Back in Combat

The Action Phase     Once the movement phase is completed, the action phase of the round occurs. Each character takes their turn in the sequence determined by the turn order list. Each turn consists of (at most) free actions, a minor action, and a major action. Once the last character has taken their turn, the action phase is over and the next round's movement phase begins. Combat actions only take place during the action phase; some Abilities allow a character to act in certain ways outside of their own turn, but these are not described as actions. Actions never take place in the middle of another action.

Free Actions      A free action is any quick and easy action that can be accomplished within a split-second, or without much effort from the character. All free actions can be done at any time during your turn, so long as they come before your major action. You may do as many different free actions as you wish, but unless otherwise indicated, you cannot do more than one free action of the same type. "Same type" here is defined as originating from the same rule, Ability, or device. For example, if you have an Ability that is a free action to use, you can only use it once per turn.

Minor Actions      A minor action might take a couple seconds or otherwise preoccupy your character - it's more trouble than a free action, but less than a major action. Like free actions, minor actions can be done anytime on your turn prior to your major action. However, you can normally only do one minor action per turn (see the Double Minor exception below).

Major Actions     A major action is any action that would reasonably dominate one round (5 seconds) of combat. After undertaking one major action, your turn is over.

Double Minor     If you wish, you may give up your major action to perform a second minor action instead. Your second minor action must end your turn, just as a major action would; you cannot do free actions afterwards. Unless otherwise indicated, you cannot use this rule to do two minor actions of the same type. "Same type" here is defined as originating from the same rule, Ability, or device.

Extra Action Types     On your turn, everything your character can do is either a free, minor, or major action. But some rules refer to extra adjectives that impose restrictions on these actions. Actions do not have these adjectives unless they explicitly name them in their rules:
Verbal Actions     Any free, minor, or major action that is also a verbal action involves your character talking in a notable way. Many Abilities and social actions are verbal actions. You can do only one verbal action per turn, regardless of whether that action is free, minor or major. You cannot use verbal actions if you are deafened or prevented from speaking in some way.

    A momentary shout, quick word of warning, or other such noise does not constitute a verbal action, but speaking several words or in whole sentences does. Other than listed verbal actions, your character may speak anything for up to 5 seconds as a verbal free action.

    Note that social action is not a combat term, but refers to another category of activity in Legends which may or may not occur simultaneously with combat. Social actions usable as actions in combat will be detailed as such (typically, they are verbal free actions).

Slowing Actions     Some free, minor, or major actions are also defined as slowing actions. Slowing actions can only be performed if you did not attempt a movement roll during this round's movement phase. Slowing actions do not fully immobilize you or remove the normal, short-distance movement typical of combat; they are simply prevented by the major movements represented by a movement roll.

    A mounted character may still do slowing actions if their mount participated in the movement phase (but the mount cannot).

Inventory Actions     You may drop an object from one or both of your hands as a free action, and may freely move an item from one hand to the other. These may be done on the same turn as any of the following inventory actions.

    Drawing or putting away items - that is, transferring them between your carried inventory and your hands - can be either a free, minor, or major action. You must choose one of the three.

    As a free action, you may draw a single item.

    As a major action, you may choose up to three of the above options (either the same or different options), in any order.

    Obviously, you must have a free hand in order to grab an item.

    Actions described as purely mental actions are activated entirely in the brain, and do not require physical movement. They cannot occur when you are unconscious (e.g. incapacitated, dead), but may be performed even if you are pinned, paralyzed, stabilized, or otherwise physically hampered or immobilized. Many Arcana Abilities and advanced adamant devices are purely mental actions to use.

Engagements & Dropped Items     The movement and chaos of a melee engagement can result in you being separated from an item you drop. Generally, you can pick up any item that you dropped on your immediately previous turn, if you have not attempted a movement roll since then. Otherwise, picking up an item dropped by any character in an engagement requires a d12 roll on either DEX or SPD (your choice); outnumbering dice apply to this roll. If you fail the roll and picking the item up would have been a minor action for you, you may devote your major action to the attempt and roll again. Note that these rules apply to all dropped items in an engagement; you can attempt to pick up an item dropped by an enemy, provided they dropped it before their immediately previous turn, or if they made a movement roll since dropping it.

