Encounter
Pivotal conflicts with multiple participants use a map, called the zone, which allows for more tactical positioning and keeps the situation clear. Each round every participant gets a turn.
Like a complication, an encounter uses reflex and proceeds in exchanges of 5 rounds. After each exchange conditions change, which may end the encounter or change its nature. If a side can expect reinforcements, they arrive at the end of an exchange.
Turns
During your turn you reset your guard, you gain a snap and an action, and resolve any ongoing states affecting you like bleeding or falling. You can do these in any order, so you might use your action to try to grab a ledge before resolving your falling state. You can’t do something that conflicts with a current state.
Actions
Your action is what you spend most of your turn doing. In general an action lets you make one check. The most common actions are listed below, but anything that can be done in about 5 seconds of real time could be an action. Aim: Make an attack with a ranged weapon.
- Disappear: Become hidden.
- Fight: Strike an opponent within reach.
- Move: Move your speed across the map.
- Persuade: Make a social attack with your voice.
- Prepare: Gain a bonus on your next check.
- Recruit: Assume command of denizens.
- Screen: Defend yourself (see Defenses below).
- Steer: Control a creature or vehicle’s movement.
Furious Actions
Furious actions let you attempt multiple actions in a single turn. Each extra action (imbues) all the checks with the turn with a cumulative –1 penalty. A target of multiple attacks from a single action contests all of them with a single check.
The three most common cases are bursts, charges, and sundry attacks.
- Bursts allow a number of attacks equal to the rating. No matter how many attacks the burst allows, each only suffers a –1 penalty. Declare all targets before rolling any checks.
- A charge allows you to combine a move with any other action. Movement may come before, after, or split before and after the other action.
- Sundry allows you to attack with different equipped weapons, or mix an armed and unarmed attack, or even mix a physical and social attack. If attacks allow different defenses the target may choose which one to roll.
Snaps
A snap is a very quick act, taken before or after your full action. Many abilities may add new options for snaps. You may give up your action to take a second snap.
- Creep: While hidden, make a subterfuge check to prevent losing 1 decoy.
- Crouch: When adjacent to cover, gain unlimited dodges with a +1 bonus until your next turn, so long as the cover applies.
- Fend: Gain an extra parry defense until your next turn.
- Equip: Reload, wield, or store items.
- Hustle: Make an agility check. Move +1 speed if you fail or double speed (minimum +2) if you succeed.
- Perceive: Make a sense check to discover new details or eliminate the nearest decoy.
- Quip: Gain an extra retort defense until your next turn.
- Stand: Eliminate the down state.
Guards
Each turn you gain a special defense to contest an opponent’s check against you. You can wait to see the result of the opponent’s check before you choose to use this guard. Once you use it, it’s gone until it resets on your next turn.
You may have defenses other than your guard, and if you use both against the same check they cooperate. There are special options only available when used with a guard:
- Counter: A parry that allows you to attack instead of just deflecting. Roll with a penalty, and if you win you avoid their attack and hit with your own.
- Dive: A dodge that lets you move away from an attack. Roll with a penalty, and if you succeed you move your jump speed +1 before the attack lands. If the attack directly contests you then you have to win, otherwise you just need to succeed.
- Retort: A reject that cooperates with other defenders. Like a reject it only works against social attacks, but it may contest a social attack aimed at someone else.
Defenses
Defenses contest an opponent’s check against you. You may declare your defense (and what type) after seeing the opponent’s result. Your guard may be used as a single defense, and some snaps grant extra defenses.
You may declare a screen at any time. You lose your next action paying for the screen. You gain 1 defense for each and every check targeting you from the moment you declare a screen until you take your next action (not the action you lose to pay for screening). If you are being attacked by multiple opponents, screening lets you contest them all and still gain an action every other turn.
There are three basic types of defense:
- Dodge: Check agility to contest a physical attack. You suffer a penalty if the attack is from behind your flank.
- Parry: Check combat to contest an attack within reach and in front of your flank. Items with the block keyword allow you to parry attacks outside your reach.
- Reject: Check heart to contest a social attack. This defense is free, so you can use it whenever socially attacked without needing to screen.
Zones
A standard map zone is 24 areas on each side. Areas can be squares, hexes, or 1” on a tabletop. Your character occupies one area, and you measure areas to move or attack at range. If you have adventure tiles, a standard zone is 3x3 tiles.
Some map areas are outlined, labeled, or otherwise distinct. These are called segments, and offer special rules or options for snaps, actions, momentum, or interference. Selected examples include:
- Cover: Attacks that cross suffer a penalty.Allows the crouch snap. Use an action to become immune to crossing attacks until your next turn.
- Ledge: If you gain interference you fall down. Standing requires an agility check. If you are already down you fall off.
- Rough: Areas cost 2 speed instead of 1. Hustling and similar checks suffer a penalty.
- Water: Lose 1 grit if you are speed 0 or each time you fail a check.
Setup
If you surprise your opponents they must setup first. If you successfully set a trap you may get to place your opponents for setup. Likewise if you are surprised you may be forced to place yourself first and where you can start may be limited. After one side is placed the other sets up at close or long range (see below), their choice. The referee designates which edges of the zone are eligible for escape or arriving reinforcements.
Movement
When you use the move action you can move a number of areas equal to your speed. Zone segments may limit you to one type of speed (like swim or climb), otherwise you can mix and match as long as the total doesn’t exceed your speed.
The hustle snap lets you increase your speed. Note that you can use a hustle without using a move action, but your speed counts as 0 so you’ll gain 1 speed on a failed check or 2 speed on a success.
When you finish moving you must designate a facing to establish your flank. You can face any direction you choose. Draw an imaginary line perpendicular to your facing. Everything on or in front of that line counts as in front of your flank. Anything completely behind it is behind your flank. You can’t parry or attack behind your own flank, and suffer a penalty contesting check originating behind your flank.
| Move Type | Base Speed |
| Run | 4 |
| Jump | 0 |
| Climb | 2 |
| Swim | 0 |
Range
Range applies a penalty to attacks, and sometimes perception. Weapons suffer no penalty until their listed range keyword. Within the listed areas there is a –1 penalty. The weapon’s maximum range is actually the next bracket, but any attack in that bracket suffers a –3 penalty.
A thrown weapon lists Close for range. There is no penalty for a target 1-4 areas away, –1 for a target 5-8 areas away, and –3 for a target 9-16 areas away. A rifle listing Long suffers no penalty from 1-16 areas, –1 from 17-32 areas, and –3 against a target up to 64 areas away.
| Range | Areas |
| Close | 5-8 |
| Short | 9-16 |
| Long | 17-32 |
| Extreme | 33-64 |
| Artillery | 65-128 |
Overlap
Areas adjacent to an opponent and in front of the flank are called overlap. When you move from an overlap area the opponent may use a defense to immediately end your movement. Your facing automatically sets towards the area you tried to enter. You can likewise use a defense and win the contest to continue moving.
If you try to move through an opponent’s area they may check to stop you without using a defense. Occupied areas count as rough terrain whether occupied by friends or enemies. Endurance
After each exchange exhaustion might set in. If the referee calls for it, attempt an endurance check against your strength. If you fail you become exhausted (see page xxx). The referee might apply a penalty if you’ve been very active, or a bonus if you’ve been holding back. Opponents check as well, and will likely retreat if they become exhausted.
See Also
Version 2.5.2
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