Basics & Combat

Melee combat is any combat that is physical and uses weapons in some form or the character’s natural attacks. The format for Melee combat is the same regardless of what weapon is being used. Melee is the use of swords, fists, gauntlets, or any weapon that makes physical contact. Two other physical forms of combat exist including Ranged and Thrown. When making an attack with a melee weapon the character must make an Attack Roll (a dice roll for when the character declares an attack against an enemy) which goes against the targets Physical Dodge (PD). This is done by rolling a 1d20 and adding the Strength Score and any Training Ranks the character has in the weapon category (one handed, ranged, etc.). The formula for an Attack Roll is:

Attack = 1d20 + Strength Score + Training Ranks + Bonuses

If the Attack Roll meets or beats the targets Physical Dodge then the attack is successful. The Damage Roll is then calculated using the weapon’s Damage Die (DD), which is the die the weapon uses for damage, added to the ranks put into the weapon training plus any bonuses. The Damage Roll is made against the target’s Physical Resistance (PR) and the difference between the two is subtracted from the target’s Health pool and the rest is dealt to the armor of the target. The Damage is calculated by the formula:

Damage = DD + Training Ranks + Bonuses

Natural Attacks are attacks that use the Unarmed Die (UD) for damage and go against the Physical Dodge. The attack is calculated the same as for regular melee Attack Rolls. Different natural attacks deal different amounts of unarmed damage. The damage natural attacks deal can be increased by equipping Unarmed Weapons. The amount of damage an individual Unarmed Die deals depends on if the caster has leveled up their Unarmed Die by expending Build Points. Starting at level one, all Characters deal 1d4 damage for their UD.

Unarmed Die (UD)	Build Point (BP) Unlock Requirement
1d4	–
1d6	5
1d8	10
1d10	15
1d12	20

Ranged combat is calculated slightly differently. Ranged combat is any combat that is physical but done at a distance using a weapon such as bows and arrows, slingshots, firearms, or canons and is made against the target’s Physical Dodge. The formula for the Attack Roll for Ranged combat is:

Ranged Attack = 1d20 + Dexterity Score + Training Ranks + Bonuses

Ranged attacks suffer penalties such as a -2 accuracy penalty for firing into combat. They also get bonuses if the targets are close, such as a +5 accuracy bonus for targets within 5 feet.
Thrown combat is anytime a character throws an object (such as rocks, elixirs, or bombs) at an enemy using their hands or tail. The Attack Roll is calculated as:

Thrown Attack = 1d20 + Strength Score + Training Ranks + Bonuses

However, this attack has the same penalties and bonuses as Ranged combat such as a -2 accuracy penalty for throwing into combat. The Thrown Attack Roll goes against the targets Physical Dodge. If the Thrown Attack Roll meets or beats the Physical Dodge, then it is successful and either deals damage or has its affect take place.

Knowing whether the object can be thrown by the character or not depends on the objects Throw DC. The Throw DC determines if the character can throw an object 5 feet and is calculated by the objects weight divided by 10 + 10 + 5 for every additional 5 feet thrown except for objects whose weight is below 10, in which case the DC score is simply the object’s weight +5 for every additional 5 feet thrown. The character must make a Strength Check (the Strength Score + 1d20) in order to over come this DC. Certain Strength scores have Weight Penalties when trying to throw objects.
Creatures with a Strength of 7 to 9 have a -5, scores 5 to 6 have a -15, scores 3 to 4 have a -18, and scores 1 to 2 have a -25 while creatures with a Strength score of 0 cannot lift objects to throw.

Throw DC [10 lbs or more] = (Weight/10) + 10 [+5 for every additional 5 feet]

Throw DC [Below 10 lbs] = Weight [+5 for every additional 5 feet]

