WARFARE
THE BATTLE RHYTHM
- Describe
- Declare
- Advance
- Resolve
- Respond
- Continue
DESCRIBE
The Game Master (GM) describes the Scene to the Players, including any Events or Actions that are already occuring in the case of the Player Characters (PCs) being surprised by Non-player Characters (NPCs) or something in the environment.
DECLARE
All characters are given a chance to declare the next Action they are doing. They do so in order from the lowest Mobility to the highest. This represents a more experienced and unburdened characters ability to read Tells and act responsively.
Determine the Counts required before your Action resolves. Jot them on your character sheet or use a play-aid to keep track of them such as a die, token, stones, coins, popcorn kernels, etc.
The number of Counts are equal to the Effort you commit to an Action.
NOTE
At the very beginning of a battle, you do not have to declare an Action.
If you don’t, and no other Actions have been resolved, yet – you may declare your Action to have started from any Count after the initial Count 0.
This is to prevent someone with lower Mobility from exploiting and bypassing the rule that they must declare their Action first when combat begins.
ADVANCE THE SCENE
Determine the declared Action that is scheduled to happen next – the one with least amount of Counts remaining.
Advance the Scene to that moment. Everyone reduces any Counts they have remaining by that number of Counts.
Example
For example, we begin the Scene at a Counts of zero. If the next scheduled Action has 3 Counts remaining, we advance the scene to that moment. Everyone subtracts 3 from their own Counts.
RESOLVE SCHEDULED ACTIONS
All Actions whose Count has reached zero are resolved at this time.
They are all happening simultaneously. The order in which there results are calculated is irrelevant and, except for Defensive Maneuvers targeting an attack, they do not affect one another.
Calculate the results of all of these Actions and then apply them all before advancing to the next scheduled Action.
Info
It is entirely possible for two characters to have just killed each other, or for two allies attacking the same character to have wasted some effort, when either of their attacks would have dropped their target.
RESPOND TO THE UNFOLDING SCENE
Each time an Action is resolved on a Count, any Events happen, or anything significant about the Scene changes, you are free to declare a new Action.
Declaring a new Action that is incompatible with an Action you have already declared means that you abandon the previously declared Action. You are not compensated in any way for the time and effort lost by abandoning an Action.
REWIND | RETCON
As long as it will not materially change a resolved outcome or be used as an exploit to the “lowest _Mobility declares first at the beginning of a Scene”, you can ask the GM to rewind the clock as far back as the completion of the resolution of the most recent Action for you to declare an Action.
When this happens, it happens for everyone and all characters are able to respond and act accordingly.
CONTINUE UNTIL THE SCENE ENDS
Everyone continues to declare Actions and resolve them as the Count continues until all living, capable, and conscious characters agree that the Scene has ended.
ACTIONS
A list of common Actions is provided with their required Effort.
You are not limited to only these Actions. If the Action you wish to perform is not on this list, work with the GM to find the closest reasonable match, or just agree on an amount of Effort and continue.
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ATTACK RESOLUTION
ONLY PC’S CAST LOTS
If you are performing the attack – once your Count reaches 0 – and assuming your target is still viable – Cast Lots before considering any other factors.
If you are being attacked – whether you are performing a Defensive Maneuver or not – Cast Lots before proceeding.
| LOT | EFFECT |
|---|---|
| Attacker CRIT/ Defender FUMBLE | The attack hits hard, plus the effects of an attacker weal/defender woe. |
| Attacker WEAL/ Defender WOE | The attacker gains a benefit, or the defender suffers a mishap. |
| Defender WEAL/ Attacker WOE | The defender gains a benefit, or the attacker suffers a mishap. |
| Defender CRIT/ Attacker FUMBLE | The attack completely misses, plus the effects of a defender weal/attacker woe. |
If the target of an attack does not actively defend themselves by performing a Defensive Maneuver, the attack will always land – barring the intervention of fate.
If they perform a Defensive Maneuver, the attack is resolved like most other Checks in Thaeborn – compare the attacker’s Prowess to the defender’s Prowess. However, there are often small modifiers that can add or subtract from both combatant’s Prowess. Therefore, we’ll define and use these two terms: Offense and Defense.
Offense equals the attacker’s Prowess plus any modifiers (Mods) granted to them by having a special weapon or gaining some advantage over their target.
Defense is calculated the same way: Prowess plus any Mods from having a normal shield, special armor, or gaining an advantage somehow.
Mods may be positive or negative. There is no difference between applying a bonus to the Offense versus a penalty to the Defense – just make sure you don’t accidentally apply it twice for the same reason – to the attacker and the defender.
Accuracy is the difference between the Offense and the Defense. Subtract the Defense from the Offense. If the result is greater than zero, the attack lands – barring the intervention of fate. The higher that number, the more precise and accurate the attack was, thus increasing the damage it deals.
Cast Lots