Combat

At the start of combat, every creature makes an Initiative Check: 1d20 + Dexterity Modifier. Results from highest to lowest determine the turn order. On each turn, a character normally has one 【Preparation】, one 【Action】, and one 【Reaction】. Preparations are primarily used to ready yourself, observe, or assist. Actions cover major activities such as attacking and healing. Reactions are used for class abilities, counterattacks, and protecting companions.

Every character adds their Proficiency Bonus to basic attacks and defences. Defence represents footwork, experience, reflexes, and the ability to read an attacker's intent.

When a player attacks an NPC: Attack Roll = 1d20 + the Attribute Modifier used by the action + Proficiency Bonus + Attack Specialization. The NPC's Defence = 10 + Dexterity Modifier + Proficiency Bonus + Defence Specialization. The attack hits if its result equals or exceeds the Defence.

When an NPC attacks a player: NPC Attack Value = 10 + the Attribute Modifier used by the action + Proficiency Bonus + Attack Specialization. The player makes a Defence Check: 1d20 + Dexterity Modifier + Proficiency Bonus + Defence Specialization. The player avoids the attack if the Defence result equals or exceeds the Attack Value.

Ties involving a player are resolved in the player's favour. In PvP or an important duel, both sides may roll the attack and defence separately; the attack must exceed the defence to hit.

Whenever a character is targeted by a single-target attack they can perceive, they may make a Defence Check. There is no limit to the number of Defence Checks, and they do not consume a Reaction or Resolve. Defence normally has disadvantage when the character cannot identify the attack's source at all, is prone, or is frightened. A character who is unconscious, dying, completely restrained, or has lost control of their body cannot defend normally. Area attacks and Resolve attacks use the Save specified by the ability.

An Attack Roll uses the Attribute stated by the ability. A normal attack usually uses Strength; an agility-based ability may use Dexterity; a Soul Art uses the Soul Art Attribute specified by the class. Ability Save DC = 10 + action Attribute Modifier + Proficiency Bonus. Soul Arts also add Soul Specialization.

A natural 20 on an Attack Roll always hits and becomes a critical hit: roll the normal damage, then roll one additional base damage die from that action. A natural 1 on an Attack Roll always misses.

Any 【Extra Action】 granted by a class ability is treated as 【Extra Attack】: after using the Attack action, the character may make one additional normal attack. Extra Attack cannot be replaced with a class ability, Soul Art, healing effect, or another complete action.

【Observe】Choose one target and one category from “conditions, attributes, actions, or traits”, then make a Discernment Check. On a result of 10, 15, or 20, learn one item, two items, or all information in that category respectively.

【Defensive Stance】Until the start of your next turn, gain +2 on Defence Checks. After entering Defensive Stance, you cannot use a damage-dealing Reaction during the current round.

【Aid】Assist one dying ally. They regain 1 Hit Point and cease dying. Aid cannot directly end 【Breakdown】 during combat.

【Regain Composure】Choose one ally who is 【Shaken】 but has not entered 【Breakdown】. The target gains +2 on their next Breakdown Save. A target can benefit only once between two Breakdown Saves.

Basic defence does not consume a Reaction. Reactions are mainly used to counterattack, protect companions, interrupt actions, and activate class abilities.

【Bleeding】Bleeding has 1 to 3 stacks. At the end of the target's turn, it takes 1d4 Physical Damage per stack, then loses 1 stack of Bleeding. Applying Bleeding again increases its stacks, up to the maximum. When the target receives Hit Point healing, it loses 1 stack. A character may also use an Action and succeed on a DC 12 Medicine Check to remove all stacks.

【Vulnerable: Element】The first time each round that the target takes damage of the specified element, it takes an additional 1d4 damage of that element.

【Weakened: Element】The additional damage is 1d8. Vulnerable and Weakened for the same element do not stack; Weakened supersedes Vulnerable. Applying the same effect again only refreshes its duration. Effects for different elements may coexist.

【Prone】The target cannot move, and all Attack Rolls against it have advantage.

【Frightened】The target's Attack Rolls have disadvantage.

【Stunned】The target cannot take an {Action} during the current turn, and all Attack Rolls against it have advantage.

When your Hit Points fall to 0, you begin dying. On each of your turns, make a Death Save by rolling 1d20. A result of 10 or higher is a success; a result below 10 is a failure. You die after your third failed Save.