Throw Strength Check = Strength Score – Weight Penalty + 1d20

Strength Score	Weight Penalty
1 – 2	-25
3 – 4	-18
5 – 6	-15
7 – 9	-5

Every Character is capable of casting magic in the form of mana. The amount of maana a character is able to cast depends on that character’s Mana Pool (MP) and is used by spells and magical abilities. Every Spell and magical ability has a Mana Cost (MC) that is depleted from the character’s MP when cast.
Some spells have a Mana Cost of 0 and are called Cantrips and can be cast without any cost but instead the caster must have at least 1 point still in their Mana Pool. If a Mana Pool does reach 0 then the caster then becomes Exhausted for one round after expending all magic. A Character can keep using magic if the Mana Pool is at 0 but doing so subtracts the amount used from their Constitution Score which risks passing out or even death. However, Cantrips cannot be cast if the Mana Pool is at 0 as their Constitution cannot be used for 0 Mana Cost.
Every spell also has a Spell Access Level that determines the complexity of the spell. Starting at level one, Characters only have access to Cantrips. In order to gain access to higher level spells they must spend the appropriate amount of Build Points to unlock them and each level must be unlocked in order and lower SAL spells cannot be skipped. See the Leveling System for more details about this.

Spell Access Level (SAL)	Build Point (BP) Unlock Requirement
Cantrip	–
Common	5
Uncommon	10
Abnormal	15
Rare	20
Very Rare	25

Many spells have a Spell Die (SD) that is used to calculate how much damage the spell deals to a target. Generally, each spell only has to have dice rolled for one thing in the spell. For every SD used in a spell, the MC of the spell increases by 2. Thus, 2 MC = 1SD for every spell. The more Mana that is spent in the spell, the more SD can be used. Just like Unarmed Die, the amount of damage that the Spell Die deals depends on if a Character has leveled up the damage by expending Build Points to unlock them. Starting at level one, all Characters deal 1d4 damage for their SD.

Spell Die (SD)	Build Point (BP) Unlock Requirement
1d4	–
1d6	5
1d8	10
1d10	15
1d12	20

Whenever attacking with a spell the Character must make a Spell Attack that goes against the Spell Dodge. Spell Attacks are calculated by rolling a 1d20 and adding any Training Ranks the character has in Spell Attack plus their Sanity.

Spell Attack = 1d20 + Sanity Score + Spell Attack Training + Bonuses

If it meets or beats your opponents Spell Dodge then it hits the target. Damage is then rolled and calculated depending on the spell using the Spell Die (SD) plus any training in Spell Attack. The damage goes against the target’s Spell Resistance (SR) and the difference between the two is subtracted from the target’s Health Pool and the rest is dealt to their armor. The Spell Damage formula is:

Spell Damage = SD + Spell Attack Training Ranks + Bonuses

​The amount of Mana a spell costs also determines how long it takes for the spell to be cast. For every 10 MC spent on a spell the cast time is 1 Standard Action. Spells that cost more than this must be charged, uninterrupted, for more than one round or can be assisted by other spell casters who have the same spell. For example, a 20 MC spell will take 2 rounds for a caster to spend and use. However, another spell caster casting the same spell can split the cost and both can use 10 MC each to cast the same spell in one turn.
This group Mana sharing is sometimes required for higher cost spells. For example, if a spell cost 100 MC to cast then it will be impossible for lower level casters to cast it without the aid of multiple same level casters or a few higher leveled ones. Still yet, some spells are impossible to cast by only one caster and can have MCs in the thousands, making it required for multiple casters to cast the spell and split the cost between them. The MC can be split in any way so long the casters have enough Mana in their Mana Pool to be able to assist.

Spell Dice Check

Every spell has a Spell DC that can be calculated and are used for various things including crafting and calculations for other spells such as saves against spells or if a spell is being Nullified. The Spell DC is calculated by:

Spell DC = 10 + MC + Caster’s Level

Spell Range Types

Some spells attack multiple targets at once. For example, spells with a Cone, Line of Attack, or Area of Effect will hit multiple targets dealing the same effects and amount of damage to each target in its range.

• Cone attacks starts from the caster and spreads out, doubling in width for every five feet it extends out. The player must roll a single spell attack roll and all targets in range whose Spell Dodge is lower than the spell attack roll are effected by the spell and all of its effects.
• Line of Attack is the same as cone, except it reaches out in a single straight line and its width does not increase. Again, the player must roll a single spell attack roll and all targets in range whose Spell Dodge is lower than the spell attack roll are effected by the spell and all of its effects.
• Area of Effect spells do not have a defined shape, but instead effect an area as large as the caster is capable of putting Mana into the spell and all targets within the spell’s area of effect range whose Spell Dodge is lower than the caster’s spell attack role are effected by the spell and all of its effects. Some of these spells may have a DC that can be overcome for the purpose of hardness or effectiveness.

