponent
cannot take another wound, he dies.
5 Killing Blow: Your attack kills your opponent instantly.
Terrible Blow: Not only does your attack kill your opponent
6 instantly, but you deal your base damage (unmodified by degree)
to all opponents adjacent to the victim of the terrible blow.
Impressive Death: Your killing attack is so impressive, all
7
your allies gain +1B on all tests for the duration of the combat.
Horrible Death: You kill your opponent with such force that
you sicken all who witness the act. All characters (allies and
8 enemies) that witnessed the attack must succeed on Chal-
lenging (9) Will tests or take –1D on tests for one round. For
the duration of the combat, you gain a +1B on all tests.

Table 9–6: Fumbles

Tests Ones Result

The following advanced option can be used along with conflict tests. Injure Self: Poor handling of the weapon results in a nasty
1
injury. You hit yourself and take weapon damage.
Critical Hits 2
Strike Ally: You strike an ally instead of the intended tar-
get. If there’s an adjacent ally, test Fighting, or if there’s an
SIFRP is designed to reward good rolls with greater success. Degrees ally in range, test Marksmanship to hit your ally as normal.
of success allow you to speed up a difficult test, perform and act with
flair, or deliver an appalling amount of damage with a well-placed hit. Drop: The weapon slips from your hand and lands 1d6
3
yards away in a random direction.
Critical Hits provide an opportunity to achieve more with a single test,
to defeat a foe with a single hit, to create such bloody results as to turn Minor Break: The weapon becomes damaged from heavy
the tide of battle. While this does create exciting opportunities for play- 4 use. Reduce its damage by 1. If castle-forged or better, treat
ers, it also gives their adversaries the same chances at victory, making a this result as 3.
deadly combat even deadlier. Major Break: The weapon snaps or becomes badly dam-
5 aged. The weapon is worthless and cannot be repaired. If
Rolling a Critical castle-forged, treat as 4. If Valyrian steel, treat as 3.

A Critical occurs whenever your Fighting or Marksmanship test dou- Slippery Grip: Blood or sweat makes the weapon’s grip
6 slippery. Take –1D on all attacks until the end of your next
bles your opponent’s Combat Defense. Thus, if your opponent’s Com- turn.
bat Defense is 10, you would need a 20 or higher on your test result to
achieve a Critical. If a Critical results, count the number of 6s rolled and Blood in the Eyes: Blood or sweat falls into your eyes,
7 affecting your vision. Take –1D on all tests until the end of
compare the total to Table 9–5: Criticals.
your next turn.

Fumbles Overbalanced: In your eagerness to hit your foe, you lose

your balance and give your opponent an opening. Take a
A failed Fighting or Marksmanship test in combat is never worse than 8+
–5 penalty to Combat Defense until the start of your next
a simple miss. There are no greater consequences for failure, and a bad turn.
roll is just a bad roll. However, some groups enjoy the heightened risks

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of botched rolls—complications that can be minor setbacks or major

mishaps. For those who prefer these sorts of situations, Fumble rules
Higher Ground
follow. Whenever you stand on ground that puts you above your opponent, such
This option favors characters who have greater rank in Fighting or as when you are on a table or on the slope of a hill, you gain a +1B on your
Marksmanship, making it harder for trained characters to have a mis- Fighting test. Higher ground does not affect Marksmanship tests.
hap with their weapons while simultaneously reflecting the ineptness of
characters with lower ranks in the same abilities. Moving Targets
Whenever you attack a target that sprinted on its last turn, you take
Rolling a Fumble –1D on your Fighting or Marksmanship test.

A Fumble occurs whenever the dice come up all 1s on a test roll. Com-
pare the number of 1s rolled (including those from specialties) to Ta-
ble 9–6: Fumbles. Whenever you get a Fumble result, you may reduce
Unarmed Attacks
it by one step by spending a Destiny Point. Some fights involve not armored soldiers with sword and axe, but bare-
fisted brawling. This works the same way as any other sort of fighting,

Initiative using the Brawling specialty. An empty fist does Athletics–3 damage
(minimum of 1) while a gauntleted fist does Athletic–2 damage and an
improvised weapon, like a chair leg or heavy flagon, does Athletics–1
The following advanced options pertain to order of initiative.
damage (see Table 9-3: Weapons). Defeat in unarmed combat tends

