Latest revision as of 20:28, 29 November 2016

Advanced Martial Arts, Version 1

The Future Imperfect concept of custom martial arts is based on the idea that each discipline has some number of foundation elements, and these elements act to provide certain benefits to the practitioner.

There are a limited number of potential maneuvers that can be performed in melee combat, and these maneuvers are broadly defined (we don’t need to worry about the difference between a d’arce choke and an anaconda choke, it only matters they are both holds with the choke element). The specific nature of each maneuver can vary greatly from discipline to discipline. What advanced martial arts attempt to do is classify the effect. Making the combat action come alive with description and unique flavor is the job of the crew and Master.

Elements

There are 5 Elements that can be used to create a discipline. These Elements are: Attack, Vulnerable Attack, Grapple, Throw, and Defend. A discipline may have an unlimited number of Elements, and the same Element may be included more than once.

Maneuvers

There are a total of 12 maneuvers that can be attempted in close combat. These maneuvers are: Strike (Short, Medium, Long, Low), Takedown, Hold, Lift, Lock, Escape, Block, Throw, and Disarm. Each Element has a value in each of these Maneuvers. A description of all Maneuvers is located at the end of the chapter.

Cost

A standard discipline has two Elements and costs 1 point per level like any other Attribute. For each additional Element, add 1 to the cost. Wrestling has two Elements: Grapple, Grapple. This costs 1 point per level. Kung Fu has three Elements: Attack, Attack, and Throw. This costs 2 points per level.

Enhanced Effects

Disciplines may also be distinguished from one another via Enhanced Effects (EE). These add something beyond extra attack dice to maneuvers. It would be impossible to describe every possible EE. Instead, guidelines are provided for building your own. Some example EEs are provided on the EE table.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a Vulnerable Attack called Guillotine Choke. This adds the Choke EE to the Hold Maneuver.

Game designers note: I have never seen an RPG that handles grappling well. This is my attempt to be the ‘least worst’. Most games also either substantially overpower martial arts, or make them indistinguishable from one another. As a former wrestler and avid viewer of MMA, I have a pretty good knowledge of what kind of things work and what things do not. I would not call myself an expert, but an educated lay person.

This is not, however, an attempt at a ‘realistic’ treatment of martial arts. The goal is for the system to be playable, fast and diverse. The extra work that must be done to differentiate one discipline from another will all be done once, during character generation. Players should not need to consult the rules over and over during play to know what they can do. Everything important should be right on the character sheet and easily digestible. The important piece is that when a wrestler enters the fight, it plays differently than when a practitioner of BJJ does, even though both are primarily grapplers. The same goes for Muay Thai versus boxing. They aren’t the same.

This is an optional system, so if your crew is not interested in exploring this kind of nuance, it is easy to ignore it and just roll Fighting: Martial Arts. If this is your choice, it does not significantly change the power level of martial arts practitioners. It is even possible to mix and match within a campaign, since a basic martial art has exactly the same dice pool/effects cost as any standard custom discipline.

Elements: Mechanics

Primary Maneuvers

Each Element has an entry for each Maneuver. The X denotes Primary Maneuvers (PM). For each X the Element may place up to one die in that Maneuver. Dice are allocated from the Effect Dice, chosen during customization.

Attack: Customization Pool Each standard discipline may spend 13 points from the following table, plus 7 more per extra Element per level. A minimum of 6 points must be allocated toward Effect Dice.

Enhanced Effects Table

A: May only be taken once per Maneuver.
B: May only be taken twice per Maneuver, and no more than once per level. May exceed threshold.
C: May only be taken with the Hold Maneuver.
D: May only be taken with the Lock Maneuver.
E: May only be taken with Strike, Block or Strike Long.

Effect Dice are what you roll to attempt that maneuver. They are effectively your skill level with that maneuver. Any effect dice that would take your maneuver pool over 5 cost double.

Example: A Kung Fu practitioner may place 2 dice in Strike, medium per level (Kung Fu has the attack element twice). If at level 1 that practitioner selects +1 Die toward Strike, medium, that would cost 2. If that same practitioner again selects +1 Die at level 2, that would cost 4 (his pool would be going from 5-6).

The Choke element subjects the target to suffocation rules, as found under fire (page XX). During a Choke maneuver both participants are considered prone.

Disable pits the strength of the attacker versus the strength of the defender, albeit at a significant advantage for the attacker. The attacker must succeed with a maneuver with the Disable element before the defender is subject to these rules. Each participant makes a strength roll, but the defender is considered untrained (they divide their result in half). If the attacker wins, but does not get a raise, his action ends. During his next action if the hold persists test again, but at +1 (cumulative) for the attacker. As soon as a raise is achieved the limb is disabled, and is immediately dealt a serious wound (including the associated wind). If the defender wins any exchange, without getting a raise, all attacker bonuses are removed. The defender may choose to test again on their next action (provided the attacker has not gone in the interim and achieved a success), if they do, instead of untrained they are at -2. If the defender wins, they have escaped the lock. If the attacker wins, it is as if they had won on their action. If at any time the defender achieves a raise the lock is broken. Both participants are considered prone during a lock.

Extra damage is added before determining wound level. However, if the extra damage added does not result in an increased wound, then it is instead added to the wind damage dealt.

Extra dice are above and beyond what is allowed by the PM table. For example, if a discipline has but a single die in Escape, taking a second die would count as an extra. Remember, these limits are per level.

Target falls causes the defender to fall to their back. The defender must make a Vigor test versus a TN based on the height of the fall (5 under most circumstances). If they fail, they take 1 wind. If they go bust, they take d6 wind (minimum 2). In all cases the defender is considered prone after the fall is resolved.

Usage

Once the baseline PMs and EEs are set for your discipline, you have your dice pools and EEs for a level 1 practitioner in that discipline.

Advancement

Each level of advancement grants an allotment of Customization Points identical to the first level. These points are subject to all of the same requirements and limitations.

Maneuver Descriptions

Strike, short: Can be performed after a Close maneuver (see Melee combat). This type of strike can be performed in close quarters (after a close maneuver or inside 1 meter distance).
Strike: Strike is the only Maneuver that can take +1 Damage twice, but only if the discipline has two (or more) instances of the Attack Element. This attack is the standard strike attack, be it punch, kick, elbow etc. Cannot be performed after a Close maneuver (requires a distance of about 1 meter).
Strike, long: Strike, long is a special case, and is only available in armed martial arts when using a weapon with defense of at least 1. A creature with an appropriate Edge that grants them extra-long limbs or the ability to somehow extend their reach could also take this element with Master approval. This attack takes place at a distance of more than 1 meter.
Strike, low: May take the ‘target falls’ element. May not take the +1 damage element. This attack always hits the legs. Can be performed after a Close maneuver (within 1 meter).
Takedown: Includes ‘target falls’ element and is a hold, may also encompass a close. Does not deal damage (except as noted in target falls). May be performed after a close maneuver. Both participants are considered prone after a takedown.
Hold: Control two (or more, as appropriate) limbs of an opponent. In this case, head counts as a limb. On next action, may use a throw or takedown maneuver at +3 (if standing). Hold may only be attempted if the attacker has previously performed the Close maneuver, the defender has a defense of 0 with his current stance or the combatants are engaged in grappling.
Lift: Close 1 meter, hold and lift opponent. If opponent escapes, they fall. May throw opponent on following action.
Lock: Control a single limb. May take the disable element. Opponents must already be engaged in grappling to attempt a lock.
Escape: A successful escape cancels a ‘hold’ or ‘lock’ maneuver. If a raise is achieved, the practitioner may also either stand up or move up to 1 meter. Alternatively, a raise may negate falling damage when escaping a lift. Additionally, your dice in escape are added to your Martial Arts level to determine the opponent’s TN to attack you with lift, hold, lock, throw and takedown.
Block: Reduces damage from a strike (any type) attack to half. If performed with a weapon, cancels damage.
Throw: Includes ‘target falls’ element and is not a hold. Deals damage.
Disarm: Opponent loses hold of item. May attempt opposed strength roll if a raise is achieved to take item away. May automatically take item with two raises.

Example Martial Art: TU Space Marine Fighting

The Terran Union Space Marine service teaches a very economical style of hand to hand fighting. It eschews flashy or risky maneuvers in favor of straight-forward attack and defense. At first level the practitioner gains all of the Basic Maneuvers. At each subsequent level the practitioner chooses two Advanced Maneuvers and adds one die to six previously acquired maneuvers, or takes one and adds one die to each Primary Maneuver (+1 additional to Escape and Block).

