Chapter Four: Combat and Healing This chapter will gives you guidelines to play out gun fights, whether they be simple one-on-one fights between your character and an outlaw, or multi-character shoot outs involving explosives. Since modern combat is a complex subject, playing out firefights is a bit more complicated than the rest of the game. Your GM will choreograph these battles to keep the level of excitement high. Each character and NPC involved in the combat has his action for the round declared verbally. You do this by stating in as much detail as you need what you want your character to do during that round - move, move and fire his Colt .45 at the Sheriff, snuff out the dynamite, hold fire until fired upon, and the like. A declaration can consist of whatever actions you feel your character can perform in approximately 3 to 5 seconds. A complex action will usually take more than one Action Round to complete. Once the action has been declared, it must be carried through for that round; you cannot change you mind about what action you want your character to perform once all actions are declared. The order in which characters have their actions declared depends on their Agility characteristic. The character with the highest Agility declares last (allowing him an advantage by knowing what the other characters will do before he has to make his decision), while the character with the lowest Agility declares first. Any ties are resolved by rolling D10 until the tie is broken (lowest roll wins). Once the order of declaration has been established, it is retained throughout the entire battle. Each character then plays out his declared action. The character with the highest Roll Modifier goes first, next highest second, and so forth (in reverse order the declaration). The GM is responsible for resolving any movement or attacks which take place. There are four types of skills that a character can use for attacks: Hand Guns, Rifles and Shotguns, Archery, and Hand-to-Hand Combat. The definitions of these skills in Chapter 3 tell you when each type of attack is used in play. Your character must attempt to complete any action he has begun, unless the choices of the other characters make it impossible to do so. You cannot change your mind once you declare your action. If a character is being fired upon by another and has not yet fired his weapon during the round, he may be able to "draw" to see who gets to shoot first. This option may modify a declared action. The ability to get the first shot off separates Player Characters from the NPCs and gives them the extra advantage over their opponents that may be crucial. If a player's character has moved and not yet fired during and Action Round, he will still get an opportunity to beat an NPC to the first shot. The exact position of a character during combat must be known by the GM and you at all times. The simplest way to keep track of characters is to draw a scaled-down map of the location in which the action will take place. A scale of 10 feet to 1 inch works best, for this scale will allow comfortable movement and positioning of playing pieces (if they are used) and yet can cover large areas in scale without taking up and entire table top. The scale may be reduced as appropriate. There are two methods of keeping track of characters on the map: the first is to pencil in their location on the map, and as they move, erase their old positions and pencil in the new ones. The second, more practical method is to use small playing pieces to represent characters, which the players can move on the map. If this second is adopted, the grid should use one-inch squares to allow easier positioning. There are two kinds of movement a character can make during combat: normal and zigzag. The player must announce during the declaration which form of movement his character will use in that Action Round. During one Action Round, you may move your character a distance in feet equal to 2 times your Agility (with a minimum movement of 10 feet). He can be moved in any direction from his position. The character can use normal movement to jump over small impediments - boxes, barrels, and so forth - in his path; the GM will decide if there is any delay involved for a character moving over such obstacles. There is no need to roll dice in order for your character to move; it is a decision you make for your character. The character does not have to move if you want him to stay where he is. At the end of movement, you describe the posture of your character (for example, standing, kneeling behind a barrel, or lying prone). The GM will apply modifiers for posture should anyone fire at your character. Your character may combine normal movement with either Hand Guns, Rifles and Shotguns, Archery, or Hand-to-Hand Combat. You may choose when he fires his weapon (before, during, or after his movement. Zigzag movement is a special type of dodging movement which allow the character to lessen the distance he moves in order to make himself less of a target. He is sacrificing distance for safety. In this case, a character can move a maximum of his Agility in feet, and he cannot use Hand Guns, Rifles and Shotguns, Archery, or Hand-to-Hand Combat in that round. Often in combat, split-second timing is the difference between staying alive and catching a bullet between the eyes. In all situations where two characters have the chance to fire at each other and neither has fired his weapon during the round, the order in which they fire is determined by rolling a Quick Draw Skill for each character and adding the respective modifiers. The higher final number indicates which character shoots first. This situation is a Quick