Combat

Combat is the system we use to manage the small sections of time in a fight. Combat consists
of rounds where each combatant takes their turn in order, based on Initiative roll of that
combatant. Highest goes first, and so on. A round in combat can have any number of turns (one
for each combatant) but the whole round only represents 6 real world seconds.

Here is a simple step by step for the stages of combat:

1. Roll initiative. Each combatant rolls a d20 and adds their agility modifier. This is their
initiative and determines the turn order.
2. Establish positions. The DM specifies where everyone, and everything is at the start of
combat. This is usually based on marching orders discussed beforehand and where the
DM knows the people and objects in an area to be at that time. Usually this is
transcribed onto a grid or hex map. However, for simple combats, it may be played in
theater of mind.
3. The DM determines who was surprised at the start of combat, this is explained below.
4. Each player takes their turn in order by initiative.
5. When the last player finished their turn, you start the next round at the top and repeat
until the DM rules combat over.

Surprise
Surprise is simply the state that an affected combatant can't move or take actions on their first
turn of a given combat encounter. A combatant is surprised when they were completely
unaware of their enemies before the first strike. Usually this happens when one side is
sneaking, and goes unnoticed up until the first attack.

Generally this is determined by comparing the sneak roll of the sneaking combatants to the
perception roll of the group being attacked. If the defenders were actively looking for the
attackers they may do an investigation check instead. In either case, the defenders are
surprised if they fail to notice all of the attackers. Not all defenders must be surprised.

For example, your party ambushes three raiders. You all sneak into positions on a hillside. The
sniper tells the DM he fires at the front raider in the valley. The DM calls for initiative, then
establishes positions. The DM compares the perception rolls to the stealth rolls of your group.
Two of the raiders dont notice the party but the front one has seen the sniper as he moved into
position to shoot. Now you play out combat normally except the two surprised raiders skip their
first turn.

Sneak Attack Damage. When you deal damage to a surprised combatant they take an
additional 3 damage.
Surprise Attacker. The person who initiates the surprise combat always goes first on the first
round of combat, regardless of their initiative. In the above example, this prevents the front
raider from somehow seeing the sniper, and moving to cover after the sniper told the DM he
pulled the trigger. Only one person in the entire combat encounter can be the surprise attacker,
as determined by the DM. Also, they may not change the target for that first attack, regardless
of surprise.

Your Turn
On your turn you can move and/or take an action. Under special circumstances you can
also take a bonus action and/or a reaction. You can do them in any order unless
specified elsewhere.

Bonus Action. These are special actions afforded only by specific features or
equipment. They are not interchangeable with your normal action and you only get one
if a feature or equipment says so. For example, you normally take no bonus action.
However, if you are duel wielding, making an attack with your offhand weapon requires
your bonus action. Bonus actions are only during your own turn.

Reaction. These are actions you can take on any turn in combat but only when the
required trigger is satisfied. The two most common instances of this are using the
“Ready” action to define a trigger and response, detailed below, and attacks of
opportunity, also detailed below.

On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed and take one action. You
decide whether to move first or take your action first. Your speed — sometimes called
your walking speed — is noted on your character sheet.
Other events on your turn. Besides the move, action, bonus actions, and reaction you
can do some simple activities. You can talk in short phrases and simple gestures. You
may perform a simple interaction with objects or your immediately available inventory.
For example, you could close and lock a door. You can sheathe a knife and draw your
pistol. You could grab a weapon on the ground. And anything of similar effort and
speed. Trying to perform more than one of these will require your action.

Also, the DM may decide an interaction is too complex for a simple interaction and
requires you action, something such as entering a combination into a safe lock. Also,
some equipment requires an entire action to activate.
Action. You have many choices for actions. The most common one is the attack action
which is how you deal damage most of the time. However, other actions include, dash,
dodge, ready, help and others detailed below.

Attack. Attacks have 4 steps.

1. Choose a target. Person, object, direction, or specific point (in range).

2. Decide if you want to do a simple attack, or called shot. See called shots document.
3. Roll your d20 and add the relevant bonuses such as SPECIAL modifier, or proficiency.
4. If the total is higher than, or equal to their AC (armor class) you land the hit.
5. If you landed the hit, roll damage. This is based on the weapon and your SPECIAL
modifiers.
It may sound complex, but when you get used to it it only takes a few seconds.

Dash. Until end of turn, you gain your base movement speed as a bonus. This represents a
serious, all out sprint for your character.

