TEXT: 1
  Detailed Example of Combat
  Detailed Example of Combat
  So let’s take what we’ve learned and see how an actual combat encounter plays out. For this example we’re going to have a little fun and
  see how the Knights of the Dinner Table handle the new rules. 
  B.A. is the Gamemaster and he’s read the rules for HackMaster Basic and has had his players roll up new characters. 
  After being caught cheating at darts back at the Inn and getting into a drunken brawl  the group has fled into a nearby forest hoping to
  shake their pursuers. Unfortunately they’ve become hopelessly lost in the tangle of overgrowth. As the sun begins to set and darkness is
  threatening to engulf them, B.A. is about to throw a little hurt their way....
  The party consists of the following Player Characters:
  El Ravager the Fifth
  Player: Dave
  N human fighter 1; HP 30; Init +1; Speed
  11; Reach 3’; Attack +4; Damage 4d4p+3;
  Defense +7; DR 2; ToP 9, Trauma Save 7
  Equipment: leather armor, med. shield, battle axe, 
  javelin
  Note: El Ravager has specialization of +1 Attack, +1 Speed &
  +1 Damage with his battle axe
  Knuckles the Ninth
  Player: Bob
  CN dwarf thief 1; HP 25; Init 0; Speed 7
  (5 jab); Reach 0’; Attack +3; Damage 2d4p;
  Defense +6; DR 2; Luck Points 21; ToP 6,
  Trauma Save 6
  Equipment: leather armor, small shield, dagger
  Note: Knuckles purchased the shield proficiency
  Justinia VII
  Player: Sara
  LG human cleric 1 (The True); HP 29;
  Init +3; Speed 10; Reach 31⁄2’; Attack +1;
  Damage 2d8p-3; Defense +1; DR 2; ToP 8,
  Trauma Save 7
  Spells: (1st) Moderate Emotion (cause fear), Extend Fuel
  [bonus spell]
  Equipment: leather armor, long sword
  Noir Lotus
  Player: Brian
  LN dwarf mage 1; HP 26; Init +2;
  Speed 13; Reach 7’; Attack +3; Damage
  2d4p-2; Defense +3; DR 1; ToP 8, Trauma
  Save 7
  Spells: (A) Repair, (J) Bar Portal, (1st) Scorch
  Equipment: thick robes, staff
  well --- it’s 
  not MUCH of a trail.
  just a FOOT PATH really.
  but it seems to have
  had PLENTY of use.
  after PUSHING 
  your way through 
  the dense THICKET
  you SUDDENLY 
  come to the edge 
  of a meandering
  TRAIL!
  a TRAIL...?!!!
  HOODY HOO!!!
  we’re SAVED!!!
  there are
  tracks 
  running in
  BOTH
  directions.
  tracks...?  
  what sort of
  tracks, b.a.?
  who cares...?
  it’s GOTTA lead some-
  where. let’s follow it.
  
  2
  they’re SMALL TRACKS --
  mostly impressions 
  of heelless boots with 
  HOB NAIL -SOLES.
  small..? you
  mean KID SIZED?
  or small 
  HUMANOIDS 
  of some type.
  uh oh...
  we’re not
  in KANSAS
  anymore
  guys.
  hrrmmpphh...
  well \’m not lik-
  in’ the
  SMELL of this.
  whadda ya
  think, guys?
  \ say we PICK
  a direction
  and FOLLOW
  it -- beats
  being LOST in
  the woods.
  \ agree. like
  BRIAN said --
  it’s gotta lead
  SOMEWHERE.
  let’s do it.
  but weapons 
  at the READY --
  just in case.
  several turns later....
  you FOLLOW the trail
  for a few miles and the
  GOING  is frustrating.
  the trail leads under
  LOW HANGING limbs 
  and THREADS  between 
  huge trees growing
  CLOSE together 
  requiring you to
  SQUEEZE through.
  this isn’t a 
  TRAIL. it’s a frick-
  in’ 
  OBSTACLE 
  COURSE.
  at long last you
  BREAK OUT of the
  forest and enter 
  a small clearing
  -- perhaps 30 
  to 35 FEET across.
  the foot path
  FORKS here 
  splitting off 
  into TWO different
  directions. 
  what do you 
  want to do?
  great.
  now what?
  this doesn’t
  seem to 
  be leading 
  anywhere.
  why don’t you check for 
  TRACKS again, bob -- maybe we 
  can go in the direction with 
  the signs of the MOST traffic.
  good idea.
  don’t bother making a check, bob.
  as SOON as you enter the clearing there are
  a series of WAR CRIES from the other side 
  and the undergrowth EXPLODES with activity.
  four GOBLINS
  rush out of
  the shadows
  and CHARGE
  the group.
