Notable NPCs Aboard the Jean Bart

NPC list has been updated with characters from the Jean Bart: link

Personal Journal, Part 5: Murder most Foul

 

Personal Journal of Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de Lisieux

Night of 11/12 July 2297

After departure from Vogelheim

Henri Valois is dead.

He died after the Jean Bart departed Vogelheim, during the night between the eleventh and twelfth of July, while under my protection.

The phrase is unpleasant to write.

At first, ship personnel described the death as natural. Valois was not a healthy man. He had medical complaints, took regular treatments, and possessed the general appearance of someone assembled in haste from weak tea, nerves, and bad linen. A sudden failure of the body did not seem impossible.

But he had come to me afraid.

Men invent enemies readily enough. They do not often invent fear.

I therefore refused the convenient explanation.

Sergeant Blanc had been assigned as his protection. He is many things, not all of them suitable for polite entry in a personal journal, but he is not negligent. If someone reached Valois, it was either by subtlety, by poison, by systems access, or by means that would not have been prevented by a man standing near the door with soldier’s eyes and no official weapon.

I went to First Officer Beaulieu.

There are times when rank is useful, times when family is useful, and rare times when indignation is useful. I employed all three. Beaulieu did not enjoy being pressed, but he understood the matter at once. A passenger had requested protection from a French officer. The officer had accepted. The passenger was now dead aboard a French ship in interstellar transit.

It could not be filed as unfortunate indigestion and forgotten.

Doctor Mireille Okafor examined Valois and found what I had feared.

There was foul play.

His medical history contained nothing that should have killed him in that manner, at that hour, under those circumstances. Something had been altered, administered, or concealed. The details remain unclear at present, but in Doctor Okafor’s capable hands I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of the matter in short order. 

Commandant Delaunay was less pleased by my involvement.

This is understandable. Security officers dislike interference. They dislike armed passengers. They dislike soldiers. They particularly dislike soldiers who combine rank, family, responsibility, and just enough guilt to become immovable.

Nevertheless, the ship’s security section is not equipped for murder. Not truly. It is equipped for drunks, thieves, domestic scandals, smugglers, and the ordinary lies of rich travelers. This is different.

I insisted that we be involved.

Not in command. I am not a fool. But involved.

The dead man had asked for my protection. I had given it. He died. Therefore the matter remains mine until I am relieved of it by lawful authority, superior order, or death.

Delaunay did not appreciate the phrasing.

He did return our service pistols.

This improved Sergeant Blanc’s mood considerably.

The three of us have been attached, temporarily and somewhat awkwardly, to the security investigation. Blanc and Miss Cassart have taken more naturally to the practical work than I expected. Blanc sees patterns of movement, doors, timing, and opportunity. Miss Cassart sees records, artifacts, people’s mistakes, and details no one else considers worth noticing. She may be unsuited to the Legion. She is not stupid.

As for me, I am an officer and a gentleman, not a detective. My proper function is to ensure that those better suited to crawling through the machinery of this affair may do so with authority behind them.

Blanc said this meant I intended to stand back and give orders.

I told him he was beginning to understand command.

Then matters worsened.

Colette Marceau is missing.

The fact was first presented as an administrative confusion. She failed to appear where expected. A record suggested movement where no one remembered seeing her. Another record contradicted the first. Such things happen aboard ships, I am told, though usually not within hours of a murder.

Miss Cassart has become increasingly unwell since the start of our investigation. The ship’s doctor had treated her for spin sickness, but I no longer believe that explanation accounts for everything. She speaks strangely now, sometimes too quickly, sometimes as if answering a question no one has asked. She grows pale, then flushed. She looks at people with sudden alarm. At one point she asked Sergeant Blanc to stop thinking so loudly.

Blanc did not know what to do with this.

Neither did I.

Élodie Vannier has withdrawn to her suite and receives few visitors. This is unlike her. She had made a theater of attachment to Miss Cassart and Colette, calling them sisters until the word ceased to be charming and became almost true. Now one is missing, one is ill, and one has closed her door.

I dislike coincidences when they accumulate.

Finally, there has been a break-in at the Ruffin Collection.

Doctor Sorel has not yet provided a full accounting. Something was disturbed. Perhaps something was taken. Perhaps only the appearance of theft was desired. Danton is said to be distraught. Masson is said to be furious. Valette, representing Ruffin’s interests, is said to be calm, which may be the most suspicious fact of all.

The ship continues toward Dunkelheim.

A passenger is dead. A purser has vanished. The exhibition has been breached. Miss Cassart is ill in ways I cannot name. Élodie hides. Sergeant Blanc checks his pistol too often. Delaunay looks at everyone as if already disappointed by their future confessions.

I had thought the Jean Bart a floating salon with engines attached.

Perhaps I was mistaken, but I quite liked that way things were aboard before the late unpleasantness. 

I shall endeavor to have the matter closed sooner rather than later, so we may debark with memories of good company and fine champagne, not murder and bad faith.

Personal Journal, Part 4: Vogelheim

 

Personal Journal of Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de Lisieux

Wednesday, 7 July to Sunday, 11 July 2297

In transit to Vogelheim by way of Sans Souci

The Jean Bart finished discharge at Sans Souci, then proceeded toward Vogelheim. The mechanics of these voyages are at once miraculous and dull: superluminal transit, discharge, in-system legs, orbital matching, passengers complaining about schedules as if the heavens were a railway timetable.

We did not go down to Vogelheim. Looking at birds that are not actually birds - and listening to Laetitia talk about it all day - does not agree with my temperament.

Others did. Local guests also came aboard to dine, drink, see the exhibition, conduct business, and make the French and German colonies appear mutually delighted by one another.

In those days, we met Colette Marceau.

Élodie made the introduction, of course. She had discovered that Miss Cassart, Colette, and herself all belonged, broadly speaking, to the same old enhancement family. She declared this “marvelous” and began calling them sisters with the enthusiasm of a woman who has never once wondered if her views are universally shared.

Miss Cassart stiffened.

Colette smiled like a woman paid to endure passengers.

Élodie ignored both reactions and took them under her wing.

At first I thought this merely another of her games and considered her odds of success very low indeed.

Yet over the following days, Colette, who had first appeared guarded and dry like an old prune, softened in a way I could not easily explain. Soon the pair of them, Élodie and Colette, acted the part of the promiscuous pair of twin sisters every bachelor has dreamed of meeting but never will.

Miss Cassart was the strangest of the three. She was at times unwell and took medicine for what was assumed to be spin sickness, though surely she was screened for such a trivial condition before signing on with the military. At times she was intensely present; other times she seemed distracted or perhaps too alert, as if listening to a conversation no one else could hear.

I noticed, but I did not understand. One rarely does, at the beginning.

Henri Valois approached me on the ninth.

He is an artifact trader of the damp and apologetic sort, a man who seems always to be retreating from a question not yet asked. He requested a private word, then another, then finally confessed that he believed his life in danger. He would not say from whom. He insisted only that he had become involved in matters beyond ordinary commerce and that ship security could not be trusted with his fears.

I dislike vagueness in frightened men.

I dislike more the thought that a man might ask protection from a French officer and be refused because his manners are poor.

I agreed to help him.

Since my own duties aboard required continued social presence, and since Sergeant Blanc has the instincts of a guard dog, I assigned him to remain close to Valois. Blanc accepted with less protest than expected. Perhaps he was bored. Perhaps he disliked Valois enough to believe someone else might also.

In either case, the matter seemed contained, so I again turned my attention to more pleasurable matters.

Personal Journal, Part 3: Beta Canum to Vogelheim

 

Personal Journal of Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de Lisieux

Sunday, 4 July to Tuesday, 6 July 2297

In transit to Vogelheim by way of Sans Souci

The first full day aboard the Jean Bart began properly.

At 0600, Sergeant Blanc and Miss Cassart presented themselves for exercise with the grim resignation common to soldiers, prisoners, and university students required to attend lectures before breakfast. I joined them for the initial portion, partly to demonstrate seriousness and partly because a man in my position must not allow shipboard comfort to soften him before arrival.

We lack weapons, but not imagination. Rifle drill may be approximated with broom handles. Physical conditioning requires no equipment beyond a floor, gravity, and resentment. Study requires only time and obedience. Of these, time is abundant and obedience uneven.

Once I judged the system sufficiently established, I placed much of its supervision in the Aspirant's hands.  If she is to command soldiers one day, she must learn that the first battle is often against boredom, excuses, and the conviction among enlisted men that all instruction is an officer’s revenge upon the innocent.

Blanc saw through this arrangement immediately.

He asked whether the lieutenant’s own program included champagne.

I replied that my duties differed in kind rather than severity.

He laughed.

This may have been disrespectful. It was also not entirely wrong.

The next several days settled into a pattern.

Sergeant Blanc and Miss Cassart maintained the routine. I attended enough sessions to preserve both authority and conscience, then undertook the broader work of shipboard representation. I dined, walked, drank, conversed, listened, and allowed the name Chevalier de Lisieux to do what names are meant to do when one is fortunate enough to inherit a useful one.

I do not apologize for this.

France is not maintained by rifles alone. It is maintained by memory, influence, confidence, credit, marriage, officers, contracts, priests, engineers, bankers, and the invisible web of obligation that convinces one man to assist another before the formal request is even made. My family understands this. I was raised to understand it.

Sergeant Blanc calls it drinking with rich people.

Again, he is not entirely wrong.

My first real acquaintance aboard was Viktor Reinhardt, a Bavarian by birth and, by choice, a resident of France since the war. This fact alone would make him interesting. That he is also intelligent, well connected, and engaged in arms supply, colonial explosives, and engineering equipment makes him useful.

That he drinks well makes him agreeable.

We spoke at length over champagne, then over wine, then over a bottle whose name I will not record because the price was vulgar. Reinhardt works mostly with French and Japanese clients. He has the manner of a man who departed Germany without ceasing to be German, and embraced France without pretending to have been born French. I find this more honest than the usual exile performance.

We discovered a shared admiration for Nicolas Ruffin.

There are men who speak of France as a tax authority, a language, or an unfortunate collection of ministries. I have never understood them. France is not merely where one is born. It is a charge laid upon the living by the dead. Ruffin, whatever else may be said of him, appears to understand this. He has returned confidence where others offered management. Reinhardt believes he may yet restore French industry and colonial prestige to their proper standing.

I hope he is right.

The Franco-German War ended while I was still a cadet.

I write that without contempt for peace. Only a fool wishes his country to bleed for his education. 

Yet I would be lying if I claimed there is not, somewhere in me, still a young man in a combat walker by the Somme.

We had prepared for the ultimate sacrifice. 

France chose peace instead.

Perhaps wisely.

Wisdom has never been much comfort to young men who wished to be brave.

