When using an ATTACK ACTION, you use the STAT for either the weapon or Ring you’re using and the TACTIC, either MELEE or RANGED. Add any modifiers.
STAT + TACTIC + MODIFIERS = # of d10s rolled
The enemy will roll the same STAT + their DEFENSE + any MODIFIERS.
If you are defending and would roll 0 or fewer dice, you may choose to roll one die and give one additional die to the contested roller. You may choose not to do this – you will take the full attack.
DAMAGE
If you get more successes than the opponent, take the base STAT value used in the ATTACK roll, check for any damage modifiers you may have (from Rings, etc), add the number of extra successes you achieved over your opponent of your roll, and you do that many points of HP damage to them. If they have shields, HP damage is applied to those first.
If the defending opponent rolls more successes than you, you do no damage.
EXAMPLE
You roll five successes on an ATTACK roll against an opponent. They roll three successes while defending.
Your STAT was 4. They take 6 (4 from STAT and 2 from extra successes) HP of damage.
You roll three successes on an ATTACK roll against an opponent. They roll three successes while defending.
Because you tied, they take no damage.
You roll five successes on an ATTACK roll against an opponent. They roll three successes while defending. They have 3 points in a shield.
With your STAT of 2, you deal 5 points of damage – 3 to the shield and 2 HP to the opponent.
0 DAMAGE EQUALS NO DAMAGE. If there is an effect that triggers based on damage done, it does not trigger if no damage is done. The only damage that counts for triggered effects is HP damage or shield damage.
DEFENDING
When you are attacked, you roll the STAT that was used to attack you + DEFENSE + any relevant modifiers.
If you match or beat the number of successes the attacker rolls, you take no damage.
TYPES OF ATTACKS AND HOW THEY WORK
Weapon type is assigned during character creation/level up or by the GM when you find one. Weapons cannot change type – even though you can use ranged weapons in melee, if you do so, you don’t get the bonus melee damage. I don’t care about your gunblade – it’s either melee or ranged. Pick one.
MELEE
Melee is an attack to a target considered adjacent to you. For most units, this will be the next space over, but some abilities or powers will give a unit increased range. If there is a vertical difference greater than one space, you cannot attack someone in an adjacent space with a melee attack (unless you have increased range, in which case the possible vertical difference allowed matches the increased range value).
As melee attacks involve more risk than ranged, add [STAT/3] damage to any successful attack damage amount.
EXAMPLE
At level 3, you roll five successes when you attack with a melee attack. Your target rolls two successes in defense. You deal seven total damage to the target (three from the base STAT, three from the extra successes and one additional damage from being in melee).
RANGED
Ranged weapons can be used when either adjacent to or distant from an enemy. They have greater flexibility than melee, but do less damage.
Ranged weapons can reach a target anywhere within 10 spaces and do not do bonus damage like melee. However, if an ally (not you) is adjacent to an opponent, ranged attacks add [STAT/3] dice to the ATTACK roll as a MODIFIER. If an ally is adjacent to multiple opponents, the bonus applies to all eligible opponents. This modifier does not stack if you have multiple allies adjacent to an opponent or if you are attacking multiple opponents with one attack.
BREAKING WEAPONS
Weapons have one advantage over Rings: weapons can be used to negate an attack. This can be declared after the damage amount is revealed. When you do this, tell the GM which weapon you are choosing to break. That weapon will not be functional until you return to Hope. Furthermore, you cannot replace that broken weapon with another one.
You can do this with both weapon sets, but bear in mind that you will then have no weapons you can use and will be stuck with only Ring powers until your weapons are repaired.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are using part of your body as a weapon set, you can break your weapon without causing HP damage to yourself. That body part will function normally but cannot be used as a weapon.
RINGS
Similar to weapons, Rings are assigned as melee or ranged and have a range of powers that are described by the Rings themselves. Rings are semi-sentient and may often project hints of feelings or impulses as you use them, but cannot control your actions or influence you without your awareness. They’re simply not capable of it.
Rings cannot be destroyed or damaged in any way. A Ring that has been removed by its Hand or whose Hand has passed beyond the allotted window for resurrection reverts to its original, smallest size. Rings do not have levels; Hands do, so as long as you have the capacity to wear a Ring, you can use any Ring you come across.
You cannot break a Ring to avoid an attack like you can with your weapons.