Combat

In all adventures and stories, combat is a very real probability. This section will explain the rules for characters and monsters to engage in a specific type of encounter: combat.  Combat follows the same basic structure as encounters, but that structure is repeated here as well.

Combat in C22 Systems are deadly as damage will be dealt and taken almost every turn and healing is limited.

Some important terms are required for this section to better understand the rules of combat:

  • Accuracy - offensive value that determines whether the attack hits or not.

  • Avoidance - defensive value that determines difficulty of a character to be hit.

  • Armor - defensive value that reduces damage taken by the character.

  • Attack value - offensive value combining the weapon base damage with the bonus from the maneuver.

  • Damage - offensive value that is the attack value minus the Armor of the character.  Directly converts into a loss of Health for the character.

  • Health - defensive value.  Represents how much stress and physical harm a character can take before they are knocked unconscious.

  • Round – a short time frame in which all characters in combat have had a chance to act once.

  • Turn – a short time frame in which one character in combat has time to act.  Each character has one turn per round.

Order of Combat and Initiative

When combat begins, every Player must draw a single number card from the top of their deck to determine initiative.  The suit of the card determines the order the characters act in a round. The initiative order for the suits is spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts.  The number will be used to break ties.  When an NPC and a Player have the same suit and number, the Player wins the tie. In the case of a tie between Players, Players go first in the order they agree upon.  In the case of dissent, the Dealer decides.

Taking your turn

In the same as an encounter, each Player will use the two cards they draw to craft their character’s turn. In combat, a character can take two movement actions and two main actions in any order. The specific details that changed for each action is included below.

In summary, a Player may perform the following, in any order, on their turn:

  • 2 Main actions

  • 2 Movement actions

Main Actions

A main action consists of using a Skill as an action. This includes Weapon Skills and Skills. In combat, Weapon Skills and Power Skills play a larger roll than standard encounters. The first change to note is that in combat, non-combat General Skills cannot be used.

When your character uses a Weapon Skill to make an attack, the attack will cost either one or two actions, depending on the weight of the weapon. Heavy weapons, and Long range weapons require two attack actions to use. Light weapons require one main action to use. A Light weight weapon cannot be used twice in the same turn unless a maneuver allows it.

Main actions may also be spent on casting a power, same as a regular encounter. Powers can be cast with one hand, thus using 1 main action, or be cast using both hands, using both main actions. This is covered in detail in Magic and Powers.

Movement Actions

A movement action consists of moving up to a distance equal to your movement distance. A movement action is used whenever the character chooses to move any distance. This means that even if the character chooses to move just 3 meters, one movement action is spent. The default measurement of movement is meters.

In an encounter, by default one movement action moves a character one zone which is about 6 meters.

Attack Actions & Weapon Actions

While reading some maneuvers you will find additional attack or weapon actions being granted. These actions can only be used for certain General Skills. Attack actions must be used to make an attack. This would include using a Power Skill, a Weapon Skill, Brawling, or even a social attack like Manipulation. Weapon attack actions can only be used to make an attack with a Weapon Skill.

Ambushes and the first round of combat

Since combat is deadly in C22 systems the first round of combat is crucial.  Therefore, every character will be allowed to act out their turn on the first turn of combat and all Effects and damage will be applied at the end of the turn.  So, if a monster is killed before they get their turn, they will perform their turn and then die.  If a player would be stunned on the first round of combat, the Stunned Effect would not be applied until the end of the first round.

Ambushes, when one group sneaks up on another group.  The ambushing party will be allowed to have all of their part go before any surprised characters. The surprised group will not be able to benefit from the first round of combat benefit.  Meaning, if they die before they can act, they do not perform a turn.  If any characters of the surprised group were able to react before the ambush starts, they perform their combat as normal.

 

Additional Combat Information

Disengaging

At any time, a character can choose to use one movement action or one main action to move away from a single enemy without leaving an opening to be exploited.  This moves them 2 meters away from the enemy they were engaged with.  During this 2 meters of movement only, the character does not leave an opening to be exploited by their target, but during the remainder of the turn, the character will still leave openings if they move out of another character’s engagement zone.

A character can choose to disengage from two enemies at once by spending one movement or main action per enemy they are engaged with, but still only moving 2 meters away.

Opening

Whenever a character moves out of the attack range of another character, they leave an opening that can be exploited using various reactions. The Brawling – Exploit Opening Specific Skill is one such example. The value of the Skill check becomes the Accuracy of the attack.

Not all creatures can take advantage of this opening, but the ones that can, may make an attack. Other Skills and maneuvers may leave an opening to be exploited or may be able to take advantage of these openings. This will be included with the specific setting books.

Weapon Ranges

Each weapon has a range that they can operate up to without loss of function.  The weapon ranges are Melee, Short, Long, Barrier and Artillery.

Melee weapons can be used to attack any hex adjacent to them.  For zone-based encounters, they can attack any enemy in their zone. Some particular weapons may also be allowed to attack up to two hexes away from them but no changes to zone-based combat.  See the particular weapons for this particular information.

Short weapons, or Short ranged weapons can attack up to 12 meters away without loss of function.  They can still be used to attack enemies up to 24 meters away but the enemies they target are treated as being Obscured, meaning they will only deal damage if their attack’s Accuracy is above their target’s Avoidance.  For Zone based combat, this would be at least 1 zone away for normal function, but potentially up to 2 zones from the character if the Dealer allows it. Short weapons can be used to attack up to whatever distance the Dealer will allow past 24 meters but for every 12 meters, rounded up, past 24 meters, the target’s gain an additional 2 Avoidance. If the target’s Avoidance is greater than 14 as a result of this distance, the attack’s success is determined by the Dealer and no card drawn.

Long weapons, or Long ranged weapons can attack up to 24 meters away without loss of function.  If they are within 4 meters or are within the same zone as an enemy when they start their turn, they draw their starting cards with disadvantage. They can still be used to attack enemies up to 36 meters away but the enemies they target are treated as being Obscured, meaning they will only deal damage if their attack’s Accuracy is above their target’s Avoidance.  For Zone based combat, this would be at least 4 zone away for normal function, but potentially up to 6 zones from the character if the Dealer allows it. Long ranged weapons can be used to attack up to whatever distance the Dealer will allow past 36 meters but for every 12 meters, rounded up, past 36 meters, the target’s gain an additional 2 Avoidance. If the target’s Avoidance is greater than 14 as a result of this distance, the attack’s success is determined by the Dealer and no card drawn.

Barrier weapons are shields used to protect players. They are mainly used to block. When they are used to attack, they can be used to attack targets within 2 meters or within the same zone. An Athletics - Throw Specific Skill must be used other wise.

Artillery weapons are very long ranged weapons that require setup such as a sniper rifle. They are mainly used narratively.