X-Com: Gray Dawn Player Handout

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Character Creation

Follow the link above for character creation guidelines.

Game Mechanics

Overview

XCOM: Gray Dawn uses the CP2020 game system with some modifications that will be explained below.

1. Opposed Rolls
2. Cover
3. Suppression
4. Luck
5. Damage Application
6. Grazing
7. Shotguns
8. Burst Fire
9. Suppressing Fire
10. Initiative: Stance & Actions
11. Movement
12. Range Penalties
13. Reloading in Combat

Opposed Rolls

With the standard CP2020 interlok system, some of the stats were far more important than others, and some were flat-out dump stats. I want almost every stat to have some value, and no single stat to have overwhelming importance. (Reflexes, I'm looking at you!)

One of the primary tweaks I want to introduce is blended base stats. For example, in CP2020, an attack roll (with a gun) is Reflex (REF)+skill level+1d10. I feel that in the high-stress situation of a firefight, the cool stat (CL) should play a much greater role than it does.

Shooting at a paper target is one thing, exchanging gunfire with someone/thing that is shooting back is another. Not only do you have to place a shot dead on target (an act of hand-eye coordination), but you have to be able to duck out from behind cover to do it, or not lose your shit and panic-fire. People who do well at the firing range do not always win the day in actual gunfights if they do not have the nerve to employ their talents. If you neglect your cool stat, you shouldn't be able to fully employ your vaunted reflexes because when shit hits the fan you might tend to crack under pressure.

To this end, ranged attack rolls will be based on an average of REF and CL (rounding up)+skill level+1d10. The target number for any attack is the target's defense roll. This number is the average of the target's REF+MA (rounding up)+skill level+1d10. The attack roll must meet or exceed the defense roll to hit.

Likewise, close combat rolls will be based on an average of REF and MA (rounding down)+BTM+1d10. Any martial art, melee or brawling attack will use this blended stat.

For ease during play, it is suggested to make note of these values for reference somewhere on the character sheet.

Ranged attack roll=(REF+CL)/2 + Weapon Skill + Modifiers + 1d10
 Ranged defense roll=(REF+MA)/2 + Cover/Evade Skill + Modifiers + 1d10
Close combat attack/defense roll=(REF+MA)/2 + Skill + Modifiers + 1d10

Also note, most skill/stat checks "explode" both up and down. A critical success roll (a 10 on a d10) allows you to roll again and add the result. If you roll another 10, keep going. So a stat of 7 with skill level 4 would have a base of 11; if you rolled a 10 and a 4, the final skill roll would be 7+4+10+4=25. If you roll a "fumble," (a 1 on a d10), roll again and subtract the result from the base roll. If this roll results in a 10, keep rolling. Using the same base stat/skill levels as above, if you rolled a 1 followed by a 10, you would roll again. If you then rolled a four, your skill roll would be 7+4-10-4= -3. Not only would that result in a pretty universal failure, but something horrible probably happened along the way. Maybe you shot your teammate in the back on accident, or accidentally deleted the hard drive on the computer you were working on...

Taking Cover

Cover also plays an important role, one that is often neglected in RPGs. Cover not only protects you from being hit, but provides a psychological boost; if you feel safe, your chances of being able to act out of anything other than instinct is improved. Every level of cover grants 4 points of SP to covered areas, and improves any suppression rolls by +1. Most cover ranges from 1 (light concealment like a bush) to 10 (firing through a gun slit in a bunker). Cover only protects if the direction of fire intersects; watch out for flankers! Player characters should also consider movement to flank their opponents and minimize their protection from cover. Likewise, armor grants a bonus: for every full 5 SP of torso armor, the target gains a +1 to their suppression roll, feeling they can shrug off fire and take it on the armor.

In CP2020, target numbers are used for to-hit numbers. Here, we will used an opposed-roll system. When an attack is made, the target will (usually) make a defense roll, which will determine whether the attack hits. This may reflect the target's mobility and speed, their sheer ability to evade. It can also represent the ability to take effective cover while an attack is made. However it is rationalized, some targets are much more slippery and able to avoid being hit. An exception is the ambush, as described in CP2020 FNFF rules.

To make a ranged defense roll, take the average of CL and MA+Dodge/Cover skill+1d10. This is to reflect not only how quickly you can get out of harm's way, but how well you can deal with being attacked and keep things together to effectively defend yourself. Real-life statistics show that the people most likely to survive gunfights aren't necessarily the best shots, but those who can keep it together enough to take cover and protect themselves. To make a close combat attack/defense roll, use (REF+MA)/2+relevant skill+BTM+1d10. Strong characters should definitely have an advantage over weak characters when it comes to close combat in some regard other than sheer damage dealing capability. When in doubt, bet on the big guy.

Another advantage to taking cover: If a shot manages to hit and the target location is behind cover, the shot strikes the cover first. If it is a powerful attack and/or the cover is light (tactically known as concealment), the target may still take damage, but if the cover is sufficiently sturdy (such as a boulder, tree or sandbags), all the damage may be stopped. Each level of cover will stop 4 points of damage before it is applied to the target. What hit locations any piece of cover will protect varies, but a rule of thumb is that any cover will usually protect at least the legs (hit locations 7-10); larger pieces (like a car body, low wall or Jersey barrier) will cover most of the torso as well as the legs (hit locations 3,4 and 7-10); a fortified location (sandbag MG nest, firing slit in a bunker) might cover everything except the shooter's head. A telephone pole may offer a high level of protection, but the hit locations it protects might be minimal.

