The time has come to extend the Bluff System .

Effects

The exact effects would depend on various Skills and Attributes. Possible pre-written effects would include:

• Knock someone off balance (-3X to their next roll)
• Gut-punch (-2X to all rolls for the rest of the scene)
• Bone-breaker (-X to all rolls, until they can heal)
• Ram (opponent is thrown a few steps in a direction)
• Foot-smash (-4 penalty to movement, -1 to everything else)

...and another list for spells.

Maybe the system doesn't need HP, perhaps all effects could target the core Attributes instead, just to give a little variety to the wound.

Back Off

I'm gonna dodge the ogre's swing, run up his club, and stab him in the eye.

The ogre says he's going to smash your skull open and lick up the brains.

Oh...um, maybe not then?

Each character can 'back off', retreating from a fight when the stakes suddenly become too high. They get the bonus standard bonus for dodging (+2? +4? I have no idea...), but no chance to make good on their threat - the best outcome for them becomes no outcome.

In the above example, the ogre is threatening death, so the player decides not to risk it.

The Tree of Choice

Broadly, players choices should look like this:

1
2goblins
3├── flee
4│     (stupid choice)
5├── wound
6│     (safe choice)
7└── kill
8      (reasonable choice)

Running from goblins just means being hunted. Wounding one should be easy enough - if the goblins decide to go for a head-shot on a PC, they would receive a big penalty, and guarantee failure. If the PC goes for the kill, the goblins might stand a reasonable chance of inflicting a proper wound on the PC.

1                           TN 8
2                          -------
3      goblin attack  +2      | PC attack      +5
4      small wound   +0      | kill-shot      -4
5                          =======
6                             9

If the goblin wins the roll, the PC only receives a wound - they can risk it.

1ogre
2├── flee
3│     (excellent choice)
4├── wound
5│     (possible)
6└── kill
7      (suicidal)

The ogre presents a much more dangerous challenge. The ogre is attempting to give the PC a grevious wound, which will seriously debilitate them, but the player still has bad odds.

1                           TN 8
2                           -----
3      ogre attack    +8      | PC attack      +5
4      grevious wound -2      | small wound   -0
5                          =======
6                             9

Progression in Combat

If one creature has such high stats that another cannot reasonably beat it in a roll, there should always be some manoeuvre which lets them progress, little by little.

If you cannot kill the opponent, you can just wound them, or throw them off balance.

No Attack Limits

Each attack inflicts a minimum of a -1 penalty. This lets PCs take on half a dozen goblins in one round - they can keep rolling as long as they like. Similarly, if the PCs face off against a dragon, they may all have to hit it a few times (and get hit) before it begins taking enough attack penalties to really care.

Relative Penalties: No Waiting

If everyone takes an action, and receives a -1 penalty, someone cannot 'hang back' and then jump in with no penalty after. Well actually, they can, but they shouldn't be able to wait until everyone has taken 2 different actions. Everyone must either act, or forefeit their action. And once everyone reaches the same penalty, they all lose that penalty.

Attributes

Attributes as Attack Styles

Strength helps fighting multiple weaker foes, while Dexterity can put anyone off balance and win the game on another attack, and Speed helps with running to someone or running away.

Multiple attack types could demand someone use the lowest of their Attributes.

• Dexterity to stab a weak-spot between armour plates and Strength to drive home the blade for a final kill.
• Speed to rush a distant opponent, and Strength to push them over a cliff.
• Dexterity to trip someone, and Speed to run away with a bonus on the next round.

If wounds diminish Attributes (i.e. Attributes function as HP) then Attributes function mostly like HP, but the wounds also change the state of play. Someone with Strength +2 and Speed +0 would not normally use a manoeuvre which requires Strength + Speed, since they would have to use the lowest of the two bonuses: +0. However, if they receives a wound which brought them down to Strength +0, then they can freely mix Strength and Speed manoeuvres without penalty.

Attributes and Body Parts

Attacking someone's legs reduces their Speed. Attacking their arms reduces their Strength. Attacking the head or torso reduces their coordination.