  GOBLINS?
  GAAA!!!
  it’s an
  AMBUSH!!
  everybody 
  go ahead  
  and roll 
  a d12 for
  INITIATIVE.
  GOBLINS: HP 20; Init 3; Speed 8; Reach
  short; Attack +3; Damage 2d6p-1 (short
  sword); Defense +6 (incl. small shield); DR 2;
  Top 8, ToP Save 6; Size S; Move 5 ft/sec
  watch those
  FLANKS guys --
  there might be
  MORE of ‘em.
  oh yeah...
  BRING IT!!!
  my BLADE is
  THIRSTY for 
  GOBLIN 
  BLOOD!
  \’m still feeling
  UNEASY about
  going with a
  BATTLE AXE.
  wish \ had a
  SWORD right
  about now.
  
  3
  EL RAVAGER 6 (rolled 5, +1 Base Initiative)
  KNUCKLES 8 (rolled 8, with no Base Initiative modifier)
  JUSTINIA 10 (rolled 7, +3 Base Initiative)
  NOIR LOTUS 3 (rolled 1, +2 Base Initiative)
  crap! \
  rolled a
  frickin’
  EIGHT
  \’m hosed.
  my INIT’s
  SIX, b.a.!
  \ don’t 
  go til’
  TEN.
  HAAA!!!
  \ got a
  THREE!
  okay \’m callin’ 
  the COUNT -- the
  GOBLINS rushed 
  out from their 
  HIDING PLACE
  on ONE...
  on TWO --they’re
  approximately
  THIRTY FEET away
  -- with the fire of
  BLOOD LUST in
  their eyes they
  CHARGE!!
  they’re moving four 
  abreast in a race to see
  who can cut you down first!  
  on THREE the 
  GOBLINS move 
  five feet closer 
  and break 
  into a SPRINT...
  \’m still
  down five 
  HITPOINTS from 
  that BAR FIGHT.
  \’ve got 
  to CONSERVE...
  b.a. on THREE \ move
  into the TREES out of sight.
  what the
  HELL, big guy...
  the FIGHT’s 
  in the OTHER
  direction.
  oh..., \ um,
  \ gotta retrieve my
  SPELL components.
  GOBLINS’ MOVEMENT: JOGGING 5 FEET PER SECOND
  ACTION COUNT: 3
  GOBLINS’ MOVEMENT: SPRINTING 10 FEET PER SECOND
  FOUR!! 
  the GOBLINS move
  TEN FEET nearer as
  they call out
  INSULTS about 
  your MOTHERS.
  FIVE! -- 
  the GOBLINS 
  are only FIVE FEET
  from EL RAVAGER
  now -- whom they
  seem to have set 
  their SIGHTS on.
  ACTION COUNT: 4
  ACTION COUNT: 5
  ACTION COUNT: 6
  SIX!! two of 
  the GOBLINS 
  are in MELEE 
  RANGE of 
  EL RAVAGER!!
  they’re going to ENGAGE
  him in melee.
  the one on his far left
  appears to be moving 
  on to get at KNUCKLES.
  dave you’re
  initiative is 
  SIX so you’re
  no longer
  surprised.
  you can 
  attack.
  two on one, eh...?
  \ like those odds.
  kick some
  ass, dude.
  Goblins, when using defined weapons, have a reach modifier of -1 foot. With
  short swords, their efffective reach is therefore 1 foot. 
  El Ravager, on the other hand, has a 3 foot reach with his battle axe so he gets
  the first swing against one goblin.
  just be sure to
  leave one for me.
  okay, \’m 
  swingin’ at 
  the GOBO 
  on my left, b.a.
  \’m pretty
  SPRY on 
  my feet.
  yeah...
  me too.
  6
  and my boot
  lace became
  untied.
  shake
  shooka!!
  ACTION COUNT:
  1
  
  4
  SWEET!
  \ rolled 
  a SEVENTEEN.
  that gives me a
  modified TO-HIT
  of TWENTY-ONE!
  Dave rolls d20p (with
  a die result of 17) and
  adds his Attack Bonus
  (+4) for a total of 21
  (17+4=21).  
  The goblin thus needs
  a total defense of 21 or
  higher to successfully
  defend 
  against 
  El
  Ravager’s attack.
  the GOBLIN rolls an
  EIGHTEEN for DEFENSE
  -- looks like you hit.
  go ahead and roll
  for DAMAGE.
  The GM rolls a d20p (getting a 12) and adds the goblin’s +6 Defense Bonus, for a
  total of 18 (12+6=18). Since the goblin’s net defense of 18 is still less than El
  Ravager’s 21 attack, he is hit.
