The West That Wasnt - Conflict - AP v2

Back to Main Page

You have a Hero, and you know what the numbers mean and how the cards function. Now it is time to begin bringing the narrative to life. A good story is never easy. The protagonist finds obstacles at every turn. Overcoming these obstacles forms the basis of both the Hero and the story. Whenever a Hero is at odds with some element of the universe, there is conflict. When that conflict escalates into the physical, the Judge breaks the game down into rounds. This may also be referred to as "action time".

Action Time

When the Judge declares action time, the sequence of game play becomes more structured. Each round is divided into 20 segments. During each segment up to 1 AP may be spent toward an action a character wishes to perform. Once spent, APs are lost, even if the action never resolves.

During each round each character has a number of action tokens equal to their AP to spend. Tokens are spent by placing them on the track during the segments where they are spent. Once the appropriate amount of AP are spent, the action resolves. Tokens may not be saved from round to round.

Initiative

Each combat round begins with an initiative step. During this step all characters perform an initiative test, and then adjust their action track.

The Initiative Track

On the back of the character sheet is the Action Track, which lists the segments (1-20). This track is used to order actions during the turn, and track spent APs.

The Initiative Test

The initiative test is an Easy (3) Quickness test. If the test is successful, place an action token on the action track at the Initiative Number (IN) of the character. For each bump, shift the token one slot to the left. If the test is failed, place the token one slot to the right. If the result is a calamity, shift the token a number of slots equal to the Step to the right.

Action Timing

The Judge will begin the round at 1 on the action track, and count until a character has a token on the given number of the track*. When that occurs, the character declares what their action is, and how many AP the action costs. One AP is considered paid toward the action at this time. On each subsequent move on the action track the character may place another token toward the completion of their chosen action. Once the correct number of AP are paid, the action resolves.

Miranda Valentine has an IN of 4, and has placed her action token there. When the Judge calls 4, she announces that she is drawing her Peacemaker, which takes 1 AP. The action is complete and she has spent 1 AP, leaving her 10. When the Judge calls 5, she declares that she is cocking the Peacemaker, which takes 1 AP. This action resolves. When the Judge calls 6, she declares that she is taking a normal shot at Felicia Laroq, which takes 3 AP. She places an AP token and has two more to pay before the action resolves.

*Alternatively, all characters can use the same Action Track, and the count can begin at the lowest number where an action token is placed.

Simultaneous Actions

Sometimes actions may occur simultaneously. Characters who wish to coordinate actions that occur on the same segment may do so if both agree.

--->Is it possible for initiative ties to lead to simultaneous action?

Interrupting Actions

If a character wishes to change their declared action, they may do so any time the Judge increments the segment. If two characters wish to change their action during the same segment, they occur in descending order of initiative. All AP paid toward a previously declared action are lost*.

Example

*Some or all of the AP toward a new action may be applied toward the new action at Judge discretion.

Example

Ending the Round

After the conclusion of the 20th segment, or when the last character has spent their last AP (whichever comes first), the round ends. Proceed to the initiative step of the next round. If one or more characters have APs spent toward an action, and enough APs to perform that action, at the conclusion of the 20th segment, those characters may perform those actions as if there were segments beyond 20. No further actions may be declared, however, after those actions are resolved, even if characters have remaining APs. Any unused APs are lost.

Example

--->Below here needs work

Movement

Characters may pay AP to move during their action. Characters may move a number of paces equal to their Move characteristic for 1 AP. A character may instead move a number of paces equal to their Run characteristic for 1 AP. Characters who use their Run characteristic are considered to have run for the entire round.

Resolving Movement

A character resolves their movement by spending the appropriate APs and moving their figure on the tactical map. Scale movement is in inches or hexes on the battle map, or paces in the world of the west. One pace is approximately equal to one meter or yard.

Movement AP Cost

The following are AP costs for movement. Characters may change facing up to 60 degrees (one hexside) per pace of movement for free.