Afterward I went to the colonies, then to the Legion. There is honor in such service, certainly. But one does not become a hero by shooting at disgruntled settlers with bad boots and worse guns. One becomes experienced, perhaps. One becomes useful. One becomes older. 

But one does not find glory for France.

Reinhardt, to his credit, did not mock this.

He introduced me to Étienne Valcour, a man of wealth, appetite, and considerable confidence in his own importance. Valcour is involved in colonial investment and private collecting, including the Ruffin exhibition aboard the ship. We exchanged pleasantries, then promises of future correspondence. Such promises are common currency aboard a liner. Most expire before the next port. A few become fortunes.

First Officer Marc-Antoine Beaulieu also called upon me, ostensibly to ensure that our unusual military party had been properly accommodated. In practice, he made it clear that while the Legion had imposed a rather spartan regimen upon us in expectation of naval transport, no one aboard the Jean Bart expected me to behave as if I were in barracks.

It was delicately done.

My family name had arrived before me, as it often does.

I accepted the clarification with gratitude and did not mention that I had already reached the same conclusion independently.

In the afternoon, our detachment visited the Ruffin Collection. Sergeant Blanc requires culture. Miss Cassart requires opportunities to apply the education for which the army has paid. I require companions who understand that France’s greatness among the stars consists not only in soldiers and colonies, but in science, acquisition, classification, and the courage to look upon the universe and say: we shall understand this too.

Miss Cassart served as our guide.

The collection contains objects from known non-human cultures, disputed pieces, doubtful relics, and several exhibits from Earth’s own past included as warnings against the human tendency to see aliens wherever scholarship has not yet done its work.

Doctor Amélie Sorel, the curator, briefly joined us. She is severe, thin, exact, and possessed of the terrifying calm of a woman who would rather see a passenger shot than allow him to tap a display case. I approve of her priorities. We also met, in passing, several of her staff: a nervous assistant named Danton and a conservator named Masson, both of whom seemed more attached to the artifacts than to the guests.

Miss Cassart became more animated in the gallery than I had yet seen her. She spoke of Pentapod bioglass, Sung instruments, Eber ruins, disputed Xiang objects, and an ugly clay artifact made by a species with three thumbs and no other fingers. It is apparently the subject of much interest by scholars.

Blanc endured all this like a man under artillery fire.

The evening was spent properly dressed and properly fed. I continued my efforts to civilize our party. Blanc resisted civilization, but not dinner. Miss Cassart, once persuaded that the table would not bite her, spoke enough for all three of us.

Then there was Élodie Vannier.

Mme. Vannier has been aboard since Earth and disembarked her American husband at Beta Canum, where business detained him. She continues alone, though not, I think, lonely. She is beautiful in a familiar modern fashion: blonde, blue-eyed, and polished to a degree that suggests both inheritance and intervention. Not unlike Miss Cassart, though Miss Cassart wears the fact as if it were an accusation, while Élodie wears it as a crown.

She is scandalous.

I took to her immediately.

She took to me with equal speed and less caution.

This has not improved Miss Cassart’s opinion of either of us.

I do not particularly care.

Personal Journal, Part 2: The Jean Bart

 

Personal Journal of Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de Lisieux

Saturday, 3 July 2297

I was mistaken.

At the end of my previous entry, I wrote that I could not wait for the trip to be over.

This was ungenerous. The Jean Bart has many admirable qualities. Chief among them is the small bar in our suite, which Sergeant Blanc discovered within three minutes of our arrival and emptied with the thoroughness of a man searching for evidence. I might have objected had his taste been worse.

Miss Cassart withdrew to her room almost at once. I do not blame her. The day had been long, the reassignment abrupt, and the prospect of sharing quarters with two armed Frenchmen of uncertain temperament cannot have improved her opinion of military life.

Blanc and I therefore began our acquaintance properly, which is to say with alcohol.

This did not make us friends. It did, however, establish that the sergeant possesses at least one civilized instinct. He drinks honestly. Not elegantly, perhaps, and certainly without the proper reverence, but honestly. There are worse foundations upon which to build a working relationship.

Our pistols had been surrendered to the purser, as already noted. Blanc’s other pistol remains where Blanc’s other pistol chooses to remain. I have decided not to ask further questions. The ship is French, luxurious, expensive, and filled with people who have never had to secure a perimeter in bad weather. It comforts me to know that one member of our party remains unreasonable.

In the evening, Malik Desroches arrived to take measurements.

M. Desroches is the ship’s tailor, fitter, and, I suspect, confessor to half the passenger ring. He entered with professional serenity, took in my dress uniform, Blanc’s service uniform, and Miss Cassart’s civilian clothes, and understood at once that the army had entrusted us to civilization without providing us the means to appear civilized within it.

He promised additional uniforms, appropriate exercise clothing, and such personal items as could be produced aboard without requiring divine intervention.

Our assigned purser is Mireille Toma, a young woman of efficient bearing and the expression of someone who has already seen every possible passenger disaster and filed each under the correct administrative heading. She gave us a brief explanation of shipboard procedures, access rules, meals, exercise areas, and the limits of our credit.

It fell to me, after these preliminaries, to impose order upon our small detachment. We are without luggage, without field kit, without weapons, without manuals, and without any superior officer immediately available to give useful direction. This is precisely the sort of condition in which discipline becomes most necessary.

I therefore devised a program.

Exercise. Drill. Study. Cultural education. Maintenance of military habit. Familiarization with the ship. Familiarization with the worlds along our route. Proper comportment at table. Basic review of French colonial history, which I fear both of my companions require in different ways.

Sergeant Blanc received the outline with the expression of a man condemned unjustly.

Miss Cassart asked several technical questions, three of which were relevant but outside my fields of expertise, so I ignored them.

I reassured them both that I would participate where appropriate. No officer worthy of command asks subordinates to endure a burden he would never touch himself. Once the structure is sound, however, much of its execution can and should be delegated. Miss Cassart is an Aspirant. She will one day be expected to persuade tired soldiers to do necessary things they would rather avoid. It will be good for her to begin now.

The arrangement also leaves me free to attend to certain social obligations imposed by our unusual passage.

A liner such as the Jean Bart is not merely a vessel. It is a moving salon of French influence. One neglects such ground at one’s peril. That some of this work may require dinners, receptions, wines, and conversation should not be confused with idleness.

Sergeant Blanc appears to disagree.

He has not said so directly, which I take as progress.

Miss Cassart, meanwhile, revealed over the course of the evening that she can hold her drink. This surprised both Blanc and me, though of course we were too courteous to say so. She is not a soldier in any obvious sense. She is too educated, too precise, too inclined to answer simple questions with lectures beginning several centuries before the matter at hand. She also seems entirely unsuited to the Legion, and I cannot imagine why she volunteered - and was accepted - for such service.

Still, a Frenchwoman who can drink properly is never to be dismissed out of hand. She spoke at length on several subjects, including alien material culture, colonial biospheres, old expedition protocols, and the distinction between birds and avian-like organisms, which I had not realized I had misunderstood until she corrected me.

If our little detachment contains a professor, it is not me.

We retired close to midnight.

The Jean Bart had by then departed Beta Canum and was making for the warp threshold. Somewhere below and behind us, our luggage presumably continued its own military career. Perhaps we shall see it again some day.

I remain uncertain what sort of posting awaits us on Aurore.

I remain equally uncertain what sort of companions fate has assigned me.

But Sergeant Blanc found the bar, Miss Cassart survived the wine, and M. Desroches has promised that we shall soon possess clean clothes.

This is not nothing.

 

2297 AD: A Brief Primer

The year is 2297.

Humanity has survived catastrophe, rebuilt civilization, and reached the stars. It has not, however, outgrown history.

This is a hard science-fiction setting. Ships obey limits. Worlds are distant. Colonies matter because getting people, supplies, machines, and soldiers across interstellar distances is difficult and expensive. There are no casual warp jumps, no galactic empire, no universal government, and no easy escape from politics.

Humanity’s expansion into space began in the long aftermath of disaster.

The Twilight War

Before the year 2000, Earth suffered a nuclear Third World War remembered as the Twilight War.

Civilization did not end, but the old world order did. Nations collapsed, borders shifted, economies shattered, and whole regions took generations to recover. The United States, once the dominant superpower, was badly weakened. Europe fractured, rebuilt, and eventually became central to humanity’s expansion into space.

By the 24th century, Earth is no longer post-apocalyptic. It is wealthy, advanced, and crowded with old nations that remember both glory and humiliation. But the scars of the Twilight War shaped everything that followed.

The New Imperial Age

The political situation of 2297 feels, in some ways, uncomfortably familiar.

It is not a copy of the 19th century, and it is not simply “World War I about to happen again.” But there are echoes.

Powerful nations compete for colonies, prestige, trade routes, resources, and strategic position. Governments speak the language of law, science, and progress, while quietly counting soldiers, ships, markets, and client states. Colonial crises are often treated as distant problems—until they are not.

The great powers do not necessarily want a general war. Most of them believe such a war would be disastrous. But they also believe they cannot afford to appear weak.

That is where danger lives.

France

France is one of humanity’s great colonial powers.

It has major holdings along the French Arm, strong military traditions, and a political culture that still takes national grandeur seriously. French influence reaches across interstellar space through colonies, corporations, prestige projects, military deployments, and cultural institutions.

France is powerful, proud, and internally strained. Its rule, however, is not always as stable as official speeches suggest.

The player characters begin as French military personnel bound for service with the Foreign Legion on Aurore.

Germany and Britain

France, Germany, and Britain were, until recently, relatively friendly core members of the European Space Agency framework that helped drive human interstellar expansion.

That cooperation still exists in many practical ways. Scientists collaborate. Corporations trade. Ships share ports. Officers attend the same receptions.

But beneath the courtesy, old rivalries are returning, not least because of the Franco-German War of 2292-93.

Germany and France compete over colonial influence, commercial access, and strategic territory. Britain remains a major player with its own colonies, interests, and naval traditions. None of these powers wants to be treated as second-rank. None wants to admit it is acting out of vanity.

At dinner parties, this looks like polite conversation.

On frontier worlds, it can take the form of soldiers, tariffs, intelligence work, and proxy conflicts.

America

The United States was badly weakened by the Twilight War and its aftermath. For a long time, it was no longer the unquestioned center of human affairs.

But America is recovering.

By 2297, American power is growing again: economically, politically, and militarily. This makes the older colonial powers uneasy. Some dismiss the Americans as latecomers. Others quietly fear that the old giant is waking up.

America is not yet the sole superpower it once was, but it is increasingly impossible to ignore.

Japan and the Chinas

Not every power fits the old European pattern.

Japan is a major spacefaring civilization, but its development, alliances, corporate structures, and colonial outlook differ sharply from the European empires. It is not simply “Britain in the Pacific” or “Germany with different names.” It has its own strategic culture and its own place in the interstellar order.

