Combat

There are two types of Combat. Ground Combat and Space Combat. You can skip to Space Combat by clicking here.

Ground Combat is played out in rounds, and in each round everybody acts in turn in a regular cycle. Rounds have 5 phases too them. The 5 phases are listed below:

1. Initiative: Characters and opponents (usually controlled by the GM) all determine the play order with Team Initiative. Initiative determines the order that different teams of players take turns.
2. Surprise: It is determined if a surprise round is necessary by asking the question: "Are all combatants aware of their opponents?". If there are combatants that not aware of their opponent then they cannot act in this round. It is a surprise to them.
3. Advantages/Disadvantages: The first round of combat officially starts. The question is raised of advantages and disadvantages there may currently be available because of the environment.
4. Action: Combatants act in Team Initiative order and attempt to defeat the opponents while taking into account any advantages and disadvantages.
5. Counters: Once all combatants have finished the turn is over and it starts over at step 3 again. If there are any round counters such as a fire burning, or poison effects you would move the counter now unless it has yet to effect anyone. This cycle continues until combat is declared over.

Below are the phases in more detail. After an example combat encounter.

Example Start of Combat Encounter

The GM: "The fog clears and before you is your worst nightmare! Four of the meanest looking Space Bears where awoken by the sound of the explosion. They stare with both anger and surprise at the unexpected guests. You have woken up a din of Space Bears! Prepare to battle!"

 (The group is made up of 4 people. But only 3 are there at the time. Brandon(Tracer), James(Electo-Mancer), and Art(Xenophile). The forth isn't there yet, Katie(Helix Warrior) she is in the other room and just heard the explosion. Brandon being a sneaky bastard had declared that he went into stealth before the group entered the room. His stealth roll was an 18.)

 Katie: "Do I hear the explosion?"

 The GM: "Yes! But you are in a different room. You cannot act in the first round."

 Katie: "I yell! 'I am coming! What the devil did you guys do! Don't forget this is a possible crime scene! DUH!'"

 The GM: "You are all 'Shaken' by the explosion but just for one round. As a reminder that means all three of you take disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. However, the explosion has 'Stunned' one of the bears."

 Brandon: "What about me? I was in stealth?"

 The GM: "Your stealth didn't protect you from the explosive trap."

 The GM: "The bears initiative is lower than your group thanks to Katie not being part of the group. Her lower initiative would have knocked the average down below them. You guys go first!"

 The GM: "But before you go! Brandon, you are in stealth the bears do not know you exist yet. You get to act in the surprise round."

 Brandon: "Buwahahahaha... I will attack the closest bear with my silenced pistol."

 (Brandon Rolls dice for an accuracy check. He rolls a d20 and one 1d2. The extra 1d2 is because he is shacked and is the disadvantage he has to subtract the result from his total. His shot misses)

 The GM: "Ok! Now the normal round starts. You guys group goes first. Katie is still on her way."

 (Brandon and Art and James all decide their plan of action and roll the appropriate dice. Brandon chooses to hide again, Art uses a ranged attack on one of the Space Bears. James uses a Technique to shock one of the other bears.)

 The GM: "Now one of the space bears is wounded but still in the fight and they all retaliate with there claws."

 (Space bears attack the 2 in the room that they can see. The one stunned bear, however, cannot move because of the Condition of being 'Stunned ')

 The GM: "Alright round one coming to a close!. Moving the stunned counter down from 1 to 0 on the first stunned bear it is now no longer stunned! However James the bear you stunned with your Techinque is still stunned. Moving his counter down from 2 to 1. Katie, you have entered the room and see a sight you never thought you would behold. Giant angry Space Bears are clawing there way through your friends! What do you do?"

 Katie: "I join the fight!'"

 The GM: "Alright, even though Katie would have brought the init down below the bears she is joining late, so the groups init doesn't change for this combat."

 (The next battle starts now Katie is in the fight. The whole team attacks the Space Bears. Next the bear's attack and finally the round is over.)

 The GM: "That bear is no longer stunned James! You notice that he can move again."

 James: "No so fast!"

 (The next round starts the group finishes off the space bears before the bears can go. The battle is concluded)

The Initiative Phase (Step 1)

The initiative is a representation of a players reflexes and mental focus in combat. It is a score that is: DEX + WIS + MISC. It can also be a check when necessary. d20 + DEX + WIS + MISC. The Team Initiative is simply the average Initiative score round up. In a battle scenario, the Team with the higher Initiative score goes first. If there is a tie, the Team that has a Character with the higher Dex score goes first. If that is still a tie, then an Initiative check is rolled on between opposing teams until the tie is resolved.

If the battle is between just 2 people, then the same rules apply it's just a Team of One.

Characters may have taken certain feats or talents that improve initiative by adding additional bonuses. This is considered the 'MISC' bonuses.

Editing Character Sheet: At the top of the first page next to Affinity Die there is a box for 'Initiative'. You can record your character's current Initiative here.

Joining a Battle: If characters enter a battle after it has begun. If they are a third party and not part of any Team his or her Initiative is compared to the other Teams. The same goes for multi people joining combat as a new Team. Their group Initiative is compared to the other groups to determine what the turn order is. If you are joining a group, then you simply slip into the groups turn order as noted by the rules above. However, this does not change the groups current Initiative score. The score that is at the start of combat is what is used until combat is done unless a Feat or Technique or some other action states otherwise. Joining a Team doesn't change that Team initiative while in combat.