Elements: Attack, Defend (1 point per level)
Primary Maneuvers: Strike, short; Strike, medium; Strike, long; Strike, low; Block, Escape, Disarm
Basic Maneuvers: Uppercut (Strike, short +1 Damage) 1 die, Cross (Strike, medium +1 Defense) 1 Die, Trip (Strike, low Target Falls) 1 die, Bob and Weave (Block) 2 Dice, Grab (Disarm) 1 Die.
Advanced Maneuvers (only once each): X Block (Block +1 Defense), Choke Hold (Hold Choke), Knee Strike (Strike, short +1 Defense), Chop (Strike, medium +1 Damage), Shrug Escape (Escape Target Falls) +2 Dice, Shove (Strike, short Target Falls), Roundhouse (Strike, medium +1 Damage)

When adding advanced maneuvers to a character sheet, add the number of bonus dice to the appropriate maneuver, and notate the extra elements as well. Only one set of elements can be used at one time, but all dice are always used. The only exception is +1 Damage with Strike, medium. If the practitioner has both Chop and Roundhouse he may add +2 Damage when using Strike, medium, or +1 Damage and +1 Defense.

Kayla Argent joins the Terran Union Marines and learns 2 levels in SM Fighting. At first level she has all of the basic maneuvers. At second level she chooses Knee Strike and Chop. She now has 2 dice in Strike, short; Strike, medium; Strike, low; Escape and Disarm. Her Block maneuver has 4 dice. Both her Strike; short and Strike, medium maneuvers may choose either +1 Damage or +1 Defense each time it is used.

Using Advanced Martial Arts

Adding advanced martial arts to a campaign will change the way combat is handled. The changes should be low impact, and are crafted to be interchangeable with players who choose to use them and players who do not.

Psychological Contests

There is more to besting your foes than yanking triggers and smashing things to oblivion. That's a lot of fun (for some), but sometimes it's even more satisfying to stare down an enemy and send him running back to Proxima Centauri, or trick a savvy extra into thinking some alien's sneaking up on him so you can shoot him in the back.

Bluff, intimidate, and ridicule are psychological contests that can be used to break an opponent's nerve or concentration. Persuasion is also a psychological contest, but it isn’t generally used in combat.

A psychological contest is an opposed test versus one of the target's skills. If the test is being made against a group, use the leader's skill. Initiating a psychological contest is an action. Resisting one is not and is done automatically.

Psychological contests can have additional effects besides just getting the bad guys to do what you want. The number of successes and raises determines the effect of the contest.

All this is summed up on the Psychological Contests Table.

Annoyed

Your character's stern gaze or cruel taunt angers or upsets your opponent. The target suffers -4 to his next action. This includes any "passive" defense skills like fighting or resisting further psychological contests.

Distraught

The target is totally distracted by your hero's jibe, trick, or surly stare. The target is annoyed, and in addition loses his highest Action Card. If he's got a reserve card, he loses that instead.

Broken

You've broken the bad guy's will—for the moment at least. He's annoyed and distraught and you get to draw a Story Chip from the pool.

Simple Psychological Contests

Most opposed social interaction takes place during simple psychological contests. When a smooth-talking spacer attempts to learn valuable secrets from a crafty smuggler he met at a backwoods starport, this is a simple psychological contest. This type of action is much more subtle, and open to more interpretation and roleplaying. Simple psychological contests can be checks or tests, at the Master's discretion.

In a simple psychological contest, the initiator of the test or check compares the die roll or Action Card versus a TN set by the relative skill of the other being. Consult the following table for the appropriate difficulty.

If the target has 3 or more levels in the appropriate skill, add one to the TN.

Fear and Terror

Some things are a lot more unnerving than an adversary hurling insults in your general direction. These sorts of psychological contests can be either active or passive: a scary alien inherently causes fear, but it could use an action to augment the resulting fear.

When the Master calls for a Fear test, the Hero rolls his bravery with a difficulty TN set by the Master and consults the following table.

Critical failure on a Fear test results in the Hero being terrified.

If Fear wasn’t bad enough, there is also Terror. A Hero may not spend Story Chips in any way during a Terror test. Otherwise, it is the same as a Fear test.

Critical failure or drawing a step 0 is extra bad. If a Hero critically fails on a Terror test, he draws no cards in the next draw phase, takes no actions (including active defenses) and just cowers in place. The hero is catatonic. During the following draw phase he becomes terrified. Same goes for drawing the step 0.

Klackon warriors gather in groups of 7 before attacking, and initiate a click-clacking of their claws. Anyone within earshot is subject to fear (TN 7) upon hearing this noise.

Terrified

A terrified Hero breaks and runs. During the next draw phase, the Hero draws a single card, and when it comes up, must attempt to maximize distance from the Terror causing event.

Collaborative Roleplaying

In Future Imperfect, both the good guys and the bad guys can utilize story chips. These are represented by poker chips which come in three (actually, four-black is covered later) colors (blue, red, and white). The Master starts the first game session with a pool of 10 blue, 25 red, and 50 white chips. The mix won’t change except under very special circumstances which we'll tell you about in Chapter XX. At the start of each game session, every player gets to draw up to three Story Chips at random from the pool. For example, if a player has two chips remaining from the previous session, he draws one, or if he has five, he draws none. The Master also gets to draw one chip that he can use for all the extras and bad guys.

If you quit playing and decide to finish later, or the game is part of a campaign, everyone needs to write down the type and number of chips they had so they can pull them out the next time. There's a space on your character sheet for just this purpose. When you do get your chips back at the beginning of the next game session, make sure everyone gets their old chips before anyone draws their new ones.

Players also get rewarded with specific Story Chips during play. Mainly you get these for learning from a failure. Story chips are not awarded for success or for rolling dice well. Success is its own reward! The Master's section has more specific information on how heroes earn both story chips and bounty points.

Story Chips

A character can use his Story Chips in any one of 3 ways: to improve Trait and skill checks, to save his skin by canceling wounds, and to trade them for bounty points.

White Story Chips allow the player to choose the result directly above or below the normal result during the action card resolution. This effect occurs only on upper results or lower, not both.

Red Story Chips let you draw an extra action card and choose which to keep. Only one red chip may be used per test or check. Alternatively, it maybe be used as a white chip, but for both upper and lower results.

Blue Story Chips allow the player to draw an action card and add the results to the one already drawn, as if an italicized or increased effect result had been generated.

Black Story Chips are special. The pool does not begin the game with any, and they will only be added at Master discretion. When playing a black story chip, the player has the option to completely customize the results from that card. Choose any result from the appropriate upper result column, choose the highest result from the appropriate lower results column, choose any of the hit locations, and use any penetration result listed. During minigames fragment and step results may be shuffled.

One note: You can’t use White or Red Story Chips if you critically fail.

Any Story Chip may be spent to make an unskilled check a skilled check, provided you are invoking an Impetus. More about Impetus in Chapter XX.

Saving your skin

One of the most common usages of story chips is to prevent damage. Spending a story Chip reduces the effects or makes it so the hit never happened in the first place. Whenever your character takes damage, you can spend chips to negate some of it. This applies to damage from a single attack. If your hero's shot twice in the same round, you have to reduce each attack separately.

Wounds are negated before any CT is rolled, but they do not stop the CT. If you need to negate CT (after taking damage from bleeding, drowning, brawling or something else), each level of Story Chip negates 5 points of Wind as shown below.

Red and blue chips have one further special function. If used to negate a wound less than their full value they may also negate the CT roll as well.

Bounty

Story Chips can be converted into bounty points at the end of any session as well, with Master approval (see the next page). Blue chips are worth 3 bounty points, red chips are worth 2, and white chips are worth 1.

A player can spend Story Chips helping other members of the crew. This sort of working together is encouraged. One rule, however, is you cannot spend a Story Chip to reduce the damage another player takes if that player has any chips of his own.

When facing the perils of the galaxy, heroes tend to learn. At the end of each night's game session the Master may give you something called a "bounty". Bounties come from exceptional circumstances. Every Hero in the crew gets a share of the bounty. If there are leftover points, they stay in the pot until the next time the group gets a reward. You can then use your bounty points to raise your character's Traits and skills if you'd like.