Taking cover will also affect the target's ability to witness what is happening in the middle of a firefight. If the target takes full cover (which may or may not be possible depending on the nature of the cover) or is suppressed, they may lose track of where enemies are located. The benefit to full cover is that no part of the character can be targeted; only saturation fire may hit, and any hits will have to penetrate the cover, first.

If using a hex or grid map, being adjacent to a spot of cover can grant you the benefit of cover (depending on the direction of incoming fire). If using a free map, being less than one inch from cover will allow you to take cover.

Suppression

In many RPGs, no heed at all is played to a person's plain ability to overcome fear and actually take the actions they intend to. In a stressful situation, we may want to act bravely or decisively, but sometimes fear overtakes us. We lose our nerve. We have a fight or flight instinct; sometimes the urge for flight gets the better of us. Additionally, In classic X-Com, units on the field will sometimes break or panic, and cannot perform directed tasks.

In this vein, suppression will play a role in combat situations. If you are in the open and under fire, your natural urge ought to be to get the hell out of there and take cover; it takes a lot of discipline and outright nerve to do anything approaching conscious thought, to do something like consciously fight back. Suppression is a natural by-product of gunfire, and has been purposefully (and successfully) employed in warfare for over a century (pretty much ever since we figured out how to make guns that could fire more than once before more powder and bullets needed to be crammed down their muzzles). From the player's perspective, one would likely hope that if they can throw some shots downrange at their opponents, their enemies may actually take notice of the fact that someone is trying to kill them, even if the shots don't hit. Self-preservation is a natural urge that often gets in the way of our conscious heroic desires, and is equally ignored by mooks, and is often glossed over in most RPGs.

A FNFF combat round is about 3 seconds long. Activities performed in that short span of time have to be abstracted somewhat; if you are behind cover but trying to attack your enemies, then some of the time you are popping out and looking or taking a shot. This is why cover won't fully protect you depending on your combat stance (see Combat Stance, below).

In the middle of a firefight, one may not be able to overcome the fear of getting hit that it takes to pop out from cover and take an aimed shot. If a combatant is taking fire and wishes to emerge from cover to return the favor, they must first make a standard (15) suppression roll. This is a CL+Cover/Evade skill+1d10 roll. (See Taking Cover for how cover and armor affect suppression checks. Several perks also have an effect on suppression checks.) If the CL roll is failed, the target cannot muster the nerve or maybe even find the opportunity to safely pop out from cover and fight back. The combatant's combat stance changes to "full cover," where they essentially begin to lose track of what is going on around them outside of their immediate vicinity. If the combatant is in the open, the only option they can manage is to run for cover (which is usually a pretty good idea regardless of whether you do it as a conscious choice or out of pants-wetting terror). Their combat options are limited to poorly aimed reactionary fire (see covering fire). The suppression rules can, of course, be used by the PCs to try and pin down an opponent and reduce their effectiveness in combat.

Suppressing fire is not primarily intended to strike a target. It is a tool that pries at the morale, bravery, courage and psyche of the target. Some weapons and types of attacks carry a greater psychological toll than others.

If a character is behind cover and is actively attempting to engage in combat, it is assumed that they are periodically peeking out to see what the hell is going on around them, thus occasionally exposing themselves to enemy fire. If a character fails their suppression roll, they will take full cover (explained below), and will lose track of what is going on around them as they duck and cover.

This can be used for tactical advantage: If several members of a squad concentrate their fire, they may suppress a target. If the target is suppressed, it cannot observe the battlefield, giving the opportunity for the remaining members of the squad to dash from cover and fire on the suppressed opponent's flank, where the cover does them no good. If they make a stealth roll and the suppressed opponent fails an awareness roll, they may even be able to ambush him...

Being struck by incoming fire gives a +3 penalty to the target's next suppression roll. Explosives (grenades, flash-bangs) that detonate nearby will give a +3 penalty. Explosive fire support is a highly effective method of suppressing a large area; for example, a mortar battery can suppress an estimated 250m x 250m area with sustained HE fire.

When a combatant's initiative comes up and it is their turn to act, they must make a suppression roll if they have been fired upon since their last initiative. Tally up all the factors up to that point and make the roll. Once the roll has been made, regardless of success or failure, the suppression level is reduced by the target's CL; the higher the stat, the better the target can shake off the psychological effects of incoming fire. For suppression to be effective over time, it must be sustained. Any effects that occur later in the round (and on the next round prior to the combatant's next action) begin stacking up for the next suppression roll. In the case of a combatant taking multiple actions during a round, the suppression roll is only necessary for the first combat action; if you choose to take a second combat action (like firing two bursts) but don't make the initial suppression roll, you are stuck running for cover or taking full cover anyway, and usually your only available combat action is covering fire (which doesn't take advantage of multiple actions). The suppression check determines whether the combatant is able to act that round (which is a relatively short span of time). Toward this end, suppression checks should be made before stance or number of actions are chosen.

