05.04 Rd6 Special Combat Rules
Called Shot
The character chooses a specific target, like a dagger in a thief’s hand, and aims for that. This is represented by a Called-Shot Modifier, which is determined by the estimated Scale of the Target (See Scale). On a successful attack, he knocks the item out of the target’s hand, grabs the limb, pins the target to a wall, or does extra damage (GM’s discretion) to the damage. The exact result depends on the situation and the player’s intent.
For Example: The attacker is shooting for a called shot to the head of the target. Both are Medium humanoids, making the Head of the target Small (1D modifier). This give the attacked -1D modifier to his Skill Test to attack and a +1D to damage. However, the GM may make the call that it is a vital area and increase the damage to +2D.
Breaking Things
When a character specifically attempts to break something, compare the Skill Test total with the object’s Damage resistance total (its Toughness modified by size, thickness, flaws, supports, etc.). Items that take at least 10 points above their damage resistance total are severely damaged, if not destroyed. Items taking less than that are weakened, and another attempt may be made (with the object having a reduced damage resistance total and possibly other problems). The Object Toughness table lists some suggested durabilities.
| Object Construction | Toughness |
|---|---|
| Flimsy (thin wooden door, thatch) | 1D |
| Tough (hard wooden door, most swords, interior modern door) | 2D |
| Sturdy (brick or stone wall, interior modern hardened door) | 3D |
| Very sturdy (main castle gate, secure modern metal door) | 4D |
| Reinforced (outer castle walls, jail cell door) | 6D |
Disarm
This is like a called shot but to the target’s weapon. If the disarm attempt is successful and the target character has not performed an action yet, he immediately sacrifice/abort his action to try and keep a grip on the item he is holding. The defending character makes a Strength: Athletics Test against the total Attack Test success (minus any Result Points spent on Feats or Damage). If the defender’s Test is greater than the Total attack, the target character retains the item. If it is less than or equal to the damage, he drops it.
Note: An attacker can also Disarm using Result Point Feats option.
Entangle
A hero throws an entangling weapon at his opponent. On a successful Strength: Athletics – throwing roll, the weapon wraps itself around the target. Unless the weapon is spiked or enhanced in some other way, it does no damage, but it prevents the target from doing any action except for trying to break free, which counts as an action. To break the weapon, he must make a Strength: Lifting roll that meets or beats the weapon’s Break Difficulty. To slip free, he needs to roll an Strength: Acrobatics total equal to or higher than the weapon’s Entanglement Difficulty.
Escape
To break free from any hold, the character must make a successful opposed Strength: Lifting Test versus the holder’s Strength: Lifting. This counts as an action.
Coordinated Attack
This is a coordinated action. This requires a Presence: Persuasion (Command) skill in the leader. See Skills for further explanation.
Hit Location
Hit locations can be targeted by a called shot or rolled randomly in cases that level of detail is needed (perhaps the character is wearing a special helmet has a hire Armor value than the rest of his body). The table is used to determine the Scale modifiers for a Medium attacker hitting a target of Human proportions in different areas of his body. Note that aiming at an arm or leg actually causes less damage – this is because the character took extra care to shoot an area that is less vital. To determine Right or Left, roll a third d6 – Odd = Left, Even = Right. Same for Front or Back if needed.
| 2d6 | Location | Scale | Damage Modifiers | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Foot | Tiny | -1D | -1D to all Strength: Acrobatics, Agility: Stealth, and Initiative totals. Movement reduced by half. |
| 3-4 | Leg | Small | -1D | -1D to all Strength: Acrobatics, Agility: Stealth, and Initiative totals. Movement reduced by half. |
| 5-6 | Abdomen | Small | 0 | The character can do no more than passively defend in the next round. |
| 6-8 | Chest/Back | Medium | 0 | The character can do no more than passively defend in the next round. |
| 9-10 | Arm | Small | -1D | -1D to all Strength Skills, Agility Skills and any other rolls involving the hand or arm. |
| 11 | Hand | Tiny | -1D | -1D to all Strength Skills, Agility Skills and any other rolls involving the hand or arm. |
| 12 | Head/Face | Small | +2D | -1D to all Intellect, Perception, and initiative totals. |
As a general rule, for larger or small targets, reduce the size of the Hit Location by the difference between Medium and the size of the target. If the target is Large, then the head will be a Medium target, etc. assuming standard proportions.