China is also not a single simple bloc. Multiple Chinese states exist, and at least two are advanced, wealthy, and active in interstellar colonization. Their rivalry, cooperation, and ambitions matter enormously, especially outside the French-centered view of the universe.

For French soldiers and passengers aboard a French liner, it can be easy to think in French, German, British, and American terms. That is a mistake. Humanity is larger than Europe’s old quarrels.

Corporations

Nations are not the only powers that matter.

Interstellar corporations control shipping, mining, terraforming, biotechnology, weapons production, colonial infrastructure, and information. Some, such as Trilon Industries, are richer than small nations. Some maintain private security forces, political influence networks, and practical authority over entire settlements.

A colony might fly a national flag, but its water systems, air processors, medical supplies, debt structure, and security contracts may belong to corporations.

This means power is often ambiguous. A soldier may be dealing with a governor, a company man, a local militia, a shipping consortium, and an intelligence service all at once.

The Frontier

The colonies are not suburbs with stars overhead.

Some are wealthy and established. Some are fragile outposts. Some are mining camps, penal worlds, scientific settlements, military bases, company towns, or political experiments. Many are dependent on supply chains that can be disrupted by accident, war, bankruptcy, or bureaucratic indifference.

Life on the frontier can be romantic from a distance. Up close, it is often mud, maintenance, disease control, habitat pressure checks, local politics, labor disputes, and people with guns making decisions before help can arrive.

Aliens

Humanity is not alone.

There are known intelligent alien species, but this is not a setting of easy galactic diplomacy. Alien civilizations are strange, limited by distance and biology, often poorly understood, and sometimes filtered through human arrogance or commercial interest.

Some alien artifacts are scientifically priceless. Some are sacred. Some are stolen. Some are frauds. Some may be warnings no one yet understands.

The players begin aboard the Jean Bart, which carries a traveling exhibition of alien artifacts: part museum, part prestige project, part political instrument, part temptation.

Is a Great War Coming?

Many people would say no.

They would point to trade, diplomacy, shared scientific projects, interstellar distance, and the terrible memory of the Twilight War. Surely no civilized power would risk another general catastrophe.

But the same people will also say that national honor must be defended, colonies must be protected, commercial rights must be enforced, and rival powers must not be allowed to dominate key systems.

History does not repeat itself neatly.

But it does set traps for people who think they are smarter than their ancestors.

In 2297, humanity stands between memory and ambition. The old world died in nuclear fire. The new one has reached the stars. Whether it has learned anything remains an open question.

The Outer French Arm

 

Vogelheim / Adlerhorst

Vogelheim is one of the more attractive colonial worlds on the French Arm, and one of the few stops on this route where passengers may speak of “going planetside” with genuine enthusiasm rather than endurance. The world is best known for its native flying fauna, which gave the colony its name. These creatures are not Terran birds, of course, but many fill similar ecological and visual roles: flocking, gliding, nesting on high structures, and filling the morning air with alien calls that tourists insist on calling birdsong.

The main orbital and transfer facilities are associated with Adlerhorst, a name used both for the principal colonial complex and, informally, for the stop itself. The world has both German and French colonies, making it a place of polite rivalry, trade, mixed institutions, and carefully managed diplomatic courtesy. French and German interests overlap here more than they would like to admit.

To travelers, Vogelheim feels civilized, scenic, and socially presentable. It has enough wilderness to sell itself as romantic, enough infrastructure to keep visitors comfortable, and enough colonial pride to make every reception mildly political. Wealthy passengers aboard the Jean Bart often treat the stop as an occasion for dinners, museum viewings, and meetings with local elites.

Common reputation: pretty, cultured, competitive, faintly smug.
Mental image: cliffside settlements, glass-fronted reception halls, alien flocks wheeling above towers, French and German guests smiling too carefully at one another.

---

Dunkelheim

Dunkelheim has a rougher reputation.

Originally established as a Bavarian penal colony, it has long since become a real society, but nobody forgets where it came from. In fact, many locals embrace the old convict-settler identity with grim humor and considerable pride. Families may boast of guards, prisoners, smugglers, union organizers, policemen, and colonial founders in the same breath.

The planet is now part of unified Germany, but its relationship with central authority remains uneasy. Local politics are hard, labor politics are harder, and unrest is common enough that respectable travelers are advised not to wander without guidance. German federal officials, planetary authorities, private security, local police, former penal institutions, and settler communities all overlap in ways outsiders rarely understand.

Dunkelheim is not lawless. That is the mistake tourists make. It has law, but the law has local habits, local enemies, and local blind spots. Outsiders, especially foreign military personnel, are watched carefully. Frenchmen receive no automatic warmth.

For travelers aboard the Jean Bart, Dunkelheim is not a glamorous stop. It is where cargo transfers run late, shuttle schedules slip, customs officers ask sharp questions, and people with business on the surface sometimes return looking relieved.

Common reputation: hard, proud, suspicious, trouble-prone.
Mental image: rain on concrete, old penal walls converted into civic buildings, Bavarian-style beer halls beside industrial yards, graffiti, police checkpoints, and locals who laugh at insults before answering them.

---

Hochbaden

Hochbaden is the civilized face of German colonial discipline.

The planet itself is dead, or close enough that no one speaks of it as a living world. Its population survives in large domed cities, sealed habitats, underground systems, and controlled transit networks. Everything depends on infrastructure: pressure seals, air systems, power grids, transit locks, maintenance schedules, and emergency protocols.

Where Dunkelheim feels rough and improvised, Hochbaden feels managed. Clean corridors, sealed concourses, strict customs, regulated cargo, monitored transfer tubes, habitat security, scheduled shuttle windows. Visitors tend to find it efficient, impressive, and faintly claustrophobic. People from Hochbaden often seem proud of their orderliness, as if civilization means proving that nothing uncontrolled can enter.

The domed cities are large enough to contain real urban life: business districts, administrative centers, universities, entertainment quarters, wealthy enclaves, working-class maintenance zones, and diplomatic facilities. But even in the best districts, the sky is something seen through structure. Outside the domes, there is only the dead planet.

For the Jean Bart, Hochbaden is a major orderly transfer stop: passengers, sealed cargo, officials, corporate representatives, and carefully logged movements. It is safer than Dunkelheim but, in some ways, more restrictive.

Common reputation: orderly, wealthy, sealed, efficient, humorless.
Mental image: shining domes under a dead sky, pressure doors, clean transit corridors, German officials with perfect records, city lights trapped beneath glass.

---

Aurore

Aurore is the destination that makes the earlier stops feel civilized.

It is a frontier world, famous less for comfort than for danger. It is a large moon of a massive gas giant, a place of violent weather, difficult terrain, dangerous biology, and colonial settlements that exist because national pride outweighed good sense. Nobody goes to Aurore expecting an easy posting.

Unlike Hochbaden, Aurore is alive. That is part of the problem. Its biosphere is not friendly, not familiar, and not built for human convenience. The fact that Aurore has no known intelligent native species does not make it safe. The world is wet (or very dry), windy, muddy (or a desert), biologically active, and full of things that can ruin equipment, injure settlers, poison assumptions, or simply make daily life miserable.

The French presence on Aurore is military and colonial. The Foreign Legion is prominent there, and the world has a reputation as a place where polished officers become practical or break. For soldiers, it is a real posting, not a parade assignment. For civilians, it is a hard colony with high risks and high stakes.

To passengers on the Jean Bart, Aurore marks the end of luxury. The liner remains safely above. The shuttles descend so the passengers can experience life on the frontier for a few days before returning to Earth.

Common reputation: hostile, wet, strategic, dangerous, very far from home.
Mental image: storm clouds, gas giant looming in the sky, landing fields in rain, military concrete, perimeter lights, alien vegetation, and Legion troops who stopped expecting comfort years ago.

Chapter 7: Equipment

 

Placeholder/WIP

Ammunition capacity/expenditure: We're doing away with the old ammo "points" system. It was hard to balance/make sense. So we're just counting actual ammo now.

SS = 1 ammo (obviously)

SA = 3 ammo (except double tap, which would be 2 shots)

BF = 5 ammo

AF = 10 (or more) ammo

Fire Discipline talent will affect SA/BF/AF ammo use, but does not affect Double Tap.

Matral PAM9: The Matral PAM9 (Pistolet Automatique Armée) is the most-used sidearm of the French army and associated forces. It is a licensed derivative of the Taylor M57. It fires either the standard 9x24mm caseless ball round or a ballistic cap round, which can sometimes penetrate light armor at close range. The Americans also produce an explosive 9x24 round, but the French have not adopted it because of its limited usefulness in real combat conditions. There is the standard 17-round mag and an extended 21-round "combat" mag for front-line combatants. 

Skill: Ranged (Close), Type: Conventional Pistol, Acc: +0, Range: 20m (TN 20), DMG: 3d6+2, Modes: SA, Ammo: 17 or 21, Special: PT -3 at ranges up to 20 meters (with special ammo).

FAM-90: The FAM-90 is a modern French Gauss rifle. While it borrows some design features from earlier Gauss weapons and has an integrated 30mm grenade launcher (hardly a new innovation), it is an entirely native design that is being widely studied, if not outright copied, by other nations.

The FAM-90 has excellent integrated optics, giving the weapon Acc +2 and an impressive 220-meter effective range.

When fired in full auto, the weapon will automatically reduce its power output to reduce recoil, removing the Disadvantage normally incurred by AF attacks, but negating the PT reduction normally enjoyed by Gauss weapons. The FAM-90A has the option to fire full auto at high power.

The FAM-90 has an integral 30mm grenade launcher with a 3-round magazine (one additional grenade can be held in the breech, but this is discouraged due to a low, but not zero, risk of detonation). The newer FAM-90A has a 4-round magazine and is cleared to hold a fifth round in the chamber.

Skill: Ranged (Precision), Type: Gauss Rifle, Acc: +2, Range: 220m (TN 20), DMG: 5d6+1, Modes: SA/BF/AF, Ammo: 60, Special: SA PT -5, BF/AF* PT -3.

Integral 30mm grenade launcher:

 

Chapter 6: Combat

This chapter outlines the general rules for personal combat. Combat aims to be a high-stakes, fast-paced experience that can shift from deadly firefights to intense close-quarters battles. While the system supports cinematic heroics, it is also gritty, where mistakes can be lethal, and overconfidence will be your downfall. Even the most skilled and well-equipped characters can be felled by a single bad decision or a stroke of misfortune.

Success in combat hinges on combining gunfire with movement, leveraging melee prowess where applicable, and integrating support from things such as drones, hacking, or magic. The system encourages strategic planning and teamwork, rewarding those who think beyond simply "shooting and moving" to exploit environmental and situational advantages. The most successful shadowrunners are those who fight only when necessary, and when they do, they take full advantage of every resource at their disposal.

KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid): The combat chapter may seem complex, but it really isn't. What it does is provide a solid framework for you to imagine and execute combat that is fun and tense—and quick and easy to resolve. You don’t need to know every little detail. Instead, focus on these points:

·         You must be Aware of your enemies to fight effectively (you can’t hit what you can’t see).

·         High Initiative will let you act first; if it’s really high, it will let you do more in a single turn.

·         Each round, during your turn, you can Move around, do a Major activity (such as attack or cast a spell), and do a Minor task (such as pulling out a piece of equipment, using certain Talents, and more).

·         To attack, you roll 2d10 to see if you hit. If you do hit the enemy, you roll your damage, and the target’s armor will either stop the damage entirely—or absorb a percentage of the damage.

·         Cumulative damage will eventually take you out of the fight, but so too can taking a large percentage of your health in one hit. The system is pretty deadly, so it is better not to get hit, or at the very least, don’t fight fair. But do wear armor, just in case.

·         In addition to your health pool, you have a stamina pool. This is especially important for spellcasters but also applies to all characters. Stamina is reduced by injuries, hostile spells, or by using certain Talents or your own magic.

Awareness

Before combat begins, characters use the Perception skill to become Aware of potential threats. Awareness is not just about seeing the enemy—it's about sensing danger, noticing subtle changes in the environment, or picking up on the telltale signs of an ambush. Awareness can determine the outcome of an encounter before the first blow is struck or a shot is fired, as those who are caught unaware will be at a severe disadvantage.

Perception skill use

For personal combat, Vigilance is used, but both Astral (Awareness) and Matrix (Scan) combat have separate Perception skills. If using drones or using a vehicle, use the Sensor skill instead. Sometimes, Insight can be used for Awareness in social settings, typically to ascertain a character's hostile intentions (or lack thereof).

Using Perception skills to detect hidden enemies or other dangers requires using Actions. Unlike many other kinds of activities, you can decide how much effort you put into Awareness. The listed TNs assume you’re using a Major action. If you use a Minor action, increase TN by +5. If you use Perception as a Free action, TN is +10. If, on the other hand, you use a Full action, decrease TN by -5.

Simply put, the more effort you put in, the easier it becomes. If you’re immobile and just observing (Full action), that’s going to be a lot easier than if you’re running for your life and not paying attention to your surroundings (Free action).

Awareness Levels

There are three levels of awareness:

·         Fully Aware: Characters who achieve a Solid or Perfect success on their Perception check are fully aware of all threats. This means they can detect even hidden or camouflaged enemies, allowing them to react and strategize effectively.

·         Partially Aware: Characters who marginally succeed (or marginally fail) are aware of some threats but not all. They can act, but only against those enemies they have detected. This partial awareness can lead to dangerous surprises if key threats are overlooked.

·         Unaware (Surprised): Characters who get a Significant or Complete failure in their Perception check are caught off guard. They cannot act during the first round of combat and are vulnerable, unable to take Reactions until they have had a chance to regain their bearings.

It’s possible to suspect that something or someone is nearby or hidden, yet be entirely Unaware. In such a case, you’re probably spending a lot of effort on Perception checks, and eventually (or should we say hopefully?) your Awareness level will increase. But until that happens, it doesn’t really help that you're concerned or jumpy—you’re still going to be surprised when the trap finally springs.

Awareness Difficulty

The Target Number (TN) of the Awareness check varies depending on the situation.

The default difficulty is Moderate. It assumes an enemy moving tactically between cover, taking care to remain hidden, but not staying immobile or using extensive camouflage.

A careless or loud enemy, or a larger group trying to engage a small squad, would be Easy. A concealed enemy attacking from cover would be Difficult, while a hidden sniper attacking at extreme range is Near Impossible to detect.

Stealth and Awareness

Characters actively using Stealth can increase the TN of the Awareness check against them. This can be further modified by environmental factors (darkness, noise, cover) and the Degree of Success on their Stealth roll.

Maintaining Awareness

Combat can be extremely chaotic, and keeping track of every combatant or potential threat is practically impossible. You will continue to be aware of your immediate surroundings and the situation in front of you, but you’re not somehow omniscient just because combat has started.

Rechecking Awareness is warranted only if the situation changes materially, such as when characters lose track of the enemy or new opponents appear. You will not, however, magically become unaware of an opponent you're already aware of.

You must spend actions to keep track of things. The TN will depend on how much effort you put in (i.e., the type of action you choose), same as for the initial Perception skill checks.

For example, if the fight is between two dudes facing each other in an alley, you probably won’t need to check at all. Unless someone is sneaking up on you from behind, in which case you’ll probably be caught unawares, since you only spend a Free action (with the +10 increase in TN as a result).

For more complex and fluid combats, you might actually want to take time to do some proper Perception checks every so often, maybe not on every turn, but maybe every other or every third turn. You don’t have to do this; you can rely on those Free actions, but investing a bit more effort could save you a lot of grief in the long run.

Initiative

Once Awareness is determined, characters roll for Initiative to establish the order of actions.

Initiative is determined as follows:

Xd6 + AG + CU + modifiers, where X = 1 (unless you have Talents, gear, or other sources of additional dice).

Identical Initiative: In the event of a tie, the character with the highest Agility (AG) goes first. If equal, compare then Cunning (CU). If still tied, use a d10 to determine who goes first.

Changes to Initiative: Initiative order remains constant for the duration of the fight unless an Action (specifically Refocus), Talent, condition (such as an injury), or other factor changes it.

The most common cause of changes to Initiative is a reduction due to an injury.

Edge and Initiative: You can spend 1 Edge at the start of the round (that’s before anyone goes that round) to give yourself +2d6 Initiative. This boost only lasts for 1 round, so basically for your next turn only. Probably best used on the first round of combat, but you’re free to use this option any time you choose.

Delaying: The system does not allow delaying. Combat is too fast-paced and chaotic for a character to simultaneously plan their turn-based approximation of what is happening. However, the system allows for Overwatch, Interception, Snap Snots, Counterspells, and more. If you want to wait and see what happens, rely on these mechanics—or use your turn to move somewhere advantageous and use Perception to get an even better overview of what is happening. And then you strike on the next turn.

Initiative effects on the action economy

Characters with very high Initiative move and act so quickly that they get bonus actions, as shown here. In some cases, a character might lose their Minor action due to low Initiative, for example, through injuries or debilitating effects.

·         Slow 0-9: No Minor action.

·         Normal 10-19: No change (so the normal Major/Move/Minor actions).

·         Fast 20-29: Bonus Minor action each turn.

·         Lightning 30-39: Bonus Major action each turn (yes, this means you can attack twice).

·         Superhuman 40-49: Second bonus Minor action each turn.

·         Supernatural 50+: Second bonus Major action each turn.

Getting 30+ Initiative is only really possible for higher-tier characters (unless using Edge to boost Initiative). You also have the option to downgrade an action each round (see below), so that extra Move action could become an extra Minor action, for example.

Actions

Combat is broken down into rounds, with each character getting a set of actions (1 Major, 1 Move, 1 Minor) to spend when it is their turn to act (as determined by Initiative). In addition, once per round, a character can make 1 Reaction outside their turn (some Talents and Edge use allow for additional Reactions).

Turn-based action

From a game-mechanics standpoint, all actions (except Reactions) are executed within a turn-based framework, so characters aren’t continuously moving and doing things throughout the round. This is, of course, not what’s happening in the game world. The characters do not live in a turn-based reality! The turn-based approach is just a means to an end, simplifying and streamlining combat so it doesn’t take too much time or get too complex.

To this end, the combat has rules for stuff like Attacks of Opportunity (hitting someone doing stupid stuff, like casting a spell, within reach of your weapon), Overwatch (waiting for the opportunity to attack with a ranged weapon), Snapshots (a reactionary shot at something moving at close range), and Interceptions (moving to block the movement of an opponent). But these rules are also a means to an end: to make the turn-based gameplay feel less turn-based by adding reactivity!

If the GM and the players keep this in mind—the world isn't turn-based, but the rules are—then combat will flow much better, and resolving corner cases or exceptions should become intuitive and straightforward.

The Three Ms

The three Ms are:

·         1 Major Action: The primary action of the turn, used for attacks, casting spells, or using special abilities.

·         1 Move Action: Maneuver around the battlefield, draw or ready weapons, or take tactical positioning.

·         1 Minor Action: Perform quick, supplementary actions like activating talents or using a piece of gear.

Swapping actions: Action types are not universally interchangeable, but once per turn, you can downgrade one action.

For example, you can turn your Major action into a second Move action or Minor action or change your Move action into a second Minor action.

Other action types

Here are some action types that don’t fit into the three Ms:

·         Free Actions: Simple actions that can be performed at any time without consuming the character's primary actions, such as shouting a warning, dropping an item, or making a quick observation.

·         Full Actions: These require the character's full attention. Requires 1 Major +1 Move +1 Minor action. Typically used for complex tasks that require your undivided attention. One common example is Sprinting, which lets you move very quickly at the expense of everything else.

·         Extended Actions: These are Full actions that require more than one turn to complete. They often involve complex tasks such as setting up equipment, hacking into a secure system, or casting high-level ritual spells.

Reactions

Each character can perform one Reaction per round outside their normal turn.

Reactions are crucial for defensive actions and countering enemy moves. Some talents grant additional Reactions or allow you to use your Reactions for non-standard activities. Using Edge can also give you additional Reactions.

Extended actions and Reactions: If you’re performing an Extended action, check with your GM to see whether taking a reaction will interrupt your task and cause you to fail or have to start over.

Action descriptions

This section provides a more extensive list of various actions (sorted by type) and their effects. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but should cover most situations.

Major actions

Major actions cover stuff that requires major effort and concentration (hence the name) but can still be accomplished within the span of a few seconds and combined with some movement and a minor activity.

·         Make an attack: Make an attack with a weapon or unarmed strike.

·         Overwatch: Instead of attacking, you gain the opportunity to make a normal ranged attack later in the round as a Reaction (so this uses both your Major action to set up and your Reaction to trigger).

o    This is separate from the Snapshot Reaction, which is only at Short range and with Disadvantage.

o    If you have 2 or more major actions available, you should definitely attack first, then go into Overwatch; otherwise you’ll immediately break your Overwatch status.

·         Cast a spell/use a psychic power: Cast a spell with a casting time of 1 Major action.

·         Disengage: Get out of melee without provoking an Attack of Opportunity.

o    This is pretty much worthless unless you subsequently use your Move action to move further away.

o    You can move out of melee without disengaging (if you want to attack or double move, for example), but this then triggers an AoO.