Luck Points

Another dump stat, historically, was Luck. In the original CP2020 system, it was very limited in use, and it didn't seem to really reflect a character possessing any inherent "luckiness." Each point in the luck stat gives the PC a "luck point" that can be used as follows:

·Two luck points can be burned to re-roll any roll. Often used to counter fumbles, it can also be used to re-roll failed stun or death saves or hit locations that directly affect your character.
·Luck can be burned after an unsuccessful roll is made to turn it into a success. One luck point=+2 to the roll. (I got this one from the Star Trek game, and rather liked it.)
·Luck is also the base stat upon which graze rolls (see below) are made. Unlucky characters will take full damage far more often.

Luck points replenish at the start of each game session. You don't get any rewards for saving them, so don't be afraid to burn them! But you might want to make sure to keep a couple in reserve. You know, just in case you get shot in the head, or screw something up really bad...

Damage Application

The primary, instantaneous effect of taking any damage in combat results in the target having to make a stun save. Each time a target suffers any damage, they must make a d10 roll vs. the their body stat. If the roll is equal to or less than the stat number, the stun save is made. Increasing levels of damage and some perks will add penalties or bonuses to the stun save roll. If a stun save is failed, pain and shock have taken the target out of combat temporarily; every round when their initiative comes up, they can make a stun save roll. They are out of action until they succeed.

If a target takes enough damage to put them in mortal condition (more than 12 points on the wound track), that wound (and every subsequent injury) will require they make a death save in addition to the stun save. This is the point where trauma threatens to shut down a target's organs, or they run the risk of bleeding out. Without some kind of medical intervention, surviving this kind of damage is generally not possible. Death saves are made in the same way as stun saves, but failing a death save means the target is not only out of combat, but they are unconscious and rushing headlong toward the light at the end of the tunnel. The target will die at the end of the turn (after 10 combat rounds) unless a medic with the doctor skill stabilizes them. Targets who suffer a crippling limb injury will need to make a death save, even if they are not in mortal condition (see "crippling damage," below).

Hit Location Damage Multipliers

In CP2020 combat can be pretty instantaneously deadly, which is often very much in-line with reality. However, in CP2020, highly effective armor (that covers all areas of the body) is rather ubiquitous. To prevent half the players from creating new characters after every battle (or littering the game world with retired PC amputees), damage to limbs is halved (rounding down, minimum of 1 point), before the BTM is subtracted. An 8-point hit to a limb against a target with BTM -2 would cause 2 hits (8/2=4; 4-2=2 hits). Damage from AP rounds is not halved again.

Alternate Hit Location Models

The method to determine hit location in CP2020 is done by rolling a d10. A roll of 1 is the head, 2-4 torso, 5 left arm, 6 right arm, 7-8 left leg and 9-10 right leg. As one can see, this heavily favors hits to the legs (40% chance to hit). On a purely random distribution based on surface area, this may make sense. However, most shots (even poorly aimed snap shots) will generally be aimed a bit higher so that on the bell curve of where bullets land, the lower legs and feet should be struck far less often.

Depending on player/Ref preference, I have a couple hit location models to substitute. The first uses a d8 instead of a d10 (or re-roll locations of 9 & 10 on a d10) with the standard CP2020 hit location table. This increases the chance for a head shot slightly, and the torso a bit more (12.5% vs. 10% chance of a head shot and 37.5%/30% for a hit to the torso). It also reduces the chances for a hit to the legs from 40% to 25%.

A second option is using a d10 table, but with modified locations. 1=head; 2, 3, 4=torso; 5=left arm; 6=right arm; 7=lower abdomen (torso); 8=groin/upper thigh (leg hit, roll randomly for left/right), 9=left leg; 10=right leg. This system heavily favors shots to the torso (40% vs. 30%) and reduces leg hits (30% vs. 40%).

Because cover usually protects the legs, it is recommended that the original hit location table be used for a target behind cover, to maximize the effectiveness of cover, and also because a target behind cover is likely to be crouching, where the legs would fall more into the "center of mass" target area.

Aimed shots at a body location can be taken at a -4 penalty to the attack roll. This requires the shooter to adopt a bracing stance. Alternately, a combatant may opt for a "center of mass" aimed shot. This does not require a bracing stance. It incurs only a -2 penalty to the attack roll, but if the shot hits, roll a d6 for hit location. This targeting mode greatly increases the odds of both a head shot or a torso hit (and if the target is behind cover, may negate some of that protection).

Damage Types

Minor Wounds

Any injury that results in only a single point of damage is considered a minor wound. These marks on the wound track should be made differently than other wounds, perhaps with a reversed hash mark or single hash instead of an "X" in the boxes of the wound track). These are generally dings, bruises, scrapes and minor cuts. Some perks deal with these wounds differently, and 1-point wounds will heal much faster; so long as the character is not in "mortal" condition, up to four 1-point wounds will be "healed" within approximately one day of game time. The injuries may still be there, but they will cease to hinder the character.

