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Initiative | Spell Penalty | Called Shots | Offhand | Surprise | Bladed Subdual
Initiative
Weapon Modifiers
The existing rules do not allow for the fact that certain weapons are faster or slower to use, or have superior or inferior reach. The following broad modifiers can be applied to a character's Initiative roll depending on what weapon they are using.
| Type | Initiative Modifier |
| 'Unarmed' (Da-Khar, Garde, etc.) | -1 |
| One-Handed Weapon (sword, club, etc.) | 0 |
| Staff | 0 |
| Two-Handed Weapon (greatsword, halberd, etc.) | -3 |
Drawing/Readying a Weapon
If a weapon must be drawn prior to use (including drawing an arrow from a quiver, knife from a sheath, etc.), the character suffers an Initiative penalty due to the extra time required.
| Action | Initiative Modifier |
| Draw/Ready a Weapon | -5 |
Missile Weapons
Missile weapons (including throwing knives, spears, etc.) are extremely fast to use if the weapon is in hand and ready to fire (such as a bow being carried in firing pose, with an arrow already nocked, or a throwing knife held ready by blade tip). In such situations, the character is likely to be able to fire/thrown before a melee opponent can retaliate.
| Situation | Initiative Modifier |
| Missile/thrown weapon ready for immediate use | +5 |
Spellcasting Initiative
Spellcasting is generally slower to use than a comparative weapon, but this isn't reflected in the rules. Spellcasters suffer an Initiative penalty depending on what Mode of spell they are attempting to cast. Defend spells are the swiftest to use; created to be erected quickly in emergencies to protect against spells and weapons. Attack spells are fairly fast (as spells go), having been designed for use in combat situations. All other spellcasting is painfully slow, especially Summon (which also has the disadvantage of a far longer casting time).
| Spell Mode | Initiative Modifier |
| Defend | -3 |
| Attack | -5 |
| Summon | -10 |
| All Others | -7 |
Spell Penalty
In order to create a more high-magic world, change the standard spell penalty system to the following:
- If the Spellcasting result is a Success or better, no Spell Penalty is taken.
- If the Spellcasting result is a Partial Success or worse, a -1 penalty is taken.
Called Shots
Aimed Shot Modifiers
The following table of modifiers can be used as a guide when characters attempt Aimed Shots.
Note: all Aimed Shots need a Full or Critical Success to work; a Partial Success is counted as a Failure.
| Target | Attack Roll Modifier |
| Torso | -1 |
| Chest | -2 |
| Abdomen | -3 |
| Leg | -4 |
| Arm | -5 |
| Head | -6 |
| Hand/Foot | -7 |
| Throat | -8 |
| Eye/Sever Rope | -9 |
| Eye Shot through Visor | -10 |
Disarm
Characters attempting to disarm another character, in melee or using a ranged weapon, follow the same Aimed Shot rules as normal, but the attack suffers a -5 penalty.
| Action | Initiative Modifier |
| Disarm | -5 |
Taking Aim
If desired, a character using a non-thrown ranged weapon, such as a bow or crossbow, may take the time to draw a steady bead on their target, increasing the probability that they will hit. Every complete round spent aiming (no other actions can be attempted during the round) adds +1 to the character's "to Hit" roll, up to a maximum of +4.
Off-Hand
Characters attempting to use a weapon (or perform an intricate task, such as writing) with their off-hand (the hand they aren't naturally disposed to use), such as in cases where their main hand is injured beyond use, suffer a penalty to the applicable actions while doing so.
| Situation | Penalty |
| Off-Hand | -5 |
Surprise
There are always moments when characters come across something so unexpected, that it momentarily stuns them, slowing and possibly even causing them to pause for a few seconds. Unfortunately, even a few seconds can mean the difference between life and death. One common example is a completely unexpected ambush or attack that occurs without warning, or from a completely unexpected position.
When an individual or group is completely taken unawares, they suffer a -5 penalty on all their rolls for the round during which they were surprised, including Initiative. They can operate normally starting the following round.
Note: GM's should always use surprise sparingly and with caution, because the stiff penalties it imposes can easily result in serious problems (including injury and/or death) for the surprised party. Use of surprise should always make sense, and/or serve a purpose in the adventure plot (preferably both).
Bladed Weapons and Subdual Damage
Bladed weapons such as swords and axes can be used as subdual weapons by striking with the flat of the blade rather than the edge. Unfortunately, this means using such weapons in an unwieldy fashion, so such strikes suffer a -3 attack penalty. In addition, as the weapon was designed to inflict damage only with its edge, its DR should be halved for subdual damage.
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