RULEBOOK

Combat

Soltherra combat is simultaneous, tactical, and deadly. There are no turns — everyone acts at once, and every choice matters.

How to Remember the Rules

“3 times 1, 2, 3 — and 3, 2, 1.”

  • 3 steps per round. Each step has two phases.
  • In the first phase, movements are declared in ascending order: 1 square, then 2 squares, then 3 squares.
  • In the second phase, actions are declared in descending order: 3 Action Points, then 2, then 1.

"That's the whole structure. Movement counts up. Actions count down."

The Combat Round

Each round has 3 steps. The GM controls the flow. Each step has two phases: Movement, then Actions.

At each step, every combatant gains 1 Action Point (AP)

Movement Phase:
Free Movement(FM) happens first at every step, declared in distance order — 1 square, then 2 squares, then 3 squares. Miss your tier and you've missed your moment. See Movement & Positioning. Combatants can spend a maximum of 2 FM per step.

Action Phase:
After movement, actions are declared in descending cost order — 3 AP first, then 2 AP, then 1 AP. An action resolves the moment its full cost is paid. See The Round.

Defence (1 AP) is reactive — spend it when an attack arrives, not before. See Actions.

Magic resolves as a normal action — when its AP cost is fully paid. If a physical attack and a spell resolve in the same step, both land simultaneously: the caster takes the hit and the spell still fires. Spells costing more than 3 AP span multiple rounds and carry greater risk. See Combat Magic.

One Worked Example

Greatsword vs. Dagger (3 Steps)

Bran carries a greatsword (3 AP, reach 2). A Casteless cutpurse carries a dagger (1 AP, reach 1, and considerably more Free Movement). She had been after the coin pouch on his left hip. She had not accounted for the sword on his right. They start two squares apart. Bran has reach but not enough of it — he needs to close.

Step 1/3 — Movement Phase:
Bran steps back (1 FM), opening three squares between them. When the GM calls for up to 3-square movement, the cutpurse spends the maximum 2 FM and 1 AP to close all three. She arrives adjacent. She has no AP left.

Step 1/3 — Action Phase:
The GM calls for 3 AP declarations. Bran commits to his greatsword swing \u2014 it will resolve at Step 3/3. "Good sword," he says, to no one in particular. The cutpurse has no AP. Nothing more happens.

Step 2/3:
Both hold position. The cutpurse declares a dagger strike (1 AP). It resolves immediately. Bran stays committed to the greatsword. The dagger finds its mark \u2014 a solid wound, but Bran is not going anywhere.

Step 3/3 — Movement Phase:
The cutpurse tries to flee \u2014 FM and 1 AP to open three squares. Bran declared give chase at Step 1; he follows. The gap is 1 square. This was a mistake. The greatsword has reach 2.

Step 3/3 — Action Phase:
The cutpurse has no AP left. She cannot defend. Bran\u2019s greatsword resolves unchallenged. The swing connects. The cutpurse goes down. She appreciates, in retrospect, that she should have kept 1 AP for defence.

Combat Rules