Opposing Initiative Checks: In different situations inside and outside of combat a Player may wish to perform an action before another or stop another Character or NPC from acting. Whenever this sort of conflict occurs, an Opposing Initiative check between the Characters is used to see who goes first. If there is a particular action that is being contested between multiple people there can only be one winner. So if there is a tie then simply roll again.

The Surprise Phase (Step 2)

When a combat starts, if a character was not aware of his or her enemies and they were aware of the character, that character is surprised. Likewise, a character can surprise his or her enemies if the character knows about them before they know of the character.

The Surprise Round If some but not all of the combatants are aware of each other, a surprise round may happen before regular rounds begin. The combatants who are aware of the opponents can act in the surprise round. They act in the order that the Initiative states from step 1 just skipping the surprised combatants. They can also choose not to act and instead remain hidden. Before combat starts make sure that characters have an opportunity not to be surprised if there is the possibility to spot/see the trap/hidden combatants. For example, if an enemy is in stealth the combatants should be able to use Passive Perception against the enemies stealth to not be surprised. If they are actively looking for targets or are 'on the alert,' then they can roll a normal Perception skill check against the enemies stealth. However, there also can be situations where it is impossible for a character to see the coming combat and in that situation, the GM should not feel obligated to have them roll.

Unaware Combatants: Combatants who are unaware at the start of battle do not get to act in the surprise round. Unaware combatants are considered Flat-Footed because they have not acted yet. Because of this, they lose any Dexterity bonus to AC.

Actions that can be done in the Surprise round and advantages and disadvantages that can be applied are explained in the below sections.

Advantages and Disadvantages Phase (Step 3)

This is based on the rules for Advantages, and Disadvantages noted here. However, not all Advantages or Disadvantages in combat are directly calculated using the Advantage system. Some things can negatively or positively affect a target person without affecting their dice roll. Such as doing an action that puts a target into a condition like a trip or grapple.

At the start of each turn, the Team should be aware of what bonuses and negative effects they have before deciding on what action to take. This Phase is here as a reminder for both the GM and Players to check what Advantages and Disadvantages exist in the round.

Here are all the different things that can provide Advantages or Disadvantages:

1) Character positions relative to the enemy can provide bonuses. An example might be Flanking. Or if a Character has the High Ground.

2) There are also Conditions a player may be in. Some conditions simply affect what a Character can do. For example, the condition of Paralyzed causes the Character to be unable to act. Obviously being Paralyzed would be considered a Disadvantage although it doesn't directly effect rolling. However other conditions use the Advantage rules such as "Sickened."

3) Certain Feats or Class Talents can provide bonuses again based on the environment and situation the Character is in.

4) Items are another provider of Advantages. An example would be the medkit which a Masterworked version of the item can provide an Advantage equipment bonus to a Character attempting to heal another player with the Treat Injury Skill.

5) A GM can also for some creative reason within the game declare that a Player has the advantage or disadvantage. This doesn't mean that you can simply throw out anything willy-nilly as an Advantage. The advantage/disadvantage can affect anything that requires a roll. The GM can bypass the Advantage rules and simply declare a +/- to a particular role or attribute for a single turn.

Actions done by a player may change the conditions in the round. It is up to the GM to confirm and keep track of all conditions and to ensure that players are aware of there own Conditions. It is a good idea for a Player to be wise to the different Advantages and Disadvantages a combatant can have. Much of the strategy of combat in this game is about providing Advantages to your team while giving Disadvantages to the enemy team thus weakening them while avoiding the same fate.

The Action Phase (Step 4)

Usually, the longest part of combat because each player has to figure out what to do and roll for their action. What action a combatant can do and how it effects himself and others are laid out here.

Combatants Actions

The fundamental actions of moving and attacking cover most of what a character wants to do in a battle. They’re described here. Other, more specialized options are touched on later.

Each Combat Round represents roughly 3 seconds in the game world. A Round is an opportunity for each character involved in the combat to take action. Anything a person could reasonably do in 3 seconds, a character can do in 1 round. Each round begins with the Team who has the highest initiative and then proceeds, in order, from there. Each round of combat uses the same initiative order. When a character’s Team's turn comes up in the initiative sequence, the characters in the Team deiced on what actions they should do either as individuals or perform actions that affect each other. The Player's in a Team decide what they are going to do and then roll there dice to see if they were successful. If the action requires the success of another Player's action, then they wait to see if their teammate was successful, if the other Player wasn't successful then there turn ends without action.

Table: Example List of Actions

Move Standard Actions
Move your speed
Climb, Crawl, Swim (Half Speed)
Switch Weapons
Attack Standard Actions
Attack (Melee Weapon)
Attack (Combat Technique)
Attack (Ranged)
Attack an object
Full-Round Actions
Combat Techniques
Full attack(Extra Attack/Damage)
Sprint
Withdraw
Make a dying character stable
Simple Actions
Bonus Attack
Drop to prone, sitting, or kneeling
5-foot step
Draw/Holster Weapon
Free Actions
Drop an object
Speak
Action Type Varies
Reload a Firearm
Use a Skill/Feat/Talent

Remember that each round represents 3 seconds of in-game time. The below table may help explain.

Table: Time and actions in a round of combat.