  Dave rolls 4d4p+3 for damage resulting in a total of 9 (no dice penetrated).  The
  creature’s armor absorbs 2 points of damage, so it sustains 7 hit points of damage
  (insufficient to necessitate a trauma check).
  HA HAAA!! nine points!!
  take that you sneaky 
  green-skinned S.O.B. !!
  NOTE: Since this is the combatants’ first exchange of
  blows, this Goblin #1 will return El Ravager’s attack
  when the Count Up moves to the next second (‘7’), while
  El Ravager can ready his battle axe and attack the gob-
  lin again when the Count Up reaches 17 (the current
  second, 6, plus El Ravager’s 11 Weapon Speed).
  dave, while
  you’re fighting
  the left
  GOBLIN, the 
  one on your RIGHT
  attacks you!!
  okay, GOBLIN
  number four
  has a FOUR
  for his attack.
  what’s your
  DEFENSE?
  \ got a 
  SIXTEEN!
  -sigh-
  he fumbles.
  you get a free
  COUNTER ATTACK.
  For the goblin on El Ravager’s right, the GM rolls a 1 on his attack roll,
  and adds the goblin’s Attack Bonus for a total of 4 (the ‘1’ indicates a miss,
  and also a fumble unless El Ravager’s total defense doesn’t exceed 4).
  Dave rolls 9 and adds his Defense Bonus of +7 for a total of 16.    
  The goblin has fumbled giving El Ravager a free counter-attack. This
  free attack does not impinge on his normal sequence of attacks.  
  HOODY HOO!!
  \ attack with a
  SEVENTEEN!!
  BLEED, baby,
  BLEED!
  Dave rolled a d20p with a result of 13 and adds his +4 Attack Bonus for a total
  of 17.  The GM also rolls d20p getting 15, then adds goblin #4’s +6 Defense
  Bonus resulting in a total defense of 21.  Since the goblin’s 21 defense is greater
  than El Ravager’s 17 attack, the goblin successfully defended with its shield.
  Since the goblin blocked El Ravager’s blow with his shield, El Ravager’s attack
  deals half damage dice (2d4p+3 instead of 4d4p+3) against the shield.
  Dave rolls damage and gets 4 and 4. Since Dave rolled the maximum on these dice
  (i.e., a penetration roll), he gets to roll each die again, subtracting -1 from the result.   The
  rolls this time are 3 and 4, so he subtracts -1 from each for results of 2 and 3.  However,
  since the actual roll penetrated again on one of those dice, he rolls that die again.  This
  time, it’s a 3 and applying the -1 makes it a 2.  El Ravager’s total damage is 18 points of
  damage (die roll 4+(3-1) + die roll 4+(4-1)+(3-1) +3 Damage Bonus = 18).  
  A small shield sustaining more than 8 points of damage in a
  single blow may be destroyed. Thus B.A. performed a com-
  peting roll to see if the Goblin’s shield was splintered. He
  checks the Shield Damage chart, then rolls d20-6 for the
  goblin and gets 12.  Dave rolls d20 and gets 15. The shield
  splinters into several pieces under the weight of El Ravager’s
  massive blow. (Had Dave done 20 points to the small shield, it
  would have been automatically broken).
  The small shield still applies its Damage Reduction value, however, lowering
  El Ravager’s damage to the goblin by 4 points.
  Its armor further reduces the remaining damage by 2, so El Ravager’s blow
  causes the goblin to lose 12 hit points (18-4-2=12).  That’s a painful blow, but
  there’s worse to come...
  dave make a 
  COMPETING ROLL --
  there’s a chance 
  you DESTROYED the
  GOBLIN’s shield 
  with your blow.
  got it! \ 
  rolled a 15, b.a.
  okay -- the goblin’s
  shield SHATTERS
  to bits as 
  he casts it aside.
  DUDE!!!
  you KNOCKED
  that guy ALL
  the way back
  to FOURTH 
  EDITION!!
  your BLOW also 
  has enough FORCE
  behind it to KNOCK
  your smaller
  foe back a 
  full FIVE FEET!
  atta
  boy,
  dave.
  6
  
  5
  Dave’s 18 gross points of damage is a knock-
  back (since a 10 point hit knocks back Small
  creatures) that forces the goblin 5 feet rearward.
  Furthermore, a goblin’s Threshold of Pain is
  8 hit points. It sustained a 12 hit point wound
  from El Ravager’s battle axe so the GM has to
  make a trauma check for it.  The goblin has a
  ToP Save of 6 thus the GM needs to roll a 6
  or less on a d20 for it to shrug off the pain.  He
  rolls an 11, so the goblin is not only knocked-
  back 5 feet, but DOWN and writhing in pain
  for 30 seconds (5 seconds x (11-6) = 25).
