Combat Situations

These are special, optional rules that add to combat. You can use them, replace them, or not use them at your option. Some of them are simply special clarifications of other rules.

Bank Shots: It is possible to bank Thrown Attacks off of preliminary targets in order to either hit multiple targets or just to bank the weapon for whatever reason. Treat the banks as multiple opponents. If one bank is required, there is a penalty of 1 to the Combat Bonus Pool. If two banks, the penalty is 2. The Attack Q must be greater than the Defense of each bank.

The weapon must be disc-shaped or ball-shaped. If the weapon does not spring or bounce, the angle of the bank must be 120 degrees or more. If the weapon does not normally return to the user, all banks must be from solid objects.

One bank is executed per segment.

Blocking Shots: Sometimes, heroes want to block an attack that’s intended for a friend or innocent bystander. In order to do this, the hero must be between the attacker and the target on the segment that the attack is performed. In addition, the hero must make a Combat Roll, and Attack must be greater than the intended target’s Defense.

When an attack is blocked, the attack is automatically a Death Shot.

Called Shots: If the attacker wants to hit a specific part of the defender, a Called Shot is required. Called Shots require 3 points of Combat Q for Arms, Legs, or the Head, 4 points for the Neck, and 2 points for the Body.

Careful Attacks:Characters can delay an attack by up to the lowest of Agility or Learning, segments. This grants the delay time (Doubles) as a bonus to the Attack for that attack. If the character takes any VP or DP damage between when the attack should have occured and when it is delayed to, that attack is lost, and a new Combat Roll is required.

Chains: Characters who are chained lose a lot of leverage. For them, the Skin Temper of the chains (be they rope, sheets, or arms) is increased by 5 rows, for purposes of physically breaking out.

Combining Attacks: Often, characters will want to combine their attacks against a single, powerful opponent. In order to combine two attacks, the attackers must all attack on the same segment, all must successfully hit the target, and all must make a Perception roll, modified by Agility.

Only similar attacks (Close Combat, Projectile, or Thrown) can be combined. If the attacks have different Penetrations, use the highest penetration for all of the attacks.

Add the damages of all the combined attacks together, before applying to the target--the combined attacks act as one attack.

Cover Attacks: If a character not in combat takes aim on another character not in combat, the attacker has the defender covered. If the target is within the weapon’s Short Range, the attack is a Death Shot. In half that range, the attack is a Called Shot, no Q required. If the weapon touches the defender, there is a bonus of 5 to the Bonus Pool. Speed for the Cover Attack is divided by 4, round up.

A character can attempt to get an opponent covered without planning on firing. This gives a bonus of 1 to the Combat Pool, but the character cannot fire as a result of this action. Another combat roll will be required to fire the weapon.

Death Shots: Some attacks ignore the target’s VP, and subtract their damage directly from DP. Many Massive Body Attacks fall into this category. If the target is conscious, up to one tenth of the target’s current VP can be used to reduce the DP damage done.

Disorienting Attacks: Some attacks aren’t meant to cause damage, but are meant to disorient the target. Tearing up the road beneath the target, for example. What constitutes a Disorienting Attack is up to the Editor. The target is allowed a Detect Danger perception roll, with a bonus of Agility. If failed, the target loses 2d10 segments to disorientation, treated as surprise.

Flying Smash: Some of the more macho heroes and villains often initiate a combat by charging into their opponent. It’s a fun way to cause damage. Yelling usually adds to the effect.

In game terms, the target is being run over by the attacker. See Moving Objects, under Situations for an explanation. Also, make sure you increase the target’s defense, based on the speed of the attacker.

Both the attacker and the defender take the damage, but the attacker reduces the damage taken by base Hand Damage.

Holding: Most Close Combat weapons can be used to grab or hold, including fists, and especially wrestling. An attempt to Hold (or grab) requires 4 Q points, and must be a Called Shot. Weapons have a penalty vs. Skin Temper of 5 in a hold.

Once a target is held, the holder has the target Covered. See Cover Attacks for an explanation. The target is also treated as Chained. At this point, the attacker can either use the advantages of Cover Attacks in a normal attack, or the attacker can maintain the hold.

If the attacker wishes to maintain the hold, the attacker must continue to attack, (using the advantages of Cover Attacks) but skill with the weapon is not relevant (unless the weapon is Wrestling). The 4 Quality points are not required to maintain the hold.

The target will presumably wish to escape from the hold. Escaping has a performance time of 10. Wrestling Skill is relevant, but not fistfighting or other weapon skills. In order to escape, the target must raise Defense above the holder’s Attack. Held characters who try to attack have their Attack score reduced by the holder’s Attack. Targets who escape do damage to the holder.

Strangling is a special form of holding. This requires that the target be held at the neck. Once the strangle attempt is announced, the attacker roll at least 1 point of DP damage. Actual DP damage is halved again, though, rounding down. Once this requirement is met, the held character can no longer breath, until the holder releases the stranglehold or the target escapes.

