The Combat Section contains most of the information you will need when you enter into a combat situation. While your character's Hitpoints have already been determined, your Initiative, Attacks, and Defenses will be calculated here.

Initiative

The Initiative Roll determines when your character will take his first action in combat. The Initiative Roll begins as 1d10, but can be decreased through features and feats. If your character has an ability that decreases this roll by 1 degree, it decreases to 1d8. Further abilities can reduce it to 1d6, then to the minimum of 1d4.

Initiative Order determines the order in which characters act within a particular segment, those with higher orders acting before those with lower orders. Initiative Order is dependent on a combination of the average of your Dexterity and Intelligence Attribute scores, the level modifier (LVLM) and miscellaneous bonuses, and can be calculated according to the following equation. Initiative will be described in more detail in the How to Play section.

Basic Attacks

Every creature can make three basic kinds of attacks which determine their chances of hitting an opponent: a Melee Attack, a Ranged Attack, and a Grapple Attack. Melee Attacks are made in close quarters combat. Ranged Attacks involve throwing or shooting objects at a target. Grapple Attacks are made when wrestling or using your body to maneuver another opponent. These statistics are calculated below and can be recorded in the Basic Attacks section of the character sheet.

Melee Attack

A Melee Attack is made whenever you are attacking a creature within your Reach, usually adjacent to you. The melee attack is used when striking an opponent, when attempting to grab another creature, and when using a Melee Weapon (see Weapon Attacks below). The Melee Attack is dependent on a combination of Strength Accuracy (StrA), Melee Combat Training, and the Level modifier (LVLM). Calculate your character's Melee Attack with the following equation:

Ranged Attack

A Ranged Attack is made whenever you are throwing something or shooting at a creature. The ranged attack is used when you throw a vial, potion, or rock and when using a Ranged Weapon (see Weapon Attacks below). The Ranged Attack is dependent on a combination of Dexterity Accuracy (DexA), ranged Combat Training, and the Level modifier (LVLM). Calculate your character's Ranged Attack with the following equation:

Grapple Check

The Grapple Check is used for powers that grab, pin, or trip an opponent. The grapple check is dependent on a combination of Strength Accuracy (StrA), Dexterity Accuracy (DexA), Melee Combat Training, Level modifier (LVLM), and a Size Modifier. The Size Modifier was identified in the Races section and should be recorded in the Appearance section of your character sheet (refer to Size Chart if necessary). The Grapple Check Bonus is determined by the following equation:

Weapon Attacks

Weapons can modify your character's Melee and Ranged Attacks and each weapon has a variety of statistics that determine how much damage they do to an opponent, their speed to use, and their ability to bypass armor. Certain aspects of your weapons can be copied directly from the weapon tables, such as Speed, Armor Negation, and Range, but other aspects need to be calculated. Record the name of each weapon your character wields and its statistics in the Weapon Attacks section of the character sheet.

Weapon Attack Bonus

The Weapon Attack Bonus determines your character's chance of hitting with each particular weapon. Weapon Attacks are similar to the Base Attacks above, except they include the weapon's Precision Bonus, giving a slightly better chance at hitting your opponent. Ranged Weapons with the Heavy Thrown property use your Strength Accuracy (StrA), instead of Dexterity Accurcy (DexA), to calculate your attack bonus, and so must be calculated separately. Calculate your Weapon Attack bonus for each weapon, using the equations below:

Weapon Damage

Weapon Damage consists of a die roll and a flat damage bonus. The size of the die roll is determined by the weapon. The flat damage consists of either the Strength Power (StrP) or Dexterity Power (DexP), adjusted by the weapon's Damage Multiplier. Just as with Weapon Attack Bonuses, Melee Weapon Damage utilizes Strength Power and Ranged Weapon Damage utilizes Dexterity Power (except for weapons with the Heavy Thrown property, which use Strength Power). Any miscellaneous bonuses are also adjusted by the damage multiplier. Calculate the Weapon Damage Bonus for each weapon using the following equation:

Weapon Critical

The Weapon Critical is composed of two aspects: the Critical Chance (or Crit %) and the Critical Damage. Critical Chance is dependent on the weapon's base Critical percentage and Physical Rank. Critical Damage is equal to a multiple of your character's Physical Rank. Calculate your Critical Chance and Critical Damage for each weapon using the following equations. Critical Strikes will be described in more detail in the How to Play section.

