Weapons and attacks deal different types of damage, which interact with armour in different ways.
Physical Damage
Slashing (S)
Cutting attacks from swords, axes, and claws. Effective against unarmoured targets but reduced by metal armour.Piercing (P)
Stabbing attacks from spears, arrows, and daggers. Can slip through gaps in armour but less effective against solid plate.Crushing (C)
Blunt force from hammers, maces, and fists. Effective against armoured targets as the force transfers through the armour.Energy Damage (E)
Magical or elemental damage such as fire, lightning, or cold. Armour provides limited protection against energy damage.
Other damage or effect types may include Mental, Spectral, and other specific magical forms. Armour only applies if it has an AR value against that damage type.
Armour Rating (AR)
Armour Rating reduces the damage taken from a single attack. Armour may have different AR values against different damage types, such as Slashing, Piercing, Crushing, Energy, Mental, or Spectral.
If an AR entry includes [H], it represents hardness. Hardness reduces damage, but it is treated as unarmoured for critical hit purposes.
Armour Penetration (AP)
Armour Penetration is the amount of AR your attack ignores on a successful hit.
- +1AP ignores 1 point of the target's AR.
- AP has no extra effect if the target has no relevant AR.
- AP higher than the target's AR does not add bonus damage.
- Negative AP makes armour more effective. For example, -1AP means the armour absorbs 1 additional point of damage.
Non-Lethal Damage
When non-lethal damage is dealt to someone wearing armour:
- Base damage is halved
- The attack is treated as Crushing damage for armour reduction purposes
Telling Blows
On a telling blow (natural 20), damage ignores the resistant condition and is rolled normally.
Damage Steps (DS)
Damage Step (DS) is a shorthand for damage progression. If something grants +1DS, move up one step in the table. The progression is designed so each step increases the average damage.
Dice Step Progression: D3 → D4 → D6 → D8 → D10 → D12 → 3D4 → 2D8 → 4D4 → 2D10 → 2D12 → 4D6 → 6D4 → 3D10 → 4D8 → 3D12 → 6D6 → 9D4 → 7D6 → 5D10 → 7D8 → 10D6 → 6D12 Bonus Values (+D): These are added after dice are rolled. If you roll 2D8+1 and your DS increases by 1, you roll 4D4+1. Non-Standard Dice: When damage has different base dice and you gain a DS bonus, find the current average and move to the next highest average. For example, 2D4 (avg 5.0) with +1DS becomes D10 (avg 5.5). A spell dealing 2D6 (avg 7.0) with +1DS becomes 3D4 (avg 7.5).| DS | Dice | Average |
| 1 | D3 | 2 |
| 2 | D4 | 2.5 |
| 3 | D6 | 3.5 |
| 4 | D8 | 4.5 |
| 5 | D10 | 5.5 |
| 6 | D12 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 3D4 | 7.5 |
| 8 | 2D8 | 9 |
| 9 | 4D4 | 10 |
| 10 | 2D10 | 11 |
| 11 | 2D12 | 13 |
| 12 | 4D6 | 14 |
| 13 | 6D4 | 15 |
| 14 | 3D10 | 16.5 |
| 15 | 4D8 | 18 |
| 16 | 3D12 | 19.5 |
| 17 | 6D6 | 21 |
| 18 | 9D4 | 22.5 |
| 19 | 7D6 | 24.5 |
| 20 | 5D10 | 27.5 |
| 21 | 7D8 | 31.5 |
| 22 | 10D6 | 35 |
| 23 | 6D12 | 39 |
| 24 | 10D8 | 45 |
| 25 | 9D10 | 49.5 |
| 26 | 10D10 | 55 |
| 27 | 16D6 | 56 |
| 28 | 10D12 | 65 |
| 29 | 16D8 | 72 |
| 30 | 12D12 | 78 |
| 31 | 16D10 | 88 |
| 32 | 26D6 | 96 |
| 33 | 16D12 | 104 |
You may elect to roll a lower DS when striking if you wish - sometimes to avoid revealing your expertise, to avoid killing a target, or because at high DS it can be more advantageous to roll more dice. |
Examples
- A Longsword deals D8 (DS4). An ability that grants +1DS increases it to D10 (DS5).
- A Dagger deals D6 (DS3). Against a resistant target, damage drops -1DS to D4 (DS2).
- A spell dealing 2D6 (average 7) with +1DS becomes 3D4 (average 7.5).
- Unarmed attacks start at D4 (DS2). A fighter with +3DS unarmed deals D10 (DS5).
Resistant and Vulnerable
- Resistant: Damage reduced by 1 step (minimum D3)
- Vulnerable: Damage increased by 1 step