Combat

Combat in the Cold Iron system aims to give a reasonable and interesting amount of fidelity and to avert the auto-attack fest that can be a part of other systems. The goal is to give the player a variety of interesting choices.

Initiative

At the start of each round, each combatant refreshes their AP pool. They then roll 1d20 and add their AGI, size, and encumbrance modifiers, as well as any other effects. A natural 20 roll goes first, and a natural 1 roll goes last. Combatants take turns in order from highest to lowest, and the GM decides ties.

Below is a table of creature sizes and corresponding initiative modifiers.

Creature Size	Modifier
Tiny	+4
Small	+2
Medium	0
Large	-2
Huge	-4
Gigantic	-7

Action Points (AP)

AP is used for everything from moving to swapping items to casting spells to swinging a sword. During your turn, you may act until your AP for the round is expended.

You may also reserve your AP to do one of three things when it isn't your turn, after you have already gone:

1. Boost your Guard for 1 attack made against you, at a rate of 1AP for +1 Guard.
2. Move, at a +1AP cost per tile on top of the base cost
3. Shoot, Swing, Thrust, Kick, Punch or Throw

You may only perform one of these per round.

Movement

Each tile costs at least 2AP to move over. Difficult terrain will cost 3AP and may require an Acrobatics check to cross safely.

Attack Range, Attacks from Behind, and Attacks of Opportunity (AoO)

In general, creatures can attack targets within a 2m threat radius unless otherwise specified or possessing the means to do so.

When targets leave your threat radius you get to make one free Swing, Thrust, or Unarmed attack. In the case of the humanoid sapients, this unarmed attack is restricted to a Punch or Kick.

Moving within the threat radius (say, stepping to the side after making a Thrust) does not trigger an AoO. In this manner, it is possible to attack targets from behind, which gives a +4 attack bonus. However, when facing a target one on one, it will automatically face you unless you have the Fast Footwork perk.

Attack Rolls

To make an attack roll, roll 1d20 and add your MGT modifer if making a melee attack or your PER modifier if making a ranged attack. Your attack gets a bonus equal to the inverse of the target's initiative size modifier. Add any other bonuses or penalties. This combined sum must exceed the target's Guard.

Melee Combat

In a fight in the Cold Iron system, combatants perform Techniques. These include a variety of armed and unarmed strikes, throws, and weapon manipulation. When performing a Technique, unless otherwise stated the attacker must make an attack roll against the target’s Guard. Weapon techniques can only be performed with a weapon, while Unarmed techniques can be performed with or without one; after all, you can still kick people with a sword in your hand. All characters know the Basic Weapon and Unarmed techniques, but only a few learn one or more Advanced ones.

Grappling

There is a -2 penalty for each limb that you cannot use. For the purposes of grappling, having a shield, second weapon, or similar in the offhand counts as an unusable limb.

Dual-wielding

You get a +1 bonus to Guard in melee and a -1AP reduction to Swings and Thrusts as long as you alternate attacks between the main and off-hand. However, you take a -1/-2 penalty to attack with the main/off-hand, and the first attack still costs the full amount. The attack penalty is doubled for your off-hand if it isn’t holding a Light weapon.

Techniques

Techniques are the method by which player characters fight. They begin the game knowing all Basic and Universal Techniques. Advanced ones can be learned as characters grow in expertise and gain perks. Below, all technique qualities are listed in order of [Name, (AP Cost, Modifier(s) used)]. If a technique has Auto in its qualities, that means it does not need a dice roll to succeed.

Universal

• Disengage (2AP, None) (Auto): Carefully back away to just outside a target’s threat range, avoiding an AoO. In the case of multiple targets, Disengage must be used for each AoO seperately. Note that you can still attempt to move away from multiple targets if you don't have the AP to use Disengage from all of them - you will just take some AoOs.
• Draw Item (3AP, None) (Auto): Retrieve something from your inventory and put it in one hand. If it was stored in a backpack or something similar, pay 4AP instead.
• Stand (3AP, None) (Auto): Stand up from a prone state. Requires the use of both legs, or a suitable object.

