Combat
Combat in Bolt & Blade should feel familiar to anyone who has played a d20 game, but firearm-aware: most fights are ranged, cover decides who lives, and standing in the open under fire is a decision you make once.
The numbers you need every time violence starts. — This chapter is a transcription outline: the rules below name what is being drafted, not final law. Full text replaces each entry as the rites are locked in at the table.
What This Chapter Governs
Being TranscribedVitality & Defense. Vitality is your survivability before wounds and injuries matter. Defense is the number enemies roll against.
Initiative & Movement. Turn order, movement rates, and what an action economy looks like when everyone is armed.
Cover & Exposure. The signature combat rule. Cover matters more than in normal fantasy d20; exposure under ranged fire is dangerous for everyone. Astartes endure it better — they do not make it irrelevant.
Conditions. Pinned, Bleeding, Burning, Frightened, Exposed, Suppressed — the states that turn a fight.
The Ammo Die. Scarcity without bookkeeping: one die per weapon that shrinks when the shooting gets serious. Referenced here; governed by the Armoury.
▸ Full Ammo Die rules, weapon and armor tables, and every item trait are archived under Wargear.