Combat Mechanics
The simplest way to attack a monster is to click on it. You will use your default weapon to attack. If you have weapons armed, as shown in you Inventory, you will use the first weapon shown as armed. If you have no weapons armed then you will randomly use one of the melee attacks, fist, head, grapple or kick.
If you have more than one weapon armed, you can choose your weapon by using the Use Item modifier select field. Simply select the attack that you want to perform, such as Swing Sword or Throw Short Spear, and then click on the monster you wish to attack.
Some weapons attack passively, while a monster is moving towards you or you are moving towards a monster. If you have a thrusting weapon, long and pointed weapons are thrusting weapons, armed and a monster moves towards you or you move towards a monster and you close the distance to the weapon's reach then you will automatically have a chance to hit the monster with that weapon. Using this method, you can potentially hit a monster with more than one weapon in one attack. Arm a spear, attack with a sword, and as you move to the monster, you have a chance to hit it with your spear. Then as you get close, you have a chance to hit it with your sword. A monster, similarly armed, can do the same thing to you.
You can shoot or throw missile weapons at a monster without coming in contact with that monster. If you shoot a bow, you will also unarm the bow after you shoot it. The next action you will have to take, if you want to shoot the bow again, is to click on it to rearm it. This can make bow weapons inefficient. You will not unarm your bow, however, if you have the magical ability Quick Bow. When you throw a weapon at a monster, you also unarm it. After it either hits or misses the monster, it falls to the ground. If you want to throw the weapon again, you have to pick it up and arm it first.
Distance is an important aspect of combat. You can find your distance to a monster by moving your cursor over the monster. Weapons are most effective at their exact range. When you attack a monster you will attempt to move to your weapons exact range, and the monster will try to move to its weapons exact range. This is a battle of speed, so the faster of you two will be most effective at achieving exact range, with the caveat that it is much easier to move forward than it is to move backward.