Weapon (Basic)

• Swing (Dep, MGT): Swing your weapon at the target. AP cost/damage is on the weapon’s Swing profile.
• Thrust (Dep, MGT): Thrust your weapon at the target. AP cost/damage is on the weapon’s Thrust profile.
• Grapple (1AP, Dep): Both you and the target make one of an Athletics or Acrobatics check. If you win, you enter grappling. You may pay 1AP extra to turn this into a Takedown, where you and your target both go prone.
• Dual Strike (Dep, MGT): Make a Swing or Thrust with both weapons, paying the higher AP cost once. This results in two attack rolls made at the attack penalty of your off-hand.

Weapon (Advanced)

• Disarm (Armed) (3AP, AGI or MGT): Knock one of the target's weapons (shields not included) 2m directly behind you.
• Shieldwall (3AP, None) (Auto):Focus on defense, granting you and one ally next to you +2 Guard. The maximum Guard bonus you may receive from Shieldwall is +4. Requires a non-buckler shield.
• Split Shield (Dep, MGT): Use your weapon's Swing profile at the target's shield. On success, you make the usual damage roll and apply it to the shield. Requires a weapon with the Split trait.
• Joint Thrust (Dep, AGI): Use your weapon's Thrust profile at +1AP at a weak point in the target's armor, gaining Sunder 2/Piercing. Your weapon must deal Piercing damage on a Thrust.
• Hook (4AP, MGT): Use your weapon to hook either your target or their shield, making a roll against their Guard. On a successful roll, if you hooked your target, they must pass a DC(Your MGT) Athletics check to remain upright or else fall prone. If you hooked their shield, they must make a DC(Your MGT) AGI check to retain it or else drop it at their feet. Your weapon must have the Hook trait.
• Sweep (Dep, MGT): Attack all enemies in your forward arc, increasing the AP cost of your Swing by 2 and lowering the damage die by 1.

Unarmed (Basic)

• Kick (3AP, MGT): Kick the target to push them back 2m and deal 1 Unarmed damage. The target takes a DC(5 + Your MGT mod) Acrobatics check to remain upright or else fall prone.
• Punch (2AP, MGT): Punch the target to deal 1 Unarmed damage.
• Break Free (3AP, AGI or MGT): Attempt to break free when grappled. Make an Athletics check at DC(10 + Target MGT mod) to return to your position next to the target before grappling: if you were standing, return to standing, and if you were prone, return to prone.
• Pin (3AP, MGT): Pin the target so that they can't act until they break free.

Unarmed (Advanced)

• Limb Break (5AP, MGT): Break a target's limb or joint. Make a DC(5 + Target MGT mod) Athletics check with Disadvantage. On a success the target loses the use of that limb and takes 2 Unarmed damage.
• Throw (3AP, MGT): Make a dice roll with Disadvantage to throw the target your size or smaller 2m in a chosen direction. The target makes a DC10 Acrobatics check to land safely or take one Unarmed damage and land prone.
• Disarm (Unarmed) (4AP, AGI or MGT): Grab one of the target's held or sheathed items. On a success you will be holding said item.
• Pin (3AP, MGT): Pin the target so that they can't act until they break free.

Ranged Combat

Ranged combat lacks the variety of actions that can be performed when in melee: a fighter can shoot their weapon or throw something. Only thrown projectiles get a bonus to damage, which is equal to the thrower's MGT modifier.

• Shoot (Dep, PER): Fire a weapon that uses ammunition. If a target is in cover, your attack roll gets Disadvantage.
• Weapon Throw (DEP, PER): Throw a weapon or nearby object at the target, using the Thrust profile. If the projectile doesn't have the Thrown trait, it costs +1 AP to throw (or 5AP, if it's a regular object), takes a -2 penalty to attack every 2m the target is away, and deals 1 less damage die (or GM's discretion if it's a regular object).

