Combat — Andrus
AX.GAN.10.01 - Combat
Core Part 11 governs all standard combat in Andrus without modification. This document defines the catalog additions required by Andrus's specific combat dimensions: aerial engagements involving flight-capable lineages, naval and shipboard combat from the Sereindal tradition, environmental combat in the Blasted Reach, and cross-reference guidance for power traditions in combat.
What core covers (no catalog override): Initiative, Turn structure, action economy, movement, range bands, attack resolution, damage, standard conditions (Prone, Restrained, Stunned, Blinded, Frightened, Exhausted), cover, and all general combat principles.
What this document adds: - Aerial combat framework (vertical space, flight mechanics in encounters, lineage-specific aerial rules) - Naval and shipboard combat framework (unstable terrain, boarding actions, ship-scale engagement) - Blasted Reach environmental combat (fissures, scar anomalies, ash conditions) - Power tradition combat reference (degraded state rules, formation combat, tradition-vs-tradition) - Quick-reference table for all Andrus conditions
Catalog Conditions
Six conditions have been formally defined for Andrus. These are catalog-defined states referenced across Professions, Power Traditions, and Threat stat blocks. They supplement, and do not replace, the core combat conditions.
| Condition | Effect Summary | Recovery | Full Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaken | −1D all rolls | Automatic at end of affected creature's next Turn | AX.GAN.09.02 |
| Hindered | −1D all Body-governed pools; movement unaffected | Automatic at end of affected creature's next Turn | AX.GAN.09.02 |
| Staggered | −2D all Body-governed pools; movement halved | Long Rest only (Extended condition) | AX.GAN.09.02 |
| Slowed | Movement capped at Close range; −1D all Speed-governed pools | Speed Save Th2 (Free Action) at start of each Turn | AX.GAN.09.02 |
| Immobilized | Cannot move; −2D attacks; attacks against at Advantage | Body Save Th3 (Free Action) at start of each Turn; toxin-sourced (no Athletics escape) | AX.GAN.09.02 |
| Accorded | Cannot take actions that violate a stated Accord; compulsion, not magic | Duration = Warden's Wit in rounds; break trigger = Disadvantage remainder of encounter | AX.GAN.09.02 |
See AX.GAN.09.02 for full definitions, interaction notes, and design rationale.
Aerial Combat
Several Andrus lineages are capable of sustained flight: Aedyn (full flight, Minor Action activation), Calri (full flight, Minor Action, complex-environment optimized), and Zeph'Ari (Windborn glide or full flight). Power tradition practitioners may develop aerial-adjacent capabilities, Zeph'Ari Vanes and Windcasters move in ways that interact with vertical space even without full flight.
Core's range bands are written for horizontal ground combat. This section extends those bands into three-dimensional space and defines how flight interacts with the combat cycle.
Flight Basics
Activation: Flight from a standing or stationary position costs a Minor Action. A character already airborne from a prior Turn does not need to reactivate; they remain aloft as long as they continue moving (or choose to land, which also costs a Minor Action to do safely).
Sustained flight: A flying character must use at least their standard movement (up to Near range) on each Turn. A flying character who fails to move and does not land begins to descend involuntarily; they drop one vertical range band at the end of the Turn (see Altitude below) and may take Falling damage if descent is uncontrolled.
Armor restrictions: - Aedyn: Light armor maximum. Medium and Heavy armor prevent the wingspan movement required for Aedyn flight. - Calri: Light armor maximum. Medium armor imposes −1D on Acrobatics rolls made during agile aerial maneuvers. Heavy armor prevents Calri flight. - Zeph'Ari: Windborn (flight or sustained glide) is incompatible with Medium or Heavy armor. Light armor maximum for flight. - All other lineages do not fly by default. Characters with flight from Profession Progression or power tradition use follow the same armor restriction logic, the GM adjudicates what weight class prevents that specific flight modality.
Altitude and Vertical Range Bands
Andrus uses the same range bands for vertical distance as for horizontal:
| Altitude Band | Approximate Height |
|---|---|
| Ground | 0 ft, standing on terrain |
| Low Altitude | Close to Near (5–30 ft) |
| Mid Altitude | Near to Far (30–60 ft) |
| High Altitude | Far to Distant (60–120 ft) |
| Out of Range | Beyond Distant (120+ ft) |
Altitude affects targeting: A creature at Mid Altitude is at Near range from creatures at Ground level; they occupy the same horizontal range band relationship, but vertical separation adds distance. For targeting purposes, measure the hypotenuse: a creature 20 ft above and 20 ft horizontally away is at Near range from an observer. The GM is final arbiter of when altitude genuinely puts a target out of reach.
