In Last Odyssey, when player characters engage in violence against one or more NPCs, this is referred to as combat. When combat begins, the theater of the mind is supplanted by a more restrictive theater of battle that the characters cannot exit until they either flee the fight, defeat their opponents, or are defeated by their opponents. In Last Odyssey, combat is tactical, and the flow of time is divided into discrete, repeatable sections called rounds. Each round allows each character to act at least once, although certain abilities, such as the Saboteur’s Slow or the Commander’s Orders, are important exceptions.
Combat is over when all characters on either side are downed, have surrendered, or have fled. In Last Odyssey, combat begins at the moment in the story when violence breaks out, and when the violence in question is a struggle between two opposing sides. A lot of this depends on player intent. An attack by bandits or an attempt by players to slay a dragon are perfect examples of when battle is appropriate, whereas a bar fight might be better handled by a skill challenge or simply by the narrative. A masterful GM will know when to surprise players, when to give them an out, and when and how to foreshadow when combat might be approaching so that players are adequately prepared and when it’s better to catch them by surprise. Combat is when player characters most strongly express themselves but is also, perhaps not coincidentally, a fatiguing exercise, particularly for players who have to keep track of many shifting variables while also being stressed about the potential negative consequences of failure. One or two combat encounters per game session is a good limit to impose if you’re GMing for a group of beginners, and many sessions you play will feature none at all.
All singular instances of combat involving the player characters in Last Odyssey are referred to as battles. Each battle takes place between two opposing sides, with the player characters and their allies on one side and their enemies on the other. Any elements of the battlefield that cannot act by themselves can still be interacted with by characters that use the Interact action. The effects of the Interact action always trigger during the Effect Phase of the battle. See the Actions, Turns, and Rounds section for more details.