This page summarizes the rules and details concerning combat.
Use a battle map to visualize combat situations. On a battle map, 1 inch represents 5 feet in the game world.
Combat occurs in rounds. In every round, each combatant gets to do something. A round represents 6 seconds in the game world.
Before each round, each player declares his or her character's actions and makes an initiative check for his or her character. The DM makes initiative checks for the opponents. An initiative check is 1d20 + the character's Reflex save bonus. Characters act in order from highest initiative result to lowest.
At the start of each combat, a character is flat-footed until he or she takes an action.
Every round, on your character’s turn, you may take a standard action and a move action (in either order), two move actions, or one full-round action. You may also perform one or more free actions along with any other action, as your DM allows.
In combat, the most prevalent standard action is an attack. You can move your speed and make an attack in a round (a move action and a standard action). Experienced characters can attack more than once, but only if they don’t move (a full-round action). Making a ranged attack provokes attacks of opportunity from opponents that threaten you (see below).
To score a hit that deals damage on your attack roll, your result must equal or exceed the target’s Armor Class (AC).
Melee Attack Roll: 1d20 + base attack bonus + Strength modifier + size modifier.
Ranged Attack Roll: 1d20 + base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier + size modifier + range penalty.
If you score a hit, roll damage and deduct it from the target’s current hit points. Add your Strength modifier on damage rolls involving melee and thrown weapons. If you’re using a weapon in your off hand, add one-half your Strength modifier (if it’s a bonus). If you’re wielding a weapon with both hands, add one and a half times your Strength modifier (if it’s a bonus.)
A character’s Armor Class (AC) is the result you need to get on your attack roll to hit that character in combat.
Armor Class: 10 + armor bonus + shield bonus + Dexterity modifier + size modifier.
Hit points represent how much damage a character can take before falling unconscious or dying.
In most cases, you can move your speed and cast a spell in the same round (a move action and a standard action). Casting a spell provokes attacks of opportunity from opponents that threaten you (see below).
When you are subject to an unusual or magical attack, you generally get a saving throw to negate or reduce its effect. To succeed on a saving throw, you need a result equal to or higher than its Difficulty Class.
Fortitude Saving Throw: 1d20 + base save bonus + Constitution modifier
Reflex Saving Throw: 1d20 + base save bonus + Dexterity modifier
Will Saving Throw: 1d20 + base save bonus + Wisdom modifier
Each character has a speed measured in feet. You can move that distance as a move action. You can take a move action before or after a standard action on your turn in a round.
You can instead forego a standard action and take two move actions in a round, which lets you move double your speed. Or you can run, which lets you move quadruple your speed but takes all of your actions for the round.
During combat, you threaten the area adjacent to your space, even when it’s not your turn. An opponent that takes certain actions while in your threatened area provokes an attack of opportunity from you. An attack of opportunity is a free melee attack that does not use up any of your actions. You must use one of your combat reactions for the round to make an attack of opportunity. Actions that provoke attacks of opportunity include moving (except as noted below), casting a spell, and attacking with a ranged weapon.
You provoke an attack of opportunity when you move out of an opponent's threatened area, except:
Your hit points represent how much damage you can take before being disabled, knocked unconscious, or killed.
1 or More Hit Points: As long as you have 1 or more hit points, you remain fully functional.
0 Hit Points: If your hit points drop to 0, you are disabled. You can only take one move action or standard action per turn, and you take 1 point of damage after completing an action.
–1 to –9 Hit Points: If your hit points drop to from –1 to –9 hit points, you’re unconscious and dying, and you lose 1 hit point per round. Each round, before losing that hit point, you have a 10% chance of becoming stable. While stable, you’re still unconscious. Each hour you have a 10% chance to regain consciousness, and if you don’t, you lose 1 hit point instead.
–10 Hit Points: If your hit points fall to –10 or lower, you’re dead.
Healing: You can stop a dying character’s loss of hit points with a DC 15 Heal check or with even 1 point of magical healing. If healing raises a character’s hit points to 1 or more, the character can resume acting as normal.