Interrupting Actions to result in unconsciousness or capture, but can still have more serious
results, including maiming and death. Characters can likewise suffer
In the basic rules, whenever a character delays they may act at any time injuries and wounds in unarmed combat to stave off defeat.
later in the round, but they may not interrupt another character’s action,
meaning they must wait for the character currently acting to finish their
turn. As an optional rule, you can allow a delaying character to inter-
Attacking Objects
rupt another character if he or she succeeds on an opposed Agility test
Sometimes it takes a hammer. There will be times when you need to
(Quickness applies).
smash your way through barriers, destroy objects, and batter your way

Battlefield Tactics to victory. When faced with such an obstacle, breaking and smashing
things may be your only solution.
You can always forfeit your Agility test to determine order of initiative
to direct your allies in combat instead. In place of the Agility test, roll
a Warfare test (Tactics apply). The Difficulty depends on the nature
Break
When you break something, you rely on your raw strength to damage or
of the battlefield, advantages had by the opponents, the numbers of
destroy an object. A good example is when you are shackled or bound.
opponents, and so on; The Difficulty is always set by the Narrator,
There’s no good way to wield a weapon to cut through the restraints,
but Challenging (9) is the default. If the test succeeds, you bestow
so you might attempt to snap the chains or break the ropes. Whenever
a +1B per degree of success to an ally’s Agility test for initiative. You
you would use your strength to break something, roll an Athletics test
can provide the bonus dice to one or more characters, dividing them
(bonus dice from Strength apply). The Difficulty of the test depends on
as you choose.
the object you intend to break. Most objects tend to be Hard (15), but
Only one character per side can use the Battlefield Tactics option. Be-
fragile things such as glass may be Challenging (9) or easier, while
cause you opted to manage the battlefield, you go last in the round. If
bursting through a stone wall is Heroic (21+). A success reduces the
multiple characters from different sides used this option, resolve ties by
Difficulty on your next test by 5 per degree. Once you reduce the Dif-
comparing Agility, then Quickness, and then by an opposed Warfare test.
ficulty to Automatic (0), you break the object.

Changing Initiative Example

If you’d like to reflect the ebb and flow of combat, you can call for Agil- Qort, a vile prisoner locked away in the bowels of the Red Keep, lies
ity tests each round to determine initiative. This process slows game chained to a wall. Each day, he struggles against his chains so that one
play, but it emulates the shifting fortunes of the battlefield. day he might wrap his hands around the neck of his captors. Qort has
Athletics 4 and Strength 2B. The Narrator states the chains are Very
Attack Modifiers Hard (18). Qort rolls and gets a 14. He strains, but it’s not enough
to weaken the chains today.
Circumstances can affect your chances of hitting your opponent. While
many modifiers are the result of Battlefield Qualities, attack modifiers
may result from specific choices and immediate changes in your envi- Smash
ronment. When testing Fighting or Marksmanship, you may apply any If you have the luxury of having a weapon on hand, you can always try
of the following modifiers that apply. to chop up or smash an object. Roll a Fighting test (you can’t gener-

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 CHapter 9: Combat

ally smash items with Marksmanship weapons). Again, the Difficulty

depends on the object you’re trying to smash. Most objects tend to be
Formidable (12) but can be Routine (6) or Automatic (0) for papers
or glass or Very Hard (18) for stone walls. If you succeed, you reduce
the Difficulty by your weapon damage multiplied by the degree. Once
the Difficulty has been reduced to 0 or lower, you’ve smashed the object.
Some weapons are wildly inappropriate for this work—a dagger is
useless for smashing through doors. The Narrator has the final say on
what weapons are appropriate.

Example
Facing a locked and solid door with no key in sight, Ansel decides to smash
the door down. He has Athletics 4, Fighting 3, and a maul. The Narrator
sets the door’s Difficulty at Formidable (12). Ansel rolls and gets a 13.
In beating the Difficulty with no degrees, Ansel reduces the door’s difficulty
by his damage (5), dropping the Difficulty for his next attempt to 7.

Smashing Weapons
In lieu of attacking your opponent, you can attack your opponent’s
weapon with a Fighting weapon. Resolve this as a normal attack against
your foe’s Combat Defense or the weapon’s Difficulty, whichever is
greater. You reduce the Difficulty by your weapon damage multiplied by
your degree of success, as usual.
A skilled smith can repair a damage weapon. It takes one hour per
point of damage. A destroyed weapon cannot be repaired; it must be
made anew.

