Initiative

Initiative is a Dexterity skill that is affected by Armor Check Penalty. The use of this skill is primarily in order to gain an advantage in combat by acting before others. You may take a 10 on a Initiative Check but not a 20.

Start Battle

An Initiative check sets the order of combat when a fight starts. Each character aware of the fight makes an Initiative check and goes in order from highest to lowest.

Avoid Feint

When an opponent attempts to Feint in combat, you oppose their Deception check with an Initiative check. If you meet or beat their Deception check result, their Feint result fails.

Blade Lock

(Requires Block)
Many times two sword-wielding combatants will strike at one another, locking their blades together in a test of strength and skill as their blades spark with contact. As an optional rule, whenever a character with the Block Talent rolls their check to negate the attack and the skill check result is exactly equal to the incoming attack roll, the attack is negated and a Blade Lock occurs.
Both characters lock their swords together, and both the original attacker and the blocker make an opposed Initiative check. The character with the higher result may make an immediate Unarmed attack against the other character as a Free Action, at which point the Blade Lock ends.