### Rules for Combat

There will be occasions during your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy's COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points are given in the text. Grey Star's aim during the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his ENDURANCE points to zero while at the same time losing as few ENDURANCE points as possible himself.

At the start of a combat, enter Grey Star's ENDURANCE and WILLPOWER points and the enemy's ENDURANCE points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your Action Chart.

The sequence for combat is as follows:

1. Calculate your current COMBAT SKILL total, based on the weapon you are using. (Remember, if you enter combat without your Staff, you must deduct 6 points from your COMBAT SKILL. If you have no weapon at all, you must deduct 8 points.)
2. Subtract the COMBAT SKILL of your enemy from this total. The result is your Combat Ratio. Enter it on the Action Chart.
3. If you are using your Wizard's Staff, decide how many WILLPOWER points you wish to use. (Remember, you must expend at least 1 point.) Enter this number on your Combat Record in the box marked WILLPOWER.
   Example
   Grey Star (COMBAT SKILL 15, WILLPOWER 23) is ambushed by a Deathgaunt (COMBAT SKILL 20). He is not given the opportunity to evade combat, but he can use his Wizard's Staff against the creature as it swoops down on him. He subtracts the Deathgaunt's COMBAT SKILL from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of -5. (15 - 20 = -5). -5 is noted on the Action Chart as the Combat Ratio. Grey Star decides to use 2 WILLPOWER points, which is noted on the WILLPOWER box of the Combat Record.
4. When you have decided upon the number of WILLPOWER points you wish to use, and have determined your Combat Ratio, pick a number from the Random Number Table.
5. Turn to the Combat Results Table on the inside back cover of the book. Along the top of the chart are shown the Combat Ratio numbers. Find the number that is the same as your Combat Ratio and cross-reference it with the random number that you have picked. (The random numbers appear on the side of the chart.) You now have the number of ENDURANCE points lost by Grey Star. To calculate the number lost by the enemy, multiply this by the number of WILLPOWER points that Grey Star elected to use. Now you have the final number of ENDURANCE points lost by both Grey Star and his enemy in this round of combat. (E represents points lost by the enemy; GS represents points lost by Grey Star.)
   Example
   The Combat Ratio between Grey Star and the Deathgaunt has been established as -5, and Grey Star's WILLPOWER points used as 2. If the number taken from the Random Number Table is a 6, then the result of the first round of combat is:
   - Grey Star loses 4 ENDURANCE points.
   - Deathgaunt loses 5 ENDURANCE points, multiplied by 2 WILLPOWER points, giving a total of 10 ENDURANCE points lost in all.
6. On the Action Chart, mark the changes in ENDURANCE points to the participants in the combat, and Grey Star's amended WILLPOWER points total.
7. Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.
8. Repeat the sequence from Stage 3.

This process of combat continues until the ENDURANCE points of either the enemy or Grey Star are reduced to zero, at which point the one with the zero score is declared dead. If Grey Star is dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, Grey Star proceeds but with his ENDURANCE and WILLPOWER points reduced.

A summary of Combat Rules appears in the back of this book.

#### Evasion of Combat

During your adventure you may be given the chance to evade combat If you have already engaged in a round of combat and decide to evade, calculate the combat for that round in the usual manner. All points lost by the enemy as a result of that round are ignored, and you make your escape. Only Grey Star may lose ENDURANCE points during that round, but then that is the risk of running away! You may only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.

Concept copyright © 1985 Joe Dever and Gary Chalk.
Text copyright © 1985 Ian Page.