Advanced Actions
The following actions broaden your tactical options in combat.

Aim Lesser
By lining up your attack, you gain a +1B on your Fighting or Marks-
manship test.

Cautious Attack Lesser

While fighting, you reserve some of your efforts to defend yourself. You
may pick up –1D to increase your Combat Defense by 3. You may not
accumulate more than –1D in this way.

Counterattack Greater
Counterattack allows you to hold back an attack for use at a later point in
the round, but you must use it sometime before the start of your next turn.
Upon taking the Counterattack action, your turn immediately ends. At
anytime thereafter, you may make a standard attack against any opponent
that engages you or whom you see for Marksmanship attacks. This attack
interrupts your opponent’s action. If, however, no opponent presents him-
self before the start of your next turn, the counterattack is wasted.

Setting for a Charge

If an opponent charges to attack you during a round in which you have
used the counterattack action and are armed with a Fighting weapon,

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CHapter 9: Combat

you may strike with deadly effect. If your attack hits, increase your Knockout Lesser
weapon’s base damage by +2. Like the overall Counterattack action, this
is a Greater Action. A well-placed blow can send your opponent into unconsciousness. You
may only use this maneuver against an unaware foe. Roll a Fighting
Disarm Greater test against your opponent’s passive Endurance result. On a success,
you stun your foe, and he takes a –5 penalty to his Combat Defense. If
You may attempt to knock an opponent’s weapon from his hands. Re- you succeed by at least two degrees, you knock your opponent uncon-
solve as a standard attack except your Difficulty is equal to your oppo- scious. Each round, on his turn, he may attempt a Formidable (12)
nent’s passive Fighting result. If you succeed with at least two degrees, Endurance test (Resilience applies) to wake up or shake off his stun. A
you disarm your opponent. If you roll a Critical failure, your opponent stunned opponent recovers normally after 1d6 rounds, while an uncon-
disarms you. If you have a hand free and have Fighting 4 or greater, scious opponent recovers after 1d6 minutes.
you are able to snatch the weapon out of the air. Otherwise, a disarmed
weapon lands 1d6 yards away in a random direction. Destiny: You may spend a Destiny Point to negate the effects of a
successful Knockout.
Distract Lesser
Through misdirection and subterfuge, you create an opening in your op- Maneuver Lesser
ponent’s defenses. Roll a Cunning test against your opponent’s passive
By pressing your attack, you can cause an opponent to shift his position.
Will result. A successful test causes your opponent to lose his Aware-
Roll a Fighting test against your opponent’s passive Fighting result. On
ness rank from his Combat Defense until the end of his next turn or
a success, your opponent takes –1D on all tests for one round. As well,
until he is attacked, whichever comes first.
you may force the target to move 1 yard per degree in any direction.
If a maneuver would force a target into a lethal situation (into a roar-
Knockdown Lesser ing fire, off a cliff or parapet, into the tentacles of a kraken), your op-
Using brute strength, you send your opponent crashing to the ground. ponent is entitled to a Routine (6) Awareness test to notice the danger
Roll an Athletics test against your foe’s passive Agility result. On a suc- and move into a different space.
cess, your opponent falls prone. If you combine this action with a move,
you add +2 to your Athletics test result. When you are knocked down, Reckless Attack Greater
you must spend a Lesser Action to Stand Up. Opponents gain +1 Test
Throwing caution to the wind, you hurl yourself at your opponent. Sub-
Die on Fighting tests against you while you are knocked down.
tract 5 from your Combat Defense to gain +1D on your Fighting test.
The benefits of this action last until the start of your next turn.

Trample Greater
While mounted, you can trample over your enemies by moving in a
straight line through them. Resolve as a normal attack, except you sub-
stitute Animal Handling for Fighting. If your steed is not trained for
war, the Difficulty increases by 6. Each target you trample after the first
gains a cumulative +5 bonus to its Combat Defense; thus, the second
target gains a +5 bonus, the third a +10 bonus, and so on. On a success-
ful test, you deal damage equal to your steed’s Athletics rank, with each
degree of success providing additional damage as normal.

