Fantasy Violence

04 Feb, 2026

Below is a set of rules for small scale fantasy medieval combat based on Luke Gearing's Violence at the Street Level. Some key rules are changed: it's a bit less swingy and a bit less dangerous, especially when armour and shields are involved.

For messy street fights, the improvised weapons listed in Violence at the Street Level can be translated into medieval equivalents.

Initiative

Roll 1d20 for each individual involved in the combat. Those in heavy armor roll 1d10. Write these down and resolve, highest first. For combat with many participants, divide them into groups.

Do this at the beginning of each round.

Alternatively, resolve rounds in an order the makes sense.

Melee

Both combatants roll 2d6 and add relevant modifiers. Highest roll wins. Combatants compare their relative levels of effectiveness, however it is derived. The difference between them is added to the more skilled combatant.

• 0 Untrained.
• 1 Drilled/Tough Guy
• 2 Trained/Experienced.
• 3 Veteran.
• 4 Elite/Hardened.
• 5 Trained with Masters/Natural Born Killer.
• Mounted +1

If multiple opponents engage a single person, all roll 2d6. The highest roll is taken for the team with the numerical advantage.

• If the difference is 1, both participants make an Injury Check or Shield Check.
• If the difference is 2, the defeated makes an Injury Check or Shield Check.
• If the difference is 3+, the defeated makes an Injury Check.

Combatants may elect to grapple instead of causing an Injury check.

When grappling, they roll 1d6 and consult the table below. They may do any of the actions listed at the value rolled or below. (e.g. rolling a 4 means actions 1,2,3 or 4 can be done.) Skilled grapplers add +1. A character using a weapon larger than a dagger rolls 1d3, while one using a shield may only Shove or Go to Ground.

• Shove or Go to Ground.
• Slam.
• Throw.
• Joint Lock.
• Pin.
• Choke.

Shoving does just that - propels the victim away. If they collide with any object, there’s a 3-in-6 they fall, possibly injuring themselves.

Going to Ground means both combatants hit the ground. The victor gets a +2 on the next round of combat against that combatant.

Slams involve striking objects with the grappled person and maintaining a grip. This triggers an Injury Check, with the referee determining lethality. A character with a weapon may instead make a pommel or haft strike. The victor gets +3 on the next round of combat against the grappled combatant.

Throws launch the grappled combatant. They have a 5-in-6 chance of falling, and anyone else they hit has a 3-in-6. Those falling take Injury Checks, modified by their environment.

Joint Locks disable a limb - usually one holding a weapon. A break can be forced on a 2-in-6. This, of course, is an injury.

Pins disable the victim totally. They are disarmed in the process.

Chokes Down the grappled if not interrupted immediately. They are powerless in this process. A character in Heavy Mail cannot be choked.

Injury:

When an Injury Check occurs, roll 1d20 and add any modifiers. The result of an Injury Check varies depending on the armour worn. For each further Injury, add +2.

A Shield Check works similarly. Instead of taking Injuries, shields are Damaged. Attacks against a Damaged shield are made with Advantage.

Halfmail describes a long mail shirt with sleeves that cover half the length of the arm. Fullmail covers the entire body, including full length sleeves, chausses, hood , and mitons. Both are assumed to be paired with a helmet. Shields are either large round shields or made in a kite shape, and are large enough to provide coverage yet mobile enough for use on horseback.

Melee Weapons:

Weapons have two values:

• Reach. Compare the Reach values of both weapons. The difference between them is added to the 2d6 roll of the combatant with the longest weapon.
• Lethality. Applied to any Injury Checks caused by the weapon.

Weapons with a / in their statistics provide values for one-handed and two-handed use respectively.

• * two-handed.
• ^ Does not damage shields.

Missile Weapons

To hit someone with a projectile, roll 16+ on a d20.

Roll with an Advantage when the target is not in cover or moving. Roll with a Disadvantage against shielded opponents. A roll of 11-15 prompts a Shield Check.

• ^ Does not damage shields.

Down

After the violence is concluded, roll a d20 for each person Down. Add +2 for each Injury. On a 16+, they are dead. On 11-15, they are Critically Injured and will die without medical attention. Otherwise, they are unconscious or otherwise incapacitated for 1d6x10 minutes.

Rolling with Dis/Advantage.

When making a d20 roll, keep a track of all factors which afford a Disadvantage or Advantage. These factors should be easy to spot in natural language, but might also be called out in the text.

Advantages and Disadvantages cancel each other out. Once all factors are considered, follow one of the procedures below:

• Advantages and Disadvantages cancel one another out. Roll 1d20 normally.
• Remaining Advantages. Roll 1d20 and a number of d6s equal to the number of remaining Advantages. Add the highest rolled value of d6s to the d20 roll.
• Remaining Disadvantages. Roll 1d20 and number of d6s equal to number of remaining Disadvantages. Subtract the highest rolled value of d6s to the d20 roll.

Sources of Dis/Advantages include things such as position, training, traits, equipment, weapons, assistance, elevation, weather, light levels, blessings, curses, illness, or injuries.

For 2d6 melee rolls, simply add +1 to the Advantaged character’s side for each factor deemed relevant.