·         Active Perception (Major): Use your action to actively scan your surroundings.

o    This is criminally underrated. This is what you should be doing all the time if you have nothing else to use your Major action on.

o    You can also do Perception as a Minor action, but the TN will be higher.

o    Passive Perception in the form of Free actions is a thing, but it usually only works for quite obvious stuff, as the TN is much higher.

·         Ready weapon or equipment: Draw a weapon, replace a magazine, or ready a piece of gear. Yes, these activities are Major actions, although some Talents make them Minor actions instead.

·         Use a Skill: Driving a motorcycle, bypassing a security system, operating a drone, or charming the hot model at the bar.

·         Assist: Assist another character, such as helping them push over something (Lone Star is not amused and arrests you both) or doing the wingman thing to help them score with the hot elf behind the bar (turns out she’s a he and an elf poser, but that’s another story altogether).

Move actions

Move actions involve movement in some shape or form. Since movement is (unless you're using battle maps) abstracted, the Move action is often no more complex than saying something like "move closer," "move away," “get up,” “jump out of the moving car,” “do a flip over the barrier,” "close the door," etc.

If you are engaged in melee combat, you are assumed to be moving around as much as your fighting formation (if any) allows. This counts as using a Move action. If you’re unable to spend a Move action (if you’re somehow immobilized, for example), you get Disadvantage on your attack, while enemies attacking you get Advantage.

·         Cast a Spell: Cast a spell with a casting time of 1 Move action.

·         Evade: Evasive movement adds +5 to the TN of ranged attacks against you as you dodge and weave from cover to cover. It must be combined with a second Move action to have any effect.

·         Fire Around Cover: This move-equivalent action lets you shoot from cover—and still enjoy some of the benefits of said cover—basically by sticking your head (and arms) out, shooting, and then ducking back down.

·         Get Up: Stand up from prone.

·         Mount/Dismount: Get onto or off of a mount or vehicle.

·         Move Around: Walk, run, swim, fly, or climb up to your speed.

o    To move faster, exchange your Major action for an additional Move action.

o    You can also use the Sprint Full action to move up to three times your speed in a straight line.

Tip: If you need to move further, convert a Major action into a Move action. That way, you can move twice as far, or stand up from prone and move, or run over to a low wall and vault over it, etc. The Dash Full action is a variant of this that lets you run all out at the exclusion of all other activities.

Minor actions

Minor actions aren’t as involved as major actions but still require a bit of time and effort, so you can’t do an infinite number of them each turn. In fact, you can do only one (Initiative, as well as Talents and Gear can give additional Minor actions, or turn Major actions into Minor actions).

By far, the most common uses of minor actions are combat options and talent use.

·         Active Perception (Minor): Keep an eye on your surroundings. TN is at +5 or more compared to Major action Perception.

·         Drop Prone: Fall flat or get into nearby cover (such as after ending movement next to cover).

·         Cast a Spell: Cast a spell with a casting time of 1 Minor action, such as Flare.

·         Recover Item: Retrieve a small item from your person, like a potion from a belt pouch or a grenade hanging from your combat harness.

o    You still need to take a Major action to do something useful with the item.

·         Take a Step: Not enough movement to be a Move action, just a little 5-foot step or similar.

·         Use a Combat Option: Use a default combat option that costs 1 minor action.

·         Use a Talent: Activate a Talent requiring 1 Minor action.

Free actions

Anything that doesn’t take any time or effort is a Free action. This could be anything from shouting a warning to making a silent hand gesture to dropping something you’re holding. There is no limit to the number of Free actions you can make within reason. No shouting a warning repeatedly to make a conversation, for example.

·         Drop Item: Drop something you’re holding. Not a “toss aside” or similar, just letting it drop.

·         Passive Perception: Same as active perception, but the TN is at least +10 higher, so this is only for the basic, almost obvious stuff.

·         Shout: Shout a brief warning or similar.

Full actions

An activity to occupy you to the exclusion of all else. Requires 1 Major + 1 Move +1 Minor action, so unless your Initiative is very high, you can do nothing else during that turn.

·         Refocus: You spend your turn refocusing. Reroll your Initiative and use that score on subsequent turns.

·         Sprint: Triple your movement for the round as you do nothing but run (or fly or swim or whatever) as fast as you can.

Extended actions

Some actions are so complex that they require multiple Full actions, meaning you’ll have to spend several rounds of Full actions to complete them. Some Extended actions require consecutive action, but some might allow you to do other stuff in between.

·         Chant: Deranged cultists chanting in unison to bring forth Cthuluh from the deep.

·         Hack: A decker desperately trying to get the security doors under his control so the team can get the hell out of the facility.

Reaction

·         Attack of Opportunity: Make a melee attack against an enemy leaving your reach.

·         Cast a Spell: Cast a spell with a casting time of 1 Reaction.

·         Counterspell: Attempt to interrupt and negate a spell being cast by another.

·         Intercept: Enter melee with a character trying to move past you. The intercepted target can either choose to stop moving and attack you instead, or focus on the original target, in which case you get a free melee attack with Disadvantage, and then the attacker resolves his attack with Disadvantage.

·         Snapshot: Fire your weapon at a target within Short range. This attack has Disadvantage despite the range being Short.

·         Trigger Overwatch: Execute an action you prepared earlier in the round.

·         Use a Talent: Activate a reaction-based Talent.

Movement

Movement during combat is abstracted to prioritize storytelling and decision-making over exact measurements. This approach focuses on the action, allowing for more fluid, dynamic combat scenarios without requiring a large grid map, miniatures, or detailed rules for positioning, cover, and more. It also makes combat much faster, taking way less time to resolve than more position-focused game systems.

There are some drawbacks to this method. The chief of which is a potential lack of detail: If the GM can’t effectively and accurately communicate the area's layout, the number, and position of the enemies, and generally establish what is happening, players can quickly become “lost” or pacified. A player who can’t tell what’s happening can’t be expected to use their character’s abilities in an impactful and fun manner.

Combat maps: A simple map outlining the major features of the battlefield can be used to visualize combat, with tokens or miniatures representing relative positions. Exact positioning remains flexible, allowing players to focus on tactical decisions rather than micromanaging placement.

Combat ranges can be simplified into these broad range categories:

•         Close Range: Within a few meters—ideal for melee combat and short-range firearms.

•         Short Range: A reasonable distance, such as across a room or a small alley. Firearms will dominate, but melee characters can use movement to reach the shooters.

•         Medium Range: Up to the effective range of rifles or spells, like across a large open area. Melee combatants and characters with only short-range weapons, such as pistols, are at a significant disadvantage.

•         Long Range: Anything beyond a few hundred meters.

•         Extreme Range: Up to the maximum range of heavy weapons.

Collaborative Storytelling: Using the flexible positioning paradigm, players and the GM work together to determine the positions of combatants based on the narrative and logical placement. This requires a shared understanding and trust, as exact distances are not strictly measured.

This also gives players room to shape the combat narrative. While the GM always has the final say, players should be encouraged to engage with the flexibility of the movement system to create interesting situations and opportunities.

Conversely, suppose players fail to use their Move actions in credible or creative ways. In that case, the GM is free to penalize that character. Characters who remain stationary are easy targets for concentrated fire or flanking attacks. Use cover and movement to avoid being pinned down.

Using detailed maps: That said, if you want to use a map and miniatures/tokens, there is nothing wrong with that. A scale of 2 meters per hex or square is appropriate for close-quarters fighting. The advantage of using such maps is obvious to anyone who has played any sort of tactical game: positioning becomes much more important, opening up new tactics and turning combat into a game in itself.

Just be aware that even a mid-sized fight between a team of four players and an opposing force could take half the session to resolve. If that’s what you want, great. If you want to focus on the exploration and role-playing aspects of the game, detailed combat is probably not time well spent.

Attacks

There are two types of attack, melee and ranged. Melee attacks require you to get into melee range and try to hit your opponent. Ranged combat requires a ranged weapon and a target within range.

All attacks are treated as Success Checks.

The attacker rolls 2d10 and uses the appropriate skill to meet or exceed a Target Number (TN).

Advantage and Disadvantage frequently come into play.

·         Melee

o    TN 10 for a target that isn’t resisting. Not quite an automatic hit, but pretty close.

o    TN 20 for a target that is defending.

·         Ranged

o    TN 10 for a target just standing in the open. Not quite an automatic hit, but pretty close.

o    TN 20 for a target at combat range that’s trying not to get shot.

If the defender is aware and resisting, use their Defense attributes instead (see below) if it is higher. Melee attacks can be defended against by either Dodge or Parry (whichever is higher), but Dodge is the only defense against ranged attacks.

If you hit, roll variable damage of Xd6+Y and compare it to the target’s PT. If higher than PT, reduce by DR, and whatever is left does damage. Damage is compared to the target’s Health, and if high enough will injure or even kill the target.

Disadvantage and game effects:

There are numerous game options, such as talents or attack options, that allow you to do something special by accepting Disadvantage. You cannot pick such an option if you already have a source of Disadvantage. You’re already too disadvantaged to attempt something even more complex.

If you have one or more sources of Advantage, however, you may ignore one source of Disadvantage for every Advantage. This is an exception to the normal rule that Advantage/Disadvantage don’t cancel out on a one-to-one basis, and is checked only with regard to seeing if you’re allowed to pick a combat option or not.

Melee attacks

Melee combat is an integral part of the combat system. While it might seem strange that a man armed with a sword can survive a gunfight, that doesn't take into account the many extraordinary abilities and equipment melee combatants can bring to a fight.

How common melee combat is will depend on the setting. Shadowrun, for example, is designed to allow certain character archetypes to fight effectively in melee. Astartes are also more than capable of surviving into melee range and wreaking havoc. In a hard sci/fi setting like 2230AD, this is much less relevant.

·         How to: First, use a Move action to get within Reach (usually 2 meters unless you’re a Large character or wielding a Reach weapon) of the target. You obviously can't make a melee attack if you can't reach the target.

·         Reach: If you have longer Reach than your opponent, you get Advantage on attacks, and your enemy gains Disadvantage on his.

o    Reach weapons: Some weapons and talents can give you improved Reach.

o    Size: Trolls have a natural Reach advantage (so consider bringing a spear if you plan to fight lots of trolls).

·         Skill Usage: Brawl for unarmed; one of two Melee skills (Brawn or Finesse) for melee weapons.

·         Base Target Number:

o    Not resisting/unaware: TN 10. You’ll probably hit, but you need to roll to see whether you get a Solid or Perfect hit, which gives you more damage dice.

o    Defending: TN 20 or defender’s Parry or Dodge (defender’s choice).