    If it is very important for you to drop an item and have access to it later in the engagement, you can have your group protect the item via group defense; a dropped item generally counts as 1/4 of a character for the purpose of group defense rules. Characters who bypass group defense must still succeed on the DEX or SPD roll to pick up the item.

Fallen Characters & Dropped Items     Items dropped due to Hand/Arm Injuries fall under the rules above, as if you had dropped them on your previous turn.

    If you are incapacitated or paralyzed, you will technically drop any item(s) in your hands; however, if your body is defended via group defense, these items are included in that defense without additional difficulty (beyond your own body, which counts as 1/4 of a character in group defense). Also, if you are healed, you may pick up these items again as a free action, without a roll (and without counting as an inventory action). If your body is moved in any way (for example, picked up by someone else), this special status ceases and they count as normally dropped items.

    Any ally that can touch your body can put away a single item back into your inventory as a major action.

Giving Items    You may give an item in your hand(s) to someone else during combat. Offering the item does not require an action on your part, so long as the item is in your hand when the other character takes it. Taking the item is a minor inventory action (see above) for the other character. You must be grouped-up with the other character.

    You may also offer an item from your inventory that is not currently in your hands, providing it is not concealed. This is a minor action for both you and the recipient. Less commonly, you may use the same rules to add an item to a willing character's inventory.

    Giving items with these rules (by either method) does not count as a touch.

    Unwilling characters cannot typically have their items taken without being incapacitated or pinned, or via the Grab Item special melee attack.

Free Hands     Your available actions often depend on if your hands are in use. If you are holding two objects (such as two weapons or a weapon and shield), you must put away or drop an object in order to do something that requires a free hand. Any hand that is used to hang onto an item or perform a major action will continue to be unavailable until your next turn.

    Species such as Therbolgites are still considered to have two "hands" for the purposes of the rules, even though these are actually multiple appendages working together on either side of their body.

    Unless otherwise indicated, a tech counts as having hands, and an animal does not.

Touching Another Character     Sometimes you must touch another character in order to use certain Abilities on them. This rule represents a more deliberate contact than the normal momentary bustle of combat or even an attack. Touching another character in combat is a slowing free action that requires a free hand, and you may only touch one character per turn. If the character is unwilling, you may only touch them if you are in a grapple. You must be grouped-up with any ally you touch, and the ally must not currently be bypassing group defense. Touching normally lasts until the end of the toucher's turn, but may continue until their next turn, or as long as both characters are willing (some Abilities require the touch to be maintained). A touch that is ended cannot be "resumed" until the toucher's next turn. Characters who make a movement roll, bypass ground defense, or are separated from each other by another action are no longer considered touching for any purpose.

    Characters can only be touched via these rules by 2 characters per round; this is a separate consideration from maximum melee attacks.

Wielding & Competence     Wielding a weapon refers to holding it in a combat stance, ready for use, as opposed to merely carrying it. A character is considered to be wielding a melee weapon if they meet the stat requirements to do so in the manner they are currently holding it (two-handed or one-handed). A character must be wielding a weapon in order to use it to attack, or to use it in Abilities. They are considered to be wielding it whether or not they actually used it to attack or defend since their last turn. If a character requires two hands to meet the stat requirements to wield a weapon, they are not considered to be wielding it if they hold it in one hand.

    In addition, a character can be competently or incompetently wielding. They are wielding a weapon competently if they have a corresponding Ability associated with that type of weapon (see Close Combat and Marksmanship). Without competence, both melee and ranged attacks are much less effective.

Bypassing Group Defense     If you are in an engagement, you may attempt to bypass the enemy's group defense as a minor action. To do so, you must succeed on a 2d12 roll on SPD; outnumbering dice apply to this roll. Though the roll is on SPD, it is not considered a movement roll. If you succeed, you may make non-grappling melee attacks against protected characters this turn. If the enemy is using group defense to guard an object or prevent access to an area, bypassing group defense allows you to interact with the guarded object this turn, or move into the blocked area during the next round's movement phase. If you fail the SPD roll, you have 1 degree of melee disadvantage against all characters until the beginning of your next turn.

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