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User:Askewnotion/FistFulla6/Combat

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This is the basic layout of the events that will happen in combat and things that need to be known to successfully run a fight.

HP

HP is short for Hit Points. This is the lifeblood that keeps your character alive in combat. As you lose HP, your ability to perform at full capacity diminishes.

On the second page of the character sheet, at the bottom, is your HP track. Your available HP is calculated by counting from top to bottom, left to right. For example, having 23 HP would give you 5 full rows and a 0, -2, and -4 HP dot.

If you have a dot filled in at a row with a negative modifier, all rolls you make suffer that penalty.

If you are brought below 0 HP due to lethal damage you are dying. If you are brought below 0 HP due to non-lethal damage you are unconscious.

  • Dying – Your damage overflow is equal to your build save. During your turn you make a stabilization check (a build save without the -6 wound penalty) with a TN equal to your negative HP. If you succeed, you lose no further HP and are stabilized. If you fail, you lose 1 HP and must roll the save again next round.
  • Unconsciousness – You regain HP as per resting while unconscious (roll BODY + CONSTITUTION for every hour of rest for non-lethal damage, every six hours for lethal damage.)

Actions

The number of actions a character can take each round is limited by the amounf of Action Points (AP) they possess. All characters start with 1 AP, and this value can be increased through traits, magic, and MagiTek grafts.

Table: AP cost

Action AP cost Description
Activate an Item (spellcraft) 1AP An item that requires a spellcraft check to activate takes 1AP. If the item relies on a command word, it is a free action to activate the item.
Attack 1AP The act of swinging your weapon or releasing a projectile.
Cast special Casting most spells are a FR action. Specific spells take longer to cast and some traits can reduce the time it takes to cast a spell.
Charge Full Round (FR) This is a combination of the run and attack action.
Control Mount 1AP The act of making your mount change it's current actions or having it attack an individual.
Draw Item 1AP This is the act of drawing an item or weapon. Projectile weapons already have this figured into their load value.
Drink/Use Potion 1AP The act of applying a potion to your skin or imbuing it.
Move Free Action (FA) A character can move up to it's speed as a free action once every round.
Open/close Object 1AP This includes opening or closing an object that does not take much force.
Run Full Round (FR) You move your speed + run skill in a straight line.
Stand From Prone special You may either spend 1AP or your movement for that round to stand from prone.
Use Skill varies Depending on the circumstance, skills can range from free actions to taking hours per check.

Fumbles

Fumbles happen when half of your dice are 1's and you do not succeed in hitting your opponent.

  • Fumbles when Rolling to Hit
  • When you roll a fumble on an attack roll see the table below. Roll a die to determine the result of your fumble. If you can not do the action you rolled, then there is no ill effect beyond the failure.
  • 1 – Hit self – You take damage as if you hit yourself with 1 success.
  • 2 – Hit friend – You hit an ally that you threaten and they take damage as if you hit them with 1 success. If you can not hit a friend you will instead hit yourself as above.
  • 3 – Break – Your weapon gains a break tic. Your weapon can have a number of break tics equal to its enchantment bonus +1. Any more break tics casue the weapon to break. Removing a break tic cost 10% of the weapons total cost, including enchantment.
  • 4 – Drop – You drop your weapon at your feet.
  • 5 – Trip – You fall prone to the ground in the square you are standing.
  • 6 – Stunned – You gain a point of stun.

Special Actions

  • Aid Another - Characters may help each other in trying to hit thier enemies or better defend themselves. To do this, characters may aid each other in their actions.

To help a character hit an opponent, you must hold your action until your ally attacks. You roll to hit as usual. Every success you roll adds a dice to the person you are aiding's pool.

To help an opponent defend, you roll a parry or block attempt when someone attempts to attack your ally. Every success you roll adds a dice the the person you are aiding's pool.

These additional dice only apply to a single roll for that ally. Additional aid another attempts must be made on irritave attack or defense rolls.

