Attack Roll

The attacker makes an attack roll. The defender makes a defense roll. These are compared. If the attack roll (with modifiers) is greater than the defense roll, it hits. If not, it misses. The attack and defense rolls are modified by a random number (which is added) and a fatigue penalty (which is subtracted).

Attack Roll

Attack roll: Weapon's Attack value
+ Attack modifiers, if any
+ DRN

Defense roll: Defender's Defense value
+ defense modifiers, if any
+ DRN

Defender wins ties!

Once a hit is scored, a similar calculation is done to determine how much damage is done. This involves the attacker's damage roll minus the defender's protection roll.

If the defender has a shield, the hit is a shield hit unless the attack roll beats the combined value of the target's defense and the shield's Parry value plus the random roll. If a hit is scored as a shield hit, the shield's Protection value is added to the defender's Protection roll.

Example: Vanjarl vs Heavy Infantry

A Vanjarl is attacking a Heavy Infantry unit. Neither unit has any fatigue yet.
The Vanjarl has an attack value of 14.
The Heavy Infantry unit has a broad sword, chain mail hauberk, half helmet and shield. It has a base defense of 10, gets a defense bonus of +1 from the sword, a defense penalty of -2 from the armor, and a defense penalty from the shield of -1. The shield's Parry value is 4. The actual defense is 10 +1 -2 -1 = 8. With the shield's Parry value, the unit's total defense is 12.
The Vanjarl rolls a 6, for a total attack value of 20.
If the Heavy Infantry rolls a 7 or less, it is a clean hit and the shield offers no protection. If the Heavy Infantry rolls an 8 through 11, the Vanjarl scores a shield hit and the Heavy Infantry can use its shield's protection value in the damage calculation. If the Heavy Infantry rolls a 12 or higher, the Vanjarl misses entirely.

Attack modifiers

Both attack and defense can be affected both positively and negatively by various effects. Due to the complexity of the game it will be difficult to list all of them, but here are some of the more common ones.

Positive Attack modifiers

Equipment	Weapon bonus	Only applies to attacks with that weapon
Equipment	Magic Item bonus	Applies to all attacks • E.g. Burning Pearl • Ring of the Warrior
Bless	When blessed	3 Attack: +2 attack • 10 Quickness: +2 attack • 4 Berserker: +2 attack when active • 4 Blood Surge: +3 attack when active • Throne effects
Unit attributes	Experience	+1 attack per
	Berserk	+ Berserk value to attack when berserk
	Dark Power / Storm Power	+ value in Darkness / Storm
	Chaos / Magic / Death / Cold / Fire Power	+ value / scale
Spells	Quicken Self • Quickness • Quickening	+2 attack

Negative Attack modifiers

Equipment	Weapon penalty	Only applies to attacks with that weapon
Equipment	Multiple Weapons	Penalty = Combined Weapon Length • Reduced by Ambidextrous value
Unit attributes	Afflictions	Variable
	Invisibility	-10 attack • Negated by Spirit Sight
	Chaos / Magic / Death / Cold / Fire Power	- value / opposing scale
In combat	Fatigue	-1 / 20 points of fatigue • At 100 fatigue the unit can no longer attack
	Frozen	-3 to attack
	Slime	-2 to attack
Terrain	Caves and Deep Sea	-3 attack • -2 with 50% Darkvision • No penalty with 100% Darkvision, Spirit Sight or Blind Fighter • Solar Eclipse mimics this effect
	Swamps	-1 to attack • No penalty with Swamp Survival • Quagmire mimics this effect
	Underwater	Blunt and Slashing attacks have weapon length in penalty • Flails get an extra -1 penalty
	Underwater	-3 attack when fighting underwater • -2 attack with Poor Amphibian • No penalty with Amphibious or Aquatic
Spells	Darkness • Utterdark	-6 attack • -3 with 50% Darkvision • No penalty with 100% Darkvision, Spirit Sight or Blind Fighter

Defense modifiers

Positive Defense modifiers

Equipment	Weapon bonus	Added to Defense value
	Magic Item bonus	Added to Defense value • E.g. Cat Charm
	Shield Parry	Gives a Parry bonus
Bless	When blessed	3 Swiftness: +1 defense • 3 Defense: +2 defense • 10 Quickness: +2 defense • 4 Blood Surge: +1 defense when active • Throne effects
Unit attributes	Experience	+1 defense per
	Dark Power / Storm Power	+ value in Darkness / Storm
	Chaos / Magic / Death / Cold / Fire Power	+ value / scale
Spells	Quicken Self • Quickness • Quickening	+2 defense
Spells	Water Shield • Water Ward	+5 defense • Only underwater

Negative Defense modifiers

Equipment	Weapon / Armor / Shield penalty	Variable
Bless	43 Larger	-1 defense (always active)
Unit attributes	Afflictions	Variable
	Berserk	- Berserk value to defense when berserk
	Chaos / Magic / Death / Cold / Fire Power	- value / opposing scale
In combat	Fatigue	-1 / 10 points of fatigue • At 100 fatigue defense is set to 0
	Harassment	-1 / enemy attacks • halved if mounted • Mitigated by Unsurroundable
	Frozen	-3 to defense
	Slime	-2 to defense
	Defense reduced by 75%	Webbed • Earth Grip • False Fetters • Netted • Entangled • Stunned
	Defense set to 0	Petrified • Paralyzed • Sleeping • Encased in Ice
Terrain	Caves and Deep Sea	-3 defense • -2 with 50% Darkvision • No penalty with 100% Darkvision, Spirit Sight or Blind Fighter • Solar Eclipse creates the same effect
	Swamps	-1 defense • No penalty with Swamp Survival • Quagmire creates the same effect
	Underwater	-3 defense when fighting underwater • -2 defense with Poor Amphibian • No penalty with Amphibious or Aquatic
Spells	Darkness • Utterdark	-6 defense • -3 with 50% Darkvision • No penalty with 100% Darkvision, Spirit Sight or Blind Fighter

Combat-Mechanics