Conflict is inevitable in the world of ShadowRealms. Whether clashing with raiders on a lonely road, battling monstrous creatures in forgotten ruins, or confronting dark forces that threaten entire kingdoms, adventurers will eventually face violence.
Combat in ShadowRealms is fast, tactical, and dangerous. A single well-placed blow can cripple an opponent, and positioning on the battlefield is often as important as raw strength. Warriors maneuver for advantage, shield bearers hold defensive lines, archers search for clear shots, and spellcasters shape the flow of battle through powerful abilities.
Unlike many roleplaying games, ShadowRealms combat does not proceed in rigid rounds where each character acts once and then waits. Instead, the system uses a revolving initiative, allowing faster characters to act more frequently while slower combatants struggle to keep pace.
Combat also rewards tactical thinking. Terrain, weapon reach, defensive positioning, and teamwork can often determine the outcome of a battle before the first strike is even made.
This chapter explains how combat works, including surprise, initiative, movement, attacks, injuries, and the many actions characters can perform during a fight.
1. Combat Overview
When a situation escalates into violence, the game shifts into combat time, where actions are resolved moment by moment. The following sequence outlines the general flow of combat.
Combat Sequence
- Determine Surprise
- Roll Initiative
- Act in Initiative Order
- Spend Action Points
- Resolve attacks and effects
- Continue until combat ends
Combat continues until one side is defeated, flees, or the situation otherwise resolves.
Because ShadowRealms uses a revolving initiative system, characters may act multiple times during a single round if their initiative score is high enough.
Designer Note: Combat Is Dangerous
ShadowRealms combat is intentionally lethal. Characters can suffer serious injuries in only a few exchanges of blows. While heroic victories are possible, survival often depends on smart tactics, teamwork, and positioning rather than brute force alone.
2. Surprise
Before the first blow is struck, combatants may or may not realize a fight is about to begin. When one side attempts an ambush or when danger is not immediately obvious, the Game Master may call for a Surprise Test.
Surprise is determined using the Alertness skill.
The character rolls a number of dice equal to either their Awareness or Intuition Attribute, chosen by the player. The difficulty of the test is determined by the Game Master based on the situation.
Example Surprise Difficulty
| Situation | Difficulty |
| Loud or obvious enemies | Easy |
| Suspicious activity nearby | Moderate |
| Hidden ambush in darkness | Hard |
| Invisible or supernatural threat | Extreme |
If the character succeeds on the test, they detect the danger in time to react normally.
If the character fails the test, they are Surprised.
A Surprised character:
- cannot act during the first round of combat
- suffers the Off-Guard condition during the following round
This represents the confusion and hesitation caused by a sudden attack.
Example: Surprise Test
Seren the scout is traveling along a forest path when several bandits attempt to ambush her from behind a fallen tree.
The Game Master calls for a Surprise Test.
Seren decides to roll using her Awareness, which is 3. She rolls three dice against the target number determined by the Game Master for the ambush.
Seren succeeds on the test and notices movement among the branches just before the bandits spring their attack. Because she detected the danger in time, she is not surprised and may act normally once initiative is rolled.
Had she failed the test, the bandits would have caught her off guard, preventing her from acting during the first round of combat
3. Initiative and Order of Battle
ShadowRealms uses a dynamic, subtractive initiative system. A high enough Initiative Total doesn’t just mean you go first—it can mean you get multiple full turns in a single round.
Calculating the Initiative Score Your base Initiative Score is a static number calculated by adding three of your attributes together: Quickness + Awareness + Intuition = Initiative Score
Rolling for Initiative At the start of combat, every participant rolls to determine their place in the turn order. To make this check, roll a d20 and add your base Initiative Score: 1d20 + Initiative Score = Initiative Total
The GM records the Initiative Totals for all combatants. Characters act in descending order, from the highest Initiative Total to the lowest.
Resolving Ties If two or more combatants roll the exact same Initiative Total, the tie is broken by comparing their base Initiative Scores. The character with the higher base Initiative Score acts first.
The End-of-Turn Step Your turn officially concludes with an Initiative update. As the final part of your turn, your 311 action pool refreshes, and you subtract 20 from your current Initiative Total. The result dictates your next placement on the tracker:
- Positive Result (Remaining in the Round): If your new Initiative Total is 1 or higher, you stay in the current round. The GM notes your new number, and you will take another full turn—with a fully refreshed 311 action pool—when the count reaches that number.
- Negative Result (End of the Round): If your new Initiative Total drops below 0, you are done for the current round. However, the amount you dropped below zero carries forward as momentum. You do not wait for the round to end; you immediately roll your Initiative for the next round (1d20 + Initiative Score) and add the amount you went below zero to that new total. The GM places you on the tracker for Round 2 right then and there.
Example of the Initiative Cycle (Using a standard average Initiative Score of 6)
Rolling for Round 2: As part of finishing that turn, you immediately roll for Round 2. You went 16 points below zero, so you carry 16 over. You roll your base Initiative for Round 2 (11 on the d20 + Score of 6 = 17). You then add your 16 carry-over (17 + 16 = 33). Your starting Initiative Total for Round 2 is 33, locking in your place at the top of the order before Round 1 has even finished.
Round 1 Start: Your Initiative Score is 6. You roll an 18 on your d20. Your starting Initiative Total is 24.
Turn 1: You take your turn at count 24. At the end of your turn, your actions refresh, and you subtract 20. (24 – 20 = 4). Because 4 is positive, you stay in Round 1.
Turn 2: When the count drops to 4, you take a second full turn with your newly refreshed 311 pool. At the end of this turn, your actions refresh again, and you subtract 20 (4 – 20 = -16). Because the result is negative, you are done for Round 1.
4. 311 Action System
Each round, a character’s action pool is divided into the 311 system: 3 Actions, 1 Bonus Action, and 1 Reaction.