  • Delay - When you delay, you wait in the initiative order and let the GM know the moment you wish to act. During the round in which you end your delay you may either make move action or you may move half your speed and spend 1AP, though you may not take a FR action.
  • Hold - You may declair an AP to be spent any time later in the as long as you declair what the AP will be spent for. Taking a held action does not change your place in initiative. Options are described below;
  • Move - You may move up to a number of hexes/square that you did not spent on your previous turn. You must delcair when you are going to move. I.e. "I will more to intercept a charger" or "I will move to get close to a enemy caster."
  • Attack - You can declair to attack someone or when an event happens. I.e. "I will attack when an enemy moves within range" or "I will attack when an enemy I can reach when the enemy beings to cast."
  • Aid Another - You can hold actions to aid another as described above.
  • Charge - As a full round action you may move up to double your speed in a straight line and attack your opponent. If this striaght line is obstructed, you must make the appropiate skill checks to avoid the obsticles. This attack deals +2 damage but you are -2 to all defense rolls until the beginning of your next turn.
  • Aim - You may spend an AP to get better aim on your opponent. For every AP you spend, you gain a +1 bonus to hit the opponent. You may not get a bonus greater than your skill with the weapon. If you more more hexes/squares than your alertness stat in a round, you lose all of your bonuses.
  • Guard - You may spend an AP to better defend yourself against your opponents. For every AP you spend, your gain a +1 bonus to all of your defenses for the round.
  • Called Shot - You can make called shot at an opponent, causing damage to their vital points. Listed below are common areas that called shots will often be taken at. If you are attacking an object, look for something that would be of the appropiate size below.
Name Dice subtracted Effects
Limb (arm, leg) 1/4 If your attack hits, you damage your target normally. Be sure to keep track of the damage seperately, though. If this damage ever is greater than or equal to 1/2 your opponents HP total, that limb is disabled. An disabled arm can no longer be used for offense or defense. A disabled leg reduces their speed to 1/4 and applies a -3 to all defenses.
Vital (head, groin) 1/3 If your attack hits, you damage your target normally. Be sure to keep track of the damage seperately, though. If this damage ever is greater than or equal to 1/3 your opponents HP total, that character may be rendered temporarily unconscious. For every damage over the above threshold, the character must make a build save or be knocked unconscious for 1-11 rounds (2 dice - 1).
Miniscule (eye, heart) 1/2 If your attack hits, you damage your target normally. Be sure to keep track of the damage seperately, though. If this damage ever is greater than or equal to 1/4 your opponents HP total, your opponent is faced with a great disability. In the examples above, this would result in blindness in one eye or death (though note that the heart would also benefit from having total concealment in most circumstances.) For every damage over the above threshold, the character must make a build save or face appropiate circumstances.

Often, damaging the "called target" to where is no longer works requires immediate attention to for there to be a full recovery. In extreme cases a MagiTek graft will be needed as a replacement. The called target is considered lost if a second build save is not successful on a TN equal to the damage over the disabled threshold.

For example, Marthos has 20HP. A brutal called shot to his left arm deals 16 damage. The limb is now considered disabled and is lost if a build save with a TN of 6 is not made.

  • Load - All ranged weapons have a stat called load. This represents the time and concentration it takes to draw ammo, load it into a firing mechanism, or any other variable the equipment in question may have. You must spend a number of AP equal to the load of the weapon before you can use it again. Note that having the Quick Draw trait reduces load times by 1.
  • Special Attack - Depending on how skilled you are with a weapon, you are able to perform special maneuvers with weapons from that category.

For every 3 points you have in a weapon skill, you may choose a special attack for that weapon. Not all weapons have the option of all special attacks listed below. Also, note that these special attacks often have an increased AP cost. You can only use the special attack if you have enough AP in the round to perform it.