	---- Time (3 seconds) ----
ACTIONS
	Standard Action (Move Action or Attack Action)		Simple Action	Free Action
	Full Round Action			-

To the right is a table common options that can be done in combat.

Move Actions

Before getting into the specifics of different Move Actions, an overview of the Character Placement and Movement rules is necessary.

Character Placement

Future Path uses squares as a way to help visualize combatants location, the range of attack/movement/reach and who they can see and hit. You do not need a square mat to play as some groups prefer to imagine the whole thing and may feel that visual help hampers the imagination. However, it is also nice for at least the GM to have some scratch graphing paper to help ensure rules are followed.

Each square is considered 5 square feet. Each player according to there size takes up at least 1 square as there personal space. Attempting to move through a space occupied by a friendly or neutral person is considered Difficult Terrain. A combatant cannot move through a enemy's square, unless they attempt an Overrun or if the combatant is considered unconscious. Each combatant has a 5ft melee attack radius known as the Threat Range. Normally its just 5ft unless specified otherwise.

When moving a character can move in any eight directions. Forward, Backwards, Left, Right as well as the diagonal directions. There is also up and down and so on for flying or ships in space. We will get into movement in space in the Space Combat section below.

Movement

Moving around is pretty simple. A character has a certain amount of range they can run during combat. By default that range is 30ft. (Remember that each round is supposed to represent 3 seconds roughly and that running is the default way a Character moves in combat. You can also sprint which is 60 feet or walk which is 15ft.). You can review the different kinds of Movement you can do below. Each square is 5ft. So 30ft of movement means 6 squares in any direction including diagonal. You also do not have to have things line up perfectly. For example, a wall can end in the middle of a square, o that the distance between walls in a corridor is 2.5 squares. The half square is still a valid space however if forced to move through a half or smaller sized square makes it count as Difficult Terrain.

Difficult Terrain

Terrain only effects how a character moves. GM's can use discretion on if the terrain they describe/imagine has any credible effect on the characters movement. The default is that all movement speed is reduced by half. However, in some causes like uneven Terrain, the GM may give a -10ft movement speed reduction instead. Difficult Terrain means a Character cannot Sprint, Withdrawn, Charge, or Overrun without first rolling an Acrobatics skill check to make sure they do not trip. The DC should be 15 + Misc Mods. Failure usually implies that Character trips and falls failing to perform their action and becoming prone. Usually about half way through doing what they were trying to do.

The movement takes up the majority of your turn. You will have to decide either or not it's wise to have your player move to a better location/different opponent/etc... or if they should attack. If you move faster then just the default speed for your Character then it is considered a Full Round action.

You may also notice that there are other movements that you can do without leaving your square. Such as going Prone or opening a door slowly.

Standard Move (Standard)

You move at your speed. During combat, all combatants are expected to be running or at least jogging from location to location. You can claim that your character causes not to run from the massive fiery explosion from behind but instead walk away from it. In this case, you take 1/2 of the speed of your normal movement. Most movement is 30ft/6sqs. So 15ft/3sqs is your walk speed in combat. Remember that is how much you can walk is roughly 2-3 seconds.

Sprint (Full Round)

Sprinting is considered a Full Round Action, and thus the Character cannot perform a simple action during there turn, and this action is the declaration of the end of the Characters turn. Sprint is the ability to increase your run speed up to 3 times. If a characters normal move distance is 30ft or 6 squares and the Character can Sprint up to 90 feet or 18 squares.

Climb, Crawl, Swim (Standard)

This is fairly simple. These are other move actions that require additional skill or simply hinder the speed at which you can move. The speed is reduced by half. If you wish to move at twice the speed of a normal Climb/Crawl/Swim, you must take full round action. You cannot attempt to perform a Full Round action of with Climb/Crawl/Swim if you also wish to be stealthy.

Draw/Holster (Simple)

A fairly simple action that can be done before or after a Standard Action. A reminder that a Character cannot perform a Full Round action, like Full Attack, if they need to Draw a weapon or otherwise perform a Simple action.

Reload (Standard)

Loading a weapon with Ammo is a Standard Move action by default. However, it can change based on weapon specifications. A weapon specifies its Ammunition amount and its Reload Speed. This tells you how many times you can use the item before it needs to be reloaded. These two numbers are very important and may often be overlooked.

Switching Positions (Simple/Free)

Simple going Prone or 'hitting the dirt' is a Free action as long as the Character is not in Low or Zero Gravity. But the opposite is not. Standing up from a Sitting, Kneeing, Prone, laying down position is considered a Simple action.

Other Examples of Move Actions

Move a object

(Standard or Full Round)

Moving any object requires strength. If a character has a Strength of 3 or below they are unable to even move. Strength can determine how much a character and left over there head,to there waste, and drag on the ground. It also tells how much weight a character can pack and carry during a journey/adventure and not become encumbered.

Moving any medium weight or heavier object starts out at 1/2 speed. If you wish to increase the speed you would have to take a Full Round action and it would only double it.

Open a door slowly

(Standard or Full Round)

This is simply an example of other generic move actions that can be done. Most any action that will take more than a split second to perform is considered a move action while in combat. Remember that each turn is roughly 3 seconds of time.