  Assuming it’s not killed in the interim, it can
  act again when the Count Up reaches 31.
  that all you 
  got, PUNK?!!
  huh??
  that’s ALL
  you brought?
  okay, okay, 
  HERO.save some 
  for later. we
  still got
  THREE of these
  guys to take
  out.
  okay continuing the
  COUNT -- on SEVEN the
  GOBLIN you initially
  ATTACKED strikes 
  back at EL RAVAGER.
  meanwhile the
  OTHER two
  goblins move
  past him to
  get at the
  REST of you.
  in addition, he
  ALSO fails his
  THRESHOLD OF
  PAIN check and is
  OUT like a light.
  bob, KNUCKLES 
  is still too 
  SURPRISED to
  defend himself
  as one of them
  ATTACKS you.
  yeah, yeah,
  but \ can attack
  on EIGHT -- 
  give me 
  your WORST,
  b.a.
  Since Knuckles is still surprised,
  he can only use a d8p for defense.
  B.A. rolls the goblin’s d20p plus +3
  Attack Bonus for a total of 12,
  while Bob rolls only a d8p and gets
  a result of 3.  
  Knuckles failed to successfully
  defend, so B.A. then rolls the gob-
  lin’s 2d6p-1 damage for a total 6
  points.  Even though Knuckles is
  surprised and  can’t use his shield to
  defend, his armor still reduces the
  damage by 2. Knuckles thus sus-
  tains a 4 hit point wound.
  four points...?
  shya’right .. \’m spending 
  4 LUCK POINTS!
  the goblin’s LAME attack
  ricochets off the leather
  shoulder strap of my
  backpack and TOTALLY
  absorbs the damage. heh. 
  dippin’ into the
  LUCK POINTS kind
  of EARLY aren’t ya?
  fine -- mark off 
  FOUR luck points.
  the goblin looks 
  SURPRISED as the 
  blow he thought had
  struck home is REFLEcTED.
  he GROWLS
  with
  disapproval.
  The goblin will attack Knuckles
  again at 15 seconds (7 + Speed of 8).
  dave the 
  GOBLIN on 
  you attacks!
  roll your
  DEFENSE!
  B.A. rolls the goblin’s d20p+3 attack and gets a total 15 while Dave rolls a
  19 and adds his +7 Defense Bonus for a total 26.  
  Since El Ravager used his shield to successfully defend against the goblin’s
  attack, it can roll damage on his shield. However, since the goblin is wielding
  a piercing weapon, it only deals 1 point of damage (1 point for the piercing
  weapon along with the goblin’s -1 damage modifier totals a minimum 1 point
  of damage) against the shield. Dave’s medium shield has a DR value of 6 so
  he takes no damage.
  El Ravager’s ‘nat 19’ defense roll (along with a success-
  ful defense and being within 5 feet of his foe) is a Near-
  Perfect Defense.
  El Ravager gets a free hand-to-hand counter-attack!!
  you’re on a
  ROLL, dave.
  you get a
  FREE
  counter
  attack for 
  a NEAR 
  PERFECT
  DEFENSE
  YEEES!!
  the GAWDS 
  are with me!!
  good job,
  dave.
  an EIGHTEEN
  attack!!!
  my DICE are
  on FIRE
  tonight!!
  Dave rolls his d20p with +3 Attack Bonus
  (instead of his usual +4, since he’s punching
  and so doesn’t use his +1 weapon special-
  ization bonus) for a total 18.  
  The GM rolls the goblin’s d20p and +6
  Defense Bonus and gets 12.  El Ravager’s
  special counter-attack deals two d4p-2 plus
  his +1 Strength modifier, for a total of 2
  points of damage that ignore shield and
  armor Damage Reduction.  Thus, the gob-
  lin loses 2 Hit Points.  It can attack El
  Ravager again at 15 seconds (the current
  time is 7 seconds + its Speed of 8).
  awesome
  body blow,
  dave!!
  6
  7
  ACTION COUNT:
  7
  
  6
  EIGHT!!
  okay, bob.
  you can go now.
  that OTHER goblin
  moves up to
  ENGAGE you.
  what’s 
  KNUCKLE’s
  REACH?
  well all \ have is a 
  DAGGER -- that GUARD back
  at the INN disarmed me and
  took my frickin’ sword.
  tsk, tsk -- and
  DWARVES have
  a -1 reach penalty.  
  the goblin has a
  SHORT SWORD
  so he’s 
  got reach
  advantage -- 
  crap.
