162
Monster Resistances and Silver
Death Saves
Healing Yourself
All monsters, except wolves, are resistant to When you have been knocked below 0
steel and thus take half damage from steel Health Points you are put into Death State.
You can at empt to stabilize
weapons. All such monsters are susceptible In Death State, all your stats fall to 1/3 nor-
your own wounds, but it is
to silver instead, though this susceptibility mal and you must make a Death save at the
much harder due to Wound
manifests differently. Due to an unknown same value as your Stun save. If you fail this
Threshold penalties.
force, silver repels monsters and burns them. save, you die and no amount of magic can
A silver weapon striking a monster does the bring your back. If you succeed, you survive
extra damage noted in the weapon’s stats. A for that round.
silver object that is not a weapon does an ex-
Each round you must make another
tra 1d6 damage. If a piece of silver becomes Death save at a cumulative -1. On a success-
lodged in a monster, they take damage as if ful roll you survive. On a failure you die. A
poisoned until they take an action to pull tough player can survive for quite a while, it out.
but eventual y you’re gonna cash out. Every
time you are injured in Death State you must
make another Death save at a cumulative -1.
Stabilization
To stop someone from dying, you must sta-
bilize them. To stabilize a character, make a
First Aid roll at a DC equal to how far the
character is below 0 Health Points. If you fail
the patient continues to die, but if you suc-
ceed they are brought back to 1 Health Point
and leave Death State.
Stabilizing a Critical Wound
If you can’t get to a doctor immediately and
your injury is killing you, you can attempt
to stabilize the wound. Stabilizing a critical
wound lessens its effects so you can keep
fighting or get to a doctor in time. Stabilizing
a wound requires one First Aid check with a
DC based on the severity of the wound (see
the Stabilization table). Stabilizing a wound
doesn’t heal it. The healing clock only starts
once someone applies Healing Hands or
healing spel s on it.
Stabilization
Critical
DC
Simple
12
Complex
14
Difficult
16
Deadly
18
163
In Depth Combat
Melee Weapons
Escape roll against your Brawling to slip loose.
Melee weapons, the most prevalent in the • Pin: While grappling, you can pin your oppo-world of the Witcher, rely on REF to hit. The
nent. If you succeed, the opponent is immobi-
formula for melee attacks is:
lized and cannot move or act until they escape
with a Dodge/Escape roll against your Brawling.
REF stat+Weapon skill
• Choke: After grappling a target, you can roll to
+Modifier+1d10
attempt to choke them. The opponent is suffo-
Brawling & Wrestling
cating until they are able to escape.
•
Throw: While grappling, you can roll to throw
You may wind up in the midst of combat un-
your opponent. The opponent is thrown to the
armed. In this case you’ll be brawling. Un-
ground (prone), takes damage equal to your
less marked differently, these attacks each
Punch damage, and must make a Stun save at -1.
take an action and replace fast or strong • Trip: You can attempt to kick the target’s legs out strikes. Brawling does non-lethal damage.
from under them and knock them prone. If you
• Punch: You can punch or strike with your fist,
succeed, the opponent fal s prone.
palm or elbow, dealing an amount of non-le-
thal damage equal to your Punch damage. You Special Attacks
Dual Wielding
can choose to make strong or fast strikes with Anyone can swing a sword. Real soldiers
punches.
like to throw in special strikes for best ef-
Dual wielding allows you
•
Kick: You can kick or strike with your foot or fect. Unless marked otherwise, each special to make a joint at ack with
knee, dealing an amount of non-lethal damage attack requires 1 action, replacing a normal
two weapons you hold at the
equal to your Kick damage. You can choose to attack action.
same time . When making a
make strong or fast strikes with kicks.
• Charge: By taking a full round, you can execute
joint at ack, roll two at acks
•
Push Kick: Instead of doing damage, you can try
a charge against a target. A charge allows you
with a -3 to both of them.
to push a target back with a powerful forward
to move up to your Run speed and then make
Your opponent must have
kick. If you succeed, you push the opponent back
a strong strike. This strike still suffers a -3 to hit,
two weapons (or a weapon
a number of meters equal to your Body/3. You
but if the attack is blocked you can make a Phy-
and a shield) if they want to
only do half damage, and this attack always hits
sique check against the opponent’s Physique roll
block or parry both at acks.
the torso.
to knock the target prone.