Stun Damage

Some weapons/attacks will deal Stun Damage. This type of injury represents pain, soreness or some other kind of incapacitating force that does not leave lasting physical trauma to the victim. Blunt force trauma from things like clubs and most unarmed attacks is half real/half stun (round in favor of stun damage). Stun damage represents pain, soreness and shock. It will affect the character for the purpose of making stun and death saves, but stun damage heals quickly, at a rate of 1 point/hour. If a character fails a stun save from stun damage, they lose their current/next action, just as from receiving a normal wound. A character failing a death save from stun damage is knocked unconscious, and has a chance to recover (by making another death save) once every turn (10 combat rounds).

Crippling Damage

If a limb sustains 8 points of damage (after BTM) in a single attack, it is considered crippled (or blown off/severed, depending on the type of attack), but only a maximum of 8 points will be applied to the wound track. If a limb is crippled this way, the target must make a death save to avoid succumbing to blood loss/shock even if they are not in mortal condition (i.e., if an uninjured character gets his arm blown off, he must make a death save at -0, even though he only has 8 points on the wound track (a serious wound state). A crippled limb will require stabilization (skill roll target 15), but this can be accomplished with the first aid skill and does not require the doctor skill. If the wound is not stabilized, death saves will need to be made every turn (10 combat rounds, or approximately 30 seconds) until it is. Subsequent wounds to limbs that have been crippled do not add to the wound track; the limb is already damaged to the point that further shock and trauma will not worsen the target's overall condition, however subsequent crippling wounds may require a check to see if the limb is blown off or severed.

Damage to the head is doubled on the wound track (a 2-point wound to the head would result in 4 points on the wound track). Doubling occurs after BTM is subtracted. If the head sustains 8 or more points of damage in a single attack and is crippled, this is considered an instantaneously fatal wound. The target fails a death save, and will expire without stabilization. Damage to the head does not top out at 8 points on the wound track as with limb hits, and subsequent damage to a crippled head does apply to the wound track.

To determine the extent of crippling damage, the victim must make a stat roll. Use the victim's Body+Luck+1d10 vs. the post-BTM damage to the limb/head. If this check is failed, the limb/head is considered severed/destroyed. If this check succeeds, the limb/head is still crippled and unusable, but the nature of the damage is less; a limb will have one or more broken bones that will eventually need to be set and immobilized. A crippled head may result in a cracked skull, broken jaw, damaged eyes/ears, etc. A failed death save from a severed arm or leg will result in the victim dying through shock or blood loss unless stabilized within one turn (10 combat rounds). A victim with a crippled head may be stabilized and revived; a severed or "destroyed" head will, of course, result in instantaneous, unpreventable death.

Stun damage wounds that cause more than 8 points of damage in a single attack might (at the Ref's discretion) have certain special effects such as torn/pulled muscles, sprained joints, concussion, extended stun time, unconsciousness or temporary blindness/deafness.

The torso cannot be crippled in the same manner as the extremities, but wounds to the torso do not top out at 8 points on the wound track; if you suffer a 20-point chest wound, you tick off 20 boxes on the wound track (which would put the target well into mortal condition).

Explosion Damage

Damage from weapons such as grenades is considered Explosion damage. Almost any weapon that has an area of effect (AoE) is considered to inflict this kind of damage. Since an explosion can easily engulf the victim's entire body, armor may not fully protect the target. Damage from an explosion is applied to the target's torso armor, but even if this is enough to stop the attack, unprotected body parts will allow wounds to be inflicted. Each extremity (head/arms/legs) that is protected by at least 8 SP of armor (or level/2+ cover) will increase the target's torso armor SP by 1. Each unprotected limb (<8 SP) will cause two points of damage (four for the head) to the wound track, even if the torso armor stops the blast damage. Example, a standard frag grenade would cause (rounding down) an average of 24 damage. If the target is wearing only an SP 14 vest, 14 points of damage would be stopped, resulting in a 10-point wound. Because no other body locations were covered, another 12-point wound would be incurred. BTM would apply to each wound separately. In the previous example, if the target was also wearing an SP 20 helmet, the secondary wound would only be 8 points instead of 12, and the main blast would only cause 9 damage because the effective SP of the armor was increased by one (one extremity was protected). If the target was also behind cover that protected the legs, the damage would be further reduced to 7 from the main blast (SP 14+3 extremities covered=SP 17), and an additional 4-point wound (2 points each for the exposed arms). If the target was wearing SP 14 full body armor with a helmet, the resulting damage would be a 5-point wound from the main blast (SP 14+5 extremities covered=SP 19), and no secondary wounds for uncovered locations.

Grazing

When you take a hit in combat, there is always a chance that any hit will only graze the target, dealing minimal damage. (It's only a flesh wound!). When a successful hit is made, roll for hit location. Apply damage vs. armor. If it penetrates, and the penetrating damage exceeds the minimal grazing damage (see below), make a graze roll (LK+1d10) vs. a target of 15 . If the target number is reached, the attack merely grazes the target, dealing a maximum of 1 point of damage/d6 base damage (any weapons that have +X damage still deal the +X). So, a grazing shot with a weapon that deals 4d6+1 will deal 5 damage. Weapons that deal d10 damage inflict 2 points/d10 on a graze. BTM still applies to this damage. With a BTM of -2, that 4d6+1 graze would cause a 3-point wound (which is a lot better than a 13-point wound)

Some weapons/ammunition types may have graze modifiers, meaning targets are more or less likely to avoid taking full damage from their attacks (for example, hollow point rounds will usually have a graze penalty, while armor piercing rounds will likely have a graze bonus). Head shots suffer a graze penalty of -2, hits to the limbs get a bonus of +2. If the attack just barely succeeds (attack roll is equal to or only 1 greater than the defense roll), there is a graze bonus of +1. Additionally, every full 5 points the defense roll is beaten adds a -1 penalty, as the attacker has skillfully (or by chance) struck closer to "center of mass" for whatever body location they hit. Generally, "mooks" will not make graze rolls.