  B.A. decides that for this attack the goblin is going
  to Fight Defensively (with a -4 penalty to attacks but
  a +2 bonus to defense).  He rolls the goblin’s d20p+3
  attack and subtracts -4 to get a total 12 while Bob rolls
  a 13 and adds his +6 Defense Bonus for a total 19. 
  He successfully defends against the goblin’s attack
  with his shield.  Since the goblin is wielding a piercing
  weapon, it strikes the shield for 1 point of damage (1
  point for the piercing weapon along with the goblin’s -
  1 damage modifier equals a minimum 1 point of dam-
  age), which the shield reduces to zero.  The goblin can
  attack again at 16 seconds (determined by adding its
  Speed 8 to the current time).
  he attacks 
  first.
  roll your
  defense.
  NINE!!
  \ RETURN the
  attack on that
  GOBLIN BASTARD
  to my left.
  roll your
  DEFENSE, screen
  monkey.
  \ get to go on
  the NEXT count --
  hang in there bob
  -- \’ll help you.
  hrmmmph.
  good luck
  usin’ a
  dagger,
  bobby boy.
  HA HAAA!!!
  A CRIT!!!
  EAT COLD
  STEEL!!
  Bob rolls a d20p and gets a 20!  
  Since this is a natural 20 and a penetration roll, he rolls
  d6p (d20p uses d6p for penetration) getting 3 and applies
  the standard -1 to the penetration roll (3-1).  
  He then adds his +3 Attack Bonus for a total of 25
  (20+(3-1)+3=25).  B.A. rolls d20p for the goblin getting 15
  on he die plus the goblin’s +8 Defense Bonus for a total
  defense of 23.  Since Knuckles’ 25 attack is greater than the
  goblin’s 23 defense, he hits. Furthermore, Knuckles’s ‘nat
  20’ is a critical hit, so he rolls double damage dice (4d4p
  instead of 2d4p) getting rolls of 2, 2, 2 and 4.  Bob re-rolls
  the penetrating die and gets a result of 2, for a final dam-
  age total of 11 points (2+2+2+4+(2-1)=11).
  oh he HAD
  to feel that...
  way to go bob.
  that’s gonna
  leave a mark.
  -snicker-
  The goblin’s armor reduces the
  damage by 2 points making it a 9
  point wound. However, since
  Knuckles dished out 11 gross
  points of damage, it’s still a
  Knock-Back that forces the
  goblin 5 feet rearward.  
  In addition, a goblin’s
  Threshold of Pain is 8 hit points
  and it just took more than that
  so it must attempt a trauma
  check.  It has a ToP Save of 6, so
  the GM needs to roll an 6 or less
  on a d20.  He rolls a 5, so the
  goblin remains on its feet.
  9
  Knuckles’ dagger has a jab Weapon Speed of 5 (normal
  Speed 7), so he can attack this goblin again at 14 sec-
  onds (Speed 5 + current time 9) instead of waiting until
  16 (Speed 7 + current time 9). 
  TEN!!
  sweet! \’m up.
  make a 
  hole guys!
  9
  you KNoCK your
  opponent back FIVE
  FEET, bob -- but he’s
  STILL on his feet.
  b.a, \’m switch-
  in’ to JAB
  MODE if this
  guy comes back
  at me.
  ACTION COUNT: 8
  ACTION COUNT: 9
  ACTION COUNT: 10
  
  7
  sara, at TEN you 
  suddenly hear a 
  terrifying WAR CRY
  coming from behind.
  you SPIN around only
  to see a LARGE burly
  orc wielding a 
  SCIMITAR and
  a MEDIUM SHIELD
  advancing
  toward you.
  wonderful.
  b.a., \ jog
  FORWARD to 
  ENGAGE him.
  ORC: HP 27; Init 5; Speed 9; Reach medi-
  um; Attack +3; Damage 2d8p+2 (scimitar);
  Defense +2 (incl. medium shield); DR 3; ToP
  10, ToP Save 6; Size M; Move 10 ft/sec
  he’s only
  TWENTY
  FEET away
  and closing!
  TWENTY
  FEET?
  where the heck
  did THIS guy
  come from?
  what the
  HELL, big guy?
  you were 
  supposed to
  be WATCHING
  our backs.
  10
  bob --the goblin 
  you knocked back
  snarls with RAGE
  and steps RIGHT
  BACK into the FRAY.
  he comes back with
  a VENGEANCE!*
  okay, go ahead
  and advance
  TEN FEET.
  orcs! 
  \ HATE
  those guys.
  AN
  ORC..?!!!
  uh oh....
  yeah... quit FIDDLE
  FARTIN’ around
  and get out here
  and help us.
  avoid the....?