DIsengage. Until end of turn, Moving doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Dodge. Attacks against you using primitive weapons, unarmed, or melee weapons have
disadvantage and you gain advantage on agility saving throws.

Help. Noted here for having been removed and reworked as distract and out of combat helping,
detailed in the mechanics document.

Distract. You choose a target that can see and hear you within 30 feet and get their attention
during combat to make an opening for an ally to exploit. The first attack against your target
made by anyone besides you has advantage. This effect ends at the start of your next turn.

Hide. When appropriate (detailed in mechanics) you may attempt to hide from enemy
combatants. You make a sneak check vs all enemies in the area making perception checks. If
no enemy notices you, you become hidden and benefit from that condition, detailed in
mechanics.

Ready. You define a trigger, and what your character will do when that trigger happens. When
the trigger happens, you may either do exactly what you described or do nothing. You use your
reaction to perform the action. You may move up to half your movement as part of your action
but only if you didnt move on your turn. For example, you want to shoot the first person that
comes through a door in front of you. You ready that action, and when a person comes through
the door you can either shoot, or not. You can not change the action, only abort it. For example,
if the person turns out to be an ally, you may wish to avoid filling them with holes.

Search. You may search the area for something. You make an investigation check and the DM
determines if you find anything.
Push. You may push a creature of your size or smaller. When you do, they move 5 feet away
from you and make an agility saving throw. On a fail they are knocked prone.

Clear Jam. You may spend your action clearing a jammed gun. No check is required.

Other. If you have another idea for an action, ask the DM and they will determine if it can be
done in one action. Sometimes it will be too much for one person in one turn. Other times it will
be trivial and require no action at all.

Movement in Combat
When moving in combat you move at your movement speed. If you have more than one
movement speed your total movement cannot exceed your highest movement speed in any one
mode. For example. If you have 30 feet of ground movement (default type), and 60 feet of
swimming speed, you can move only 30 feet on the ground, but then may swim another 30.
However, you may not walk 30, then swim 60.

Difficult Terrain. When moving in difficult terrain, every foot of movement costs 2 feet of your
speed to traverse.

Jumping. There are four kinds of jumps. Running high jump, running long jump, and standing
high jump, standing high jump. In any case, your total distance cannot exceed your movement
speed. So you cannot run 30 feet then try to jump another 10 feet if your move speed is 30 feet.
Unless you have some way to fly, or hover, you always end your turn on at the same absolute
height as when you left the ground.

Prone. On the first turn aftering becoming prone, if you did not do so voluntarily, you are unable
to get up or move. After that turn you may use half your movement to get up. You may crawl
when prone, where each foot of movement requires an additional foot of speed. While prone,
from 15 feet or more against you have disadvantage and attacks within 10 feet have advantage.
You also have advantage on ranged attacks while prone.

Ranged Attacks
Attacks made with ranged weapons, basically anything but your fists and melee weapons, have
some special features. Ranged weapons have one or two range numbers. When there is just
one number, you cannot attack beyond that range. When there are two numbers, attacks within
the first number are made normally, and attacks between the first number and second number
are made with disadvantage, attacks beyond the second number cannot be made.

Too Close. Primitive weapons have disadvantage on attack rolls against targets within 5 feet.
Opportunity Attacks
These are attacks made when an enemy leave the range of a melee or unarmed weapon you
currently have equipped and at hand. You may make one normal attack against them as they
leave the range, before they leave it. This uses your reaction.

Clearing a Jam
On the turn that your gun jams you may use your reaction to attempt to quickly clear the jam.
Make a repair skill check against the DC = 15 - Weapon Quality

Two Weapon Fighting

When you make an attack with a weapon with the light property you may make an additional
attack with a light weapon in your offhand using your bonus action. You may also choose to
throw them instead.

Grappling
You may replace an attack with a grapple. You attempt to immobilize an enemy of your size+1
or smaller. You make a strength check contested by their strength, or agility (their choice). If you
win, they are grappled. Their speed is 0, however, they can still fight at full strength.

If two people successfully grapple a target, it becomes restrained. If three or more people do, it
becomes effectively paralyzed.

Breaking a grapple requires an action and another contest, again using strength vs strength or
agility. The grappled creature need only make one check to break any and all grapples on it,
however, the DC to break the grapple is d20+highest strength among grapplers+2 for each
grappler beyond the first.

Damage Types

There are only 4 damage types: physical, energy, fire, and radiation. Each weapon will deal
some amount of damage in one or more of these types. Some things have resistance to
damage, which reduces each instance of damage by a set amount. See the mechanics
document for a full review.