07. Spot Rules

7. Spot Rules

A great myriad of situations can arise during combat, action sequences, or under specific conditions. These ‘spot rules’ are intended for the gamemaster’s use. As a player, it is not necessary for you to know these, though some familiarity is always useful.

Spot Rules in this Section

---	---	---
Acid	Disarming	Natural Weapons
Aerial Combat	Disengaging	Poison
Aimed Attacks	Drawing or Exchanging a Weapon	Prone
Ambushes	Enclosed Environments	Pulling Blows
Area Attacks	Entangle	Quickdraws
Armor Damaged	Explosions	Radiation
Aura Attacks	Extended Range	Shields and Missile Fire
Autofire	Falling	Shooting Up or Down
Backstabs and Helpless Opponents	Fighting While Down	Slippery or Unstable Surfaces
Big and Little Targets	Fire and Heat	Stunning or Subduing
Both Sides Surprised	Firing into Combat	Superior/Inferior Positions
Broken Weapons	Fortified Positions	Superior Numbers
Chases	Improvised Parrying Weapons	Sweep Attacks
Choking, Drowning, and Asphyxiation	Improvised Weapons	Thrown Weapons
Close Combat	Knockback	Two Weapons
Closing	Knockout Attacks	Underwater Combat
Cold, Exposure, Hunger, and Thirst	Light Sources	Vacuum
Cover	Mass Combat	Volley Fire
Darkness	Missile Fire While Moving	Weapon Length (Closing)
Desperate Action	Mounted Combat	Weather Condition
Disease	Point-blank Range	Zero-gravity Combat

Acid

Exposure to acid or corrosive substances can be a hazard. Treat all acids the same: the degree of acid damage represents how diluted it is, rather than the specific type of acid. Only significant contact (the immersion of a limb or contact with the eyes) should cause serious immediate damage.

• Weak acids inflict 1D3–1 points of damage per round.
• Strong acids inflict 1D4 points of damage per round.
• Very strong acids inflict 1D6+1 points of damage per round.

Armor does not neutralize acid but does momentarily slow its effects. If a target is armored, halve the acid’s damage (round up), though the gamemaster should adjust based on the armor’s type, quality, and coverage. Armor protection against acids lasts 1D3 rounds. After that, the acid inflicts normal damage.

Exposure to very strong acid eats away at armor bindings and weakens armor: after 1D6 rounds of exposure, the armor has been functionally destroyed and is useless. This occurs simultaneously with the 1D3 rounds of armor protection—the armor may have been rendered useless in combat but still offer temporary protection from the acid.

Your gamemaster may rule that holy water (or an equivalent) acts as acid against unholy creatures such as vampires or demonic entities.

Aerial Combat

The Fly skill covers flight in considerable detail. If your character does not have to use both hands for flight and/or adjust mechanisms (jet-pack controls, for example), they can make attacks while flying. As with riding, your character’s attack and other combat skills are limited by their Fly skill: combat skill ratings are reduced to the level of your character’s Flight skill; if they are lower, the skill remains unaffected.

If your character can make a successful Fly roll during the powers phase of a combat turn (this does not cost an action), any attacks, parries, and other combat actions are unimpaired. The following modifiers may affect your character’s ability to use the Fly skill. See also Weather Conditions concerning rain, hail, sleet, and snow.

• Simple Stunt (such as a barrel roll): No penalty
• Moderately Difficult Stunt (roll): –10% penalty
• Difficult Stunt (wingover): –25% penalty
• Extremely Difficult Stunt (loop-the-loop): –50% penalty
• Light or Moderate Wind: No penalty
• Strong Wind: –10% penalty (no penalty for strong tail wind)
• Severe Wind: –25% penalty (–10% penalty for severe tail wind)
• Windstorm: –50% penalty (–25% for tail wind)
• Hurricane-force Wind: –75% penalty (–50% penalty for tail wind)
• Tornado-force Wind: –100% penalty
• High Altitude / Low Pressure / Becalmed: –25% penalty
• Wearing Light Armor: –10% penalty
• Wearing Medium Armor: –25% penalty
• Wearing Heavy Armor: –50% penalty

All modifiers are cumulative.

On a failed Flight roll, any actions a flying character makes are Difficult. A critical success for the Fly roll makes any rolls made during that round of combat Easy. If the Fly roll fumbles, your character cannot attack or act in that round and may even fall or crash.

If the flight is provided by a vehicle or a flying creature, your character does not have to make Fly rolls—the skill required is Ride or Pilot, or the Fly skill of the being doing the flying, if applicable. Regardless, the effects of the outcome of the skill roll are applied equally to the rider(s) and the flier.

Aimed Attacks

There are two ways your character can improve their chance to make a particular shot: to take more time and aim, or to target a specific area. Both can be used for a single shot. If your character is interrupted (attacked, jostled, etc.) while using either method, they must make a successful Idea roll to maintain the aim. If the roll fails, the benefits are lost.

Taking More Time

Your character can take time aiming a missile weapon in return for an increased skill rating. For every five DEX ranks your character delays, add 1/10 of the existing skill rating (round up) as a bonus, cumulative, for the first shot. The missile attack must be made in the same combat round if it is a hand-propelled weapon (bow, throwing knife, etc.), or can be held indefinitely if it is a self-propelled weapon (firearm, energy weapon, etc.). Once the shot is taken, the bonus no longer applies. Careful aim has no effect at ranges beyond double the weapon’s base range. If aiming at a doorway or small aperture and waiting a target to appear in it, the target must be half or less of base range.

Targeting a Specific Area

Targeting a specific part of a victim’s body is Difficult, though delaying for 5 DEX ranks (as in Taking More Time above) can offset this modifier. Apply the difficulty modifier before adjusting for taking more time. The gamemaster should determine the result of any successful attacks against targeted areas, such as a Difficult characteristic roll to maintain a hold on weapon, keep standing, etc. The hit location system (page 126) may be of use for this. If your character targets an unarmored area and is successful, the target’s armor is ignored, just as if a critical hit were rolled.

Ambushes

In the event of a surprise attack, the attackers gain the advantage of attacks that cannot be countered. For an ambush to be successful, the attacker must make a successful Stealth skill roll, opposed by the intended target’s Listen, Sense, or Spot skill, whichever is appropriate.

• If the attackers are using missile weapons and are not seen, the attackers get a free round of Easy attacks. The target(s) cannot dodge or parry this initial round of attacks.
• If the attackers are using missile weapons and are seen, the attackers get a free round of Easy attacks, but the targets can dodge or parry this initial round of attacks.
• If the attackers are using hand-to-hand weapons and have not made successful Stealth rolls, the targets must make a successful Easy Listen, Sense, or Spot roll to notice the oncoming attackers. If the targets fail to detect the attackers, attacks against them are Easy and any parries or dodges they make are Difficult.
• If the attackers are using hand-to-hand weapons, and the target is aware of them with a successful Listen, Sense, or Spot roll, the attackers’ skill ratings are unmodified and the targets can parry or Dodge normally but cannot retaliate or move until the next combat round.

In most cases, the target’s armor defends normally, unless the attackers are using aimed attacks (above) to bypass armor.

After the initial round of surprise, the ambush becomes a normal combat round for all parties involved, with no modifiers due to surprise.

Area Attacks

When an attack is aimed at an area with the intent of doing damage to anyone within that area, ranging from divine wrath to grenades, characters in that area can attempt Dodge rolls to avoid damage altogether, or an Agility roll to reduce damage by half (player choice) by getting behind cover. In either case, it is assumed that those formerly in the area have thrown themselves prone to prevent injury (see Prone). Standing up from a prone position takes 5 DEX ranks. If the area attack is not avoided, it automatically strikes everyone in its area of effect. Depending on the type of attack, this may cause knockback or even being set afire (see Fire and Heat). At the gamemaster’s discretion, shelter or cover may further reduce this damage. Armor should work against damage from area attacks.

Armor Damaged

Acid, fire, or other corrosive or highly caustic attacks can damage or even destroy armor. It is possible also that a piece of armor can be destroyed by critical hits or even fumbles, though this is at the gamemaster’s discretion. If armor is damaged or loses pieces, reduce its armor value by 1/2, rounding down.

For example, armor worth 5 points of protection is downgraded to only having 2 points of armor value. If random armor value is used, armor worth 1D8+1 may be reduced to 1D4 protection, which is 1/2 of 1D8, with the +1 rounded down.

Already-damaged armor that is damaged again before being repaired is destroyed, offering no protection but full ENC and burden.

Repairing armor costs half-again the armor’s normal cost. This may be adjusted based on circumstances, such as your character’s relationship with the craftsman, the availability of materials needed for repairs, and the nature of the damage. Armor that has been wholly destroyed can be repaired at the full cost of the armor, but will have 1 point less armor value.

Aura Attacks

Your character may attempt an aura attack, commanding attention with a display of outstanding presence and strength of will. Aura attacks can also be used as an invaluable resource in epic or superhero games. To make an aura attack, your character must average their SIZ, POW, and CHA (round up) into a value called an aura total. Aura attacks must have a full combat round to initiate if in combat, or they must have at least 12 seconds of preparation if not in combat. An aura attack occurs in the powers phase of the combat round.

When an aura attack is performed, anyone who can view your character must make a resistance roll with their POW characteristic vs. the aura total of your character. Some or all of the following factors may modify the resistance roll:

• Command: Your character may attempt to make a Command roll before making an aura attack. If successful, add +1 to the aura total, a special success +2, and a critical success +3. A fumbled roll reduces the aura total by half (round up).
• Previous Success: If your character has previously succeeded in an aura attack against a target, add +1 to the aura total. A lucky or powerful character can make continued aura attacks against an opponent to keep them at bay, or to paralyze them with fear.
• Experience: At the gamemaster’s discretion, relative fame, a past history with the target, or a successful Reputation roll may add +1–3 to the aura total.
• Passions: A successful appropriate Passion roll can add +1 to the aura total, a special success +2, and a critical success +3. A fumbled roll reduces the aura total by half (round up).
• Circumstances: The situation can also modify your character’s aura total positively, or the target’s POW negatively by ±1–3. Reasons might be the display of a powerful magic item with legendary qualities, overwhelming inferiority or superiority in firepower, death of allied combatants, prior defeat or wounded state, or any implied threat accompanying the aura attack.

If the resistance roll fails, the target(s) of the aura attack are mesmerized for the remainder of the combat round. They can dodge, parry, or otherwise react to attacks against them, but cannot initiate any attack or other actions of their own volition.