  -sputter-
  \ think 
  \’m INSULTED.
  eyes sharp,
  everyone.
  looks like we
  walked RIGHT
  into an 
  AMBUSH ZONE.
  looks like we
  have MORE
  company, guys.
  are you 
  DELIBERATELY
  trying to 
  avoid 
  the fight?
  \’m just
  doing some
  SPELL
  PREPS.
  roger
  that...
  yeah and where there’s
  ONE orc there’s usually 
  a few more not FAR behind.
  \ need to DISPATCH this guy
  before he can SOUND the alarm.
  * B.A. is having the goblin
  use the Aggressive Attack
  special combat move.
  
  8
  Sara’s 23 gross points deals a knock-
  back that forces the orc 5 feet back (as
  a size medium creature, the orc is
  knocked-back 5 feet for every 15
  points of damage).  
  Furthermore, the orc’s Threshold of
  Pain is 10 and it just took 14 so it has
  to make a trauma check.  
  The orc has a ToP Save of 6, so B.A.
  needs to roll an 6 or less on a d20.  
  He rolls a 14 with the result that the
  orc falls to the ground in pain for 40
  seconds (5 seconds x (14-6)=40) five
  feet back from where it met Sara.
  good job, sara.
  JUSTINIA manages 
  to KNOCK the orc
  back five feet
  as he REELS
  from the blow.
  11
  YEEESSS!!! the TRUE 
  guides my hand to VICTORY!!!
  \’m going to move
  BACK and attack
  that GOBLIN to
  KNUCKLE’s right.
  okay, you’ll move on 12
  and get there on 13.
  speaking of which...
  TWELVE!!
  anyone?
  okay,
  THIRTEEN!
  okay, b.a.
  \’ve ENGAGED
  the GOBLIN.
  roll for
  DEFENSE.
  The goblin can defend against up to 3 oppo-
  nents to his front and sides with its shield. He
  turns to meet Sara head-on as this places it in
  the best position to defend its flanks.
  Sara rolls d20p with a result of 16 and with her
  +1 Attack Bonus nets 17.  B.A. rolls d20p and
  gets 13. He then adds the goblin’s +6 Defense
  Bonus for a total 19.  Since the goblin’s 19
  defense is greater than Justinia’s 13 attack, it
  defended with its shield.  
  Sara rolls half damage dice (1d8p-3 instead of
  2d8p-3) for a total 2 points, which the goblin’s
  shield reduces to zero. 
  Justinia can attack this goblin again at 23 sec-
  onds (13 + 10 Weapon Speed).
  ORC’S MOVEMENT: JOGGING 10 FEET PER SECOND
  he won’t get to
  attack until 16
  though...
  he must 
  be a GLUTTON
  for punishment.
  ELEVEN!!
  sara the ORC
  advances and is
  now in MELEE
  with you...
  his SCIMITAR has a
  reach of THREE FEET.
  what do you have?
  three and
  half feet.
  looks like \
  attack first.
  go ahead
  and roll.
  Sara rolls a d20p for a 10 result, adds her +1 Attack Bonus for a total 11.  
  B.A. rolls d20p and gets 12, adds the orc’s +2 Defense Bonus for a total result of 14.  Since the orc’s
  14 defense is greater than Justinia’s 11 attack, it defended with its shield.  Sara thus rolls half damage
  (1d8p-3 instead of 2d8p-3) on the orc’s shield and gets a result of 8 (penetration!).
  She rolls the die again and gets another 8, and again for another 8!  Amazed whoops of joy come
  from everyone else at the table (except for B.A., of course...).  Her next roll is a 5 which yields a grand
  total of 23 points of damage (8+(8-1)+(8-1)+(5-1) -3 =23)!
  Since a medium shield can only sustain a limited amount of damage in a single blow, it’s time for
  competing rolls to see if the shield is destroyed. (A check is necessary if a medium shield takes ≥12 hp). 
  B.A. checks the Shield Damage chart, then rolls d20 for the orc and gets 10. 
  Sara rolls d20 and gets 12.  The shield splinters into several pieces as Justinia’s blow hits home.
  The medium shield still applies its Damage Reduction value, however, lowering Justinia’s damage to
  the orc by 6 points.  The orc’s armor further reduces the damage by another 3 points, so the orc takes
  a 14 hit point wound.
  ACTION COUNT: 11
  ACTION COUNT: 13
  BRING IT ON!!
  maybe we 
  shouldn’t get
  TOO cocky
  just yet.
  b.a., should my
  HIDING skill check
  be TRIVIAL or
  EASY with all
  these bushes for
  cover?
