All weapons have three aspects: Blunt, Edge, and Point. The amount of damage a weapon does depends on which of its aspects are used; see the weapon table for details. Different types of armor have varying levels of protection against different aspects; for example, chainmail armor is excellent protection against Edge but poor protection against Blunt. Armor comes in layers and pieces, and each layer is cumulative; for example, wise warriors wear padding (which does a good job of absorbing Blunt impacts) under their chainmail. Armor design is as per the Harnmaster rules, with 10 pounds of Harnmaster weight being equivalent to a Load of 1.
This alters the standard combat scores. Rather than having a Damage score, characters have a Damage Base, equivalent to Strength + Size in melee combat, or zero, in misssile combat. Also, rather than having a Soak score, characters have a Soak Base, equivalent to Stamina + Size.
During the Movement phase of combat, when an attack is declared, the player must also declare which aspect of his weapon he is going to use, and what he is aiming for. A High aim directs attacks towards the upper half of the body, at a -3 penalty to the Attack roll; a Low aim directs attacks towards the lower half of the body, at a -3 penalty to the Attack roll. Aim does not affect Initiative or Defense.
The optional rule for having separate rolls for Attack and Defense is in effect. Melee attacks are resolved in pairs. If the character has ended up in Touch range after declaring an attempt to try to engage at greater range and is switching to using a Brawling attack, he may change his Aim prior to rolling for the attack.
A defender whose excess points in Defense Total doubles his opponent's Attack Total (i.e., DT of 30 vs. AT of 10) has earned a Tactical Advantage. This may be used to pick up a dropped weapon, switch weapons, get up from a prone position, etc. but may not be used to take a second attack, though it can be used to fast-cast a spell (which may be reacted to normally). Tactical Advantages are resolved after damage is dealt.
If the Attack Total exceeds the Defense Total, the attacker has the option to save the points for the next round or apply them to damage. If points have been saved for more than one round, they may not exceed triple the attacker's weapon skill.
If the Attack Total beats the Defense Total and the attacker opts to deal damage rather than saving the excess points, damage is calculated. The Damage Total is equal to the attacker's Damage Base, plus the excess points, plus the damage rating for the appropriate aspect of the weapon. The attacker rolls for the body part hit. The Soak Total is equal to the defender's Soak Base, plus the defender's armor at that part of the body. Subtract the Damage Total from the Soak Total to obtain the Effective Impact of the blow.
The Effective Impact chart from Harnmaster is used, though the columns go 1+, 5+, 10+, 15+, and 20+ (rather than 1+, 5+, 9+, 13+, 17+). Each wound is recorded separately. The total number of Injury Levels taken (S3 = three Injury Levels, so M1 + S3 = four Injury Levels, etc.) is kept track of; all rolls that would normally be at a penalty for wounds have a penalty equal to the number of accumulated Injury Levels.
When a character receives a new injury, he must roll for Shock. A Shock roll is a Stamina roll against the total number of Injury Levels accumulated, modified by Fatigue and Bleeding, including any relevant Virtues or Flaws, but excluding Encumbrance. A failed roll indicates that the character is in shock and unable to do anything (though he may be led off by another character at half Movement rate); each round thereafter, the character may re-roll the Shock roll in order to snap out of it.
If a Kill result is indicated, there is the possibility of instant death (or incapacitation, at the StoryGuide's discretion). A Stamina roll, modified only by any relevant Virtues and Flaws, must be made against an Ease Factor equal to twice the Kill rating (i.e., if the wound is a K5, the Ease Factor is 10); a failed rolled indicates death or incapacitation.
Each Grievous injury results in Bleeding. Every Bleeding injury results in an additional -1 penalty to Fatigue rolls. Any Grievous injury to a limb makes that limb unusable, and is an automatic Fumble or Stumble.
Where a Fumble or Stumble roll is indicated, a Dexterity roll against an Ease Factor of 6 is needed in order to avoid dropping the item held in the appropriate hand, or falling down, respectively. All normal bonuses and penalties apply, including penalties incurred by the new injury.
Where an Amputation roll is indicated, a Size roll against an Ease Factor of 3 is needed in order to avoid having that body part chopped off; wound and fatigue penalties are not applied to this roll. An amputation means that the wound always results in five Injury Levels and Bleeding (automatic G5 injury), and the character automatically Fumbles/Stumbles.
Spells that do damage are treated much like weapon attacks. The magus declares an Aim with the appropriate penalties before rolling Targeting. If the Targeting roll succeeds, damage location and Effective Impact are calculated. The damage type is as appropriate for the attack form; for example, Pilum of Fire is Fire damage, and Mighty Torrent of Water is Blunt damage.
Spells that result in direct loss of a certain number of Body Levels are treated like thorax strikes, unless another body part makes more sense. Loss of a single Body Level is an S2 wound; two Body Levels is an S3 wound; three Body Levels is a G4 wound; four or more Body Levels is a K5 wound. There is no Bleeding, unless the spell description makes it appropriate.
Since Body Levels are not used, healing is done differently. Spells which heal a Body Level completely heal a wound of S3 or worse; they reduce wounds of G4 or worse to S2 wounds. The usual caveats for magical healing apply. Other healing is handled as per Harnmaster, with Chirurgy used like the Physician skill; a success against an Ease Factor of 3 is equivalent to a Normal Success, and a success against an Ease Factor of 9 is equivalent to a Critical Success.