Skill: Combat Mastery (Genesys)

Old soldiers are the most dangerous

Experienced combatants always learn to have a few tricks up their sleeve - whether its the right words to say that make that fresh-faced Corporal fight like a savage, a custom setting on an autohealer, or maybe even a home-made pulse rifle magazine of "Gunnery Sergeant Talso's 'extra spicy' inferno rounds". Combat Mastery is separate from Knowledge (Warfare) in that it is the smaller tactics and physical aspect over history, data and wider strategy.

/*Previously needed a wide variety of skills for each Trick. Now it is all the Combat Mastery skill.*/

Using War Mastery Tricks

Unlike Magic and Tech abilities, the Tricks and Tactics of Combat Mastery are often “cast” with a variety of skills, meaning that it won’t be easy for a single hero to excel at them all unless they invest in all the skills necessary for a warrior to truly be an army of one. However, one skill that is useful to all characters who want to learn Combat Master Powers is Knowledge (Warfare). Combat Mastery also does not usually require a physical component, one of its major benefits.

/*Using a Combat Mastery Trick follows the standard rules for magic in Genesys: When your character casts a Combat Mastery Trick or Tactic that requires a check (whether or not it is successful), they suffer +2 Strain after resolving the check.Before casting the power, the character may add a number of Modifiers no greater than their ranks in Knowledge (Warfare). Genesys CRB, p211*/

List of Combat Mastery Tricks

Adrenaline Rush (trick)

There's a certain art in how to stay frosty under fire and make the most of that fight-or-flight reflex, in the middle of combat.

---

Activation: Action (Combat Mastery (Wil) OR Discipline dd) check, (Concentration and +1 Strain on further turns to maintain), Quiet, Augment, Mind-affecting Dependent

---

Until the end of this character's next Turn, they receive +d to all Brawn and Agility checks. If Concentration is broken, these benefits are immediately lost.

Before making an Adrenaline Rush check, choose any number of additional effects from the table below:

---

Modifier	Effect	Cost
Haste	The character can perform a second Maneouver without spending any Strain. They are still limited to only 2 Maneouvers per Turn.	+d
Martial Technique	The character may add Damage equal to the character’s ranks in Discipline or Coordination to Brawl or Melee checks, and their Critical Rating for unarmed combat checks becomes 3, if it is not already lower.	+d
Swift	The character ignores the effects of Difficult Terrain and Upgrades checks twice to resist or break free from the Immobilised condition.	+d

Inspire (Trick)

Your character is an inspiring figure on the battlefield, able to motivate others to be greater than they think they are.

---

Activation: Action (Leadership dd) to cast, (Concentration on further turns to maintain), single target (not self), Medium Range, Augment, +2 Strain, Language Dependent, Sight or Hearing Dependent

---

Once per Turn, the target receives +d to their next Brawn or Agility check. This benefit is renewed at the start of the target's Turn, provided that the caster maintains Concentration.

Before making an Inspire check, choose any number of additional effects from the table below:

---

Modifier	Effect	Cost
Undefeatable	The target increases their Wound Threshold equal to the wielder’s ranks in Knowledge (Warfare).	+d
Haste	The target can perform a second Maneuver without spending Strain (they may still only perform two Maneuvers per Turn).	+d
Extra Target	The Trick affects one additional target within the Range of the Trick. Also, after casting this Trick you may spend a to affect another additional target within Range (and trigger this multiple times, spending an a each time.)	+dd

Suppressive Fire (trick)

Suppressive fire is something that every gunman knows how to do - kind of. If your teeth aren't rattling in your head and your target isn't crying a little, you're not suppressing correctly.

---

Requires a ranged weapon with the Autofire and without the Slow-firing or Limited Ammo qualities
Activation: Weapon skill dd combat check, single target, Medium or weapon's Range, +1 Strain, Mind-affecting dependent

---

This attack deals half the damage of the weapon chosen, as Strain.
Additionally, the target must make a Fear check with Difficulty equal to this character's Ranks in Combat Mastery (minimum d) upgraded by ranks in Knowledge (Warfare). d may be spent on this Fear check to inflict the Staggered condition.

Before making a Suppressing Fire check, you may choose to add one of the modifiers from the table below:

---

Modifier	Effect	Cost
Trigger	May use this Trick with a weapon that does not have the Autofire quality.	+b
Focus Fire	+d to the Fear check.	+b
Fire Sweep	May spend aa to affect another target within Short Range of the most recently targeted.	+d
Tracking	If the target tries a Move or an Attack in the next Round, this character may make a combat check with this weapon as an Out-of-Turn Incidental just before that occurs. This attack deals Wounds and may spend t to negate the target's Move or Attack - thereby wasting the target's Maneouver/Action.	Upgrade Difficulty once

Fire Discipline (trick)

There is more to leading a squad into battle than just saying some encouraging words. This ability defines the kind of leader who knows all the enemy’s weaknesses, who can coordinate a team’s fire, and who has a few magazines of "Sergeant Faevern's 'extra spicy' inferno rounds" to pass around.

---

Activation: (choose a Squad Ammo from your available list), Action (Combat Mastery (Int) dd), Engaged Range, Single target, Augment, Concentration to maintain or further Turns, Quiet, +2 Strain

---

+d to attacks with a ranged weapon. As an Incidental, the character with this Augment may exchange the +d to add the Quality chosen by the caster or vice-versa. If the caster becomes beyond the Range this ability was cast at, the target loses the ability at the end of their Turn.