Line of sight: Altitude does not grant invisibility, but High Altitude exceeds most notice ranges in dense terrain. In open terrain, High Altitude is clearly visible. In forested or urban environments, Low Altitude targets may have partial cover from canopy or roofline.
Aerial Movement in Combat
Standard aerial movement: A flying character uses their Move Action to travel up to Near range in any direction, horizontal, vertical, or combined.
Diving and ascending: - Dive: A character descending at least Near range of altitude and moving horizontally simultaneously treats the combined move as a Dash (Full Action) that covers up to Far range total distance. The dive must begin from Low Altitude or higher. This does not require a separate Dash action; it is the natural physics of committed aerial descent. - Ascend: Ascending from Ground to any altitude costs the standard Move Action. Ascending two altitude bands in one Turn requires a Dash (Full Action).
Hover: Calri can hover (stay stationary at altitude as a Free Action, using their complex-environment flight capability). Aedyn cannot hover; they must keep moving or land. Zeph'Ari Windborn movement is constant; they also cannot hover.
Landing: Landing intentionally costs a Minor Action and must end adjacent to a suitable surface. Emergency landing (diving to ground involuntarily) requires a Speed + Acrobatics roll (Threshold 2) to avoid taking Falling damage from the descent.
Aerial Attacks
Ranged attacks from altitude: A ranged attacker at Low Altitude or higher firing at a Ground-level target reduces the Close range Disadvantage penalty to a standard roll, the downward angle compensates for proximity. This reflects the Aedyn Dive-Bow's noted advantage and applies to all ranged attacks made from meaningful elevation.
Melee attacks from flight: A flying character may make melee attacks against targets they can reach (Touch to Close range). This requires closing to Touch or Close range, which ends their movement at the target's position or immediately adjacent. After a melee attack from flight, the attacker may use remaining movement to clear the target's range (see Disengage below).
Dive Strike: A flying character who dives (descends at least Near range of altitude) to make a melee attack gains Advantage on that attack. This represents the momentum and force of committed aerial descent applied to a strike. After the dive strike lands or misses, the character is at Ground level or Low Altitude and must spend their Minor Action to resume flight next Turn. A character may not Dive Strike and retreat back to altitude in the same Turn.
Aedyn Dive-Bow aerial firing: When firing from elevation, the Dive-Bow's Close range Disadvantage is negated (documented in AX.GAN.10.01, restated here for aerial combat reference).
Aerial Defense and Opportunity Attacks
Defense in the air: Defense calculation does not change in the air. Aerial targets are not inherently harder or easier to hit, altitude and positioning are accounted for in range and targeting, not in Defense value.
Opportunity Attacks against flying characters: - A flying character who leaves a Ground-level combatant's Close range by ascending (taking flight) does not trigger an Opportunity Attack, departing vertically is treated as movement that exits the engagement, but the abrupt nature of vertical departure makes it harder to respond to than horizontal movement. - A flying character who lands (descends to Ground level and ends movement in a combatant's Close range) may trigger an Opportunity Attack from that combatant if they moved into Close range, per standard Opportunity Attack rules. - A flying character who remains at altitude and moves through another aerial combatant's Close range triggers an Opportunity Attack normally.
Grounding a flier: - The Prone condition applied to a flying character forces an emergency landing. The character immediately descends to the nearest safe surface, landing Prone. They may stand (Minor Action) on their next Turn, but cannot reactivate flight until they stand. - The Immobilized condition applied to a flying character stops their movement and begins involuntary descent; they fall one altitude band per Turn until landing or until the condition is cleared. - The Restrained condition grounds a flying character immediately. They are restrained at whatever altitude they occupied, the constraint holds them but cannot prevent descent. After one Turn of Restrained-at-altitude, they descend to the ground as Immobilized. At ground level, Restrained functions normally.