Drop prone: 1 AP
Stand up: 2 AP
Maneuver: 1 AP Move value
Maneuver: 1 AP Run value
Maneuver up steep grade: +1 AP per pace
Maneuver up gentle grade: +1 AP per 2 paces
Climb ladder: +1 AP per pace
Climb stairs: +1 AP per 2 paces
Climb wall/cliff face: +2 AP per pace
Duck behind cover: 1 AP
Emerge from cover: 1 AP
Change facing 60 degrees without moving: 1 AP
Change facing more than 60 degrees without moving: 2 AP
Change facing 120 degrees during a move: 1 AP

Continuous Action Movement

Mounts and vehicles perform a special kind of movement called a continuous action. Continuous actions take place throughout the turn, rather than in a single batch. Each character or object which is taking a continuous action moves a portion of their movement during each segment. The character need not pay AP for the movement taken by the mount or vehicle, but may need to pay AP for maneuvers or other changes in the movement of the mount or vehicle.

To perform a continuous movement, divide the total movement into equal (or roughly equal) parts and spread them between the 20 segments. The movement during the slowest phase must be within one pace of that in the fastest. Continuous action movement occurs before other actions, and proceeds from slowest to fastest, based on Quickness value.

Skills During Action Time

Many skills can be performed during action time. The cost to perform a skill is 4/8 AP, depending on the complexity of the skill and attempt. Consult the Judge for how many AP a particular skill will take. Generally, something that requires the full attention of a character, such as reading a map or picking a lock requires 8 AP, otherwise the skill costs 4. The AP to perform a skill check may be paid over multiple turns (if it makes sense, such as with the lockpicking attempt, but not for an ongoing skill, such as sneak), however the attempt is not resolved until the final AP is paid. Use a counter to track how many APs have been spent toward any skills being attempted.

Combining Combat and Non-Combat Actions

It is possible to do both combat and non-combat actions during the same action. A character may wish to sneak up behind someone and stick them with their knife, or wrap a dynamite bundle and throw it at a passing stagecoach. In all cases, the procedure is the same.

The player splits their dice pool between the two actions. As with combat actions, below, the character only has one instance of their action pool for the round. SPLITTING DICE NEEDS WORK

EXAMPLE

Combat Actions

Now that we know when characters will go, what exactly will they do? What follows is a description of how to moderate the turn.

Ranged Combat

A ranged attack is a Coordination (sometimes Acuity) check with modifiers based on the situation. Some common modifiers are range, target size, movement and other distractions. Those potential modifiers are discussed below.

Range

The Target Number required is Standard (5) plus any relevant modifiers. Add one to the TN for each full range increment between the firer and target. See the gear section for any applicable range increments or other vital details regarding weaponry.

Cyril Wellington wishes to plug a villain with a shot from his .44 Schofield. The range increment for this weapon is 10. The TN to hit the villain up to 9 paces away is 5, up to 19 it is 6, etc.

Point Blank

Point-blank range is used when one character is holding a weapon in contact with another character, using them like a shield, holding them hostage, or shooting over a table where they both sit. In general, the weapon should be close enough to touch the target with arms extended. The TN for point blank range is 3.

Modifiers

The previous paragraphs describe what is known as the base TN, other modifiers may also be relevant to your check. A firefight is a chaotic and unpredictable environment. The Judge will provide any modifiers which are appropriate before any cards are drawn. Some common modifiers are listed below.

Situation		Modifier
Firer is moving		-1/-4 (walk/run)
Firer is mounted		-2
Firer is wounded		Varies (See Stun section, below)
Size		Varies
Target is moving		-1 per 5 paces relative speed
Secondary targets		-1 for each target after the first, cumulative
Appearing/Disappearing*		-1
Target is prone		+1

*If a target is emerging from or entering cover or visibility (from the firers perspective) during its movement this penalty is applied.

Move and Fire

If the character is moving one or two downgrades are applied, depending on the speed.

Mounted characters are a special case. The modifier listed is used only if it is worse than the movement penalty applied from firer movement.

Target Size

If the target has a size 4 or less, add 1 to the TN required to hit, if it is 2 or less, add 2. For larger targets, add +1 to the result for every +2 size the object/creature has above 6.

Target Speed

Of course, it's harder to hit a moving target than one that's standing still. A penalty of one is applied for each 5 paces of relative speed between the firer and target. "Relative" means you need to take into account how fast the target and the shooter are moving in relation to each other.

