Combat
Combat
The combat round is one second.
Combat order: Who goes first.
Instant actions are resolved
All characters roll initiative
Actions are resolved from the highest initiative to the lowest.
Instant actions
Instant actions all happen simultaneously at the beginning of the round.
Initiative
The combat round is one second and the timing of what gets resolved is initiative. Initiative is rolled with a d6 and is modified by the Ref bonus. A high reflex causes a character to react quicker. The Director will count down the initiative until everybody has gone.
If a character has multiple weapon actions, their second action is -2 from the initiative roll while the third is -4 etc.
Ex. Smiley, a gun toting vampire, is searching for a rogue vampire in a dark alley. A gang banger follows Smiley into the alley with the hopes of an easy victim. The combat starts when the gang punk asks for all of Smiley's money. Smiley declares that he will shoot the punk just to be done with it. Smiley rolls a 1 for on initiative but gets to add 3 for his Ref bonus for a total of 4. Smiley goes before the punk who rolled a 2 but after the rogue vamp that got an 8 (6 on the roll and +2 for Ref.) The rogue jumps into view nearby in bestial form. Because Smiley declared his action before he saw the rogue, Smiley can either shoot the punk or hesitate. Smiley Decides to hesitate and do nothing this round.
If there is a tie on initiative, both parties roll another d6 with no modifiers just to see who goes first between them. If they tie again, the director can either state they go simultaneously or roll again, and again if needed.
Half Move and attack is a special type that can be made which makes the character move on his base initiative and use 1/2 his normal number of attacks starting at 1/2 his initiative, rounded up if needed.
Attacks
The attack order:
1 Attacker rolls to hit
2 Location is rolled
3 Armor penetration is rolled (if any)
4 Damage is calculated.
5 Defender rolls a stun roll.
When an attack is made the player needs an easy skill roll (a 10 or better) to successfully hit. The roll modifiers are the attacker's Combat Score + Dex Bonus - the defenders Dodge.
Combat Scores
There are two combat scores: Hand-to-hand (HTH) and Gun. Combat Scores are the average of three related skills. If the character only has one or two combat skills, the Combat Score is equal the skill score -2 or -1 respectively. It is an average of multiple skills to represent the diversity of a chaotic situation. In the case of a duel where two combatants are using the same skill, the skill can be used instead of the Combat Score. Though if one of the combatants results to foul play or dirty tricks, go back to the Combat Score. Certain ranged attack skills just use the skill directly, and these are listed as Other ranged attack skills.
Dodge
Dodge = HTH Score + Ref bonus
Dodge is the characters ability to move out of the way of an attack. Dodge is used to reduce the chance of attacks to hit the character. Dodge is only used when the character is aware of the attack.Melee Attack Modes
There are three attack modes simulating the aggression level of a character in melee combat. These modes are chosen at the beginning of combat and can be changed at the beginning of each round.
In a normal attack mode, the character will get all of their actions for the round. There are no extra modifiers added.
A defensive mode allows the character to add the HTH Score to their existing Dodge during the round. However, the character loses half the number of actions they would normally get in melee combat.
In aggressive mode the character has 1.5 times the number of action normally available in melee combat. The draw back is the character losses their Dodge and cannot perform parries or great blows.
Melee Attack Modes
There are three attack modes simulating the aggression level of a character in melee combat. These modes are chosen at the beginning of combat and can be changed at the beginning of each round.
In a normal attack mode, the character will get all of their actions for the round. There are no extra modifiers added.
A defensive mode allows the character to add the HTH Score to their existing Dodge during the round. However, the character loses half the number of actions they would normally get in melee combat.
In aggressive mode the character has 1.5 times the number of action normally available in melee combat. The draw back is the character losses their Dodge and cannot perform parries or great blows.
Melee Moves
Each round the attacker can choose a maneuver as well as many attack moves as they have available.
Parry
A character can decide to parry a melee attack with any of their actions at the beginning of the round. The defender rolls an easy MCL roll and a success modifies the defender's dodge to that attack by the success number. Another option is to add the MCL without Dex to the character's Dodge for that attack.
Shields and certain weapons will add modifiers to the Parry.
Block
Block is similar to parry but using one's own limbs to absorb the blow. A successful Block roll can cause the attacker to hit the limb of the defender (or any body part the defender desires) and then reduces the damage done by the effect number.
Grapple
Some martial arts allow a Grapple attack. The grapple attack is an attempt to pin or choke out an enemy. Grapples are range contact . (needs more) Subdue
Grapple Break
A character that is grappled or entangled, can try a grapple break. The grappled character can either uses a mele skill that allows a grapple break or use a raw ability of Str+Dex/5
Throw
A character can attempt a throw in any round he or she has a combat action. If the character is holding a weapon or something else that keeps them from using their hands to grapple, they get a -4 for 1 hand or -8 if both hands are full. The attempt is made like a normal attack roll using the attacker's HTH Score plus Dex bonus against the defender's dodge. If the roll is successful the defender and attacker can make a contested 4d6 STR save with the attacker receiving a bonus of the melee attack effect roll.
