====== Combat ======

Dice Mob Rules use turn-based combat to decide who does what when. Considering some weapons or spells might be much faster than other weapons or spells, this doesn't really match real life all that well, but it's easy for GMs and players to understand and to keep straight. Each monster and character taking their turn to battle is called a round. (Why not //turn//? It's a little ambiguous when you think about it.)

Combat doesn't necessarily mean that all parties know they are in combat. Surprise attacks, ambushes, and other factors might mean that only one side knows an attack in imminent. But no matter how many people know what, this is the order that all combat takes.

===== Step One - Residual Effects =====
All characters that received residual effects in the previous round roll the proper amount of dice or automatically apply that effect to their characters depending on how that effect works. Poison, freezing, acid, and burning all have residual effects that should be performed here. Other skills can as well.

Hit point regeneration and mana regeneration are considered residual effects for the purposes of when they are applied, which is to say, right here in step one.

Note: Generally residual effect don't apply on the very first round of combat because residual effects usually come from the round before. If one combat immediately follows a previous combat, though, this might be pertinent on the first round.

===== Step Two - Initiative =====
All players and the GM roll initiative unless they automatically get the first attack (because of surprise, ambush, or whatever.) If a player is controlling more than one character they generally only roll once for all their characters, for simplicity's sake, unless they characters have different numbers of dice in their initiative. GMs do the same, once for all their monsters unless the monsters have differing initiatives. The dice of each player and the GM are added together and the order is decided. If two players have the same roll, it is decided amongst themselves who goes first or, if they can't decide, the GM decides for them. If the GM ties with a player, the GM goes first. If there was an ambush or a surprise of some sort, that player or GM goes first, followed in order by the initiative rolls from highest to lowest.

===== Step Three - Free Actions =====
Sometimes players or the GM have free actions that can be used before any actual combat actions take place. Often these actions inspire a party to hit or defend better. In the case of a surprise attack or ambush, only those surprising or ambushing can make these free actions first. The surprised and ambushed must wait until the surprisers have acted first. Characters don't have to make all of their free actions here and don't even have to make any of them. They just have the option to do so.

===== Step Four - Act =====
Each character or monster takes their turn, using up all of their actions (except defensive actions) or deferring or converting some or all of their actions into another type of action. To avoid confusion, a character should state what they are deferring an action for, and if they are converting an action, what they are converting an action to before using it (or waiting for it to be used, in the case of a defensive action). Characters and monsters controlled by the GM never defer their actions unless it has been predetermined under what conditions they would do so.

If a skill from a character or creature acting earlier affects the number of actions of a character or creature acting later, that occurs in the current round. If a skill from a character or creature affects a character or creature who has already taken their turn that round, the action affected would be in the following round and any residual rolls that would take place in that later round would skip to the round after. It would, for all intents and purpose, be considered as if it had occurred in the beginning of the next round. If a character has deferred an action, the GM may decide at their discretion to affect the deferred action.

If a character who has deferred an action falls unconscious, they lose that action. They don't get to "hurry and make their move" before falling unconscious. If a character hasn't even gotten to their turn before falling unconscious, they likewise just lose all their actions, even if they are revived before their turn comes.

Under the actions and initiative section, it talks about all the actions, how they're used, and which types of actions can replace other types of actions. The only thing we'll add here is that in combat, these actions can be used in any order that makes sense.