Attack Actions

Finally! I am going to shoot some things! Well.. firstly make sure you have already prepared the weapon you choose. For example, if you wanted to use your trusty laser pistol, you would first draw it from its holster. Drawing a weapon is a Simple Action which can be done before or after your Standard Action.

With a drawn weapon you can go ahead and fire! Making an attack is a Standard Action. It is broken up into two parts. First, you want to roll to see if you hit the person. This is called an Accuracy check. The value of the roll is compared against the target's AC. The value is determined as such:

Accuracy Check Value

Value = d20 + Advantage Die Roll + Strength Modifier(Melee) or Dexterity Modifier(Ranged) + Weapon Accuracy Bonus

The second part is rolling for damage. Different Weapons can have different Damage Die. The Damage Die is based on the Weapon's Level is between 1d2 to 2d12. The Weapon may also have Bonus Damage or some Bonus Effect that needs to be accounted for. If the weapon is Melee, you get to add your Strength Modifier to the total damage.

Extra Damage

This is a special feature provided by a Character's Core Class. As a Character levels up they gain the ability to do more damage. If a Character wishes to use an Extra Damage, then the Attack requires a Full Round action that is also the Declaration of the End of There Turn. Extra Damage just means that the Character gets to roll there Damage Die again as if they had another successful attack.

Critical Success/Failure

This is when a Natural Twenty is rolled. Natural Twenty means that the d20 landed on the number 20. Some weapons allow for the Critical Range to be adjusted to make it easier to have a Critical Success. Such as 19-20 or 18-20. This still means that the d20 landed on one of those numbers. A Critical success Damage Roll is different. There is a Critical Multiplier, and that determines how many extra times the Damage Die is rolled. The default value is x2 which means the Damage Die is Rolled twice. A Critical Failure means that the Character fails to do any damage at all and possibly has another negative side affect the GM can state. Such as you fumble and drop your gun.

Critical Success with Extra Damage

The Critical only counts for the first Damage Die roll. If a Character is a high enough level to have the Extra Damage trait and the Critical happened during a Full Round Attack action then each Extra Damage has to be Critical Checked. A Critical Check is just another Accuracy check.

• If the check fails then the next damage die can still be rolled but it is not Critical. The Critical check stops and all other Extra Damage if any are also rolled as normal.

• • If the accuracy check succeeds then the Critical effect is also applied do that damage roll. Once that damage is rolled then continue to doing Critical Checks until all Extra Damage has been rolled.
  • If the next accuracy check is another Critical then the Critical 'explodes' and the Critical effect applies to that damage die roll and the Player gets another bonus damage. This bonus damage from the critical 'explosion' is instant and you do not do a critical check against it meaning you just roll the weapon's damage die like normal. Afterward if the Character still has more Extra Damage then the Critical check continues until all Extra Damage has been checked.
  • If the accuracy check is a critical failure then you do not roll for any more Extra Damage and stop critical checks and the attack action is finished. However, this doesn't negate any damage that has already been rolled that still hits the target.

These are the main ways to Attack.

Attack (Melee weapon) (Standard)

The Character preforms an attack with a melee weapon. The weapon would have to be drawn. And the character would have to hit a target that is within the melee Threat Range. By default the Threat Range is 5ft. Some Melee Weapons can have Reach which provides an additional range in 5ft increments. The Attack action is divided up into two steps. The Accuracy Check and the Damage Roll. The Damage Roll is only necessary when the Accuracy Check is successful

1. The Accuracy Check is: d20 + Advantage Bonus(If Applies) + Strength Modifier
2. The Damage Roll is: Weapon Damage Dice Type (dX) + Strength Modifier

Attack (Range Weapon) (Standard)

The Character performs a Ranged Attack using a weapon such as a rail gun or particular laser. Or even a low tech weapon such as a bow and arrow/spear. The weapon should be drawn and ready. The Character will receive penalties in the form of Disadvantages for targeting opponents outside of the weapons predetermined range. 1 disadvantage per Range Increment.

1. The Accuracy Check is: d20 + Advantage Bonus(If Applies) + Dexterity Modifier
2. The Damage Roll is: Weapon Damage Dice Type (dX)

Full Attack (Full Round)

If a Combatant has the Extra Attack or Extra Damage Talent or ability then they gain access to the Full Attack. A Full Attack is a Full Round action and the declaration of the end of your turn. However, this doesn't stop a Character from using there Bonus Attack. This action allows the Combatant access to there Extra Attacks and Extra Damage. Either Extra Attacks the Player can simply roll more Accuracy Checks and when appropriate Damage Rolls. Extra Attacks simply allow the Combatant the ability to do more Attack Actions in a single round. Extra Damage works differently. It simply allows the Player to roll extra Damage Rolls for each Extra Damage when successful.

Bonus Attack (Simple Action)

All Combatants have the ability to preform an Bonus Attack as a Simple Action. Bonus Attacks are possibly when a Character is holding an Off Hand weapon that they are Proficient in. There are some more specific rules surrounding Off Handed Weapons and Bonus Attacks. All Bonus Attacks are Simple Actions and can only be done if the Standard Action as an Attack Action. The Bonus Attack is a Special Simple Action. It is special because the Character can still preform a Bonus Attack after a Full Attack (Full Round) action. However the Bonus Attack can only aim at the target of the previous attack. Other actions that require a Full Round still block the Bonus Attack action.

