tvedma02 Now, as you clash with these orcs, pay attention to the cursor. The icons on it can help you plan your movement. DM
tvedma03 Each character's combat turn is divided into two halves. During the first half, you can move, or attack, or cast a spell. During the second half, you can move - and attack, unless you've attacked already. DM
tvedma04 As you move the cursor around to potential destinations, if there is a '+' sign, you know it will take only half a move to get there - leaving some time to attack. If there is no '+', it will take your entire turn to get there. DM
tvedma05 When you are done with a character's turn, and want to move on to the next one, hit the space bar. DM
tvedma06 One more thing: from time to time your party catch the monsters off guard, surprising them. DM
tvedma07 When this happens, the initiative bar -- the colored gems in the upper left corner of the screen -- will appear for only your characters: there will be no red monster icons. DM
tvedma08 This means that for the the first round of combat, each character in your party may take a single action before the any monster can react. DM
tvedma09 But be careful: a SINGLE action is NOT a full combat turn, it is only a half turn. A character may either move OR attack, but not both. DM
tvedma10 So, you can make a ranged attack (with a bow, sling, or spell) OR move, but not fire AND THEN move. DM
tvedma11 Lastly, the monsters also sometimes surprise your party. If you see a single red monster icon in the upper left hand corner, that's what happened. They all get to take an action, before you can do anything. DM
tvedma12 Sometime you beat them to the punch, and sometimes they get the jump on you. DM
