Editing Legend of Zelda RPG/1e (section)

==Combat==
Combat is turn-based, with an initiative count determined at the start of the scene by an unopposed Physical Courage check with a success threshold of 4. Whoever gets the most successes goes first, with ties resolved by who has the highest Courage score. If there's still a tie, it is resolved by an opposed Physical Courage check (if a two-way tie) or another unopposed check (for a tie between 3 or more characters).

Each turn, you get 2 actions. Each action can be used to attack, defend, move, use an item, or do any number of various things (see [[Legend_of_Zelda_RPG#Actions_in_Combat|below]]). |Heavy| weapons require use of an action to recover from an attack before the wielder can move or attack with that weapon again. You also get one immediate action each round, which is an action taken during someone else's turn during the round. Immediate actions are typically used for [[Legend_of_Zelda_RPG#Opportunity Attacks|opportunity attacks]], but certain techniques or items may allow you to use your immediate action for other things.

When it’s your turn to go during a round, you may decide that you’re not ready to act yet. You may be awaiting the outcome of another character’s actions, hoping to interrupt someone else’s action, or may simply be undecided about what to do yet. In this case, you may opt to delay your action. When you delay your action, you’re putting yourself on standby. At some later point in that round, you can announce that you are now taking your action—even if you interrupt another character’s action. In this case, all other activity is put on hold until your action is resolved. Once your action has taken place, the Initiative order continues on where you interrupted.

You may delay your action into the next round, but if you do not take it by the time your next action comes around in the Initiative order, then you lose it. If you do take your delayed action during the next round, you lose an action from your normal turn during that round.

For each attack, the attacker rolls a check with the relevant skill. The attacker compares his kept dice to those of the defender according to the linear comparison method explained [[Legend_of_Zelda_RPG#The_Basic_System_So_Far|above]] and deals one increment of damage for every success over the defender. If competing dice in the linear comparison are tied, the success goes to the defender. The damage increment is defined by the weapon -- a knife might have a damage increment of only 1/4 heart, while an Iron Knuckle's humongous axe might have an increment of 1+1/2 hearts.

The defender's roll depends on whether he or she is defending '''passively''' or '''actively'''.
'''Passive defense''' is the most general case. The defender rolls Physical and keeps either Courage or Wisdom (their choice).
Taking an action to defend lets you use '''active defense''' against all attacks from a specified opponent for the next round. This can let you use a Shield or Acrobatics skill check (your choice) in place of the normal passive defense roll, meaning your chances of beating the attacker's roll are improved, and gives additional benefits besides. See [[Legend_of_Zelda_RPG#Actions_in_Combat|below]] for more detailed descriptions of how active defense works.
In either case, if you have more kept dice in your defense roll than the attacker has for the attack roll, each unopposed die can be used to negate one of your attacker's successes.

Armour reduces the total damage taken from each attack by a fixed margin, but (except for the absolute best-of-the-best armours) can never reduce damage to less than 1/4 heart. Medium armor has a higher reduction value, but increases Mass by 1 on the character wearing it (and thus reducing Movement by 1) and applies a -1k1 penalty to any |stealth| or |acrobatics| rolls. Heavy armor is rare, and has the highest reduction value, but increases Mass by 2 (reducing Movement by 2) and applies a -2k2 penalty on any |stealth| or |acrobatics| rolls. Any character can use light or medium armor, but only those who have taken the Heavy Armor Training [[Legend_of_Zelda_RPG#Miscellaneous_Techniques|technique]] can wear heavy armor.

Shields used for '''Active Defense''' reduce damage taken by an additional value listed in their description (usually 1/4 heart).
*For example, the hero Kiln readies his shield for active defense against a moblin. The moblin attacks and Kiln's |shield| check beats the moblin's attack for every die. No damage is dealt. The moblin attacks again, and this time gets two successes against Kiln's |shield| roll, dealing damage. Kiln reduces the total damage from the moblin's attack by 1/4 heart for his leather armor, '''and''' by an additional 1/4 heart because he used his deku shield against the attack.