Table: Melee Special Attacks

Name Weapons AP Description
Armor Piercing Blow All +1 Ignore 1/2 the opponents armor with this attack.
Bloody Wound Edged +2 Target bleeds out 1 damage a turn until healed. The creature is easier to track (+2 to those tracking). Effects of multiple Bloody Wounds are cumulative.
Close the Distance Chains and Polearms +1 Pull in a creature up to one size larger than you up to the minimum reach of the weapon.
Combat Challenge All +1 If the opponent is damaged by your attack, they must attack you at least once during their next turn or suffer your charisma score as a penalty to their attacks.
Combat Feint All +1 Your attack roll must score more successes than your opponents intelligence score. Your opponent is considered unaware for your next attack.
Concussion Attack Blunt +1 A hit opponent takes a penalty on all mental and magic based skills equal to their damage taken for one turn.
Disarming Attack All +1 If your net successes to hit your opponent is greater than their dexterity + size modifier to damage, their weapon is disarmed. Weapons held in 2 hands adds 3 to the characters effective dexterity.
Hamstring Edged +1 Your opponents speed is reduced by 1/2 until they receive at least 1 HP of healing. Multiple Hamstrings are not cumulative. This attack only works on living bipeds.
Knock the Wind Out Blunt +2 Opponent is treated as wounded (players are treated as 1 step worse [max -6]) unless they do nothing but compose themselves for a round (take no actions or moves). This attack only works on living targets.
Knockdown Blow All +1 If damage is greater than your opponents reflexes + size modifier to damage, the opponent knocked prone.
Launching Swing Blunt +1 For every damage that exceeds the opponents body + size modifier to damage, the opponent is moved 1 square back from the origin of attack.
Riposte All FR You may counter-attack an opponent whose melee attack you have successfully parried. Your number of attacks you can make in this stance are equal to twice your AP total.
Stunning Strike All +2 If your net successes to hit your opponent is greater than their constitution, your opponent has a number of stun points equal to the difference.
Sunder All +1 You may attack an item on someone's person. Your opponent defends with an opposed attack roll, a parry, or a dodge. Determine damage to the item as you would normally in combat.
Tagging Edged +1 A light mark on the enemy to show your superior fighting style. All damage on this attack, after reduction, is reduced to 1, but you are +2 on all future attack rolls against the opponent. This is ineffective your initial damage on this attack didn't exceed their reduction. The effects of multiple Tagging is not cumulative.

Table: Ranged Special Attacks

Name Weapons AP Description
Arced Shot Non-gun +1 Double the range of thrown/shot weapon.
Arrow Stab Non-gun, Non-blunt +0 Use an arrow or thrown weapon in melee. 1E damage, -1 hit, -3 parry. An arrow breaks after parry attempt, successful or not.
Deadeye All FR You spend an entire round lining up your target. Next round you have no penality on your first called shot.
Followthrough Shot Non-thrown FR The projectile goes through the opponent if all damage not absorbed (i.e. opponent is dropped or the projectile overcomes an objects armor and HP). The projectile continues in line until all damage is blocked. Each additional hit and damage is at -2. These -2 modifiers are cumulative.
Ladder Shot Non-gun, Non-blunt +0 The projectile thrown/fired may be used to climb on, creating impromptu stairs. This can be used on walls or creatues at least 2 sizes larger than you. Every 2 projectiles used lets you transverse 1 hex/square in height.
Pierce Concealment All +1 You reduce the penality from cover and concealment by 1/2. This does not effect total cover or concealment, however.
Pistol Whip Gun +0 You can use your gun as melee weapon. Pistols do 2B, -1 hit, -3 parry. Rifles do 4B, -1 hit, -1 parry.
Ranged Pin Non-gun, Non-blunt +1 Your sharp projectile pins a target to a wall or floor. Your opponent must spend 1 AP to remove a projectile holding them down or they are immobilized.
Ranged Disarm All +1 You make an opposed attack roll or your opponent may dodge normally. If your successes are greater than the individuals dexterity score + size modifier to damage + 2, you disarm your opponent. If your opponent is holding the weapon in two hands, their effective dexterity score is increased by +3.
Ranged Sunder Gun +1 You make an opposed attack roll or your opponent may dodge normally. If you succeed, you damage the item that you were aiming for on their person.
Rapid Reload All +0 You may reduce the load time of a weapon to a minimum load of zero. For each reduction to your load time, your attack is -2 hit and damage.
Ricochet Shot All +0 You may split your dice pool for a ranged attack against two opponents that are adjacent to each other.
Twin Projectile Non-gun +0 You may throw/shoot two projectiles at the same target. Your dice pool is split between these two missiles.

