Combat

There are two types of Combat. Ground Combat and Space Combat. You can skip to Space Combat by clicking here. Space Combat is built on a foundation of rules setup in Ground Combat. So it is best to first review Ground Combat.

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. Combat: 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 the Characters on opposing teams who have the highest Initiative 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 hers 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 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 effecting their dice roll. Such as doing an action that puts a target into a condition like a trip or grapple. Advances or Disadvantages can be placed on a Character even if that Character isn't the one making the roll. Instead, it affects anyone else having to roll to interact with that character.

At the start of each team's turn the Advantages and Disadvantages for that Team as well as each person individually. The Team should be aware of what bonuses and subtractions they have before deciding on what action to take. This Phase is here to both explain Advantages but also as a placeholder and reminder to check what Advantages and Disadvantages exist in the round.

In the start of combat, ALL combatants (unless noted otherwise) have the disadvantage "Flat-Footed." More about what "Flat-Footed" means down below. Once a combatant's turn starts they are no longer considered flat-footed unless told otherwise.

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 roll 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 Combat Phase (Step 4)

Step 4 is repeated multi times until combat is finished. 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. This is also the largest section as it attempts to explain all that can be done.

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, a 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 the 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 a 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.

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 themselves. 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 heaver 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 move then a split second to preform 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 want to use a sword you would first need to draw it from its sheath. 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 Affect that needs to be accounted for. If the weapon is Melee, you get to add your Strength Modifier to the total damage.

Extra Attack/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. Extra Attack implies that they can merely attack again first rolling an Accuracy Check and then if successful Damage Die again.

Critical Success/Failure

This is when a Natural Twenty is rolled. Natural Twenty means that the d20 landed on the 20 side. 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. If the Damage Roll is using Extra Damage, then the multiplier works on every even Extra Damage. So if the Character only has 1 Extra Damage, then the Critical only applies once. However, if the Character has 2 Extra Damage special features then the Critical is applied twice and three times when the Character has 4 Extra Damage.

This 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 special 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 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 (Special)

To delay an action or ready an action allows a player to strategist his characters movements and attacks and coordinate with other players. A player can declare that his Character will delay an attack action or move action until another event has occurred. Such as another combatant's attack or death. An example may be that one Character readies and melee attack action with an improvised weapon, a hard cover book, next too the door awaiting for her assailant to open the door. When the assailant busts through the door the Character can automatically attack even if it still isn't her turn.

In order to Delay/Ready an action a Player must declare it to the GM and sacrifice that action in there current turn. They must be able to sacrifice that action and they do not get it back if it isn't used.

Player's can also choose to coordinate actions with other players. The Player has to announce that they will coordinate all actions with another friendly players. The turn order of players in combat now changes and the two players get the lowest Initiative between the players which was obtained in step 1. When it becomes there turn the players get too choose who goes before the other sense they are working as a team. Players cannot coordinate actions with other players that cannot interact with and/or communicate with.

Traps/Mines (Full Round or Free)

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Cover (Full Round or Free)

blah

The Combat Ending Phase (Step 5)

Round Counters: Here is where the GM or Player can subtract from any round counters. Any effects/conditions that last longer then one round need to have a counter to keep track of how many rounds have happened. Its 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 sense 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 any assortment of effects/conditions. Each round is considered 3 seconds. Characters with these negative effects should immediately deal with these conditions before normal game play 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 other 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 effected character.

Space Combat

Space ship combat is very similar too normal combat. Please review the rules above before reading the Space Combat rules. Just like normal combat there are 5 phases to space combat. Below are exceptions to the rules noted above.

Initiative Phase

Initiative is now based on the ships Mobility Modifier + any Miscellaneous modifiers as noted on the Space Ship Character sheet. All characters on a ship act in turn on the ship. There actions are interchangeable like a group of players working as a team. Each ship is its own group. Even if players are on the same team if they are in two different ships they do not take there turn as a whole group. Only players on the same ship can interchange there turn order. All ships, including opponents go in turn order of there Initiative.

Surprise Phase

The rules here are still the same. Ships can preform an action in this round only if they are aware of the opponent ships. A Sensor check is now rolled to confirm if the ships are aware of each other.

Advantages and Disadvantages Phase

The rules here are also the same. The Advantages and Disadvantages system still applies. The goes for both the ship itself as well as the players within the ship.

Combat Phase

Here there are a few things different. Ship actions are actually the combined actions of its crew. This doesn't mean that all crew members have something to do every round of the combat phase. It all depends on what the crew wants the ship to do and what position each crew member is fulfilling. Below are some things different about ship combat.

1. A ship always moves. Even if the move action is to attempt to stay still relative to another object. All things in space are moving in the perspective of some other object. It takes a skilled pilot to keep a ship on target especially when that target is moving, the ship itself is moving, and there are tons of objects around them also all moving in completely different directions. To each round the ship must make a Pilot check. A failure to pilot correctly has 2 out combs. The position of the ship at the end of this phase is not where the pilot intended. The ship has a -2 AC penalty for the next round. If it is a critical failure it is a -4 penalty as well as any other possible failures the GM is allowed to impose.
2. The ship can possibly fire on multi targets. Each hard point weapon can only fire once per turn unless specified otherwise. So this means that the amount of weapons on a ship limits the number of different possible targets that can be hit. Secondly the ship has to target each one. A ship can only target the number of ships equal to its Sensor Modifier. However each additional target gets an additional -2 to the Accuracy check. The 3rd target would be a -4 the 4th target a -6. This can be mitigated by a Crew member on tactical as well as improved Targeting electronics.
3. Ships cannot do Combat Maneuvers. The only 'Maneuver' like Special Ability all ships can do is Ram. Ramming is similar in nature to a Charge Combat Maneuver. It does damage based on size. Xd6. X being equal to the size level + Engines Mod. Fine being level 0. Colossal be 8.
4. Massive damage for a ship is considered any amount of damage more then 1/4th the ships total Hit Points with a minimum of 50 damage. The ship makes an Armor check with a DC of 15. The DC is 20 if the damage is more then 1/2 the ships Hit Points. If it fails the ship may take on a damage condition.
5. Ships can target specific aspects of other ships in an attempt to force a damage condition along with the normal damage. The different systems are identified by the 6 different Attributes of the ship. The ship takes a -4 to the accuracy check. The DR from shields still apply. If damage is successfully dealt after the DR is accounted for the target ship rolls a check to see if the system is too take on a damage condition. The DC is 15 + the number of times that system has been hit per combat. If its a critical hit the DC is 20 + number of hits. Taking on a damage condition usually adds temporary negative effects that can be resolved by repairing the ship. These conditions can be removed while in-combat if the ship has an engineering bay and an appropriately skilled crew member assigned to it. Once a ship takes on 10 or more damage conditions it is considered inoperable. Inoperable is similar to the helpless character condition except that the crew on board can still attempt to fix the ship.

Combat Ending Phase

The rules are the same here.