Aerial Environment and Encounter Design
Flight-restricted environments: The following conditions prevent or impair flight: - Interior spaces below High Altitude ceiling height: full flight possible only if ceiling height exceeds the altitude required. A 20 ft ceiling allows Low Altitude flight only. Calri can navigate interiors more freely than Aedyn due to lower maneuverability requirements. - Dense forest canopy: Aedyn cannot fly through dense canopy, the wingspan requirement exceeds available clearance. Calri can navigate dense forest at reduced speed (Near range movement only, no Dash while airborne). Zeph'Ari Windborn functions at treetop level and above; below canopy, Windborn is reduced to glide-assisted jumping. - Enclosed spaces: No aerial lineage can fly in spaces tighter than their wingspan. Aedyn are grounded in close dungeon-style environments. Calri can use Low Altitude in spaces roughly 15 ft wide and 15 ft tall.
Aedyn encounter design note: When Aedyn characters (or Highwatcher-professed characters) are present, encounters benefit from meaningful vertical dimensions. A Highwatcher whose Thermal Read perk (Stage 1) requires airborne positioning in the prior Turn needs combat spaces that allow that positioning to matter. Pure dungeon-crawl environments permanently suppress the Aedyn's primary tactical identity, either build in vertical access or acknowledge the limitation explicitly at session zero.
Aerial combatants and ranged parties: A flying enemy above Near range is effectively untouchable by melee fighters who cannot fly. This is intentional, aerial positioning should matter. GMs designing encounters with aerial threats should consider how grounded characters can influence the engagement: thrown weapons, ranged attacks, environmental hazards, or abilities that force descent.
Aerial Combat Quick Reference
| Action | Notes |
|---|---|
| Activate flight | Minor Action from ground; sustained while moving |
| Standard aerial move | Near range any direction (horizontal + vertical combined) |
| Dive | Full Action: Far range combined distance; requires Low Altitude or higher |
| Hover | Calri only; Free Action to maintain stationary altitude |
| Land (intentional) | Minor Action; adjacent to surface |
| Land (emergency) | Speed + Acrobatics Th2 or take Falling damage |
| Ranged from altitude | Close range Disadvantage negated when firing downward |
| Dive Strike | Advantage on attack; attacker lands after; resumes flight next Turn |
| Opportunity Attack (ascending) | Does not trigger |
| Opportunity Attack (aerial movement) | Triggers normally at Close range |
| Prone condition | Forced emergency landing; cannot re-fly until stand |
Naval and Shipboard Combat
The Sereindal are the primary maritime culture of Andrus's Third Era. Sereindal ships carry Tide Guards, and their combat traditions were developed specifically for the problems that ships create: moving platforms, vertical rigging, close-quarters engagement with enemies on the same vessel, and simultaneous threat from enemies trying to board and the need to keep the ship operational.
Naval combat in Andrus operates at two scales: personal combat (individuals fighting on or between ships) and ship-scale engagement (ships maneuvering against each other). Core combat handles personal combat without modification. This section defines ship-scale engagement and the specific rules that shipboard fighting requires.
Unstable Terrain
Ships are moving platforms. The degree of instability depends on sea conditions.
| Sea Condition | Instability Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Calm | None | No modification to movement or rolls |
| Moderate (standard voyage) | Light | Near range movement requires a Dash (Full Action) instead of a standard Move; no roll modifier |
| Heavy (storm margin, rough seas) | Significant | −1D on all movement-dependent rolls; standing up from Prone costs a Primary Action instead of Minor Action |
| Storm (active storm, breaking waves) | Severe | All rolls with a physical component at Disadvantage; movement over Near range per Turn requires Speed + Acrobatics Th2 or character falls Prone |
| Extreme (hurricane, rogue wave) | Catastrophic | −2D all rolls; moving more than Close range per Turn requires Speed + Acrobatics Th3 or character falls Prone and is knocked to a random adjacent location |
Sea Legs (Sereindal lineage perk and Tide Guard Stage 1): Characters with Sea Legs ignore Disadvantage from Unstable Terrain entirely. They move at full speed in all sea conditions up to Heavy, and treat Severe conditions as Significant. This perk is explicitly described in the Sereindal Inherited Perks and Tide Guard progression; it is the benchmark that other characters are measured against.