When using Acrobatics for active defense, you may immediately move 1 space, plus one space for each success you roll above your attacker's total number of successes. Note that this movement doesn't interrupt or otherwise stop the current attack, but it does mean that the enemy may not be able to immediately follow up with a second attack.
*For example, Kiln's shield burned to cinders, so he now has to rely on Acrobatics for active defense. A burning keese dives in for the attack, and Kiln rolls poorly, scoring fewer successes than the keese. Kiln takes the damage (minus 1/4 heart for his leather armor), and can immediately move 1 space. The keese tries again next round, and this time Kiln gets 2 more successes on his |acrobatics| check than the keese did on its attack, allowing Kiln to not only avoid some damage but also immediately move up to 3 spaces.

===Opportunity Attacks===
When a creature attempts to leave a space adjacent to an enemy, or attempts to use a ranged attack or spell while adjacent to an enemy, that creature provokes an opportunity attack from the enemy. An opportunity attack is a simple attack with a |Melee| or |Heavy| weapon. Making an opportunity attack is an immediate action, of which a character/creature only has 1 per round, and can only be done when an enemy provokes the attack. An opportunity attack occurs immediately before the provoking action, but does not necessarily prevent it. You can only make opportunity attacks against creatures that are immediately adjacent to you, even if your weapon can reach farther for a normal attack. Even though you can extend the weapon to attack, doing so is unbalancing and not conducive to quick responses to enemy actions, so when it's not your turn your weapon is held closer to allow for more effective defense and quicker reactions.

Only movement undertaken by a creature's own actions provokes opportunity attacks; forced movement (as from a Knockback effect, for instance) does not provoke opportunity attacks. The Active Defense action can also allow you to move without provoking opportunity attacks; see the Active Defense description below.

Using a spell only provokes opportunity attacks if it targets a creature other than the caster or affects an area not centered on the caster, and a spell never provokes attacks of opportunity from a creature it targets. It's not the act of using the spell ''per se'' that provokes the attack, but rather the act of diverting your attention from those threatening you in order to aim the spell at the proper target or area.

Ranged attacks made using weapons always provoke opportunity attacks, even from the creature being targeted by the attack.

===Death and Dying===
When a player character is reduced to 0 hearts, he or she is knocked unconscious (or similarly incapacitated, if the GM feels that unconsciousness is not appropriate). The character falls prone, can take no actions (not even free actions, like talking), and is unaware of his or her surroundings. A downed character can be revived in one of five ways:
*If a party member has access to a song that restores hearts, it can be used to revive the downed character, restoring as many hearts as the song would normally restore. Healing magic, however, cannot be used to revive a downed character unless explicitly stated otherwise by the specific spell or a technique the caster has that is applicable to that spell.
*If a party member has a healing potion, it can be used to revive a downed character in combat by spending a double action to give it to the character. However, due to the rushed and sloppy nature of the task (after all, it ''is'' rather distracting having a raging melee about you while you're trying to coax liquid down an unconscious person's throat), much of the potion is wasted, and so the revived character heals only half as many hearts as the potion would normally restore. However, if you have a chance to take your time and really focus, you can ensure that none of the potion is wasted, so using a potion to revive a downed character out of combat when you aren't pressed for time or otherwise distracted will allow that character to recover the full amount of hearts normally restored by the potion used.
*A more practical alternative to potions for mid-combat healing is a fairy. You can revive a downed character using a fairy as a single action. A downed character revived by a fairy recovers 6 hearts (the standard amount healed by a fairy).
*If the party acquires a heart container or piece of heart, all characters in the party are automatically restored to full health, including downed characters.
*Finally, a downed character can be revived by 8 hours of rest, recovering the normal amount of hearts restored by resting.

A player character can only be killed if he or she takes further damage from a direct attack while downed. Indirect attacks, such as Din's Fire and other area-effect magic, will not slay a downed character.

Most monsters are killed outright when reduced to zero hearts, though the players may choose to incapacitate rather than kill if they wish. This intention need not be stated in advance; the players decide when they learn that they've defeated an enemy whether they want to kill or spare their foe. It is common heroic practice not to outright kill humanoid opponents unless absolutely necessary.