Bloodlines provide affinities to a creature. Whenever a creature with a bloodline casts a Mana spell then the spell automatically gains the affinity of the caster’s bloodline. For example, a creature with a Shadow Bloodline that casts the spell “Mana Blast” will deal shadow damage in a Shadow Blast spell instead. In order to change the elemental type the caster would need to use the Cantrip “Mana Affinity” as other casters.

The Spell List & Casting Rules

The Spell List reveals many important things about the spell, starting with the Spell Name. Every spell has a minimum Mana Cost but not necessarily a maximum. What the MC determines is always defined in the spell’s description (the details of what the spell does and how to cast it), which is also listed on the Spell List.

The only cost that the spell list will show is the minimum and is typically presented as “>1” or something similar (sometimes it will say “See Chart” for spells that have Spell Charts, such as being based on size). This is errata for “1 MC or more” and it means that the minimum cost for this spell (to use the weakest form of it) costs only 1 MC, but that more Mana can be used to make the spell either have more effects or to deal more damage (increasing the SD) or even increasing the range, duration, or amount of targets affected by the spell.

For example, the spell Magic Missile is defined in its spell effect as “You shoot missiles of pure magic at a target and deal 1 SD of damage to them.” Just like the MC for the spell, this reveals the effect of what the minimum cost for this would do. The MC for Magic Missile is presented as “>2” and as the effect reveals, the MC is for the SD used in the spell. Anytime a spell uses a SD, 2 MC is automatically added to the minimum MC to cast the spell. If the player wanted to use another SD they would have to use 2 more MC making 2 SD for Magic Missile cost 4 MC.

Sometimes a spell has no SD in it and instead the amount of Mana used changes a different aspect. For example, Acute Senses has the MC increase the amount of time the spell lasts for. The MC for Acute Senses is listed as “>1” and the Effect states “…the effect lasts for 1 hour/MC” and the Spell Duration (how long a spell lasts for, covered below) is listed as “>1 hour” meaning “One hour or More for each MC”. In full this spell is explaining that for every 1 MC used on Acute Senses, the effect lasts for 1 hour. If 5 MC is used on this spell, the spell will last for 5 hours.

Lastly, the Mana Cost can represent multiple factors at once and the amount of Mana used can increase some aspects while not increasing other aspects. For example, the spell Mana Rain is listed as having a MC of “>3” and its Effect states both that “the size of the spell is a 5 feet in diameter/1 MC” and that “it deals 1SD of damage.” This means that the minimum of this spell deals 1 SD of damage while the cloud itself only has a diameter of 5 feet. If you wanted to increase the size of the cloud to 10 feet, which would be an additional 1 MC making the spell cost 4 MC total (2 for the 10 feet diameter and 2 for the 1 SD). Alternatively, you could increase the amount of damage the cloud does, and not its size, making it only 5 feet in diameter but deal 2 SD. In this case, the spell would cost 5 MC (1 for the 5 feet and 4 for the 2 SD). Of course either aspect or even both aspects of the spell could be increased and to any size or any amount of SD as you are able and willing to put into it.

Duration is how long a spell, once cast, will last for. Some spells have a duration that depends on the amount of MC is used while others either have a set amount of time are depend on how many levels the caster who cast the spell has and can be based on rounds, minutes, or even hours.

The Casting Time is how long it takes for a spell to be cast by the caster which includes prep and all actions required to perform the spell. Spells with a MC of 10 automatically take one action depending on the type of action the spell. For every 10 MC the spell requires 1 action and therefore can take multiple rounds to cast. Most spells require 1 Standard Action however, some may only be 1 Swift Action or even a Full Round Action (FRA) meaning they cannot make any other actions the turn they cast the spell except for an Instant Action. If any Actions other than Instant were already taken that turn then a FRA spell cannot be cast that turn.