Action Refresh
Your entire action pool (3 Actions, 1 Bonus Action, 1 Reaction) refreshes at the end of your turn. The Reaction you have available during an enemy’s turn is the one you generated at the end of your most recent active turn.
3 Standard Actions
Characters use this pool to mix and match movement, combat maneuvers, defense, and standard skills on their active turn. A comprehensive list of specific maneuvers—including item interactions, complex spells, and Free Actions—dictates exactly how many standard Actions each ability costs.
Movement You spend 1 Action to move up to your base movement rate. You can split this movement around your other actions; for example, moving half your distance, spending your second Action to attack, and then using the remainder of your movement. Keep in mind that moving through or out of an enemy’s reach—even when splitting movement—can trigger an Attack of Opportunity.
You can dedicate multiple Actions in a single turn to move further, covering up to three times your base movement rate if you spend all 3 Actions moving.
Multiple Attacks You can spend multiple standard Actions to make successive attacks, but doing so incurs a cumulative penalty in the form of Disadvantage:
- First Attack (1st Action spent attacking): Rolled normally.
- Second Attack (2nd Action spent attacking): Incurs 1 level of Disadvantage (reroll 1 successful die).
- Third Attack (3rd Action spent attacking): Incurs 2 levels of Disadvantage (reroll 2 successful dice).
Note: Attacks made using a Bonus Action do not incur this penalty, nor do they advance the penalty tier for subsequent standard attacks.
1 Bonus Action
A specialized action slot reserved for swift, supplementary maneuvers. You get one Bonus Action per round, and it must be taken on your active turn. It cannot be used as a reaction.
Common applications include:
- Paired/Off-Hand Strikes: Executing an attack with a secondary weapon.
- Haft/Butt Attacks: Striking with the opposite end of a polearm.
- Power Activation: Triggering specific traits, spells, or abilities that are explicitly designated with a Bonus Action cost.
No Multi-Attack Penalty: Strikes made using a Bonus Action are rolled at your full pool, regardless of how many standard Actions were spent attacking that turn.
1 Reaction
The dedicated interrupt. You get one Reaction per round, and it can be taken at any time (on or off your turn) when its specific condition is triggered. This serves as a resource for defensive maneuvers, opportunity attacks, or triggered abilities.
Example: Active Defense When targeted by an attack, you can spend your Reaction to actively defend, filtering the incoming attack pool before it can deal damage.
- Dodge: The attacker rolls against your Evasion + Acrobatics.
- Parry: The attacker rolls against your Evasion + Fighting.
Resolution:
- Active Defense: If you spend a Reaction to Dodge or Parry, the attacker first rolls their attack pool against your active defense. Only the dice that successfully hit are then rolled against your Toughness + Armor to determine damage.
- Passive Defense: If you do not spend a Reaction (or do not have one available), the attacker bypasses the active defense step and rolls their full attack pool directly against your Toughness + Armor.
Extra Defenses via Standard Actions If you anticipate taking heavy fire, you can dedicate 1 or more of your standard Actions on your turn to declare extra active defenses. Each standard Action spent this way grants you one additional Parry or Dodge to use before your next turn, supplementing your standard 1 Reaction.
5. Combat Actions
During combat, characters utilize their 311 action pool (3 Actions, 1 Bonus Action, 1 Reaction). Below is the expanded list of standard maneuvers and their costs.
Free Actions (0 Actions)
Free actions require minimal effort. The GM may limit how many you can take in a single turn.
- Drop Prone: Instantly drop to the ground.
- Drop Item: Release an item you are holding.
- Speak: Shout a brief warning or a few tactical sentences.
Standard Actions
These maneuvers draw from your pool of 3 standard Actions. You can perform the same action multiple times unless noted otherwise.
- Move (1 Action): Move up to your base movement rate. Movement can be split before and after other actions.
- Strike (1 Action): Attack with a melee weapon, ranged weapon, or unarmed strike. Successive strikes incur cumulative Disadvantage (reroll successful dice: 1st attack normal, 2nd incurs 1 level, 3rd incurs 2 levels).
- Invoke Realm Power (Variable 1-3 Actions): Channel abilities, techniques, or magic from your domains (such as Alchemy, Occult, or martial disciplines). The specific action cost is dictated by the power being used.
- Grapple (1 Action): Attempt to physically grab and restrain a target.
- Disarm (1 Action): Target an opponent’s weapon or held item to remove it from their grasp.
- Shove / Trip (1 Action): Force an enemy back or knock them prone to manipulate their positioning.
- Feint (1 Action): Misdirect an opponent in melee to gain 1 level of Advantage (reroll 1 failed die) on your next Strike against them this turn.
- Aim (1 Action): Steady a ranged weapon to gain 1 level of Advantage on your next Strike this turn.
- Take Cover (1 Action): Hunker down behind environmental obstacles to maximize your defensive bonuses.
- Assist (1 Action): Provide tactical aid to an ally within reach or line of sight, granting them 1 level of Advantage on their next check.
- Extra Defense (1 Action): Anticipate incoming attacks. Gain one additional Parry or Dodge to use before your next turn.
- Interact / Retrieve (1 Action): Draw a weapon, retrieve an item from a pack, consume an Alchemy creation, or manipulate the environment (e.g., pull a lever, open a door).
- Stand Up (1 Action): Rise from a prone position.
- Ready Action (1-3 Actions): Declare a trigger and an action you will take when it occurs (e.g., “Shoot the first enemy that walks through the door”). The actions are spent immediately and lost if the trigger does not occur before your next turn.
Bonus Actions
You get 1 Bonus Action per round, usable only on your active turn.
- Secondary Strike: Attack with an off-hand weapon or the butt/haft of a polearm. Rolled at your full pool with no multi-attack penalty.
- Shift: Carefully move a short distance (typically 1 hex/square) without triggering Attacks of Opportunity.
- Fast Activation: Trigger specific traits, Realm powers, or item effects explicitly designated with a Bonus Action cost.
