6.11 Conflicts Without Combat

Conflicts do not have to be combative, but they always have a chance to turn that way. The characters can all use maneuvers that consist entirely of talking, intimidating, browbeating, or otherwise gaining an advantage. They can then focus on achieving goals without ever throwing a blow. However, if it comes down to it, either side can escalate and use the strike dice for strikes, or use a power.

How much or how little combat is included in each conflict is therefore always up to the characters who are involved.

You can also have combat without conflicts. If one character acts against another, and both players agree on the outcome, you don’t actually need to go to the mechanics. For example, if one character stands at the edge of a cliff and another pushes her, then both players might agree that she is surprised and falls (though outside of the conflict mechanics, she won’t take any wounds from the fall). If the second player doesn’t want her to fall, however, you’ve got a conflict to play out.