New skill levels cost whatever the new level is. If you want your character's shooting to go from 3 to 4, it costs you 4 bounty points. You can only raise skill once per story arc, and only one level at a time

Raising your training in a Trait costs two times the new level. So to go from 4d6 Strength to 5d6 would cost 10 points.

Traits can be raised as well. The cost equal to three times the die type of the level. To go from a d4 to a d6 would cost 18 bounty points. You'll probably have to save up for a while to pull this off. You don’t have to, but it makes for a better story if you say exactly how your character starts getting stronger or smarter. Maybe he spends his off hours lifting weights or reading technical manuals.  

Psionics, V 1.0

Conflict, v1

Conflict

You have a Hero, and you know what the numbers mean and how the dice and cards function. Now it is time to begin bringing the crew to life. A good story is never easy. The protagonist finds obstacles at every turn. Overcoming these obstacles form 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 devolves into combat, the Master breaks the game down into "rounds" of about 10 seconds each (two 5 second actions). This may also be referred to as "action time".

Action Card Hand Management

Once the Master declares action time, make a Reflex check and compare it to a TN of Easy (3). Draw 1 card from the Action Deck plus 1 for every success and bump. If you critically fail, you get no cards this round, though you might still use a reserve card (see below). If your hero is suffering penalties (such as from injury or armor), don’t forget to subtract it from your Reflex total. Choose two of the cards you have drawn and discard the remaining cards. If one of your cards says bonus, you may keep that in addition to up to two other cards (if available). If one of your cards says discard, discard it, as well as your highest other card before choosing. A reserve card is considered your highest. Be sure to shuffle at the end of any round where a card with the SHUFFLE effect is indicated on the bottom edge. Once all players have drawn their cards and discarded as appropriate they should declare to the Master they are ready. These cards form your action card hand, and they are only used for the step number to determine initiative of your actions. No other part of the card will be used. When it is your turn to resolve an action, you will need to draw a card to find the results.

Action Time

When the Master declares action time, the sequence of game play becomes more structured. Each turn is divided into 15 steps, listed in the upper right of the Action Card. There are two special cards as well, the 14 and the 0. In a standard deck of cards, these would be the jokers. Each of these have special effects depending on the situation, and will be discussed shortly.

Each step is also subdivided into 4 fragments each. These fragments are used to determine sequencing when two actions occur on the same step. While from an exterior point of view these actions appear simultaneous, the fragments allow the game to provide a mechanism for timing and tie-breaking that is simple and clear. Fragments are listed in the lower left of the Action Card.

Finally, when even more granularity is necessary, each Action Card also has an impulse listed in the upper left corner, from 0-53. Anytime it is unclear when something may occur, or how long it will take, a single Action Card draw can provide this information.

The Master informs the Crew that the security system has been successfully disabled, but the automatic audit system checks every 10 seconds to ensure it is working. When it determines security is down, the computer will erect a forcefield and no one else will be able to enter. This means there is up to 10 seconds between now and the closing of the forcefield. He secretly cuts the deck and consults the impulse of 14. He now knows the aperture will remain open until the 14th impulse (during the 4th step). Of course, the Crew has no idea...

Because combat time simulates approximately 10 seconds of time in 54 impulses, each impulse is approximately .19 seconds. If knowing exactly when something will occur is necessary, the impulses can be used to extrapolate.

Surprise

Most beings don’t just whip out their pistols and start blazing away when some tentacled baddie comes jumping out of the black of space at them. They usually just fumble with their vocabulary until their training kicks in and motivates some action (which just might be drawing the aforementioned pistol).

Anytime there's a good chance your character might be surprised, the Master is going to ask you to make a Bravery check. The difficulty is Standard (5) if your character's expecting some sort of danger- lncredible (11) if he's not. If you don’t make the roll, you don’t get any cards, and your character can’t act that round. He can act normally in the next round as long as he makes an Easy (3) bravery check.

Ismail steps out of the airlock a few seconds before Allison. Her first instinct is always to keep her crew safe, especially Allison, the youngest crew member. She is very wary of danger. When a stream of bugs come barreling out of the ruins, she (and Allison) need to make Bravery checks at difficulty 5.

Combat Sequence

Actions

Once all players declare they are ready, the Master will begin counting steps down from 14. When he calls the step number of an action card in your hand, you can take one action. When one of your cards is called, flip it over and tell the Master what your character is attempting to do. Until then, you have to wait until one of your cards is called to take an action (unless you choose to rush, see below). The Master will reveal his cards after all players have had a chance to declare they will be taking an action (but before players declare what those actions are).

Compare fragments (lower left corner) to break ties with other characters who have the same step. Since the Master shares an Action Deck with the Crew, it's not possible for each side to have an action on the same step and fragment.

Action Speed

Each action card your Hero holds is one potential action. Some activities can be completed in a single action, others require multiple actions to complete. Normal actions such as drawing a weapon, or performing a psychological contest have an action speed of 1. The action speed tells you the number of cards it takes to resolve an action. The number of cards you have is usually two, but can vary based on the initiative roll (see above).

Each action is roughly 5 seconds long (unless you get that step 14). Performing an action is more than the net time it takes to complete once started, it also entails preparation and finding the right opportunity to act.

Some actions and equipment also have action speeds. If no action speed is listed, then the action speed is 1. During speed one actions, if the character is using a weapon he can fire up to its "rate of fire" once per card. An action speed of 2 or higher means that the character's action is a little slower. He needs to spend and hold Action Cards to prepare, aim, or otherwise get ready for his attack. Lay these cards aside to help you keep count. They're spent whenever they come up and can’t be reused. Once you've spent enough of these to prepare your character's action, you can use the final card to resolve it. If the deck gets shuffled while you're preparing an action, make sure any cards you're holding to prepare an action get shuffled back in the Action Deck. Use counters to keep track of how many actions you've already spent preparing. A good way to do this is with a d6 or any other easy-to-read die.

Leonid Kovnachuk (Chuk) is covering his comrades with his blast MMG. He is wearing a harness, so the weapon has an action speed of 2. After hearing an unnerving clacking sound, he raises his weapon toward the hallway just in time to see an approaching Klackon warrior. The Master declares combat time, and Chuk rolls an 8 on his Reflex check. He draws three cards and selects steps 10 and 6. On 10 he raises his MMG and starts to ready. On 9 the Klackon warrior dashes forward toward him, almost closing the distance. Chuk will not be able to fire until 6 (this MMG is heavy!). Will the warrior arrive before he fires? The Master calls out 8. We will know soon enough...

Simple & Complex Actions

A Hero can perform a simple action together with any complex actions. A simple action is one that doesn’t require much concentration, such as talking, resisting a psychological contest, or moving. A more complex action, such as drawing a weapon or starting a psychological contest, requires an Action Card (or appropriate check, Master’s discretion). Extended actions require multiple action cards.

Below are a few examples of what are considered simple, complex and extended actions:

Simple: Talking, moving, resisting a psychological contest.
Complex: Drawing a new weapon, making a stun check, initiating a psychological contest, reloading a weapon, any kind of movement that requires a skill roll.
Extended: Programming a computer, building a shelter, preparing a meal

Waiting

Sometimes you might want to wait until some hero or extra does something before you take your action. Say you know some bug-eyed alien is about to come through a door, and you want to wait and blast a hole in it when it does.

The way to do this is by waiting and keeping a single card in reserve. When the card you want to reserve would normally be played, tell the Master you're going to reserve it instead and place it face down and set it aside. You can only ever have one card reserved (unless you are preparing an extended action or a complex action with a speed greater than 2, see below).

Anytime you want to play the reserved card, including earlier than normal in the next round, reveal it to the Master, take your action, and discard it.

If you want to interrupt someone else's action with a reserved card, like when the beastie comes crashing through the door, you have to beat it in an opposed Reflex contest. The winner gets to resolve his action first. Reserve cards are not guarantees!

You can hold your reserved card over several rounds if you like. You have to flush it when you resolve another action card, you draw a card marked “DISCARD” (see below), or an opponent forces you to discard through a psychological contest (see below).

If you have a card reserved you may choose to forgo the initiative test each round to hold it. The drawback is, once you play your card, it’s your only action that round. Of course, there is no chance of triggering a discard…

If you choose to draw, when any of your cards come up you must either take an action (discarding the reserved card and using the current card) or discard the current card.