Generally speaking, friendly and neutral NPCs should be subject to the same rules for death and dying as PCs, always being incapacitated rather than killed when reduced to zero hearts.

===Actions in Combat===

'''Attack''' (Single action): Roll a check with the relevant skill to attack someone with your weapon. Opposed by the target's defense. Each success deals one damage increment to the target, as defined by your weapon. Ties count as successes for your opponent, and unopposed dice count as normal successes.

'''Recover''' (Single action): Used after attacking with a |heavy| weapon; you must do this before you can move or use the weapon again (though you can take other actions, such as making an unarmed attack or dropping your weapon).

'''Load''' (Varies): Prepare ammunition for a ranged weapon. Ranged weapons that launch projectiles (as opposed to being projectiles themselves) must be loaded before you may use them to attack. Some weapons (such as bows) can be loaded as a free action, while others (such as crossbows) may take an action to load, and still others (cannon, trebuchets) may take more than one action.

'''Passive Defense''' (Non-action): Used whenever you're attacked, unless you've readied a form of active defense. Roll Physical Courage or Physical Wisdom (your choice) to oppose your opponent's attack. Ties count as successes for you, and if you keep more dice than your opponent, each unopposed die can be used to negate one success scored by your opponent.

'''Active Defense''' (Single action): Ready a defense against a specific opponent. Whenever that opponent attacks you before your next turn, you use one of the following defenses (chosen as you declare this action) in place of your passive defense to oppose the attack. Regardless of which one you choose, ties count as successes for you, and if you keep more dice than your opponent, each unopposed die can be used to negate one success scored by your opponent. In addition, when you take an Active Defense action you may move up to 1/2 your speed as part of the action, and this movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. Any move actions taken during your turn after readying Active Defense are made at 1/2 speed, but do not provoke opportunity attacks.
*Unskilled Active Defense: This uses your normal Passive Defense roll, but has all the other normal characteristics of an Active Defense.
*Shield defense: Roll |Shield| (Courage) to defend. Additionally, you gain the damage reduction benefit of your shield for any damage taken from the attack. Even if the attack deals no damage, it still makes contact (with your shield), which may be important for electrified attacks and similar effects.
*Acrobatic defense: Roll |Acrobatics| (Wisdom) to defend. Additionally, you may move 1 space as a free action (part of your defense), plus one additional space for each success you score over your attacker's total number of successes. This movement does not negate the attack you're defending against, and it never provokes opportunity attacks.
*Other active defense: Certain techniques may allow you to take other forms of active defense; these options are detailed under the technique that grants them.

'''Total Defense''' (Double action): Same as active defense, but the defense you ready is applied to all attacks against you until your next turn; you do not need to choose a specific opponent.

'''Move''' (Single action): Move a number of spaces up to your Movement, in any path you like.

'''Flee''' (Double action): Move a number of spaces up to twice your Movement, in any path you like. When using this action, you do not provoke opportunity attacks for the first square of movement.

'''Stand Up''' (Single action): Get back on your feet from a prone position.

'''Shove''' (Single action): Roll Physical Power against an enemy within arm's reach, opposed by your enemy's Physical Power or Physical Wisdom (their choice). Ties count as successes for you. For each success you score, push the opponent back 1 space; modifiers for forced movement based on Mass apply to this movement. If you scored at least two more successes than your opponent did, the opponent is also knocked prone at the end of the shove.
*When using a shove as part of a charge, you get a +1k1 bonus to your Physical Power roll, and if you score more total successes than your opponent, you may opt to push the opponent 1 square out of your path and continue the charge (though you cannot attack or shove if you encounter a second opponent in the path of your charge). When shoving an opponent out of the path of your charge, Mass-based modifiers apply to the distance moved, and the opponent is still knocked prone if you score at least two more successes than your opponent.

'''Charge''' (Double action): Move a distance up to twice your Movement, but no less than two spaces, in a straight line at an opponent. When you reach the opponent, you may make either a shove or a normal |Melee| or |Heavy| attack against that opponent. When you make a charge, you take a -1k1 penalty to all defense rolls until the beginning of your next turn, including defense rolls made against opportunity attacks you may provoke during your charge.