1. The Weapon must be considered Light or Levels 0 thru 2. Or if Medium (Levels 3 thru 5), then the Weapon must have the Versatile attribute.
2. The Character must be proficient in the weapon for it to be usable as an Off Handed weapon.
3. By default a Character cannot gain Advantage while using an Off Handed Weapon. This can be changed with the Akimbo Specialist Feat.
4. If the Weapon is Melee then by default the Weapon Damage is reduce by one die level. IE: 1d8 to 1d6. This can be changed with the Niten Ichi Feat.
5. If the Weapon is a Ranged weapon then by default the weapon has to take disadvantage when doing accuracy checks. This can be changed with the Gun-Fu Feat.

Combat Technique (Full Round)

The Character preforms a Combat Technique. These are special types of Melee Attacks that are more likely to cause a condition on another opponent then damage. Those Combat Technique require both the Attack and Move standard actions and thus this requires a Full Round action. Review the Technique page for the rules on specific Techniques.

Class Specific Technique (Full Round)

These are Techniques that are specific to certain Advance Classes. By default all Techniques require a Full Round action. However some Techniques or special class abilities can adjust this rule. Please review the Techniques page for more information.

Class Specific Attack Talent (Either Full Round or Standard)

Each Class has a set of Talents. Some Talents may inflict damage or otherwise affect target opponents. These are considered Attack Actions. If it doesn't specify the Talent is a Standard Attack Action.

Attack an Object (Standard)

You can declare that you are attacking what appears to be an inanimate object. Such as a door or a wall. This attack can be a Melee/Combat Technique/Ranged. The Accuracy Check is unnecessary so long as the target is genuinely an inanimate object that will not move at all. Items/Objects have Hardness ratings. Which is effectively there HP. To break the object, a Character must bring the object's hardness below zero.

Full Round Actions

Below is a list of Full Round Actions that are not already listed in the Attack and Move sections above. Normally a Full Round action is also the declaration of the end of the Characters turn. In other words it is both the first and last thing the Character can do. Free Actions can act during a Full Round action but not before or after.

Coup de grace (Full Round)

Pronounced "coo day grahs." The chance to fully finish off an opponent. This is only possibly if the opponent as the condition Helpless or otherwise is completely unable to defend themselves in any capacity. Examples being knocked unconscious, having a strength of 0, or having an HP score of 0 or below. The character doing the Coup de Grace does not need to do an Attack roll they automatically hit and score a critical hit. If the defender survives the damage, (there HP doesn't go below the negative there Constitution Score) the opponent must make a Constitution save, with advantage for every Extra Attack/Damage the Character has, against a DC = Damage dealt or Die.

Stabilizing Dying Character (Full Round)

Characters can die once there Constitution Score hits zero, more on Death Here. While there health is at Zero or below they are considered 'Dying. In this state they loose health every turn until dead. At which point a Medic can do no more for the character. However, if the Character is not died yet there is still hope. If a Character hits 0 they start to bleed out. A character can attempt to stabilize a dying character. This requires a field medical kit and at least a single rank in the Treat Injury skill. If successful the character gains a single point of HP and any ill effects that may cause the person to instantly go back to 0 has been removed. However any Constitution damage still is temporarily in affect.

Simple Actions

Below is a list of Simple Actions that are not already listed in the Attack and Move sections above. Simple Actions can be done before or after a Standard Action. In some cases a Simple Action is a declaration of the end of the turn for the Character.

5-foot step (Simple)

5-foot step also has a lot of stipulation around it. 5-foot step can only be done once per turn. The 5-foot step is considered a then end of a Characters turn. It also cannot be done if any standard move action is done. 5-ft steps are a way to temporarily escape the reach of a melee attack. Or to move behind cover after an attack.

Free Actions

A free action is anything that can be quickly done in less then a second if necessary or be done while performing other actions. For example dropping an object merely requires that a combatant lets go of the object this can be done in a split second even if the object takes much longer to hit the floor. Or talking which can be done in the middle of performing other actions.

Free actions can add up. A Character can only have 1 Free action per turn. However, if the Character chooses to do 2 Free Actions, it takes up a Simple action as well. If they choose to perform 3 Free actions, then it requires a Standard Action, and 4 requires a Full Round.

Below are the actions mentioned in the table shown previously explained in more detail.

Drop an object (Free)

This is simple. Simply let go of whatever the Player is having his character hold onto. Anything that is not connected in any other way except by a single directly accessible method of release. Wither that is simply releasing your hold on the item, or it's on an easy release clip. A player can perform this free action more than once in turn without it being considered more than a single free action. However, that only works if the character can let go of all the objects simultaneously.

This also implies even in low or zero gravity. As long as the character does not care the direction that the object is sent or the lack of motion of the object. For example, you may be very concerned about a grenade as it would simply float around you. You would require throwing the object as you care about the direction. However, if you simply wanted to leave the grenade there and flee the area then letting go of the grenade becomes a free action.

Speak (Free)

This may seem like a simple action, and indeed it is, however, there is a lot of stipulation around this. It can be done as a free action during your turn and overlaps all Standard, Simple, Full Round actions. The one rule is your words are limited to only a few seconds worth of speech per turn. You can even reply out of your turn. Just your words should not add up to more than ~3 seconds per round. Thus your conversation during the combat must be quick and is likely to take multi turns to convey any complex ideas. This is a role-playing game and combat is suppose to be fast and intense. At least it should seam that way too your characters. Pausing for out of the game player conversation is always a nice feature of a strategy game but also can be abused. GM's should make sure that the players are not bringing information from beyond the 4th wall into there characters knowledge. In other words, knowledge gained from Player communication that is considered outside of the actual gameplay should never mix with in-game Character knowledge without time for the Characters to share that Knowledge.