- Assess: Make a quick perception or tactical check to identify enemy weaknesses or hidden environmental details without sacrificing a standard action.
Reactions
You get 1 Reaction per round, refreshing at the end of your turn. It can be taken anytime its trigger condition is met.
Brace: Trigger: An enemy charges or moves into your reach. Plant a polearm or ready a shield to intercept their momentum, potentially halting their movement or inflicting damage before their attack lands.
Dodge: Trigger: Targeted by an attack. Roll Evasion + Acrobatics against the incoming attack pool to filter out hits before damage.
Parry: Trigger: Targeted by a melee attack. Roll Evasion + Fighting against the incoming attack pool.
Attack of Opportunity: Trigger: An enemy moves out of or through your melee reach. Make an immediate melee Strike against them.
Movement
6. Movement
Just like everything else, distance on the battlefield is measured in areas, with each area representing a standard 5-foot square on a grid. Navigating the world is handled by spending Actions from your action pool. Spending 1 Action allows you to move up to your base movement rate. You may split this movement freely before and after your other actions on your turn.
Dedicated Movement Speeds
Before breaking down the specific modes of travel, it is important to note: if a character or creature possesses an actual, listed Climb, Swim, Burrow, or Fly speed on their sheet, you can throw the standard complication checks out the window. They are built for that environment and can perform these movements naturally. They move at their full dedicated speed without needing to make any skill checks to maintain their progress, avoid slipping, or fight against rough currents. To a creature with a Climb speed, scaling a sheer brick wall is as effortless as walking down a flat street. They just move.
Terrain Effects on Movement
The environment is rarely a flat, featureless void. The physical state of the ground you are walking, running, or crawling over directly impacts how far you can actually go.
- Normal Terrain: This is your standard, unobstructed ground. Think paved roads, clear grasslands, and finished stone floors. Moving here is a simple 1-to-1 exchange: moving 1 area costs 1 area of your movement rate.
- Difficult Terrain: This is where things get messy. We are talking deep mud, shifting rubble, thick underbrush, or wading through waist-deep water. It doesn’t hurt you, but it significantly slows you down. Every 1 area you move through difficult terrain costs 2 areas of your movement rate. So, pushing 3 areas through a dense swamp is going to eat up 6 areas of your total movement. You can normally bypass this movement penalty by making a successful Acrobatics test. The difficulty of this test is set by the GM based on the specific type of terrain you are trying to navigate. If you succeed, you vault, slide, or balance your way through at the standard 1-to-1 rate.
- Hazardous Terrain: Hazardous terrain is exactly what it sounds like: ground that actively wants to hurt you. Pools of acid, burning ground, caltrops, or a puddle of highly toxic Alchemy runoff. It doesn’t necessarily slow you down (unless it is also difficult terrain), but stepping into it or starting your turn there means taking immediate damage or catching a nasty condition. The GM might let you roll an Acrobatics check to mitigate the damage, but it is usually best just to find another way around.
- Obscured Terrain: This is all about what you can’t see. Dense fog, heavy blizzards, or pitch-black darkness. Your legs work fine, but if you try to sprint through without being able to see where you are going, the GM will likely ask for an Awareness or Acrobatics check. Fail that, and you might trip over a root, stumble into a hazard, or just have your movement stop short.
- Impassable Terrain: This is the end of the line. A solid stone wall, a magically sealed barrier, or a collapsed tunnel. You simply cannot move through it with your current mode of movement. You will need to find an alternate route, switch tactics by climbing or flying, or pull out a weapon and start breaking things.
Movement Modes and Complications
When you don’t have a dedicated speed for the environment you find yourself in, you have to rely on raw physical exertion. When navigating treacherous environments or dealing with sudden hazards, you may be required to make a skill check to maintain your movement, avoid falling, or bypass the complication.
Land Movement This is your standard walking and running speed across relatively flat, unobstructed terrain.
- Handling Complications: When navigating precarious footing, dodging sudden obstacles, or trying to keep your balance on shifting ground, you will roll an Acrobatics check.
Climbing Scaling vertical surfaces limits your mobility and requires physical exertion. Ascending or descending costs 2 areas of movement for every 1 area traveled.
- Handling Complications: Climbing a surface with ample handholds happens automatically. When climbing smooth, slippery, or perilous surfaces, or when taking damage while clinging to a wall, you will roll an Athletics check to maintain your grip and continue your progress.
Swimming Moving through water or other liquids. Swimming costs 2 areas of movement for every 1 area traveled.
- Handling Complications: Navigating calm water does not require a roll. When facing rough currents, stormy conditions, or fighting against an undertow, you will roll a Swim check to avoid being swept away or pulled under.
Burrowing Tunneling through solid earth, sand, or stone. This mode of movement is generally impossible for standard characters unless they are utilizing specific abilities or possess specialized anatomical traits.
- Mechanics: A creature capable of burrowing can move through dirt, loose soil, or sand. Depending on the method of burrowing, they may leave a passable tunnel behind them or collapse the earth as they move.
- Handling Complications: Pushing through unusually dense rock, navigating unstable subterranean shifts, or avoiding a sudden cave-in requires a successful Athletics check to power through the resistance and maintain progress.
Flying Taking to the air via wings, advanced technology, or magical assistance.
Handling Complications: Navigating severe weather conditions like high winds, dodging sudden mid-air obstacles, or attempting complex aerial maneuvers requires a successful Acrobatics check to maintain controlled flight.
Mechanics: A character with flight ignores ground-based difficult terrain, pressure plates, and surface hazards. If a flying character’s movement speed is reduced to 0, or they are inflicted with the Prone condition while airborne, they immediately fall toward the ground and are subject to falling damage upon impact.
7. Zone Control and Threatened Areas
Combatants exert control over the space around them. Any Area a character can immediately strike with a melee weapon is considered a Threatened Area.
Enemies moving through threatened Areas risk triggering Opportunity Attacks.