Extended Actions

Sometimes, a Hero will wish to accomplish something that takes more than a few seconds during a combat. Maybe he needs to assemble a radio, translate a Forerunner manuscript or place an explosive charge. In this case, the Master will assign an action speed to the action. This is the number of cards that must be played to complete the action. In some cases, the preparation must all be done consecutively without interruption, in others preparation may be done in chunks as desired. This determination is up to the Master.

When attempting to use a reserved card to perform an extended action, use the following procedure. When it is your turn to take an action, inform the Master that you are preparing, and describe specifically how you wish to perform the action when it resolves. This may include waiting for a set of circumstances to occur. The Master will tell you how many cards this will require. When it is your turn, place your card to the side like you would with any other speed 2+ action (create a preparation stack). Continue doing this until your trigger condition occurs (if this happens before you have fully prepared, your action is not ready and could be disrupted) or you have enough cards to fully perform your action. If it is the latter case, tell the Master you are placing your final card in reserve, awaiting your described contingency. When the desired situation arises, resolve your prepared action. Preparing extended actions does not forgo drawing new cards each round, however, if you have fully prepared and are holding a reserve card, this does.

While Chuk waylays the approaching klackons, Frost must set the explosive charge necessary to destroy the hall and collapse the cavern. However, she does not want to trap Chuk below, so once the preparation is in place, she will give a signal and Chuk will fall back. Once he has escaped the tunnel, Frost will trigger the explosion and they can make their getaway. The Master declares that it will take 30 seconds (6 cards) to prepare and set the explosive charge.

Meanwhile, Chuk is creating havoc with his blast MMG. One klackon proves extremely resilient and takes multiple bursts to fell, before Chuk can react another klackon warrior is able to close the distance and attack. The klackon smartly chooses to target the MMG, and renders it inoperable. Chuk is heavily disadvantaged in an unarmed combat versus a klackon warrior while encumbered with a harness and MMG (and a useless one at that), so he decides he needs to fall back on his action. By this time Frost has prepared 5 cards toward placing the charge, her next action will allow her to wait for Chuk to pass and then blow the tunnel.

Continuous Tasks

Extended actions are single actions that take longer than normal to complete. Another class of long running action is a continuous task. A continuous task is one that is completed over and over, and is not atomic. It is ongoing between the actions of the character. Some examples of continuous tasks are operating a vehicle or machinery, or covering fire.

Continuous tasks take place during the continuing action phases and are not tied to the action cards drawn by the character for resolution. Continuing action phases take place after each combat step. The order of actions during continuing action phases is generally based on the speed of the action, from highest to lowest. Edges may have an effect on continuing action order. Continuing action happens whether or not the character has any cards, though if he does have a card reserved a character may perform extra action.

Procedure

During the continuing action phase each continuing action occurs as a free action, in order as described above. In general, the continuing action is as simple as possible, but maneuvers may be performed. Each character performing a continuing action that discarded a card to maintain the action during the beginning of the action round may perform one maneuver, for free, during his continuing action. More maneuvers may be performed if reserve cards are utilized.

Example: Operating a Vehicle

Driving or piloting a vehicle is a continuous action. During each continuing action phase the vehicle will move an amount up to its movement, as defined by the driver. Each vehicle has an acceleration and deceleration rating, which is the amount it can safely change its speed during each continuous action phase. Exceeding these ratings is possible, but counts as a maneuver. The movement each phase is in a straight line, unless the character operating the vehicle performs a maneuver. If the character needs to perform a second maneuver, first perform one, and if it succeeds, play a reserved card and perform the next. Second maneuvers are not possible without a reserved card (unless rushing is used). Full vehicle rules are located in Chapter XX: Gear, in the Vehicles section.

Special Cards

Cards marked BONUS or DISCARD are Special cards and can never be reserved. As you might have guessed, drawing one also has other effects. The bonus allows your character to go at any time during the round without having to make a second Reflex check to interrupt another character's action. In other words, you can always go first (even after hearing what the opponent wishes to do!). It also allows you to hold an extra action this round, as mentioned previously.

The discard is bad news. It means your character hesitates for some reason. Maybe he's starting to feel his wounds or he's distracted by the bad guys. Whatever the reason, the card doesn’t count as an action, and you have to discard your highest other action card along with it. If you have a reserve card, it's considered the highest. If you are in the midst of preparing an extended action, one of your preparation cards is also discarded (unless you already discarded a reserve card).

Whenever any special card is drawn, reshuffle the deck after the round. These cards are marked SHUFFLE on the lower edge to remind you.

Ranged Combat

Say what you will about violence, but a great many see a tabletop RPG as an opportunity to turn some scheming villain’s head into space goo. ln simple terms, all you need to do is figure out your Task Number and draw a card. If the result shown in the appropriate row and column is equal or higher than the TN, you've hit. Virtually all combats are tasks.

While you're reading this part, remember that you should figure out all the modifiers for the Master instead of making him do it all for you. That frees him up to interpret the results in grisly detail and keep all the bad guys and their modifiers straight. Take a couple seconds to consider before you draw, once the card is revealed, no further adjustments can be made to the task. Know what is happening before you draw!

Combat Resolution

Weapons

When the situation devolves into violence, the resolution starts with what kind of weapon your Hero is going to use. There are lots of options in the known universe, from black powder muskets to plasma pistols and beyond.

Most weapon groups have their own classification. See the descriptions and skill list for an explanation of what works where. Whichever weapon your Hero uses, that's the kind of shooting specialization he needs. If he doesn’t have it, he can use his Dexterity instead, but since this is a "default" roll, you must halve the total (round down).

If your character has a related specialization, such as laser pistol when he is trained with blasters, you can use it, subtracting 2 from the result (see chapter XX).

Rate of fire

A Hero can fire up to his weapon’s "rate of fire" each action. Weapons on automatic fire can instead fire bursts.

The Attack

A ranged attack is a Dexterity Task with modifiers based on the situation. Some factors that may come to bear in combats across the known (or unknown) universe, are range, target size, movement and other distractions. Those potential modifiers are discussed below. Here is where Action Cards really shine. A single card draw can determine whether an attack hits, the number of hits from a burst, the damage, the hit location and, in extreme circumstances, whether an unintended target is hit.

Range

The Task Number required is Fair (5) plus any relevant modifiers. To find the range modifier, count the number of meters between the shooter and the target and then divide it by the weapon’s Range Increment, truncating fractions. The number you get is added to Fair (5) to get the base TN of the shot. In other words, add 1 to the TN for each full multiple of the range increment. See the gear section for any applicable range increments or other vital details regarding weaponry.

Now that you've got your base TN, you may need to add or subtract a couple of modifiers to your shooting roll. These things come up often in a firefight, so be sure to keep track of them. The universe is full of the unknown. When something unexpected happens, the Master will let you know the appropriate modifiers.

It's a lot harder to hit a target when you're on the move. Any action in which a Hero runs (exceeds his movement for the action), he suffers a -4 penalty to all other actions he might try to do during that action (like blasting whatever's chasing him).

Target Size

If the target has a size 3 or less (1/2 human size), add 1 to the TN. If it's two or less, add 2, and so on, to a maximum of -6 (increments at .5, .25 etc). The opposite is also true. A target that is size 12 gives the character a +1 bonus to his result, a target size 18 has a +2 modifier, and so on, up to a maximum of +6.

Target Speed

Of course, it's harder to hit a moving target than one that's standing still. Any time a target is moving faster than a relative Rate of 20, subtract 4 from your roll. "Relative" means you need to take into account how fast the target and the shooter are moving in relation to each other. If a rider is chasing a cyclist moving at an equal speed, for instance, the penalty for speed is halved.

Cover and Penetration

Using cover is one of the most important things a hero can do to save his skin. A Hero who stands out in the open might inspire news coverage, but it will likely include an obituary.

Concealment

If you can see any part of your target, it isn’t fully concealed. If somebody's head is sticking out of a crawlspace, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where the rest of his body is (assuming a standard anatomy, of course). Partial concealment doesn’t modify an attack roll, since you can usually figure out where the whole target is (however, the cover does count as armor). If a target is completely concealed but an attacker knows about where the target is (even a general direction), he can attack at -4.

Hit Locations

After determining whether you hit, the next step is to determine where. In the upper left hand corner of the card is a section with four rectangles. In each of these rectangles is a hit location. The standard hit location is the one that has rounded corners (it is also in a red font). Always begin there when determining location. Hit locations can be bumped with skill. If the game is being played without action cards, consult the hit location chart.