Savingsthrow: Effect: Distance:
10+ the target is prone (on back) and stuned for 1 round max STR
Target is prone and dazed 1/2 max STR
1-4 Target is dropped to hands and knees 1/4 max STR
Entangle
An entangle attack can be made by a flexible weapon like a chain or by a multi pointed weapon like a septum. This attack type is handled the same as a grapple but can be done with the full range of the weapon used. Grapple breaks work the same as well.
Thrust
Weapons with a sharp stabbing point can do a thrust attack. The thrust attack can reduce the dodge of the attacker
Feint
Feint is useful to trick a defender to try to spend an action to defend an attack that never comes. Best used when the defender is slower than the attacker. To do a feint, the attacker uses 1 action to do a fake attack. Melee attack role is done as normal attack to see if the feint was successful. If it is successful the defender loses their next action and the next move by the attacker is at a bonus to hit of +2. Each additional feint done in a combat against the same defender, gets a -1 per previous attempt. Additionally when the defender is in aggressive mode, he is less likely to fall for a feint cause the feinting attacker to get -6 to succeed at the feint.
Great Blow
In melee combat a character can call for a great blow. A great blow takes two actions to complete and the attacker loses all dodge modifiers during this action and continuing until their next action. The advantage is the great blow causes double damage.
Melee Maneuverings
Charge
Lunge
Sidestep
Moves that change the attackers range can also be made.
Charge
A character can move their full movement range and get one attack. The attack is made at the end of the round. Damage is 2x normal +2 to it and -2 to dodge.
Lunge
A character can make an attack as well as close in the range at the same time. The lunge can be a number of feet equal to the melee combat skill level plus the Dex bonus. This attack is a stronger than normal attack causing 1.5 damage but reducing the defenders dodge by 2.
Sidestep
A sidestep is a maneuver to make a lunge or charge less effective
Drive Back
Attempting a drive back ...
Fighting Retreat
Melee Ranges
Contact
Short
Medium
Long
Extra Long
All melee weapons, hand to hand attack styles and even special attacks have an optimal melee range. For each range step away from optimal, the attacker gets a -2 to hit.
Hit Location
When a hit is scored roll on the hit location table to see were the attack lands. Damage is modified by the location after all other modifiers are taken in to account. If armor is able to reduce the damage only the modified damage is affected by the location modifier.
Armor Penetration
If the defender is wearing armor, there is a chance of the blow being lessened or even negated. The Penetration Class of the weapon is cross referenced to the armor type for the chance of penetration (see chart 1.) The chart gives two numbers separated by a slash. For a blow to penetrate the armor, the character must roll equal to or higher than the first number on a d20. This roll is directly modified if there is a weapon penetration modifier. The second number on the penetration chart is the divider for damage. For every five success points of the penetration roll, the damage divider is reduced by one (not to be less then 1.) The Penetration roll is modified by the difference in combat levels of the combatants. The defender always uses MCL against the attackers Combat Score.
ex. Rick (with a HTH Score of 5) attacks with his sword at street punk (HTH Score 2.) Rick gets a +3 bonus (the Combat Score difference 5-2=3) to penetrate the punk's leather jacket. The jacket is 4/2 against slashing, so Rick must get a 4 or higher to penetrate. Rick rolls a 10 and with plus 3 comes to 13 which beats a 4 by more than five. The divider is reduced one step from 2 to 1 and full damage is done.
Calculating Damage
Damage is rolled according to weapon type. Damage = Weapon damage roll x location multiplier x Armor modifier. The damage is added to any other wounds. If the damage total exceeds the character's health points they become incapacitated. If the character suffers a damage total equal or more than twice their health points, the character is killed.
Subdual and Lethal Damage
Damage done in this game is expected to be lethal except where noted. Subdual damage is done with specific attacks designed to knock someone unconscious. The only difference for game terms is that subdual damage can be healed much quicker. Additionally Subdual Damage has much less chance of getting infection (see healing rules) When a character receives a wound that is subdual, the player should note the amount of subdual separate from the lethal, but the two still combine to equal the otal characters damage.
Stun Roll
A wound can cause a character to become stunned. Use the Stat Check chart to determine how many d6 the character rolls against their Wil. Failure and the character is stunned for a number of rounds equal to the failure points.
A stunned character can't attack or defend. If the character rolls their Wil exactly then they are dazed for one round. A dazed character can't attack but gets all defensive modifiers.
