Combat Mechanics

Initiative and Rounds

Initiative determines the order creatures take their turns in combat. All creatures have an Initiative modifier equal to their Agility modifier. At the start of combat, each creature rolls a d20 and adds their Initiative modifier to the result. If multiple creatures get the same result, a player character goes before a GM controlled creature. If multiple player characters or multiple GM controlled creatures get the same result, they reroll their Initiative rolls. Combat begins with the turn of the creature that had the highest Initiative score and the turns go in order of highest to lowest Initiative until each creature has taken their turn. This is called a round, and is taken to last 10 seconds. After a round finishes, a new round starts, going in the same order according to the Initiative results.
By default, on your turn, your character has 4 Actions. These Actions are a sort of turn currency which are used to act on their turn. Some things may require more than 1 Action to perform, such as attacking. Your character may also be able to do one or more Free Actions, and they also have a Reaction they can use at a point not during their turn. Your character may forgo any of these on a turn without cost. Actions can be done in any order, and movement may be split, meaning if they use an action to move, they can use part of that movement, take a different action, and then use more movement.

Turns

Attacks

The very basics of combat involve the d20. To attack a creature, they must be within the range of the weapon a character is using and able to be attacked. An attack costs 2 Actions. When attacking, roll a d20, then add and/or subtract the appropriate modifiers to the roll, such as the appropriate proficiency modifier, extended range penalty, body part target penalty, etc. If the final result is equal to or greater than the target’s Dodge value, the attack hits; if the final result is lower, the attack misses. If the attack hits, roll the weapon’s damage dice, including any additional dice from a critical hit or burst attack. The target then takes this value and subtracts any relevant damage thresholds they may have from the value, and subtracts the final value from their current Hit Points.

Movement

To move on their turn, a character spends 1 Action to move up to their movement speed. A character can spend multiple Actions on movement in one turn.

Targeted Attacks

Attacks can strike one of four regions on humanoid targets (attacks against other creatures may vary). Birdshot and buckshot cannot target anything other than the torso. Area of effect (AoE) attacks or those not considered “targeted” will target the torso. These regions have the following properties:

• Head: −5 penalty to hit, doubles damage dice. A critical hit leaves the target stunned until the end of their next turn.
• Torso: no modifier. A critical hit doubles damage dice.
• Arms: −3 penalty to hit, the target suffers a −5 penalty to their attack rolls until the end of their next turn. A critical hit imposes this penalty until the creature succeeds a DC 15 Body check for 1 Action.
• Legs: −3 penalty to hit, the target’s movement speed is halved until the end of their next turn. A critical hit imposes this penalty until the creature succeeds a DC 15 Body check for 1 Action.

Ranged Attacks

To make a ranged attack, a creature must be holding a loaded ranged weapon. They target a creature within the range of their weapon, attack as stated earlier in this article, and reduce the ammunition in their weapon accordingly.

Ranged Attack Types

All ranged weapons have a fire mode which determines what kinds of attacks it is able to make. All ranged weapons are capable of making single shot attacks, only semi-automatic and automatic weapons are capable of burst attacks, and only automatic weapons are capable of double burst attacks and suppressing fire. Burst and double burst attacks can only be made within the first range of a ranged weapon.

• Single shot: uses 1 piece of ammunition and has no additional modifiers; costs 2 Actions
• Burst: uses 3 pieces of ammunition and grants a +3 to hit, adds an additional damage die (damage die is 1 size lower if the weapon normally deals 1 die of damage, or the same size if it normally deals more than 1 die of damage costs 2 Actions
• Double burst: uses 5 pieces of ammunition and grants a +6 to hit, adds an additional damage die (damage die is one size lower if the weapon normally deals 1 die of damage, or the same size if it normally deals more than 1 die of damage costs 2 Actions
• Suppressing fire: uses 15 pieces of ammunition, costs 4 Actions and a Reaction, and creates cone of affected area originating at the creature taking the action. The cone continues outwards until it reaches the weapon’s first range threshold or a solid barrier. Creatures within this area or attempting to move through the area may make a Willpower check of DC equal to 12 + your proficiency modifier. A creature that fails the save cannot move through the area or take actions if they are within the area. A creature that partially succeeds the check by passing by 3 or less moves through the area and/or takes an action in the affected area, but takes damage equal to the weapon’s normal damage. A creature that fully succeeds moves through the affected area and/or takes actions as normal. A creature that starts its turn unprotected inside the area must succeed this save or else move out of the area, taking no damage.

