Not every turn in combat needs to be about dealing damage. Some of the most memorable moments in tabletop roleplaying games come from clever positioning, teamwork, battlefield control, or desperate survival decisions. The following combat actions are designed to give players meaningful options even when attacking is not the best answer.
Aid Accuracy Check (Combat Action)
You assist an ally with a task, attack, defense, or movement. This could mean distracting an enemy, pointing out a weakness, lifting a shield, or helping someone climb, reload, or escape danger. When you are aiding a target’s Accuracy Check, you find a way to distract their target or create an opening. The ally gains a bonus to their next Accuracy roll equal to either your ranks in your chosen weapon skill or your ranks in the Deception skill, whichever is higher.
Aid Skill Check (Combat Action)
You assist an ally with a task that may be more than they can handle. Aid actions encourage teamwork and allow support-focused characters to remain useful in every battle. When you use this action for a Skill Check, you and the ally you are helping both make the same Skill Check, or, if the situation allows, different skills for the same task. The highest of the rolls applies, with a bonus equal to the other’s ranks in the skill they rolled. However, both characters must be legally allowed to affect the outcome, and in many cases both may suffer the consequences of failure.
Brace (Combat Action)
You prepare yourself against possible incoming force. A braced character gains defensive bonuses, and bonuses to resist forced movement, being knocked Prone, or being Grappled. When you Brace, your Dodge Value increases by your ranks in Balance, and your Armor Value increases by half that amount, rounded down. You also gain a bonus to any check made to resist being pushed, moved, knocked Prone, or Grappled equal to your ranks in Athletics. These bonuses last until the start of your next turn.
Clear Your Mind (Combat Action)
You commit fully to evasive movement, locking the outside world away. When you take this action, you increase your Mental Value by an amount equal to your combined ranks in Concentration and Focus. You also gain a similar bonus to end any Persistent Effect that involves the Clumsy, Shaken, Cursed, Afraid, Charmed, Dazed, Paralyzed, or Stunned conditions.
Counter (Combat Action)
You prepare to channel your magic to stop another spellcaster from harming you or your allies. When you take this stance, you observe the area for anyone casting a spell. Whenever you see a spell being cast by a target within 60 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to attempt to counter it. You and the caster both make opposed Magic skill rolls, based on your chosen magic types. The caster gains a bonus to their roll equal to the cost of the spell they are casting. You gain a bonus to your roll equal to the amount of Mana you wish to spend on this action. If your roll is greater than or equal to the caster’s roll, the spell is cancelled and all Mana is spent. If the caster’s roll is greater, your Mana is wasted as the spell goes off. If either roll is 50 or more greater than the other’s, the loser of the duel is Dazed until the end of their next turn.
Dash (Combat Action)
You sacrifice caution for speed, moving farther than normal during your turn. Dash actions are useful for reaching objectives, escaping danger, closing with ranged enemies, or repositioning across large battlefields. When you take the Dash action, you may move your Walking Speed as your Combat Action.
Delay (No Action)
Instead of acting immediately, you wait for a better opportunity later in the round. Delay allows characters to react to changing battlefield conditions or coordinate with allies before committing to an action. When you Delay, you move your place in the Combat Speed order to after another person’s place in the order. You cannot choose to go before someone, only after them. Once you re-enter the Combat Speed order, that is your new place in the initiative order.
Escape (One Attack or Movement Action)
When you are Grappled or Restrained, you may attempt to break free in two ways. First, you may use Grappling (Athletics) to force your way out. Second, you may use Escape (Balance) to slip free. The number to beat is either a fixed number, such as 40 for webbing, or an opposed check by the creature holding you. Because you are initiating the Escape, ties go to you. You must declare which action you are using before making the attempt, and you may use multiple attempts in the same round if you have multiple attacks or movement available.
Feint (One Attack)
You intentionally fake an attack to create an opening. Successful feints may lower a target’s defenses or increase the effectiveness of your next attack or an ally’s attack. This can only be attempted when you have more than one attack in a round, either an Off-Hand attack or a second attack as part of a Combat Action. You may sacrifice one of your attacks, including one with a penalty, to give your next attack that round a bonus to the attack roll equal to your combined ranks in Intuition and Danger Sense.
First Aid (Combat Action)
Learning to heal is a skill that can literally save a life. The First Aid action can be used by anyone on themselves or on a target within their melee reach. Those trained in Healing or Combat Medic gain more benefit from it. A First Aid check immediately restores Health equal to 2D6 plus your ranks in Healing plus your ranks in Combat Medic. Additional skills and items can increase this value; for example, a Weak Healing Kit may increase it by 1D6.
Force Surrender (Combat Action)
When a target is below half Health, you may use your Combat Action to attempt to force them to surrender, or at least put doubt in their mind. Make an Instill Fear check against your target. It is an opposed check, which they can counter with a Concentration, Instill Fear, or Intuition check. If your check is equal to or greater than theirs, they are Distracted until the end of your next turn. If your check is at least 50 more than theirs, they are instead Paralyzed. If you start your turn and the target is still Distracted or Paralyzed from your Force Surrender action, you may repeat the roll as a Free Action.
Grapple (One Attack)
You physically seize, restrain, pin, or overpower another creature. Grappling can prevent movement, interrupt spellcasting, or force enemies into dangerous positions. Grappling takes an attack; if you have multiple attacks in a round, you may substitute this for any of them. As a grappler, you must grab someone within your melee reach unless something specifically lets you grapple at a different distance. You can only grapple a creature one size larger or smaller than you. You make a Grappling (Athletics) check opposed by either your target’s Grappling (Athletics) or Escape (Balance) check, their choice, but ties go to you. If you win, they are Grappled and Immobilized. Unless otherwise noted, you need at least one hand to maintain a grapple, but you can still attack with your other hand on subsequent actions.