The hit location on the cards work best with humanoids and things that like to think they're human, but it can also be used for aliens with a little ingenuity. The Master may use a special chart for really weird aliens, but this one works most of the time.

Vitals are all the target's vital parts, by the way, like the all-important groin, the heart, lungs, liver, and all those other messy parts the body needs to keep walking and talking. Consider it a part of the torso when applying wounds and wound modifiers.

Modifiers (Mandatory) +1 bump When punching or using attacks with the punch attribute
+1 bump height advantage when fighting
+1 bump Point-blank range when firing a weapon

Modifiers (Optional) +/-1 bump per attack roll bump (choose direction)

Bumping

Each bump on the attack roll adds 1 to the attackers bump pool (BP). The attacker may choose how to use those bumps. The following items may be chosen, at the cost given. Not all bumps must be spent, but unspent bumps are lost.

1 BP: Bump the hit location (see above)
1 BP: Shift damage result down 1 row (maximum row 7)
1 BP: Decrement target armor value
2 BP: Change A result to P
2 BP: Change D result to A

Point Blank

Point-blank range is used when one character is holding a weapon on another, using him like a shield, holding him 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 point blank bump is not optional and is applied to hit location only.

Prone Targets

A Hero laying down is much harder to hit with a ranged attack than an alien standing up in the middle of a street. When you make a successful attack test against a prone target, check hit location normally. Unless the result has the prone attribute, it's a miss (assuming this is from the front, of course, adjust accordingly based on facing). This adjustment is counteracted when standing adjacent to the prone target. If the firer is within 2 meters of the target, ignore this rule.

Cover

Once you know where an attack has hit the target, you need to take into account any cover the target might have there. The hit location table is all set up to help you out. If the hit location is a character's left arm and he's leaning around a corner to fire with his right, the bullet is going to hit the corner.

The table is even broken up into chest and belly, so if your character is behind a bar and a shot hits his belly, you know it's probably going into the table instead. That's why it's important you tell the Master exactly what your character is doing, so he can figure out if the hero should get the benefits of cover or not. Even though Chest and Belly are both Torso for wound purposes, they are separated for hit location purposes.

Armor Penetration

Armor has two possible effects on an attack: it may deflect it or it may reduce some portion of its inertia (which is what ends up causing the damage). Let's cover the first bit first.

When an attack hits some kind of armor, consult the penetration value of the weapon and the appropriate section of the action card. If the penetration value is greater, use the result in the upper right. If it is equal or one less, use the value in the center. If it is 2 or more less, use the bottom left value. If the Penetration value is 5 or more less than the armor value, the shot is cannot penetrate. Treat P or A results as an armor ablation, but deal no damage to the target. If the Pen value is 5 more than the AV, treat D results as P if the Toggle is Yes, A otherwise.

D: Deflect, no damage is dealt.
A: Ablate, deal reduced damage and decrement the armor value by 1 until repaired.
P: Penetrate, deal full damage to the target and decrement the armor value if the toggle result is YES.

Penetration Number

Weapons all have a Penetration Number assigned. Once a hit has been scored, compare the PN to the AV and follow the procedure outlined in Cover Penetration. Strength also has a PN equal to the column versus flexible and energy armor, or 1 versus rigid armor. Creatures with natural weapons will have PN for appropriate attack types.

Armor

When bullets, knives, or anything else encounter an obstacle, they lose some of their energy. The thicker and tougher the obstacle, the more damage is absorbed. Obstacles have an Armor Value (AV).

Armor stops fighting attacks as well. Fighting damage uses the weapon’s damage, with a possible adjustment due to the wielder’s Strength trait. If the character has a Strength value equal to or higher than the PN of the weapon, one level of AV can be ignored. Penetration is figured exactly the same as with ranged weapons otherwise.

Armor can be one of three types: flexible, rigid or energy. Some weapons have different penetration values versus armor types.

Cover

When a target is behind cover, the cover has an opportunity to deflect the attack before armor is applied. The table below lists some common obstacles and their Armor levels. Unlike armor, if the weapon has a higher penetration value than the obstacle armor, it penetrates. Otherwise, it does not. If they are equal penetrate on a yes.

If an attack penetrates cover, reduce the penetration value of the attack by half the armor value of the cover, rounded down.

Weapon Attributes

Some weapons have effects that set them apart from other weapons. Some weapons are effective at dealing differing kinds of damage. These weapons will have special attributes, such as Stun or Fire. These weapons have attributes to denote the type of effects they utilize. In most cases, weapon attributes are not optional.

Stun

Stun damage is referenced exactly like other damage, except the target is dealt no wounds. He suffers stun effects (see below) as if the full damage had been dealt, and incurs CT as if the attack had been a (non-lethal) hand to hand attack.

Fire

Fire damage deals damage normally and, in addition, may set the target on fire. If the toggle on the card reads YES, the target is subject to the fire rules, above (See Interacting With the Universe, Chapter XX).

Area Effect Weapons

Area effect weapons like shotguns, flamers and grenades work a little differently than most weapons. The benefit of either is that one shot releases multiple projectiles. This makes them ideal for unskilled shooters, since they can make up for their lack of skill by filling the air with metal. Even better, the closer the shooter is to his target, the more projectiles are likely to hit and the more damage they can cause.

Anyone firing an AE weapon shifts his damage down a number of rows as listed in the AE column in the weapon description. Subtract one bonus shift every 10 meters after the first. So at 1-10 meters a shotgun shifts 4 rows. At 11-20 it shifts 3, and so on.

Shotguns get a shooting bonus in an inverse fashion. In other words, the shooting roll receives AE-(number of bonus damage dice) in bonus to the result. The projectiles need room to spread, and that spread inherently reduces the number and force of the projectiles impacting the target.

Kayla Argent’s creeping through a spaceport when a gelatinous alien rises up just under 20 meters away. Having only a hand flamer, she fires on wide beam at the thing. At this range, she gets a +1 bonus to shooting, however, each shot that hits adds 3 bonus row shifts to the damage result. The alien thing is likely to be splattered unceremoniously all over the bulkhead.

Automatic Weapons

Automatic weapons fire fires several rounds at once at the expense of precision. When a character chooses to fire an automatic weapon, he usually may choose to fire a burst. The Number of rounds in the burst are listed on the appropriate Weapon Table, Chapter XX. The Action Card determines how many of the rounds hit, and where. Consult the burst section of the Action Card for number of hits, locations are listed directly above in the location section. Each round that hits after the first adds one to the bump pool.

If the gunner wants to fire at multiple targets, he needs to decide how many shots each target gets, and then he splits his skill among the targets. To split your skill, divide the skill number as evenly as possible among the targets. If there is an extra integer, the player may choose to which target is assigned. The die type is unchanged. Each target is resolved as a separate test. Divide the shots evenly among the targets. Extra rounds miss automatically (remember to check for unintended targets!). Use the closest burst section.

Harry Greenhill wants to paste 2 Kyr operatives that have been tagging him on his trek through the back alleys of Centauri City. He turns with his blast rifle to fire. Harry has a Shooting: Rifles-Blaster of 5, so he must split his skill into 2 and 3. His d12 Dexterity is unchanged. The first target gets 3d12 and the second gets 2d12. The rifle has an autofire rating of 5, so each target gets 2 shots, and 1 shot misses automatically. Each shot uses the Burst 3 section. He draws two cards to resolve these actions, one for each.

A gunner can never aim or make called shots when firing on automatic (see Special Maneuvers). Each extra target after the first adds two to the TN.

Hrulfgarr is guarding a hovercar running through Antares City when a band of pirates on cycles moves in for the kill. He opens fire with the blaster mounted on the roof. His shooting: Heavy Blasters result is a 12, versus the TN is 6 because of range and speed. That's a success and a bump, so he checks the burst section of the card and hits with 2 shots.

If a target is hit multiple times, the firer has some choices for how to apply the results. Each shot after the first that hits adds 1 to the bump pool (see above).

Automatic weapons may have the suppression attribute. Weapons with this attribute are especially effective at providing covering fire. They are also more likely to hit unintended targets (see below).

To perform a covering fire action, declare your intention to the Master and indicate the area and number of rounds that will be expended (selective fire, 3 round burst, 5 round burst or 10 round burst). Covering fire may be utilized in an area <size>, or <size> if the weapon has the suppression attribute. Covering fire is a continuing action (see chapter XX).