Falling
A person that is free falling falls at 30 feet per second per second (30 is easier to calculate than 32). Falling doesn't kill you, decelerating quickly when you hit the ground does. In the first round of falling, a character falls 30' and has a velocity of 30' per second.
Fall Damage
| Distance fallen | Time in seconds | Velocity Feet/sec | Damage on Impact (d6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10' | 0.5 | nan | 1d6 |
| 20' | 0.75 | nan | 2d6 |
| 30' | 1 | 30 | 4d6 |
| 40' | nan | nan | 6d6 |
| 50' | nan | nan | 8d6 |
| 60' | nan | nan | 10d6 |
| 70' | nan | nan | 12d6 |
| 80' | nan | nan | 14d6 |
| 90' | 2 | 60 | 16d6 |
| 150' | 3 | 90 | 24d6 |
| 210' | 4 | 120 | 32d6 |
| 330' | 5 | 150 | 40d6 |
| 480' | 6 | 180 | 48d6 |
| 660' | 7 | 210 | 56d6 |
| 870' | 8 | 240 | 64d6 |
| 1010' | 9 | 270 | 72d6 |
Drowning
A character that is unable to breathe for any reason can succumb to drowning. A character can last a number of rounds equal to 3x Fit before having any ill effects. After that on the top of the round, the drowning character makes a Fit check on 4 dice. If they fail they take subdual damage equal to their failure effect number and have to do the check again the next round. A success means the character need not make another roll for a number of rounds equal to the effect number. In the case that a really healthy character has been under for more than 6x Fit in rounds, the check goes to 5d6 and if the drowning time goes to 9x Fit the check goes up to 6d6.
Death and Severe Injury
Characters with wounds that equal or exceed their Health points are considered severely injured. When 2x Health points are taken, the character is dead.
Anyone who has suffered wounds to make them severely injured for the most part is incapacitated and requires immediate medical attention. A severely injured character can perform actions only by making a 5d6 stun roll for every round of action. Failure and the character is incapacitated for a number of rounds equal to the failure number. The health of the severely injured character is fleeting, they lose 1 health point per minute until first aid or medical assistance is administered. The Director may wish to apply the fleeting loss of health points only with severe bleeding type wounds. After the injured character is successfully "stabilized" they are still incapacitated until the character heals enough wounds to recover from the severe injury. Once the wounds are healed to less than the character's health they are no longer severely injured.
Healing and Infection
A character's normal healing rate for a clean environment and good care is d4 + Fit bonus per day in Health points.
Healing Modifiers
| Modifiers | Status |
|---|---|
| 1 | First-Aid or physician per +5 effect roll |
| 1 | Cleaned bandages |
| 1 | Healing Herbs or Drugs used per day |
| -1 | exercise or traveling for that day |
| -2 | for dirty environment |
| -2 | unprotected in bad weather |
| -2 | not able to sleep or rest that day |
| -2 | malnourished |
If the character ends up with a negative healing rate, he is getting worse and showing signs of infection and may fall into a unconsciousness and die in weeks or days. If the character through negative healing rate reaches Severe Injury, he or she is in shock and fever and is treated as unconscious. In an infection the character doesn't jump to the losing 1 health point per round, instead the keep calculating there healing rate normally but they will surely die unless help arrives.
The Funk and the Groove
The groove is a way of adding a little bonus to the Player Characters at key times. Like any Hollywood movie, the main characters always seem to be at their best at the climax of the movie, where everything goes right. Likewise, there are times when things go very wrong, known as The Funk.
The Director gets to decide when a funk or a Groove check can be made. At a key moment where a character is given or gives an excellent role-playing opportunity, and the actor does a good job with it, the Director can reward it. The idea is, if a player comes up with a good reason for being in a Funk, he or she will store up a time of doing things better, getting into The Groove. Going into a funk might not sound great but it should be handled as a reward, so it also gives an Experience point. If the funk is serious and goes over more than one game session, The character gets to store on additional groove per game session.
When in a Funk the character gets a -1 to all rolls and natural 1 or 2 is a critical fail and there is no chance for a critical success. The funk can last as long as the director thinks is appropriate. The Actor needs to do something in a role-playing situation to get out of the funk. It could be the classic one liner after an enemy tried to be insulting, or even the common Hollywood Movie training scene. If the character comes out of the funk, they can store up an opportunity to hit their groove. A very strong stimulus for role-playing can cause going from funk to grove directly, but in most cases its best to leave a groove for those last fleeting moments when all is very dire.
The Groove has no modifiers exactly but allows the character in the groove to roll twice for all of their actions and take the best result. This doubles their chance to succeed and critically succeed. The groove can last up-to one combat or contest and for the time until another combat contest starts. Another critical role-playing event can interrupt the groove, but if this happens the character should get an extra groove. The character can have up to 1/3 their Luck rounded down, in stored grooves