This mesmerization ends at the end of the combat round. If the resistance roll is a fumble, the target is demoralized and may surrender, or flee, as appropriate. All actions become Difficult for a demoralized target for the remainder of that combat round. Whether the result is a failure or fumble, all results end on the last DEX rank of the combat round the aura attack was made.

Aura attacks do not usually inflict horror or cause sanity loss, though your gamemaster may allow certain horrific entities to do so.

Autofire

Many weapons, such as machine and submachine guns, can fire short bursts (multiple shots) or automatic fire (abbreviated as autofire), consisting of a large number of shots as long as the trigger is held down. Autofire or bursts occur on the attacker’s DEX rank.

Against a single target, a burst increases the chance of success by +20% and autofire by +40%. The attacker should announce how many shots are being fired (bursts are usually three shots, while autofire can empty the whole clip), keeping track of spent ammunition. The attack is rolled normally.

If the shot is a failure, all shots in the burst miss. If it is successful and hits the target, roll an appropriate die based on the number of shots fired. To get an odd number, roll an appropriate dice type and divide by two (round up). For example, if 8 shots are fired, roll a D8; if 5 shots are fired, roll a D10 and divide it in half, rounding up, etc.

The gamemaster may require that all bursts or autofire occur in numbers with dice equivalents, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, etc. The result of this die roll is the number of shots that hit the target. Only the first attack is able to achieve a special or critical success—all of the rest are normal successes.

For multiple targets, if they are spread across the field of fire, the skill rating does not improve. Instead, each attack uses an unmodified attack roll for each target. The attacker can allocate the number of bullets per target. In this case, each target could potentially receive a special or critical success.

If multiple targets are restricted to a narrow field of fire, such as in a corridor or grouped closely together, the attacker’s skill rating is increased by an additional +20%.

Backstabs and Helpless Opponents

If in the midst of hand-to-hand combat, your character can attack the unprotected back of a target, that one attack is Easy. If the target succeeds in a Difficult Listen or Sense roll, they can make a Difficult Dodge or parry attempt, but only if they have any remaining opportunities for defense. No additional damage is done by such an attack.

Similarly, if a target is helpless (unable to move, dodge, or parry), the attack is Easy and they cannot make a dodge or parry attempt against the attack. Conditions by which a target might be helpless are when they are unconscious, asleep, or restrained entirely.

In such cases, the gamemaster may allow the target a POW×1 roll to determine if some lucky incident occurs that stays the attacker’s hand for the duration of the combat round.

Big and Little Targets

If an attacker and target are within the same relative SIZ, there are no modifiers for their attacks due to SIZ. If they are of vastly different sizes, any attacks may be modified. If the target is more than twice your character’s SIZ, add +20% to your skill rating. If the target is less than half your character’s size (round up), modify your skill rating by –20%. Inanimate large objects are Easy to hit, if a roll is required at all, while tiny objects are Difficult.

Both Sides Surprised

Unlike ambushes, situations with both sides surprised are unplanned and typically involve unaware parties on either side. Depending on the situation, the gamemaster should allow for each involved party to make an opposed Spot or Listen roll to determine who detects the other first. Everyone involved should make the roll, as some might not notice what’s happening in front of them if their attention is elsewhere. In a tie, they notice each other simultaneously. To see who can act first, have each aware party make an Idea roll. If both succeed, use DEX ranks to determine who goes first.

Broken Weapons

Equipment is often damaged or broken during combat. A weapon or shield breaks if it is used to parry an attack that reduces the weapon’s hit points to 0, or through other means. A broken weapon does half its normal rolled damage (round up). Any attacks or parries with the weapon are Difficult, though the skill may be unmodified if it resembles a similar weapon with which your character is familiar.

For example, a broadsword with a blade broken in half is still useable as a shortsword. However, half of a longbow is unusable except as a light club, and a broken laser pistol is a paperweight.

Chases

Chases occur when one party needs to outrun or outmaneuver another character, whether to avoid harm or to inflict it, or to prevent or instigate some action. Due to the variety of circumstances, chases are handled abstractly, allowing for improvisation and creative input of players and the gamemaster without requiring a map or detailed system. Whether in the open sky with jet fighters, on the busy streets of a major metropolis, or in ancient, ruined tunnels far beneath the earth’s surface, all chases are handled with this system.

Before beginning a chase, the gamemaster should decide these six aspects:

• Starting Positions: Does one party in the chase begin with a significant advantage (a head start) or does the chase begin on relatively equal footing? Are they close to one another or already at a distance?
• The Course: How complex or hazardous is the path and how much can the participants alter the conditions? Will the environment of the chase change? Are other bystanders at risk or presenting a hazard of their own? Is the course a combination of several environments? Does the environment present a hazard or special challenges?
• Skills Required: What skills can be used in this chase (e.g., Drive, Fly, or Pilot)? What powers? What skills are required if conditions of the chase change? If the vehicle suffers a malfunction, do other characters need to act to keep it running?
• Combat: Are the parties in the chase going to be attacking one another, and with what weapons or skills? Most often, these are missile weapons, but when side-by-side, hand-to-hand weapons may be used. Do other beings in the environment present a threat?
• Duration: Is there is a limitation on how long the chase will be allowed to last, such as a fixed distance before the chase will naturally end? Does fatigue play a part?
• Conclusion: What location, change of situation, or status ends the chase? This is usually obvious, but should be clear before the chase begins.

Tracking a chase uses the range track (see below). If playing together, it is useful to copy or print this out and place it on the table, or to share the image if playing online. Set the starting positions of each participant on the appropriate track relative to one another, with ‘lengths’ equaling one full MOV in distance. Mark these positions with coins, miniatures, spare dice, or other markers.

Each round, all participants must make the appropriate rolls to determine how far forward (to the right) they advance. Success means that no advancement is made, while a special success means the person in the lead is moved back one step, and a critical means they are moved back two steps. If the roll is a failure, the character rolling moves back one space, and two if it is a fumble.

The goal for escaping a chase, or getting to the desired location or destination first, is to reach the ‘Out of Sight’ square. Once someone is there at the end of the round, the chase is functionally over.

Range Track

Side-by-Side	Two Lengths	Close	In Sight	Out of Sight
Range 1	Range 3	Range 3	Range 4	Range 5
Hand-to-hand attacks possible, missile weapon attacks are unmodified	Hand-to-hand attacks impossible, missile weapon attacks are Difficult	Missile weapon attacks are at 1/5 skill rating	Only a roll of 01 hits	No chance to hit

Chases on Foot

When handling chases on foot (or mounted) between opponents with the same MOV rate, the gamemaster should match the participants’ CON vs. CON in a resistance roll, or use an opposed Agility roll or a Climb, Jump, or Swim roll (if appropriate) to settle who wins a race. Several rolls may be needed for complex courses or extended chases. If they’re mounted, they should make opposed Ride rolls and use the mounts’ appropriate skills.

If either of the participants is heavily armored or encumbered, they must make a successful Difficult Stamina roll each combat round to keep going. A character that fails one roll moves backwards one square, and if they fail two rolls in a row they can’t continue, too winded or overburdened to move forward.

Vehicular Chases

For vehicles, things get a bit more complex. Ranges are not specific, and each round can instead be combat rounds, turns, hours, or even days. Relevant skills for chases include Drive, Fly, Pilot, and Ride, and in certain circumstances, additional skills such as Navigate or Spot may be required for the chase to continue uninterrupted. If piloting a sophisticated vehicle, Technical Skill may be required to handle tracking sensors or similar equipment.

Each round, the gamemaster should determine the following:

• If participants in the chase can change speed.
• The outcome of maneuvers and potential crashes.
• If individual characters can move or act on their DEX ranks.

The following terms are relevant for vehicle chases:

• Rated Speed: The maximum sustainable speed of the vehicle. It may travel at the top rated speed, or any speed less than this. All entities in a chase begin at Speed 0 and accelerate up to travel speed.
• Range: The gap between participants in a chase. There are five ranges, as shown on the range track. For every speed faster than an opponent, a character or vehicle can move one range increment closer to or further from the other character or vehicle per combat round—if ahead, the leader moves further away from the pursuer; if behind, the pursuer moves one range increment closer.
• Accelerate, Decelerate: In a round, a vehicle can accelerate/decelerate by X Speeds (see the vehicle descriptions in Chapter 8: Equipment).
• Handling: The ease and responsiveness of a maneuver. Add or subtract the handling modifier for the vehicle from the pilot’s appropriate skill.

Maneuvers

Maneuvers are described in the Skill Roll Modifier Chart. When a maneuver is failed, roll on the Chase Trouble Table.

• Turn: A turn may require a vehicle to decelerate by 1+ Speed increments. A U-turn always requires a vehicle to slow to Speed 1. Success for this maneuver under normal circumstances is Automatic.
• High-speed Turn: When a vehicle attempts this, the character must succeed in the relevant skill, with a –10% modifier applied.
• “Bootlegger” Reverse: A maneuver where use of brakes (braking jets, reverse thrusters, etc.) causes the vehicle to skid and whip around, ending its movement facing the direction it came from. To accomplish this, make a relevant skill roll with a –25% modifier. Success reorients the vehicle in reverse direction, and it may accelerate to Speed 2 in the next round. This cannot be performed with horses or horse-drawn vehicles. Failure causes it to move in an undesirable direction or continue in the same direction.
• Collide: The vehicle smashes into or sideswipes a moving or stationary target. A collision does 1D6 damage per level of Speed to the vehicle it collides with, and the passengers within each vehicle take 1D3 damage per level of Speed. Adequate protection (seatbelts, etc.) can reduce the damage suffered by the passengers by ½ (round up). Exceptional protection (shock-chairs, impact foam, etc.) can reduce the damage suffered by the passengers by ¾ (round up). Make a SIZ vs. SIZ resistance roll for the two vehicles or the target to determine if one is knocked out of line or aside.
• Ram: Smashing the vehicle directly into an obstacle in front of it. The target takes 1D10 damage per level of Speed the vehicle is traveling, and the occupants of both vehicles take 1D6 damage per level of Speed (including any inside the structure, if within range of the impact). Match that against the targeted vehicle, object, or structure’s armor points, then subtract the remaining damage from its hit points. If the targeted subject is destroyed outright, the ramming vehicle may continue through it, though it suffers half the damage it inflicted (round up) upon the target. Make a resistance roll of SIZ vs. SIZ for the vehicle and its target. The winner prevails, whether continuing on its way or remaining immobile, as appropriate.
• Vehicle Damage: Sample vehicle hit points are provided on page 184. When a vehicle collides or is rammed, subtract the vehicle’s armor value, and subtract the remaining damage to its current hit points. When the vehicle has taken more than half its hit points, reduce its top Speed by half (round up). When it has 5 or fewer hit points, the vehicle ceases to function (and may crash as it halts). If a vehicle is damaged noticeably, the gamemaster may choose to roll on the Chase Trouble Table. When a vehicle’s hit point total reaches 0, it is destroyed. The gamemaster should determine what happens to the passengers inside based on the nature and location of the vehicle (see the spot rules for explosives, falling, fire, radiation, etc. as appropriate). See the Repair skill (page 50) for more information about repairing or jury-rigging the vehicle to keep it running.