·         Modifiers:

o    Advantage: If the defender uses Parry defense but has no suitable weapon to parry with, the attacker gains Advantage (should probably use Dodge unless Dodge is much lower).

o    Defenseless: If the defender, for some reason, can't defend, you attack against TN 10, which is close to an automatic hit, but make the roll since you get bonus damage for high MoS.

o    Outnumbered: The outnumbered side has Disadvantage on all attacks, while the outnumbering side has Advantage on all checks.

Melee attack options

Want to do something other than attack your opponent? This can typically be resolved by spending 1 Major action and 1 Minor action, having GM assign a TN (or declare it an opposed check), and making the check. Some Talents either improve your ability to perform certain attack options or give you access to additional options.

If you have multiple attacks in one round, you could use multiple attack options on a single attack.

·         Aim for Opening (1 Major, 1 Minor): You aim carefully for a weakness in the defender’s armor. This is way more difficult than just aiming for whatever part of the enemy is exposed. But if you have ways to eliminate that Disadvantage, it can be an excellent option.

o    Reduce PT by 5, but the attack has Disadvantage, and the defender gains Advantage on his next attack against you.

·         Charge (1 Full action): Charge is a somewhat reckless form of attack where you charge forward and try to overwhelm your opponent. A more cautious approach would be to Move and then Attack, which also doesn’t use your Minor action or give your enemy an advantage.

o    You can only Charge if you’re not already engaged in melee combat.

o    You must move at least 6 m in a direct line and then make your attack.

o    You gain Advantage on your attack, but all attacks against you until your next turn have Advantage.

·         Disarm (1 Major, 1 Minor): Disarm is rather tricky to pull off and not always that effective. It’s easier to disable the defender through damage. But sometimes, disarming an opponent is the way to go.

o    If you hit them, their weapon is out of position, and they need a Minor action to correct their grip. Until they do, they count as unarmed.

o    A Solid hit (+5 MoS) will make them actually drop their weapon. It requires a Major action to pick up a dropped item.

o    A Perfect hit (+10 MoS) will send the weapon flying a short distance. A Move and a Major action will be required to pick it up. In the meantime, they are unarmed and might provoke an attack of opportunity. Or they could pull out another weapon instead.

·         Flurry (1 Major, 1 Minor): You try to overwhelm your target(s) with a quick succession of light attacks.

o    Gain 1 additional attack (either against the same target or two different targets within reach), but both attacks have Disadvantage, and you do -1d6 damage.

·         Grapple (1 Major, 1 Minor): Grappling an armed opponent who doesn’t want to play at Judo is kind of tricky, but sometimes you want this anyway. They will have to counter-grapple (using this action) or break free (Major action).

o    If you hit them, you’ve grabbed your opponent, and they can no longer use Move actions to reposition.

o    A Solid hit (+5 MoS) gives your opponent Disadvantage to counter-grapple or break free, and you gain Advantage on subsequent grapple checks.

o    A Perfect hit (+10 MoS) lets you throw your opponent to the ground (prone). You may then either remain standing (grapple ends) or follow through and become prone yourself but maintain the grapple.

·         Smash (1 Major, 1 Minor): You sacrifice accuracy for power, simple as that.

o    Do +1d6 damage, but the attack has Disadvantage.

Ranged attacks

Ranged attacks assume a defender that is aware, moving, and using cover for effect—and an attacker that's in a stressful situation, wary of counterattacks and their own vulnerabilities.

TN 20 represents a shot under normal battlefield conditions within the weapon’s effective range (which can be as little as 10 meters or as long as 200 meters or more). This differs significantly from shooting at a stationary target TN 10, where the question is less “Did you hit?” and more “How close to a ‘perfect 10’ did you get?” Put another way, TN 20 is for shooting at bad guys, and TN 10 is for shooting beer cans with your mates.

·         How to: You need a weapon with enough range to hit the target. Otherwise, you need to swap weapons or move closer.

·         Skill Usage: Appropriate weapon skill.

·         Base Target Number:

o    Target practice: TN 10

o    Combat situation: TN 20 or Dodge defense (if higher).

·         TN Modifiers:

o    Cover: Better cover raises TN by 5 or more. See the Armor and Cover section for details.

o    Evasion: If the defender is Evading (a type of Move action), increase the TN by 5.

o    Range/Speed: Longer distances and faster targets increase TN by 5 to 20. The total effect of the combination of speed and range is in question here, so moving fast at extreme ranges will not affect the total modifier as much as moving fast at shorter ranges (but it will still be a factor).

o    Size: Very small or very large targets will affect the TN.

·         Dodge defense: If Dodge is higher than the modified TN, use Dodge instead.

o    Dodge defense is not affected by TN modifiers, meaning it’s vastly more important if you’re fighting at close quarters and out of cover. If you’re a sniper hiding on a rooftop 500 meters away, it's much less vital.

o    Typical civilians will typically have Dodge 20 (14+3+3), the same as the base for range, so there is no difference. However, a wired Street Samurai or Physical Adept will likely have a much higher Dodge (even more than 30 for higher-tier opponents). Such characters can also probably move twice and attack during the same turn, so if you start out close, you might get off one Snapshot before they are on top of you!

Fire modes

Ranged weapons have four fire modes: Single, Semi-auto, Burst, and Auto.

When making a ranged attack, unless you specify a mode, it defaults to Single Attack, unless the weapon doesn’t support this mode (there are some automatic-only weapons).

·         Single Shot (SS): Some weapons can only fire a single shot per action.

·         Semi-auto (SA): A single attack doesn't necessarily mean a single shot; it could be several shots fired from a semi-automatic pistol or multiple arrows fired from a bow. Expends 3 units of ammo.

·         Burst Fire (BF): Burst fire is a controlled burst at a single target using an automatic weapon. You may choose to either gain Advantage on the attack or do an extra +1d6 damage (if you already have Advantage, you should always pick extra damage). Expends 5 units of ammunition.

·         Auto Fire (AF): Sustained burst, either against a single target or against several (nearby) targets. Requires a Major and Minor action. Expends 10 units of ammo for each affected target.

o    Single target: Same as burst fire, but the damage bonus is +2d6.

o    Multiple targets: You can attack multiple targets in the same general vicinity. Each attack has Disadvantage. Damage is unaffected.

Special weapons, such as hand grenades, missile launchers, and so forth, are single-attack weapons but with special rules for what happens if you hit or miss.

Ranged attack options

·         Aimed Shot (1 Major, 1 Minor): You aim carefully. This is way more difficult than just aiming for the center of mass and letting the bullets do the talking. But if you have ways to eliminate that Disadvantage, it can be an excellent option.

o    Works with SA and BF modes only.

o    Do +1d6 damage, but the attack has Disadvantage.

·         Crossfire (1 Major, 1 Minor): If at least one ally has already attacked the same target this round, you can declare Crossfire with the GM’s permission (primarily reliant on relative positioning and the tactical situation).

o    Reduce the TN of the attack by 3.

o    Reduce it by 5 instead if multiple allies (2 or more) have fired at the same target, and GM declares the target is particularly exposed.

·         Suppressive Fire (Full action): You’re not shooting at an actual target but spraying as much lead downrange as possible to suppress the enemy.

o    Works with any firing mode, but SA is much less effective, and AF is the most effective.

o    Uses an entire clip or load of ammo.

o    You roll the attack vs. the enemy’s Discipline defense, and they do not get any bonus for cover.

o    If you “hit,” they are Pinned (see below) until your next action unless they have some way to break the pin.

·         Trick Shot (1 Major, 1 Minor): Use your ranged weapon to do something other than attacking a target, such as hitting a small object for effect, knocking the detonator out of the villain's hand, that sort of stuff. Basically, this is an Aimed shot, only harder.

o    The GM sets an appropriately high TN, and you have Disadvantage.

Defense

If your Dodge defense is high, you will likely use that score to set the TN for enemy ranged and melee attacks instead of the default TN. The same applies to Parry, except it only applies to melee attacks.

·         Dodge: 14 + AG (Agility) + CU (Cunning).

·         Parry: 11 + (Brawl or Melee skill).

Your other defenses will also come up during play, but not as often as Dodge and Parry. Will helps resist fear and pinning, and Grit lets you avoid some adverse conditions. Poise is more of a social defense and doesn’t come up quite as often in combat.

·         Grit: 14 + ST (Strength) + VI (Vitality).

·         Poise: 14 + CU (Cunning) + PR (Presence).

·         Will: 14 + RE (Resolve) + PR (Presence).

Active defense

Active defense using Dodge and Parry is the exception rather than the rule, in part to keep the number of dice rolls down, but primarily because the Advantage/Disadvantage mechanic and most talents and other factors assume that the attacker is the active party and is rolling the dice.

Theoretically, you could have the attacker roll to attack, and then the defender roll to defend. This would, however, double the number of dice rolls (and probably more than double the time taken), introduce another layer of randomness, and require a rewrite of all game effects.

So active defenses are usually reserved for “saving throw” type cases, where the player rolls to avoid a harmful effect. One such example is poison, where the player rolls Resilience against a set TN, and on a success, they suffer only a lesser effect. Some spells and psychic powers also work in this manner.

Damage mitigation

Armor provides protection through Penetration Threshold (PT) and Damage Reduction (DR):

·         Damage less than PT is completely negated.

·         Damage equal to or greater than PT is reduced by DR as a percentage.

Here are some sample armor values:

·         Sample Light Armor: PT 15 / DR 20%. An armored vest or a full-body ballistic garment.

·         Sample Medium Armor: PT 25 / DR 40%. Typical body armor worn by soldiers, usually a helmet and chest plate worn over a flexible full-body suit.

·         Sample Heavy Armor: PT 35 / DR 60%. Full-body hardened armor.

These are just examples; individual armor models can have differing values. You will find details in the Equipment chapter.

Layering armor

Layering armor is possible, but not particularly effective—it’s much more effective just to wear better (heavier) armor. But in some cases, that might not be possible.

Layering armor rules:

·         Use the highest PT of all armors worn.

o    Additional armor does not affect PT.

·         Use the highest DR of all armors worn.

o    Then, half the DR of the secondary armor will be added.

·         Armor never provides DR higher than 80%. This applies to layering as well.

·         You are normally limited to two layers of armor, but the GM might allow a third layer if it makes thematic sense. For example, a Physical Adept wearing an armored coat might be allowed to combine it with Eldritch Armor and Hardened Flesh from his Awakened Legacy.

Examples:

·         Wearing a light armor coat (PT15/DR20) over Eldricht Armor I (PR15/DR20) is PR15/DR30.

·         Combining that same armor coat with medium combat armor (PT25/DR40) results in PT25/DR50.

Armor Penetration

Some weapons reduce PT and/or DR.

·         Reducing PT makes it easier to penetrate and do any damage.

·         A reduction in DR will reduce armor effectiveness if penetrated.