The spell Range determines the maximum range that a spell can be cast to. Touch spells can only be cast by physically touching the intended target with a part of the caster’s body. Close spells have a maximum range of 30 feet and meant for small engagements involving a traditional party. Medium spells have a maximum range of 200 feet and is meant for large scale combat involving multiple parties across a field. Long spells have a maximum range of 500 feet and is meant for long range combat including sea or aerial combat involving multiple casters and even multiple armies. While Engaged In Combat, casters can only cast a spell up to their Visual Range regardless of the spell’s range and otherwise take a -2 penalty to Attack for every 5 feet after their visual range.

Deciphering Spells

Sometimes a Character will come across a magical text, spell book, or other magical writings that hold the formula or magical signature of a spell. In such scenarios the character is capable of learning spells from the texts by making a Spell Craft Check and overcoming the Decipher Spell DC.

Decipher Spell DC = 10 + Rarity Score

The Rarity Score is calculated from each rarity level as Common +5, Uncommon +10, Abnormal +20, Rare +25, and Very Rare +30.

If successful, the character will learn the new spell and can add it to their spell list. However, even if a character learns a spell they may not be able to cast it. For example, if the character only has access to Common spells but learns an Uncommon spell then they will have the knowledge of how to cast the spell but will not have the skill to and therefore be unable to cast it until they gain access to Uncommon spells.

Combat can be conducted in two different ways, both of which are founded on the same basics. The Turn Based Combat system is intended for combat to run as simplistic and smoothly as possible for more traditional play styles, while the Live Combat system introduces more advanced rules for experienced players who want more realism or complexity.

All combat is based on either a Square or Hexagon Grid System. In the Square Grid system, ever square represents 5 feet and can hold one Medium sized target comfortably. A Character with a reach of 5 feet therefore can reach into an adjacent 5 foot square. If they have a weapon that has a reach of 10 feet, then they can reach two squares adjacent to themselves. Ranged attacks therefore detail how far they can reach in increments of 5 feet or 1 square.
In the Hexagon Grid system each hexagon can represent either 3 feet or 5 feet or any size the Verse Master prefers especially on extremely large or very tiny scales scales. All standard ranges are based on 5 feet but can be converted into other sizes. Hexagons are preferred for Ride Combat or when area effects are dominate for realism. It is also recommended for story driven scenarios or large or small scale combat or for map designs such as in star systems, settlements, or even whole galaxies.
Scaling the sizes are important if ranges increase or decrease. For example on small scales, a hexagon or even a square could represent inches or centimeters instead of feet and therefore all ranges remain the same except with the new units of measurement. A spell that affects 10 feet now affects only 10 inches while a weapon with a 1 mile reach may now only reach 1 yard, meter, or even foot. Alternatively, if the size scale increase to involve giant creatures or galactic scales, a Verse Master may choose to simplify the ranges and make the squares or hexagons be equal to miles or parsecs or some other unit of measurement. For every 5 foot square that a spell, ability, or range affects the Verse Master can think of being just 1 Square and convert the scale to this system instead. This makes them less concerned about literal distance and more concerned about the story and areas being affected for visual sake.

The Initiative is rolled whenever any combat is about to begin, or for any situation that needs to determine who goes first (such as when party members are trying to solve a puzzle or are bolting to treasure after combat to get the spoils). Regardless, this stat determines the order in which players take their turns, which makes it extremely important. A base initiative is determined by players Dexterity with any additional bonuses or penalties they may have. The player’s base movement speed also affects their initiative. For every 30 feet a character has as their movement speed the player gets one initiative to roll in combat. Faster characters can act more than once in combat. This depends on where combat is taking place. For example, if combat takes place while the players are swimming in water, characters with a base speed of 60 but only a swim speed of 15 only get one turn because they are less adept in water. However, a character with a swim speed of 60 but only a base speed of 30 will get two initiatives while swimming but only one while on land. This makes environment important, as a spell caster who is swimming in a river could potentially attack more often than their enemies still on land or vice versa.

