Difference between revisions of "Combat"

Revision as of 17:50, 28 January 2023

Hit your enemies where it hurts. Combat covers all violent clashes, including unarmed combat, close quarters, melee weapons, marksmanship, and even military tactics. Straightforward weapons are usable through the general Ability, but weapons which need familiarity or training to properly use Masteries.

Combat Checks

• Battle: A skirmish between a large number troops may be resolved as a Mission over a few days. A Bad result results in an Injury to you. Pairs reduce the casualties you suffer. Fighting a Battle uses the Tactics Cascade. Being Outnumbered or facing a more powerful foe incurs Penalties. Being captured by the enemy or losing a friendly Unit are common alternative consequences for a Bad result.
• Fight: Attack an opponent within Reach. A success deals damage based on the weapon—or Staggers the foe if you are unarmed.
• Grapple: Use an Action to grab an opponent within Reach. A Good roll Locks the target. A Lock requires two hands and Effort each Turn to maintain. Alternatively, Grapple may be used to break free of a Lock with a Good roll.
• Shoot: Use an Action to make a ranged attack with a weapon, and deal its damage on a Good roll. Penalties for the target’s Range and Concealment are common. You also suffer a Penalty if someone you don’t want to hit is adjacent to the target, and a Bad roll which can’t pay off the Pair hits that person instead, so exercise caution!
• Throw: Use an Action to make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon. A thrown weapon deals its damage. A small object thrown as an improvised weapon uses Close Range and Staggers.
• Battle: A skirmish between a large number troops may be resolved as a Mission over a few days. A Bad result results in an Injury to you. Pairs reduce the casualties you suffer. Fighting a Battle uses the Tactics Cascade. Being Outnumbered or facing a more powerful foe incurs Penalties. Being captured by the enemy or losing a friendly Unit are common alternative consequences for a Bad result.
• Fight: Attack an opponent within Reach. A success deals damage based on the weapon—or Staggers the foe if you are unarmed.
• Grapple: Use an Action to grab an opponent within Reach. A Good roll Locks the target. A Lock requires two hands and Effort each Turn to maintain. Alternatively, Grapple may be used to break free of a Lock with a Good roll.
• Shoot: Use an Action to make a ranged attack with a weapon, and deal its damage on a Good roll. Penalties for the target’s Range and Concealment are common. You also suffer a Penalty if someone you don’t want tohit is adjacent to the target, and a Bad roll which can’t pay off the Pair hits that person instead, so exercise caution!
• Throw: Use an Action to make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon. A thrown weapon deals its damage. A small object thrown as an improvised weapon uses Close Range and Staggers.

• Fend: Use a snap and gain a single extra parry defense.
• Fight: Use an action to attack an opponent within reach. If you succeed you deal effects based on the weapon you used, or your slam if you are unarmed.
• Grapple: Like Fight, but instead of dealing damage you lock the target. A lock is elaborate, so you suffer a penalty if you don’t have two free hands. If you are locked you suffer a penalty on any check (including defenses) except breaking out. Breaking out is a grapple action of your own. When you have someone locked, you may use a defense to parry any action they attempt.
• Parry: Check combat to contest any attacker within your reach. Targets behind your flank are not within reach. You may parry a ranged attack if the attacker is within your reach. The block keyword allows you to parry attacks outside your reach, but they can’t be from behind your flank. A counter is a special parry that requires your guard. You roll an attack with a penalty, and if you win you both parry and roll effects against the attacker!
• Skirmish: A quick battle may be rolled as a complication with hits as a consequence. You may have to check for a full exchange to determine how much damage you suffer in a dangerous location.
• Throw: Use an action and make a close range attack. Bulky objects have a maximum range of (Strength - Bulky). A thrown weapon deals its effects, any other object deals your slam.

Combat Saves

• Punish: When an adjacent foe attempts to move away you may Fight to stop them. You roll a Combat Save instead of a Check since this is a reaction. Punishing doesn’t stop opponents from moving, but the threat of it may prevent them from simply running past you. You may attempt to Grapple instead of a Fight if you have your hands free.
• Hold: When a target you have Locked attempts a roll you may Save Combat to Oppose it even if you aren’t the target of the roll.
• Parry: Roll Combat Saves against any attacker within Reach. This includes attacks from ranged weapons—they are close enough to bat away or harass. The Block Keyword allows you to Parry attacks outside your Reach.
• Punish: When an adjacent foe attempts to move away you may Fight to stop them. You roll a Combat Save instead of a Check since this is a reaction. Punishing doesn’t stop opponents from moving, but the threat of it may prevent them from simply running past you. You may attempt to Grapple instead of a Fight if you have your hands free.
• Hold: When a target you have Locked attempts a roll you may Save Combat to Oppose it even if you aren’t the target of the roll.
• Parry: Roll Combat Saves against any attacker within Reach. This includes attacks from ranged weapons—they are close enough to bat away or harass. The Block Keyword allows you to Parry attacks outside your Reach.

Combat Masteries

• Artillery: Covers military cannons, and includes subjects like reloading, estimating ranges, setting fuse timers for shells, and spotting for indirect fire. If a ranged weapon is too large to carry, it usually falls under the Artillery Mastery.

Template:Bows

• Exotics (*): Unique weapon types that require specific training to use safely. Exotics have an extra effect on a Bad roll unless you have the appropriate Mastery, possibly even doing damage to yourself. If none is listed, you become Stumped. Each weapon is a separate Mastery, but different specific weapons which share the name are included. For example, if you learn Flails, a Heavy Flail would count as the same Exotic.
• Firearms: Weapons which use explosive powder to fire bullets. Modern firearms use ammunition, but older weapons require you to load your powder and bullet separately. This Mastery provides familiarity with the firing characteristics of different weapons, quickly reloading them, and clearing jams.
• Tactics: Represents military drilling and organizational knowledge—such as which signals order an advance and which order a retreat. Units are considered “Regular” troops and may use Formations if all members have Tactics.
• Artillery: Covers military cannons, and includes subjects like reloading, estimating ranges, setting fuse timers for shells, and spotting for indirect fire. If a ranged weapon is too large to carry, it usually falls under the Artillery Cascade.
• Bows: Whether primitive or modern, this Cascade applies to weapons with the Bow Keyword. Note that crossbows usually don’t have the Keyword—they are simpler to aim and fire, and require much less training to use effectively.
• Exotics (*): Unique weapon types that require specific training to use safely. Exotics have an extra effect on a Bad roll unless you have the appropriate Cascade, possibly even doing damage to yourself. If none is listed, you become Stumped.

Each weapon is a separate Cascade, but different specific weapons which share the name are included. For example, if you learn Flails, a Heavy Flail would count as the same Exotic.

• Firearms: Weapons which use explosive powder to fire bullets. Modern firearms use ammunition, but older weapons require you to load your powder and bullet separately.

This Cascade provides familiarity with the firing characteristics of different weapons, quickly reloading them, and clearing jams.

• Tactics: Represents military drilling and organizational knowledge—such as which signals order an advance and which order a retreat. Units are considered “Regular” troops and may use Formations if all members have Tactics.

Build Points

See Also

• List of general Abilities

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