Regular firearms don’t have armor penetration. It’s baked into their base stats. More powerful guns do more damage to begin with and therefore penetrate armor more easily. A 7.62 mm assault rifle going full auto is far more likely to breach and do damage than a 9 mm pistol, for example.

The same goes for ammunition. You’re already assumed to be firing high-tech armor-piercing rounds, not 18^th-century lead balls. That said, there is specialized, often expensive ammo that provides special effects such as PT/DR reduction or even more damage.

Damage types

The combat rules default to Physical damage. Other damage types interact with armor in the following ways:

·         Stun damage: Increase PT by 5 and DR by 20.

·         Energy damage: Reduce PT by 10 and DR by 20.

When you suffer Stun damage, you must track this separately from Physical/Energy damage. It counts against the target’s total health but isn’t as lethal as the other damage types and heals much quicker.

Stun damage is not the same as Fatigue. It’s still damage, not exhaustion, just damage that’s not as lethal as being shot or stabbed. The target will be bruised and battered but won’t (in most cases) die of stun-related injuries.

Cover

You can either shoot through the cover or try to bypass it (hit a part of the defender that's exposed).

Bypassing cover

·         Partial Cover: +5 to attack roll TN (makes targeting difficult due to limited exposure).

·         Full Cover: +10 to attack roll TN (only small areas like hands or head exposed).

Shooting through cover is really only viable if the cover is flimsy or you're packing some serious firepower.

Sample cover values:

·         Flimsy: PT 5/DR 20

·         Light: PT 10/DR 20

·         Medium: PT 20/DR 40

·         Tough: PT 30/DR 60

·         Reinforced: PT 40/DR 80

·         Impenetrable: PT 60/DR 100

Called shots

Hit locations and armor coverage are abstracted, so most of the time, called shots aren’t a factor. Only if the GM explicitly declares that the target has a weakness or vulnerability (such as not wearing a helmet while wearing body armor, or a magical beast having a chink in its armor) can a Called Shot be made. Mechanically, the called shot rule is effectively an extension of the bypassing cover rule.

Called Shots (both melee and ranged) require 1 Major and 1 Minor action to attempt.

·         Weakness: +5 to +10 to TN, ignore 5 PT and 20 DR.

·         Vulnerability: +15 to +20 to TN, ignore 10 PT and 40 DR.

Example: An enemy combatant in Heavy Armor PT 35/DR 60 is caught without his helmet visor disabled. The GM informs the players of this and tells them they can aim for the opening to get -10 PT/-40 DR if they accept a +15 to their TN.

Resistances and Vulnerabilities

Some targets have Resistance and/or Vulnerability.

Resistance and vulnerabilities are expressed as increases (or reductions) in PT/DR against specific forms of attack.

Examples:

·         Spirits of Flame have a fixed DR of 100 against fire damage.

·         The Black Wendigos of the Mnt. Rainier Hot Zone enjoy PT20/DR 60 against all non-magical forms of attack. They also heal extremely quickly, but that’s another topic.

Damage and Injury

Combat is supposed to be somewhat heroic or cinematic until you get hit. Then it becomes potentially lethal. Plenty of things can kill you outright or take you out of the fight. The best way to avoid this is to not fight. The second best thing is to fight smart so you don’t get hit. Failing that, wearing armor is an excellent way to avoid dying.

There are two ways to get incapacitated or killed: either a single attack inflicts enough damage to take you out of the fight, or you're worn down by multiple attacks.

Example:

·         A typical civilian has 20 Health. Any single hit that causes 10+ damage will make them practically combat-ineffective, and 20 damage total will incapacitate them.

·         Basic melee (for example, a sword) and ranged weapons (for example, a pistol) deal about the same amount of damage. So, let’s assume an attack with a sword or light pistol does 3d6+1 damage. That is, on average, 11.5 damage, with a floor of 4 and a ceiling of 19. Most rolls will be in the 8-14 range.

·         A single hit can cause serious injury, and two to three shots are practically guaranteed to take down the person through cumulative injuries, even if rolls are slightly below average.

Combatants should always strive to wear some form of armor (or avoid being in a position to be attacked, such as decking or rigging from afar). Chances are, if a fight breaks out, the enemy is packing a lot more than semi-automatic pistols! Without armor, you'll likely get taken out quickly if you're hit. With armor, you're still likely to take some damage from powerful weapons, but you won't immediately go down and will largely be immune to minor attacks.

It is, of course, better not to get hit in the first place, which is why you'd rather avoid fighting at all, or if you are going to fight, do it from a position of strength. And cover. Use cover whenever you can. Even melee fighters can benefit from cover, staying protected until they have an opportunity to strike. If you can survive any overwatch fire, you're now in melee, making it very hard for enemy shooters to fire at you without hitting their ally.

Damage modifiers

Solid and Perfect hits can boost damage considerably. The more skilled you are at combat, the higher your chance of beating the TN by a large margin and getting that extra damage.

·         Solid Hit (+1d6): If the Margin of Success is +5.

·         Perfect Hit (+2d6): If the Margin of Success is +10.

Example: You fire your heavy pistol at a target, and between your skill and luck (your dice roll), you get MoS +11. Your base damage of 4d6+2 becomes a respectable 6d6+2. Even an average roll is sufficient to put down most targets, or even outright kill them.

Automatic weapons are commonplace in any high-tech setting. Volume of fire means you’re more likely to hit something and hit it more than once. The combined effect of this is simulated by extra damage dice. The only real downside is ammo consumption (and the risk of collateral).

·         Burst Fire/Auto Fire (+1d6): For weapons fired in BF or AF mode vs multiple targets.

·         Auto Fire (+2d6): For weapons fired in AF mode vs a single target.

Example: Your machine pistol does a modest 3d6+1 damage but can fire both Burst and Full Auto, doing +1d6/+2d6, respectively. And this stacks with Solid/Perfect hits. The Fire Modes and Attack Options sections and the Equipment chapter discuss automatic fire and ammunition.

Another very common damage modifier for ranged attacks is the Aimed Shot option.

·         Aimed Shot (+1d6): If you used the Aimed Shot attack option.

Damage modifiers are added together, so if you fired an Aimed Shot BF from your machine pistol and get a Perfect Hit, you’d do +1d6+1d6+2d6=4d6 extra damage, turning your modest 3d6+1 damage onto a massive 7d6+1, which is likely to do lethal damage to an unarmored civilian and even injure someone in armor.

Injury Thresholds

The damage of each hit, be it a single shot or burst, is compared to your Injury Thresholds, which are derived from your total Health.

·         If Fatigue causes your Stamina to drop below specific threshold values, additional effects will occur. See below for details.

·         Initiative cannot fall below 0.

Injury Threshold descriptions:

·         Light injury (Less than 25% HLT): It’s a grazing hit, painful, but not consequential.

o    Suffer 3 Fatigue.

o    Temporarily reduce Initiative by 1d6 on your next turn.

o    You have Disadvantage on your actions next turn.

·         Moderate Injury (≥ 25% HLT): Solid hit that causes considerable trauma and pain. You're not out of the fight yet, but one more hit, and you're probably done for.

o    Suffer 5 Fatigue.

o    Temporarily reduce Initiative by 2d6 on your next turn.

o    You have Disadvantage on your actions for 1d6+1 rounds.

·         Serious Injury (≥ 50% HLT): You are seriously injured, barely able to keep going, and not really combat effective anymore.

o    Suffer 10 Fatigue.

o    Reduce Initiative (until end of combat) by 2d6 starting on your next turn.

o    You have Disadvantage on all your actions until you receive medical care.

o    You can only take 1 action (Major/Move/Minor) on your turn.

o    You cannot do Reactions.

o    Every round for 1d6+1 rounds, you suffer 1 additional damage applied directly to your total.

·         Critical Injury (≥ 75% HLT): You are critically injured. Better hope you have a DocWagon contract or a mage specializing in healing—or both!

o    Suffer 20 Fatigue.

o    Reduce Initiative to 0 until end of combat starting on your next turn. While you are Critically Injured, you cannot increase your Initiative above 0.

o    Drop prone.

o    If you are still conscious, you can take 1 Minor action on your turn.

o    You cannot do Reactions.

o    Every round, you suffer 1d6 additional damage applied directly to your total.

·         Lethal Injury (≥ 100% HLT): You have suffered a lethal injury and are dying.

o    Suffer 50 Fatigue.

o    You become Unconscious (you won’t be needing an Initiative score for some time, if ever).

o    Drop prone.

o    You expire in 1d6+1 rounds unless stabilized.

o    Even if stabilized, you require immediate extensive medical care, including trauma surgery, or you will die within 1d6+1 hours.

Stun damage: Stun damage is, by definition, less lethal than other damage.

·         Reduce the severity of the injury by one step.

o    Any hit reduced below Light does nothing.

·         The amount of damage suffered is not reduced, however. So the cumulative effect of Stun damage remains significant.

Injury Threshold example

·         Instead of the civilian from the previous example, let’s look at a physically powerful character (Health 30) wearing armor with PT25/DR60.

·         His Injury Threshold for Moderate is 15+, so it’s already pretty unlikely that he’ll get knocked out by a single pistol shot.

·         PT25 means I must do at least 25 damage to even hope to cause an injury. And DR 60 means 25 damage becomes 10 after penetration, which is only sufficient for a Moderate injury.

·         However, he still suffered 10 damage, so the cumulative effect will catch up with him pretty quickly, and after three such hits, he needs to lie down and rethink his tactics.

Cumulative damage

Even the toughest characters will go down after repeated injuries.

·         When damage ≥ HLT: You are incapacitated.

o    Suffer 20 Fatigue and reduce Initiative to 0.

o    Drop prone.

o    If you are still conscious, you can only take 1 Minor action on your turn.

o    You cannot do Reactions.

·         When damage ≥ 2xHLT: You are dying.

o    Suffer 50 Fatigue.

o    You become Unconscious (you won’t be needing an Initiative score for some time, if ever).

o    Drop prone.

o    You expire in 1d6+1 rounds unless stabilized.

o    Even if stabilized, you require immediate extensive medical care, including trauma surgery, or you will die within 1d6+1 hours.

Using Edge to stay in the fight

When you suffer an injury, you may spend 1 Edge to reduce its severity by 1 step.

·         If you reduce the severity below Light, you ignore that injury.

Edge has no effect on cumulative damage, either on its effects or on how much damage you suffer. It can only reduce the impact of individual hits.

Example: You can turn a Serious Injury into a Moderate Injury, which makes a massive difference in terms of your continued fighting capabilities.

Stamina and Fatigue

Stamina reflects a character’s endurance and ability to perform strenuous actions.

In addition to depleting from general strenuous activity, fatigue is caused by suffering injuries, using magic or technomancy, or employing special combat options, talents, or cyberware.