Combat Styles

Turn Based Combat
Turn Based Combat (TBC) is conducted using traditional rules where reality is simplified into 5 second increments. In this system, each player acts independently and one at a time. Rounds, turns, and time are more important in this style of combat as are where characters are located in relation to others. Which way characters are facing also becomes important in this style of combat. This style of combat is recommended for slower paced players or combat scenarios and for newer players who are not use to advanced, fast paced or creative thinking.
In TBC, the View of Attack is determined by your field of view (see Senses) and dictates what is considered within your sight while in combat. Your senses play a vital role when in combat. Enemies that move behind you are out of your View of Attack and therefore not vulnerable to Attacks of Opportunity if you are already Engaged in Combat. A character Engaged in Combat is considered Distracted (see below) and can only respond to those they are concentrating on. If a character is not Engaged in Combat, they can be considered to be aware of their surroundings and Alert (meaning they can respond to any one thing happening near them and change where their field of view is at will). Your senses determine if you see, hear, or smell things in range while in combat.
If a character is Engaged in Combat, they can only respond to who they are in combat with. If a character passes behind another character (outside their field of view) that is Engaged in Combat, the character in combat can be aware of them but not respond (do not get an Attack of Opportunity against them) without invoking an Attack of Opportunity from those they are Engaged in Combat with. If a character sneaks past a character that does not have field of view on them (whether they are in combat or not), they must roll a Stealth Check against their Perception to determine if they are walking quietly enough or are hidden enough not to be caught.
A character that is On Guard may be more aware of their surroundings and investigate more than someone who is not. Their field of view extends by 5 feet more than usual and can choose at will to change what they are looking at. They also get a +5 bonus to their Perception and are considered Alert. Anyone else, such as someone casually leaning against a wall, will be easier to sneak past as their View of Attack will not move without reason. Someone who is Preoccupied has a limited Field of View (it only extends 5 feet to the left and right of what they are looking directly at) and get a -5 to their Perception, even if the person walking by is not trying to be sneaky and Stealth. Examples of someone Preoccupied would be someone reading a book, looking at a poster, texting while walking, watching television or anything that looks at one specific thing for extended amounts of time.
Someone who is Distracted is not focusing on the environment around them entirely but still more aware than someone who is Preoccupied. Their Field of View is only decreased by 5 and can change where they are looking at will. They also have a -2 to Perception to what is going on around them. Examples of someone Preoccupied would be someone in a conversation, someone looking for something in their house, someone Piloting a vehicle, or someone walking headed somewhere in a hurry.
While in combat a character can Hold Action which means that they do not perform any actions on their turn and instead gain the Alert condition. If a character holds their action, they can act on other characters turns. The benefit includes being able to move when they normally wouldn’t and attacking an enemy when they are vulnerable. They can also perform a Dodge Dexterity Save against ranged attacks and spells made against them while they are holding action (which ends the hold action) which is made against the attack made against them. If successful, they dodge the attack and take no damage.
A character alternatively could take a Defensive Stance on their turn which makes them braces and protects themselves using their weapons, hands, or a shield. Doing so provides a +2 defensive bonus to their Physical Dodge against attacks. Taking a Defensive Stance takes a Swift Action. Characters can move while in a Defensive Stance but only at half their Run Speed.
If a character takes an Aggressive Stance as a Swift Action then they take a -2 penalty to their Physical Dodge for being more exposed but are capable of making Attacks of Opportunity against any enemy they are engaged in combat with when they attack on their turn.