Examples

A burst attack from a submachine gun aimed at the head of a target 30 feet away

• Roll result: 11 (d20) + 4 (Firearms modifier) + 3 (burst bonus) − 5 (head target penalty) = 13
• Damage: 4 (1d6) + 1 (1d4, burst bonus) = 5

A single shot attack from an infantry rifle aimed at the torso of a target 80 feet away

• Roll result: 18 (d20) + 4 (Firearms modifier) = 22
• Damage: 6 (2d4) = 6

A single shot attack from a coach gun using buckshot at a target 50 feet away

• Roll result: 20 (d20) + 4 (Firearms modifier) + 3 (buckshot bonus) − 3 (range penalty) = 24
• Damage: 8 (2d8, critical hit die upgrade) + 5 (1d8, burst bonus, critical hit die upgrade) = 13

Melee Attacks

To make a melee attack, a creature must be within 5 feet of the target and be holding a melee weapon (unless making an unarmed attack). When making a melee attack against a creature both creatures enter a Grapple. If a creature uses its movement to get within 5 feet of another creature, it can make a melee weapon attack as a Free Action against that creature, entering a Grapple. When two creatures are in a Grapple, they occupy the same space. A grappling creature’s movement speed (walking) is reduced to 5 feet, and they can only make attacks against the creature they are grappling. A creature can use 1 Action to exit a Grapple, allowing the other creature in the Grapple to make a melee attack agains them as a Reaction. Grappled creatures are considered one target for the sake of making ranged attacks against them. Grapples and Melees have a Dodge of 12. On a hit, there is a 50% chance of hitting either creature.
Another creature can enter a Grapple, at which point it becomes a Melee. A Melee follows the same rules as a Grapple, except for the following traits. In order to move the Melee, the creature attempting the move must make an Athletics check against a DC of 13. The physical size of a Melee is determined by the smallest size square that will fit all the creatures within it, with each creature occupying its own space. It is acceptable if part of the square is inaccessible (e.g. off a cliff face) as long as each creature has its own space. Any creature within a Melee can target any other creature within the Melee. Due to the chaotic nature of a Melee, ranged attacks targeted against the Melee have an equal chance of hitting any of the creatures within the Melee, and area of effect (AoE) effects affect all creatures within the Melee, even if the AoE only covers part of the Melee’s area. A creature can exit a Melee for 1 Action. A creature exiting a Melee does not provoke opportunity attacks and can exit to any open space adjacent to the Melee.
Using any firearm without the Compact or Concealable property on a target within 5 feet of you imposes a −6 penalty to hit.

Melee Actions

• Disarm: for 2 Actions, you attempt to disarm a creature. Make an Athletics contest against the creature you are attempting to disarm, disarming them if you succeed.
• Restrain: for 2 Actions, you attempt to restrain a creature your size or smaller. Make an Athletics contest against the creature you are attempting to restrain. A restrained creature cannot take Actions or Reactions except for attempting another Athletics contest to free themselves from the restraint. The creature restraining cannot take Actions or Reactions except attempting to apply restraints. Attacks against a restrained creature have +5 to hit. A restrained creature has a −5 penalty to resist being disarmed. Anyone within 5 feet of the restrained creature can apply manacles or restraints to the creature for 1 Action with a Dexterity contest.
• Trip: for 2 Actions, you attempt to knock a creature prone. Make an Athletics contest against the creature you are attempting to trip, knocking them Prone if you succeed.
• Unarmed strike: an attack when unarmed or when wielding an improvised weapon (such as a rock or a pistol whip attack) deals 1d4 crushing damage (type dependent on weapon used) and has a reach of 5 feet.

Cover and Concealment

A creature can take cover behind an object: a box, a door, a corner, etc, however, just being concealed from view doesn’t necessarily make one safe. There are 3 levels of cover: concealment, light cover, and heavy cover.

• Concealment breaks line of sight with the enemy, meaning they can no longer see a creature behind it, but bullets can still easily penetrate through and hit it. If an enemy knows a creature entered concealment, they can target the creature with a ranged attack as if they could see it, though they cannot make targeted attacks. Birdshot and non-firearm ranged attacks cannot breach concealment, but they can target it. Examples of concealment would be boxes, wooden doors, and ceramic pots.
• Light cover provides enough defence to protect against pistol calibres and shotgun projectiles, but rifle calibres can still punch through. Light cover negates any damage types except ballistic and provides a +3 DT to ballistic damage. Examples of light cover include interior walls, heavy doors, and thin gauge sheet metal.
• Heavy cover provides maximum defence, shielding from all forms of projectiles. Heavy cover provides full protection against all forms of damage. Examples of heavy cover include cinder blocks, concrete barriers, thick gauge sheet metal, and sandbags.

Armour penetrating pistol ammunition ignores light cover. Armour penetrating rifle ammunition ignores light and heavy cover.