Casting Attacks

Some classes, such as the Wizard or Cleric have special Casting Attacks. These abilities are limited to certain classes and the equations for calculating these attacks and associated damage are listed on each Class page.

Defenses

Your character's defenses represent their ability to dodge, deflect, and resist attacks. There are five defense scores, with each serving to protect from different types of attacks. Each defense is described in detail below. Once you have determined your character's defense scores, they can be recorded in the Defenses section of the character sheet.

Armor Class (AC)

The Armor Class defense is a combination of reflexes and physical armor used to avoid, deflect and absorb weapon attacks. Your Armor Class is broken up into two scores: a Glance Armor Class (Glance AC) and a Hit Armor Class (Hit AC). The Glace AC represents the threshold at which an attack misses (if below Glance AC) or deals half damage (if meets or exceeds Glance AC, but is below Hit AC). The Hit AC represents the threshold at which you suffer full damage from an attack.

The difference between your Glance AC and Hit AC will depend on bonuses granted by your armor. Each type of armor grants a Glance AC Bonus and a Hit AC Bonus. Additionally, some armors impose a Armor Attribute Penalty to your Dexterity Accuracy Modifier, as their bulk makes it more difficult to move around. This penalty reduces any positive bonus you get from your Dexterity Accuracy Modifier (if any, to a minimum of 0). This reduction applies to both your Glance AC and Hit AC.

Calculate your Glance Armor AC and Hit Armor AC using the equations below and record them on your character sheet. Typically AC scores are written as "Glance"/"Hit" (i.e. If you have a Glance AC of 12 and a Hit AC of 18, you would record your AC as "12/18").

Touch

The Touch defense represents the ability to completely avoid physical contact with another creature (i.e. prevent a creature from touching you). Touch is calculated similar to Armor Class, except that bonus from your armor doesn't apply (though you will get a bonus from shields). Use the equation below to determine your character's Touch defense.

Fortitude (Fort)

The Fortitude defense represents your character's ability to shrug off and resist effects that target the physical whole of the body. These types of attacks can include forced movement, restraining effects, diseases, or poison effects. Fortitude depends on the higher of your character's Strength Accuracy (StrA) and Constitution (ConA) modifiers, Fortitude Combat Training, the Level Modifier (LVLM), and Racial or miscellaneous bonuses. You can calculate your character's Fortitude defense with the following equation.

Reflex (Ref)

The Reflex defense represents your character's ability to predict, duck, dodge and generally avoid attacks that blanket an area (such as a blast of fire). It also represents the ability to avoid magical rays and blasts of energy. Reflex is determined by the better of the Dexterity Accuracy (DexA) or Intelligence Accuracy (IntA) (modified by the Armor Attribute Adjustment), Reflex combat training, Shield bonus, the Level Modifier (LVLM), and racial or miscellaneous bonuses. Use the following equation to determine your character's Reflex defense.

Willpower (Will)

The Willpower defense represents your character's ability to withstand assaults on the mind. Attacks that target Willpower can include charm effects, fear effects, illusions, and psychic effects. Willpower depends on the better of the Wisdom Accuracy (WisA) or Charisma Accuracy (ChaA) modifiers, Will Combat Training, the Level Modifier (LVLM), and racial or miscellaneous bonuses. Use the following equation to determine your character's Willpower defense:

Saving Throws

Saving Throws determine your character's ability to overcome harmful and damaging effects. Saving Throw Scores are equal to your character's Attribute Scores, with bonuses granted by his Physical and Mental Ranks (plus miscellaneous bonuses). Calculate your Saving Throw Scores using the equation below:

Resistances

Some equipment, features, and powers can grant Damage Reduction or Damage Resistance to certain types of damage. Reduction and Resistance is usually gained temporarily through the use of powers. More permanent forms of Reduction and Resistance are not usually gained until later levels. Reduction and Resistances will be discussed in greater detail in the How to Play section.