1. Declarations: The intent to cast a spell, use a fairy rune, or retreat from melee must be declared.
2. Initiative: Each side rolls 1d6 to determine which side acts first. Highest acts first.
3. Winning side acts: Actions of combatants on the winning side are handled in the following sequence:
   1. Movement: Combatants may not move when casting a spell.
   2. Missile attacks: Fired or thrown attacks.
   3. Magic: Spells, runes, glamours, magic items, turning the undead.
   4. Melee attacks: And other actions.
4. Other sides act: Repeat steps 3a to 3d for each side, in order of initiative (highest first).
5. Morale: The Referee makes a Morale Check for monsters and NPCs, if applicable.

Typically there are two sides in a combat encounter—a PC adventuring party and a group of NPCs or monsters. It is possible to have more than two sides in situations where multiple independent groups meet.

Two combatants are treated as being in melee if they are positioned within 5′ and one or both has made a melee attack against the other.

During combat, game time is tracked in Rounds (about 10 seconds). See Time and Movement.

Combatants may move and perform one action each Round. Those wishing to cast a spell or use a fairy rune may not move in the same Round.

The following count as a combatant’s action for the Round. For other actions, the Referee must judge what is feasible within the space of a Round.

• Make an attack.
• Cast a spell, use a rune, or use a glamour.
• Drink a potion.
• Activate a magic item.

The Referee may allow combatants to take momentary actions (e.g. shouting a few words, dropping a held object) in addition to their main action for the Round.

Certain actions must be declared before initiative is rolled, as they have consequences for the side that loses initiative. Declaration applies to all combatants, whether controlled by players or by the Referee.

Spells and runes: The intention to cast a spell or use a fairy rune this Round must be declared. The spell or rune is disrupted if the caster loses initiative and is harmed.

Fleeing from melee: The intention to flee from melee this Round must be declared. Opponents that win initiative may attack the fleeing combatant with a bonus.

Other actions: Need not be declared.

Initiative determines which side acts first each Round.

Initiative Rolls: Each side rolls 1d6. One player rolls for the adventuring party as a whole, and the Referee rolls for each other side.

Highest roll wins: The side with the highest roll acts first, followed by other sides in order from highest to lowest initiative.

Ties: Either both sides may roll again, or actions on both sides may be resolved simultaneously.

Waiting: A side may choose to voluntarily lose initiative, waiting to react to the other side’s actions.

Combatants can move up to half their Speed in feet per Round.

Fleeing from melee: A combatant wishing to move at greater than half Speed must turn and flee melee, forfeiting their attack this Round. Opponents in melee with a retreating combatant gain a +2 Attack bonus against them this Round and ignore any AC bonus from their shield.

Combatants can move up to their Speed in feet per Round.

Fleeing an encounter: Combatants not in melee may flee a combat encounter, beginning running movement (3 times Speed in feet per Round—see Time and Movement) and using the rules for evasion (Evasion).

Melee attacks are possible when opponents are 5′ or less from each other. Missile attacks are possible when opponents are more than 5′ from one another. See Attack Rolls for full details on making an Attack Roll.

Melee: Strength Modifier (also applies to damage).

Missile: Dexterity Modifier (not applied to damage).

Rear attacks: Negates AC bonuses from shields.

Missile range: Short: +1 Attack, Medium: no modifier, Long: –1 Attack. Beyond Long range: attack not possible.

Missile cover: The Referee may apply Attack Roll penalties of between –1 and –4 if a target is hiding behind partial cover. For example, a small table might incur a –1 penalty, dense woods might incur a –4 penalty. Targets behind full cover cannot be hit.

The Referee should judge the number of opponents that can attack a single combatant, bearing in mind the combatant’s size and the available space around them.

10′ wide corridors: Have sufficient space for at most 2–3 characters to fight side-by-side.

Spells, fairy glamours, fairy runes, magic items, and turning the undead all take effect in this phase in the initiative sequence.

Line of sight: Unless noted otherwise, the intended target (a specific creature, object, or area) must be visible to the character.

Movement: Characters casting spells or using fairy runes cannot move in the same Round.

If a character casting a spell or using a rune is successfully attacked or fails a Saving Throw before their side’s initiative, the spell or rune is disrupted and fails. Spells fizzle out with no effect and are erased from the caster’s memory. Runes are treated as having been used.

If a battle is going against them, combatants may decide to retreat, flee, or surrender. Players always make this decision for their characters, but the Referee may roll to determine if monsters or NPCs break morale.

Morale Checks: Roll 2d6. If the result exceeds the combatant’s Morale, their morale breaks and they try to surrender or flee in the next Round. Otherwise they keep fighting.

One check per side: Typically a single Morale Check is made for all members of a side, rather than one check per individual.

When to check Morale: The first time a combatant on the same side is killed, and when half of the side has been killed or defeated. For a creature encountered alone, a Morale Check should be made when it is first harmed and when it is reduced to 1/4 or less Hit Points.

Two successes: If a combatant makes two successful Morale Checks in an encounter, they will fight until killed, with no further checks necessary.

Morale 12: Combatants with Morale 12 fight to the death, never rolling a Morale Check.

Situational modifiers: The Referee may apply modifiers (from –2 to +2) to combatants’ Morale.