It’s time to fight! The characters’ lives are at stake, so the rules must be precise. Let’s see how to proceed.
The fight is broken down into rounds. Each round lasts approximately 6 seconds.
Order of action
Each character acts in descending order of their Physical value. If several characters have the same value, they act in this order:
- 1. Animals
- 2. Robots
- 3. Non-humans
- 4. Humans
- 5. Other types of creatures.
If there is still a tie after this clarification, the characters played by players act before those controlled by the GM.
What can a character do when their time to act has come?
A character performs two actions per turn from among the following six combat actions:
Hit
You can only choose this action once per activation.
For one action, the character can use their weapon against an opponent within range (depending on the weapon used). The character must make a Physical test. To hit their target, the character must achieve 1 success.
In case of a critical success: the weapon’s base damage is doubled.
In case of critical failure: the weapon is broken or rendered inoperable.
Trigger a proficiency
Some proficiencies can only be used if one (or even two) actions are spent.
Planning your move
By spending an action just before making an attack, the character can gain an advantage when making their attack test.
Defend
By spending an action, the character switches to a defensive stance. Until the start of their next activation, any opponent targeting them must achieve 1 additional success to hit them.
By spending two actions, the character enters an even more defensive stance. Until the start of their next activation, any opponent targeting them must achieve 2 additional successes to hit them.
You can also trigger these actions during an opponent’s turn to increase their chances of missing their turn (you are considered to be in a fully defensive position). However, you will not act during your next activation. Note that it is impossible to enter a “simple” defensive position in response to an opponent’s attack.
Move
Outside of stressful situations, it is unnecessary to measure movement speed. But in combat, it can make a huge difference.
On the ground or in the air: the character moves 10 meters in any direction per action. By expending 2 actions, a character can move 20 meters per activation. If the movement takes place over difficult terrain (soft sand, brush, etc.) or in extreme conditions (during an earthquake, etc.), the character must make a Physical check per action. Each success allows them to move 2 meters. A character on the ground can use an action to get up. A critical success doubles the distance.
In water: the character moves 5 meters in any direction per action. By spending 2 actions, a character can move 10 meters per turn. Difficult terrain, such as a reef area, results in a disadvantage.
Help or hinder
The goal is to use your action to give an advantage to a teammate on a test or to inflict a disadvantage on an opponent. The Help or Hinder action is automatically successful.
Causing and taking damage
A character hit by an attack suffers a base damage amount that depends on the weapon used. Each point of damage causes the character to lose 1 EP. If the attacker has a Power Factor (PF) which matches the weapon, the damage is increased accordingly.
- 1 point of damage: punch, kick, improvised weapon, tonfa, taser.
- 2 points of damage: bow, knife, dagger, staff, switchblade, razor, light pistol, Molotov cocktail, harpoon, javelin.
- 3 points of damage: crossbow, sword, axe, machete, spear, trident, large caliber pistol or revolver, submachine gun, grenade, electric whip, punch/kick with exo-armor.
- 4 points of damage: sawn-off shotgun, shotgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, mines.
- 5 damage points: weapons mounted on vehicles, ships, exo-armor such as cannons, missiles, laser beams, torpedoes, etc. Generally, a Power Factor is added to this base damage depending on the power of its source.
Some types of damage are spread over several turns, such as asphyxiation, drowning, fire, poison, etc. A character exposed to this type of damage suffers a number of damage points that depends on the situation (between 1 and 3 points per turn). Each point of damage causes the character to lose 1 EP per turn. The damage stops if the character receives healing.
- 1 point of damage per turn: torch fire, asphyxiation, drowning, venom, etc.
- 2 points of damage per turn: campfire, acid throw, poison, etc.
- 3 points of damage per turn: lava, acid bath, extremely virulent poison, etc.
Extra hits mean extra damage
If the attacker scores more successes than necessary to hit their opponent, they deal additional damage. The weapon’s base damage is then increased by the number of additional hits.
Protective equipment
Protections help reduce the damage taken. Each point of protection reduces damage by 1 point.
Reminder: the Power Factor applies if suitable. It increases the protection of a character or vehicle accordingly.
- 1 protection: Bulletproof vest, reinforced leather, chainmail, small shield, etc.
- 2 protections: Plate armor, large shield, etc.
- 3 protections: Modern or futuristic combat armor, etc.
- 4 protections: Vehicle armoring, supernatural protection, etc.
Automatic damage
Some forms of damage cannot be avoided, such as those caused by certain extraterrestrials or prodigies. These are said to be automatic. They are psychic or magical in nature, and no physical protection can be used to prevent them.
Damage effect
Weakened
A living being whose EP is at 1 or 2 is weakened. It then suffers a disadvantage in all its actions. Robots cannot be weakened.
Seriously injured
A character with zero EP loses consciousness for 1 minute and is unable to perform any concrete actions until they recover at least 1 EP. The character can only mutter and make weak, imprecise gestures. Without specific care but if their condition is allowed to stabilize, they must wait half a day to return to 1 EP.
Critical condition
A character with negative EP is in critical condition. They must be treated (or repaired in the case of a robot).
If no one comes to their aid, a character regains consciousness (with 0 EP and therefore severely injured) after two minutes. They can no longer take any concrete action. Once healed, either naturally or through external intervention (unless stabilized, see below), they suffer a lifelong injury determined by the GM based on the situation (the character gains the “Crippled” defect). The player must take this into account in their roleplaying and the description of their character’s actions.
Dead?
Player characters are heroes; they can be incapacitated or seriously injured, but they cannot die without the agreement of the player and the GM.
For non-player characters (NPCs), unless the situation demands it, consider them incapacitated for the duration of the scenario. Who knows? They might return in a future scenario to seek revenge on the players!
Healing
Natural healing
A living being recovers its EP at a rate of 1 per half-day.
Robots recover 1 EP per hour if connected to an external power source.
Care
By spending two actions in combat, or as part of their normal actions, a character can stabilize a critically injured character. The injured character regains consciousness and becomes seriously injured (0 EP).
A character can also try to stabilize oneself at the cost of a difficult Physical test. If they succeed, they become seriously injured (0 EP).
Being stabilized or stabilizing oneself prevents suffering from any possible after-effects.
In a calm and clean environment, a Mental test allows you to heal a living being or repair a robot. Each success restores 1 EP to the patient.
The robots regain a number of EP equal to twice their Physical score.
In case of critical success: the EP recovered are doubled.
In case of critical failure: the patient gains the Disabled defect.
An example?
Jules pursues a suspect. He is already wounded in the shoulder. He enters a warehouse, armed only with his courage. On the first turn, the suspect turns, gun in hand, and shoots Jules, who was charging at him. Jules acts first (he has a Physical of 4 while his opponent has 3). Jules’ player spends his two actions to roll and avoid the shot (two Defend actions). His attacker shoots and obtains 2 SUCCESSES… This is not enough, as due to Jules’ defense actions he should needed three successes to hit. The gangster misses! Without his roll, the gangster would have hit Jules, who would have lost 2 EP (1 per SUCCESS) + 2 because the suspect was firing a light pistol, resulting in a total loss of 4 EP. Luckily, Jules knows how to dodge.