A combatant can also attempt to grab an item from an opponent. The Called Shot required is to the arm. The defender is allowed a Perception Roll, with a bonus of Agility (Sphere Chart) and Strength (Sphere Chart). If successful, both combatants have a hold on the item.

Hurried Action: An Action can be moved up as soon as the next segment. The number of segments the action is hurried by are taken from the Attack. If Attack is reduced below zero, the amount that it is below zero is applied as a penalty to all action rolls that follow (as for Surprise).

Injured Limbs: All limbs with DP less than 0 affect the Combat Roll at least indirectly (via the Combat Bonus Pool). The limb that the character uses the weapon with (or the character’s main hand, if fighting with fists) affects the Combat Roll directly, by the amount that the limb’s DP is less than zero. For other limbs, divide the DP by the number of limbs of that type (arms or legs), and subtract that from the Combat Bonus Pool.

Ranges

Type Short Set Maximum Attack

Powers

Beams PR/2 PR/4 PR times 4

Explosions PR/5 PR/10 PR PR

Center PR PR/2 PR times 2

Other Use Range/4 Range/8 Range

Magic

Spell Effect Level/2 Level/4 Spell Range

Ranges: Unless a power or spell description specifies the ranges for the power or spell’s beam attack, use these standard ranges. Round to 1 or 2 digits, as you prefer.

For power beams, Short Range is the PR used for damage, divided by 2. Range Set is the PR divided by 4. Maximum Range is the PR times 4.

For explosions, the Short Range of the explosion is the PR used for damage, divided by 5. The Range Set is the PR divided by 10, and Maximum Range is the PR. The explosion also has a bonus to Attack equal to the PR used for damage.

To target the center of an explosion, the Short Range is the PR used for damage. The Range Set is half this, and the Maximum Range is twice the PR.

For other generic uses of a power, Short Range is the Maximum Range divided by 4. Range Set is half that.

For targeting a spell’s center of effect, the Short Range is the number of levels applied to Spell Range, divided by 2. Range Set is half that, and Maximum Range is the spell’s Range.

Situational Combat Modifiers: There are various modifiers to the Combat Bonus Pool or Defense, due to odd forms of sight, attacking while in motion, or being unable to see the opponent. See the Situational Modifiers table.

Situational Modifiers

Speed in Projectile/Thrown Combat: Check the relative speed of the attacker on the Doubles Chart for the bonus to the defender’s Defense.

Projectile/Beams in Close Combat: There is a bonus or penalty to the Bonus Pool for using certain Projectile Attacks while the opponent is engaging in Close Combat.

Bows: -3 Crossbows: -2

Guns/Pistols: +1 Rifles: -2

Personal Power Beam: +2

Unable to See Opponent: Combatants who cannot see their opponent have a penalty of 6 to their Bonus Pool.

Restrained: Combatants who are restrained have a penalty of 1 to Defense for each of left, right, forward, and back that they cannot move. Fliers also have a penalty of 1 each for up and down, as well.

Modifications for Non-Standard Sight: A combatant who is using a non-standard form of sight will usually have a penalty to their Bonus Pool. Vague Detection covers any form of sighting that only gives a vague idea of where the opponent is. Various Detect spells, such as Detect Life fall into this category.

Infrared Vision: -2 Ultraviolet Vision: no change

Radar: -1 X-Rays: -1

Sonar: -2 Vague Detection: -4

Map Sense: no change

Size Modifiers: Characters, objects, and animals whose size is different from the norm will have modifiers to Attack scores and sensory rolls.

The Size Difference Modifier is found by looking up the shortest dimension (Height or Width) of each of the two combatants on the Doubles Chart, and subtracting.

The smaller character has this as a bonus to Attack in Ranged Combat, or a bonus to Defense in Close Combat.

If a character changes size (using Get Small, or Get Tall, for example), Short Ranges, Maximum Ranges, and Range Sets will be modified. Compare the character’s Height with 1.8 (the average), as above, and add 1. Divide Short Range and Maximum Range by the resulting Size Difference Modifier, if the character is smaller, or multiply if the character is larger. If the character is smaller, this number (Size Modifier plus 1) is the bonus, per Range Set to the target’s Defense (normally, of course, this is 1: Size Modifier of 0). If the character is larger, multiply Range Sets by that number. Note that unless weapons change size, their Ranges won’t change.

Stunned/Paralysed/Unconscious/Immobile Opponents: Opponents who are completely unable to defend will have Defense reduced by 6. This includes inanimate objects. Most attacks against non-defending targets will be Death Shots.

Touch Attacks: Some attacks require that the attacker touch the target. If the attacker hits for DP, touch is automatic. Otherwise, the attacker must pay 4 Combat Quality Points in order to touch the target.

Using Offhand: Using the offhand to wield a weapon gives a penalty of 4 to the Combat Bonus Pool. A right-handed person using the left hand to attack, or a left-handed person using the right hand incurs this penalty. Ambidextrous characters can use both hands equally well.