One Hero Engine: Combat

Confirmed combat procedure

The current v0.12 draft does not publish a complete tactical combat chapter, but it does define the following sequence once a scene has clearly moved into resolved action:

1. Determine who acts first.
2. At the start of a turn, apply Fray and resolve ongoing effects.
3. Take 2 actions. The current draft names moving, attacking, casting, and interacting as examples.
4. Use 1 Trait if desired.
5. Resolve the required rolls.
6. Narrate the result.
7. Proceed to the enemy turn or an Oracle twist.

Rules review required: The current source material does not define this procedure consistently.

The sequence above is the most complete turn order the published draft currently confirms. The draft does not define a full initiative procedure, a formal round structure beyond turn order, or a consistent combat-ending procedure.

Actions and movement

The current draft names actions broadly rather than defining a full action catalogue:

• moving
• attacking
• casting
• interacting

The current published draft does not provide a separate movement rate, distance scale, or formal action-cost breakdown beyond the two-action turn structure above.

Rules review required: This procedure is not fully defined in the current published draft.

Attacks and defence

• To-Hit Bonus: When making attack rolls, use the higher of your Strength or Dexterity modifier.
• Armor Class (AC): Your default AC is 9 plus your Dexterity modifier.
• Damage Bonus: For melee attacks, add your Strength modifier; for ranged attacks, add your Dexterity modifier.
• Attack rolls are roll-over tasks using d20 + To-Hit Bonus.
• If the attack is resolved as an opposed roll, both sides roll d20 + bonus and the higher total wins. Ties go to the hero.
• If the attack is resolved as an unopposed roll, roll against a TN set by the encounter or scenario.

Rules review required: The current source material does not define creature defence values, a default enemy Armour Class target, or a universal opposed-versus-unopposed combat rule consistently.

Fray Dice

• Fray: Represents automatic damage dealt to lower-HD foes.
• Damage Dice:
  • Levels 1-5: 1d6
  • Levels 6-10: 1d8
• Overflow: Excess Fray damage moves to another enemy with equal or lower AC.

The current draft confirms that Fray is applied at the start of your turn and that it affects lower-HD foes. It does not consistently define what HD means in the current rules set, whether Fray requires no action because it is applied automatically, or how Fray interacts with named enemies, bosses, or creatures that do not use HD.

Rules review required: The current source material does not define this procedure consistently.

Damage steps

• Each +1 damage bonus moves you up one Step.
• The “1dX” cycles back from Step 1 as needed.

Damage conversion

Soak

• Formula: Soak = (AC - 10) / 2, rounded down.
• Apply Soak after damage conversion.
• A natural 20 bypasses Soak.
• A natural 1 causes the attacker to take damage instead (no Soak applied).

Morale

The current draft references Morale in traits, spells, and examples, but it does not define a standalone Morale subsystem or test procedure in this rules article.

Rules review required: This procedure is not fully defined in the current published draft.

Defeat and recovery

The current published draft refers to damage, healing, temporary HP, and survival pressure, but it does not define a full defeat, death, unconsciousness, or post-combat recovery procedure in this rules article.

Rules review required: This procedure is not fully defined in the current published draft.

Confirmed worked examples

Damage conversion example

• A Step 3 effect rolls 6 on its damage die.
• The damage-conversion table turns 6 into 2 damage.
• If the target has Soak 1, the final damage becomes 1.

Natural-roll exception example

• A natural 20 bypasses Soak.
• A natural 1 causes the attacker to take damage instead, and no Soak is applied to that reflected damage.