If they can’t they must dodge
•
Charge: Much like armed charges, you can move •
Pommel Strike: By making a weapon attack, you
or reposition to escape the
up to your Run speed and then make a strong
can non-lethal y strike against a target by bash-
second at ack. You can make
punch or kick. This strike still suffers a -3 to hit
ing with the pommel of your weapon. Halve the
a joint at ack with any two
but if the attack is blocked you can make a Phy-
weapon’s damage roll and apply it as non-lethal.
weapons you can hold in
sique check against the opponent’s Physique roll •
Disarm: By making a weapon attack, you can
one hand, including two
to knock the target prone.
attempt to knock an opponent’s weapon out of
hand crossbows.
•
Disarm: You can roll Brawling against your op-
their hand with a well-aimed strike. If you suc-
ponent’s Dodge/Escape to attempt to disarm an
ceed, you knock the opponent’s weapon from
opponent. Unlike disarming with a weapon, you
their hand and send it flying, 1d6 meters away in
Prone
can try to either knock the opponent’s weapon
a random direction (see the Scatter table).
When knocked prone you
away (1d6/2 meters in a random direction) or to •
Trip: By making a weapon attack, you can at-
take a -2 to your at ack and
grab the weapon with a free hand. Trying to take
tempt to strike the target’s legs and knock them
defense rol s until you take a
the weapon imposes a -3 penalty.
prone. If you succeed, the opponent is fal s flat.
move action to stand up.
•
Grapple: You can roll to grab hold of a target. •
Feint: By rolling Deceit instead of your first fast
While grappled, a target cannot move away from
strike, you can attempt a feint. If your opponent
you and takes to -2 to all physical actions. This
fails an Awareness check against your Deceit rol ,
is a prerequisite to pins, chokes, and throws.
you confuse them and can make your second at-
Each turn, your opponent can attempt a Dodge/
tack at a +3.
164
Shield Attacks
Ranged Weapons
Size Modifiers
You can use a shield in combat as a bludg- Anything shot or thrown counts as a ranged
eoning weapon. Using your shield as a weapon. To make a ranged attack (Bows,
weapon requires a Melee attack roll and Crossbows, Thrown Weapons) you must
Size
Mod
does damage equal to your Punch, but le- roll a combination of:
Small
thal. Medium shields do damage as though
(Cat or nekker)
+2
your Punch were two levels higher, and
DEX stat+Weapon skill
Medium
heavy shields do damage four levels higher.
+RNG Modifier+1d10
(Man-sized)
+0
See the Hand to Hand table on pg.48.
...equal or greater than the defensive roll of
Large
(Troll or horse)
-2
Defenses
your target. If you’re attacking an unaware
When defending against attacks there are or inanimate target, you must beat its target
Huge
many options for getting clear of or stopping DC, augmented by its size (See Size Modi-
(Fiend)
-4
a killing blow. Unless marked otherwise, all fiers).
of these defenses work against ranged as
well as melee attacks.
Ranges & Target DC
• Dodge: By moving slightly out of the way, you
can dodge an incoming attack. Dodging requires
a Dodge/Escape roll against your opponent’s at-
Ranges
Target
DC Mod
tack roll.
•
Reposition: By ducking or rolling out the
Point Blank
way, you can not only dodge an attack but also
The weapon is very close
10
+5
maneuver to escape being surrounded. If you
or physicaly touching the
succeed in an Athletics roll versus your oppo-
target.
nent’s attack rol , you avoid the attack and can
Close
move a distance equal to half your SPD in any
¼ the listed range of the
15
+0
direction that is not blocked.
weapon
•
Block: You can choose to attempt to block an in-
Medium
coming attack with your weapon, shield, or even
½ the listed range of the
20
-2
yourself. Only a shield can block ranged attacks.
weapon
Roll your weapon skill to negate an attack with
Long
your weapon. Roll Melee to negate an attack
The listed range of the
25
-4
with a shield. Whichever you parry with takes 1
weapon
point of damage. If you are in a seriously tight fix
Extreme
or protecting someone else, you can attempt to
2x the listed range of the
30
-6
block an attack with your arm or hand by using
weapon
Brawling. If you succeed, you immediately take
the attack’s damage to that location. Armor is ap-
plied, so you may not take damage if your armor
is high enough.