Before making a Fire Discipline check, may choose any number of modifier from the table at the end.Upon purchase

When you gain this Trick, select a number of Ammo types equal to your Knowledge (Warfare) skill Rank. If you gain or lose a Rank, adjust your list accordingly.

---

Ammo	Effect
Cryo	Target's weapon gains the Ensnare Quality with a rating equal to the caster's rank in Knowledge (Warfare), with a minimum of 1.
Incendiary	Target's weapon gains the Burn Quality with a rating equal to the caster's rank in Knowledge (Warfare), with a minimum of 1.
Witchhunter	Target's weapon gains the Lead and Magical Qualities. The weapon also gains the Stun Quality with a rating equal to the caster's rank in Knowledge (Warfare), but is limited by the target's Magic skill rank.
Shredder	Target's weapon gains a Critical Rating of 2 (if it is not already lower) as well as the Vicious Quality with a rating equal to the caster's rank in Knowledge (Warfare) with a minimum of 1.

---

Modifier	Effect	Cost
Extra Target	The ability affects one additional target within the Range of the ability. Also, after casting this ability you may spend a to affect another additional target within Range (and trigger this multiple times, spending an a each time.)	+d
Range	Increase the Range of the ability by one Range band. This modifier may be added multiple times, increasing the Range by one each time.	+d

Field Aid (trick)

Field Aid isn't just patching up cuts and bruises. It's about making split-second life-or-death decisions, administering potent short-term painkillers and serums, plugging gaping wounds with dirt to stop the blood flow and talking smack at your allies to ignore their wounds, limp back into the fight, and do whatever it takes to win.

---

Activation: Combat Mastery (Cun) OR Medicine d check, single target, Engaged Range, Augment (can only be received Once per Session from any source), +2 Strain

---

The target receives a second Wound Threshold with a capacity equal to s. It cannot be affected by anything other than this Trick, but Wounds are applied to this second Threshold before the normal Threshold. This effect lasts for a number of Rounds equal to Combat Mastery + a or until the end of the current Encounter.
At the end of the effect, any Wounds suffered in the second Threshold are moved to the normal Threshold.

Before making a Field Aid check, choose any number of additional effects from the table below:

---

Modifier	Effect	Cost
Flask	Spend a to -1 Strain on the target. Spend aa to -1 Strain from this character. Both may be spent multiple times.	+b
Shake It Off	Select one ongoing status effect the target is suffering. If this Trick is successful, this status effect immediately ends.	+d
Needle In Heart	May use this Trick on incapacitated creatures	+c

Tactics

Tier One

Tier Two

Extended Fire

Extended fire

Tier: 2
Activation: Manoeuvre (Concentration), Once per Turn
Ranked: No
Requires Suppressive Fire (trick)

While Concentrating on this, the character may reroll the Fear check once.
Additionally, the only Action that may be taken is to attack with the current weapon against the target or do nothing. Otherwise, the effects of Suppressive Fire (trick) end at the end of the Round.
If the caster becomes beyond the Range this ability was cast at, Concentration is automatically broken.

Force a reroll of the Suppressive Fire (trick) Fear check.
Requires Suppressive Fire (trick) and Concentration.

Tier Three

Field Commander

Field commander (sg)

Tier: 3
Activation: Requires Concentration on Inspire (Trick), Manoeuvre (Leadership dd), multiple targets (must be Minions), failing this check breaks Concentration
Ranked: No
Requires Inspire (Trick) and Leadership 2

The character may choose a number of targets equal to Presence (minimum 1) + s who are then able to perform a Manoeuvre as an Out-of-Turn Incidental. This effect lasts until the end of the casting character's Turn.
May spend a to maintain Concentration instead of a Manoeuvre.

---

Field Commander (improved) (SG)

Make another Leadership 2 check to order Minions on Manoeuvres.
Requires Inspire (Trick) and Leadership 2
Revoked Medical License

Revoked medical license

Tier: 3
Activation: +d when making a Field Aid (trick) check, may be spent multiple times
Ranked: No
Requires Field Aid (trick)

May select a single target, Field Aid provides +2 to the secondary Wound Threshold per s, but also decreases the target's Strain Threshold equal to s until the end of the Session.

Doubles the amount of WT gained from Field Aid (trick), but each s = -1 ST
Requires Field Aid (trick)

Tier Four

Field Commander (improved)

Field commander (improved) (sg)

Tier: 4
Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Requires Inspire (Trick), Field Commander (SG) and Leadership 3

Field Commander now affects minions equal to double Presence.

The character may spend aa to target one Rival creature, or t to target a Nemesis. Both of these effects may be triggered multiple times.

May order Rivals on Manoeuvres, and spend t to order a Nemesis!
Requires Inspire (Trick) and Leadership 3

Tier Five

Ability Requirements

• Augment: A character may be affected by only one Augment effect at a time. If a new Augment effect is offered, the GM decides which effect is kept.


• Concentration: Concentrating is a Maneuver that needs to be used every Turn, failure to do this breaks Concentration at the end of this character's Turn. A character may use only one Concentration ability at a time. If a new Concentration ability is used, the previous effect is lost. If the effect that began Concentration required an item (e.g. a wand, staff or replicator) that item must remain equipped. If Concentration is broken, the ability's effects are ended instantly.

Power XP costs

Modifiers must be purchased separately for each power.

---

Item	Cost
New Ability	Number of powers in this Skill+1 multiplied by 10