If you have your characters role-play a complex discussion in battle it must take Full Round actions dedicated to the conversation. Like to people behind a barrier talking about how ridiculous the battle is and what to do about it. People may still shoot at them, but they do not have to react unless they are hit which breaks the conversation directly.

Of course how much this rule is followed is dependent on how well the GM enforces it and how much fun the group would fine that enforcement to be. Just remember that roll-playing is fun because it is a game of the imagination and having to overcome these imagined barriers can be challenging and exciting. But for some people, it can ruin the fun to have too many restrictions. So the party as a whole should deice how to handle conversations between Characters in-game.

One way to get around this to some degree is to declare that your statement is wrapped up in a gesture. A simple (Attack here, defend that) gesture can be made at the same time someone moves, talks, attacks with a single-handed weapon. You can role-play the hand singles or simply speak what you intend without it taking away from some words you can say. However, communication via hand gestures is limited to one gesture per round.

Varies Action Types

Use a skill (Full Round or Free)

Many Skills have uses in combat. Some skills are required to overcome an obstacle. For example, the Acrobatics still is often used as a Free Action to determine if the Player is able to keep balanced while riding in a moving vehicle or able to Sprint across Difficult Terrain. However there are also skills like Diplomacy or Intimidation that can be used as Full Round actions to attempt to end combat peacefully. Please review the rules for Skills to learn more about there possible in combat uses.

Use a Feat (Full Round)

Feats normally do not require some type of check as well as a Full Round action. Please review Feats for more information.

Use a Talent (Full Round most of the time.)

Many Classes have special Talents that can be used in combat to add extra damage or add some special affect. Each Talent will have its own rules on how this works within combat. The default is that a Talent takes a Full Round action.

Perform a Technique (Full Round most of the time.)

To learn about how to perform Techniques review the Techniques page. There are two main types of Techniques. Combat Techniques which all Characters can do and Class Specific Techniques which only Characters that have levels in certain Advance Classes can preform. By default performing a Technique requires a Full Round action and the declaration of the end of the Characters turn. However some Advance Classes have Talents that can change a Technique into a Standard Action or even Simple Action.

Other Actions and Situations

While in combat or even outside of combat there can be countless special situations or actions that can happen where there may be exceptions to the rules. Below is a list of actions or situations that require additional explaining.

Throw an Object(Grenade) (Standard)

Throwing an object, any small and light object, like a grenade or similar explosive device requires a particular set of rules.

1. Throwing an object is considered a Standard Action.
2. Max range is determined by combining both Strength and Dexterity modifiers. Max throw-able range is 30ft + 5ft per Str Mod and Dex Mod. The Character can choose how far they want to throw the object just not any further then there max range.
3. Grenades do not explode on contact. Instead, they explode at the end of the targets turn. This gives the combatants within the Area of Effect (or AoE), the choice of accepting the damage or moving away from it. This is a useful tactical move as it can force a target or targets to move out of cover and thus not attack for a round.
4. A Character can attempt to 'cook' the grenade so that it goes off at the start of the targets turn instead of at the end. This is risky however and requires a Wisdom check DC25 + Misc mods. The source of the miscellaneous modifier is up to the GM. If it fails, then the grenade harmless explodes in the air wasting the grenade and the turn. If the Player critically fails then they grenade never leaves there hand, and the explosion goes off with full affect. The Character holding the grenade takes max damage and affect without any saving throws.
5. Grenade throws are calculated with two d10s. The 2d10 can be rolled all at once and read from top to bottom or left too right. Or rolled one at a time. Either case the first die represents how accurate from left to right while the second die represents if the throw was too short or too long. A 5 or 6 is a success while a 4 is 5ft to the left. A 7 is 5ft to the right. This continues by 5ft increments. A 3 is 10ft to the left while a 8 is 10ft to the right. This is the same for the second d10 except a 4 is 5ft too short while 7 is 5ft too long. There is a Feat that can improve the chances.

Delay/Ready (Sacrifice Turn)

To delay or ready an action is considered the same thing just two different ways to describe what is in affect the same set of rules. The Character can ready an action under a specific set of requirements. For example, They can ready to fire their pistol when the enemy comes around the corner. So the Character sacrifices there turn and is unable to do any actions until the next turn. If the enemy comes around the corner, then the Character gets an instant action and can use that time to open fire. If the enemy is performing an action that requires rolling and will be affected by the instant action, then an Initiative check is rolled to determine who goes first.

An example of a special Ready action is Suppression Fire which is a Weapon Bonus Ability.

Delayed actions can be useful because they allow for more cooperation between Character actions.

Traps/Mines (Full Round or Free)

Mines are just a buried trap. Traps can be encounter in and out of combat. Traps have a Perception DC as well as a Disable Device DC. If a Character isn't actively looking for a Trap, then their Passive Perception is used instead of the actual Skill check. If they succeed at seeing a Trap, they can choose to disable it with a Disable Device check. A critical failure of the check will detonate the Trap. A failure just means that the Trap is still hot. They can attempt again within 20 minutes. However in combat, if a Trap is detected the Character can still attempt to Disable it, but they cannot Take 20. Instead, it takes a Full Round action, and they have a disadvantage. If they fail by more then 5 against the DC then the Trap detonates. If it fails but only by 5 or less, then they have to wait for 1 round before trying again.

