General information | Combat and crisis Torment: Tides of Numenera Guide

Last update: 28 February 2017

A crisis is the game's term for a dangerous encounter, often a combat situation. Although you can avoid most fights in the game, there are some encounters that you cannot dodge. Combat encounters are turn-based, and often require you to complete a specific objective for the battle to end. Up to three companions may support your character on the battlefield.

Some crisises have specific tasks for you to complete, not always combat-related - you may need to, for example, block Sorrow Fragments near the tanks or talk to the enemy leader and accept his surrender.

Below you'll find a detailed description of the combat screen:

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• 1 - Order of action: On the upper edge of the screen, you'll find detailed information on the order of action. If you hover the mouse cursor over a character portrait, you'll see their detailed stats: hit points, status, etc. Plan your combat, so as to eliminate enemies with high initiative first.
• 2 - Inventory and skill screen: Here's where you select whether you want to use an item, a cypher, or one of the skills of the character you currently control. Using any of them takes up one action, so choose wisely.
• 3 - Party character portraits: On the lower edge of the screen, you'll find the information on the remaining hit points and your stats pool (Might, Intellect, Speed). Keep an eye on them, so you can use the combat skills of your party.
• 4 - Objectives: On the right, you'll find the objectives of your current crisis. Often, they are optional tasks (such as conversation with your enemy, using a computer to disable Sorrow Fragment, etc.), the completion of which will help you in combat or finish it on the spot. Sometimes, the objectives will change in time.
• 5 - Enemies: Hover the mouse cursor on a selected enemy to learn his remaining hit points, and your chance for a succesful attack. If you click the enemy or use a skill or an item on them, you will be taken to an effort check screen. That's where you can choose how much of your stats pool you intend to use to increase your hit chance or inflict additional damage.

Caution! Each character has two actions per turn. One of them is movement - a character can, for example, approach the enemy or fall back to a safe position. The second action is attack / use item or skill. Sometimes the situation will enable you to use environments or talk to the enemy. This also uses up your available action points. Whether you begin your turn with using up an action point or with movement is irrelevant.