Perception Rolls

Perception as a Free Action or Perception in Combat - If you need to perceive something quickly (such as the big bad guy that just joined your opponent), then you will want to make a perception roll as a free action while performing another combat maneuver. You will be at -3 and your field of view will be restricted.

Modifier comment all normal perception modifiers like Alertness, Acute Vision, Acute Hearing, etc. +2/+4/... Combat Reflexes (for combat related rolls. i.e. to see a new foe, to see a friend go down, etc.) -var as a free action. Note: your field of view is a function of your current (last) action. -2 to -7 cover, i.e. use the normal cover (ranged weapons, pB118) modifiers. Thus the second rank in a melee combat would be at -4 for being behind someone else.

Field Of View (for vision and other directed senses) Modifier comment -0 front (white) -2 side hexes (light gray) -4 peripheral (medium gray) not visible rear hexes (dark gray)

Field Of View
Normal	Move	Combat	'Lock'
Perceive (as Step and Concentrate) Move (1/2 move or less)	Move (more than 1/2 move)	Step and Ready Step and Attack Step and Wait (and Step) Step and Concentrate All-out-Defense	Aim All-out-Attack
with the "Peripheral Vision" advantage, the medium gray area become "front", otherwise it is "rear".	those with "Peripheral Vision" still get their extra wedge as "peripheral" hexes (not shown).

To Aim, fire a missile, fire a targeted spell, or any other targeted action, you need a 'lock' on your target. Typically you will get your lock during a 'perceive' action, e.g. "there's an orc, I'll shoot him". But sometimes you need to get a 'lock' quickly, e.g. "While I drew an arrow and nocked it (2 sec), my buddy killed that one, where's the next?". In this case you could look for another target with your current FOV (aim) or change to the 'Combat' FOV. You can only enter the narrow 'tunnel vision' FOV after you get a lock. You can maintain the 'lock' on the same target as long as you don't move and only change your facing by one (or no) hexside(s).

Perception as a Long Action

For the Step and Concentrate Maneuver pB106 states:
"Thus, if you are hurt, knocked down, forced to use an active defense, or otherwise distracted, you must make a Will-3 roll to continue your observation."

However, I'm providing a couple of options:

Action		Concentration	Active Defense
1) as per pB106: make a Will-3 roll to continue your observation.	success:	normal concentration (perception)	normal defense
	failure:	lost concentration, start over	normal defense
2) split your concentration between your active maneuver and your defense		-3 to your skill (perception, spell skill, etc.)	normal defense
3) don't worry about the foe		normal skill (no modifier to your perception, spell skill)	-4 to your Active Defense (as if you were stunned).

Note: regardless of what action you took, if you take damage you are in shock (unless you have High Pain Threshold) and so your DX and IQ (and thus any dependent skills) are reduced by the amount of damage you took.