Tide Guard Stage 1 (Sea Legs): Per AX.GAN.08.01, the Tide Guard's Stage 1 ability extends Sea Legs to cover all unstable terrain, not just ships, mudslides, earthquake conditions, ice, sloped surfaces. This universal application means Tide Guards are the most stable combatants in any environment where the ground fails.
Shipboard Movement
Ships contain distinct zones with different movement costs and tactical implications.
Main deck: Open. Standard movement applies at all sea conditions (subject to Instability modifiers above).
Below deck / cabin spaces: Ceilings typically 6–7 ft. Combat is close-quarters: Near range is the maximum effective engagement distance in most cabin or hold spaces. Ranged weapons suffer Disadvantage in spaces narrower than 10 ft; there is no room for the trajectory.
Rigging: Rope rigging, masts, and yards form a three-dimensional structure above the deck. Moving through rigging requires Athletics or Acrobatics rolls in all but Calm conditions. Fighting in rigging uses the Aerial Combat rules above (Low Altitude ceilings, no flight available, but fall risk is significant). A character who fails a roll in rigging and is knocked Prone may fall, the GM determines whether a rope is within reach (Speed + Acrobatics Th2 to catch it) or whether the fall is to the deck (Near range fall, Falling damage) or into the water.
Ship-to-ship gap: During a boarding action, ships are positioned side-by-side or stern-to-bow. The gap between ships is Close to Near range of open water. Characters crossing the gap may grapple and swing (Athletics Th2 with rope), leap (Athletics Th3, successful landing requires Speed + Acrobatics Th2 if gap is Near range), or cross via thrown grappling hooks and pulled lines (uses Acrobatics Kit if carried).
Boarding Actions
Boarding is the primary form of naval personal combat in Andrus. The Sereindal developed most of the techniques; the Tide Guard profession represents their formalized combat doctrine.
Initiating a boarding: A ship initiating a boarding action closes to Contact range of the target ship and throws grappling hooks to prevent separation. Once hooks are secured, the gap between ships is reduced to Close range, crossable by any character without a roll in Calm conditions.
Boarding sequence: 1. Grappling hooks thrown and secured (requires one character to succeed on Athletics Th2 per hook; minimum two hooks to prevent separation) 2. Ships drawn together, gap closes to Contact (one Turn of combined effort) 3. Personal combat begins, boarders and defenders fight under standard rules with shipboard Instability modifiers
Defensive formations: Defenders at the rail have Partial Cover against attackers still in the gap or on the other ship. Once attackers reach the same deck, standard cover rules apply.
Tide Guard Crew Formation (Stage 2): Per AX.GAN.08.01, Crew Formation allows a Tide Guard and one adjacent ally to simultaneously attack the same target (both roll separately; target cannot Reaction between the two attacks). In boarding combat, where multiple defenders crowd a narrow deck, Crew Formation's simultaneous-strike timing creates the gap that wins an exchange. The Sereindal designed it for exactly this application.
Ship-Scale Engagement
When two ships engage at range before boarding, the following framework applies. This is a simplified structure, the GM may expand it for dedicated naval campaign play.
Ship combat positions:
| Position | Advantage | How to Achieve |
|---|---|---|
| Windward (upwind) | May choose to close, maintain distance, or disengage | Wit + Survival or Navigation Focus vs opponent Th3 |
| Leeward (downwind) | Cannot effectively disengage; must fight or surrender position | Result of losing the position contest |
| Alongside | Boarding range; both ships equal footing | Deliberate close; or forced by losing maneuver |
| Stern-rake | One ship's full side exposed to the other's bow | Exceptional maneuver; Wit + Survival Th4 |
Ranged ship-to-ship combat: Andrus ships carry mounted bolt-casters (large versions of the Sereindal Bolt-Caster) and in some cases catapults or ballistae. These are handled as area attacks, each firing platform deals 1D6 damage to the target ship's Hull (see Ship Stats below) on a successful hit. Crew operating these platforms roll Speed + Precision (Th2 for Near range, Th3 for Far range, Th4 for Distant).
