Each action is discrete. In a combat round, a character typically has:
- one Primary Action
- one Move Action
- one Reaction
- any reasonable number of Free Actions
Spirit of the Game
> It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. Never hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, if it goes against the obvious intent of the game.
Turn Flow
On your turn, you may use your primary action, your move action, and your reaction if you wish. You may break up movement around your primary action.
Example: move 2 squares, nock and draw a bow, fire an arrow, then move 2 more squares, provided the total movement spent does not exceed your movement value and the bow action is legal.
If an action costs your move action, and is not simply movement, you must not already have moved or spent movement points that turn.
After your turn finishes, you may still be able to act out of turn using your reaction.
Trading Down
You may spend your primary action on:
- a partial move action
- a fast action, where a rule grants one
- a reaction
- Hustle: Spend your primary action to move 50% of your current movement, rounded up.
- Sprint: Spend your primary action to gain an additional move equal to 100% of your current movement, rounded up. Make a CON check or gain an additional round of fatigue. Sprint can combine with a charge.
Primary Actions
Primary actions are substantial efforts, attacks, spellcasting, manoeuvres, or focused choices.
| Action | Notes |
| Attune an item | Used for magical items where attunement is required. |
| Brawl | Provokes threat against armed opponents. |
| Break Hold | Attack at -4 to break a grapple or hold. |
| Call to Action | Provokes reaction. |
| Cast a spell or magical effect | May provoke threat depending on the effect. |
| Cautious Movement | Move with no chance of slipping or falling. |
| Consider Options | Skip meaningful action and movement; gain +2 on one d20 roll next round. Not cumulative. |
| Drink a potion, apply salve, or apply oil | As primary action, does not provoke threat. |
| Disarm | Attack at -4. |
| Execute an attack | Standard physical attack. |
| Grapple | Attack at -4. |
| Hustle | Move 50% extra as primary action. |
| Incapacitate | Attack at -4; deals non-lethal damage. |
| Interrupt / Trigger Action | Name a trigger; if it occurs, your action resolves immediately. If it does not occur, your primary action is wasted. |
| Knockdown | Attack at -4; target may fall prone. |
| Reload heavy crossbow | Heavy crossbows require a primary action to reload. |
| Roll with the Hit | Uses primary action plus reaction. |
| Shoot / ranged attack | -3 if firing into melee without clear line of sight; if you miss by 1-3, an engaged ally may need an AGL check or be struck. |
| Stand from prone quickly | Provokes reaction unless combined with your move action or prevented by an ability. |
| Sunder | Attack at -4, or -6 against staff, spear, or polearm. |
| Sustain a spell or vardaan | Required when outside a sustain matrix or sustain prayer. |
Move Actions
Move actions are covered in more detail under Move Actions.
| Action | Notes |
| Move your movement value | Move up to your current movement in squares or feet. |
| Drink potion | Provokes threat unless protected by an appropriate potions/oils ability. |
| Brace for impact | Warwager option. |
| Recover | Gain your HD in HP and increase fatigue by 1 level. |
| Pick up a dropped item | Costs 1 movement. |
| Open or close a door | Costs 1 movement. |
| Interact with unattended object | Costs 1 movement. |
| Grab an item from your pack | Costs 1 movement if handy; otherwise the whole move action. |
| Catch an item thrown to you | Costs 1 movement; the thrower usually spends their primary action. |
| Stand from prone | Provokes reaction. |
| Mount steed | Mount a domesticated or trained creature. |
| Reload crossbow | Non-heavy crossbow reload. |
| Pull yourself up from a ledge | Requires SDF check if hanging. |
| String a bow | Prepare a bow. |
| Draw a single handy weapon | As part of 1 movement, 1 movement cost, or by burning your reaction. |
| Sustain a spell or vardaan | Required when outside a sustain matrix or sustain prayer. |
| Extinguish yourself while burning | If not dropping prone, requires AGL check. |
| Spot invisible | On success, gain +6 to pinpoint the invisible target's square. |
| Retch | +2 on sickened checks. |
| Sneak | Move half speed; AGL check at +6 to be quiet, modified by armour. Critical failure makes obvious noise. |
Combined Action Costs
| Cost | Actions |
| Move + Primary | Aim, Charge, Evade, Full Defence, Force Back, Give Ground, Overrun, Self Harm, Sprint, stand from prone without provoking, extinguish yourself while prone, extinguish an adjacent burning creature. |
| Move + Primary + Reaction | Slaughter. |
| Action + Reaction | Bodyguard, Roll with the Hit, some defensive interrupts. |
Free Actions
Free actions do not consume your primary, move, or reaction. They include:
- shout or talk
- drop a weapon
- drop prone
- drop a shield
- draw a weapon in each hand, if an ability such as Quick and the Dead allows it
- deflect with weapon, if Weapon Mastery (Precision) rank 3 allows it
Watch Actions
Watch actions take about 4 hours or more.
During sleep, you can choose either to take a recover action or recover one fatigue level at the end of each watch.
Other watch actions include:
- repair a weapon or armour if you have the appropriate proficiency, improving its grade by one level
- tend another creature if you have the Healer ability
- read a book