Skill Roll Modifiers Chart

Apply any of these modifiers to the vehicle piloting roll where applicable. All modifiers are cumulative.

Conditions	Skill Modifier
Fog	–10%
Night	–10%
Rain	–10%
Wind	–10%
Heavy rain	–20%
Oily or icy	–20%
Snow	–20%

Maneuver	Skill Modifier
At Speed 1 or 2	+10%
At maximum speed	–10%
High-speed turn	–10%
Bootlegger reverse	–25%
Collision	–10%
Ram	—

Terrain	Skill Modifier
Gravel road	–10%
Long downhill grade	–10%
Dirt road	–20%
Limbs, rocks	–20%

Vehicle	Skill Modifier
Minor vehicle damage	–10%
Handling	By vehicle type

See the vehicle record for use in chases. It covers all manner of vehicles.

Individual Actions

Side-by-side, characters can clamber around inside or atop vehicles, move to one other, or even perform skill rolls on each other or upon the vehicle itself. Any such movement skills in a chase are Difficult, and the gamemaster may impose additional penalties on skills attempted while in a moving vehicle. Generally, skills related to the operation or repair of the vehicle (Drive, Pilot, Repair, Technical Skill, etc.) and managing it in combat (Heavy Weapon, etc.) are unmodified and do not require movement.

Depending on the size and type of vehicle, it may require Climb rolls to get around inside, or even maneuvering in zero-g (page 156). If a character misses a skill roll and could potentially be thrown off the vehicle, the gamemaster should allow the character to make a Difficult Luck or Agility roll, as appropriate, to grab hold and keep from being thrown clear. In enclosed vehicles, this is generally not a possibility.

Chase Trouble Table

Roll a D10 on this table whenever a maneuver roll fails or when a vehicle is damaged to a notable degree, modified using common sense, interpretation, and personalized based on the type of vehicle and environment it is moving through. For example, a hover-car flying through a ruined city may fall out of the sky or collide with a building if the engine stops working.

If a roll is modified to higher than 10, consider it as a 10, but roll again and apply the second result as well.

Chase Trouble Table

D10	Result
1	Flat Tire, Cracked Wheel, Damaged Thruster: This slows the vehicle to Speed 1 until repaired. It can also indicate minor damage to a jet, wing, or other propulsion system.
2	Propulsion Damage: This slows the vehicle by 2 Speed each round until it halts entirely. The vehicle cannot start again without a successful Repair roll being made. In the case of creature-drawn vehicles, this could indicate damage to harness, tongue, or yoke.
3	Propulsion Rupture: This has no effect until the vehicle takes additional damage, though long-range travel becomes severely limited. If this is an animal drawn vehicle, the animal is killed, lamed, or cannot continue. To restart the vehicle, the tank must be repaired or replaced, and the fuel must be restored. This may also be a radiation leak from an engine core, battery damage, etc. If an amount is desired, the vehicle loses 1D6×5% of its fuel supply every combat round while in combat and per turn when not in combat. Leaking fuel or radiation may cause additional threats other than limiting travel, at the gamemaster’s discretion.
4–6	Skid: The vehicle hits a rough spot or turbulence that causes it to shudder as it slows, and the pilot loses control momentarily. Lower the pilot’s appropriate skill (Drive, Pilot, etc.) by –20% in the next combat round only.
7	Minor Fishtail: Lower the pilot’s appropriate skill (Drive, Pilot, etc.) by –10% in the next combat round only.
8	Moderate Fishtail: Lower the pilot’s appropriate skill (Drive, Pilot, etc.) by –15% in the next combat round only, then roll again on this table with a +2 modifier and apply the results.
9	Severe Fishtail: Lower the pilot’s appropriate skill (Drive, Pilot, etc.) by –30% in the next combat round only, then roll again on this table with a +4 modifier and apply the results.
10	Roll or Tumble: The vehicle careens wildly off its intended path, rolling once per Speed traveled. Each roll does 2D3 hit points damage per Speed to vehicle if appropriate, and 1D3 hit points per Speed to each passenger (1D6 hit points per Speed to creature-drawn vehicle passengers or animals hurled free on the first roll). For fueled vehicles, allow a 10% chance of a fuel explosion.

Choking, Drowning, and Asphyxiation

In dire circumstances, your character may be denied breathable air, such as through smoke inhalation, drowning, poisoning by gas, strangulation, or choking. All these can cause asphyxiation damage.

If the situation is not a surprise and is due to an environmental element, roll your character’s CON×10 (an Easy Stamina roll). If successful, your character can hold their breath during the first combat round of exposure to asphyxiation. The next round, though, the CON roll becomes CON×5 (an unmodified Stamina roll), then is successively reduced by one multiplier each combat round after. Thus, in the third round the roll is CON×4, then CON×3 in the fourth round, etc.

This continues until your character is no longer able to succeed in CON rolls, or until the roll reaches CON×1. When the roll fails, your character takes damage total hit points at the end of each following combat round, until they escape the situation, are rendered unconscious, or die.

The amount of damage depends on the substance inhaled or action being committed against your character. Inhaling water inflicts 1D8 hit points per combat round; smoke does 1D4; dense smoke does 1D6; poison gas does 1D8 plus its corrosive effect, if any. All of these go to the chest hit location, if used. Powers such as Adaptation may offer immunity.

If your character is being deliberately choked, roll your character’s CON×1 each combat round, or take 1D6 damage to total hit points. Additionally, a strangle cord, garrote, or even strong attackers may simultaneously do basic damage to the head hit location (if used). See the Grapple skill and the weapon statistics for a garrote for more detail.

If your character is surprised by sudden asphyxiation, attempt a Luck roll to determine if they were able to take a breath before it began. If the roll is successful, follow the asphyxiation procedure described above (CON×5, etc.). If the roll fails, the first roll is equal to CON×3, then reduced each round until stopping at CON×1. All further effects are identical to above.

Close Combat

When wielding a short hand-to-hand combat weapon (SIZ 0–1.5), your character is at a slight tactical disadvantage when fighting an opponent armed with a longer hand-to-hand combat weapon (SIZ 2+). This is close combat, roughly equivalent to one meter of space around your character. For weapons like spears and polearms, the short weapon-user must first close (move into the one meter space) on their opponent to get within striking range. The following conditions apply to close combat:

• In hand-to-hand combat, if the two characters are not in close combat, the gamemaster should allow a long-weapon-user to strike first against short weapon-users, regardless of DEX rank.
• If a short weapon-user is in close combat with a long weapon-user, any parry attempts made by the long weapon-user are Difficult.

If the long weapon-user wishes, they can keep one or more short weapon-users at bay. This means that in place of an attack, the long weapon-user can attempt a normal weapon skill roll to prevent the short weapon-user(s) from closing and being able to engage in an attack in that combat round. This roll must be made each combat round, and if successful, the short weapon-user does not take any damage but cannot close during that combat round. If the long weapon-user has multiple attacks in the combat round, they can make them as normal. On subsequent combat rounds, the character with the higher DEX rank goes first, regardless of length of weapon.

A short weapon-user being kept at bay may have to make a successful Dodge or Parry roll to get into close combat with a long weapon-user. If the attempt succeeds, they slip past the guard of the long weapon-user and can attack normally. If the Dodge or parry attempt fails, the short weapon-user is kept away from close combat for the remainder of the combat round and cannot attack.

Closing

In hand-to-hand combat, once an attacker closes with a target using a longer weapon (such as a spear-user attacking a sword-user), the longer weapon-user always gets the first strike regardless of DEX rank. After the initial attack by the long weapon-user, the short weapon-user can act on their normal DEX rank.

To close with a long weapon-user, a character must be closing on the target during the next combat round or next available action and may be required to make a successful Dodge roll if being kept at bay (see Close Combat, above). Though the character with the longer weapon may attack, parry, or Dodge, they may perform only one of these actions in that DEX rank. Normally a character may do two of those three actions in the same combat round, but in this case, the length of the weapon makes it less wieldy against the short weapon-user once the combat becomes close.

If a long weapon-user closes with another long weapon-user, they are both limited as noted in the preceding section, but they strike at normal DEX ranks, and all subsequent combat is as normal, if they find space to wield their weapons. As noted in Close Combat, a short weapon-user can close on a long weapon-user with a successful Dodge or parry.

See also Weapon Length for more information.

Cold, Exposure, Hunger, and Thirst

When adventuring outside civilized areas, it is wise to have protective gear and carry adequate food and water to avoid the risk of succumbing to hazardous environmental conditions. If your character has purchased ample supplies, is wearing appropriate protective gear and is prepared for the terrain and the difficulties faced while traveling, your gamemaster should assume that the environment presents no special difficulty, unless a struggle for survival is an element of the scenario or campaign. If not, your character risks exposure to hazardous environments, starvation, and dehydration.

If your character suffers prolonged exposure to stifling heat or freezing cold, they suffer ×2–4 the normal fatigue point loss per combat round, if fatigue points are used. The gamemaster determines the multiplier for the situation.

A healthy character can survive up to three days without food or water without any difficulty other than hunger and thirst. A hungry character has the same penalty for combat round activity applied to their fatigue points after two days without food, and a thirsty character must bear the penalty after one day without liquid. If the fatigue point system is not being used, any physical actions your character takes after the three-day mark are Difficult.

If your character has been exposed to stifling heat, freezing cold, or without food or water for 1/2 their CON in days, any physical action must be preceded by a successful Stamina roll. Failure still allows your character to perform the action, though your character takes 1 hit point in damage from the exertion. After a number of days equal to your character’s CON, all rolls for Mental and Physical categories and combat rolls are Difficult.

While still exposed, hungry, or thirsty, simple rest does not restore fatigue points. For every day your character’s fatigue points are not a positive number, the negative value is applied directly to hit points. Furthermore, wounds take twice as long to heal after a number of days equal to your character’s CON without food and/or water. In extreme cases, the gamemaster may even lower your character’s SIZ characteristic by 1 or 2 points if they begin to waste away from starvation. If your character’s hit points are reduced to 0 or less, they die after that day is over. The gamemaster should decide what circumstances constitute the conclusion of a day.

Powers such as Adaptation may negate the effects of exposure to extreme environments.