Ship statistics (abbreviated):
| Ship Class | Hull | Speed | Crew (Combat) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Skiff | 8 | Fast | 3–6 | Coastal and river only; boards at Close range |
| Merchant Caravel | 18 | Moderate | 8–15 | Standard Sereindal trade vessel |
| Sereindal Fleet Warship | 28 | Moderate | 20–40 | Armored hull; 2 bolt-caster platforms |
| Kyne Daas Supply Boat | 12 | Moderate | 4–8 | Shallow-draft; Reach river access |
Hull functions as Health for ships. When Hull reaches 0, the ship begins taking on water; it will sink in Calm/Moderate conditions within 1D6 hours, immediately in Severe or worse. Personal combat aboard a sinking ship is possible until the deck goes below the waterline.
Sereindal Boarding Shield (AX.GAN.10.02): Designed for coordinated shipboard use. When two adjacent Shield users are both using Sereindal Boarding Shields, they provide Full Cover (Bulwark) against ranged attacks originating from any direction, the interlocking geometry covers gaps that standard Bulwark formation leaves open.
Water Entry and Swimming
When characters fall overboard, are knocked into water, or fight in aquatic environments:
- Standard characters in armor: Heavily armored characters (Medium or Heavy) sink if they cannot remove armor. In water, they are Immobilized after one Turn unless they succeed on a Body + Athletics roll (Threshold 3) to stay afloat. Heavy armor doubles this difficulty.
- Light-armored characters: May swim at half movement speed with a standard Athletics check (Th2 in Moderate conditions; Th3 in Heavy; Th4 in Storm).
- Mirelen lineage: Aquatic movement without penalty (Tidal Body perk). Full movement speed in water; no checks required in Calm through Heavy conditions.
- Sereindal in water: Sea Legs does not apply to swimming (it governs unstable footing, not full water immersion), but Fleet-Honed means Sereindal attempt untrained Athletics swims with one fewer die penalty.
Blasted Reach Environmental Combat
The Blasted Reach is the region surrounding the original World Gate site. Centuries of concentrated elemental and Murin energy have made it the most dangerous sustained combat environment in Andrus. Kyne Daas operate here as a matter of cultural identity; all other cultures find it demanding in ways that go beyond the physical.
Fissure Hazards
The Reach is crossed by fissures, cracks in the ground where concentrated World Gate energy vents. Fissures are classified as Active, Dormant, or Consuming (per AX.GAN.09.01, Scar Awareness perk).
Active Fissures: Venting energy. Moving through or adjacent to an Active fissure requires a Speed Save (Threshold 2) or take 1D3 force damage and become Hindered until end of next Turn. Fissures can be jumped (Athletics Th2 for Close range width; Th3 for Near range).
Dormant Fissures: Currently stable. No active hazard. A Dormant fissure may become Active at the GM's discretion, typically at dramatically appropriate moments: after Elemental tradition use nearby, during Murin encounters, or at the GM's narrative discretion. Characters with Scar Awareness (AX.GAN.09.01) can identify Dormant fissures before they activate.
Consuming Fissures: Actively dangerous. A Consuming fissure pulls at living matter, anything within Close range of a Consuming fissure must make a Speed Save (Threshold 3) at the start of their Turn or be Slowed toward the fissure's edge. Falling into a Consuming fissure deals 2D6 force damage immediately and the character is Restrained as the energy holds them, they may attempt to escape (Body + Athletics Th3) each Turn or wait for outside help. A character reduced to 0 Health inside a Consuming fissure requires immediate extraction before stabilization can begin.
Kyne Daas Reach-Coat (AX.GAN.10.02): The Kyne Daas environmental armor includes lining materials that reduce the personal damage from Active and Consuming fissure proximity by 1 (minimum 0). The coat was developed specifically for Reach patrol duty.
Ash Field Conditions
The Reach's margins are covered in gray-white ash from the original Gate's geological event. Ash fields create environmental hazards:
Shallow ash (ankle-deep): Difficult terrain. Near range movement requires a Dash (Full Action) instead of a standard Move. Characters who Dash through shallow ash must succeed on Body + Athletics Th2 or fall Prone at the end of their movement.
Deep ash (waist-deep): Movement reduced to Close range per Turn regardless of modifiers. Ranged attacks by characters standing in deep ash are at −1D (unstable platform). A character knocked Prone in deep ash is effectively Immobilized until they succeed on Athletics Th2 as a Primary Action to regain footing.
