Combat

From ElanVital

Combat on Elan Vital is a curious affair; the interaction of magic and technology has produced a wide variety of combative styles, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. This page contains a complete record of the rules for combat, and is always the most recent authority on the subject.

Note that these rules can be applied creatively by GMs in order to fit the feel and flow of a current combat scene, and some of the more detailed rules may be omitted (such as cover and movement penalties).

Contents 1 Attributes in Combat 2 The Flow of Combat 2.1 Initiative 2.2 Attacking 2.2.1 Ranged Attacks 2.2.2 Melee Attacks 2.2.3 Magic Attacks 2.3 Defending 2.4 Damage Resolution 2.4.1 Stun Damage 3 Alternative Combat Maneuvers/Modifiers 3.1 Cover 3.2 Holding Your Action 3.3 Dual Wielding 3.4 Disarming 3.5 Grappling 3.5.1 Initiating 3.5.2 Being Held 3.5.3 Holding 3.5.4 Escaping 3.6 Movement

Attributes in Combat

Agility: One of the most useful attributes for combatants, agility is tied to all melee combat skills. It is also tied to other skills such as Stealth that may be useful.

Brawn: Another highly useful attribute, Brawn governs the amount of damage a character can take before they fall. It also affects damage done in melee combat, and is tied to skills such as Athletics that may be useful.

Creativity: Creativity is tied to several magic skills, such as Illusion, Pyromancy and Aeromancy, that have uses in combat.

Dexterity: Dexterity is not usually used in combat.

Empathy: Empathy is tied to several magic skills, such as Avatar and Biomancy, that have uses in combat.

Focus: Focus is tied to several magic skills, such as Geomancy, Hydromancy and Exomancy, that have uses in combat.

Logic: Logic is tied to Explosives and Poisons, but doesn't have much direct combative use.

Calculation: Calculation is not usually used in combat.

Perception: Perception is tied to ranged attacks, and helps determine a character's likelihood to hit.

Education: Education is not usually used in combat.

+luckroll: Tests fate. May be used at the referee's discretion.

The Flow of Combat

Combat usually proceeds in several steps; 1)an initiative roll to determine order of action, followed by 2) an attack, 3) a defense, and 4) damage resolution. After damage has been resolved, steps 2), 3), and 4) will repeat for each character's turn until the fight is over.

Initiative

When players wish to engage in combat, Agility will be rolled to determine who acts first. A character who is caught by surprise (failing an Observation roll against the attacker's stealth, or otherwise being unable to perceive the attack) forfeits their chance to attack first and will roll defense against the attack at -2.

Referees may add other modifiers to represent various circumstances, but when the two characters are on an even footing, the roll is at 0.

If multiple individuals are fighting, everyone must roll for initiative. Tied players will reroll until one wins the tie to determine their place in the order. At this point, combat will follow from highest initiative roll to lowest, with attackers posing and rolling their attack on their turn, defenders rolling defense directly after the attack and posing the outcome on their turn, along with any return action.

Attacking

Once the initiative roll is resolved, the winning character may act. In many cases, this will come in the form of a attack. There are three different ways to attack, depending on the weapons and skills the attacking character possesses: ranged attacks, melee attacks, and magic attacks. Each of these follow slightly different rules.

Ranged Attacks

Ranged attacks are done with one of four skills: Archery, Handguns, Rifles and Throwing. All ranged attacks are modified by the distance between the shooter and the target. Four specific ranges are defined for the sake of combat:

Point-blank: 0-5 feet.

Near: 5-100 feet.

Far: 100-500 feet.

Distant: 500-1000 feet.

The range mods for all weapons governed by the skills are as follows:

Archery: +0 Point Blank, +1 Near, 0 Far, -1 Distant

Handguns: +1 Point Blank, +0 Near, -1 Far, -2 Distant

Rifles: +1 Point Blank, +1 Near, 0 Far, -1 Distant

Throwing: +1 Point Blank, -1 Near, -2 Far, Useless at Distant

Moving between ranges can be handled at the referee's discretion; one possible method of resolution is to use one round per range switch, or more rounds for further ranges.

Melee Attacks

Melee attacks are fairly straightforward; they are usually not modified by default. The attacker simply rolls one of the following skills: Axes, Blunt Weapons, Polearms, Small Blades, Swords, or Unarmed Combat. Modifiers may be added at the discretion of the referee to represent various possible advantages one character may possess. However, if the referee is one of the combatants, everyone involved should be given a chance to agree on any modifiers that benefit the referee's character before the roll.

Magic Attacks

Magic is not affected by range modifiers, but is only usable at point blank or near range; subjects that are more than 100 feet away cannot be reached by direct magical effects.

Defending

There are several options available for characters to defend themselves. The most versatile is the Dodging skill, \ which is the only way to defend against ranged or magical attacks. Melee attacks, however, can be defended against by other melee skills. The only exception is Unarmed Combat, which cannot parry a weapon.

If someone who is attacked in melee manages to roll four or more better than the attacker (a Superb defense versus a Mediocre attack, for example), the defender may take a counterattack as part of their next attack. This allows the defender to attack their opponent twice, with both attacks being rolled at their normal modifiers.

Defense is typically rolled at 0; however, there are several circumstances where that may change.

