Defences
Your defences represent your ability to resist spells, traps, poison, disease and similar threats to avoid taking damage and overcome attacks to the body and mind. If an opponent’s attack roll equals or exceeds your defence score, the attack hits.
You have six defence scores and each class grants training in three defences. For example, the warrior is trained in two physical defences and one mental defence. Training in a defence lets a character add their training bonus to that defence score. Most monsters also have one or more trained defence.
If a defence check is called for, make a check using the named attribute. If you are trained in the defence, then you roll with +1d as usual. If you have +1d to a score, then this grants a bonus to the score. The second die in your pool grants +4 to your score, the third +2, and +1 thereafter to a maximum of total dice pool modifier of +10.
| Dice Pool Size | Score |
|---|---|
| 2d20kh1 | 14 + modifier |
| 3d20kh1 | 16 + modifier |
| 4d20kh1 | 17 + modifier |
| 5d20kh1 | 18 + modifier |
| 6d20kh1 | 19 + modifier |
| 7d20kh1 | 20 + modifier |
Strength Defence
A character’s Strength defence represents their physical power. How well can they oppose a force that would physically move or bind them?
When defending in melee you can choose to use your Strength defence to block an attack, rather than evading it. You take -1d to your Strength defence vs melee attacks that deal bludgeoning damage and +1d to your Strength defence vs melee attacks that deal slashing damage.
Blocking With An Item
A weapon or shield can be pushed beyond its limits, damaging it in the process. When you make a Strength defence check to block an attack, you may choose to brace your weapon or shield against the threat. The item takes the damage that the attack would deal to you (see Interacting With Objects) and you benefit from +1d on the Strength defence check.
Dexterity Defence
A character’s Dexterity defence represents their physical finesse. How well can they dodge out of harm’s way?
In combat, most attacks target a creature’s Dexterity Defence. You take +1d to your Dexterity defence vs melee attacks that deal bludgeoning damage and -1d to your Dexterity defence vs melee attacks that deal slashing damage.
Constitution Defence
A character’s Constitution defence represents their physical resistance. How well can they endure a disease, poison, or other hazard that saps vitality?
Intelligence Defence
A character’s Intelligence defence represents their mental finesse. How well can they disbelieve certain illusions and refute mental assaults with logic, sharp memory, or both?
Wisdom Defence
A character’s Wisdom defence represents their mental resistance. How well can they resist effects that charm, frighten, or otherwise assault their willpower.
Charisma Defence
A character’s Charisma defence represents their mental power. How well can they withstand effects, such as possession, that would subsume their personality or hurl them to another plane of existence?