Skirmish Actions

Declare a single target who you intend to harm & how (kill, shove, knock out). If the defender allows it, it happens. If not, perform 1 or more Strikes; by default, characters receive 1 Strike per Attack (but may receive more through Features or other abilities).

In order to attack a target, they must be within your weapon's reach. A character's melee reach is equal to their Size by default. Ranged attacks use the weapon's listed range as its reach.

To perform a Strike against a chosen valid target, choose an available weapon & roll a Strike Save. You may not add personal Fact bonuses to a Save, but should otherwise add factors such as the environment, Conditions, & the like.

If your Strike deals enough Damage to outright kill the defender, you receive the Action you spent on your Attack back.

Ranged Weapon Rules

The following extra rules apply only to ranged attacks.

• Out of Range: Ranged attacks may be performed at up to twice a weapon's listed range, but when doing so, each Strike Save suffers a −1 penalty.
• Firing into Melee: When firing on a foe engaged in melee, the victim is chosen by random die roll from among all those visible within that foe's melee reach whose Heights are greater than half the intended target's Height.
• Cover: If the target has low/weak cover (half a character's Height), ranged attacks' Strike Saves suffer a −2 penalty. If the target has high/strong cover (covering their whole body), it's a −4 penalty.

The Angry Step

While starting an Attack Action & while not suffering any terrain or Condition that limits or alters your free movement, you may choose to move a distance up to or equal to your melee reach before making any Strikes. This extra distance is called the Angry Step & it does not count against your movement for your Turn.

Casting is an Instant Save Action. There are two casting methods to follow depending on the kind of spirit you have. There are two kinds of spell-spirits:

• Spells are little spirits. They are captured or tamed & used as lenses for power by magicians of similar mindset & character.
• Souls are the spirits of more powerful entities. They are largely fixed in nature & cannot be changed simply by dumping power into them, but given an appropriate sacrifice will act on your behalf.

Both kinds of casting are dangerous.

After you cast a spell, you cannot heal HP until you spend at least a full day Resting.

Spell-casting

To cast a spell, you must have at least one personal Fact that resembles the nature of the spell. A geomancer needs to be Obsessed With Mathematics before he can use an organizational spell. An avian wizard needs to be Flighty to fly. The relationship can be poetic. More than half the relevant Players, GM included, have to agree. A Fact stating you are part of a Tradition that possesses the spell is always acceptable.

Assuming this condition is met, the process is as follows:

1. Have a Totem containing a spirit held in a hand in front of you (it doesn't have to be your hand), with one of your hands free for gestures & invocation.
2. Decide how many Spell Dice you want to invest into the casting.
3. Roll all invested SD & determine the spell's effects (i.e. choose targets). The number of SD you invest is the [Dice] variable; the sum of all rolled values is the [Sum] variable.
4. For each pair of doubled results rolled on your SD, suffer a Mishap from the Mishaps table. If you only invested 1 SD, a 6 causes a Mishap.
5. Each invested SD that rolls 4–6 is exhausted.

Soul-casting

To cast a soul:

1. Have a Totem containing a soul held in a hand in front of you (it doesn't have to be your hand), with one of your hands free for gestures & invocation.
2. Take Damage equal to the spirit's Power. This Damage is called your sacrifice.
3. Choose a benefit you wish to invoke from the spirit's list of Features:
4. Roll a single d6 die. On a 1, the spirit-casting fails. On a 6, you suffer a Mishap from the Mishaps table. On any other value, the casting works as expected.

Mishaps

Save to shove a target in any direction that moves them further away from you. Use the adjacent Weight modifier table in addition to any other modifiers.

Shoving may break Engagement & Grappling automatically if the shover wishes; the shover may also follow the shoved into the space they used to occupy if desired.

If you have at least one free hand, you can Save to Grapple an opponent. Use the adjacent Weight modifier table in addition to any other modifiers.

Grappling is a Condition that affects both characters. Neither character can move except by Shoving the other, which is also the only way to break a Grapple. Melee attacks gain a +2 to hit anyone in a Grapple, even if the attacker is outside the Grapple.

Characters who are more than twice the Weight of the largest opponent in a Grapple may freely move around, dragging the Grapple with them.

Break Engagement with any number of enemies. If you don't also move to a location outside their melee reach by the end of your Turn, you'll be Engaged again.

Move at least & up to 3× any of your Speed scores, turning no more than 45° throughout the entire distance. You must Save to pass through any form of difficult or slowing terrain without falling.

Move at least & up to 3× any of your Speed scores in a straight unobstructed line & then perform an Attack at the end as per the Attack Action's rules. At the end of the Attack, the target, if less than half your Weight, must Save or Panic.

Swap items around in your hands, sheathe or draw a weapon, pick up an item within your reach, or interact with something nearby (lever, door, etc). Light a torch, lantern, or flask.

As a Minor Action, become Prone or recover from the Prone Condition.

Reload or unjam a crossbow or windgun.

Set something down gently without damaging it — especially bags, backpacks, or fragile items.

Search a backpack or other bag for a specific item & pull it into your hand.

As a Minor Action, attempt a jump. Horizontal jumps cover a number of feet equal to half your Run score on a running start, or one quarter standing still. Vertical jumps reach one quarter of those distances. Characters who are encumbered halve their effective jumping distance.

Move a distance up to one of your Speed scores (Run, Dig, Swim, Fly) across the appropriate medium. Keep in mind:

• You may not take other Actions while in the middle of a Move; you must end your Move first.
• Be mindful of Engagement & Grappling, which punish & prevent normal movement respectively.
• You may not move through space occupied by a foe or stop within space occupied by an ally.

Drop to the ground (becoming Prone) & simultaneously remove your own Burning Condition. As a Minor Action, recover from the Burning Condition by dropping to the ground & rolling.