Cover

If a target is partially covered by a wall, doorway, window ledge, fencepost, etc., any attacks on that target are Difficult. If the attack roll is over the adjusted amount to hit (but less than the normal skill rating), the attack has hit the obstacle or cover rather than the target of the attack.

For example, *your character shoots at a foe half concealed behind a wall. Their normal skill rating is 72%, reduced by half to 36% because the task is *Difficult_. The attack strikes the target if the outcome of the roll is 36 or under. If roll falls between 37 and 72, the attack strikes the covering wall._

If appropriate, damage should be rolled to see if it bypasses the cover and goes through to the intended target of the attack (see Damage to Inanimate Objects). Roll damage only when it makes sense, such as when the attack’s normal range of damage is higher than the obstacle’s armor value and/or hit points.

If hit locations are used, you should announce what portions of your character’s body are behind cover before the gamemaster rolls for an attack, with the gamemaster deciding how much cover the obstacle allows. The attack is rolled normally, with no skill adjustments, but any protected hit locations strike the cover instead. As above, the damage rolled may pass through the covering object or structure and strike the intended target, if appropriate.

Darkness

If your character is fighting in darkness, whether semi-darkness or pitch black, see Situational Modifiers for modifiers. To detect an opponent in complete darkness, you must make successful Difficult Sense or Listen roll. If successful, reduce the darkness modifier by half.

Your character can offset the penalties of darkness by wielding a light source in one hand (see Light Sources). Powers such as Keen Sense, Aura Detection, or Super Sense may offset any darkness-related penalties.

Desperate Actions

If your character has performed all their actions in a combat round and yet absolutely must make one final action, at the gamemaster’s discretion your character can attempt a desperate action on the last DEX rank of the round. To do so, first must make a successful Difficult Agility roll. If this fails, no action can be attempted. If successful, a desperate action is allowed. This final attack or action is always Difficult, no matter what it is. Regardless of its success, in the following round your character cannot attack or move, having unbalanced themselves with the desperate action. Dodges and parries are unaffected. If fatigue points are used, a desperate action costs double the normal fatigue points.

Disarming

Sometimes the best strategy is to remove a weapon from an opponent while in combat to stop their attacks and potentially threaten them and force a surrender. Disarming removes the target’s hand weapon. Though weapons may be inadvertently broken in combat, to deliberately disarm an opponent, use one of these two methods:

• Close with the target to grapple with them and wrest the weapon from their hand. Make a Grapple roll, and if successful, use a grapple effect to disarm the target.
• At the beginning of a round, announce the intent to disarm a target by knocking or twisting their weapon away, specifying which weapon if the target has more than one weapon. Make a Difficult attack to strike the weapon. If successful, roll damage normally and make a resistance roll vs. the target’s STR. If the roll is successful, the target drops the weapon, taking no damage. Compare the damage rolled to the weapon’s hit points: any in excess are removed from the weapon’s hit points. While a successful Dodge negates a successful disarming attack, a parry of any sort has no effect. If the target suspects a disarm attack, a successful parry avoids it.

Disease

If exposed to a minor disease, such as a bad cold or mild flu, make a Stamina roll to see if the disease is contracted. Success means that it is avoided, while failure means that your character catches the disease. For a minor disease like those above, the extent of the illness should merely cost 1 or 2 hit points and 1D6 fatigue points over a few days. On the morning of the second day your character suffers from a minor disease, roll CON×2. If the roll is successful, your character recovers. If the roll fails, the disease persists for another day. On the morning of the third day, roll CON×3, continuing by increasing the multiplier by the roll until the disease is finally overcome. A fumble reduces the multiplier by ×1.

Your character must rest and be cared for while recuperating from a disease. Strenuous conditions (adventuring, combat, hard travel, etc.) reduce this characteristic roll by ×1 per outstanding condition. Thus, if the recovery roll normally would be CON×5, reduce it to CON×4 if your character is not at home in bed, reduce it to CON×3 if they are hiking in the wilderness, reduce it to CON×2 if engaged in rigorous activity such as combat, and reduce it to CON×1 if suffering from injuries inflicted before or after the disease, another disease, or some other unfortunate medical condition.

Though medical attention may speed recovery from the disease, they must recover naturally by succeeding in the CON roll. Simply receiving medical care does not cure a disease entirely. See the Medicine skill for how treatment affects recovery. Some powers and equipment may help against disease: see Chapter 4: Powers and Chapter 8: Equipment for details.

A major disease such as plague might attack any characteristic, but most diseases attack CON or hit points. Immensely powerful diseases (such as ebola) could even inflict 1 or up to 1D3 hit points per hour, enough to kill an average human in eight hours. Symptoms vary greatly. Lesser diseases might inflict 1 hit point per day, or per week, coupled with loss of characteristic points. Cross-index the number of times your character has failed their CON roll on the Illness Severity Table.

Illness Severity Table

Failures	Degree of Illness
0	None
1	Mild: lose 1 characteristic point per week
2	Acute: lose 1 characteristic point per day
3	Severe: lose 1 characteristic point per hour
4+	Terminal: lose 1 characteristic point per minute

The first characteristic point is lost within 24 hours of initially contracting the disease (failing the first roll). Each successive loss is added to the total whenever the CON roll is made to recover. The type of disease dictates what characteristic points are being lost.

Following are generic disease types, each tied to a single characteristic. The gamemaster is encouraged to develop a list more suitable to the setting of the campaign (or rename these as appropriate). All characteristic loss affects associated attributes (hit points, skill category modifiers, etc.). Reaching 0 in a characteristic usually means death or permanent debilitation (see Characteristics).

• Atrophy: This affects the muscular system, causing a loss of STR.
• Chills: Chills and fever, ruining health and lowering CON.
• Delirium: A feverish state marked by muddled thought and clouded cognition, affecting INT.
• Malaise: Either a supernatural or psychic disease, attacking the POW on the spirit plane, or a simple ennui, causing a lack of will and energy.
• Shakes: A nerve ailment, causing tremors and unsteadiness, affecting DEX.
• Pox: Any disease affecting CHA, usually by deteriorating skin condition, or other visible symptoms. Could also represent general illness, causing regular coughing and/or a sickly appearance.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, some diseases may combine the effects of these and have other effects as well. Long-term chronic disease may also reduce SIZ, as above.

Disengaging

To disengage from a fight while the opponent wishes to continue, try one of these courses of action:

• Succeed in a knockback attack and then make a successful Dodge. This method does not allow any further attacks on your character and removes them from close combat.
• Make a fighting withdrawal, taking no attack actions, but only dodges, parries, and movement away. If your character is successful in all dodges and/or parries made during this combat round, they have successfully disengaged and may move their full movement rate away from the battle. If any of these rolls fail, they are still engaged in combat.
• Turning and running, leaving the disengaging character open and defenseless while doing so. Any opponent(s) may attempt an immediate Difficult attack against the fleeing character which cannot be parried or Dodged, regardless of their DEX strike rank or available actions.

Drawing or Exchanging a Weapon

A sheathed weapon is not instantly ready for use. If your character enters combat with no weapon drawn or loses a weapon in combat (or has it broken), to draw or ready another weapon takes 5 DEX ranks, or 10 DEX ranks to put one weapon away and draw another. Your character may instead merely drop the weapon they currently hold (costing 0 DEX ranks) and draw another (for 5 DEX ranks). However, if your character has 101%+ skill with their weapon, they can draw or sheathe it at a 0 DEX rank cost.

Enclosed Environments

Generally, your character needs a radius of at least one meter of free space to fight comfortably with a hand-to-hand weapon. If your character has less room than that, any attacks with a hand-to-hand weapon larger than SIZ/ENC 1.5 are Difficult, and larger than SIZ/ENC 2.5+ might be Impossible. If your character has less than a half-meter radius around them, all weapon attacks with hand-to-hand or ranged weapons of SIZ/ENC 1 are Difficult. Using a SIZ 0 hand-to-hand or ranged weapon, they are not inconvenienced.

Entangling

The special entangle weapon effect is described fully on page 129, but an entangle can also be attempted by an attacker armed with a suitable weapon, declaring it as their intention. Any weapons with the entangle special effect can be used to make entangle attacks, and the gamemaster may allow other weapons to entangle if used in that fashion (such as a spiked weapon catching someone’s garments). Attempting an entangle is Difficult and if successful, it does no damage, but the target is entangled as with the special success.

Explosions

An explosion inflicts a combination of shock and projectile damage upon any caught within its blast range. The gamemaster should determine the power of the blast (damage dice) and its radius of effect in meters (range). A good rule of thumb is two meters per D6 of damage. The damage from explosions decreases from the epicenter to the perimeter of the blast radius. Typical damage dice for explosives are D6s; reduce the damage dice by –1D6 for every two meters away from the epicenter.

For example, a stick of dynamite does 5D6 damage at the center of explosion to the first two meters, 4D6 at three to four meters, 3D6 at five to six meters, 2D6 for seven to eight meters, 1D6 for nine to ten meters, and no damage outside of the 10-meter radius.

To determine how much damage anyone caught in the blast radius suffers, determine how far from the epicenter they are and roll damage as appropriate. Damage from most explosives is general, and not applied to any specific hit location. If using hit locations, divide the damage among 1D4 hit locations, rolled randomly. A character in the blast radius of an explosion may also suffer the effects of the knockback special success.

Use of the Demolition skill can adjust the strength of an explosive charge, increasing the damage and radius by as much as +50%, or cutting the charge to decrease the damage and radius by half.

Extended Range

Using a missile weapon, your character may attempt to hit a target well beyond the base range. Within a weapon’s base range, the skill rating is unmodified. At medium range (double the basic range), it becomes Difficult, and at long range (four times basic range) it becomes 1/5 the normal skill chance (equal to the chance of a special success, though the result is a normal hit).

The rules for point blank range still apply: missile attacks are Easy at a target less than DEX/3 in meters.

Small hand-propelled weapons such as the throwing knife and the throwing axe have no chance to hit beyond double base range.

Falling

Your character may end up falling, either from cliffs, into pits, thrown from riding animals, or through a failed Climb roll. A falling character takes 1D6 base damage for every three meters fallen. If thrown with considerable force, the dice rolled may be doubled.

A small character takes less damage when they fall—if SIZ is 5 or less, reduce the damage from falling by 1D6. Unfortunately, large characters take additional damage from falls, adding an extra 1D6 damage if the character’s SIZ is over 20 and another 1D6 for every fraction of 20 after that. This is cumulative with the modifier for force, described above.

If hit locations are used, a fall does damage to 1D4 hit locations, but a falling character making a successful Jump roll can specify on which hit location they land. The entire damage done by the fall applies both to the rolled hit location and to the falling character’s total hit points. This is an exception to the rule that a limb may take only twice its hit points in damage.