  
  9
  FOURTEEN!
  \’m up!
  \’m jabbin’ my
  dagger in
  that goblin’s
  fat little gut.
  Bob rolls a d20p getting an 8 and adds his +3 Attack Bonus
  for a total 11.  
  B.A. rolls d20p and gets 2, adding the goblin’s +6 Defense
  Bonus, and -2 from the Aggressive Attack maneuver for a
  total 6. 
  Since the goblin’s 6 defense is less than Knuckles’ 12
  attack, it failed to defend with its shield.  
  Bob rolls half damage of 1d4p (since he’s jabbing) and
  gets a 3.  
  The goblin’s armor reduces the damage by 2, so it only loses
  1 Hit Point.
  Knuckles can attack it again at 21 (14 + Weapon Speed 7).
  FIFTEEN!!
  dave that 
  GOBLIN in front 
  of you attacks again.
  B.A. rolls d20p, getting 18 and adding the goblin’s +3 Attack Bonus for a total 21.  Dave then rolls d20p getting a ‘nat 20’ and adds
  his +7 Defense Bonus for a total of 27.  El Ravager successfully defended with his shield so the goblin’s piercing weapon deals only 1
  point of damage against it. Since it does not exceed the shield’s DR of 6, El Ravager is unaffected.  
  Furthermore, since El Ravager rolled a natural 20 (and his modified defense 27 beat the goblin’s 21) it’s considered a Perfect Defense.
  El Ravager gets an immediate free counter-attack with his weapon. This doesn’t impinge upon his next scheduled attack (at 17 seconds).
  Dave rolls his d20p plus +4 Attack Bonus for a total 13 while B.A.’s defense for the goblin totals only 10.  Dave then rolls his 4d4p+3
  damage dice and gets results of 3, 1, 2 and 4.  He rolls the penetrating die again for a 1, and applies -1 to the result.  Thus,
  El Ravager’s total damage is 13 points (3+1+2+4+(1-1)+3=13).  
  The 13 point blow is enough to deal a knock-back and, although the goblin’s armor reduces the damage by 2, the
  net 11 point wound still triggers a trauma check (since the goblin’s Threshold of Pain is 8).  B.A. then rolls d20,
  hoping to get a 6 or less, but ends up with a 10.  The goblin falls to the ground, writhing in pain for 20 seconds (5
  seconds x (10-6)).
  b.a. \’m going to help fight 
  that GOBLIN on KNUCKLES!!
  HOODY HOO!!
  \’m kickin’
  GOBLIN ASS!
  this BATTLE
  AXE rawks!
  okay, you can
  attack again on 26.
  anyone attacking on 16?  
  no? 
  okay, bob
  the goblin is
  attacking you.
  15
  B.A. rolls d20p with a result of 3,
  then adds the goblin’s +3 Attack
  Bonus and the +5 additional bonus
  for making an Aggressive Attack for
  a total 11.  
  Bob simultaneously rolls a d20p
  getting 13 and adds his +6 Defense
  Bonus for a total of 19.  
  Knuckles successfully defended
  with his shield. Since the goblin’s
  piercing weapon deals only 1 point
  of damage to his shield (readily
  absorbed), Bob laughs in the
  goblin’s face.
  ACTION COUNT: 14
  ACTION COUNT: 15
  ACTION COUNT: 16
  okay, SEVENTEEN 
  -- sensing that
  they’re defeated...
  the two remaining
  goblins turn and
  FLEE.
  not so fast,
  b.a. -- \ get a
  FREE ATTACK on
  the COWARD
  when he CUTS
  and RUNS!!
  ME TOO!!
  ACTION COUNT: 17
  don’t forget
  mine...
  
  10
  b.a. \ RUN of out the
  TREES and deal the
  KILLING blow to that
  ORC and take his LOOT.
  WHAT...?!!!
  bob, go ahead and roll 
  your attack then. dave and
  sara, just hold on.
  \’m gonna cut
  him up like a 
  THANKSGIVING
  TURKEY!!
  Fleeing combat from a thief is particularly dangerous since it permits the thief to backstab. 
  Bob rolls a d20p getting a 9 and adds his +3 Attack Bonus for a total of 13.  B.A. rolls d10p (instead of
  d20p, since the goblin is fleeing) and gets 2. He ignores the goblin’s shield’s defensive bonus (+4) since its
  shield can’t be employed when fleeing.  
  Bob hit and since it’s a backstab he penetrates on both the maximum die roll and the maximum die roll
  -1. He rolls his 2d4p and gets a 2 and a 3.  