Live Combat
Live Combat (LC) scenarios are fast paced and designed for quicker combat and more complex and advanced situations that requires fast thinking, quick responses, and experienced players. Unlike Turn Based Combat, teamwork is extremely central in LC as the entire party decides what they are going to do at once. In this case, Initiatives are used to determine in what order Events take place.
Turn Events are all actions a single player takes on their turn. Turn Events happen all at once instead of independently from each other only in a order determined by the Initiative. How the events play out may not always go as planned depending on how others respond to the event as it plays out, such as enemies foiling a one event. In such situations, players must learn to adapt independently in response sometimes require improvising on the spot.
Although View of Attack is less important in Live Combat, they still hold true and should be considered when Events are planned out. All normal actions and stances can be taken by players including Hold Action which allows the player to take their turn out of order which is especially helpful for if events don’t go as planned and improvising is needed. In this case, having players purposely Hold Action as back up can be beneficial.
Because of the fast paced nature of LC, players and the Verse Master will have to keep track of all status effects and damage being dealt quickly. However, if too much happens at once players or the Verse Master can ask for a Pause to either update all of their stats or to catch up with everything going on. In a Pause, time effects halt and no further actions take place until the Pause is lifted. Players may also ask for a Pause to change their strategy or rethink what they need to do if they feel they don’t have enough time to do so before their Turn. However, a Verse Master can overrule a Pause if they feel it is being abused.
Live Combat is based off of imagination and creativity and therefore the Verse Master may or may not allow for creative liberties in actions being performed. Amazing feats of all kinds can be performed using special Live Action Feats including Team Work Feats and other special abilities. During Live Combat, different Actions can be performed that are not available or are different than those in TBC.
Standard Actions are actions that only take place on a players turn and includes attacking or casting spells whose cast time is one standard action. If a spell takes more than one standard action to cast, that player is considered charging the spell and must uphold concentration checks to move or dodge. This definition holds true for Live Combat and Turn Based Combat. Standard Actions can only be taken out of turn if the player previously perform a Hold Action.
Swift Actions are actions that only take place on a players turn that are short or simple or that lead up to other actions. This includes but is not limited to casting certain spells; using a potion, Rune, scroll, reloading a weapon, drawing a weapon, or picking up something from the ground. Swift Actions can also be made out of turn if the player previously performed a Hold Action and only gets one as with Standard Actions. This definition holds true for Live Combat and Turn Based Combat.
Full Round Actions (FRA) are actions that only take place on a players turn and requires the use of all other actions, excluding Swift Actions, that are taken on the players turn. Once the FRA has been performed, the players turn then ends. This definition holds true for Live Combat and Turn Based Combat.
Move Actions are actions that only take place on a players turn and involves moving more than one space away by either waking, running, flying, swimming, burrowing, or climbing. Jumping can also be considered a move action. Special situations may allowed players to move outside of their turn either by feats or Hold Action. Players can move up to their Movement Speed only. This definition holds true for Live Combat and Turn Based Combat.
Attack of Opportunity (AoO) is conducted outside of a players turn or on their turn if another character does something that gets an AoO against it on the players turn. AoO allows the player to make a single attack against others when they normally would not. An example of an AoO includes moving through another characters reach while in viewing range or performing Standard Actions while Vulnerable to a character. This definition holds true for Live Combat and Turn Based Combat.
Defensive Actions are only available to Live Combat scenarios and can be performed when a character is being attacked and is aware of the attack (is within Viewing Range or is not a Sneak Attack). These actions can only be done outside of a characters turn or when being attacked on their own turn. Defensive Actions include using Dexterity Saves to Dodge or Block attacks or
performing any Defensive Feat.
Counter Actions are only available to Live Combat scenarios and can be performed by a character after conducting a successful Defensive Action. If the character is capable, they can then perform a Counter Action in response to a failed attack. Also, Counter Actions can be performed when able if another character misses their intended target. Traditionally Counter Feats are required to gain this action or Verse Master approval.
Quick Response Actions (QRA) are only available to Live Action scenarios and are conducted out of turn in response to other actions that do not involve combat including Swift and Move Actions. Typically Quick Response Actions require feats or Verse Master approval. For example, knocking a potion out of someone’s hand using a CMB would be conducted as a QRA.

Ascension Levels

In both combat scenarios, a characters Ascension deter mines their aerial position during combat. Each Ascension Level is 10 feet in height. The Field of Combat determines where Ground Level begins and is considered to have to be at Ascension 0. Above 10 feet off the ground is considered to be Ascension 1 while below ground level starts Ascension -1. Characters and rides that fly must keep track of what level of Ascension they are as must those that can burrow or dive underwater. During Aerial and under water combat, the combat zone becomes 360 and the Verse Master determines what Ground Level (GL) is for Ascension 0. On surface water combat, Ascension 0 is the surface of the water and for regular ground combat Ascension 0 is the ground. For more details on how Ascension combat works for Rides and large creatures.