Iterative penalties are the most common defense modifier. These are penalties applied to individuals who have to try and dodge multiple attacks in a single round. The first attack dodged in any round is at 0; however, the second is at -1, the third at -2, and so forth. This applies even if both attacks are from the same attacker, in the case of a counterattack or dual wielding.

Damage Resolution

If an attack hits, damage resolution must be handled. The typical formula for damage is:

Weapon Damage + ranks of Brawn above Fair + Margin of Success - Armor = Damage

There are some variations from this formula. Unarmed Combat does not typically have Weapon Damage, unless the attacker is wielding an unarmed weapon such as gauntlets or boots. Ranged attacks don't add brawn, only weapon damage. Magic never has weapon damage and doesn't add Brawn; instead, it just has a flat damage.

For an example of damage resolution, a 5 damage melee weapon wielded by an individual with Great (2) Brawn would do 7 damage. If this individual hit their opponent by a margin of 2 (Great attack versus Fair defense, perhaps) the damage would be 9. If the target was wearing combat armor, with an Armor of 4, they would take 5 damage.

EV handles health with an HP system. HP is based off Brawn; individuals with Mediocre Brawn have 14 HP. Every level of Brawn above that increases HP by 1; every level below that decreases it by 1. Wound penalties will apply, affected by High/Low Pain Threshold.

Stun Damage

Stun damage is a quite common alternative to lethal, at least among the citizens of Stocklin. Stun guns automatically do stun damage, and incapacitate their target for around 10 minutes if they take sufficient damage to be killed with a regular gun.

Melee weapons can also stun, provided they are anything blunt enough to have a good whacking surface. Referees may use their own discretion as to what constitutes a good whacking surface.

Alternative Combat Maneuvers/Modifiers

Not all combat is composed of regular toe-to-toe attacks and defenses, however. Characters have several other options they may choose from.

Cover

Characters can choose to hide behind cover to evade attacks. To hit someone behind cover, your attack is rolled at a -1. However, their attack is also rolled at a -1 due to impaired visibility.

Holding Your Action

Typically, individuals act in combat in the order that they're indicated by Agility rolls. However, a combatant may choose to hold their action until something else happens. This doesn't roll over; if you don't use your turn by the time your next turn rolls around, it's lost forever. This DOES allow you to interfere with someone else's turn; if, for example, you hold your turn and the enemy who moves just after you threw a grenade, you may grab the grenade and throw it back before it explodes.

Holding your action can also be used to defend others. If you hold your action and pose protecting someone, you may defend -for- them if they're attacked, effectively giving them a free second chance. You may also still defend for yourself, if you are attacked.

Dual Wielding

There is a dual wielding skill for individuals who wish to wield two weapons. Modifiers are applied to both hands, depending on the level of the dual wielding skill. The weight of a weapon that an individual can wield is based on their Brawn.

The modifiers are as follows:

Nonexistent: -4/-4

Terrible: -3/-4

Poor: -3/-3

Mediocre: -2/-3

Fair: -2/-2

Good: -1/-2

Great: -1/-1

Superb: 0/-1

Legendary: 0/ 0

Disarming

Disarming is much easier for a melee combatant than one at range. To disarm an opponent of any weapon, gun or melee, a character can roll any melee combat skill. The defender defends against the roll as usual based on the weapon they're wielding.

If the defender fails the opposed defense roll, however, the two combatants both roll Brawn against each other. If the defender wins this roll, they keep hold of their weapon. If the attacker wins, the weapon is knocked away. If the attacker wins the attribute roll by 2 or more and is disarming bare-handed, they may choose to take the weapon themselves.

Disarm attempts at range incur an extra -2 mod on top of the proper range modifier. If the attack hits, the shooter has scored a hit that knocks the gun out of the defender's hand.

Grappling

Grappling regards the use or escape of restraining holds applied in combat. It assumes one person attempting to restrain and control another.

Initiating

Initiating a grapple is easiest when the attacker and the target are both unarmed. To initiate a hold, the attacking player must roll Unarmed Combat against any appropriate defense skill - if the target has a weapon, this roll is at -2. If this roll succeeds it does not deal out any damage, but rather allows that player to restrain the target. Failure obviously results in no hold being applied.

Being Held

The controlled player can not move, except in an attempt to escape the hold. The controlled player may attack the individual that's grappling them with an unarmed or melee attack, but nobody else, and at a -2.

Holding

While applying the hold, the controlling player may opt to 'drag' the target, or change the controlled player's posture; pulling them to the ground, forcing them to their feet, etc. The attacking player can also attack for stun or regular damage. This is performed through a standard contested roll of Unarmed at 0, to reflect options such as slamming your opponent around, smothering or choking them. Dodging may not be used to defend, reflecting the controlled player's inability to move that freely; only opposed Unarmed Combat can defend, or a melee weapon skill if the controlled player is holding one.

Escaping

Once a round, the controlled player may attempt to escape or reverse the grappling hold using a contested roll of Unarmed- or, if the target prefers, Brawn. Brawn, however, must be rolled at -1 by the target, reflecting their attempt to pit brute strength against both the strength and skill of the attacking player. If the target succeeds, they may choose to escape or to gain control of the grapple.

If the controlling player attempts an attack, and the target defends by a margin of +3 or greater, they are able to counter by escaping or reversing the hold. They also have the option of attempting an attack that round.

Movement

Characters who want to attack and meaningfully change position in the same round (move from one range to another, for example) must roll their attack at -2 for the difficulty of aiming while moving.