Status Effects

Status effects can be applied to creatures at any time, but are typically applied in combat. They will generally last for only a few turns, and many can be broken earlier through successful skill checks.

• Afraid: A creature that is afraid takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and skill checks while the source of its fear is within line of sight. It also can't willingly move towards the source.
• Bleeding: A bleeding creature takes 1d6 damage at the start of each combat turn. Bleeding can be stopped by passing a DC10 FOR check at the end of a turn, or by receiving successful first aid or healing magic.
• Blinded: A blinded creature can't see, takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls, and has halved Guard and PER.
• Burning: A burning creature takes 1d6 Fire damage at the start of each combat turn. Burning can be stopped by using 4AP to put out the fire. If the target was covered in something flammable, they instead take 2d6 damage and to put out the fire must use 4AP and pass a DC12 FOR check.
• Charmed: A charmed creature can't attack or use any harmful abilities/effects on the charmer. The charmer gains a +4 bonus to checks regarding interaction with the charmed creature.
• Deafened: A deafened creature can't hear, its PER is halved and it takes a -1 penalty to Guard.
• Exhausted: All rolls and Guard get a -1 penalty. Exhaustion stacks up to 8 times.
• Grappling: You do not threaten any spaces around you. Any strikes from outside the grapple that miss you hit your opponent.
• Incapacitated: An incapacitated creature can’t act, fails all checks, has 1 Guard, drops what it’s holding and falls prone.
• Invisible: An invisible creature is impossible to see without some sort of special magic, sense or technology. It can be detected by sound. It gains a +4 to attack rolls and all attack rolls made against it get a -8 penalty. attack rolls can only be made against it if the attacker knows where it is.
• Poisoned: All rolls get a -4 penalty.
• Prone: A prone creature gets a -2 penalty to attack and ranged attacks made against it from range take a -2 penalty. Additionally, moving takes +1AP per 2m.
• Stunned: A stunned creature can’t act next turn and has halved Guard.

Damage Types

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• Afraid: A creature that is afraid takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and skill checks while the source of its fear is within line of sight. It also can't willingly move towards the source.
• Bleeding: A bleeding creature takes 1d6 damage at the start of each combat turn. Bleeding can be stopped by passing a DC10 FOR check at the end of a turn, or by receiving successful first aid or healing magic.
• Blinded: A blinded creature can't see, takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls, and has halved Guard and PER.
• Burning: A burning creature takes 1d6 Fire damage at the start of each combat turn. Burning can be stopped by using 4AP to put out the fire. If the target was covered in something flammable, they instead take 2d6 damage and to put out the fire must use 4AP and pass a DC12 FOR check.
• Charmed: A charmed creature can't attack or use any harmful abilities/effects on the charmer. The charmer gains a +4 bonus to checks regarding interaction with the charmed creature.
• Deafened: A deafened creature can't hear, its PER is halved and it takes a -1 penalty to Guard.
• Exhausted: All rolls and Guard get a -1 penalty. Exhaustion stacks up to 8 times.
• Grappling: You do not threaten any spaces around you. Any strikes from outside the grapple that miss you hit your opponent.
• Incapacitated: An incapacitated creature can’t act, fails all checks, has 1 Guard, drops what it’s holding and falls prone.
• Invisible: An invisible creature is impossible to see without some sort of special magic, sense or technology. It can be detected by sound. It gains a +4 to attack rolls and all attack rolls made against it get a -8 penalty. attack rolls can only be made against it if the attacker knows where it is.
• Poisoned: All rolls get a -4 penalty.
• Prone: A prone creature gets a -2 penalty to attack and ranged attacks made against it from range take a -2 penalty. Additionally, moving takes +1AP per 2m.
• Stunned: A stunned creature can’t act next turn and has halved Guard.