'''Grapple''' (Single action): Roll Physical Power against an enemy within arm's reach. The enemy opposes your roll with its own passive defense, unless it has readied acrobatic defense against you, in which case it may use that. If you score more successes than the opponent, you begin grappling that creature. Ties count as successes for you. You must have a hand free to attempt to grapple a foe.

'''Break a Grapple''' (Single action): Roll Physical Courage or Physical Power against an enemy that has grappled you, opposed by that enemy's Physical Power. If you score more successes than the opponent, you end the grapple and may push the enemy one space in a direction of your choice (modifiers for forced movement based on Mass Category apply).

'''Escape a Grapple''' (Single action): Roll Physical Wisdom against an enemy that has grappled you, opposed by that enemy's Physical Power. If you score more successes than the opponent, you end the grapple and move up to one space in a direction of your choice.

'''Move While Grappling''' (Double action): Roll an opposed Physical Power check against the creature with which you are grappling. If you and your opponent are of different Mass Categories, add +2k2 to the heavier creature's roll for each Mass Category it is larger than its opponent. If you score more successes than the opponent, you and the opponent both move one space for each success you score. You may not move more than half your Movement in this way. You may not attempt this action against a creature that is significantly larger than you.

===Special Conditions===

*Dazed
**A Dazed creature has been temporarily befuddled and disoriented by a powerful shock, taxing action, or for some other reason. It can take no actions, but otherwise suffers no other drawbacks. The Dazed condition can persist for any number of rounds, as defined by the effect that caused it.

*Downed
**A Downed character has been reduced to 0 hearts, and is utterly incapacitated. A character falls prone immediately upon being downed, and a downed character can take no actions, not even free actions. A Downed character is completely helpless and unaware of his or her surroundings. A Downed character is unaffected by damage from indirect attacks (such as area-effect spells), but is killed if he or she takes any damage from a direct attack. A Downed character can only be revived through certain ways; see [[Legend_of_Zelda_RPG#Death_and_Dying|Death and Dying]], above. The Downed condition typically only applies to PCs, though the players may choose to Down a foe rather than killing it when they reduce it to 0 hearts.

*Frozen
**A Frozen creature is encased in ice, rendering it immobile and making it brittle. It can't take move or take any actions requiring movement. It gains 1/2 heart of damage reduction against Piercing and Edged damage, but takes 1 heart of extra damage from Crushing and Fire-based attacks.

*Helpless
**A Helpless creature is completely unable to defend itself. Any attack against the creature is opposed by passive defense, and the defense dice are automatically treated as though they rolled 1s.

*Grappling
**A grappling creature can't use active defense, songs, magic, or any item or weapon requiring the use of both hands.
**It has access only to those items it was wielding when it became grappled, and cannot store or retrieve items.
**It can't attack any creatures other than the one with which it is grappling, and can only use unarmed attacks or weapons with the "Brawling" descriptor for this purpose.
**It can't move normally, but can attempt to move using the "Move while grappling" action.
**A creature that is significantly larger than the creature with which it is grappling is exempt from the above restrictions, but instead simply adds the grappling creature's Mass to its own and reduces its Movement by the same amount. However, it can't attack any creature grappling it unless it initiated the grapple against that creature.
**The creature that initiated the grapple may end it at any time as a free action, but the other creature must either break or escape the grapple.

*Miniaturized
**Your Mass is 0
**Your Movement is half its normal value.
**You cannot deal damage to normal-sized creatures.
**You take double damage from normal-sized creatures.
**You cannot use shield or parry defense against normal-sized creatures.
**You gain a +2k2 bonus to passive defense, acrobatic defense, and |stealth| checks against normal-sized creatures.
**You can fit through grates, holes, and other small openings, as appropriate for your tiny stature. (A Miniaturized creature typically stands no more than 10 cm tall)

*Paralyzed
**A Paralyzed creature can take no actions requiring physical movement of any kind (including speaking or use of magic), and is completely Helpless.

*Stunned
**A Stunned creature has been momentarily disoriented by a sudden shock, such as a sharp blow to the head. It loses one action on its next turn, then the condition ends.