Miranda is chasing a bandit down Main. She has a Move of 8, he has a Move of 8. The relative speed is 0, meaning the penalty is 0.

Hank is driving his wagon east down Legless Gulch, with Cyril in the back riding shotgun. Cyril spies an ornery vaquero heading west down the mountain trail, leading into the gulch. He knows when the hombre gets into the gulch, he will hightail it and be right behind them in a jiffy, so he wants to take a shot with his shotgun as soon as possible. Reuben is pushing his nags to 18 paces Speed, while the vaquero is going only 8 paces Speed down the rocky trail. Since they are going opposite directions, the relative speed is 26, for 5 downgrades.

Not all groups prefer the idea of relative movement. If you prefer to use total movement instead of relative movement, check with the Judge and be consistent. Play the game you want to play!

Throwing Things

The throwing skill works just like shooting for most weapons. The Range Increment for all thrown weapons is 10 paces. The maximum range a character can throw an average size weapon (1-2 pounds) is NEEDS WORK.

When a thrown item misses the intended target, use the scatter section of the Action Card to determine where the item lands. Orient the clock face with the 6 in the direction of the thrower and place the thrown object a number of paces equal to the phase result (bottom left) from the target in the direction displayed within the clock face.

Aim and Snap Shots

There are three types of shots that may be attempted: Snap shot, normal shot, aimed shot. A snap shot is the fastest, followed by normal then aimed. Each ranged weapon has an AP cost listed for snap and normal shots. There is also a value for aim, which is the AP cost of an aim action. Weapons also have cock and SP (snapshot penalty) values.

Consulting the weapon card for a Sharps rifle, above, the weapon may be fired as a snap shot for 3 AP. This shot would take a penalty of 3 downgrades (the SP).

Again consulting the Sharps weapon card, a normal shot can be fired for 7 AP. This shot would not take a snap shot penalty.

Weapons may be aimed, if desired. Aimed shots are any shots which take aim actions after paying the AP cost for a normal shot. Each successive aim action adds 1 upgrade to the attempt. Up to two successive aim actions may be performed in this manner. Only normal shots may be aimed.

Some weapons have an attribute called Accurate, which is followed by a number in parentheses. If aimed, that number is added to the result before comparing to the TN.

Finally, we can see that to make an aimed shot with the Sharps would require 11 AP. That shot would be NEEDS WORK

Cyril Wellington is hidden across the street behind a vaquero who is holding Miranda at bay. He knows he only has one shot in his Schofield, so he needs to make it count. He decides to spend 3 AP for a normal shot, then 4 more AP to aim twice, granting himself a total bonus of 2 upgrades on his shot, and costing 7 AP.

Aim does not persist from shot to shot. Any firing action also nullifies the aim.

Optional rule: When making an aimed shot, the character may choose to use either their Coordination or Acuity trait. This could vary from shot to shot, if the situation warranted.

Cocking and Readying

Weapons need to be ready to be used. Firearms in TWTW require cocking before they can be fired (except for hammerless shotguns). An item (such as a saber) need only be readied once, while firearms must be cocked before each shot.

A weapon is considered ready when it is in hand and free from any encumbrances such as holsters or scabbards. Weapons of up to size 5 cost 2 AP to ready. Larger weapons cost 1 extra AP for each unit of size above 5.

Cyril Wellington carries a S&W Schofield (size 5) and a Winchester rifle (size 8). It costs 2 AP to ready the Schofield, or 5 AP to ready the rifle.

Cocking a weapon is a simple action, costing 1 AP for most. The cost to cock a weapon is in the C column of the weapon card. Cocking must be done before any aiming.

Carrying Loaded Weapons

Most inhabitants of the West carry their firearms loaded, but in the case of pistols, they generally carry only 5 loaded chambers instead of 6. The reason is simple: safety. Firearms of the day could fire if jostled when a bullet is present under the hammer.