Ash cloud (disturbed by wind or combat): Imposes Disadvantage on all visual Notice checks and ranged attacks targeting through the cloud. Characters caught in the cloud who fail a Body Save (Th2) at the start of each Turn become Hindered (ash inhalation affects breathing-dependent movement). Kyne Daas Reach-Coat includes breath filtering, Kyne Daas are immune to the Hindered effect from ash clouds.
Murin Encounter Notes
Murin-touched creatures (Echo-Touched threat category, AX.GAN.14.05) fight differently from biological threats. Combat considerations:
Murin Touch (infection vector): Several Echo-Touched threats have attacks that risk Murin infection (Body Save Th3 or begin Stage 1 infection). This is documented in AX.GAN.09.10. In combat, GMs should telegraph this risk, players who cannot identify the infection vector cannot make informed tactical decisions. Kyne Daas characters with Scar Awareness may identify Murin-touched threats more precisely than others.
Sunlight and Echo-Touched: Echo-Touched threats above Wraith power level are impaired in direct sunlight, the Reach's frequent ash overcast and structural darkness makes this relevant. Full sunlight: Echo-Touched suffer Disadvantage on all rolls. Overcast or indirect: standard. AX.GAN.14.01 documents this fully.
Reach Wraith (Minion): Non-corporeal. Standard physical attacks require a roll to even connect, see AX.GAN.14.05 for full stat block. Power tradition attacks (particularly Scar Reading and Elemental traditions) affect Wraiths without the non-corporeal penalty.
Power Traditions in Combat
Power traditions in Andrus are Odd Talents; they use the standard attack framework (Governing Attribute + Odd Talent vs. Defense or Threshold) and are subject to the degraded-state mechanics of each tradition. This section provides a consolidated reference for how traditions interact with combat structure. Full tradition rules are in AX.GAN.09.03–09.10.
Tradition Action Economy
Using a power tradition requires a Primary Action unless the specific effect specifies otherwise. A character cannot use a tradition effect and make a standard attack in the same Turn unless a perk or Stage ability specifically enables it.
| Tradition | Category | Degraded State | Recovery Mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elemental Fire | Force | Strained | Governing Attr + Resolve Th3 (Primary Action or Free with Practiced Channel) |
| Elemental Earth | Form | Form Fatigue | Governing Attr + Resolve Th3 (Primary Action or Free with Practiced Channel) |
| Elemental Water | Resonance | Strained | Governing Attr + Resolve Th3 (Primary Action or Free with Practiced Channel) |
| Elemental Air | Resonance | Strained | Governing Attr + Resolve Th3 (Primary Action or Free with Practiced Channel) |
| Consortium Arcanism | Force | Loaded | Director-managed; Formation Load Distribution once per scene |
| Scar Reading | Resonance | Saturated | Governed by scene rest; not mid-combat recoverable |
| Draconic Essence | Form | Pattern Fatigue | Governing Attr + Resolve Th3 (Primary Action or Free with Practiced Channel) |
Practiced Channel (AX.GAN.09.01): When a tradition practitioner is in their degraded state, they may attempt mid-scene recovery as a Free Action rather than a Primary Action. The roll and Threshold are unchanged, only the action cost changes. This is the primary trade-off for high-frequency casters: Practiced Channel makes maintaining tradition use less costly in action economy but does not make it easier.
Tradition vs. Tradition
When a power tradition attack targets a tradition practitioner, standard rules apply; there is no inherent advantage or disadvantage for tradition users attacking other tradition users. However, the following specific interactions are worth flagging:
Elemental opposition: Fire and Water are not mechanically opposed; there is no automatic counter or penalty when a Mirelen uses Water against an Ashari. The opposition is fictional and cultural, not mechanical. GMs may use fictional framing (an Ashari visibly affected by Water tradition use on a personal level) without building it into the mechanics.
Scar Reading in the Reach: Within the Blasted Reach, Scar Reading practitioners have enhanced tradition function, the ambient World Gate energy amplifies their perception. The Tradition Trace perk (AX.GAN.09.01) notes that detection Thresholds are reduced in the Reach. GMs running Reach encounters should treat Kyne Daas Reach Readers as operating at their functional ceiling, they are the tradition most at home in the most dangerous environment.