Standard Threat
Most melee weapons threaten the Areas directly adjacent to the wielder.
A character normally threatens the Areas immediately surrounding them.
Enemies who move out of a threatened Area may provoke an Opportunity Attack.
Reach Weapons
Weapons with the Reach characteristic threaten a larger portion of the battlefield.
A reach weapon threatens:
- the three Areas directly in front of the wielder
- the three Areas one step farther forward
This extended threat allows the wielder to strike enemies before they close into normal melee range.
However, reach weapons only threaten Areas within the wielder’s forward arc and do not threaten the sides or rear.
Opportunity Attacks
An Opportunity Attack occurs when an enemy performs a careless action within a threatened Area.
Common triggers include:
- leaving a threatened Area
- charging past an enemy
- attacking a reach weapon with a shorter weapon
Opportunity Attacks are resolved as normal melee attacks.
Close Quarters Weapons
Some weapons are designed for fighting inside the reach of longer weapons.
Weapons with the Close Quarters feature reduce the advantage normally granted by reach weapons.
When a character closes distance against a reach weapon using a Close Quarters weapon, the reach user may only gain the reach-based Opportunity Attack against the first attack made against them that turn.
Designer Note: Battlefield Control
Zone control is one of the most important tactical elements of combat. Skilled fighters use their positioning to protect allies, hold defensive lines, and prevent enemies from moving freely across the battlefield.
8. Facing
In the chaos of battle, combatants cannot defend themselves equally in every direction. Characters are assumed to be aware of threats within their general field of vision, but positioning still plays an important role.
Each character has a facing direction, representing where they are primarily focused during combat.
A character’s facing is divided into three zones:
- Front Arc
- Side Arcs
- Rear Arc
The front arc represents the area directly in front of the character where they can most easily defend themselves and bring their weapon to bear.
The side arcs represent the areas slightly behind the character’s shoulders where they are still aware of threats but cannot defend themselves as effectively.
The rear arc represents the area behind the character where attacks are most difficult to anticipate or defend against.
The Game Master may use miniatures, tokens, or simple diagrams to track character facing when battlefield positioning becomes important.
Rear Attacks
Attacking a target from their rear arc grants two levels of Advantage.
These attacks represent striking a distracted or unaware opponent from behind.
Changing Facing
A character may freely change their facing direction during their turn as part of their movement or actions. Facing represents the direction a character is actively engaging at any given moment.
Designer Note: Tactical Positioning
Positioning is an important part of ShadowRealms combat. Skilled fighters maneuver for advantageous positions while attempting to prevent enemies from reaching their vulnerable flanks or rear.
9. Situational Advantage and Disadvantage
Various battlefield conditions can make attacks easier or more difficult. Rather than using large numbers of numerical modifiers, ShadowRealms primarily uses the Advantage and Disadvantage system to represent these effects.
Advantage and Disadvantage modify the results of a dice roll.
Advantage allows a player to reroll failed dice, while Disadvantage forces a player to reroll successful dice.
Multiple levels of Advantage or Disadvantage may apply depending on the situation.
Common Combat Situations
| Situation | Effect |
| Higher ground | Advantage |
| Attacking from rear | Advantage (2 levels) |
| Target prone (melee attack) | Advantage (2 levels) |
| Attacking while prone | Disadvantage (2 levels) |
| Attacking a target you cannot see | Disadvantage (2 levels) |
| Ranged attack against a moving target | Disadvantage |
| Fighting in tight spaces | Disadvantage |
| Using a reach weapon in tight spaces | Disadvantage (2 levels) |
| Ranged attack against a prone target | Disadvantage (2 levels) |
The Game Master may apply additional Advantage or Disadvantage when unusual circumstances affect the difficulty of an attack.
Aiming
A character may spend Action Points to carefully line up an attack.
Each Action Point spent Aiming grants one level of Advantage on the next attack.
A character may gain a maximum of three levels of Advantage through aiming.
If the target cannot be seen, aiming provides no benefit and the attack suffers Total Disadvantage.
10. Making an Attack
Attacking an enemy represents an attempt to land a meaningful strike against a defending opponent.
Combat in ShadowRealms is resolved in two stages: an Attack Roll and a Damage Roll. The attack roll determines how many damage dice are generated, while the damage roll determines how much harm the strike actually inflicts.
Follow these steps when making an attack.
Step 1 — Determine the Target Number
The defender’s Defense Rating (DR) represents how difficult they are to strike in combat. It reflects a character’s ability to evade, deflect, or otherwise avoid incoming attacks.
Determine the Target Number for the attack as follows:
Target Number = Defender’s Defense Rating − Attacker’s Relevant Combat Skill
The higher the attacker’s skill, the easier it becomes to land a successful strike.
Step 2 — Determine the Dice Pool
The attacker rolls a number of dice equal to the relevant Attribute used for the attack.
In most cases:
- Might is used for melee attacks
- Agility may be used for weapons with the Agile property
- Accuracy is typically used for ranged attacks
Step 3 — Roll the Attack
The player rolls their attack dice pool.
Each die that meets or exceeds the Target Number counts as a successful hit.
These successes do not deal damage directly. Instead, each success generates one Damage Die, which will be rolled during the damage step.
The attack roll therefore acts as a funnel, determining how much of the attacker’s potential force reaches the target.
Step 4 — Apply Advantage or Disadvantage
If the attack benefits from Advantage, failed dice may be rerolled according to the number of Advantage levels.
If the attack suffers Disadvantage, successful dice must be rerolled according to the number of Disadvantage levels.
Each die may only be rerolled once, and no more dice may be rerolled than were originally rolled.
Step 5 — Determine the Damage Target
Damage is resolved against the defender’s Durability.
Durability is calculated as:
Durability = Toughness + Protection
Protection is typically provided by armor.