Draw, and can occur at any time during an Action Round as long as both players can still fire. A Quick Draw will usually give a Player Character the advantage in getting off the first shot. Each weapon has listed the modifier for a quick draw. This is the number times 10 that is applied to the dice roll. Speed Roll Adjustment Reason -20 Having to pull out the weapon to fire it. -1 Firer has more than þ and less than full Damage Points. -2 Firer has more than þ and less than þ Damage Points. -3 Firer has less than þ Damage Points. The object of combat is to damage, and hopefully put out of action, your enemy before he can do it to your character. Characters attack each other by using either their Hand Guns, Rifles and Shotguns, Archery, or Hand-to-Hand Combat skill. All weapons are given a Damage code, which measures how much damage the weapon does to a human being. The weapons in Chapter 7 all have their Damage codes noted. If you wish to use a weapon not listed there, the GM will assign a Damage code to it. Whenever a character is wounded he must make a Concentration roll to resist the pain of the wound. If the character fails he immediately falls prone to the ground, clutching the wound. He drops whatever weapon he is carrying. The Concentration roll will be at a difficulty given by the GM. If the roll is a failure you may do nothing the rest of the round. You may try to make the roll each round until it is made or your character is incapacitated. Damage is rolled on a 10 sided die. If the Damage code is 4D then roll 4, 10-sided die together and add them up. This is the damage done by the weapon. If a character is on a ledge of some kind and is wounded, he may fall off. If it is a Player Character, the player makes an Agility roll at a difficulty determined by the GM to save himself. Fall Wound Chart Height (in feet) Damage 0-10 No damage 11-20 1D 21-60 3D 61-150 5D 151-250 7D 251 or more Killed In general Hand-to-Hand Combat is not as heavy as for Hand Guns, Rifles or Shotguns, and Archery. The effects for Hand-to-Hand Combat are applied as listed above with the following exception: Shaking off wounds: In hand-to-hand combat, the target must make a successful Strength to continue to attack for that round. He may make a Strength roll every round until me makes it or is incapacitated. Hand-to-Hand Combat Damage Strength Attack 1-5 6-10 11-14 15 Kick 1D-1 1D+1 2D 2D+2 Punch 1D-2 1D 1D+2 2D+1 Bite 1D-5 1D-3 1D-1 1D+1 Area weapons (such as dynamite) explode at a particular point and cause damage radiating out from the point of impact. The amount of damage a character takes from such weapons is related to his distance from the point of impact. Dynamite and Nitro Glycerine Distance (in feet) Damage 0'-10' Radius 6D+1 11'-20' Radius 3D+1 21'-30' Radius 1D+1 30'-40' Radius Stun If stunned make a Strength roll at a difficulty given by the GM. If the roll is a failure your character may do nothing the rest of that round. The next round he may do anything normally. Often you character will want to fire their guns at or through material objects (doors, water trough, and so forth). Wound Adjustment Chart Material Adjustment Wood -2 to damage Iron -1D to damage Steel -2D to damage A character may fire more than once. Each time a character fires more than once, his difficulty goes up one. Example, if the weapon is to be fired twice, then each shot would be at a higher difficulty of 1. If the weapon is to be three times each shot is at a higher difficulty of 2, and so forth. If your character is taking more time to aim at the target, it is called taking a bead. This form of fire is useful when it is important to hit some- thing and damage it. You must declare in one Action Round the specific target your character is aiming at; the character may perform no other action during that round (he may not "draw" against an NPC until he fires). In the next Action Round, your character may fire at the declared target, and he receives a +3 to the difficulty. When using this option, the modifier is good for that round only. Another option similar to Taking A Bead, is the Specific Shot. The difference is that it is performed in the same Action Round that it is declared. Your character is trying to make a more difficult shot while spending no extra time to aim. A Specific Shot gives you character a -2 to the difficulty for the task, but allows him either to do more damage or to accomplish the specific damage or effect you have declared for him. If your character is firing to do more damage and is successful, he will double the normal damage the weapon inflicts. If he is firing to do a specific effect (for example, trying to disarm someone, shooting the target in the legs to stop him from running, and so forth) and succeeds, the damage result is not altered but the desired effect is achieved. Combat Modifiers Modifier Reason -1 Mild storm -2 Night -2 Severe storm -2 Firer moves during combat round -2 Firer attempts a specific shot +3 Firer is aiming (for one round or more) +4 Point blank range -2 Medium range -4 Long range -2 Target moved during combat round -4 Target Zigzagged during combat round -2 Target has þ cover (kneeling) -4 Target has þ cover (prone) +4 Target surprised -2 Having to draw the weapon in the same round -1 Firer has more than þ and less then full Damage Points -2 Firer has more than þ and less than þ Damage Points -3 Firer has less than þ Damage Points Characters you their Hand-to-Hand Combat skill in any melee that employs their fists, feet, and hand-held weapons. They must me within 10 feet of each other to engage in this form of combat. A character can move during the round to within 10 feet of another and then begin