Guard (Combat Action)
You protect a nearby ally by intercepting attacks, blocking movement, or threatening enemies who approach them. Guardians and defensive characters often use this action to control the battlefield. When you do so, one ally adjacent to you gains a bonus to their Armor Value and Dodge Value against the next attack made against them equal to either your combined ranks in Gambling and Tactics, your ranks in Perception, or your ranks in Thievery, whichever is highest. If that attack hits, you may choose to take the damage as your Reaction.
Hide (Combat Action)
You attempt to break line of sight and become difficult to detect. Hiding may involve shadows, terrain, smoke, illusions, crowds, or magical concealment. Make a Hiding (Stealth) check if you have somewhere to hide. Depending on the situation, you may be Invisible until you take a different action.
Intimidate (Combat Action)
You attempt to frighten or pressure an enemy through threats, overwhelming presence, or displays of power. Intimidation may force hesitation, lower morale, or disrupt weaker opponents. When you make an Intimidate check, the target gains a penalty to all Accuracy Checks made against you equal to your combined ranks in Battle Roar and Instill Fear.
Mislead (Combat Action)
You attempt to break an enemy’s concentration, confidence, or awareness through feints, insults, noise, illusions, or sudden movements. When you mislead a target, they suffer a penalty to their next Accuracy Check, Perception Check, or Concentration Check equal to your ranks in Conversation, Taunt, or your combined ranks in Entertain and Dancing, whichever is highest.
Monster Lore (Movement Action)
You scan the battlefield for a creature’s weaknesses, strengths, or simply useful knowledge about it. Each monster has a different skill associated with it, such as Agriculture for Plant monsters, Folklore for Faeries, Construction for Constructs, or Animal Empathy for Beasts. Make the appropriate check, and your Auditor will inform you of some facts about the creatures within your sight.
Rally (Combat Action)
You encourage allies through leadership, courage, or tactical commands. Rally actions may remove fear, improve morale, or help allies recover from negative conditions. When you use the Rally action, you and all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear you gain a bonus to overcome any Persistent Effect or Ongoing Damage equal to either your combined ranks in Conversation and Lead from the Front, or your combined ranks in Entertain and one of its subskills, whichever is higher.
Ready Action (Combat Action)
You prepare a specific action that will occur later if a chosen condition is met. Examples include attacking the first enemy through a doorway or casting a spell when an ally retreats. To Ready, first declare a trigger, such as a monster entering your weapon’s range. Then declare the action, such as attacking with your Longsword or casting Weak Ice Dagger. When the trigger happens, you may choose to make the action as your Reaction. Readying does not change your place in Combat Speed, and you can only ready a single action or attack, even if you could normally take more than one in a round. The readied action happens during the triggering creature’s turn, so it can interrupt that action.
Rejuvenate (Combat Action)
When you take the Rejuvenate action as your Combat Action, you forego all offensive efforts and focus entirely on restoring your reserves. You regain Mana equal to your Wisdom attribute with a bonus equal to your ranks in the Concentration skill; Stamina equal to your Endurance attribute with a bonus equal to your ranks in the Survival skill; and Health equal to your Constitution attribute with a bonus equal to your ranks in the Healing skill.
Shove (One Attack)
You attempt to knock an opponent Prone, stagger them, or reposition them slightly without fully grappling them. Shoving is technically a form of grappling. You make a Grapple check opposed by your target’s Escape check, as normal. However, instead of grabbing and immobilizing them, you move them. You may move them one square in any direction or knock them Prone. If your Grapple roll is more than 50 higher than theirs, they are Dazed until the end of your next turn. Size also matters in shoving – you take a -20 penalty to your roll for each size they are larger than you, but gain a +20 bonus for each size they are smaller than you.
Taunt (Bonus Action)
You deliberately draw attention to yourself through insults, challenges, or reckless bravado. Taunting may pressure enemies into attacking you instead of weaker allies. When you taunt a target, they take a penalty to attacking targets other than you equal to your combined ranks in Instill Fear and Taunt; however, they gain a similar bonus to attacking you.
Throw Item (Combat Action)
You toss a potion, bomb, rope, torch, key, or other carried object during combat. Throwing items can solve problems quickly without requiring direct attacks. Some items, such as grenades and similar consumables, are used as Thrown weapons. Unless the item says otherwise, throwing the item is a Combat Action and uses a Thrown Standard Attack. The range of a thrown item is 10 + your Strength attribute + your ranks in Fishing, rounded down to the nearest 5 feet. Unless the item states a different defense, the attack targets Dodge Value. If the item has an attack roll, make the Accuracy Check as normal; if it lists damage, roll that damage on a hit. Some thrown consumables do not require an Accuracy Check and instead resolve exactly as described in the item text. After a thrown consumable is used, it is expended.
Use Environment (Various Actions)
You manipulate terrain or nearby objects to gain an advantage. This includes slamming doors, tipping statues, cutting bridges, collapsing shelves, or activating machinery. This can often be done as a Bonus Action, but certain interactions may require a Movement Action or Combat Action.
Wrest Control (Combat Action)
You attempt to seize control of an object, mount, weapon, ritual focus, siege device, or magical artifact currently held or operated by another creature. This will generally involve an opposed action against the person controlling the object, but because you are initiating the check, you win ties.
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