Armor may be reduced by the attacker’s Armor Penetration:
Modified Protection = Protection − Armor Penetration (minimum 0)
The final Damage Target is then determined by applying the attacker’s Attack Strength:
Damage Target = Toughness + Modified Protection − Attack Strength
Attack Strength is determined by the weapon’s Damage Code.
Step 6 — Roll Damage
The attacker rolls a number of dice equal to the successful hits generated by the attack roll.
Each die that meets or exceeds the Damage Target becomes a damage success.
Step 7 — Apply Damage, Glancing Blows, and the Damage Ladder
If the attack generates one or more damage successes, apply the Damage Ladder normally.
| Damage Successes | Damage Inflicted |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 |
| 5+ | 16 |
This scaling represents increasingly devastating strikes as more damage successes are achieved.
If the attack inflicts no damage, the attack normally ends here.
However, if the attack would have inflicted damage but armor prevented the blow from penetrating, the result becomes a Glancing Blow instead.
A Glancing Blow occurs when:
- the attack generated successful hits
- the blow would have penetrated without the target’s armor
- but armor prevented the attack from inflicting normal damage
Instead of causing normal damage, a Glancing Blow inflicts Fatigue damage equal to the number of attack successes generated by the Attack Roll.
This represents force transferring through armor without breaking through it.
Step 8 — Determine Hit Location
If the attack inflicted damage, determine where the strike lands by rolling 1d20 on the Hit Location Table.
Players may roll this die at the same time as the damage dice to speed up play. Using a different colored die makes it easy to distinguish from the damage dice.
| Roll | Location |
| 19–20 | Head |
| 16–18 | Left Arm |
| 13–15 | Right Arm |
| 9–12 | Chest |
| 5–8 | Abdomen |
| 3–4 | Left Leg |
| 1–2 | Right Leg |
Step 9 — Resolve Critical Injury
After determining the hit location, roll a number of d6 equal to the number of damage successes scored.
Add the results together and compare the total against the appropriate Critical Table for the attack’s damage type and hit location.
Critical results may cause effects such as bleeding, broken bones, impaired limbs, unconsciousness, or instant death.
Higher results represent more severe injuries.
Attacking Defenseless Targets
If a target is unable to defend themselves, unaware of the attack, or is an inanimate object, the attack automatically connects.
In these cases, the attacker skips the attack roll and rolls their full attack dice pool directly as damage dice.
Normally, the attack roll represents the defender’s attempt to evade or deflect a blow. When a target cannot do so, the strike lands cleanly.
The Attack Funnel
In ShadowRealms, combat resolution is intentionally divided into two stages: hitting the target and causing harm.
The Attack Roll determines how much of the attacker’s potential force actually reaches the target. Skilled defenders avoid or deflect blows before they ever become dangerous.
Each success on the attack roll becomes a Damage Die, which is then rolled to determine whether the strike penetrates the defender’s durability.
Because of this, the attack roll acts as a funnel for damage:
Attack Dice → Successful Hits → Damage Dice → Damage Inflicted
A skilled attacker produces more damage dice, while strong weapons and powerful strikes make those dice more likely to penetrate armor and toughness.
This structure allows three different factors to influence the outcome of combat:
- Skill determines how often blows land.
- Defense determines how well those blows are avoided.
- Power and armor determine how dangerous those blows are once they connect.
11. Multiple Attacks
A character may attempt multiple attacks during a single turn by spending additional Action Points.
However, attacking repeatedly in quick succession becomes increasingly difficult.
When making consecutive attacks during the same turn, the attacker suffers a reduction to their dice pool.
| Attack Number | Atack Dsadvantage |
| First attack | No penalty |
| Second attack | 1 Disadvantage |
| Third attack | 2 Disadvantage |
| Fourth attack | 3 Disadvantage |
These penalties represent fatigue and the difficulty of maintaining accuracy while attacking repeatedly.
Paired Weapons
Characters wielding paired weapons can use their bonus action to make a second attack,
However, the off-hand attack suffers Disadvantage unless the character possesses the Ambidextrous trait or a similar ability.
Certain combat powers may also grant additional multi-attack options.
Designer Note: Combat Tempo
Multiple attacks allow highly skilled fighters to overwhelm opponents through relentless pressure, but doing so comes at the cost of accuracy. Choosing when to attack repeatedly and when to conserve effort is an important tactical decision.
12. Armor and Penetration
Armor protects characters from physical injury by absorbing or deflecting incoming attacks. In ShadowRealms, armor provides Protection values against different types of physical damage.
Armor normally protects against the following damage types:
- Slashing
- Puncture
- Impact
Each armor type lists a Protection value for each of these damage categories.
When a character is struck by an attack, their armor reduces the effectiveness of the incoming blow.
Durability
A character’s ability to resist injury is represented by their Durability.
Durability is calculated as:
Durability = Toughness + Protection
Toughness represents the character’s physical resilience, while Protection represents the defensive strength of the armor they are wearing.
Durability is used to determine whether incoming damage successfully penetrates the target’s defenses.
Weapon Penetration
Many weapons possess a Penetration rating that represents their ability to punch through armor.
When resolving an attack, the weapon’s Penetration reduces the armor’s Protection value for the relevant damage type.
Penetration cannot reduce armor Protection below zero.
Example
A warrior wearing chain armor has Protection 4 against slashing attacks.
An enemy strikes them with a weapon that has Penetration 2.
The armor’s effective Protection becomes 2 for that attack
13. Armor Fatigue
Wearing armor in prolonged combat is physically exhausting. The weight of armor, restricted movement, and constant strain gradually wear down even experienced warriors.
Beginning with the first turn after the first round of combat, any character wearing armor must make a Wear Armor test each time their turn begins on a new round.
The difficulty of this test is determined by the armor being worn.
Wear Armor Test
Difficulty = 12 + Armor Wear Difficulty
If the test succeeds, the character continues fighting without penalty.
If the test fails, the character loses 1 point of Fatigue.
This fatigue represents the physical strain of fighting while encumbered by armor.
