Being heavily encumbered brings a penalty to all actions. Because encumberment often changes during an adventure, this penalty is not factored into ones character sheet.

Movement modifies actions made while moving. These penalties are taken during the round of movement whether one has yet to move or not. If swimming, fishing, flying, etc. is your character's natural form of movement (like Walk for humans) then no penalty is taken

Energy Drain: Running drains 1 point of Vit per minute of jogging. Sprinting is movement with an Exertion Bonus. It drains 1 point Vit per round and the character may not use the Exertion Bonus option..

For when you don't want to get out the miniatures or are dealing with too great a range.

These are the Action Strengths used by the blast in making an attack.

Who Strikes First: Normally player character strike first and the GM's creatures go last, but when attacked the option to retaliate is always there, and that is when initiative is checked. Two characters trying to decide who strikes first roll 1-10 and add it to their speed score. The one with the highest score strikes first.

Caught by Surprise: -10 Speed

Exertion Bonus: +1 Speed for every +1 Bonus. It consumes all of ones Exertion Bonus.

Sheathed Weapon: -20 Speed

Parting Shot: 5 points Speed difference.

Melee Attacks: Range is most often used with minatures. One is either in range and can be hit or is out of range and cannot.

Ranged Attacks: Distance brings with it a penalty, see the Ranged Attacks Table.

Explosive Attacks: Distance determines the explosion's Action Strength, see the Explosions table.

Statement of Defense: Once you tell your opponent your Defense Score you cannot change it.

Total Defense: The default defense score.

Grab Defense: The defense against being hit as a target.

Surprise Defense: A defender caught off guard, it is everything but Shield and Dodge skill.

Prone Defense: A defender caught sleeping. Armor only!

Armor Damage: Armor can absorb up to half the Wear and Tear, but it destroys the DEF magic bonuses first.

Flanked!: Characters attacked from two different directions (a 180^o split) must use Surprise Defense against the attack ones back is turned to.

Knocked Down: It takes a Reflex Action Check (or appropriate skill) to get back up, may be made as a multiple action. Knocked down characters use their Surprise Defense.

Parrying: A parry is a multiple action. It adds the attack's Par score to the character's defense.

Sneak Attacks: Sniper fire, backstabs, etc. Are defended against with ones Prone Defense.

Attacks of Opportunity: Do not exist in the ToAd. However, you may not move through an opponent or through the steps to the left and right of that opponent without a special skill.

Blind Fighting: Unless a skill or talent negates it. Attacker takes a -8 Penalty. Shields work but parries do not.

Charging: No parries. Surprise Defense. Attack only against 1 opponent. Gains a+1 Bonus per SPM of declared movement (irregardless of actual distance travelled). On contact both offense and defense need to make reflex reaction check to remain standing. This check gains a +/- 1 modifier for the difference in their Weight Defense.

Concentration: A bonus for mental action (ex: ranged combat) Burns 1 Fort. Use only once per round.

Exertion: A bonus for physical action (ex: melee combat) Burns 1 Vit. Use only once per round.

Wrestling: A wrestling attack vs. Grab Defense lands a hold. Breaking free requires an action whose final strength is greater than the final strength of the hold. Defending against this is the muscle strength of the wrestler maintaining the hold. Maintaining a hold counts as ones action for the moment. Both wrestlers defend against outside attacks using Prone Defense.

Unfamiliar Weaponry: Use General Attack Hit Score if nothing better can be found.

Wear &: Tear: Damage is listed like this 8⁴. The big number is Current Vit lost. The small number is Physical Wounds lost.

Unconsciousness: Loss of either Parent Ability, character will wake up after recovering 1 point above zero.

Death: Happens when all of ones mental or physical wounds are depleted and the character goes unconscious.

Damage Type: Determines how much tear damage is done by a certain kind of wear damage. The character creator automatically figures this out for your attacks.

Magic Resistance: Characters who possess this talent will be protected by its score from the magic of others, unfortunately it will also create a penalty against ones own attempts at casting magic.

Toll: Casting a spell will do some kind of damage to person who cast it - its toll. It is determined by the spell and taken whether the casting succeeds or not. A magic caster can cast a spell over and over until the toll knocks the character unconcsious.

Focusing Tools: These help magic-casters cast spells. The bonus they provide must consciously be added to the spell focused through it. A caster may only use one focusing tool at a time.

Enhanced Items: These are weapons, tools and armor which have been magically honed to work better, ex: long sword +2. If damaged the magical charge is always lost first.

Enchanted Items: These are rings, wands, rods, weapons, and armor, etc. which have had a magical spell or a combination of magical spells locked inside it for easy use. For a score to check (if the item doesn't come with one) Current Fortitude, Intuition, Knowledge, Charisma or a Magical Skill School Score may be used

Spell Books: Reading a spell book may teach a caster how to cast a spell, but it doesn't allow the caster to automatically cast the spells described within.

Magic Scrolls: These are actually magic items enchanted with a spell that can be released when the scroll is read. Scrolls often self-destruct once used.

Distraction & Damage: If damaged while trying to cast a spell a reaction check of the caster's Current Fort -3 per wound taken during the casting must be made right before the spell is cast or it fails. Damage can be mental or physical. It does not apply to Instantaneous spells.

Instantaneous Spells: Those that can be fired with a finger snap leave the caster defending with his Total Defense.

Slow Spells: Spells with a casting time less that 1 minute in length yet slower than Instantaneous leaver the caster defending with his Surprise Defense.

Long Spells: Spells with a casting time longer than 1 minute are so involved they leave the caster defending with his Prone Defense.

Abandoning a Spell: A magic caster in a pinch can abandon a spell as the round's action and defend with Total Defense in the next round.

Wearing Armor: Wearing armor does not effect spellcasting abilities unless ones spell casting skill school says otherwise (damn dress codes). On the whole most magic casters avoid armor because it's heavy and they spend too much time cracking books instead of lifting weights.

Attacking character accidentally attacks himself. Roll a reaction check of ones Hit score and defend against it.

Swords and stone floors don’t mix. Attacker must make a weapons reaction check or hopelessly destroy the weapon being used (gains double the bonus if weapon is magically enhanced).

Attacker makes a Durability check or suffers a head ringing concussion and spends the next 1 to 5 moments wandering about in shock, unable to do anything but use a shield and parry attacks.

Defender makes a Reflex check or falls down, losing any chance of attack for that moment and spending the next moment standing up.

Defender makes a check of Current Vit or is knocked inexplicably unconscious for 3d30 moments.

Defender, make a Durability check or Die!