When you want to attack someone or something, wield a weapon. Whatever weapon you are currently wielding, or bare fists if you do not have any weapons, becomes the weapon you are attacking with. It is this weapon's damage rating that will be used to calculate how much damage is done to your opponent if you succeed in landing a blow with the weapon. For help specifically on how to wield a weapon, see Wielding Weapons.

After you wield a weapon, you should click on the icon of that which you are attacking in the display area of the game console. When you strike, you always expose yourself to a return attack by your opponent, and they will take this opportunity to return your attack with whatever weapon they have to hand.

Attack Resolution
Combat is resolved by rolling d100. The result is modified by any modifiers, such as those listed in Effect of Ability Scores on To Hit % based on STR and DEX scores. It is then compared against the opponent's AR. If the result is higher than the opponent's AR, the strike lands and the blow is dealt. Otherwise, the attack is counted as a miss.

Attack Damage
Damage from a successful blow is calculated based on the type of weapon attacked with. Some creatures calculate their damage from natural or other types of weapons.

Each type of weapon available for player character use in the game does a random amount of damage according to the table Damage by Weapon Type if the player scores a successful hit in combat.

Subsidiary Forms of Attack
Some creatures have additional forms of attack unique to themselves, which they may choose to execute on a successful hit. These types of attacks are only available to these creatures; i.e., a character cannot use a monster's breath weapon after defeating the creature, as they could if the monster attacked with a sword or dagger.

Natural attacks are the creatures default weapon. This includes claws, teeth, pincers and what-have-you.

Breath attack types are alternate, special attack types like those used by Dragons.

Poison attacks can continue to do damage to a character for rounds after the original strike.

Disease attacks do damage that continues until the character is cured of the disease.

Lycanthropy attacks can infect the user with an incurable disease that causes them to change shape.

Weapon attacks are used by intelligent monsters who wield weapons like swords, daggers, axes and the like. These items are usually dropped after a battle, and can be picked up.

Armor and Other Protections
The effect of high DEX scores are immediately and directly reflected in armor rating scores. An average DEX of 10 results in an AR of 20 - while an exceptional DEX of 20 results in a natural AR of 40.

In addition to this, armor may be added in form of body paddings, helmets, and shields may be carried. Each additional piece of armor adds to the total armor rating of the character.

The Fumble Factor
Any time a weapon is used in a combat situation, it is possible the character may slip up and drop their weapon or have it knocked from their hand in the heat of battle. This fumble factor is calculated at (20-DEX)*1%, so a character with a DEX of 15 has a 5% chance of losing their weapon on every strike!