Brawling

When the heroees and monsters are close enough to swing swords, wrestle, (and bite), etcetera, the brawling segment is used. The hero's choice of weapon, (subject to availability of course), affects the outcome of the battle as much as the weapon related abilities do.

Roll the dice once for each attack.

Step 1) roll the monster's weapon ability die, modify by hero's defense, then limit to the monster's weapon limit.

Step 2) roll the hero's ability die, modify by monster's defense, then limit according to the hero's weapon limit.

Step 3) subtract the hero's result from the monster's.

The result is the damage to the hero.

If the hero is killed, the monster can attack again, but heroes get a cumulative +1 modifier to their result after the first attack.

Options In unarmed combat; defense limit = tactics ability; weapon ability = fistfight; limit = combat, (no brawling bonus). Unarmed combat can be used with all the options below.

Using a weapon 2-handed: adds 1 to physique for limit purposes, it also reduces all armor worn to 1/2 value.
Normally, only armor points over defense limit are halved in rating. This option can not be combined with using 2 weapons at once, or used with a shield.

Using 2 weapons at once: an ability roll of the secondary weapon can be added to defense. All damage is applied directly to endurance.

Heroism: another hero can elect to be the target of an attack before the dice are rolled, but foregoes any armor rating, (monster's die modifier).

Joining in: other hero(s) can elect to absorb damage for the target. All the damage to the other hero is applied to endurance. Up to half the damage can be absorbed at 1:1, thereafter absorption is at 1:2.

Strategy: monsters that have more than one dice in thier attack ratings can be "split" into separate attacks. The monster can decide to do this, or the target hero can test strategy ability versus the monster's maneuver rating.

The decision to act in heroism must be stated before attack dice are rolled. Joining is done after attack rolls are made.

 
Table 11 weapon limits 
               blade flail hafted 
brawling bonus  1/2   1/2   1/3 
combat multiple #/3   #/3   #/2 
defense limit   a+#    a    a-# 
cost rating      #    #/2   #/3 
    # = required physique 
    a = agility

To find the hero's attack limit with a weapon, add: the weapon's brawling bonus times the hero's brawling ability. and the weapon's combat multiple times the her's combat ability. Note that brawling ability, (not weapon ability), is used for limit calculation.

If the hero's physique is less than the weapon's required physique, (#), then reduce the hero's brawling ability by the difference, attack and defense liits are reduced by the difference squared.

Defense limit doesn't affect attack limit. Armor rating points over the weapon's defense limit are halved.

Cost does not affect limits, it is the purchase price of the weapon, the actual price in silver coins can be found on the rating:actual table.

Choosing Targets

The monsters go one at a time. Each hero desiring to be a target challenges tactics ability versus the monster's maneuver rating.

   over 0, the monster must attack that hero. 
   0, another hero can attempt to be a target. 
   under 0, the referee chooses the target.