Lucky characters are lucky for a reason. Grazing head shot damage exceeding the BTM does not inflict double points on the wound track.

Shotguns

Contrary to popular belief (and the FNFF rules), shotguns are not exactly area-effect weapons. They still need to be aimed, especially at standard combat ranges. The CP 2020 rules regarding shotguns are somewhat confusing; they seem to imply that no hit roll is required, and they vastly overestimate the spread pattern. Since we are using an opposed-roll system, shotguns will have an improved attack bonus to reflect the fact that they do spread. At close/medium/long range their bonus is +2/4/6. Their damage is reduced at range as described in the FNFF rules.

Because of their spreading bonus, shotguns are good for overcoming the bonuses granted by several factors, such as cover. If a body part protected by cover is hit by a shotgun, the cover only provides 3 SP/level instead of 4; the spreading nature of the attack means that some pellets may be striking areas that are not covered.

Shotguns raise the target number for suppression by +1/shot rather than the regular +1/attack because of the area they cover, the damage they cause and the psychological impacts of these effects. If you can pour multiple shotgun blasts on a target, it tends to make them duck.

Burst Fire

Some weapons, notably automatic weapons, will have a "burst fire" mode in addition to their fully automatic mode. This is done in an attempt to increase the chances of scoring a hit by placing more rounds in the vicinity of the target while restricting sustained fire that would accomplish little more than throwing off (and subsequently conserving ammo).

Using burst fire adds +3 to the attack roll in lieu of a weapon's WA bonus (if any). Burst fire cannot be used with a targeted shot. 

 *NOTE: This rule is currently under review and may be subject to change.

Instead of 1d6/2 to determine number of hits, roll 1d6. 1-3=1 hit, 4-5=2 hits and 6=3 hits.

When burst fire is used for covering fire, it is slightly less efficient in terms of shots fired/suppression points to target. But, since the shots from each burst will be more tightly grouped, each burst will cause the target to make a defense roll.

Suppressing Fire

Suppressing fire can take two distinct forms. One is covering fire, blind, un-aimed shots meant largely to psychologically incapacitate a target and prevent them from pressing the attack. The other is creating a firing lane, a zone of concentrated fire that has a chance to hit any target within or passing through.

Covering fire is aimed at a target's general location. Because this type of fire is not aimed, hits will be incidental and largely out of sheer luck. No attack roll is made for covering fire, but the target will make a dodge/cover roll; if the result of the target's defense roll is 0 or less, the attack hits (this reduces the number of rolls made and hopefully will speed up combat and logistics over the old system). For every firing action (full ROF) expended, +1 suppression is applied. You can burn through ammo very quickly this way if you want to try and keep their heads down, but consider that an average 9mm pistol carries around 16 bullets; if you empty a magazine at a single target, you can put 8 points of suppression on them, which effectively makes the target number for a suppression check 23! Regardless of how many shots you expend on covering fire, only one attack roll is made, and only a max of one round may hit. Covering fire may be laid down on multiple targets in a single round. Each target must make a dodge roll.

Burst fire weapons can fire multiple bursts (3 rounds). Each burst causes the target +1 suppression. Unlike single-fire suppression, the target must make a dodge roll for each burst. If any burst hits, a maximum of one shot from each burst will hit. This mode of covering fire is not as effective at providing suppression on a per-bullet basis, but will result in more incidental hits. Covering burst fire may also be laid down on multiple targets.

Full-auto weapons can perform covering fire by creating a firing lane (see below). An automatic weapon sets up a firing lane with a minimum width of 2 meters (or 2"/hexes/spaces on a tabletop) and a maximum of 1 m/5 ROF (a ROF 30 machine gun can effectively suppress a lane 6 meters wide). The level of suppression equals the number of shots fired/width of the firing lane. Most automatic weapons will have a ROF of around 30; this means that you can deal up to +15 suppression to a single target, which will do great service toward keeping their heads down. A target within the lane of fire will only need to make one dodge roll, but if they roll a 0 or less, multiple shots may hit; roll on the burst fire table.

Covering fire is not intended to be accurate. It is the simple act of firing downrange to prevent an opponent from firing. Hits will largely be random and due to sheer luck. Also, covering fire is the only real attack option available to a combatant that has failed a suppression roll, or one that has chosen full cover for their combat stance. Covering fire is the equivalent of sticking your weapon around a corner or over an obstacle and plugging away while exposing as little of yourself to incoming fire as possible (and losing any ability to aim). Covering fire is only effective out to long range (see Range, below), since because it is poorly aimed to begin with, firing at targets at extreme range will likely mean that your shots are so far off the mark that the target may not even realize he is being shot at (which is the whole psychological mechanism behind suppression). Suppressing a target at extreme range will require actual aimed fire.