Ascension Level	Distance Range
-4	-31’ to -40’
-3	-21’ to -30’
-2	-11’ to -20’
-1	-1’ to -10’
0	GL to 10′
1	11’ to 20’
2	21’ to 30’
3	31’ to 40’
4	51’ to 60’

Ride Combat is any combat performed with a Ride including mounts, Land Rides, Water Rides, and Air Rides. Hexagon grids are used during Ride Combat instead of the traditional square grid. Most rides have offensive abilities that allow them to attack at range or close up. As in regular combat, the Ride must perform an Attack Roll against another Ride. Different attacks deal damage differently. All Rides have Dodges and Resistances just as normal combat which are based off of the Ride Ability Scores. Some Rides may even have shielding, additional plating, or even magical barriers to help protect them from attacks. When a ride is destroyed or disabled in combat, the rider(s) must make a DC20 Dex Save or Athletics Check. A successful save has the character landing on their feet in an adjacent square to the ride. A failure has the character either pinned under the Ride, thrown prone while taking damage, or even killed if the ride explodes and deals enough damage.

Ascension Combat is any combat performed in the sky, space, or underwater using vehicles or mounts. This creates a unique 360 playing field that combatants can Ascend, Dive, and Glide through chasing other combatants. Ascension Combat always uses Hexagon Grids for their maps. The Verse Master can determine what the area of combat is and how far a character can fly before they are considered to be leaving the combat zone. Sometimes giant ships can dominate a part of the map and attack the smaller combatants (especially in space combat). Rules for ship building and what types of weapons they use are presented elsewhere.
Combat is conducted as normal combat is where each round takes 5 seconds and all Actions are the same. A combatant has Move Actions, Swift Actions, Instant Actions, and Standard Actions. Most Ascension Combat is done using Ranged weapons. The amount of damage done is determined by the Ride’s weapons and attacks and goes against the Ride’s Physical Dodge or Spell Dodge if the Ride uses magic. Some Rides may have melee combat but this may not be effective in most Ascension Combat.
Ascending means that the Ride ascends into the sky and is considered a move action. As a Full Round Action, a Ride can Ascend and Attack those above them if they are skilled in doing so. Otherwise, combatants can only attack other combatants on the same field of combat as them. Descending means that the Ride descends downwards and is considered a move action. Just as with Ascending, as a Full Round Action you can descend and attack those below. Although typically combatants can only attack those on the same field as them, some Rides may have abilities or weapons that allow them to attack those above or below them
If a Ride has multiple weapons to attack with, they must perform a FRA to attack with all attacks otherwise they can only attack with one. Rides may also use a FRA to move forward in flight and attack at the same time at a single target. Players can be creative with their Move Actions especially in aerial combat by taking advantage of the 360 degree movement space by making back flips to get behind enemies or diving to dodge obstacles. Each Ride also has its own Field of View just like in regular combat. Sometimes Ascension Combat can have hazards (such as meteors, bad weather, balloons, mountains, etc.) that need to be avoided. Hitting hazards can cause damage or even instant death.
The size of an aerial ride is determined by length and height. How wide and tall the ride is also plays a factor especially when airborne. During aerial combat, the very center of the ride is considered at Ascension 0. The size of the ship then reaches into further ascensions. For example, a Medium ride that is airborne is considered at Ascension 0 on the determined field of combat. Its total size fits within Ascension 0 and never reaches into any other spaces.
But, a large ride while at Ascension 0 has the possibility of its top or bottom extending into Ascension 1 or -1 if they are long in height meaning that any weapons located on the top or bottom of the ride while be at these Ascensions giving them a combat advantage. To target such areas of the ride, smaller rides would have to ascend or descend to the same Ascensions.
Huge rides could have parts of them being in Ascension 2 or -2 giving them multiple layers. Larger and larger rides will have even further Ascensions. Where the field of combat starts at Ascension 0 is up to the Verse Master, however. For example, the ground may be considered Ascension 0 and therefore any rides flying above the ground will be at Ascension 1 or higher while going underground or water will be Ascension -1 or lower. Regardless, each level of Ascension is 10 feet high.
Although living creatures that are not rides can fit within multiple Ascension levels, this is not considered unless flight or submergence is a factor in combat. For example, if a group of medium sized creatures fight a huge sized creature, Ascension may not be recorded and all combatants can be considered at Ascension 0 unless a character is capable of flight. In such a case, the Ascensions of the body of the creature can be determined as a character flies to each portion of its body. This becomes especially relevant in Kaiju combat or even tiny creatures attacking a medium creature.

