I've heard some feedback that the combat system in Goliath is not explained very well, so I wanted to give some examples and hopefully a more clear explanation.

The number you are trying to roll at or higher is the enemy's Level. 

Up until level 5, you roll a d6, then up til level 10 you roll a d8, then up til level 15 you roll a d10 and up til level 20 you roll a d12. Certain weapons can affect how much you hit for, such as a heavy weapon like a Warhammer or two-handed sword adding +1 to damage.

For example, say you are fighting a level 3 enemy. You roll a d6 and end up with a 4, so you manage to kill the enemy. If you were to fight a level 3 enemy and roll a 2, that's a miss.

Another example: Say you are fighting with a light weapon and are in combat with a level 4 enemy. You roll a d6 and get a 4, however because you're fighting with a light weapon which has a -1 attack modifier you actually get a 3 and miss.

When an enemy is attacking you, you must roll a number OVER the enemy's Level in order to dodge it. If the enemy manages to hit you, you take exactly ONE wound. 

For example, say it's the enemy's turn in combat. The enemy is level 5. Let's assume you are wearing Light Armor which gives you a bonus of +1 to your defense, and you are level 4 so you roll a d6. The roll ends up being a 2. +1 to your defense thanks to your Light Armor doesn't help you in this case. You still receive 1 wound, taking away 1 LP from your overall LP.

I hope these examples have helped. I'll probably update the PDF soon to reflect the examples above if needed. In the meantime if you have any questions regarding my games just email me at sarahrblount@gmail.com or leave me a comment and I'll do my best to resolve any issues for you!