Since a large component of suppressing fire is psychology and proximity, combatants adjacent (within one space/hex/inch) will also receive suppression from covering fire. Full-auto covering fire increases the suppression effect to two spaces/hexes/inches. Who knows who that wild shot was aimed at? It still hit the log a few feet from your head, so it might have been aimed at you. This should also (as in real firefights) encourage combatants to spread out, or focus fire on targets clumped together. Choosing covering fire for your action will take your entire combat round; you are periodically popping off shots for the entirety of a few-second period. During combat, if you declare your intention to lay down covering fire, you can ignore your initiative roll and immediately begin applying suppression to targets (who will need to make suppression rolls on their initiative.

The second form of suppressing fire is the creation of a firing lane with saturation fire. Like covering fire from automatic weapons above, a firing lane does not need to be centered on a combatant, but can also be directed at a location (for example, down the length of an entire hallway, even if no targets are currently presenting themselves). Only automatic weapons can be used for this tactic. It is coordinated fire for the purpose of area-denial. It is employed as described for suppressing fire in the FNFF rules. Any target already within the firing lane will need to make a suppression roll to emerge from cover. Any combatant attempting to move through it during the combat round will need to make a suppression roll to try it (with +1 suppression for ROF/width of firing lane in meters). If the target succeeds, a dodge/cover or athletics roll at a target number of the number of rounds fired/the width of the firing lane. If you spray an automatic weapon at a piece of cover you know an opponent is hiding behind and they take an active combat stance to shoot at you from behind it, they stand a chance of being hit before they even take a shot. Hits from saturation fire take place before the target can act. Those bullets were already flying, and the only reason you got hit was because you stuck your fool neck out. You lose the initiative on that one, bub. If hit by saturation fire, the target rolls on the burst fire table to determine the number of hits.

Covering fire may be key when attempting movement in combat; if potential attackers are suppressed, they cannot make aimed attacks at any targets, making it much safer for an advancing force to move in the open. Additionally, suppressed targets may need to make an awareness roll vs. an attacker's stealth roll to notice a flanker sneaking up on them!

Intiative: Stance & Actions

During a combat round, one's stance determines what combat actions are available to them, the effect of whatever cover they may have taken, and their ability to monitor the battlefield. When the character's initiative comes up, the player makes a suppression check (if needed) and declares the intended stance. Failure of the suppression check will often force a specified stance, and therefore should be made before the player can choose their stance and number of actions. A combatant may declare that they are devoting their entire round to covering fire. If they do, they are assumed to adopt the stance they took on the previous round and can immediately apply suppression points to targets (who will then need to make suppression checks on their initiative. Any combatant performing covering fire still rolls initiative, and when their turn comes, they can attempt to change their stance or even move, but they can take no other actions because they are focused on putting shots downrange.

A moving stance indicates that the combatant is moving during the round, or is still in the open and was moving on a previous round. The moving stance implies that the combatant is sprinting, dodging and trying their damnedest not to get shot. A moving target gets defensive benefits from their movement, and penalties for firing on the run. If the combatant is behind cover but still has suppression points, a suppression check is required to leave the safety of cover. If this check is failed, another check can be made to see if they can still take active cover. If the combatant is in the open and is required to make a suppression roll on their initiative, a failure means they automatically take a moving stance with some restrictions; they must make a beeline toward cover, and their offensive actions are extremely limited; they can only perform covering fire or other offensive actions that would be available to someone taking full cover.

Active cover means the combatant is behind cover, and is actively engaging in battle. He is peeking out, keep an eye on his enemies or looking for an opportunity to take a shot. If the combatant chooses an active cover stance, he must make a suppression roll if he has taken any fire since his last action. If the suppression roll succeeds, he may take any combat action he chooses. If it fails, the combatant is relegated to taking full cover.

Full cover means that the combatant is hiding as best as his cover allows, exposing no part of himself to enemy fire. He is not peeking out, so his cover will block his line of sight. This means he may lose track of where his enemies are if they move, but he will not be susceptible to any direct fire (except for covering fire that manages to penetrate the cover). The only offensive combat actions available to him are covering fire and anything that doesn't require he expose himself, like throwing a grenade. This is the default stance for a combatant that has failed a suppression check. Combatants taking full cover cannot be targeted directly; they can only be fired at with covering fire.

Bracing means that you are sacrificing movement for accuracy. Either while standing in the open or hidden behind cover, you are carefully aiming at a target. Bracing reduces the range penalty by one category: medium becomes close, long becomes medium, extreme becomes long. While bracing, shots up to double extreme range (4 times listed range) can be attempted. While in a bracing stance, you sacrifice your ability to dodge and take cover. Defense rolls made while in a bracing stance do not get to add the dodge/cover skill. Cover will still protect portions of a bracing character's body, however. If the combatant chooses a bracing stance, he must make a suppression penalties are doubled (which means that it is exceedingly difficult to attempt things like firing with a scoped weapon while taking fire!). If the suppression roll succeeds, the combatant may take any combat action he chooses. If it fails, he must move for cover if in the open, or take full cover if already behind cover. Bracing can drastically improve long-range accuracy, but can be very dangerous in the wrong circumstances. Taking carefully aimed shots (such as aiming for the head) will require taking a bracing stance, otherwise the combatant is assumed to be firing at whatever body locations present themselves, and any hits will be subject to hit location rolls.