When the Test Occurs
A Wear Armor test is required:
- at the start of the character’s turn in a new round
- beginning with the second round of combat
- only if the character is wearing armor
Example
Seren is wearing chain armor that has a Wear Difficulty of 3.
At the beginning of the second round of combat, she must make a Wear Armor test.
12 + 3 = 15
Seren rolls her Wear Armor skill test against a difficulty of 15.
If she fails the test, she loses 1 Fatigue due to the physical strain of fighting in heavy armor.
Designer Note: Armor Is Protection, Not Endurance
Armor provides strong protection against injury, but it comes at a cost. Heavy armor slows a fighter down and drains their stamina over time. Combatants wearing lighter armor may have less protection but are able to fight longer before exhaustion becomes a factor.
14. Damage Penalties
As characters suffer injuries, their ability to fight effectively begins to deteriorate.
Severe wounds reduce a character’s strength, coordination, and ability to concentrate during combat.
Damage penalties are determined by the number of boxes filled on the Damage Track.
| Damage Taken | Dice Penalty |
| 1–4 | No penalty |
| 5–8 | –1 die |
| 9–12 | –2 dice |
| 13–16 | –3 dice |
These penalties apply to most physical actions, including attacks, athletic movement, and combat maneuvers.
Fatigue Effects
Fatigue represents exhaustion, pain, and physical strain.
If a character’s Fatigue Track becomes completely filled, the character suffers an additional –1 die penalty to all actions until fatigue is reduced.
Designer Note: Escalating Danger
As injuries accumulate, combat becomes progressively more dangerous. Even a skilled warrior may find themselves struggling to defend against attacks once they have suffered multiple wounds.
15. Bleeding
Serious injuries may cause a character to begin bleeding, representing blood loss from deep wounds.
A character’s ability to resist blood loss is determined by their Bleeding Rating, which is equal to their Toughness.
Certain critical injuries may reduce a character’s Bleeding Rating. Each such injury represents an open wound that continues to drain the character’s strength.
At the end of each round in which a bleeding character performs any strenuous action, such as attacking, moving, or using powers, they must make a Bleeding Test.
To resolve a Bleeding Test, the player rolls 1d20 and must exceed the character’s current Bleeding Rating.
If the roll fails, the character loses 1 point of Stamina.
Once a character’s Stamina is exhausted, further failed Bleeding Tests instead cause the loss of one box on the Damage Track.
Stopping Bleeding
Bleeding may be stopped through medical treatment.
A character may attempt a Medicine test to stop bleeding.
The difficulty is:
12 + the total bleeding penalty currently affecting the target
If the Medicine test succeeds, the bleeding condition ends.
Certain powers or abilities may also slow or stop bleeding.
16. Healing Surges
Adventurers possess reserves of inner strength that allow them to push through pain and recover during battle. These reserves are represented by Healing Surges.
A character has a number of Healing Surges equal to their Vitality.
Using a Healing Surge
A Healing Surge cannot be used freely at any time. Instead, it requires a trigger.
When a Healing Surge is used, the character immediately restores:
- 4 boxes of Damage
- 8 points of Stamina
Using a Healing Surge costs 1 Action Point, unless otherwise specified by the triggering ability.
Self-Use: Second Wind
A character may use a Healing Surge on themselves by taking a Second Wind.
- Cost: 1 Action Point
- Limit: Once per encounter
Second Wind represents a character steadying themselves, catching their breath, and pushing through injury by force of will.
External Triggers
Healing Surges are most often activated through the aid of others. Certain abilities allow a character to use a Healing Surge outside of Second Wind.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Faith-based healing abilities
- Valor powers that restore or bolster allies
- Tactics abilities such as Rally or battlefield commands
When granted by an external effect, a character may use a Healing Surge even if they have already used Second Wind during the encounter.
Unless otherwise stated, using a Healing Surge through an external trigger still costs 1 Action Point.
Limits of Endurance
Healing Surges represent a finite reserve of endurance.
Once a character has expended all of their Healing Surges, they can no longer recover Damage or Stamina through this system and must rely on:
- Rest and recovery
- Medical treatment
- Magical or supernatural healing
Designer Note: Last Stands
Healing Surges are not simply a measure of health, but of determination. They represent the moment a warrior refuses to fall, the breath drawn before a final charge, or the will to rise when defeat seems certain.
Many of the most dramatic moments in ShadowRealms occur when a character spends their final Healing Surge to remain standing against overwhelming odds.
17. Limit Breaks
As a character suffers damage and fatigue, they may reach a moment of desperate determination known as a Limit Break.
Limit Breaks represent a surge of adrenaline and focus that allows a character to perform extraordinary feats in the heat of battle.
A Limit Break is triggered when a character’s Condition Monitor reaches certain thresholds.
A Limit Break occurs when:
- the character’s total Damage and Fatigue increases by 6 boxes
- and again for every additional 6 boxes thereafter
When a Limit Break triggers, the character must use it on their next turn.
Limit Breaks cannot be stored or delayed.
Limit Break Effects
When performing a Limit Break attack, the character gains Total Advantage on the attack roll.
Total Advantage forces all failed dice to be rerolled.
Certain combat powers may also require a Limit Break to activate, allowing characters to unleash devastating abilities during moments of extreme danger.
18. Grappling
Sometimes combatants abandon weapons entirely and attempt to overpower their opponent through physical force.
Grappling represents attempts to grab, restrain, or control another creature in close combat.
Grappling uses the Grapple skill.
Initiating a Grapple
To initiate a grapple, the attacker makes a Grapple test against the target’s Grapple Defense Rating.
If the attack succeeds, the target becomes Grappled.
Effects of Being Grappled
A Grappled character:
- cannot move freely
- may only attack the grappler or attempt to break free
- suffers Disadvantage on most attacks against other targets
Breaking a Grapple
A Grappled character may attempt to escape by making a Grapple test against the opponent’s Grapple Defense.
If successful, the grapple ends and the character may move normally.