Movement

Characters have a standard base speed equal to twice their movement stat. This movement can be broken up over multiple actions over your turn.

For example, if you have a speed of 9 and you have 2AP, you can move forward 4 hexes/squares and swing at an opponent, slide 2 more hexes/squares to you right to attack another opponent, and move back 3 hexes/squares toward your origional position.

A hex/square represents approixmately a meter or yard in length.

Melee

Swinging at someone in range constitutes a melee attack.

To engage in melee combat you roll your Strength or Dexterity (depends on the handedness of the weapon) + skill + weapon accuracy + modifiers.

When you hit your opponent, you deal damage equal to your Strength + weapon damage + successes.

Listed below are highlights of what immediately effects you in your effectiveness in melee combat.

  • Weapon Sizing
  • Light – Weapons are considered light if they weigh less than your Strength. A light weapon used in two hands is +2 to damage. You can use either your Strength or Dexterity to hit with when using a light weapon.
  • One-handed – A weapon is one handed if it weights between your Strength and two times your Strength. A one handed weapons used in two hands is +1 to damage. You use your Strength to his with a one-handed weapon.
  • Two-handed – A weapon is two handed if it weights more than twice your Strength, but no more than three times your Strength. You use your Strength to his with a two-handed weapon.
  • Awkward – A weapon is awkward if it weighs more than three times you Strength. For every pound (or fraction thereof) it is over three times your Strength you are -1 to hit, parry, and damage. You use your Strength to his with an awkward weapon.
  • Splitting Attacks – You can split your dice pool between different targets while in melee. Note that any mana applied to your dice pool affects your dice pool before the dice are split. You may not split attacks against the same target unless fighting with two weapons.
  • Flanking – For every ally that threatens your target in melee you get a +1 bonus to hit your opponent. You do not have to be on the opposite side of the opponent to be considered flanking.
  • Two Weapon Fighting – When fighting with two weapons you can split your dice to attack the same target two times with one action. As with splitting attacks, mana applied to your dice pool affects your dice pool before the dice are split.
  • If the weapon in your off hand is light you take no penalty. If it is medium, all of your attacks take a -2 penalty.
  • If using two different weapon types, use the lowest ranked skill to determine your dice pool.
  • You use the weapon with the lowest accuracy on attacks.
  • Note how many dice are allocated to each weapon in your dice pool. Each dice pool corresponds to a certain weapon, using that weapons base damage if the hit is confirmed.
  • You may use your main or off hands defense for parry attempts.
  • The Ambidexterity trait gives bonuses to attacking with two weapons.
  • Grappling
  • Initiating – To initiate a grapple the attacker must first make a touch attack ([STRENGTH or DEXTERITY] + UNARMED). If successful, you can roll an unarmed attack vs. the defenders opposed grapple roll. You need at least one hand free to initiate a grapple.
  • Opposing/Defending Grapple – The defender may roll ([STRENGTH or DEXTERITY] + [UNARMED or BODY]).
  • Size – For every difference in the opponents sizes the larger adds six dice per size difference in favor of the larger creature. You can only initiate a grapple on a creature that is one size larger than you or smaller.
  • Resolving Grapple – If the defender rolled more successes then the attacker, the grapple fails. If the attacker rolls more successes than the defender, take note of the number of the successes and either move the defender into your hex/square or move into the defenders hex/square.
  • Attacker Options in Grapple
  • Attack – The attacker may attack with a weapon that has a range of 0.
  • Maintain Hold – The attacker may make another opposed grapple check vs. the defender. If the attacker gets more successes, add that to the total successes. If the defender gets more successes, subtract them from the total successes.
  • Release Grapple – The attacked may end the grapple at any time as a free action.
  • Cast – You may cast a spell as per normal, though you take a penalty equal to the number of successes that you have in the grapple. Halve the penalty if the spell requires no somatic component.
  • Defender Options in Grapple
  • Attack – The defender may attack with a weapon that has a range of 0. The defender takes a penalty equal to the attacker’s successes on the attack roll.
  • Break Grapple – Roll an opposed grapple roll. If the attacker wins, then the total doesn’t change. If the defender wins, remove an amount of successes in the grapple equal to your successes. If it makes the total number of successes equal to 0 or less, the grapple is broken.
  • Cast – You may cast a spell as per normal, though you take a penalty equal to twice the number of successes the attacker has in the grapple. Halve the penalty if the spell requires no somatic component.
  • Attacking into a Grapple – When attacking into a group that is grappling roll a dice. If you roll a 1, you hit someone you were not intending to. Roll your attack roll as normal. Using a ranged weapon in a grapple also means that both grapplers provide each other ½ cover. The penalty to cover may be ignored if the ranged attacker gives even chances to hit any participate in the grapple.
  • Defending in a Grapple – The attacker gets his full defense against someone he is grappling. The defender takes a penalty to defend against the grappler equal to the successes in the grapple. All people in the grapple take a penalty equal to the success in the grapple against attacks from outside the grapple.

