Basic Combat Procedure

Sequence of Events

The sequence of actions in each round is broken down as follows:

1. Characters who wish to cast a spell or perform a full retreat from melee must declare it.

2. Initiative: 1d6 is rolled by each opposing side.

3. The winner of initiative acts first:
     a. The referee may check Morale for monsters.
     b. Movements are made.
     c. Missile attacks are made, accounting for DEX modifiers, cover, range, and magic adjustments.
     d. Spells are cast and applicable saving throws are made.
     e. Melee combat and other actions occur; attacks are made, accounting for STR modifiers and magic adjustments.

4. Other sides act through step 3, in order of initiative.

5. When all sides of a conflict have acted, the round is over. If the combat has not come to an end, the sequence begins again at step 1.


Initiative
At the start of each round, each side rolls 1d6 to determine initiative. The side with the highest result on 1d6 acts first for that round. Other sides in a conflict will react in order from highest to lowest roll.

Tied Initiative
If initiative is a tie, each side in the tie acts at the same time. All actions are completed, unaffected by opposed actions. For example, two opponents in melee may both inflict enough damage to kill the other. As the initiative is tied, both attacks occur simultaneously, resulting in both characters being killed.

Two-Handed Weapons
Characters wielding two-handed melee weapons (and some missile weapons—as indicated in the equipment description) always act last in the round, as if they had lost initiative.