If a character chooses to carry a fully loaded firearm, the following rules apply. A Calamity result on an action involving any kind of movement leads to discharge of a round. The same is true for any malfunction result that is within the malfunction range of the weapon. Check the toggle result on the Action Card. A YES value means the shot misses the character, a NO means it did not. Apply a hit to the closest body part (usually the leg, depending on how the weapon is stowed).

Tactical Aiming

Aiming on a range or in a pasture is simple; aiming while .45 caliber slugs whiz past your ears is another thing entirely. In TWTW, normal or aimed shots may require a bravery check if the character is under fire. Consult the following to determine effects.

1. Determine if the character may lose aim. A character may lose aim if they are targeted since their aim began, or since their last action.

2. If the character was the target of a ranged attack, pay the AP for the shot and then perform a Standard (5) Bravery check. Add 1 downgrade for each shot after the first that targets the character, and 2 downgrades for each attack that hit the character. If the check succeeds, perform the shot as normal. If the check fails, the AP are spent, but all previous aim is lost and any shot is a snap shot. Aiming may not be attempted again this round. They may choose to make the snap shot or forgo making a shot.

3. If the character is a target of a melee attack, perform a Difficult (7) Bravery check. Failure indicates loss of aim, as above. If the character was hit by a melee attack of any kind, they may not aim, and any aim they had accumulated is automatically lost.

4. If none of the preceding apply, the character may aim as normal.

In all cases, perform the Bravery check immediately before rolling the dice to resolve the action. The player is not allowed to change actions or targets after determining aim status. Resolve the Bravery check and attack separately.

Aim and Cover

Characters behind cover receive a bonus to performing and maintaining aim. Whenever a character resolves a Bravery check due to tactical aiming add the armor value of the cover to the result. The character must have been behind cover for their entire turn. If a character moved between two instances of cover during their turn, add the lowest armor value to the result.

Fan Firing

Single action revolvers are capable of an attack called fan firing. When fan firing, the trigger is held down, while the off hand slams, or "fans", the hammer repeatedly, cocking the weapon as it fires. It can be wildly inaccurate, and should only be attempted by skilled (or crazy) practitioners.

When using fan fire, first declare the number of shots to be attempted, and also the targets. For each shot add 1 downgrade, starting with the first. Each target after the first increases the difficulty an additional downgrade, successively. Fan-firing is always a snap shot, even if an aim action was performed before the first shot. Fan firing costs 1 AP per shot, plus 1 AP per target switch, and ignores cocking.

When fan-firing, each shot is resolved separately, but from the same dice pool, so the order and target must be clear before rolling. No changes can be made to the series once the dice are rolled.

EXAMPLE

When fan-firing, any successive shots resolve hit locations on separate cards (the shots are not grouped).

Pushing the Limit

Revolvers are not designed for fan-firing. Increase the Rel of any revolver by 1 when fan-firing.

Two Weapons

A Hero using weapons in each hand suffers one downgrade to each attack. Any action taken with an off hand takes an additional 2 downgrades. A hero can fire with each hand up to the weapons’ usual rate of fire. Resolve each hand as a separate check.

The previous penalties are in addition to any snap shot penalties for the weapon. Aiming two weapons is only possible if they are pointed together (held closely, so the eyes can see both sights simultaneously), at a single target. This kind of aim takes concentration, so increase the AP cost of any aim action by 2. It is never possible to aim at two different targets, at least one of the shots must be attempted as a snap shot.

Two handed ranged weapons

Generally speaking, you need two hands to operate a rifle, but it can be done with one. Apply a penalty of 2 downgrades to any two-handed ranged weapon being used with one hand. For larger weapons, be sure to consult the weight of the weapon and the Strength of the user.

Hand to Hand Combat

When two combatants are within one pace of one another, either may choose to initiate hand to hand combat. This is called engagement. Hand to hand combat may be armed (Melee) or unarmed (Unarmed). Advanced skills grant special bonuses that characters may use in hand to hand combat, but the associated basic skill level is always used for resolution.

There are four attacks available:

Any attack can be a careful attack, the cost is increased by 2 AP and one upgrade is added to the pool. The cost and bonus for careful can only be applied once per attack. Both armed and unarmed attacks use the same four standard attack types. Attacks do the damage listed plus the Damage Bonus (DB) of the character making the attack.