Ranged

Firing or throwing a projectile at someone constitutes a ranged attack.

To engage in ranged combat you roll your Dexterity + skill + weapon accuracy + modifiers.

When you hit your opponent, you deal damage equal to your Dexterity + weapon damage + successes.

Listed below are highlights of what immediately effects you in your effectiveness in ranged combat.

  • Load - All ranged weapons have a stat called load. This represents the time and concentration it takes to draw ammo, load it into a firing mechanism, or any other variable the equipment in question may have. You must spend a number of AP equal to the load of the weapon before you can use it again. Note that having the Quick Draw trait reduces load times by 1.
  • Range - Every ranged weapon has a range listed. You can fire you weapon within a number of hexes/squares equal to the range modifier without penality. You can also fire a projectile greater than the range incrument, but no greater than twice that listed value, by subtracting half your dice from your to-hit roll.
  • Ammunition - Standard ammunition is included in the cost of the weapon and it is considered to be endless. You only run out of ammunition on a fumble. This requires you to spend an amount of BUCs equal to half the cost of the base weapon (without enchantment) to replenish your ammunition. Magical ammunition is not endless and needs to be tracked.

Defenses

There are three types of defensive actions that you can take in combat. They are parry, block, and dodge. Each are described below.

  • Parry - If you are holding a weapon in your hand, you can use it to block melee attacks against you. To parry an attack, you roll your Reflexes + weapon skill + weapon defense value - mobility + modifiers. If you get a number of successes equal to or greater than the number of successes rolled on the attempt to hit you, you successfully parry the attack and take no damage.
  • Block - If you are holding a shield in your hand, you can use it to block melee attacks and ranged attacks against you. To block an attack, you roll your Reflexes + shield skill + shields lowest AV - mobility + modifiers. If you get a number of successes equal to or greater than the number of successes rolled on the attempt to hit you, you successfully block the attack and take no damage.
  • Dodge - You can choose to dodge melee attacks, ranged attacks, or touch attacks. To dodge an attack, you roll your Reflexes + dodge skill - encumbrance - mobility + modifiers. If you get a number of successes equal to or greater than the number of successes rolled on the attempt to hit you, you successfully dodge the attack and take no damage.

Armor and shields are used to reduce damage from hits that are successfully landed against you.

