Combat

When a character engages in combat, they will be generally taking attack actions and defense actions.

How to Attack an Enemy

When a character wants to attack an enemy, they will use their Combat Value + an appropriate skill. In order to determine if this attack is successful, they must roll 2d6 and if the result is less than or equal to the number earlier calculated, the attack is successful. If the roll is greater than said number, it is a failed attack. Every character has 1 attack each round (although the Extra Attacks attribute may change this), which they may use on their turn.

How to Defend against an Attack

When a character is hit by an enemy, they will use their Defense Value + an appropriate skill to defend themselves. In order to determine if the defense is successful, they must roll 2d6 and compare the result to their total. If the result is less than their total, they successfully defend themselves; otherwise, the character fails their defense and is hit. Every character has 1 "optimal" defense each round (although the Extra Attacks attribute may change this), which is rolled at no penalty. Every defense after the first suffers a cumulative 2 point penalty.

Damage

An attack with have a set value of damage. When determining the damage of an attack, the character should always add their Combat Value + any applicable bonuses from Attributes to the attack's base damage. In the event of an unarmed strike, the base damage is 0. Weapons will have different base damages depending on the setting, but will typically be higher than 0 (and thus, more dangerous than an unarmed strike). Weapon Attack abilities will have a base damage determined by the level of the Weapon Attack and by the Attributes and Defects that it possesses. Regardless of attacking unarmed, with a weapon or with a Weapon Attack, the character should always add their Combat Value to the damage (and any bonuses from Attributes).

A roll of snake eyes (a 2 on the 2d6) is a critical success. If an attack roll is a critical success, the character must roll an additional d6 in order to determine the result of the critical. On a 1-3, the character's damage is doubled. On a 4-5, the damage is tripled. On a 6, the damage is quadrupled. Any damage multipliers are determined after armor is taken into account.

For example:
Joe tries to stab a vampire with his knife. He gets lucky and rolls a snake eyes. Joe rolls his critical die and gets a 4 - triple damage. In order to determine the amount of damage that the vampire takes, Joe performs the following calculations. 5 base damage from his knife, +5 damage for his Combat Value. His attack does 10 damage, except the vampire is a tough old thing and has 3 damage reduction from its armor. This means that Joe's attack is doing 7 damage to the vampire. Because this attack was a critical (a triple damage critical), this damage is tripled and Joe does a total of 21 points of damage to the fiend.

Modifiers and Complications

Trick Shots

When attacking, a character may choose to perform a Trick Shot. A Trick Shot is a difficult maneuver that is designed to make the attack more difficult to defend against. When taking a Trick Shot, the attacker must elect to take a penalty on their Attack Roll (before the roll is actually made). If the attack is successful, the defender must defend against the attack with that same penalty.

Aiming for a Vital Target

When attacking, a character may choose to aim for a vital target (before the roll is made). Such a precise shot imposes a 4 point penalty to the attack roll (although certain Attributes, such as Kensei or Gun Bunny, may change this penalty). If the attack is successful, it does double damage (remember that all multipliers are determined after armor).

Aiming for a Chink

Armor typically has weak points. Depending on the armor, these weak points may provide either no protection or half protection. In order to aim for one of these weak points, the character suffers a 2 point penalty on their attack roll (this penalty may be modified by certain Attributes).

Flanking

You are Flanking an enemy when you are in Melee Range with that enemy and have an Ally on that enemy's opposite side (who is also in Melee Range). When a character is being flanked, they suffer a 1 point penalty on their defense rolls against the flanking characters.

Grappling

In order to Grapple with an enemy, you must usually make an Unarmed Attack against that enemy (with the stated intent to grapple). The Grapple attack does no damage to the target; instead the target may not make any movement until they break free. In addition, the target suffers a 2 point penalty to all attacks and defenses, or 4 points for actions that require extreme mobility (most 2 handed weapons). If a character is much stronger than the person who has grabbed them, these penalties are halved (much stronger means that they have a Body Stat that is at least 4 points greater than the person who has grabbed them). Remember to take Super Strength, Diminutive, and Not So Strong into account when determining who is the stronger of the two.