There are also two defensive maneuvers that may be employed: block and dodge. Block works against a single incoming attack and costs 2 AP. Multiple blocks may be performed in a turn. Dodge works versus all attacks coming from a given direction, usually 120 degrees (two hexsides, or Judge discretion) and costs 3 AP. Dodge is considered an active defense, and may only be employed if no attacks are attempted.

To utilize block, declare your intention before the attacker rolls. Once the result is known, make an unarmed combat test against a TN equal to the result of the incoming attack. If the block result is equal to the attack TN, change the hit location to the off arm (or whatever arm is making the block). If the block result is greater, the attack is successfully blocked and has no effect.

Blocking may also be performed with a weapon. In this case, the procedure is as above except substitute the appropriate weapon skill. Also, do not forget to check for equipment breakage during the block attempt. On an equal result, increase the Rel by 1 instead of changing the hit location.

To perform a dodge, state your intent before the attacker rolls. The dice pool takes a number of downgrades equal to the AD of the defender. Dont forget to pay the AP!

Determining Results

Once a character is ready to perform an attack, the first step is determining the TN. Each character has a defense value, which is 4 + half of the level with the hand to hand skill they are using, rounded up. This is the TN an opponent uses when trying to damage them with an attack.

Characters may make any number of attacks, with the following restrictions:

The number and type of attacks that will be attempted must be clearly declared, as well as the order and priority, before rolling.
The AP value for all attacks and actions must be paid before any attacks are resolved.
A single dice pool is used to determine hits, no matter how many attacks are attempted.
Attacks in excess of the level of the appropriate skill miss automatically (but may have other effects).

EXAMPLE

Breaking Engagement

If one combatant wishes to escape from the engagement they have two choices. They may pay 2 APs to carefully disengage, or they may move away without paying any extra APs. If the latter is chosen, the other combatant may immediately make a hand-to-hand attack for one fewer AP (minimum 0). The 2 APs are in addition to any APs paid for the movement.

Maneuvering During Engagement

Combatants engaged in hand-to-hand combat are not likely to stand still. Movement during melee is very important. Any combatant that does not move at least one hex (or one pace) for two consecutive rounds has their defense reduced by 1.

Maneuvering while remaining adjacent to their opponent does not break engagement and costs 1 AP per hex (or pace). No more than one hex (or pace) may be moved in this manner without breaking engagement.

Hand to Hand Weapon Damage

The gear chart shows a value for DMG and RD for each weapon type. This is the damage for a standard attack. WORK NEEDED (QUICK AND HEAVY)

EXAMPLE

Improvised Weapons

Sometimes a cowpoke needs to attack with whatever is available. It could be the grip of a pistol, a chair, a busted bottle, or anything in between. Improvised weapons add damage to the attack used based on the table below. Small and large weapons deal impact damage, sharp weapons convert the attack to deadly, as well as increase the damage. Improvised weapon damage is added to the damage from the attack type chosen.

Small improvised weapons are one foot or less in length, some examples being a pistol grip, tree branch or an iron skillet. Large improvised weapons are either heavier or larger than small weapons, examples include rifle butts, wooden chairs or large rocks. Sharp improvised weapons have exposed edges or points, like broken glass or nails.

Improvised weapons have a penetration value of 1. Impact penetration attacks add the listed number after the slash to the Force value of the attacker.

Advantage

During hand to hand engagements one combatant often holds an advantage against the other. Advantage can come from many sources, such as position, weapon type, or weapon length. Advantage is tracked via the advantage counter.

The purpose of the advantage counter is to distill many potential types of modifiers into a single bonus. Rather than remembering who has what bonus or penalty, from what source, a single calculation encompasses it all. The advantage can also be used to simulate changes in the fight as it progresses, or new types of maneuvers.

Advantage is determined each round of a hand-to-hand altercation. NEEDS MORE

Determining Advantage

, find the advantage value by adding in the advantage value of any weapon, and a further +1 for each of the following (if applicable):

Height (at least a foot of difference). This can come from raw physical size (an additional +1 per unit of size difference between the characters) or placement (such as being on horseback or up a hill).
Position. This can come from trapping an opponent in a corner, mud or quicksand, or otherwise using the battlefield to your advantage.
Armed. An armed combatant has advantage versus an unarmed one. If one combatant is unarmed, add 1 to the advantage of the armed combatant.