The gamemaster may adjust the damage based on the surface impacted, or any intervening minor obstacles like branches. Armor provides half protection against falling damage up to three meters. Powers that protect against kinetic damage can lower falling damage.

If landing on a stake or other pointed object at the end of a fall, the falling damage is rolled separately than the damage from the stake. Normal stake damage is 1D10+1, with the chance of hitting determined by the gamemaster when setting up the trap. Based on circumstances, a falling character must make a successful Spot roll (if unaware of the hazard) before they may attempt a Dodge roll to avoid a stake.

Fighting While Down

If your character has tripped or fallen, or has been knocked down, they are prone. Generally, a character knocked back and down in hand-to-hand combat falls backwards and lands on their back, but if struck from behind, tripping, or collapsing from injury causes the character to fall forward. A prone character’s attacks, parries, and Dodges are Difficult, while any attacks directed at them are Easy.

A prone character gets no damage modifier while down and cannot attack with a two-handed weapon. A prone character can parry or Dodge, though actions are Difficult. If attacked, a successful Difficult Dodge roll gets the character back on their feet without being hit and allows an attack action in the combat round if the DEX rank permits. Alternatively, a successful Dodge and Agility roll (both unmodified) on their DEX rank gets the character on their feet, unscathed, but takes the place of an attack action in that combat round. See also Superior/Inferior Positions.

Fire and Heat

Your character may take damage if exposed to fire or intense heat. At the end of the combat round on DEX rank 1, fire or intense heat damages any character it touched during that round.

• Tiny flames equivalent to a candle or lantern inflict 1 damage per full combat round they are directly exposed to it.
• A hand-held torch does 1D6 damage per full combat round if held against a target. A target who is clothed but unarmored may attempt a Luck roll each combat round to prevent being set aflame. If successful, they are not set on fire. Failure means their clothing and/or hair starts burning, doing 1D6 damage per combat round until extinguished. This damage also applies to any fire the size and intensity of a small campfire.
• A large bonfire or equivalent in size to a bonfire inflicts 1D6+2 damage per combat round. An exposed character’s hair and clothing may catch fire as well. A successful POW×1 roll avoids this.
• Being caught in a fiery boat or house can cause 2D6 damage per combat round in addition to the force of any explosion. If exposed to these conditions, see Choking, Drowning, and Asphyxiation.
• Intense fires are those too hot to approach closely, doing 3D6 damage per combat round of exposure. This is the equivalent of molten metal or lava, a jet or rocket engine, or the heat inside of a furnace. This heat automatically sets a character aflame for 1D6 additional damage per combat turn after the initial round.

Armor and/or powers that offer protection subtract their armor value from this fire damage for one combat round. The gamemaster may choose to adjust this based on circumstances, such as fleeting contact, being wet, etc. Conventional armor’s protection lasts 1D3 rounds, and when it ends, the armor does not protect the character any longer. Fire-retardant gear, such as worn by firefighters, only loses its protection if exposure is extreme or prolonged. Improvised methods of defense (get under a wet blanket, etc.) may have some effect. Random armor value protects a character from fire damage for up to 1D6 points of armor protection, no matter what type of armor.

Equipment can be damaged by fire. Every round fully exposed to open flame reduces non-metal armor value by at least 1 point. Metal weapons and armor are not destroyed by fire unless left in the flames for several full turns, but they may become too hot to use, or their non-metal portions may be damaged, causing inconvenience. At the gamemaster’s discretion, firearms may even have their ammunition set off by the heat and fire, calling for Luck rolls for nearby characters to avoid being hit.

A character who takes more than 1/4 their total hit points (round up) in burn damage must make a successful Luck roll. Failure costs the character 1D4 characteristic points. The gamemaster should roll for the loss and determine which characteristics are affected, but at least 1 of these points must be from CHA.

Hit locations may determine where fire affects a character. In these cases, the quantity of hit locations affected derives from the size of the fire, at the gamemaster’s discretion.

For example, a torch affects only one hit location, but if caught inside a raging house fire, all their hit locations are affected.

Extinguishing a fire is not difficult, one can easily be smothered with a cloak, dirt, water, fire extinguisher, etc. It takes one combat round to attempt to extinguish a small fire, longer for larger fires. If there is any chance of failure, a Luck roll extinguishes it. Failure means that the fire continues to burn, while a fumble means that the character extinguishing the fire has inadvertently set themselves aflame.

If attempting to burn or melt an inanimate object, the gamemaster should determine how many points of damage per combat round it takes to destroy it, using the substance and relative size as guidelines. A book might be ignited with only 1 point of fire damage per round, while a steel sword might take 50 points or more of flame damage per combat round to melt.

Firing Into Combat

Combat is a blur of action, complicated when some combatants use hand-to-hand weapons while others use missiles. Firing a missile weapon into combat is modified by –20%, while firing a missile weapon while engaged in combat is Difficult. However, if the attacker and the target are both within close combat range, the attack is Easy (for Point-blank Range), so the Difficult and Easy modifiers cancel one another.

In situations where your character must fire a missile weapon into (or within) close combat, it is a challenge to avoid accidentally hitting an ally. If your character rolls a number between their skill rating and their modified chance (–20%, as above) while shooting into hand-to-hand combat, the gamemaster should randomly determine which of the other potential targets was struck, by having all potential targets make a Luck roll and choosing the biggest failure (or most marginal success) as the unlucky target of the attack. In any case, the attacker is not eligible for an experience check, as they have technically missed what they aimed at.

If your character is using a missile weapon on a mass of targets and doesn’t care who they hit, the skill ranking is increased by +5% for every extra body shot at if the potential targets are standing closely. The gamemaster should select which target in the group of combatants is struck, using the system described above. If targets are approaching in a loose skirmish line, the attacker must pick one target and attack as per normal. If targets are packed into a dense cluster (a spear wall, for example), the attacker may fire at the massed troops with the +5% per potential target skill rating modifier.

Fortified Positions

If your character is standing or kneeling to fight, or even observing, from behind some sort of fortified position such as a stone wall or other sturdy defensive bulwark, any attacks against them are Difficult. This can be overcome through aiming (see Aimed Attacks). A defender who crouches or kneels entirely behind a suitable defensive structure cannot be hit by small missile fire, though they could potentially be vulnerable to siege weapons, explosions, or attacks involving an area of effect. The gamemaster should determine whether such an attack can potentially injure your character.

Improvised Parrying Weapons

Most missile weapons can be used to parry if the need arises, aside from those too small to make much of a resistance, such as slings, throwing darts, or handguns. Weapons in Chapter 8: Equipment that are SIZ/ENC 0 cannot be used to parry effectively—they are either too soft and pliable, or too unsubstantial and small to present adequate resistance to attack. In most cases, an improvised parrying weapon loses 1 hit point each time it successfully parries an attack. When consulting the Attack and Defense Matrix, assume that improvised weapons always suffer at least 1 point of damage if successfully used to parry. Exceptions exist, such as a steel item used to parry a wooden club or an unarmed attack, at the gamemaster’s discretion.

The base chance to parry with a missile weapon is half of the weapon’s base chance (or 20%, whichever is higher). It is assumed that in a character’s training and experience they have had to use the weapon to parry out of necessity and learned from that. This can vary by the weapon type and the style of training.

For example, basic military training in hand-to-hand combat includes the use of the rifle as an improvised club, including parrying. Hunting rarely requires parrying with a rifle.

If the hit points of a missile weapon used to parry are exceeded by the rolled damage, it takes 1 hit point damage (or more, depending on the quality of the attack and parry).

Improvised Weapons

As weapons and shields can be damaged or even destroyed in combat, characters in combat may attempt to improvise weapons from items found around them. The weapon tables in Chapter 8: Equipment provide suggested statistics for a variety of improvised weapons, based on sizes.

Knockback

The impact of a weapon can do more than damage a target. A sufficiently powerful blow can send a target staggering backward. This is called a knockback. If an attack is designated as a knockback attempt, the final amount of damage done is compared vs. the target’s SIZ in a resistance roll. If the target loses, they are knocked back by one meter per 5 points of damage in excess of their SIZ. In addition to any damage taken, they must make a successful Agility roll to remain standing. If an attack achieves the knockback special success. The gamemaster may lower the chance of the resistance roll to reflect unevenness of ground, slope, or previous degree of damage already taken, or if the character is already in midair, such as flying.

If the targeted character is riding or on a vehicle, they should attempt a Drive, Pilot, or Ride roll, as appropriate. If successful, the SIZ of the mount or vehicle is added to their own SIZ. If unsuccessful, the knockback is figured only against the character’s SIZ, and they can be knocked off their animal or vehicle, though the gamemaster may adjust this based on elements such as harness, seatbelts, cockpit configuration, etc.

An attacker can specify that their attack came from directly above the target, driving the target into the ground. In this case, the target is not knocked back, but must make an Agility roll to remain standing. If this roll fails, they fall Prone. Generally falling from a standing position does not incur damage, but if the distance is greater, use the rules for Falling.

In a setting where knockbacks are common, such as with superheroes or powerful martial artists, the gamemaster may announce that any successful blow has the potential for a knockback, regardless of whether it does damage to the target. In this case, the knockback threshold may be lower, such as 1/2 the target’s SIZ, to increase its frequency.

Knockout Attacks

Knockout attacks only work against humans and humanoids, or other living beings with clearly defined heads. To render a target unconscious, declare your character’s intent at the beginning of the round. A Difficult attack roll is made as if targeting a particular body part (such as the head). The attack is non-lethal and is not intended to do damage, though damage is rolled to determine the potential for a knockout. Armor defends normally in all cases. If the damage is equivalent to a minor wound, the original damage rolled is ignored and the target is dealt the minimum damage for the weapon (after armor) but is not knocked out. If the attack is successful and the rolled damage is equivalent to a major wound (after armor), the target takes 1 damage and is knocked out for 1D10+10 rounds (the gamemaster rolls secretly for this).

The effects of special or critical successes (such as extra damage or bypassing armor) apply in all cases, while other special effects (slashing damage, knockback, etc.) do not apply to knockout attempts.

Light Sources

Candles, torches, lanterns, flashlights, and other equipment provide portable sources of light, and give enough light by which to read and to use Search or Spot skills. Torches and lanterns provide visibility (and are visible) from 100 meters away in darkness. At 100 meters, your character must succeed with a Spot roll to see a candle or equivalent light source. Other light sources can range from much higher than these extremes, or fall somewhere between (see Darkness).