All attacks that roll a 1d20 to deal damage can deal critical damage. Whenever a player is rolling a 1d20 for attack and rolls a natural “20” on the die, the attack automatically lands a critical hit. Whenever this happens, the damage inflicted to the target is doubled for the dies rolled but all bonuses are added afterwards. Most weapons and all spells only deal x2 critical damage although some may deal x3 critical damage. Some weapons have critical effects that are also applied whenever a critical hit is landed but varies from weapon to weapon. Some armor is designed to protect against these critical effects but may still take the critical damage. Optionally, whenever a Critical Hit is amde then a 1d20 can be rolled to determine what critical effects takes place or the Verse Master can have their own.

1. The attack ricochets and hits an adjacent enemy.
2. The target gains the Bleed condition.
3. The target loses an appendage or limb
4. The target is staggered by the blow and are Stunned for one round
5. The target is knocked off their feet and falls Prone
6. The target becomes intimidated and fearful and Shaken for 1 round
7. The target begins to limp and takes 1d4 Dexterity damage
8. The target loses their grip and any objects in their hands are thrown 1d4 spaces away.
9. The target’s armor gains the Broken condition
10. The target’s weapon gains the Broken condition
11. A vital organ of the target’s is struck and deals 1d4 Constitution to themselves and gain the Bleed condition
12. The target is beaten down and becomes Exhausted
13. The target is Knocked Out for 1 round
14. The target is humiliated and runs away in shame
15. The target’s armor cracks and becomes Fragile
16. The target is traumatized and takes 1d4 Sanity damage
17. The target is disfigured and takes 1d4 Empathy damage
18. The target gains brain damage takes 1d4 Intellect damage
19. The target’s tendon is cut and takes 1d4 Strength damage
20. The target is struck fatally and is immediately killed

Whenever a player is rolling a 1d20 for attack and rolls a natural “1” on the die, the attack automatically fails and becomes a critical fail. Whenever a melee weapon has a critical fail, it is thrown from the wielders hand to a random spot within throwing range. Whenever a range weapon has a critical fail, the weapon jams and temporarily gains the broken condition until fixed. Weapons that are fragile automatically break and are unusable. Whenever a spell has a critical fail, the spells goes off on the caster instead but only deals half damage to the caster or have the effect’s times halved that are applied to the caster. Natural attacks that critically fail deal half damage to the attacker by either accidentally hitting themselves, biting their own tongue, or dislocating a joint. Optionally, whenever a Critical Fail is made then a 1d20 can be rolled to determine what critical effects takes place or the Verse Master can have their own.

1. The attack Critical Succeeds on an adjacent target to the intended target.
2. The used weapon is thrown 1d4 spaces away.
3. The weapon has a major malfunction granting it the Broken condition
4. The Character loses balance and falls Prone
5. The Character exposes their body to a target within range granting them an immediate Attack of Opportunity
6. The Character’s armor or clothing has a malfunction and gains the Broken condition
7. The weapon rebounds off of the target, recoils for ranged weapons, or spells burst in the caster’s hand and hits the Character dealing 1d4 Intellect damage to them instead
8. The Character over exerts themselves and becomes Exhausted
9. The Character pulls a muscle and takes 1d4 Dexterity Damage
10. Ya Su appears and humiliates the Character across all of Time and Space dealing 1d4 Empathy damage
11. The Character loses the will to fight and flees combatant
12. The Character is terrified of their opponent and gains the Shaken condition for 1 rounding
13. The Character hesitates and is Stunned for 1 round
14. The Character injures themselves in combat dealing 1d4 Constitution damage
15. The Character dislocates a joint and takes 1d4 Strength damage
16. The Character is traumatized by the combat and gains the Paranoid Insanity for the remainder of the combat
17. The Character has a psychotic break and takes 1d4 Sanity Damage
18. The Character’s bag rips open and drops 1d4 items onto an adjacent space
19. The Character gets something in their eye and are blinded for 1 round
20. An unknown entity has chosen the Character to be their mortal enemy and teleports them to another plane of existence for 1d4 rounds as they are replaced with a doppelganger and gain the Alien Possession Curse.