Crossbows & Loading
•
Parry: You can parry an attack at a -3 to your Crossbows are wonders of mechanical
weapon/Melee/Brawling rol . If you succeed, you workmanship that allow weak people to fire
knock the opponent’s weapon aside and not only bolts with the same strength as trained bow-
negate the attack but do so without damaging men. However they require more time to
your weapon. Your opponent is also staggered. load than a bow due to their loading mecha-You cannot parry bow or crossbow attacks, but nisms. This extra time means that loading a
can parry thrown weapons at a -5.
crossbow takes 1 action.
165
Bombs & Traps
Snow & Ice
Bombs and traps work slightly different- Snow and ice are a benefit and a hindrance.
Repositioning in
ly from other ranged attacks. Bombs can When tracking in snow you gain a +3 to
Water
be thrown at a single opponent, but their Wilderness Survival to follow recent tracks,
damage affects an area. Everyone in that but a -3 to follow old tracks. When fighting
When repositioning under-
area takes the bomb’s damage to every part on snow and ice you must make a DC:14
water, you can move in three
of their body and feels the bomb’s effects. Athletics check after running or attacking
dimensions but are only able
If you fail your Athletics check, the bomb to stay standing. If naked or lightly clothed
to move half your LEAP.
lands off target (see the Scatter table).
in icy conditions, you can survive without
Traps are placed in an area. When a shelter for a number of hours equal to your
person enters that area they trigger the trap, Stun. After that time has elapsed you enter
and they (and anyone in the trap’s radius) Death State.
Environmental
feel the trap’s effect and take the trap’s dam-
age to every part of their body.
Extreme Heat
Awareness
Traveling and fighting in extreme heat is
Most of my students assume
Environmental Effects
incredibly difficult even for trained warri-
that strength and speed are
The environment can and will affect the way ors. When traveling through a desert envi-
the key elements in combat.
you travel and fight, and in some cases the ronment such as the Korath desert, charac-
But in my personal study of
weapons you choose to use. Light and dark- ters lower their STA by a third. If they are
the subject I believe that en-
ness, weather, water, and terrain all change wearing medium or heavy armor, they halve
vironmental awareness is the
the course of battle in their own ways.
their STA.
key. Can you cause a careles
opponent to trip over door
Lighting
Swampy or Overgrown
sils or tree roots? Can you
Light affects your aim and situational aware- Environments
maneuver them into a crowd
ness.
When traveling and fighting in swamps
of self-important little o
ld
or brush, you have to keep an eye on the
ladies, or perhaps an armed
Light Level Table
ground around you. You take a -2 to Dodge/
opponent bigger than either
Escape and Athletics.
of you? Is there anything in
Light Level
Effect
your environment that can be
Fighting in Water
used as a weapon? A drunk-
Glaring Light -3 to Awareness and -3 to At- Fighting underwater is possible, but defi-en beligerent can often be set
(Desert sun or tack and Defense if facing the nitely much more difficult. When fighting
on fire with a candle or hearth
sun reflecting off
sun.
with melee weapons underwater, the ROF of
snow)
ash. Can you climb trees and
all weapons fal s to 1, and attacking, block-
Daylight
perhaps drop on your assail-
No penalties
ing, and parrying are at an additional -2.
(Daylight)
ant or cause him to slip as
While underwater, use Athletics to dodge
you carefuly cross streams or
Dim Light
-2 to Awareness
and reposition. Thrown weapons (with the
rivers? It is true, my students,
(Moonlight)
exception of spears) will not function un-
that most of you do not have
Darkness
derwater, and both crossbows and bows
overwhelming strength or
(New moon
-4 to Awareness and -2 to At-
night or a deep
tack and Defense
have their ranges quartered and their dam-
martial training, but you
cavern)
age halved. They also suffer the -2 penalty
may use your sharp wits even
to attack.
more effectively.
–Brandon of Oxenfurt
166
Magic Resolution
Overdrawn
Magic Attacks
Magic Fumble Outcome
Magical attacks are a mage’s main weapon
Priests
and a good backup for witchers and priests.
Roll Type
Result
Priest use magic differently
The effects of these attacks can vary but they
than mages. They draw a
all use WILL instead of REF or DEX. The
1-6: Magic sparks and crackles
lit le bit of magic from many
formula for magical attacks is:
and you take 1 point of damage
for every point you fumbled by,
different elements to achieve
but the spell still goes off.
the effects they want. This
WILL Stat+Spell Casting skill
The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG Page 37