A candle flickers, is easy to drop, and is easy to blow out, less so if in a lantern. A long wax candle burns for approximately six hours; a short, pouch-sized candle burns for two hours. A torch gives a large, bright flame, and is difficult to blow out. A torch burns for approximately one hour. Oil lamps or lanterns usually contain enough light for several hours. If dropped, any flaming light source keeps burning with a successful Luck roll and might present a danger in combat (see Fire and Heat). If a light source must be used with care (an oil lamp, etc.), applicable skills are Difficult.

Many powers can provide light (see their entries in Chapter 4: Powers).

Mass Combat

Sometimes your character may become part of a mass combat, a tactical engagement consisting of far more participants than the number of player characters. If your gamemaster wishes to simulate a mass combat where there is an uncertain outcome, this can be handled via a series of opposed Strategy rolls on the part of the opposite sides; a series of resistance rolls with each side represented with a POT value assigned by the GM; or even a symbolic abstract combat between two representative combatants whose hit points reflect troop size.

Usually, the gamemaster has already decided the outcome of a mass combat and is including the engagement as a dramatic element, giving your character a chance to participate in the struggle at whatever level is appropriate, from the battlefield itself, the war room back in the capitol city, or even on the bridge of a massive vehicle.

In these cases, the gamemaster should describe the battle through narrative, summarizing the high points as appropriate, and allow for scenes where the player characters can participate in one or more smaller engagements. In cases where your characters are immersed in combat, every involved character must make a Luck roll each turn (five minutes). Success means that no damage is taken. Failure means that 1D6 points of damage are taken. A fumble means that 2D6 points of damage are taken. Armor reduces this damage.

Missile Fire While Moving

Your character can attempt missile fire while riding, driving, or piloting a moving mount or vehicle, but any appropriate combat skill is limited to the skill rating for the mount or vehicle they are directing. Attacking while running is limited to your character’s Agility roll, or attacks during a midair leap can use the Jump skill as a cap. The gamemaster should determine whether an attack is possible or simply outside the range of possibility. Some settings err on the side of over-the-top action (see Variant Combat Rules).

Moving and throwing a hand-propelled weapon (spear, axe, knife, rock, etc.) or a firearm directly ahead can be attempted at the normal skill rating. Moving and throwing or firing sideways makes the attack Difficult due to the distraction of moving in a direction other than the one being targeted. Bows are easier to fire sideways and are not penalized. Attacks directly behind a mobile character are at 1/5 normal skill rating (equivalent to a special success), and require an Agility, Ride, or Drive roll, as appropriate, to attempt. As noted in Chapter 6: Combat, your character can move for half of a combat round, and then throw, fire, or shoot a bow in the other half, at the appropriate DEX rank.

Mounted Combat

Combat while mounted is similar to combat on foot, though several conditions modify the experience for all involved parties. If the mount is a motorcycle or equivalent vehicle, the Drive skill should be substituted for the Ride skill. Following are modifiers to combat involving mounts:

• While mounted, the rider’s combat skill ratings are limited to the skill rating of their Ride skill.
• Some types of weapons cannot be used while mounted, such as two-handed polearms and/or large shields.
• While mounted, any Dodges the rider attempts are Difficult.
• A mounted character uses the mount’s MOV for any movement in the round, assuming they make a successful Ride roll.
• A mounted character is in a Superior Position to targets on the ground.
• A successful knockback attack dismounts a mounted target, as does a major wound. The gamemaster may decide that other special successes (such as entangling) also may cause involuntary dismounting.
• When falling from a mount, the rider must make a successful Luck roll or take 1D6 damage (to a random hit location, if used). Armor protects normally, but if the Luck roll is fumbled, they are caught on their saddle and dragged for another 1D3 per combat rounds, taking damage each round, until freeing themselves with a Difficult Agility roll. In either case, the character must make a successful Stamina roll or be stunned for the next combat round (see Stunning or Subduing).
• A rider must dismount to retrieve a fumbled or dropped weapon. A dismount is a free action, though getting mounted again counts as a partial movement action.
• Charge attacks take place at the end of a full movement. When charging and wielding a weapon, your character should use the damage modifier for the mount instead of their own. Usually, a charge attack requires a successful Ride (or Drive) skill roll to maneuver the mount in the correct direction.

One means of defense against a mounted charge is a lance, spear, pike, or similar weapon, wielded with the haft set firmly (seated) in the ground, making it immobile against a charge. The attack is rolled as normal, and if successful, the charging mount’s own damage modifier is added to the damage of the set weapon. To avoid a set weapon, the rider must abort any combat action and make a Ride (or Drive) roll to avoid being hit. If the mount is intelligent and does not wish to run onto a seated weapon, it may use its own Dodge skill in defiance of the mounted character’s wishes. A rider may need to make a successful Ride roll and succeed in a POW vs. POW resistance roll to spur a mount to injure itself. Failure of either of these means that the mount will Dodge or balk at any further action for the remainder of the round.

If hit locations are used, the gamemaster may choose to make certain hit locations inaccessible between a mounted and unmounted opponent, depending on the weapons being used. For an unmounted character, small hand weapons may not be able to reach the mounted target’s head, while long weapons have no such limitation. If appropriate, reroll any results of ‘head’ on the hit location roll. A mounted character equipped with a medium-sized hand weapon may be unable to strike the lower abdomen or legs of an unmounted character. If appropriate, a mounted character attacking an unmounted character rolls 1D10+10 for hit locations.

Additionally, based on the position of the mounted character and the unmounted character, certain hit locations (right/left) may be inaccessible. The gamemaster should assume that these attacks struck the mount instead. Two mounted characters fighting only have the right/ left limitation and are otherwise fully able to attack one another.

Natural Weapons

Natural weapons are part of the body of the attacker.

For example, a human’s fist and foot are their natural weapons, and your character can use hands and even legs to Grapple an opponent.

Most other creatures have natural weapons such as claws, fangs, prehensile tails, stings, and horns. Some even have natural missile weapons. As described in Chapter 11: Creatures, most creatures so equipped do 1D6 damage with claws and 1D3 damage with a bite or horn, plus damage modifier.

Your character can use their natural weapons the way they can use normal weapons, attacking and parrying a target. If hit locations are being used, the hit points for the fist parry are your character’s hit points in the arm hit location and everything surpassing the arm’s armor points goes directly to your character’s arm location hit points and their total hit points.

Most creatures with natural weapons such as claws, stings, etc. use them just as a human would use a weapon, with the same DEX ranks and same options such as grapples and Dodges. Few wild animals know to parry attacks, as it is not a natural tactic. The gamemaster should decide if a creature tries to parry or Dodge, based on the animal’s relative INT, DEX, and its mode of combat.

Point-blank Range

Your character’s chance to hit with a missile weapon is Easy when the range to the target is less than or equal to their DEX/3 in meters. Once the range between attacker and target is within touching distance (one meter for most weapons, two meters for polearms, spears, etc.), combat changes to hand-to-hand. Some weapons (bows, thrown weapons, etc.) are useless at hand-to-hand range, becoming Difficult, while some weapons (firearms, energy weapons, crossbows, etc.) are Easy at point blank range.

At point-blank range, parries against missile weapons are allowed, as a defender can now attempt to block an arm pointing at them or otherwise misdirect a missile weapon.

Poisons

All poisons have a potency value (POT) matched against the CON of a poisoned character. If the poison overcomes your character’s CON, then its full POT is done as damage to hit points. If the poison does not overcome the character’s CON, it has a lessened effect—usually only doing half the poison’s POT in damage (round up). See Chapter 8: Equipment for sample poisons.

Poison damage is always damage to total hit points or to a characteristic. Poison damage does not usually occur on the same combat round in which the character is poisoned. The delay before poison damage takes effect depends upon the poison. Unless otherwise specified by the gamemaster, the delay is three combat rounds for fast-acting poisons, or three full turns for slower poisons. Your gamemaster may wish to devise more complex rules involving poison administered to hit locations or onset times for a more granular approach.

If a character takes two doses of a poison, they must make a separate resistance roll versus each one: two doses of a POT 10 poison are not the same as one dose of a POT 20 poison. Some powers or equipment may protect against poison: see Chapter 4: Powers and Chapter 8: Equipment for details.

Poison Antidotes

Almost all poisons have antidotes. All antidotes have a POT rating, just like poisons. If your character takes a poison’s antidote no more than six full turns before being poisoned, the antidote’s POT is subtracted from the poison’s POT before damage is figured. An antidote for one type of poison may give a lessened benefit even when used with a different poison type, at the gamemaster’s discretion.

Prone

Your character is lying on the ground, either willingly or unwillingly prone. The following conditions apply to a prone character (also see the knockback special success):

• All hand-to-hand or medium-range missile attacks against a prone character are Easy.
• All long-range missile attacks against a prone character are Difficult.
• A prone character’s attacks, parries, and Dodges are Difficult.
• Any attacks by a prone character wielding a two-handed hand-to-hand weapon are Difficult.
• A prone character cannot add any positive damage modifier to attacks, though negative damage modifiers still apply.
• A prone character can utilize missile weapons such as firearms, crossbows, or energy weapons at their full skill rating. Some archery styles allow for prone use, even when the archer is on their back. However, some weapons simply cannot be fired effectively while prone, at the gamemaster’s discretion. If in doubt, attacks should be Difficult.

The gamemaster may allow a modifier of +10% when using firearms or other self-propelled missile weapons while voluntarily prone, to simulate additional stability. This modifier can be applied in addition to any modifiers for scopes, etc.

It takes no roll to get back up after being knocked prone, but this takes the place of an attack, makes all parries and Dodges Difficult, and all attacks against the character while getting up are Easy. A successful Difficult Dodge roll gets a prone character back on their feet on their DEX rank and allows an attack action in the combat round.

Alternately, a combination of successful Dodge and Agility rolls accomplishes the same, avoids the Easy modifier to be attacked, but does not allow an attack action (the Agility roll takes the attack action’s place).

Pulling Blows

It is assumed that any attack is performed with the intent of doing as much damage as possible, but if desired your character can ‘pull’ an attack, choosing to do less damage by striking lightly or by not striking vital body parts. During the statement of intent, you must declare that your character is intentionally pulling their blow to do less damage. Your character can add less of their damage modifier, or none of it, and they can roll smaller dice for the weapon damage, to a minimum of 1D2, but any + to the weapon’s damage dice remains unchanged.

If a weapon does multiple dice of damage, you can choose to reduce all of the dice of damage, or roll fewer dice, but you cannot split the dice and apply different reductions.

For example, a shotgun that does 4D6 in damage can have the damage reduced to 4D4, 4D3, or 4D2, or it can be reduced to 3D6, 2D6, or 1D6.