A critical failure of a suppression roll (a roll of 0 or less after suppression penalties are applied) may mean the combatant's morale breaks, and he loses his action entirely, or worse. Placing an overwhelming amount of covering fire on a single target can easily take them completely out of action.

When your initiative comes up, in addition to stance, now is the time to decide how many actions you are going to take. If you choose to take multiple actions, they will be rushed. Accuracy will suffer, causing a -3 penalty to each action for every additional action beyond the first. Multiple actions also do not all take place at the same time, but on later initiative numbers. Every subsequent action takes place 5 initiative points later. Multiple actions will generally have to be very similar (i.e., taking multiple firing actions or throwing a flurry of punches).

If you roll a 15 for initiative, your first action takes place on 15. If you choose to take multiple actions, they would follow on 10, 5 and 0. You could take a maximum of 4 actions (at a staggering -9 to each!). If you only rolled a 14, you could only take a maximum of 3 actions. That fourth one would fire off at initiative -1. You would simply run out of time. If you roll less than a 10, you can only take 2 actions, less than a 4 allows for only one. If you critically fail your initiative roll badly enough that you roll a negative number, you miss your turn; maybe you had a fit of narcolepsy in the middle of a firefight, or you fell on your face and had to spend the round getting back up.

You can opt to delay any action for a later initiative, but your next action can take effect no sooner than 5 points later.

Movement

Maneuver and position can be every bit as important to the application of effective force as a precision attack. Movement in combat can be vital: to get out of a dangerous crossfire, to take cover or flank an opponent and negate their cover.

A combatant can move up to three times his MA in meters/combat round. Moving at this rate is considered a flat-out sprint; taking combat actions is possible, but the penalties are severe. For encounters played out in tactical tabletop fashion, one inch/hex/square equals one meter unless specified otherwise.

Movement is declared at the combatant's initiative, by taking a moving stance. Moving is an action. For every action spent moving, a combatant can move his MA in meters. Up to three movement actions can be taken. Just like multiple combat actions, these moves take place 5 initiative points apart. Actions dedicated to movement can later be changed to combat actions instead; if you had declared you'd be taking 4 actions (intending to move twice and fire twice) but decided after the first move that you didn't need to move again, that extra action could then be used to fire, instead.

If only one movement action and one combat action are taken, one can move and fire or fire and move without penalty if the actions are taken 5 initiative points apart. This is to reflect that in a short time (about 3 seconds), a combatant can move a short distance, recover, and not throw off his aim too much. Alternatively, you can attack on the run with all the penalties for extra actions. Say you go on initiative 10. You choose a moving stance and take two actions (one for movement and one for a firing action). You can move on initiative 10 and fire on 5 for no penalty, or (if you can't afford to wait to take a shot) move and fire on 10 at a -3 (firing on the move). If you chose to take 3 actions (one for movement and 2 for firing), the shots would only be at -3 each if you waited for 5 initiative points after the move. If you fired on the move on initiative X, it would be at -6 (-3 for firing on the move and -3 for extra actions). The second firing action would be at -3 (you've had a second to steady your aim, but you're still a bit rushed from pulling the trigger a couple extra times in a short span of time). When only taking one movement action, you can choose to move/fire or fire/move; If you move first, then you are effectively holding your firing action. You can act sooner than 5 initiative points later (and suffer that -3 penalty). However, if you fire first, you must wait for 5 initiative points to pass before you can move. In this sense, any combatant can essentially take a free move shortly after they have fired if they so choose, keeping in mind that moving may rob them of any benefits of cover.

If a combatant invests more than one action toward movement, he is considered to be running for a majority of the round, and his accuracy will suffer. For example, if you choose to run full out (3 movement actions) and take a shot (one extra action), the shot is taken at a -9 penalty (-3/extra action). If you take 2 movement actions and 2 combat actions, each shot is taken at -9 (4 total actions).

Moving does not allow one to take cover, but hitting a running target is obviously more difficult than hitting a stationary one. If fired on while running (2 movement actions taken), add 1/2 of your MA (rounding up) to your dodge/cover roll. Sprinting (3 movement actions) adds an additional +2; a combatant with a 9 or 10 MA who is sprinting will add +7 to any dodge/cover rolls!) If you make it to cover, you can move into it (and take active or full cover), and you then gain the benefits of cover from any subsequent shots. If you can't make it to cover inside of one movement action, casually strolling around a battlefield may not be the best course of action.

Range

The Range listed for a firearm is its "long" range. Medium range is half that, close range is one quarter. "Close" range is one-quarter the listed range; shots fired at this range or less do not suffer range penalties. At medium range, there is a -5 penalty to the attack roll. At long range, -10, and extreme range -15. Shots fired at point-blank range (one meter or less) inflict maximum damage.
When taking a firing action, you can choose to brace and take more careful aim. This requires the shooter to sit still, and turns them into a stationary target. While bracing, you do not get to add your dodge/cover skill to defense rolls.