When multiple combatants gang up against a single foe the advantage values of the side with multiple fighters are added together before comparing it with the single combatant. Members of the side with the additional combatants receive a bonus of 1 to their advantage value for each other combatant on their side.

Optional Rule: Weapon Length

The longer weapon has the advantage at the beginning of any combat (as long as the wielder is able to keep their opponent at bay). This advantage changes if the combatant with the shorter weapon is able to successfully attack the torso or head of the wielder of the longer weapon (because they must have closed the distance to do so).

Position in Hand-to-Hand Engagements

The rules as written assume two standing combatants, facing each other and prepared. This is true in many of not most brawls, but what about when it is not?

Even if a fight begins in a standing and facing position, the fight can change positions quickly. A close quarters melee could lead to fighters wrestling on the ground. An opportunistic brawler might push an opponent into a chair and knock them onto their ass. A quick-thinking tough might pin an opponent against a wall. In those cases, one fighter is said to be in a dominant position.

The number of potential dominant positions is nearly countless. Rather than attempting to define each, in TWTW we instead give the Judge and Posse free reign to describe how the environment and conflict lead to dominance, and provide a set of guidelines for how that dominance might affect the ongoing melee. Some situations are presented below.

Full dominance involves an opponent that is pinned or unaware (such as if being attacked from behind or when surprised), the attacker may ignore the hit location result on the Action Card and instead choose where the target is hit. The hit location must make sense (it must be within reach of the given attack), of course. This bonus is in addition to that received from a restricted opponent.

Dominance is when an opponent is restricted but not fully trapped, such as if forced into a corner or prone. A combatant in this situation has their defense reduced by 2. Additionally, their attacks have one downgrade for damage as well (the damage is reduced). This simulates the difficulty in getting maximum force behind a blow without having full range of motion.

Partial Dominance occurs when the combatant has spent one bump toward dominance and is nearing a dominant position. A combatant that has been forced into a partially dominated position has their defense reduced by 1.

Dominance and advantage are separate.

Asserting Dominance

Each level of dominance costs one bump, cumulative. The dominance level may increase or decrease from round to round. The Posse and Judge should describe how the situation is unfolding in such a way as to illustrate the change in dominance of one fighter. Each bump spent to increase dominance may include up to 2 hexes (or paces) of movement in the direction of the winning combatants choice.

Hank and Dave Perkins are engaged in a melee at the Longhorn saloon. Being a skilled brawler, Hank achieves a bump on his first attack. He informs the Judge that he is maneuvering Dave toward the piano, attempting to get him cornered between it and the wall.

The opponent is not going to just sit idly by and be controlled, most likely. Any bumps spent by an opponent cancel advantage gained on a one for one basis. They may also include up to 2 hexes (or paces) movement as well.

Dave senses what is happening, and on his turn performs a bull rush (heavy attack) at Hank, also scoring a bump. He has successfully canceled the dominance Hank had asserted and maneuvered himself back into the center of the saloon floor.

An attacker may also attempt to utilize the environment to assist in dominance, rather than deal damage. In this case, a successful attack counts as one bump toward dominance.

Seeing his brother in trouble, Clem Perkins shoves Hank into a chair, attempting to cause him to stumble or knock him to the ground. His goal is to create a dominant position for his brother, so rather than attack for damage he indicates he will attack only for dominance. If successful, Dave will achieve partial dominance when Hank stumbles around the chair. If he also achieves a bump, Hank will fall to the ground and Dave will be able to claim dominance.

Breaking Engagements When Dominated

A combatant that is under partial dominance requires a TN 3 Unarmed Combat check to break the engagement. Multiple attempts may be made if necessary. Each attempt costs 1 AP. If successful, the combatant must move at least 1 hex (or scale pace) away from their foe at normal AP cost. If it is not possible to move away from the engagement, the combatant must move (see maneuvering within an engagement, above) prior to making the break-away attempt.