Hand-to-Hand Combat. Thrown weapons are also covered by this skill. If characters are involved in Hand- to-Hand Combat and one character fires a pistol while the other punches him, the character firing the pistol uses his Hand Guns skill while the punching player uses his Hand-to-Hand Combat skill. The damage for Hand-to-Hand Combat is based upon the character's Strength. If a character is using a hand held weapon, the damage is based upon the weapons Damage code. A character engaged in Hand-to-Hand Combat can choose not to make any attacks in an Action Round and move away instead. The Hand-to-Hand Combat is then broken off, unless the other character(s) follows and begins the combat again. A player must declare what hand-to-hand attack option his character will use in the round. If the attempt fails, the character has missed; if the attempt succeeds, refer to the weapons Damage code or the Hand-to-Hand Combat Damage table for the appropriate damage. Punch: Your character is trying to stun or wound his opponent. This option includes all attacks done with the hands and hand-held weapons. Kick: Your character is attacking another with his feet and legs. Due to the extra strength and distance of a kick, a character's damage is increased, but he suffers a -1 to the difficulty for balance problems. Specific Blow: Your character is attempting to do extra damage to his opponent, accomplish a specific effect (knock the weapon from the opponent's hand, deflect a thrown weapon, hit the opponent in the leg to slow him down, and so on), or achieve a difficult result (pushing a guard into another, hitting two NPCs with one swing, and so on). The player must announce what exactly he wants the blow to accomplish. If the roll is a success, your character will cause damage at twice the normal if increased damage is what was desired or will accomplish the effect he was after. Your character suffers a -2 to the difficulty when attempting this option. A character may perform only one Specific Blow per Action Round, but he may combine one of these options with other options (kick, punch, or thrown weapon). If your character is trying to disarm an opponent and catch the weapon, another -2 to the difficulty is applied to the task. If the roll is success- ful, your character has caught the item dislodged from the opponent. In this case, no damage is done to the target. Listed below are five kinds of Specific Blows. A character may choose to use one of them in an Action Round. Knockout: Your character is attempting to knock his opponent unconscious. There is an additional -2 to the difficulty applied to this kind of Specific Blow. If the attempt succeeds, the target character must try to make a Concentration roll equal to the attack roll. If the Concentration roll succeeds, the defender is stunned but is not knocked unconscious. If the Concentration roll fails, the target falls unconscious for 15 + 3D10 minutes. Trip: Your character causes the target to fall down and drop anything he is holding. No damage is done. If the attempt succeeds and the target is close to the edge of a cliff, it is possible the target could wind up going over. Rise: Your character uses this option to get back on his feet if he has been tripped. If he is successful, he gets up without incident; if he fails, he still gets up but his attacker(s) all receive one free attack in addition to any attacks they may make or have made in the round. Restrain: Your character attempts to pin his target. If successful, the target may take no actions except to attempt a Release (see below). If the target is restrained, another character may, with no difficulty, tie up the target (or do whatever else he wishes). No damage is done with this option. Release: Your character uses this option to break a Restrain. It is attempted at a difficulty equal to the Restrain roll. Just about anything a character can pick up can be thrown at an opponent, the most common such weapon being a knife. An object as light and as balanced as a knife can be thrown up to a distance in feet equal to ten times the Strength of the thrower. If other items are to be thrown, the GM will judge how far they can be thrown and what Damage code they have. The heavier or clumsier an object is, the less distance it will travel but the more damage it will do. Hand-to-Hand Combat Roll Modifiers Difficulty Modifier Reason 0 For a punch attack -1 For a kick attack -2 For a specific blow -2 Attacker moved into range during this round -1 Attacker has more than þ but less than full Damage Points -2 Attacker has more than þ but less than þ Damage Points -3 Attacker has less than þ Damage Points At the end of a combat round, if a character has been wounded from a bullet or from a sword or knife in Hand-to-Hand Combat, roll for the hit location. Roll a D100 Dice to determine the location of the wound. The dice result will indicate on which part of the character's body the wound is located. Wound Location Chart D100 Result Location 01-12 Face or Head 13-23 Neck 24-45 Chest 46-66 Abdomen 67-74 Left arm 75-85 Right arm 86-93 Left leg 94-100 Right leg A character who is wounded during combat can recover from his wounds by treating them. There are two types of medical treatment that will speed the healing process: First Aid and Hospitalization. The normal, unattended healing process reduces the wounds by 1 Damage Point per day if riding or 3 Damage Points per day if resting in the open. If Hospitalized, the healing process is 5 Damage Points per day. Characters loose 1 Damage Point per round until first aid is performed. Characters also loose an additional 1 Damage Point per day until medical attention is sought, due to infection.