Whenever a target enters the area during the covering fire, draw an action card and check for hits as if the trait and skill of the firer were equal to the fire volume (selective fire equals 1, three round burst 2, etc). Be sure to check for unintended targets as well! The area is considered covered until the firer takes a different action or all rounds have found targets.

Explosives

Explosions can be very dangerous. Explosives deal damage based on column like other weapons, but it can vary by distance. Closer to the epicenter is more dangerous. Every 10 meters from the detonation point shifts the damage one column left.

A hero that is up to 3 meters away from an explosion would take regular damage. The damage at 4-10 meters (or as weapon type indicates) reduced damage. Targets that take no damage because of distance may still suffer temporary deafness or other effects as determined by the Master. Armored targets take reduced damage within initial the blast radius, and no damage outside.

Wounds received from explosives still have locations, but do no extra damage because of it. Explosive damage to the head is equivalent to that dealt to the arm.

Special Maneuvers

Heroes use all kinds of tricks and techniques to make sure they succeed where lesser individuals might fail. What follows are some of the little advantages that Heroes may use to garner a leg up on the competition.

Called Shots

Thick shelled klackons often do not fall even after multiple hits. Luckily, there is a weak spot near the eye stalks. Hitting a specific spot on your target is a "called shot”, and of course, it comes with a penalty. The smaller the target, the bigger the penalty. The table below is for targeting humans and other bipedal creatures, but it should give you an idea for blasting anything in the galaxy.

Aiming

Each ranged weapon in Future Imperfect has an aim value, expressed as x/y. The first number is the bonus when the weapon is aimed, while the second is the penalty for using the weapon without pointing. A weapon fired with no preparation takes this penalty. If the firer decides to aim, this cancels the penalty, but does not incur an aim bonus. Successive shots at the same target, without intervening actions, do not need to be prepared before aiming. Aim actions after preparing the weapon gain the aim bonus. A weapon may be aimed up to two times after being readied.

Note that pointing a weapon is not the same as drawing a weapon or unslinging it. This is completely separate and must be done before a weapon can be pointed. For example, if a character had a laser pistol in a holster, the following sequence of actions would need to be performed to take an aimed shot: draw weapon->point weapon->aim weapon->fire weapon. That sequence is a total of four actions. Of course, if that character is willing to accept the penalty, he could instead do the following: draw weapon->fire weapon.

Aiming does not take an action, instead it delays when the intended action occurs. When your action card comes up, tell the Master your target and declare your intention to aim and for how long. Pistols have an aim interval of 1, submachineguns 2, rifles and shotguns 3 and heavy weapons (those with the bulky attribute) 4.

Optional Aiming System

As above, each ranged weapon has an Aim value, expressed as x/y. The first number is the number of combat steps (not combat actions) to perform a ready or aim action, as described below. It is also the bonus the weapon receives for each extra action spent aiming after the first. A weapon may receive the Aim bonus up to two times (after a total of three actions). The number after the slash is the to-hit penalty the weapon receives when it is not aimed. Taking an Aim action does not cause a Hero to lose a reserve card.

A Tech 8 Blast pistol has an Aim value of 1/-1, while a Tech 8 Blast rifle has 2/-3. Antares Darkeye can fire his blast pistol unready at a penalty of 1, while Harry Greenhill is penalized 3 when firing his blast rifle unready.

The ready action cancels the penalty. After each successive action, the weapon is considered aimed. Once a shot is fired, the weapon is no longer considered aimed, though it will be considered ready for the same target only.

When a character has a ranged combat action, they may either fire the weapon ready or unready. When the player reveals his action card he makes the choice. He may either resolve the action immediately, as unready, or wait a number of combat steps as indicated in the aim value of the weapon. If he chooses to ready the weapon, a second action card is not required. The ready only delays the resolution of the current action. It is possible that the target may move or otherwise become invalid while the readying is being performed. If this happens, the action is wasted. Note that a target does not become invalid just by moving, it only becomes invalid if it is no longer within range or line of site of the aiming character.

Procedure

To aim, place down your initiative card and declare your intention and target on your turn. Each time a step is counted down, place one aim marker on your initiative card. When counters equal to the Aim value of your weapon exist on top of your card, you have completed your aim action and are eligible for your next shot to be ready. You may resolve your shot immediately, or continue aiming. If your next action comes while you are aiming (or readying), you may place that card in reserve and use it any time after the aim is completed (as soon as the next fragment). Aim actions may be completed over multiple rounds (as long as the appropriate steps have passed), and a completed aim may be held over to the next round. Up to 3 aim actions may be completed in a row (one to ready, two for aim bonus). If any other action is attempted by the Hero (or if they take psychological damage), they lose all aim counters (as well as any reserve cards!) and must begin again.

If the target attempts to move before the completed aim the attacker may choose to immediately attempt the fire action if he has a reserve card. This requires a Reflex contest against the target. If the shooter wins, he may immediately attempt the shot. The shot will be considered ready or aimed as appropriate if enough steps have elapsed, otherwise it will be unaimed.

The shooter may instead choose to hold the aim and follow the target. In this case, after each meter the target moves the shooter may interrupt and make his shot, assuming the target is still visible (or the shooter doesn't mind trying to blow through the intervening cover).

Harry finds himself face to face with an oversized alien bug barreling down the corridor toward him. He knows he only has one shot left in his blast rifle, so he needs to make it count. When the Master calls out 12 he declares his intention to aim. A blast rifle has an aim value of 2/-3, so aiming for 2 steps will cancel the -3 penalty, while 4 steps will grant a bonus of 2.

On step 10, Harry places a card in reserve. He will now be able to fall back immediately after the fire action completes at 8. All is going to plan. However, on step 9 the bug closes half the distance and the Master declares its intention to move, potentially taking him out of his field of fire (he is now adjacent to a corridor). Harry checks his counters and notes he has three on his card, so he can fire now without penalty. He squeezes off a round. The range is close for a blast rifle, so the TN is 5. He draws an action card (Impulse 1) and checks the 3d8 column result, a 7, a hit!

Now he must check his 2d8 Reflex versus the bug’s 1d10. The bug scores a lowly 1, making Harry lucky because his result is only 4. Too bad Mr. bug, you are hit before you can get down that corridor! Splat.

Game Designers Note: In many RPGs there is a tendency for characters to be overly specialized, especially in the case of weaponry. Intrepid players peruse the weapon lists for the one that does the most damage, has the highest accuracy bonus, or has some other desirable quality. In most cases with ranged combat, this is a rifle, often a heavy one. Every combat, no matter whether in an open field or in an elevator shaft involves the hero toting this heavy rifle along for the ride. And why not, they have no skill in any other weapon! This is counter to how things work in the real world (while gaming is not the real world, some level of believability is desired). In many types of operation, a smaller, lighter weapon such as a handgun would be of great advantage due to the increased maneuverability and ease of aim. These aim rules attempt to incentivize “the right tool for the job”. In close quarters, where the range is unlikely to be outside of 10 meters, the speed and lack of large unaimed penalty of handguns should make them an attractive option. In the end, what this leads to is not only more fun and challenging combats, but also more well-rounded characters.

Double Tap

Some weapons can be fired quickly enough that a second shot may be fired before recoil spoils the shooter's aim. Anything beyond a second pull of the trigger is generally wasting ammunition, however. Between the recoil and the aim disruption from pulling a trigger, two shots in one action is about all that can be pulled off reliably. Anything more than that and you are basically performing covering fire.

Performing a double tap takes some expertise. The technique is most often used by those with plenty of combat training such as police, soldiers, special operatives or skilled mercs. When fractions of a second count, these are the types of people that can fill the air with accurate fire. This is reflected by the fact that there is a separate specialization for this maneuver. To execute a double tap maneuver, you must declare it as your firing action. Weapons with the Double Tap attribute may be double tapped. If the weapon is not ready, the penalty to hit is an extra -4. If the weapon is ready, the penalty is only -2. Draw a card and use the shooter's weapon skill to determine if the first shot hits. Shift one row up in the same column (or shift one column to the left if the row is 1) to determine if the second shot hits. Without the double tap specialization for any weapon type, the double tap maneuver can only be attempted as an associated skill (-2). If attempting to double tap without the weapon skill at all, check as unskilled and subtract 2 from each result. Good luck. To determine hit location for the second shot, bump one location up if the card toggle is YES, bump one down if the toggle is NO.