If there is a question about reducing the value of dice, their order is, from smallest to largest: D2, D3, D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, to D20.

Quickdraws

In a contest of who can draw their weapon and attack faster, whether with revolvers or katanas, each participant must hold their action to a later DEX rank as the gamemaster counts them down. When one of the characters chooses to act, the other must make an Easy Spot skill roll to notice the intention to attack. If the Spot skill roll fails, the character who opts to attack first can make an attack against the other character which they cannot Dodge or parry. If the Spot roll is successful, make a DEX vs. DEX resistance roll. The winner can attack first, and if still able, the other can retaliate on their next available DEX rank.

After the initial exchange of attacks, combat then begins as normal, using regular DEX ranks and attack skill ratings, allowing for Dodges and parries. Dodging or parrying subsequent attacks is Difficult, making quick-draws extremely dangerous to all participants.

Larger numbers of characters can participate in a quick-draw contest, using the above guidelines.

Radiation

Exposure to radiation or radioactive materials is usually harmful to living beings. The effect of radiation poisoning (acute radiation syndrome) is the equivalent of both poison and direct burns. Though radiation’s intensity is measured in rads, here it is classified as low-intensity through fatal-intensity (see chart below) with associated potencies. The gamemaster should assign a potency (POT) to each exposure for use in a resistance roll. If your character is exposed to radiation, they must make a resistance roll using CON vs. the radiation’s POT. Success means that your character avoids the effects for the period listed. The Radiation Effects Table (below) provides guidelines for different POT levels of radiation.

Acute radiation syndrome is quite deadly. There are few means of reducing exposure to radiation in the modern world. First Aid is useless against radiation, and the Medicine skill can do little to stave off its effects. Various powers and equipment may protect against the effects of radiation: see Chapter 4: Powers and *Chapter 8: Equipment *for details, and more futuristic settings may have means of dealing with through chemical or technological means.

The above treatment of radiation is based on a normal power level model of its horrific effects. The superhero and post-apocalyptic genres often have radiation as a source of beneficial mutation; instead of terminal cancers and irradiated tissue, exposure to radiation causes super-powered mutations or dramatically accelerate the evolution of some species. The gamemaster may allow a character a POW×1 (or higher) chance of one of these beneficial mutations from radiation exposure, or radiation exposure may figure into your character’s origin, giving them superpowers.

Radiation Effects Table

Potency	Radiation Intensity	Effects
5	Low	Roll every 30 days. Failure means that your character suffers irritations such as skin rashes, headache, shedding skin, minor hair loss, mild nausea, diarrhea, etc.
10	Moderate	Roll every week. Failure means that your character suffers a bout of incapacitating illness (cannot rise from bed, tremors, shaking, etc.) that lasts 2D10 hours, in addition to the above symptoms. Two failures in a row mean that your character has developed cancer (gamemaster’s discretion).
15	Medium	Roll every day. Failure means that your character suffers a bout of incapacitating illness lasting 2D10 days, cumulative with other failed rolls. Your character also suffers 1 damage, in addition to suffering from one or more heightened symptoms of low-intensity radiation, described above. Failing this roll twice in a row inflicts 1D10 days of temporary blindness on your character. Failing this roll three times in a row means that your character has developed cancer, at the gamemaster’s discretion. Other characters coming into close contact with your irradiated character are at risk for low-intensity radiation (see above).
20	High	Roll every hour. Failure means incapacitating illness as above, cumulative. Your character suffers 1D3 damage as above, as well as other symptoms. Blindness is automatic if the roll fails. If blindness continues for ten consecutive days, it becomes permanent. A character failing a roll of CON×1 becomes permanently sterile. Two failures of this roll indicate terminal cancer. Other characters coming into close contact with your character are at risk for moderate-intensity contamination (see above).
25	Acute	Roll every minute. Failure equals all the above symptoms. Blindness and sterility are immediate. Burn damage is 1D6 points per turn, and your character inevitably dies in CON/2 hours unless provided with suitable medical assistance. All physical skills are Difficult and require a successful Difficult Stamina roll to attempt. Your character’s corpse presents a health risk to others, exuding medium-intensity radiation.
30+	Fatal	Roll every combat round. Failure equals all the above symptoms. Burn damage is 1D4 points per combat round. Movement or action is impossible. Your character is wracked with excruciating pain until their death in 1D3 combat rounds. Your character’s corpse is highly irradiated to a value equal to ½ the radiation’s potency (round up).

Shields and Missile Fire

As described in Chapter 6: Combat, while used in hand-to-hand combat a half or small shield has a base 15% chance to block a missile, a full shield has a 30% chance to block a missile, and a large shield has a 60% chance. If your character kneels behind it, a full shield has a 60% chance to block a missile, and a large shield has a 90% chance. Only successes are blocked; special successes and critical hits are assumed to strike their intended targets. If your character is trying to parry a very fast missile weapon, such as an energy weapon or firearm, they have only the shield’s base chance as the chance of success.

Shooting Up or Down

If firing a missile weapon at a target or an angle more than 45°, the attack is Difficult. Effective and maximum ranges are halved for a target directly overhead, but are not affected for targets at the 45° angle or greater, up to 90° (directly overhead). The gamemaster should arbitrate whether a target is directly overhead or at an angle.

Attempts to fire up at a target are at –10% to the skill rating. Attacks made at an opponent that is significantly below the attacker’s normal line of sight are at a +10% bonus to the skill rating, with no modifiers to range. Damage is unaffected in either case.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, some weapons might be less able to fire directly above or below, such as slings or crossbows. If the nature of the weapon makes firing at these angles problematic, these attacks are Difficult.

Slippery or Unstable Surfaces

If your character is fighting or taking sudden action on a slippery or otherwise uneven surface, they may run the risk of slipping. Make a successful Agility roll to keep from slipping. If the surface is especially slick (oily, in an earthquake, etc.), the roll may be Difficult. Failure means your character falls prone or is unsteady enough to take any action other than trying to stay upright. If your character fumbles on this roll, they may suffer 1D3 damage, based on the surface. Alternately, use the Natural Weapon Fumbles Table. See Fighting While Down for additional information.

Stunning or Subduing

Your character may wish to subdue an opponent rather than killing them outright. Being stunned is a dizzying, disorienting experience, as stars dance in the target’s eyes and their head swims from the pain of the sudden blow. A stunned target cannot attack while stunned and can only attempt to Dodge or parry an attack if they make a successful Idea roll for each attempt. Furthermore, all attacks against the target are Easy. The stunned target can attempt to flee, but to do so requires a successful Idea roll to discern an escape path and a successful Agility roll to stagger out of danger.

Stun or subdue a character using one of these methods:

• Use the crushing special effect described in Chapter 6: Combat.
• Use a weapon or blunt object to stun a target (see Knockout Attack).
• Use a weapon designed to stun (or knock out) an opponent rather than injuring them. First make a normal targeted attack. On a successful attack, roll the weapon’s normal damage, subtracting armor, and make a resistance roll vs. the target’s current hit points. If successful, the target is stunned for rounds equal to the points of damage rolled. A critical result causes it to do maximum rolled damage plus normal rolled damage. If a stun weapon achieves a special result, count the weapon’s maximum damage instead of rolling. If the attack fails, the target takes no damage and is not stunned. The stunned target only suffers the minimum rollable damage for the weapon. If the originally rolled damage would reduce the target to 1 or 2 hit points, the target is knocked out rather than stunned. If it reduces them to 0 hit points, they may die from a concussion unless receiving medical attention.
• A target can be immobilized with the Grapple skill or use of a weapon with the entangle special effect.

Armor protects against stunning damage unless the attack is specifically targeted at an unarmored head. Energy or other weapons that do stunning damage ignore primitive, ancient, and medieval armor entirely, though the gamemaster may rule that electricity-based stunning weapons are at full effect vs. targets in metallic armor. Advanced armor is usually insulated against energy-based stunning weapons and works at full strength against them.

Superior/Inferior Positions

If your character is standing at least half-again higher (or more) than their target, they are to have a superior position, an advantage over their opponent.

For example, for most human opponents, superior ground means standing higher than an opponent by one meter or more.

Standing higher than an opponent’s height negates this advantage unless the attacker is armed with a long weapon such as a spear or polearm.

A character in a superior position modifies their attack and parry chances by +10%. If hit locations are being used, add +1 to the D20 hit location roll. Rolls over 20 are equal to 20. There are no penalties for being in an inferior position, as the tactical advantage given to the character in the superior position are enough of a disadvantage. The superior position bonus does not apply if the character in the inferior position is equipped with a long weapon and the character in the superior position is not. If both are equipped with weapons of roughly the same size, the advantages are applied as described above.

As noted in Mounted Combat, a mounted character has a superior position to a character on foot, and gains the advantages listed here.

Superior Numbers

In a situation with many combatants, attackers and defenders alike may be at a disadvantage. Ordinarily, no more than five characters using hand-to-hand weapons can surround a single character and all have room to attack. In close quarters, there might be room only for two characters at a time to attack if both are equipped with large weapons, while eight characters with long spears might be able to thrust at a surrounded defender.

The gamemaster should evaluate the number of attackers and defenders, examine the terrain or environment, and consider the weapons used when determining how many characters can attack a single target in a round. Any remaining characters are crowded out and are unable to attack but may perform other actions, if desired. This assumes human-sized characters: the gamemaster may adjust these numbers for larger or smaller characters.

Sweep Attacks

A giant opponent or a character attacking with a massive or long weapon may attempt a sweep attack, a horizontal swing across a large area to potentially strike multiple foes. Such an attack has a high chance of succeeding but does less damage than a normal attack. A sweep attack made with an appropriate weapon against a character standing in the target area is Easy, but damage is halved (round up). A creature with a natural sweep attack should use the skill rating and damage listed in its description, unmodified.

To avoid a sweep attack, your character cannot Dodge, but must instead use the Jump skill to get out of the way. Parrying a sweep attack is possible, though the parrying character must also make a resistance roll of their STR vs. the attack’s damage (before being halved). Failing means they are struck, while a successful parry stops the sweep, sparing other potential targets in the sweep’s path.

A successful attack with a sweep attack using a non-edged weapon potentially causes a knockback effect for anyone struck (see Knockback). Knockbacks are rolled for each character in the range of the sweep attack’s effect, from the first struck to the last. If one character successfully resists being knocked back, none of the remaining characters are affected.

Sweep attacks can only cause crushing, knockback, or slashing special successes, as appropriate. Impales and entangles are not generally the result of a sweep. If an impale or entangle special success is rolled, the gamemaster can either substitute the result with a crushing, knockback, or slashing special success as appropriate, or consider it a normal success.