Cover (Full Round or Free)

The cover provides a disadvantage for accuracy checks done by enemy combatants. There is Partial Cover which provides x1 disadvantage. Heavy Cover provides x2 disadvantage. Full cover means that the enemy is 'hidden' and cannot be directly shot at. In this case, grenades are useful. However, if the weapon has AP damage or if the wall/barrier is weak, then Ranged weapons can fire through them. Then a percentile is rolled, or a single d10. If 6 or higher then the weapon connects while 5 or lower means a miss. If the weapon connects an Accuracy check with x1 disadvantage is rolled to make sure that the weapon didn't glance their armor.

There are also things that disrupt the line of sight or otherwise blind the enemy. Things like flood lights or a smoke grenade. This acts like Partial Cover while thick fog can cause Full Cover.

There is gear that allows Characters too do things like, see through walls, gain night vision, or infra-red vision. These things can remove the negative effects of cover in some cases.

The Counter Phase (Step 5)

Round Counters: Here is where the GM or Player can subtract from any round counters. Any effects/conditions that last longer than one round need to have a counter to keep track of how many rounds have happened. It's usually the GMs job to keep track of such things. If the player/s with the effect condition haven't gone yet then the counter shouldn't be moved down. For example, if on the last turn a character poisons an enemy that poison has the effect of doing 1d4 CON damage per turn for 4 turns. But since the person he poisoned hasn't even gone yet the counter is merely setup but not moved down on the first round.

Adding new Combatants: It is at this point that if new players or NPCs (GM controlled characters), want to join the combat they can. The player deiced if they want to join a group or be on there own. The new player to combat may also be a surprise to the enemy. If so this new player starts out in the Surprise phase before moving to step 3. They also determine the advantages and disadvantages that they should have if any now that they are in the combat as well as any advantages or disadvantages they bring to combat.

Back to Step 3: Now its back to Step 3 and the combat continues. Unless of course all the enemies are defeated.

Left over Effects/Conditions: If all enemies are defeated then the combat ends. However, people may still be poisoned or have an assortment of effects/conditions. Each round is considered 3 seconds. Characters with these negative effects should immediately deal with these conditions before normal gameplay starts back up. In the poison example, the character still has 2 more rounds to go of poisoned. Now that character will have to take the damage for both rounds. And poison requires CON checks. So the player would also have to roll twice for that character. If a character wishes to heal themselves or has someone that can heal the poison or another lasting effect/condition the character can try do to do. But cannot take 10 or 20 and for each time a character tries and is unsuccessful is a turn for the affected character.

Space Combat

Space Ship Combat is completely different from normal player combat. In Spaceship combat, each player is a crew member of a ship and has a role. Each round of combat has 3 phases and every ship combatant acts at the same time for each phase. Also, all actions within a Phase happen at the same time. So players that are acting in the same phase may take their action and/or roll dice without waiting for others. What happens in that Phase is played out after all rolls are complete. Different Crew members act in different phases and have special abilities that can impact the ship.

To learn about the different Crew positions go here. To learn about the different actions an Officer or Ship Functions has go here.

(1) The Support Phase

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Support Phase involves the Commander/Captain giving an order and applying leadership skills/feats to help the other crew members. And the Science Officer who can provide buffs to ship systems.

• (1) Captain can provide a boost to the rest of the crew by giving orders and using special leadership skills. Usually, this provides an advantage to a particular Crew member that this round above all needs to be successful. For example, the ship may be attempting to flee combat and so the Captain may provide assistance to the Pilot.
• (2) Science Officer is similar to the Captain except instead of providing a bonus to a Crew member instead the Science Officer can provide a bonus to ship abilities by boosting. The Science Officer perform hacking actions and operate Clocking or Crypto functions.

(2) The Action Phase

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The Action Phase involves the Pilot attempting to fly the ship in a particular manner, the Communications/Sensor Officer performing actions such as Scanning for Ship Weakness and the Weapon officer rolling for possible Battle Damage. Lastly, if the Science Officer holds his action in the Support Phase then the Officer can perform a different kind of action in the Action Phase such as hacking or counter hacking.

• (3) Helm Officer acts in the Action Phase and pilots the ship. The pilot can attempt to fly the ship in different ways. For example, they can fly Offensively or Defensively or they can attempt to get closer or further away from a target. They can also attempt to Ram a target.
• (4) Communications/Sensor Officer also acts in the Action Phase and normally operates scanners and is the first to be informed of communications. They also have other rolls they can help with such as Hacking or Counter hacking, Cryptology and signal Jamming.
• (5) Weapons Officer Can only act in the Action Phase and sole role is to operate the ships Hard Points. They can use the weapons in different ways however when the situation is needed. Visit the following page to learn more about Giving and Receiving Damage in Space Ships.
• (Optional) The Science Officer or Chief Engineer can choose to act in this round. The Science Officer must not act in the Support Phase and the Engineer forfeits there ability to act in the Response Phase. They must choose to do this at the start of the Action Phase before the outcome of the phase is determined or any rolls from other players are noted. In doing so the Science Officer can do actions such as Hacking and the Chief Engineer can perform the Grapple function and both can assist the Cloak if of course, the ship has these functions available.