Pistol weapons reduce the hit penalties by one, and weapons with the LR attribute reduce by an additional one due to low recoil. Using a weapon for a double-tap maneuver decreases the reliability by one for breakdown checks.

Two Weapons

A Hero using weapons in each hand suffers -2 to each attack. Any action taken with an off hand is made at an additional -4 (for a total of -6). A hero can fire with each hand up to the weapons’ usual rate of fire. Each shot is a separate task.

Rushing

Sometimes a Hero may wish to perform an action very quickly, more quickly than their cards initially allow. In this situation, the player may declare a rush. When the Master calls a step, declare your intent to take an action and show your card and indicate you will be rushing this action. Compare the step on your card to the step where the action is attempted and shift the row of the TN up a number of times equal to the difference. Once the top row is reached, shift left. A rush may not take an action before what would make the task I-1.

Kayla Argent knows agents of Benjamin Hadaad are coming up the stairs behind her, so she needs to use her grapple to swing across the space between the hangars. The Master declares combat time and she checks her 3d10 Reflexes, getting pathetic results of 3, 4 and 4. She draws 2 cards, step 7 and 5. She knows if they engage her at all, they will use their stun rods and she will not likely escape. When she declares she is ready, the Master calls 14, then 13, then 12. Rumi, her player, thinks to herself that she cannot take much more risk, and when the Master calls 11 she declares her intent to take an action, and reveals her step 7. Swinging across on the grapple is a Dexterity test, and she has 2d10. With a difference of 4, her test is shifted all the way to 1d4. She had better draw well...

When attempting to rush, even standard actions that normally do not require a test or check, require one. Failure means a trip or other hesitation, causing your action to take place two steps after your card. Rush tests for normal actions are standard (5) difficulty.

Note that rushing does not change the fragment, so you may not rush to go ahead of someone with the same card. Also, you may not declare a rush after another action is declared. Players will declare their intent to rush before the Master reveals if they have a card in that step. Conversely, the Master will declare a rush for an enemy character as he calls the next step (so he does not have foreknowledge of player cards).

Two handed ranged weapons

Generally speaking, you need two hands to operate a rifle, but it can be done with one. Subtract 2 from any one-handed rifle (or any other two handed ranged weapon) attack. For larger weapons, be sure to consult the weight of the weapon and the Strength of the user. It is even possible to use two rifles at once, but don’t forget about the penalties mentioned above.

Some types of ranged weapons are even more difficult to handle than that. These are generally support weapons, but can be used with the assistance of a harness, tripod or by sufficiently strong individuals. Ranged weapons with listed strength minimums can be used with a speed and accuracy penalty described in the gear section, Chapter XX.

Reloading

Ammo is expendable, and running out makes your Hero expendable as well. It takes one action to put a single bullet into a pistol or rifle, or a single shell in a shotgun or grenade launcher. To swap the magazine in a handgun or rifle requires one action to remove the old and one to insert the new. Of course, you can always try speed- loading to accomplish this faster. See speed-load in Chapter XX.

Heavy weapons are a different animal altogether, and each has a Reload attribute listed on the Weapons table. This attribute is the amount of actions it takes to reload the weapon. Consult the description of each individual weapon for more detail as to the procedure. Primitive black powder and muzzle-loading weapons take forever to reload. Five actions at least, and they can never be speed-loaded.

Throwing Things

The throwing skill works just like shooting for most weapons. The Range Increment for all thrown weapons is +1/(Strength value + 2), so a 2d8 Strength would add +1 to the base TN of Fair (5) for every 5 meters distance. A target at 10 meters is TN 7. The maximum range a character can throw an average size weapon (1-2 pounds) is his Strength trait value x 5 meters.

Kayla’s Strength of 3d6 lets her heave a plasma grenade 30 meters, with a TN of 13.

When a thrown item is not accurately placed, it has to go somewhere. In the case of explosives this could be very important, indeed. Consult the clock face in the bottom right of the Action Card, placing the target in the middle and the 6 directly back toward the shooter/thrower. Scatter the projectile a number of meters equal to the step of the card plus the amount the test failed by, up to a maximum of the distance thrown. The Master should use judgment (and creativity!) in scattering when large distances are indicated. A grenade thrown with enough force to fly 15 meters is unlikely to scatter 45 meters. That is, unless it hits a pole and bounces off a ledge and into the bed of a passing pickup truck, then explodes 45 meters later! If a thrower critically fails, scatter the projectile from the thrower instead.

Unintended Targets

Sometimes it is necessary to know if a missed shot could hit someone near or along the path of the shot. If a bystander is a meter or so from the target and directly between it and the shooter the hit location entry on the Action Card can be used directly. If the bystander was covering up the part of the target that was hit, he gets hit instead. You have to figure out where the bystander gets hit based on the situation or another card draw (usually the generated hit location will suffice, depending on the relative sizes of the individuals).

When any number of fired projectiles miss the intended target, they may potentially hit someone unintended. Any individual within 1 meter of the path of the projectile may be hit (2 meters for weapons with the suppression attribute). If this situation exists, the Master should inform the player before the card draw. All eligible targets should be declared, in order of preference. Check the bystanders located on the right edge of the Action Card. If there is an x over that bystander, and fired projectiles exist without already finding targets, that bystander is hit. Each unintended target may be hit no more than once.

Chuk is still lugging that blast MMG around, but now he has it reloaded. Just in time, it seems, for he hears that familiar and unnerving crackling sound that indicates oncoming klackon warriors to his left. He takes a few steps back and looks down the corridor and his eyes widen with shock. At least 10 warriors are bearing down on his position, but running in front of them are Harold Funkhauser and Johan Hemsler.

Chuk doesn't have time for precision, knowing the hardiness of the klackon warriors he estimates he barely has time to thin them out before they reach his position, so he has to risk the shot. The Master declares Funkhouser to be the most likely unintended target, while Hemsler is second. But the bonus is, the remaining 8 potential targets (besides the one in his sights) will all be klackon warriors! He grumbles a throaty "Sorry, boys", and lays down a withering blaster bolt stream.

Chuk has 3 levels in Shooting: Heavy Weapons, Blasters, and a d8 Dexterity. Given the desperate nature of the situation he does not have time to aim. When his first card comes up, he squeezes off 10 rounds (blast MMG are full automatic only). At this range, the difficulty is 5. His card is impulse 35, showing 5 in the TN...a hit. Checking the burst section for his weapon, he notes 5 rounds hit the intended klackon warrior.

He just started having a really bad day. The hit location is Left Leg, and he has 4 extra bumps in his BP. He uses one to bump to Belly, and 3 more to add damage (one is wasted because 7d10 is the maximum damage possible). As good as that sounds, 5 projectiles from the burst are unaccounted for. Checking the right edge of the card, he sees that both Funkhouser and Hemsler are safe!

Neither of them seems very happy about it, however, given the scowls they wear conspicuously in Chuk's general direction. No matter, for the next closest klackon, which happens to be right behind Johan, is also hit. Checking the hit locations, this goes to the Belly.

And now for the damage section. Blast MMG does 4d10 damage, with 3 bumps up to 7d10 for 32. Klackons have a size of 7, dealing 4 wounds. The Blarad thinks to himself, well worth the risk, though his crew mates might not share his assessment.

A Note on Complexity

Unintended targets, bumping pools, rushing, special aim actions...this game is complex! Actually, it is a lot simpler than it might seem at first. Having so much information on the cards makes everything easy to see and determine, and preserves speed. Try it a few times, you will see that after a learning curve everything begins to flow very quickly, arguably faster than many games that seem much simpler on the surface.

One good parallel is Magic: The Gathering. At first, there seems to be way too much information to process. Turn sequence, attributes, planeswalkers... But after playing a few games, it all comes in to focus. The same is true here, a little extra time learning how to make things work will pay off big in terms of actual game play. The combination of speed and detail is incredible.

Melee Combat

Making fighting skill rolls is a lot like making shooting rolls. First figure out the specialization that matches the weapon. Some basic fighting concentrations are knives, swords, stunrods, and brawling. The last one, brawling also covers clubs, hammers, brass knuckles and the like, as well as improvised weapons.