  Ordinarily this would be it for Bob’s damage roll but because of the backstab the “3” is  treated as a pene-
  trating die. He rolls this die again and gets another 3. He adds 2 to the sum damage total (currently 7) and
  rolls again getting a 4. Again he adds 2 to the sum damage total (now 9) and rolls again. His lucky streak
  ends as the die comes up 2. Bob’s backstab on the fleeing goblin netted 10 points of damage (2+3+(3-1)+(4-
  1)+(2-1)=11). The goblin’s armor reduces the damage by 2, causing it to suffer 9 points of damage.
  This is sufficient to trigger a ToP check. B.A. rolls d20 for the goblin’s ToP Save (target 6) getting a result
  of 12.  The goblin is thus downed for 30 seconds (5 seconds x (12-6)).
  the goblin sprawls to 
  the ground face first and
  EATS DIRT as knuckle’s
  dagger bites into his back. 
  heh -- GOBLINS
  ain’t so tough.
  we waded through those
  bad boys like a COMBINE
  through a WHEAT FIELD.
  whadd’ya mean
  WE?? \ took out
  three of ‘em by
  myself.
  yeah, yeah...
  just roll, hero.
  dave and
  sara, roll
  your
  attacks on
  the other 
  fleeing 
  goblin.
  This is the first instance of using missile weapons. Unlike melee combat, Dave must first determine the effective
  range to his target. The actual distance between El Ravager and the remaining goblin is 21 feet (after the goblin
  sprinted for 2 seconds). However, since goblins are size small, this distance is multiplied by 1.5 to determine the
  effective range (311⁄2 feet). Since this is more than 30 feet, it falls within a javelin’s second range increment. Dave is
  therefore only permitted to use a d12p as his attack die. 
  Dave opts to forgo aiming thereby permitting him to hurl his javelin on 19 rather than 23. Doing so imposes a -6
  attack penalty. 
  Since El Ravager has only sunk BPs into specializing with the battle axe, his attack bonus with the javelin is +3 not
  +4. He rolls a d12p getting 9 and adds 3 (but also subtracts 6 for not aiming) yielding 6. 
  When determining if a missile hits, the GM always rolls a d20p for defense. B.A. rolls a 5 – less than Dave’s 6
  meaning the javelin strikes true. Because the goblin is running away, it cannot use its shield to block the missile.
  Dave rolls a d12p damage and gets an 11. He cannot add his strength bonus because he was standing still when
  hurling the javelin. This is a knock-back and after accounting for the goblin’s armor, it still suffers an 9 point wound
  necessitating a ToP check. 
  B.A. rolls d20 for its ToP Save hoping to get a 6 or less but rolls a 19.  The goblin pitches forward five feet and is
  immobilized for 65 seconds (5 seconds x (19-6) by the trauma of being shish kebobed. 
  you stand on
  the field of 
  battle 
  victorious...
  all around 
  you is the
  sound of
  wounded 
  creatures
  snarling, 
  growling, and 
  whimpering in
  pain.
  oh yea, well knuckles starts 
  CUTTING THROATS!!
  since \’m a THIEF it only
  takes me THREE SECONDS to
  do a COUP DE GRACE while it
  takes the REST of you LOS-
  ERS a full TEN seconds.
  ACTION COUNT: 19
  Sara rolls a d20p with a result of 9 and with her +1 Attack
  Bonus nets 10. B.A. rolls d10p (instead of d20p, since the
  goblin is fleeing) and adds +2 (a goblin’s shieldless defen-
  sive bonus) for a total of 7. He ignores the goblin’s shield’s
  additional defensive bonus (+4) since its shield can’t be
  employed when fleeing.
  Sara hit and rolls 2d8p for damage. The dice come up “1”
  and “2”. She has a -3 damage adjustment but since this
  can’t reduce a successful hit to less than one point of dam-
  age she ends up doing a lone hp. The goblin’s armor
  reduces this to zero.
  Dave rolls a d20p for a result of 4 and with his +4 Attack
  Bonus nets 8. B.A. rolls d10p (instead of d20p, since the
  goblin is fleeing) and adds +2 (a goblin’s shieldless defen-
  sive bonus) for a total of 9. 
  Dave misses. Since the goblin was not using a shield for
  defense, it is an out-and-out wiff.
  well that
  kinda SUCKED.
  um...
  yea.
  after your 
  ineffectual
  attacks,
  the
  goblin
  sprints
  10 feet
  away.
  throw yer javelin
  at him before he
  gets away!
  oh yea, \ forgot about
  that thing. b.a., \ drop
  my axe and WHIP A
  JAVELIN!
  ok, you can
  go on 19.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hackmaster/HackMaster 5e/HackMaster 5e Supplemental/HackMaster 5e Combat Example 1.pdf