Advanced Reach
A weapon’s length conveys a lot about its function and effectiveness in
combat. While a pole-arm offers the advantage of being able to strike
opponents from afar, it can also be a liability when an enemy with a small
sword, dirk, or even hand axe manages to slip past the blade and deliver a
vicious attack. The basic combat rules distil the concept of reach into the
weapon qualities, offering a stripped down method for handling the stra-
tegic concerns of weapon length through qualities and weapon damage.
While this stripped-down method does make handling this factor easier,
it loses some of the granularity between the various weapons, favoring
longer and heavier choices. Advanced Reach rules add extra components
to highlight the tactical distinctions between these weapons.

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Table 9–7: Fighting Weapons & Reach

Weapon Specialty Reach Weapon Specialty Reach
Battleaxe Axes 0 Arakh Long Blade 1
Crowbill Axes 0 Bastard Sword Long Blade 1
Hand Axe Axes 0 Greatsword Long Blade 2
Longaxe Axes 2 Longsword Long Blade 1
Mattock Axes 1 Halberd Pole-arm 2
Woodsman’s Axe Axes 1 Peasant Tool Pole-arm 1
Ball and Chain Bludgeon 1 Pole-axe Pole-arm 2
Cudgel/Club Bludgeon 0 Buckler Shield 0
Flail Bludgeon 2 Shield Shield 0
Mace Bludgeon 0 Large Shield Shield 0
Maul Bludgeon 1 Tower Shield Shield 0
Morningstar Bludgeon 0 Dagger Short Blade 0
Quarterstaff Bludgeon 2 Dirk Short Blade 0
Warhammer Bludgeon 1 Stiletto Short Blade 0
Gauntlet Brawling 0 Boar Spear Spear 3
Improvised Brawling 0+* Frog Spear Spear 2
Knife Brawling 0 Pike Spear 6
Fist Brawling 0 Spear Spear 3
Whip Brawling 3 Tourney Lance Spear 4
Braavosi Blade Fencing 1 Trident Spear 2
Left-hand Dagger Fencing 0 War Lance Spear 3
Small Sword Fencing 0
* The reach of an improvised weapon can vary greatly. The Narrator should use his discretion depending on the circumstances, and item used.

Reach Free Attacks

Reach is an exclusive property of Fighting weapons. Thrown weapons may Free attacks are best used with the optional reach rules. A free attack is
also have a reach, but this condition applies only when the weapon is used a special attack that triggers when one combatant incautiously moves
as a Fighting weapon. Reach is measured in yards; 0 yards means you must away from another combatant. Any time a character starts inside an-
be adjacent to the opponent to attack, 1 means the opponent can be up to 1 other enemy’s optimal weapon reach and uses an action to move more
yard away, 2 yards means the opponent can be up to 2 yards away, and so on. than 1 yard, the character is at risk of being hit by a free attack. The
enemy compares his or her passive Fighting result to the character’s
Effects of Reach Combat Defense. Should the passive result equal or beat the character’s
Combat Defense, the enemy hits and deals damage as normal. Once the
When attacking an opponent at your reach, you resolve the Fighting
character is no longer inside another combatant’s optimal reach, he or
test normally. You may still attack a foe inside or outside of your reach
she may spend actions to move normally.
up to 1 yard in either direction by accepting –1D on your Fighting test.

Example Fatigue
Kristian’s character, Ser Reginald, fights a Braavosi duelist. Armed
Fatigue measures your ability to call upon hidden resources and push
with a longsword, Reginald’s reach is 1. The duelist, however, fights
yourself beyond your normal limits. At any time during a combat, even
with two daggers and has a Reach of 0. On the duelist’s turn, he moves
when it’s not your action, you can accept a point of fatigue to negate
inside Reginald’s reach to attack. So when it comes to Reginald’s turn,
specific effects until the start of your next turn. Each point of fatigue you
Kristian could attack without moving by taking –1D on his Fighting
accept imposes a –1 penalty on all test results. You cannot accumulate
test because his opponent is within his reach, or he could spend a Lesser
more fatigue than your Endurance rank. Possible uses of fatigue include:
Action to move back to put 1 yard between himself and his opponent.
BB Ignore an armor penalty

Reach & Two Weapons BB Ignore 1 wound.

BB Ignore all injuries
Most Off-hand weapons have a shorter reach than other weapons.
When armed with two weapons that have different reaches, you may BB Gaini one Lesser Action.
attack as normal, but you take –1D on your Fighting test given the Once you gain fatigue, it goes away on its own. For every four hours
disparity of the reaches. you rest, you remove one point of fatigue.

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