  • Armor Value (AV) - Your armor value is split into two values. These are blunt and edge values, represented as blunt/edge. For example, have an AV of 7/9 meens that blunt damage is reduced by 7 and edged damage is reduced by 9.
  • Maximum Armor – The total amount of armor (sum of edge and blunt) one can have is equal to four times your Body stat. A shield counts half toward this amount. Every point of armor over your Body stat adds one to encumbrance and every two point over your Body stat adds one to mobility.

Modifiers

  • Visibility
Condition Normal Low-Light Thermo
Full Darkness lose 1/2 dice lose 1/2 dice -2
Minimal Light -5 -3 -2
Sparatic Light -3 -1 -2
Heavy Concealment/Cover -5 -5 -5
Light Concealment/Cover -3 -3 -3
Mist -2 -2 0
Light Smoke -2 -2 -3
Heavy Smoke -4 -4 -6
Moderate Fog/Rain -3 -3 -1
Heavy Fog/Rain -5 -5 -2
Invisibility lose 1/2 dice lose 1/2 dice lose 1/2 dice(-2)*

* - A creature that is naturally invisible (not displacing it's visual component on the ethereal plane) is able to be seen by someone with thermo-vision, incurring the -5 modifier.

  • Full Darkness - This occurs when there is a complete absence of light. You must also guess the hex/square in which you are going to attack if you can't see your opponent.
  • Minimal Light - This is a light scheme that happens when you are fighting under starlight, distant fires, and the like.
  • Sparatic Light - This occurs when you are fighting at the edge of a campfire, over full moonlight, and the like.
  • Heavy Concealment/Cover - Heavy concealment/cover is when you are hidden by heavy brush, tall crates, or behind a wall. Heavy cover also provides your target a +6 bonus on agility saves.
  • Light Concealment/Cover - Light concealment/cover is when you are hidden by light brush, waist deep in water, or behind a portcullis. Light cover also provides your target a +3 bonus on agility saves.
  • Mist - This is a fine, low fog that is not very dense.
  • Light Smoke - This is the level of smoke that would be produced by a large fire in an open space.
  • Heavy Smoke - Light smoke often becomes heavy smoke when it is in a contained area or something that burns very quickly or gives off soot.
  • Moderate Fog/Rain - This includes rain from a thunderstorm or a fog that limits your visibility to 3-5 hexes/squares in distance.
  • Heavy Fog/Rain - This includes rains that fall hard enough to cause flash flooding or a fog that limits your visibility to 1-2 hexes/squares in distance.
  • Invisibility - These modifiers happen when you are unable to see your opponent. You must also guess the hex/square in which you are going to attack if you can't see your opponent.

Note: You may not lose more than 1/2 your dice due to visibility modifiers. If multiple modifiers are in effect, only used the one with the largest negative modifier. Races with low-light and/or thermal vision can switch between that vision and normal vision as an 1AP action.

Normal vision - This is vision that is possessed by an average human.

Low-light vision - Having this vision allows you to see twice as far in light conditions as someone with normal vision can.

Thermo-vision - This vision allows you to see the heat signitures of an individual. If something does not produce heat and is the same temperature as it's enviornment or the background temperature, it is considered invisible to this vision.

  • Attack Roll Modifiers

These are various situations that can have effects on an attackers accuracy. All values are modifiers to the attackers rolls unless stated otherwise.

Circumstance Melee Ranged
Attacker on higher ground +1 0
Attacker prone -3 0
Attacker invisible @ @
Defender sitting or kneeling +1 -1
Defender climbing, sitting, or balancing # #
Defender prone +3 -3
Defender unaware @ @
Defender running 0 -2
Attacker moving 0 -2

* The only ranged weapons that can be used from a prone position are crossbows, pistols, and longarms.

@ The defender can only roll their Reflexes to defend if they have no way of seeing the attack coming.

# The defender can defend as normal, though the number of dice they roll on their dodge, weapon, or shield skill is limited by their climb, swim, or gymnastics skill.