This page is for keeping track of rulings and precedents that come up. It’s not a guarantee that the rulings are well-considered or that I won’t change my mind if a good reason arises to do so, but it is there as a reminder for both players and GM to refer back to, and a promise that I won’t arbitrarily go back on these for no good reason.
On Join Battle, Base Initiative, Initiative Shift
”Join Battle” refers specifically to the (Wits+Awareness)1 roll made at the start of combat and is separate from both the extra initiative everyone starts with (which is always 3) and Base Initiative (which is generally 3 but can be modified). This means that when you’re told to roll Join Battle and add the result to your initiative at any point other than the start of combat, such as on achieving Initiative Shift or by certain Charms, this means just the raw Join Battle pool, not including either the +3 initiative at the start of combat or Base Initiative. You can still use applicable Charms to modify the roll in any way you see fit.
On Rush vs. Disengage
The rush action can only be used at short range from an opponent you want to rush, not close range. The wording “within short range” in the corebook is ambiguous, but to be taken literally in this case: exactly at short range. Disengaging is only possible from close range, as written. The two actions should therefore never be in conflict.
The rush action is for closing the distance with opponents that are some distance away from you, whereas the disengage action is for getting away from opponents who are already in your face. Attempting to keep an opponent at close range from getting away from you is already represented by that opponent’s need to take a disengage action in the first place; the character who wants to stay in close combat doesn’t have to take any specialized action. If you want to make disengaging harder, put some Charms or willpower into that opposed roll.
Footnotes
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Unless you use some Charm to change the pool. ↩