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: 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
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.
Equipment | Weapon bonus | Only applies to attacks with that weapon |
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 |
Equipment | Weapon penalty | Only applies to attacks with that weapon |
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 | |
-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 |
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 |
Water Shield • Water Ward | +5 defense • Only underwater |
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 |