Fighting While Grappled
Characters engaged in a grapple may still attack one another using unarmed strikes, short weapons, or other close-quarters techniques.
Large weapons are difficult or impossible to use effectively while grappled unless a power or special ability allows it.
Forced Movement
A successful grappler may attempt to drag or reposition their opponent.
This usually requires an additional Grapple test and may move the target one or more Areas depending on the situation.
Designer Note: Close-Quarters Combat
Grappling represents chaotic, brutal close-quarters fighting. Combatants struggling for control often abandon careful technique in favor of raw strength and leverage.
19. Other Effects
Disarm
A character may attempt to knock a weapon or item from an opponent’s hand.
To perform a Disarm, the attacker makes a combat test using their normal attack skill. The target resists using their Defense Rating.
If the attacker has the necessary ability and produces at least two penetrating successes, the attacker may choose to knock the defender’s weapon free so that it lands in an adjacent Area.
If the attacker achieves additional successes, the Game Master may allow the weapon to be thrown farther away depending on the situation.
Knockback
Some powerful strikes may force an enemy backward.
When a maneuver or special ability causes knockback, the target is pushed a number of Areas determined by the ability or the number of successes rolled.
Knockback may force an enemy into hazards, obstacles, or other combatants.
If a character is forced into a solid obstacle, additional damage may occur at the Game Master’s discretion.
Knockdown
Certain attacks may knock an opponent off their feet.
A knocked-down character becomes Prone.
Standing up from a prone position requires 1 Action Point.
While prone, a character suffers penalties to movement and attacks as described in the Situational Advantage and Disadvantage section.
Shove
A character may attempt to push an enemy away without dealing damage.
Resolve this as a Grapple test.
If successful, the defender is pushed one Area in the chosen direction.
20. Attacking Inanimate Objects
When attacking an inanimate object or a target that is unable to defend itself, the attacker does not make an attack roll.
Instead, the attacker rolls their full attack dice pool directly as damage dice.
Attack rolls normally represent an opponent’s ability to dodge, parry, or otherwise avoid a strike. Objects and defenseless targets cannot do this, so the attack automatically connects.
The attacker proceeds directly to the Damage Roll, resolving the strike against the object’s Durability.
Durability is calculated as:
Durability = Toughness + Protection
Objects do not benefit from Defense Rating and cannot actively defend themselves.
If the attack generates damage successes, apply damage using the Damage Ladder as normal.
When the total damage inflicted equals or exceeds the object’s Break Threshold, the object is destroyed, shattered, or rendered unusable.
Common Object Durability
| Object | Durability | Break Threshold |
| Glass Bottle | 4 | 1 |
| Ceramic Dish | 5 | 1 |
| Wooden Chair | 7 | 2 |
| Wooden Table | 8 | 3 |
| Barrel | 8 | 3 |
| Wooden Door (Interior) | 9 | 4 |
| Wooden Door (Reinforced) | 11 | 6 |
| Wagon Wheel | 10 | 5 |
| Wagon | 12 | 8 |
| Wooden Chest | 10 | 5 |
| Iron-Bound Chest | 13 | 8 |
| Stone Statue | 14 | 10 |
| Iron Manacles | 15 | 10 |
| Prison Cell Bars | 16 | 12 |
| Castle Door (Oak, Iron-Bound) | 17 | 14 |
| Stone Wall (1 meter thick) | 18 | 16 |
Object Material Guidelines
| Material | Typical Durability |
| Glass | 4–5 |
| Ceramic | 5–6 |
| Wood | 7–10 |
| Reinforced Wood | 10–12 |
| Stone | 12–15 |
| Iron or Steel | 14–17 |
| Thick Structural Stone | 17–20 |
Structural Damage
Large objects such as wagons, gates, or walls may not need to be completely destroyed to become ineffective.
The Game Master may rule that damaging key structural points, such as hinges, wheels, beams, or joints, can disable the object at half the listed Break Threshold.
Siege Damage
Some attacks are powerful enough to tear through structures with devastating force. Massive creatures, heavy weapons, siege engines, and certain supernatural abilities can inflict Siege Damage.
When resolving Siege Damage against an object, apply one or more of the following effects depending on the source of the attack.
Each damage success counts as two successes when applied to an object’s Break Threshold.
Siege Damage reduces an object’s Protection by half, rounded down, before Armor Penetration is applied.
If an attack with Siege Damage generates 4 or more damage successes, the Game Master may rule that part of the structure collapses entirely rather than merely taking damage.
21. Minions and Elite Minions
Not every opponent in ShadowRealms is meant to endure prolonged combat. Many enemies exist to represent lesser threats, battlefield fodder, or groups of weaker combatants. These enemies are represented using Minion rules, which simplify their durability while still allowing them to participate meaningfully in combat. As opposed to keeping seporate condition monitors for minions you simply keep track of how many successful hits they have recieved.
Minions come in three tiers representing increasing resilience.
Lesser Minions
A Lesser Minion is defeated if an attack generates 1 die of damage.
A Standard Minion is defeated if they recieve 2 dice of damage, if they recive 1 they are at – die to actions and are considered staggered,
If an attack generates only 1 damage success, the Minion survives but may be staggered, forced back, or otherwise momentarily disrupted.
Elite Minions
An Elite Minion is defeated if they revieve 3 dice of damage, if they recieve 1 their at -1 die, 2 their at -1.dice to attack.
Minions and Cleave
Minions interact normally with Cleave attacks.
When an attack with Cleave generates enough damage successes to defeat its initial target, any remaining successes may be applied to additional Minions according to the Cleave rules.
Purpose of Minions
Minions allow the Game Master to represent large numbers of enemies without tracking full durability for each one.
They are designed to speed up combat resolution, support large battlefield encounters, and create cinematic moments where powerful characters cut through lesser foes.
22. Death and Dying
Combat in ShadowRealms can be deadly. When a character’s Damage Track becomes completely filled, they risk falling unconscious or dying.
