When surprise is possible, roll 1d6 for each side which might be surprised; most normal characters are surprised on a roll of 1–2. Surprised characters are unable to act for one Round. Characters or creatures which are well hidden and prepared to perform an ambush act from surprise on a roll of 1–4 on 1d6. Some characters or creatures are described as being less likely to be surprised; reduce the range by 1 for such creatures.
The foes of surprised characters can take a free action before Initiative is rolled.
Note that explorers traveling in a large party underground with light sources and metal armor clomping on stone floors are not going to surprise anything or anyone.
Encounters begin with the closest opposing characters 3d6 × 10' apart, unless there are specific details which would define the encounter distance, such as being in fog or a forest. In environments with limited visibility (such as underground), the maximum encounter distance will be the visibility distance. Note that creatures that can see in the dark and have ranged combat capabilities will certainly attack from beyond the range of their opponents’ vision.
In most instances, NPCs’ reactions will be obvious based on the circumstance of the encounter. If there is any doubt, consult the following chart.
This chart can also be used in any situation where someone is attempting to convince an NPC as to a course of action and there is doubt as to the outcome.
| Roll | Reaction |
| 2 | Hostile |
| 3-5 | Unfriendly |
| 6-8 | Indifferent |
| 9-11 | Talkative |
| 12 | Helpful |
All player characters roll 1d6 for initiative individually, and the Referee rolls initiative once for each type of enemy they are facing in combat. Then the Referee counts down from 6 to 1 (with each of these units being a Segment of the combat Round), with everyone acting on their particular Initiative Segment.
If there are ties, then all tied combatants act simultaneously.
These given options certainly do not consist an exhaustive list of possible actions. The Referee has the final say in what can or cannot be done in one Round.
A character can attack if there is an enemy within striking range. The Referee will inform the player what the opponent’s AC is, and the player rolls a d20 to determine if his character hits. If the result is equal to or greater than the defender’s AC (including all modifiers), then the character inflicts the weapon’s damage upon the opponent.
Strength modifiers are added to the Attack Bonus in mêlée. Dexterity modifiers are added to the Attack Bonus in ranged combat and to Armor Class.
Fighters, Dwarfs, and Elves have two extra options when attacking in mêlée. They are:
Armor Class adjustments remain in effect until the character’s action in the following Round. Attacking ends a character’s Round.
All classes except Non-Martial ones may choose to wield two one-handed weapons, as follows:
Casting a spell during combat is a very risky proposition because the caster leaves himself completely helpless and open to attack while doing so. Magic- Users must have both hands free (a staff or wand in hand is acceptable), Elves need just one free hand, to cast a spell. Clerics must have their holy symbol in one hand for the entire Round. A character wishing to cast a spell cannot drop anything at the beginning of the Round or move at all during the whole of the Round. His attention must be on casting the spell for the entire Round.
Spells with an instantaneous or permanent duration take effect right away. All other spells take effect at the beginning of the next Round before Initiative rolls are made.
If a character has taken any damage earlier in a Round, the character cannot cast a spell that Round.
A sneak attack is simply an attack made from behind when an enemy is unaware. For most characters this offers no benefits other than the normal benefits for Attacking from Behind but when a Specialist with more than one point put into sneak attack does it he gets a +2 bonus to hit and the critical multiplier is increased per point. eg a Specialist with 3 points into Sneak attack will get a +2 bonus to attack and will do triple damage.
If a character is not holding the weapon that he wants to use, he can drop what is in his hands and draw a weapon (assuming the weapon is in an accessible place such as on a belt scabbard). There is a –2 penalty to hit during the Round that this happens.
Sometimes winning the Initiative over a foe is not all that advantageous because it is important to know what the opponent is going to do before deciding for oneself. Any action can be held until the end of the Round, and at the time the action is taken, it happens simultaneously, not before, other actions are taken. For instance, if waiting for an enemy to close later in the Round before attacking, when that enemy closes both attacks happen simultaneously; the one holding his action does not act first.
A character can move up to ⅓rd of his normal movement rate in feet every Round, and can also attack during this Round if there is an enemy within that distance.
Once per combat, a character may chargeinto melee and attack, as follows:
Characters can decide to defend themselves in combat at the expense of all other possible activity. No other action is allowed during a Round in which a character parries, although the player is free to decide that his character is parrying at any point during the Round, even out of Initiative sequence, provided that the character has not yet acted. This gives a +2 AC bonus for the Round, or a +4 bonus for Fighters, Dwarfs, and Elves.
If an item is in a character’s hands, or handy on his belt, the character can use it freely. If the item is in a pouch, the item will take 1d3+1 rounds to ready (including the first Round). If the item is in a sack or backpack, it will take 3d6 Rounds. During this time, the character can be attacked as if from behind; if the character defends himself with his normal AC, the Round does not count as searching for an item as he is concentrating on avoiding being hit rather than readying the desired item. It is not a good idea to sit there and rifle through one’s pack while somebody is trying to kill you.