| Location | Scale | Damage Modifiers | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart | Tiny | +2D | See Chest |
| Facial Feature (Nose, Ear) | Minute | -1D | See Head |
| Finger | Tiny | -2D | See Hand |
At the GM’s discretion, sufficient damage to a particular hit location can affect the target’s ability to use that part. Except for blows to the chest, the modifier lasts until the character heals that portion (which typically takes a few days, as Wounds are recovered for the body as a whole, not just a specific part). When the Medicine skill or a healing spell or miracle is applied, it can be specified to repair one particular location.
Knockout
This option does only half of the normal damage, but it can render the target immediately unconscious with a successful attack. It requires a successful called shot to the head or other vital area that would effect consciousness. After the Resistance Total has been subtracted, if the target sustains at least two Wound level, then he falls unconscious for a number of hours equal to the unspent Result Points of the attack (minimum 1).
Multiple Weapons
Weapons that characters can use with one hand and in either hand, such as daggers, may be employed at the same time in the same round. The character incurs a multi-action penalty.
Prone & Crouching
Attacking a target that is crouched on the ground (Prone) adds +1 to the Combat Difficulty unless within Point Blank range. If the target is moving while crouching (Belly Crawl), then the combat difficulty increases by +2 unless within Point Blank range. While Belly Crawling, the defending character’s normal Movement is halved. Willingly getting in and out of this position as a free action. However, a character forced into that position, such as a result of being thrown, need to make an effort to stand, which counts as an action.
Quick Draw
This option allows the character to act rapidly or draw and shoot a weapon in the same round as one action. The character may use any combat skill/specialization. If she is also using a weapon, it must be suitable for quick drawing.
Before Initiative is rolled, the player must announce that he intends for his character to Quick Draw a weapon. In doing this, the player allocates some skill dice and adds them to the Initiative Total for that round only. The player must leave at least 1D in her skill. If the character wants to make multiple attacks, he subtracts 1D for each attack beyond the first from the number of dice in the skill he’s using before the player moves dice around. She does not take a penalty for the draw.
All attacks by the hero in the same round must be made with the same skill, though the results are determined differently and they all occur at the same die code because the multi-action penalty was already figured in.
Example: A ranger wants to strike with his daggers at an evil sorceress before the villain can cast a spell. The ranger has 4D in Perception and 8D in Athletics (for Throwing). He may take up to 7D and add it to his Perception to determine initiative. The ranger, however, wants to throw two daggers. After subtracting 1D for the extra attack, he now has 7D in the skill, which allows him to add up to 6D to the initiative roll. He decides to move only 3D. This gives him 7D in Acumen to determine initiative and 4D in throwing. Now both the hero and the villain make their initiative rolls.
Once initiative is determined, at the character’s turn in the round, he uses the remaining dice in the skill to determine his accuracy.
Ready a Weapon
It takes one action per item to draw a gun, unsheathe a knife, reload a rifle, ready a bow for the first shot, or something similar. (Some weapons, such as a crossbow or a very long weapon, take longer.) Although this generally does not require a skill roll, the GM may require one related to the weapon in question for particularly stressful situations. Additionally, drawing and using the weapon in the same round incurs a multi-action penalty. The GM may add further modifiers for attempting to get out an item from a restrictive location or ready an unwieldy weapon.
Scale
See Combat: Scale
Surprise
A hero who surprises her opponent may either act first in the round (if initiative hasn’t already been determined) or gain a +1D to her action. Attacks from behind, an ambush, or unexpected sources (such as a companion) make up the most common sources of surprise.
Unwieldy Weapon
Melee weapons longer than 60 centimeters (2 ft) are considered 2-Handed Weapons and have a minimum Strength value. When one does not have the minimum Strength or uses these weapons one-handed, they tend to be a little unwieldly and the user suffers -1D modifier to the Combat Skill Test
Other objects that are hard to throw or grasp, ones relying on technology with which the user is unfamiliar, or any weapons otherwise difficult to wield may incur a -1D modifier to the Combat Skill Test at the GM’s discretion.