SUGGESTION: a new format for the OPTIONS LIST

[Steve Plambeck]

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A newer, revised version of this list is posted further below on 5/28/2020. You may jump straight to it by clicking on:
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...11#post2326011
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LIST OF OPTIONS

An OPTION is a set of actions. A figure may execute ONE option each turn, and may NOT mix actions from different options. It is possible to change options – see below.


I. OPTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE TO DISENGAGED FIGURES

(a) MOVE more than half its MA, up to its full MA. Take no other action this turn except for such things as jumping, attempting to scoop up a weapon, etc. (Note, a figure must STOP movement the moment it steps into any front hex of an armed opponent – at that point the figure becomes engaged.)

(b) CHARGE ATTACK. Move up to half its MA and, when the chance to act comes, make a regular, thrown-weapon, or jabbing attack with your ready, non-missile weapon. OR move up to half its MA, ending movement on a hex occupied by another figure, and attempt to initiate HTH combat this turn; see p. 116.

(c) DODGE. Move up to half its MA while dodging (see p. 117).

(d) READY NEW WEAPON. Move up to 2 hexes and re-sling (NOT drop) its ready weapon and/or shield, and then (1) ready a new weapon and/or shield, OR (2) pick up and ready a dropped weapon and/or shield in the hex where movement ends or an adjacent hex, OR (3) exchange weapons with any adjacent figure. (If ENGAGED, you must use the CHANGE WEAPONS option instead – see below.)

(e) CRAWL 2 HEXES. A disengaged figure in a prone, kneeling, or knocked down position may crawl up to two hexes on its turn to move. (If you are engaged, you cannot disengage by crawling unless your opponent cannot move at all.) The figure can take no other action if it plans to STAND UP (see below) at the end of the turn.


II. OPTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE TO FIGURES ALREADY IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT (see p. 116)

(f) HTH ATTACK. Attempt to hit an opponent in the same hex with bare hands or, if dagger is ready, with the dagger.

(g) ATTEMPT TO DRAW DAGGER. Roll 3/DX to succeed.

(h) ATTEMPT TO DISENGAGE. Disengaging while in HTH combat is not automatic; it requires a roll. See p. 117.


III. OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO ALL FIGURES NOT IN HTH COMBAT

Figures that are either ENGAGED or DISENGAGED may choose any one of the following options, with choice limited by the distance moved. Just because an option is available doesn’t necessarily mean it would make sense to pick it. You wouldn’t pick (q) DISENGAGE if you weren’t engaged with anyone. You might pick (j) ATTACK though even if your front hexes were empty, if you were guessing one of those hexes held an invisible foe. Let common sense prevail.

A. MOVE UP TO ½ MA OR LESS, AND:

(i) DEFEND against any non-missile spells and attacks with your ready weapon (see p. 117).

(j) DROP to a prone or kneeling position. If DISENGAGED, move up to half its MA first and then drop. If ENGAGED, it may only shift 1 hex and then drop.

B. MOVE 1 HEX (IF DISENGAGED) OR SHIFT 1 HEX (IF ENGAGED), OR STAND STILL AND:

(k) ATTACK. Make a regular, thrown-weapon, or jabbing attack with your ready, non-missile weapon ; this is identical to the CHARGE ATTACK option but without the charge.

(l) MISSILE WEAPON ATTACK. Move up to 1 hex and/or drop to prone/kneeling position and fire a missile weapon. A figure must be DISENGAGED to fire and reload a missile weapon, but see the next option.

(m) ONE-LAST-SHOT MISSILE ATTACK. If the figure had a missile weapon ready BEFORE it was engaged, it may get off one last shot. (You can almost always release an arrow at a charging enemy.) When engaged, the missile weapon MUST be dropped after firing.

(n) CHANGE WEAPONS. If ENGAGED, shift one hex (or stand still) and DROP ready weapon (if any), and ready a new weapon. (Exception: an ENGAGED figure cannot ready or reload a missile weapon.) If the figure was NOT engaged, it would normally be better to use the READY NEW WEAPON option (see above).

(o) CAST SPELL. Attempt any spell.

(p) DISBELIEVE. Taking no other action, attempt to disbelieve one figure.

(q) DISENGAGE. An ENGAGED figure that only stands still or shifts one hex during movement may disengage one hex in any direction from one or more enemy figures when your turn to ACT comes. Make no attacks, cast no spells, etc; see p. 106 for an explanation of disengaging.

(r) ATTEMPT HAND-TO-HAND ATTACK. An ENGAGED figure may attempt HTH combat by standing still or shifting during the movement phase; when its turn to attack comes, it moves onto the hex of any adjacent enemy, and attempts to hit with bare hands or (if it was ready) its dagger. See p. 116.

C. OR DO NOT MOVE AT ALL AND:

(s) PICK UP DROPPED WEAPON. “Bend over” (not moving), drop your ready weapon and/or shield (if any), and pick up and ready a dropped weapon in your hex or an adjacent hex.

(t) STAND UP. Rise from a prone, kneeling, or knocked down position at the end of the combat phase. To stand up, the figure must have taken NO other action this turn other than the CRAWL 2 HEXES option (see above).

CHANGING OPTIONS
It is legal to change options AFTER the movement part of the turn, to meet changing conditions. The only requirement is that the figure must not have already moved more than the NEW option allows. If you moved 0 or 1 hex, you may switch to any option you could have taken when the turn began ; if you moved ½ your MA or less, you may attack, defend, dodge, or drop ; if you moved over ½ your MA you may do nothing else that turn.