(3) The Response Phase

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The Response Phase allows the Engineer and Medical Officer a chance to respond to any damage to the ship and crew caused during the Action phase. The Engineer can also choose to act in the Action Phase to provide support but if that is the case forfeits the ability to act in the Response Phase. Response Phase can also stop a ship from being crippled or exploding. If the ship has just received its max amount of Battle Damage the effect doesn’t happen until the next turn this means the Engineer can respond and if successful remove Battle Damage before the next round keeping the ship in the fight.

• (6) Medical Officer acts only in the Response Phase and their main job is to ensure the Crew is able to maintain there post with nothing impeding them. They can heal injured crew members and try to remove any negative conditions.
• (7) Chief Engineer primarily acts in the Response Phase and their main job is to Repair the ship's Battle Damage.

• NOTE: The (number) before the crew position is there to explain the order if the GM didn't want each player in that phase trying to roll at the same time. It is a suggestion of who goes first. Just note that all Captains of all ships act at the same time and so do all other Crew positions, pilots, weapons officers, all perform their action at the same time. So if the Weapon's Officer rolls for damage the GM should also roll for the enemy ships Weapon's Officer.
• NOTE: Giving and Receiving damage in Space combat is completely different than ground combat and uses a different rule set. Visit Giving and Receiving Damage page for more information. This greatly affects the role that the Weapon Officer plays and what dice is used. Please review all the rules around this which also includes, but not limited to, concepts like Swarm Combat and Specified Targeting. Both which change the strategy of the game.

Turn Summary

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When combat starts no ship 'acts' before another unless there is a surprise round. If the enemy ship is detectable by the Characters Ship's Passive Sensors then the Ship can be alerted that the enemy ship is preparing to fire. If the ship is not detectable and the Character Ship is not trying to actively scan for them, IE: The Ship's Sensor Officer is not roller for a Scan then the enemy ship is allowed to perform the Weapon Officers action in the Action Phase before normal combat starts.

Before each round, the Player's are encouraged to talk with each other on how they want there round to play out. Each Player should know there Character's Crew Position, what Phase they intend to act in and what Ship/Officer functions are available to them. A crew member can only perform 1 action per round.

Each round should start in the Support Phase with the Captian giving an order or assisting in some way or another. If the ship doesn't have a Captain that position is skipped. The same goes for any other out of action Crew Positions. Next is the Science Officer, however, the Science Officer can roll while the Captain is rolling or withhold their action since they intend to act in the next Phase. The next Phase starts once all possible actions, if any, are done in the pervious phase. The next phase is the Action Phase, usually the Helm Officer, Sensor Officer, Weapons Officer act in this phase. Lastly, the Response Phase goes where the Medical Officer and Chief Engineer have a chance to assist the effect that the battle has had on the Crew and the Ship and attempt to correct problems.

Battle Damage given in the Action Phase starts to have an effect in the Response Phase and last until the next round's Response Phase. The Medical Officer and Chief Engineer have a chance to reduce or remove negative effects in the Response Phase before they hit the rest of the crew next round.

Combat is over once all enemy ships have the maximum Battle Damage then they can handle. Ships can handle between 0 and 5 Battle Damage. If a ship has the maximum amount of Battle Damage then it is considered adrift and helpless. If it receives more Battle Damage then it explodes within 1 round.

Giving and Receiving Damage Summary

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This is just a summary. For the complete rules for Spaceship combat damage including Swarm Combat, Specific Targeting, Hacking, Distance, Size variations please visit the Giving and Receiving Damage in Space Ships page.

Weapon's Officer rolls d10s now. The number of d10s is determined by the number of hard points used against the target. The roll is against the target ship's BD-DC or Battle Damage Difficulty Check. The default of which is 4,4. This means it requires 4 successful d10 rolls and a successful d10 roll is if the d10 lands a 4 or higher.

The target ship's Armor Mod can provide a bonus to the number of successful d10s. For example, an Armor Mod of +2 will make a BD-DC of 6,4 meaning it now requires 6 d10s to land 4 or higher. Likewise, the target ship's shields also act as a bonus. If the same ship also has a Shield Mod of +3, then the BD-DC would be 6,7. That means a successful d10 requires that the roll lands a 7 or higher and that there needs to be 6 of them.

The ship is not without offensive bonuses. The Weapon's Mod allows the Weapon's Officer to re-roll successful d10s. For example, a Weapon's mod of +3 will allow the Weapon's Officer to re-roll 3 times as long as there is a successful d10 available to re-roll. An already re-rolled d10 that lands a success counts. A Weapon's officer doesn't need to do an accuracy check before attempting damage, as long as the target ship can be detected by Passive Sensors the enemy ship is available to hit. However, a Scan done by the Sensor Officer can provide the Weapon's Officer with a bonus to each d10 equal to that of the ship's Sensor Mod. For example, a Sensor Mod of +2 will allow the Weapon's Officer to add +2 to each d10 rolled if the Scan is successful.

If the Weapon Officer succeeds at deliver Battle Damage then they roll the Battle Damage Die, 2d6 and use the Battle Damage Chart to determine the repair DC and any side effects.