When a character reaches maximum damage, they must immediately make a Toughness Resistance Test.
If the test fails, the character falls unconscious.
If the test succeeds, the character may remain conscious, but they are in a critical state.
Acting While Mortally Wounded
A character who remains conscious after reaching maximum damage may continue to act, but doing so is extremely dangerous.
Each time the character performs a strenuous action, such as attacking or moving, they suffer one additional box of damage and must make another Toughness Resistance Test.
Death
If a character’s Damage Track becomes completely filled a second time, the character dies.
Stabilizing a Dying Character
A dying character may be stabilized through medical treatment.
A character may attempt a Medicine test to stabilize a dying ally.
The difficulty is:
12 + the number of negative damage boxes the character has suffered
If the test succeeds, the dying character stabilizes and no longer risks immediate death.
23. Critical Injuries
Some attacks cause particularly devastating wounds. These injuries are represented by Critical Hits.
Critical injuries reflect the brutal reality of combat. Even a single well-placed blow can cripple an opponent or end a battle instantly.
When a damaging attack is resolved, determine where the blow lands by rolling 1d20 on the Hit Location Table. Players may roll this die at the same time as the damage dice, using a different color die if desired.
Hit Location Table
| Roll | Location |
| 19–20 | Head |
| 16–18 | Left Arm |
| 13–15 | Right Arm |
| 9–12 | Chest |
| 5–8 | Abdomen |
| 3–4 | Left Leg |
| 1–2 | Right Leg |
Determining Critical Severity
The severity of a critical injury depends on the amount of damage that penetrates the target’s defenses.
After determining damage, the attacker rolls a number of d6 equal to the number of damage successes scored.
Add the results together and compare the total against the appropriate Critical Table for the attack’s damage type and hit location.
Each damage type has its own critical table, and each table contains results for the different body locations.
These results may include:
- bleeding
- broken bones
- impaired limbs
- unconsciousness
- instant death
Higher results represent more severe injuries.
Escalating Critical Results
Unlike many systems where criticals are divided into fixed categories, ShadowRealms uses escalating results on a single table.
The more damage successes inflicted, the higher the possible critical roll and the more severe the injury.
This allows devastating attacks to produce extremely dangerous outcomes without requiring multiple separate critical tables.
Designer Note: Deadly Precision
Critical injuries represent the brutal reality of combat. Even a single well-placed blow can cripple an opponent or end a battle instantly.
24. Combat Example
The following example demonstrates how combat flows using the rules presented in this chapter.
This example illustrates surprise, initiative, Action Point usage, attacks and damage, glancing blows, critical hits, and the revolving initiative system.
Seren the scout encounters a bandit while traveling along a forest road. The bandit attempts to ambush her from behind a fallen log.
The Game Master calls for a Surprise Test. Seren rolls using Awareness and succeeds, noticing the bandit before he strikes. The bandit fails his own Alertness check and begins the combat Surprised.
Seren’s Initiative Rating is 10. She rolls a 14, for a total initiative of 24. Because initiative counts downward from 20, she acts immediately. The bandit cannot act during the first round because he is Surprised.
On her turn, Seren receives 4 Action Points. She spends 1 AP to move one Area toward the bandit, 1 AP to attack, 1 AP for a second attack, and 1 AP to adjust her position.
On her first attack, Seren rolls her attack dice and scores 2 successful hits. These become 2 damage dice. She rolls damage and scores 1 damage success. According to the Damage Ladder, the bandit suffers 1 damage. Seren then rolls hit location and gets Chest. Because she inflicted 1 damage success, she rolls 1d6 for critical severity and produces a minor chest wound result.
For her second attack, Seren suffers the normal multiple-attack dice penalty. Even so, she rolls well and scores 2 successful hits again. This time both damage dice succeed, inflicting 2 damage. She rolls hit location and critical severity again, worsening the bandit’s injuries.
After Seren completes her turn, 20 is subtracted from her initiative score.
24 − 20 = 4
Because the result remains positive, Seren will act again later in the same round when initiative reaches 4.
In the following round, the bandit joins the initiative order. He rolls a total of 15 and acts before Seren’s next count.
The bandit moves toward Seren and attacks. His attack roll succeeds, generating 2 damage dice. However, when he rolls damage, none of the damage dice penetrate Seren’s armor. Because the attack would have inflicted harm without armor, the result becomes a Glancing Blow. Seren takes Fatigue damage instead of normal injury.
Combat continues in this fashion until one side falls, flees, or yields.
25. Quick Combat Reference
Combat Sequence
- Determine Surprise
- Roll Initiative
- Act in Initiative Order
- Spend Action Points
- Resolve attacks and damage
Initiative
Initiative = (2 × Quickness) + Awareness + Intuition
Roll 1d20 + Initiative Rating.
After acting:
Initiative − 20
If positive, act again that round.
If negative, convert to positive, roll a new d20, and determine initiative for the next round.
Action Points
Each turn a character receives:
4 Action Points
Damage Ladder
| Penetrating Successes | Damage |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 |
| 5+ | 16 |
Damage Penalties
| Damage Taken | Penalty |
| 1–4 | None |
| 5–8 | –1 die |
| 9–12 | –2 dice |
| 13–16 | –3 dice |
Glancing Blow
If an attack would hit but armor prevents it from penetrating, the target suffers Stamina damage equal to the attack successes at the rate of 1 per die, as opposed to normal damage.
Healing Surge
Costs 1 Action Point
Restores:
- 4 damage boxes
- 8 stamina
Limit Break
Triggered at different points during the stamina and damage tracks.
Grants Total Advantage on the next attack.
Must be used next turn.
Death
When the Damage Track fills:
- make a Toughness save or fall unconscious
- Even if conscious the character is limited to crawl movement.
- You are still at -4 dice to any action to perform.
If the Damage Track fills again, the character dies.Section 4 – Combat
Combat