Thrown Weapons

Generally, weapons are usually crafted for hand-to-hand combat or for throwing, rarely both. However, in the excitement of combat, sometimes it becomes necessary to throw a weapon not meant to be thrown, or to use a thrown weapon in close combat. A few weapons, like the hatchet and javelin, are equally useful in both circumstances. When using thrown weapons, your character’s damage modifier is halved (round up). If your character has multiple dice of damage modifier, each is halved, rather than the number of dice being halved.

Weapons meant for throwing are usually flimsier than hand-to-hand weapons and not always balanced for hand-to-hand combat. If your character is forced into close combat wielding a throwing weapon they do not have an hand-to-hand weapon skill for, attacks with that weapon are Difficult.

Two Weapons

Your character can use two hand-to-hand (or small missile) weapons at the same time, rather than one weapon or one weapon and a shield. The weapons do not need to be of the same type, or class. For example, your character can fight with a dagger in each hand, or a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. There is no advantage to handedness. Fighting with two weapons simultaneously has the following conditions:

• Using two weapons in combat does not automatically grant a second attack, or more parries than are normally allowed.
• If your character has a skill of 100% or more in each weapon used, they can split the attack as per the optional rules for skills over 100%. In this case, each attack is Difficult, with the other attack for each weapon ignored.

For example, your character has a rapier (with a 102% skill) in her right hand and a dagger (110% in the other) in their left hand. If she splits her skill ratings this round and attacks multiple times, her rapier attack is 51% and her dagger attack is 55%. The second rapier attack and the second dagger attack are ignored, as the dagger attack takes the place of the second rapier attack.

• If a second attack is allowed, it occurs 5 DEX ranks after the initial attack.
• Attacks with the secondary hand are Difficult if your character is not trained in the use of fighting using that hand (see below).
• If the weapon is traditionally used in the secondary hand (such as a parrying dagger or shield), or your character has a skill of 100% or more with the weapon, they do not suffer this penalty.
• A primary advantage to fighting with two weapons is that your character is not defenseless if they lose one weapon due to breakage or a fumble.
• Fighting with one ranged and one hand-to-hand weapon allows your character the advantage of being able to switch between both modes. See Firing into Combat and Point-Blank Range.
• A second weapon does not always have to be a weapon and can be a tool or other useful implement.

For example, your character may fight with a sword in one hand and a torch in the other, using the torch for light and as a potential club. The gamemaster may require Luck rolls if the secondary item is fragile or potentially hazardous (like an oil-filled lantern).

For a quick rule of thumb, if your character has a DEX 15 or less, they are either right or left-handed. If your character has a DEX 16 or more, they can be ambidextrous if they choose. If handedness has not been established prior and is a concern, the gamemaster may ask you to make a Luck roll. A special success allows your character to be ambidextrous. Success lets you pick, while failure should be determined with a D6 roll (1–3=right, 4–6=left). Once handedness has been determined, you should note it on your character sheet for future reference.

Underwater Combat

There are few places where humans are less suited for combat, but sometimes fighting while submerged is unavoidable. If your character does not have equipment or some power to prevent drowning, see Choking, Drowning, and Asphyxiation.

Many weapons are next-to-useless underwater, such as those that do crushing or knockback damage. The effects of others are lessened considerably, and some (like firearms or energy weapons) may not function at all if submerged. The following conditions affect underwater combat:

• A swimming character must succeed in a Swim skill roll each turn to maneuver into position to make an attack. If standing on a surface, this roll is not required.
• A weapon that does anything other than impaling damage does only half damage (round up) while underwater.
• Being underwater counts as having an additional 3 points of armor against any non-impaling weapons.
• While underwater, all attacks, parries, and Dodges are limited to the attacker’s Swim skill, unless they are in close combat, grappling, and/or using a piercing weapon of SIZ 0 or 1.
• Parrying with a shield while underwater is Impossible.
• Fighting underwater costs double the normal fatigue points per combat round.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, someone acclimated to an underwater environment (merfolk or all aquatic animals, for example) suffers none of the above conditions.

Vacuum

If your character is exposed to vacuum without some form of protection, the first course of action is to exhale all air within their lungs to equalize pressure within and outside. If your character does not do this, they take 1D6+2 points of damage per combat round from the collapse of their lungs. If rapidly exposed to vacuum, a character who would know to do this can remember with a successful Idea roll. The gamemaster may also allow a successful Difficult Knowledge roll or an unmodified Science (Astronomy) roll to provide your character with this information.

Additionally, a human being begins to hemorrhage if exposed to vacuum or near-vacuum conditions, suffering 1 damage per round for the first round, then 2 damage at the second round, 4 damage after three full rounds, 8 damage at four full rounds, etc. This may be delayed by one combat round per armor point of a protective suit, at the gamemaster’s discretion.

Additionally, abrupt exposure to vacuum may cause your character’s eardrums to burst (make a Stamina roll to avoid this), and after CON×2 combat rounds in vacuum, their vision begins to become affected, making any rolls involving sight Difficult. Depending on how and where your character was exposed to vacuum, they may also suffer from the effects of extreme cold, extreme heat, or radiation. See those spot rules for more information. Powers and/or equipment are the best solution to mitigate this.

Volley Fire

Volley fire rules apply specifically to thrown/self-propelled weapons. These are almost always launched at the rate of one attack per combat round. However, your character may wish to send as many attacks at an opponent as are possible in the shortest amount of time, either as suppressing fire or to bypass a particularly effective defense.

If your character chooses to throw, fire, or launch weapons as rapidly as possible, use the relevant weapon’s attacks-per-round entry, with the first attack at the normal DEX rank and subsequent attacks happening at 5 DEX rank intervals after. All volley fire attacks are Difficult. If the DEX ranks for any attacks are below 0, your character cannot attack further. Though your character may have enough DEX ranks to attack more than the attacks-per-round, that amount is the limit and all further DEX rank attacks are not used.

For example, if your character with DEX 12 uses volley fire with throwing rocks (which get two attacks-per-round), the first throw will occur on DEX rank 12, and the second will occur on DEX rank 7. Even though there is the potential to attack on DEX rank 2, a thrown rock allows only two attacks-per-round.

Drawbacks to volley fire, however, aside from being Difficult, is that it uses ammunition faster and does not allow the attacker to parry or Dodge while launching volley attacks.

Weapon Length

In combat, there are effectively three distances to consider: close (within arm’s reach), medium (roughly 1–2 meters apart), and long (2+ meters). On the weapon tables, all hand-to-hand weapons include an entry for the weapon’s SIZ/Enc. Generally, the larger the weapon, the more likely the wielder is to get in the first blow, or to hold off an opponent armed with a shorter weapon and prevent them from making their own attack. The longer the weapon, though, the clumsier it is to wield effectively at all ranges (see Closing).

• Use normal DEX ranks for short vs. short, short vs. medium, medium vs. medium, and long vs. long weapons.
• A character armed with a long weapon attacks first against an opponent using a medium or a short weapon, despite their DEX rank. The long-weapon-user attacks at their DEX rank if that is higher, or just before their opponent’s DEX rank (if equal to or of lesser DEX than the opponent).
• A long-weapon-user can attempt to hold off a short-weapon-user, who must make a successful parry or Dodge to bypass their guard. Once the short-weapon-user has slipped inside the guard of the long-weapon-user, attacks against the long-weapon-user are Easy and attacks against the short-weapon user are Difficult. Parries by the long-weapon-user are Difficult.
• To re-establish optimal combat distance and put a potential attacker in danger again, a long-weapon-user can Dodge to disengage and retreat to a distance they can keep the attacker at bay again, or drop their weapon and either Brawl, Grapple, knockback with a shield, or draw and attack with a new medium or short weapon.
• The situation described above is not true of medium versus short weapons, which are not modified and do not require special conditions to maneuver into combat.

Some weapons, such as quarterstaffs, are especially adaptable and may be used to attack at any of the three distances.

Weather Conditions

Weather conditions include any atmospheric effects that may affect characters: wind, cloud cover, and precipitation. Effects from other extremes of weather are covered in Cold, Exposure, Hunger, and Thirst and Fire and Heat.

Wind

Strong winds can affect movement and missile fire (thrown and missile weapons, not firearms or energy weapons), as well as any actions where calm air would be preferable. Movement on foot or mounted is also affected by wind (see Terrain and Weather Modifiers). Consult the type of wind below.

The STR value is assigned by the gamemaster, for STR vs. STR resistance rolls each round for your character to continue to stand upright, and the modifier is applied to any relevant skills (missile weapons, movement skills, etc.) and can be used to adjust the MOV rate. These values represent direct exposure to the full force of the wind and may be less the further from the epicenter or based on partial cover.

• Light to Moderate Wind (STR 0–1): —
• Strong Wind (STR 2–6): –10%
• Severe Wind (STR 7–9): –25%
• Windstorm (STR 10–12): –50%
• Hurricane-force Wind (STR 13–15): –75%
• Tornado-force Wind (STR 16+): –90%

Failure for the resistance roll means that your character falls; potentially taking damage (see Falling).

Cloud Cover

Cloud cover defines the amount of the sky obscured by clouds. The modifier also determines the percentage chance of rain (roll the penalty as a chance, not as a modifier, and see Rain, below). Skills affected by cloud cover include Navigation and Knowledge (Astronomy). This may also modify powers or any conditions requiring direct sunlight. Severe or complete cloud cover may also serve as partial darkness (see Darkness).

• Light to Moderate Cloud Cover: —
• Heavy Cloud Cover: –25%
• Severe Cloud Cover: –50%
• Complete Cloud Cover: –90%

Rain

For days with appropriate weather conditions, if desired, roll D100 each day. If the result is equal to or less than the percentage of sky covered (see Cloud Cover, above), it rains. The amount of precipitation falling equals the D100 roll, in millimeters. Depending on the weather and time of year, the rain may turn to snow, sleet, or hail. The modifier affects all appropriate skills.

• Rain: –10%
• Snow: –25%
• Sleet: –50%
• Hail: –75%

Zero-gravity Combat

If your character is in outer space or an environment with little or no gravity, they must make an Agility roll each round they attempt to perform any combat or Physical activities. Success indicates that your character can perform actions unmodified, while failure on this roll means that all such actions are Difficult.

Additionally, unless your character is braced, any impact they suffer causes the knockback special effect and half of the knockback special effect to the attacker as well, as applicable (see Knockbacks). However, the damage from impacting other objects is reduced by half (round up).

If they have some means of negotiating the environment (gravity shoes, etc.), the Agility roll allows them to be oriented as desired. Failure puts them pointed in the wrong direction, potentially facing away from an opponent, or even upside-down relative to their desired orientation.