Combatants under dominance must escape from the position before any movement is allowed. An escape costs 2 AP and is TN 5. If successful, the combatant is placed in any adjacent, empty hex (or simply within 1 pace). The combatant may then break the engagement as above (pay 2 APs to carefully disengage, or disengage for 0 APs and be subject to attack).

Combatants under full dominance follow the rules for dominance, above, but the attempt is 3 AP and the TN is 7. Otherwise the situation is identical.

Multiple Attacks

Whether in ranged or hand to hand combat, characters have enough APs to make multiple attacks in a single round if desired. Unless expressly provided otherwise (such as with certain advanced skills) characters only receive a single attack pool no matter how many attacks are made. This means only one roll can be used to resolve all cause actions (hits and misses). All characters are limited to a number of attacks equal to their rank in the appropriate skill, or their trait rank if attacking unskilled.

Changing targets during a series of attacks is 1 AP per switch. If the optional fields of fire rules are being used (see advanced combat), targeting outside of the field of fire is an additional +1 AP.

Resolving Multiple Attacks

All attacks and their targets must be declared before rolling the dice.

Cyril Wellington is staring down two of the Perkins brothers. He has spent the night winning all of their wages from the past week, and fair or not, they want that money back. Both are drunk as hell, but still dangerous. He knows that since they each have knives drawn, he has one chance to put them both down or risk having one of more blades sticking out of his chest. He declares that he will fire two shots with his Schofield. Spending 2 APs to cock it twice, 3 AP for a normal shot on Pete, 1 AP for a snap shot on Clem, and 1 AP to switch targets to the Clem. He has 2d10 in Firearms: Pistol, so he has enough results in his pool for both attacks. He declares that he will spend 7 AP, giving him 1 surplus for initiative purposes.

To resolve the attacks, roll the dice and use the highest result in the pool for the first attack, the second highest for the second, etc. Continue until all attacks have been fully resolved.

EXAMPLE

Action Sabotage

A situation may arise where a character wishes to seem to do something, but is actually trying to fail at it. In many cases, it can just be assumed that the action fails as intended. However, in some dangerous situations it is better to leave the failure up to chance.

In general, when trying to fail intentionally, the attempt fails unless one of two things occurs: a calamity is generated, or the unintended targets icon shows a possible target that exists. One example is firing a weapon toward a target, with no intention of actually hitting it. In such a case, a calamity indicates the target is hit, while the unintended target could be a bystander or important piece of scenery.

Applying Damage and Wound Effects

In TWTW there are two types of damage: impact and deadly. Impact damage is that which is dealt by bare hands and most blunt weapons. Deadly damage is dealt by firearms, blades and other piercing or slashing weapons and hazards.

Impact Damage

Impact damage is dealt primarily to Concussion. Double the targets Size. If the effect is less than this number, apply the effect as Conc. If it is greater, subtract this number from the effect and deal one wound. Apply any remaining effect to the Size of the target. If it is less, apply it as Conc. If it is greater than or equal, apply a wound and subtract the Size from the effect. Continue until all effect is applied.

Angus Laroq has taken down Hank with a successful hit, a quick attack. The damage for a quick attack is 5 + DB, which is 3. Hank has a size of 6, so he is dealt 8 Conc. He has 6 Conc remaining, this was a significant blow!

Had Angus used a heavy attack, the result would have been EXAMPLE.

Any damage can kill, even impact damage. If the final wound dealt to a target in the torso or head is impact, check the toggle result on the card. On a YES, the target is killed. On a NO, the target falls unconscious.

Deadly Damage

Damage from most weapons is deadly. With deadly weapons, take the effect from the attack and compare it to the Size of the target. For each multiple of the size, apply one wound. Subtract all effect used to generate wounds and apply the remaining effect as Conc.

When Miranda Valentine uses her Peacemaker, it deals deadly damage. A normal hit deals 10: 1 wound and 4 Conc. If it were increased to 14 via bumps, two wounds and 2 Conc would be dealt.

Applying Results

A successful hit result indicates that the intended attack has struck the target. Determining the effect this has on them is what follows. Action cards provide all of the necessary detail, and work the same in both hand to hand and ranged combat.

