Every character has a pool of
FM pool: 1 base + Physical Speed dots. Minimum 1, maximum 6.
| Physical Speed | FM pool (per round) |
|---|---|
| 0 dots | 1 |
| 1 dot | 2 |
| 2 dots | 3 |
| 3 dots | 4 |
| 4 dots | 5 |
| 5 dots | 6 |
FM cap per step: A character may spend at most 2 FM per step, regardless of their total pool. A pool of 6 FM does not let you move 6 squares in one step — it lets you move 2 FM per step across three steps.
FM is declared and resolved before AP is spent at every step. This is the governing principle of the movement system. Characters set their position first; only then do they declare what they are doing.
This matters because position changes the action. A character who declares a greatsword swing before knowing where their target will stand has committed to a swing that may land on empty air. Declare movement first. Then decide what to do with the result.
Maximum movement per step: A character may combine FM and AP in the same step. Spending 2 FM + 1 AP moves up to 3 squares. The AP used this way is declared during the Movement Phase, before actions.
Players announce movement in distance order, smallest first. The GM calls each tier in sequence.
Once the GM moves past a tier, it is closed. A player who stayed silent at the 1-square call cannot announce 1-square movement when the 2-square call arrives. That moment has passed. Their options are: stay still, or spend 2 FM (or 1 FM + 1 AP) to move 2 squares.
There is no going back. Hesitation in combat has a cost.
Bran and his opponent are two squares apart. The GM asks about 1-square movement. Bran stays quiet — he is composing a threat that uses the word “consequently.” His opponent steps back. Now the GM asks about 2-square movement. Bran realises his mistake. He cannot announce 1 square. He must either stand still or spend 2 FM to close 2 squares. He spends the FM. The threat lands as planned. The word “consequently” lands less well.
When you want to follow a target without knowing where they will go, declare Give Chase during the Movement Phase. Spend the FM you intend to use. The FM is spent immediately — but the direction is not set until the target moves. You react to them rather than committing to a destination.
Give Chase does not grant extra squares — only flexibility on direction. A faster character can stay on a retreating opponent without having to guess their route.
Tilly has been making Elo’s shift interesting. She announces Give Chase on Elo’s partner and spends 2 FM. She does not hurry — she never does, not around Elo’s post. Elo’s partner moves 2 squares toward the alley. Tilly’s direction locks onto that movement — she follows. Same 2 FM, same 2 squares. He is now wondering how she is always right behind him. Elo is, as ever, watching the other end of the street.
There are no opportunity attacks in Soltherra. There is no evasion roll. There is no dodge stat. All of these concepts are replaced by one rule: if the attacker cannot reach you when the attack resolves, the attack misses.
Range is checked at the moment of resolution — not when the attack was declared. A target who repositioned during any Movement Phase before resolution is safe if they are now outside the weapon’s reach. The attacker’s AP is spent regardless.
Pulling back from an enemy is never punished. It is the primary defensive tool for mobile characters. A fast skirmisher with high Physical Speed can bleed an opponent dry of AP by making them chase. A slow character in heavy armor picks their spot and commits — they cannot afford to let a quick opponent dictate range.
The counter to mobility is reach. A greatsword with reach 2 does not care that you stepped back 1 square. Know your enemy’s weapon before you decide how far “safe” is.
Tilly is fighting someone with a greatsword (reach 2). At Step 1, they declare a 3 AP swing and commit all their AP to it. Tilly spends 2 FM to close for a dagger strike, lands it, then spends 2 FM at Step 2 to retreat. At Step 3, the greatsword resolves. The GM checks reach. Tilly is 2 squares out. Reach 2. The swing connects anyway. She makes a note to retreat further next round. “Consequently,” says Bran, who was watching, “the squares were insufficient.”
Putting something solid between yourself and an archer adds automatic defence successes before any dice are rolled. How many depends on what you are hiding behind and how much of you it covers. Spells do not care about walls.
| Cover Type | Material | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Full cover | Impenetrable | Cannot be hit |
| Full cover | Penetrable | GM decides: +2 or +3 automatic defence successes |
| Half cover | Impenetrable | +3 automatic defence successes |
| Half cover | Penetrable | GM decides: +1 or +2 automatic defence successes |
Impenetrable: stone walls, iron doors, thick timber — the projectile stops. Penetrable: wooden planks, barrels, dense shrubbery — it slows. The GM judges the material.
Physical cover is almost useless against spells.
Hiding from a mage means actually hiding — breaking line of sight and staying unknown. A caster who has already seen you is not fooled by a wall.
Tilly is crouched behind a low stone wall — half cover, impenetrable. An archer fires. The wall adds +3 automatic defence successes before the archer’s roll is calculated. The archer gets 2 successes. The wall already has 3. The arrow skips off the stone half an inch from Tilly’s ear. She decides this counts as a plan working correctly.
Then Fiera steps out from the doorway, sealed rod in hand. The archer ducks behind the same wall — full cover, impenetrable. But Fiera watched him run there. She knows exactly where he is. The cover does nothing. The wall does not negotiate with fire.
Injuries reduce free movement. The Badly Hurt and Crippled condition bands each remove 1 FM per round (cumulative — a Crippled character loses 2 FM total).
See Damage & Health for the full condition band thresholds and their effects.
© Soltherra RPG System