If you regain Hit Points while dying, you immediately recover consciousness and regain the stated number of Hit Points.

A natural 20 on a Death Save immediately restores consciousness and 1 Hit Point. A natural 1 counts as two failed Death Saves.

While you are dying, an ally may use the 【Aid】 action on you. You immediately recover consciousness and regain 1 Hit Point.

During the turn in which you recover consciousness from dying, you cannot use an Action. You may use only a Preparation and a Reaction.

If you take damage while dying, you suffer one failed Death Save.

Resolve represents a character's capacity to maintain awareness, conviction, concentration, and spiritual power. Soul Arts and some supernatural class abilities consume Resolve. Roleplaying factors such as fear may also reduce it. Resolve cannot fall below 0.

Under normal circumstances, a character cannot willingly use an ability that would reduce their own Resolve to 0. Only a class ability marked 【Overdraw】 can exceed this limit.

When Resolve reaches 0, the character becomes 【Shaken】 and begins tracking failed Breakdown Saves from 0. While Shaken, the character immediately loses all Concentration and cannot use Soul Arts or abilities that consume Resolve. They take a −6 penalty to attacks, defence, Attribute Checks, and ordinary Saves, but may still move and use Actions, Preparations, and Reactions. Damage rolls, healing rolls, Death Saves, Breakdown Saves, and Trauma Saves are unaffected by this penalty.

At the end of each of their turns, a Shaken character makes a DC 10 Insight Save.

Success while failures are recorded: remove one failure. Success with no recorded failures: regain 1 Resolve and cease being Shaken. Failure: record one failure. Natural 20: clear all failures, regain 1 Resolve, and cease being Shaken. Natural 1: record two failures.

After accumulating three failed Breakdown Saves, the character enters 【Breakdown】: they cannot use Actions, Preparations, or Reactions; their Movement becomes 0; and they stop making Breakdown Saves. They may still make instinctive Defence Checks with the −6 penalty. Ordinary in-combat Aid cannot end Breakdown.

After leaving danger and receiving continuous care from at least one ally for ten minutes in a safe environment, a character in Breakdown regains 1 Resolve, ends Breakdown and Shaken, and clears all recorded failures. They then immediately make a DC 12 Trauma Save.

Natural 20: no lasting effect. Success: gain 【Aftershock】 until the next Long Rest, reducing Maximum Resolve by an amount equal to the character's Proficiency Bonus. Failure: gain a Trauma related to the cause of the Breakdown. Natural 1: gain a severe Trauma. The player and GM determine the specific Trauma together based on the event.

【Short Rest】A Short Rest requires a safe, uninterrupted period of rest, normally about 30 minutes. Each Short Rest restores Hit Points equal to one class Hit Die + Constitution Modifier and Resolve equal to one class Resolve Die + Insight Modifier, restoring at least 1 of each. A character can benefit from no more than two Short Rests between Long Rests.

【Long Rest】A Long Rest requires sufficient sleep in a safe environment. A character can benefit from only one Long Rest in each 24-hour period. A Long Rest restores all Hit Points and Resolve, refreshes abilities that recover on a Long Rest, and replenishes eligible Herb Reserves.

In the world of Warriors, living actions and supernatural forces can be grouped into four elements: Physical, Starlight, Shadow, and Wild. Physical refers to bodies, environments, and direct effects in the material world. Starlight, Shadow, and Wild are spiritual elements. An element describes the source and nature of a power; it does not define a character's morality. Any element may be used to protect, harm, create, or control.

The spiritual elements have a cycle of advantage.

Starlight ➡️ Shadow: Starlight stabilises, illuminates, and disperses Shadow power.

Shadow ➡️ Wild: Shadow excels at corroding, distorting, and suppressing Wild power.

Wild ➡️ Starlight: Wild power uses instinct and natural cycles to unravel Starlight power.

As the direct influence of the material world, Physical has no fixed advantage relationship with the spiritual elements.

Class abilities, attacks, and other effects deal one or more types of elemental damage. A normal claw strike, for example, deals Physical Damage. Some beings, such as spirits—StarClan cats, Dark Forest cats, and earthbound spirits—have Physical Resistance, so Physical Damage usually affects them less than spiritual damage. Other beings that lack a spiritual affinity or strongly reject spiritual forces may have Soul Resistance, making spiritual damage less effective against them.