Hit Location

Each successful attack also has an associated hit location. Each hit location is unique for the addition of wounds, except in the case of chest, belly and vitals, which are all considered to be a single location: torso. Wounds to these three locations are added together. Additionally, each arm and leg is a separate location.

Wounds dealt to the vitals add one damage bump. Those dealt to the head add two damage bumps.

Burst Results

The burst results section of the card is used only for speed loading and the Gatling gun.

Hit Location

Each action card has a hit location section located UPDATE. This is the standard hit location. Hit location may be changed within the stack via bumps (see below).

The hit location stack is arranged in order, top to bottom. This means, generally, locations at the bottom of the stack are below those at the top. Results closer to the UPDATE are referred to as "up" when compared to the standard location, while those closer to the penetration results are considered "down".

Vitals are any of the target's vital parts, such as heart, lungs, throat, etc. Vitals, chest and belly are torso for purposes of wounds and wound modifiers. They are treated separately by the hit location chart for cover determination and narrative flavor, as well as the bonus for vitals.

Hit Location and Cover

TWTW does not assess to hit penalties to targets within cover. As long as any part of the target can be seen, or reasonably discerned (targets that are not visible behind cover can be attacked with 3 downgrades), an attack may be attempted. After determining hit location, the effect of cover can be determined. If the intervening cover is between the target and the attacker, the cover will be hit instead. The Judge should clarify which locations are covered, if applicable, before the card is drawn.

If the cover is hit, proceed to the penetration rules to determine if the attack penetrates, and, if so, whether or not the target is affected.

Hit Location and Damage

Some hit locations have special damage rules. Any hit to the head provides 2 damage bumps. Any hit to vitals provides 1.

Anytime a location takes a 5th wound it is disabled. For a limb, such as arm or leg, the location is either severed or otherwise rendered useless. In most cases this is permanent. If the location is the torso (chest plus belly and vitals) or head, disabling results in critical wounds (see death, below).

Cover Penetration

When a target is behind cover, the cover has an opportunity to deflect the attack before damage is applied. The table below lists some common obstacles and their Armor Values (AV). To determine if an attack penetrates armor, add the penetration result from the action card to the Pen of the weapon, then compare the result (called PV) to the AV of the cover.

Armor Value		Obstacle
1		glass
2		thin wood
3		hardwood
4		adobe or thin iron plating
5		thick iron

There are three possible results: P, A, and D. The P (penetrate) result occurs when the PV is 2 or more greater than the AV. In this case, deal the DMG amount listed for the attack to the target. An A (ablate) result is indicated when the PV is equal to or one greater than the AV. In this case, deal the RD to the target and reduce the AV of the cover by 1. Finally, if the PV is less than the AV, the attack deflects (D). There is no effect from an attack that deflects.

Wound Effects

Wounds are a terrible burden. Shock distorts senses, pain distracts concentration, and damage to arms and legs make holding things and movement of any type nearly unbearable. All of this is manifested with AP penalties which reduce how much a character can do. Consult the table below for details regarding the magnitude of these penalties. Wound effects are subtracted from the total APs.

Wounds	Description	AP Penalty	Stun
1	Flesh Wound	1	3
2	Light	2	5
3	Heavy	3	7
4	Serious	4	9
5	Critical	5	11

The penalty depends on the highest-level wound your hero has suffered. If they have a light and a serious wound, for instance, subtract the penalty for serious wounds (3) from the AP pool, irrespective of wound location.

Shock might be more than a lingering distraction, it might conspire to cause a character to miss an action or two. Whenever a character is dealt damage they must check Fortitude, called a Stun check. The TN is listed in the Stun column of the wound penalty table. Success, of course, means the character is not stunned (but the damage is still applied).

Failure causes a character to be stunned until a successful recovery check is made. Each round, stunned characters use their action (Recover, all APs) to attempt a recovery check to shake off the stun. Any character that critically fails a recovery check immediately falls unconscious for 1d6 hours or until someone makes a Standard (5) medicine roll to revive.

Action Cards in Combat

NEEDS UPDATE