Shotguns and range work a little differently. They have a long range of 40m, but the nature of their spread means they are more likely to hit at longer ranges. At close range, they gain +2 to the attack roll, at medium range +4 and at long range +6. They also do less damage at greater range, subtracting one die of damage for every range bracket. Shotguns do not have an "extreme" range. At anything more than the max range, the individual pellets will lose enough potency that they will not provide substantial penetration.

A scope can only be used from the bracing stance. It will further reduce the range by another category (long becomes close, extreme becomes medium, double extreme range is long and four times extreme range is extreme). Bracing will reduce the range category by one; a shot at long range would be considered medium range. Close range shots with a rifle can be taken out to 50m instead of 25. Given time to line up a shot, the concentration perk can be added to long-range shots. To gain the +1 bonus from aiming, an entire combat round must be dedicated to aiming (not just an action within a combat round). Also remember that taking a bracing stance doubles the penalties from suppression, so making a suppression check while trying to use a scoped weapon may be more difficult.

Long-range weapons certainly have some great advantages. Shorter range weapons also have tactical advantages that are sometimes ignored in the pursuit of bigger (must always)=better. If this were truly the case, all our police officers would always carry rifles.

Firstly, there are certain intangible (in tabletop combat) concerns which mostly affect role-playing. Long guns are difficult to conceal and/or carry around all the time. Soldiers in the field don't really care about this too much; they are often laden down with tons of other gear, too, and soldiers don't generally need to hide the fact that they are armed. For a police officer, it is difficult to deal with someone in a non-confrontational way while you've got a shotgun or an M-4 cradled in your arms. At the ref's discretion, certain skill checks may suffer a penalty based on what gear (including weapons) your character is lugging around.

Second, long guns are more difficult to effectively wield in close-quarters. Rifles require a certain minimum amount of aiming, otherwise you might as well just be laying down covering fire. Smaller weapons can be more easily aimed while in a tight spot like a small room or a hallway. Rifles will also more readily telegraph their point of aim. Shots from a carbine or rifle in close-quarters may give the target a dodge/cover bonus (ref's discretion), and trying to use a weapon whose sights are blocked by a scope (like trying to fire while not taking a bracing stance) will incur severe aim penalties. The effective range of the weapon may be reduced to pistol ranges, or you may be restricted to using the weapon for covering fire.

Lastly, the shorter a weapon (generally), the quicker it is to get sight alignment, and the sooner the shooter will be able to put shots on target. Longer guns like rifles will require more time to line the sights up on the target. Smaller weapons trade range for utility. A carbine weapon adds +1 to initiative. SMG-sized weapons add +2, and lastly, pistols add +3. Shotguns will add +3 to initiative, also; though they are longer weapons, part of their design is that they don't require as much precision aiming. You can still snap off a relatively quick "aimed" shot with a scattergun. This is also why they are effective CQB weapons. Of course, the biggest drawback to shotguns is that most of them have very limited magazines, and they are slow to reload.

Reloading in Combat

At some point in time, you are bound to run out of bullets in the middle of a fight. Reloading your weapon will require at least one combat action. If you only take one combat action, you can choose to reload your weapon, and it will succeed automatically. If it is taken as one of multiple combat actions, things get more tricky. Try it sometime (if you have the means to); try to quickly pull a mag from its pouch, drop the old one, drive the new one into the magazine well then chamber a round so you can continue firing. Go ahead. I'll wait. Doing this very quickly requires a lot of practice and good reflexes.

If you choose to reload a weapon that has removable magazines as an extra action, you must make a standard (15) difficulty reflexes check. You can add the appropriate weapon skill to this roll. A success means that you have managed to drop the empty mag, replace it with a fresh one and chamber a round. This readies the weapon to be fired on the next action (be it during the current round or a later one). Failing the roll means you are somehow fumbling the procedure. If you have more actions plotted, you can use them to continue trying to reload. The penalty for extra actions (-3 for every action beyond the first) applies to this roll. It is more difficult to fire off three bursts and then reload quickly, as you are trying to fit a precise combination of actions into an even smaller span of time. For example, if you elected to take 3 actions (fire, fire, reload), each shot would be at -6, and the roll to reload before next round would be at -6, also. A fumble during a reload check may result in dropping the magazine or jamming the weapon. Reloading is an action that may be taken from full cover.

Reloading a tube-fed weapon (like a pump shotgun) can be an art in and of itself. By reducing the weapon to a ROF of 1, you can freely drop a shell into the open chamber, rack the slide and fire. Doing so causes a -5 initiative penalty, like firing after moving without the aiming penalty. If you want to reload multiple shells, you can sacrifice all combat actions during the round to stuffing the mag with shells. Make an easy (10) reflexes check, adding your rifle skill to the roll. If you succeed, the weapon now has one round in the tube, and you can keep making reload rolls (with successive -3 penalties to each one) until you fail one. That is the number of shells you were able to reload that round. Those highly skilled with rifles and/or with high reflexes will able to reload more shells into a shotgun in a short period of time.

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