Formation Working (Consortium Arcanism): Formation Working (AX.GAN.09.07) involves multiple practitioners contributing to a pooled total. In combat, Formation Working uses the following timing: - The Director declares intent to begin a Formation on their Turn - Each contributor uses their Primary Action on the same Turn to add to the pool - The working resolves at the end of the Turn in which all contributions have been made - Contributors who are struck and take damage before the resolution must succeed on a Wit Save (Threshold 2 + damage taken) or their contribution is lost
This means Formation Working is a deliberate, coordinated action; it is powerful but does not require all participants to act in initiative order. Contributors may act at any point in the Turn structure before resolution.
Tradition Backlash in Combat
Backlash (failed high-Threshold tradition rolls) generates immediate effects that interact with combat. The specific Backlash tables are in AX.GAN.09.03–09.09. The general combat principle:
- Minor Backlash: Character takes self-directed damage and/or condition. They do not lose their Turn (the failed roll was the Primary Action; any remaining actions proceed normally).
- Moderate Backlash: Character takes significant damage and receives a condition. Their Turn ends immediately, no further actions this Turn.
- Severe Backlash (tradition-specific, rare): Area effect, tradition access temporarily suspended, or significant environmental consequence. The Turn ends; adjacent characters may be affected.
Combat Terrain Quick Guide
Andrus presents a wider range of combat environments than most settings. The following table provides GMs with rapid adjustment guidance.
| Environment | Key Modifiers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open terrain (plains, road) | None | Aerial lineages have full advantage; ranged optimal |
| Dense jungle (Kasia/Misa territory) | Ranged at Disadvantage; Calri flight Close or below | Kasia home advantage; heat sense bypass on shadows |
| Highland/cliff terrain (Aedyn) | Flight optimal; falling risk for ground fighters | Aedyn Highwatcher peak environment |
| Wetland (Daza territory) | Difficult terrain for non-aquatic; Mirelen standard | Daza Wetland Born perk eliminates penalties |
| Urban (Ekhari cities) | Ranged limited (building clearance); Calri flight optimal | Shinekeeper's Shadow home environment |
| Ship deck (Calm) | Standard movement | Sea Legs baseline |
| Ship deck (Heavy seas) | −1D movement rolls; standing from Prone = Primary Action | Tide Guard and Sea Legs unaffected |
| Blasted Reach (margin) | Fissure hazards; ash field conditions | Kyne Daas home; all others disadvantaged |
| Blasted Reach (deep) | Consuming fissures; ash cloud; Murin risk | Maximum environmental danger |
| Interior/dungeon | Aerial grounded (Aedyn); Calri Low Altitude only | Flight advantage eliminated; ground-combat even |
Multi-Lineage Party Combat
Parties in Andrus commonly include flight-capable and non-flight characters, tradition practitioners and mundane fighters, and characters whose biological combat advantages (natural weapons, elemental resistance, scale armor) alter the standard encounter math. The following guidance addresses the most common multi-lineage party considerations.
Aedyn or Calri + ground party: The flying character should have a designated communication protocol for when they go high. Their aerial vantage (Thermal Read, Flock Awareness) is most useful when they can relay information, shouting distance (Close to Near range) or Zeph'Ari acoustic transmission are the natural mechanisms. A flying character who ascends to High Altitude without a relay plan is tactically isolated despite their information advantage.
Tradition practitioners + non-practitioners: Tradition use generates Tradition Trace signatures (detectable by characters with the Tradition Trace perk, AX.GAN.09.01). In covert or investigation contexts, visible tradition use may compromise the party. Practitioners and non-practitioners benefit from establishing before combat whether the encounter warrants tradition use. Kyne Daas characters may specifically ask that tradition use be minimized near Reach territory.
Natural armor lineages (Dura'Kai, Yusk, Voren): These characters may have higher effective Defense than their worn armor suggests. Stone Infusion (Dura'Kai) provides a base natural armor that does not stack with worn armor, the lineage uses whichever is higher. At character creation, note whether the natural armor or worn armor is governing Defense.
Daza grapple dynamics: A Daza character using Constrictor's Grip removes an enemy from contributing to combat. Encounters should account for this, a Daza who grapples an Elite-tier threat immediately changes the arithmetic of that encounter. GMs may adjust encounter design by giving strong targets Grapple-break abilities or by including backup threats that the non-grappling party must handle.