The Task Number of the attack is Fair (5) plus the opponent's fighting skill for whatever weapon is currently in his hand. A Hero gets his fighting: brawling skill if he is empty-handed or has some sort of "club" in his hand-like a bottle or even a gun, martial arts works empty handed or as appropriately armed (such as with fencing). As with shooting maneuvers, an attacker can make "called shots" (see page XX).

Antares is a rough and tumble kind of guy, but this is not always evident at first glance. A drunken canine looking for a fight in the spaceport on Rigel III happens to find his casual sneer annoying. Antares obliges the drunkard by punching him square in the face. Since the hero is using his fists, he adds the target's fighting: Brawling of 2 to the TN of 5, making it 7.

Weapon Speed

As with ranged weapons, melee weapons with the Bulky attribute take a full action to ready. Unlike their ranged counterparts, this must be paid each attack, even against the same target.

If a character has a weapon in each hand he can make two attacks during one action. Each of these are rolled separately with a penalty of -2 to each attack. The off-hand attack takes an additional -4 penalty too, so that attack suffers a total -6.

Defensive Bonus

Certain weapons make it hard for an opponent to get in close. An alien with a vibroknife has a hard time burying it in the heart of a marine with a laser sword. Weapons with a defensive advantage have the Defense attribute, possibly also followed by an integer. The weapon with the higher integer has the advantage, if no integer is listed, assume a 1.

The weapon with the Defensive advantage adjusts the TN by 1 for the fighting task in the advantage of the wielder. See Chapter XX for details about each weapon’s bonuses. If one combatant has a greater Size than the other, he may add the size difference to his Defensive Bonus. So a human (size 6) with a sword (DB 1) has a relative DB of 0 versus an Ursoid (size 7) who is unarmed.

Sometimes a weapon’s length can be a detriment. Instead of doing damage, an attacker can designate a Close maneuver. The TN is a standard attack roll, modified as above. The attacker must be wielding a weapon that is shorter than the defender's weapon, or be unarmed. If successful, the attacker has gotten in so close that the longer weapon cannot be effectively used. The Defensive Bonus of the longer weapon now becomes a penalty, and they may no longer add their strength to any damage dealt. To regain their previous position, the wielder of the longer weapon must generate some distance. This is done exactly as the Close maneuver, with the Defensive Bonus penalty still applying. Alternatively, the wielder may choose to attack with his off hand or use some other kind of attack.

While wandering the back alleys of Centauri City, Hrulfgarr gets himself on the wrong side of a conversation with a local constable. The constable takes offense, and draws his powered truncheon (DB 1). Hrulfgarr was just out for a stroll, and while he has his trusty blast pistol, he does not envision a murder charge in his future, so he raises his fists and prepares for the worst. The constable reacts first, and jabs at him with the electrified end of his truncheon. Hrulfgarr is an accomplished brawler (Fighting: Brawl 3), so the constable has a TN of 8 (5+3). He resolves his task for a result of 5, a miss. Hrulfgarr sees the crackle of the business end of that club, and knows he needs to avoid it at all costs, so he decides to make a close maneuver, where his brawling will be at an advantage. His TN is 8 (5+2, plus 1 for weapon DB). Luckily, his task generates an 8, so he and closes the distance. Now he can attack with a TN of 7, while his opponent will attack at 9. Additionally, no Strength will be added to hits against Hrulfgarr.

Entanglement

Instead of doing brawling damage some weapons can be used to entangle and/or trip a target. Doing either is an opposed task of the attacker's appropriate fighting skill versus the opponent's Dexterity (and potentially dodge as the Master deems it applicable. A Hero can break an entanglement by exceeding the TN listed on the weapon table with a Strength check. If the weapon is listed as fragile, it would be broken by this (such as with a lariat or simple net). Otherwise, he has to just plain wriggle his way out of it. This is an opposed Dexterity task versus the attacker's skill with the weapon.

The Master should feel free to apply bonuses and penalties according to the situation. Obviously, if your entangled Hero is being dragged behind a hovercycle, it's going to be a bit tougher to break free than it might normally be. Don't forget to help the Master by suggesting appropriate bonuses and penalties for the situation.

Defense

When getting hit is not an acceptable option, an "active defense" could be the best action. To initiate an active defense, declare your intention to do so and discard your highest remaining action card. If you have a card in reserve, that is your highest. Otherwise, this is the only time an Action Card lets you act before it's your turn (without rushing). The Master will inform you if a preparation stack is retained or lost when making an active defense, depending on the situation.

The TN for the opponent to hit you is now the greater of either his normal TN or an opposed Fighting/Dodge check. You can’t spend any more Story Chips on your roll once the bad guy starts his attack roll, however. Make this check once and keep it as your defense until your next action.

An active defense is just that: active. This means that there must be real movement, such as jumping behind cover or throwing himself to the ground for a dodge, or for a combat action (check), retreating at least 1 meter. Otherwise, subtract 4 from his roll.

Of course, if you've got a card in reserve, that can be used to run away instead. When someone levels their weapon at you, declare your intention and make the opposed Reflexes check as normal. It is just a move, however, so be sure to have something to hide behind, or you're just increasing the range.

Damage

The standard damage is dealt if the target is unarmored or a P result is shown on the card. The RD column is what is dealt on an A result.

Determining damage

Every weapon in Future Imperfect has a listing for "damage" as well as "RD". These will be listed like 2d6, which refers to the appropriate spot in the effects section of the action card. Whenever a character is hit in the vitals, bump one row down, head bumps the row twice.

Firearms have fixed damage, such as 3d6 (for a Sonic Protein Disruptor, for example). For every full multiple of your target's Size you do in damage, your attack causes one wound. Any leftover damage is dealt in CT. Most humans have a Size of 6, but aliens vary considerably. The target takes the wound(s) in the area shown in the Hit Location section of the Action Card.

Kayla Argent is surprised by a GPR agent that has been stalking her through the spaceport. He attempts to engage her in melee combat, but she is wary and avoids his force katana. She draws her blast pistol and slags him in the belly with it. Blast pistol has a damage of 4d6, so consulting her action card (45), she notes a 26 in the damage area. The GPR agent is human, size 6. Therefore, he takes 4 wounds and 2 CT. Probably not the best day he has ever had...

Melee and Hand to hand damage

When a hand to hand weapon hits, consult the weapon table for the damage the weapon does. If the wielder has a Strength column plus row equal to or greater than the weapon, he may shift one row down.

Hrulfgarr uses his vibro knife to impale a Mertun pirate. He has a 3(2) Strength and the knife does 2(3) damage. He draws his card (52, for the knife) and gets 7. His 3 column Strength allows him to add 1 to the PN of his weapon, so the pirate's armor is ignored. His Strength column plus row is 5, his weapon also has 5, so he can shift to 2(4) damage. His result is 9, so he deals 1 wound and 3 CT to the Mertun.

Brawling

Certain kinds of attacks, like fighting: brawling, are generally considered non-lethal. Non-lethal combat can still be dangerous. For each 6 points of effect (damage), deal 3 CT. For each 12 points of effect, deal 1 wound. Truncate all fractions.

When the armament is a little heavier, such as a baseball bat or a heavy table, the attacker may choose to deal lethal or non-lethal damage. This choice must be made before drawing Action Cards.

During a brawl in a seedy planetside hangout, Hrulfgarr smashed a bottle over an enemy's head, and drew a card to find the results. In the entry for his strength d8 and brawling (3) he finds 15 points of effect. Since the enemy has a Size of 6, the attack would have done two wounds if it had been made with a deadly weapon. Since it was just a bottle, the hero suffers 6 CT and takes one wound.

Martial Arts

Some types of unarmed fighting are more effective than others. Over the centuries many styles of fighting disciplines have developed in all corners of the galaxy. These rules cover two types of unarmed fighting. The basic rules work just like any other skill task. Draw your card and cross reference as normal. Damage from Martial Arts is like lightly armed in that damage is termed non-lethal (mostly). Advanced hand to hand combat adds a new level of detail to the combat experience, but it is optional. The rules for creating and using martial arts are covered in Chapter: XX Skills.

Tech Level

People have been getting killed by knives and muskets for hundreds of years. In the future, these weapons will remain just as deadly. What sets a Brown Bess apart from a blast rifle is Tech Level (TL). The nuances of TL will be discussed in Chapter: XX, Gear. Generally, either will kill an unarmored Hero just fine, but higher tech weapons are lighter, faster, more accurate, more efficient and, more importantly (in game mechanics), better at penetrating impeding obstacles.