Escaping

A character may attempt to escape from a Grapple by using one of their Attacks. The two characters make contested Body + Brawl checks (with appropriate modifiers, as above). The character who succeeds by the greatest degree (or fails by the least degree) is the victor. If the grabbed character succeeds, they escape and may immediately take another action. If there is a tie, the grabbed character escapes and does not gain another action. If the grabber succeeds, the grabbed victim loses all of their remaining attacks this round and may make no defense rolls until their next turn.

Strangling/Crushing

After successfully grappling a target, a character may choose to Strangle/Crush that target as long as they maintain their grapple. This attack is automatically successful (although it may be defended against, at the appropriate penalty) and inflicts damage equal to the character's Combat Value plus any applicable bonuses from Attributes.

Throwing

After successfully grappling a target, a character may choose to Throw that target as an attack. A Throw always ends a grapple, although the victim does still suffer their defense penalty against the Throw. To Throw a victim, the attacker makes an attack roll (usually Combat Value + Brawl) with a 2 point bonus. A successful throw causes 5 base damage (plus Combat Value and any other modifiers) and knocks the victim Prone. The victim is thrown a number of squares determined by how successful the Throw was (thus a Throw that succeeds spot-on does not move the victim, only doing damage and knocking them Prone, whereas a Throw that succeeds by 4 may move the victim 4 squares, in addition to the damage and knocking them Prone). Characters suffer additional damage (as determined by the Storteller, based on the setting and situation) for being Thrown into objects, typically 5 damage direct to health per Square of movement that they cannot make (thus a victim who was thrown 4 squares but hits a wall after 2 would take 10 extra damage). This extra damage is typically capped at 3 squares (15 damage), although some situations may alter this limitation.

Disarming by Brawl or Melee

In order to disarm an enemy (while unarmed or with a Melee attack), you must roll your appropriate skill at a 2 point penalty (reduced by Attributes such as Kensei). If your victim is holding onto the weapon with 2 hands, they gain a 1 point bonus on their defense. If they fail their defense, you have grabbed or struck their weapon. At this point, your victim must make a Body Stat check; if they succeed, they manage to hold onto their weapon but suffer a 2 point penalty to use it until the end of their turn. If they fail the Body Stat check, they lose their grip on their weapon and are disarmed. Certain situations may arise where the victim either suffers a penalty to their Body Stat check or is denied a check entirely.

Disarming by Ranged Attacks

In order to disarm an enemy (with a ranged attack), you must roll your appropriate skill at a 4 point penalty (reduced by Attributes such as Gun Bunny). If the attack succeeds (and the victim fails their defense), the weapon is knocked from their hand (and most likely damaged).

Attacking with 2 Weapons

If a character has a weapon in both hands, they may choose to attack with each weapon on their turn. If the two attacks are aimed at the same target, the character suffers a 4 point penalty on each attack. If the attacks are directed at different targets, the character suffers a 6 point penalty on each attack. Certain Attributes (from Gun Bunny and Kensei) will reduce these penalties.

Drawing a Weapon

If a character does not have a weapon drawn, they may do so as part of their attack action. This hinders the character's ability to attack though, and as such the character suffers a 3 point penalty to the attack. Subsequent attacks are not penalized, as the weapon is fully drawn. Certain abilities (from Gun Bunny and Kensei) allow a character to draw their weapon and attack with no penalty.

Total Attack

A character may elect to go fully on the offensive. Such a character may make no defensive rolls until their next turn, however all of their attacks are made with a 1 point bonus.

Total Defense

A character may elect to go fully on the defensive. Such a character may make no offensive rolls until their next turn, however all of their defenses are made with a 2 point bonus.

Willpower

A character may spend 5 Energy Points to gain a +1 bonus on any die roll. The Focus Attribute may increase this bonus.