Fatigue

Stamina loss is called Fatigue and works much the same way as cumulative Damage:

·         Fatigued  ≥ 50% of Stamina: You are getting tired, but you can still fight. It’s time to take a break, though.

o    You lose 1 Major or 1 Move action each turn (your choice).

·         Exhausted ≥ 100% of Stamina: You’re completely exhausted. You need to lie down and just breathe.

o    Reduce your Initiative to 0.

o    You’re still conscious, but most immediately stop acting (you may immediately drop to kneeling or prone, or choose to remain standing).

o    You can only do 1 Minor action each turn, regardless of your remaining Initiative.

o    If you do nothing (except maybe some Free actions) for 1 minute (10 turns), you regain 1 Stamina until you are no longer exhausted.

·         Unconscious ≥ 200% of Stamina: You’re beyond exhausted.

o    You immediately collapse (drop prone). You’re unconscious, so you can’t take action, and initiative is no longer relevant.

o    You regain 1 point of Stamina for every 10 minutes that pass until you’re no longer Unconscious.

Resting

If you’re Exhausted or Unconscious, you automatically recover (at the specified rates) until you have 1 point of Stamina. Beyond that, you need to rest to recover. Or use stim patches or certain combat drugs, but that’s hardly a long-term viable strategy.

There are two kinds of resting:

Short Rests:

·         Max per Day: 2

·         Duration: Approximately 1 hour (something a little more than a quick breather).

·         Stamina Recovery: Recover 50% stamina.

If characters don’t have time for a 1-hour break, the GM can allow a shorter rest (10 minutes, for example), but this will only recover 25% of stamina and still use up a short rest for the day.

Long Rests:

·         Max per Day: 1

·         Duration: Approximately 8 hours (basically a whole night’s sleep).

·         Stamina Recovery: Recovers all stamina.

If conditions are less than ideal, or the rest is interrupted, the GM can still allow partial recovery, for instance, 50% for 4-5 hours or 8 hours in the wilderness without shelter.

Stim Patches

Stim patches can be hugely useful, but overuse is dangerous (and can lead to addiction).

·         A stim patch restores 1d6+Rating points of Stamina.

·         After 1d6x10 minutes, make a Grit check DC 20+Rating.

o    On a failure, you suffer 2d6+2xRating fatigue.

o    If successful, you will suffer half as much damage.

·         For each additional stim patch used during the intervening period, increase DC by 5 and add together the dice for each patch.

Healing

Unlike Stamina, which recovers very quickly, damage takes time to heal.

Exactly how long depends on:

·         The level of injury: Light, Moderate, Severe, Critical, or Lethal.

o    If you’re only Lightly or Moderately injured, you will fully recover given time.

o    If you are suffering from Severe, Critical, or Lethal injuries, you require medical attention to recover.

·         The type of damage: Lethal (physical or energy) or nonlethal (stun) damage.

o    Stun damage recovers much faster than lethal damage and will recover even if you’re Seriosuly injured or worse.

·         Level of care: No care (natural healing), medical care (you don’t need to stay in the hospital but need someone with medical skills to check on you), or intensive care (full hospitalization).

·         Activity level: Active, resting, or hospitalized.

o    The less you do, the faster you recover. Simple.

Other sources of healing:

·         First Aid: Provides quick recovery for minor injuries and stabilizes critical ones.

·         Magic Healing: Magic can restore lost Health (but never Stamina), but powerful healing spells are costly in terms of Burn. See the Magic and Spells chapter for details.

·         Medical Attention: Full recovery happens over days or weeks, depending on injury severity.

First aid

First aid can stabilize a person with serious injuries to prevent further damage or death and restore a small amount of Health.

·         First aid requires a medkit and a Medic success check.

o    If you don’t have a proper medkit, you can improvise, but the TN will be higher (+5 if you have some equipment, +10 if you have nothing but what you can improvise).

o    A complete trauma kit reduces the TN by 5 (10 for a portable auto-doc or equivalent, such as the gear employed by DocWagon).

·         Successful First Aid improves your Injury level by one step.

o    First Aid never restores lost Stamina.

o    First Aid does not restore lost Initiative, so the injured character may want to Refocus if the fight is still ongoing.

·         Once you’ve received first aid, you cannot benefit from first aid until you’re injured anew.

Effects of First Aid:

·         Light injuries (TN 15): Restores 1d6 Health (+1 for every 5 MoS, to a maximum of 1d6+3).

·         Moderate injuries (TN 20): Restores 1 Health (+1 for every 5 MoS, to a maximum of 3).

o    If applied quickly enough, it will also remove the timed Disadvantage.

·         Serious injuries (TN 25): You count as being Moderately injured, with no other effects.

·         Critical injuries (TN 30): You count as being Seriously injured.

o    You do not suffer additional damage, but your action economy is limited.

·         Lethal Injuries (TN 30): You count as being Critically injured.

o    You do not suffer additional damage, but your action economy is severely limited.

o    You still require intensive medical care, or you will die.

Trauma patches: These high-tech medical patches can be slapped on bare skin (1 Minor action if readied, 1 Major action if not) and will immediately perform emergency first aid with an effective Medic skill of +12.

Magic healing

Magic healing is spell-based, so you have to check individual spell descriptions for details.

Generally speaking, however, magic healing can accomplish the same as First Aid, but it can also significantly speed up natural healing and negate the need for medical attention.

Natural healing

If you’re only Lightly or Moderately injured, you will fully recover given time. If you are suffering from Severe, Critical, or Lethal injuries, you require medical attention to recover.

·         Light injuries: Recover 1 Health per day of recovery.

·         Moderate injuries: Recover 1 Health per week of recovery or 1 Health per day of medical attention.

·         Serious injuries: Recover 1 Health per day of medical attention.

·         Critical injuries: Recover 1 Health per week of medical attention. You’re hooked up to all sorts of machines and probably unconscious most of the time.

·         Lethal injuries: You can’t recover from this; either you got life-saving first aid and became “only” Critically Injured, or you died.

Medical attention

Health recovery from serious and critical injuries requires professional care or advanced medkits.

Stun damage

Stun damage recovers at an accelerated rate:

·         Recover Stun damage equal to your Vitality per day of recovery, regardless of your level of Injury. This is separate from the recovery from lethal damage.

Fear and Pinning

While adventurers are generally quite used to danger, they are not immune to basic metahuman psychology.

Fear: Fear in this context is a fear reaction strong enough to override the player’s control of their character. A good player will roleplay his character appropriately in dangerous situations, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. This is facing an elder dragon or astral horror-type fear, being subjected to intense virtual torture, or, more mundanely, the GM stepping in to override a player they feel isn’t roleplaying very well.

·         Exceptional circumstances may cause characters to make active Discipline defense checks to resist fear.

·         Some creatures, especially Awakened beasts, have special Fear-based attacks that target Discipline defense.

Pinning: Pinning is a subtype of fear. Adventurers may be brave, but they are not stupid—or they would already be dead. Consequently, they will—like everyone else—keep their heads down when taken under fire.

·         Sustained suppressive fire can pin down a character, reducing their ability to act.

o    Requires a Discipline defense check to overcome.

Other types of combat

Magic in Combat:

• Spells have specific casting times and effects. See the Magic chapter for detailed rules and the Spells chapter for spell descriptions.

Vehicles and Drones:

• Use the same basic mechanics but include specific rules for handling and damage. See the Rigging chapter for details.

Matrix Combat:

• Digital combat follows the same basic principles but targets specialized defenses and uses matrix skills. See the Matrix chapter for details.

 

Extended combat examples

Melee combat

Kicker, the troll Adept, is facing off against two corporate security goons. One is armed with a shotgun, the other with a riot shield and "stun" baton.

Kicker wins the initiative and thus gets to act first, but neither guard is surprised, so they will get to both act and react. Kicker rushes forward (Move action) to rip the head off the shotgun guard, but before he can strike, the man spends his Reaction to make a Snapshot against the incoming troll. He rolls well and hits, but Kicker's armor stops the blast. The other guard uses his Reaction to make an Intercept, but Kicker opts NOT to keep beelining for the shotgun man, so the guard with the baton doesn't get a free attack. He does, however, prevent Kicker from attacking his shotgun-armed companion.

Kicker now attacks the guard with the baton and shield (instead of the one with the shotgun as he intended). Unarmed attacks against an armed opponent normally have Disadvantage, but Kicker has the Killing Hands ability, so it counts as armed. He is also a troll, so he has an extended reach, thus gaining Advantage on the attack, but this is negated by the defender's shield, so it's back to the standard 2d10 for the attack. Undaunted, Kicker rolls the dice and gets double '8' for a total of 20+8+8+5=41, landing a Perfect hit for 4d6+2d6+10 damage (converted to 9d6+1). He rolls pretty well again, doing 35 points of damage, which is way above the guard's PT of 20, so it penetrates. Even with body armor and a shield, the guard is critically injured and drops.

It is now the other guard's turn (his previous shot was a reaction; this is his first full turn). He shoots (Major action) and hits again—trolls are hard to miss—and actually manages to penetrate, but Kicker's armor (both Eldritch and physical) and high Health (as a troll Adept, his Health score is around 40) means the damage is only moderate. He suffers 5 Fatigue (not a big deal as he’s at full Stamina), gets -2d6 initiative next round (could be a problem), and Disadvantage on actions for 1d6+1 rounds (definitely an issue, but largely offset by his Advantage from Raech).

After shooting, the guard backs off a bit (with his Move action) to distance himself from the troll.

New round, Kicker rolls a ‘7’ on 2d6, reducing his Initiative quite a bit, but it’s still higher than the guard’s, so Kicker gets to act again before the guard can shoot again. He moves forward—so the guard makes another snapshot—and this time, he absolutely fumbles the roll with a double ‘1’. Kicker slams his deadly fists into the poor guy. This time, the troll doesn't roll nearly as well, but it's still enough to seriously injure his opponent.

The poor guard, seeing that the situation is hopeless, tries to surrender.

Kicker, feeling merciful, accepts his surrender by switching over to stun (nonlethal) damage for his next attack. Since the guard is effectively no longer resisting, the GM rules that he is considered Defenseless. With TN this low (10), Kicker's next attack is practically guaranteed to be a Perfect hit, with massive (stun) damage and resulting incapacitation of the guard. The GM decides that since Kicker did so much damage, the guard is actually in Critical condition, despite the final blow being Stun damage.

Ranged combat

Vanya, the somewhat homicidal goth elf combat mage, is on the verge of exhaustion (literally down to her last point of Stamina). One more spell, and she might pass out from the exertion. This is a bummer since one of PanGen's bio-monstrosities is coming straight at her, and her fellow runners are otherwise engaged. She could try to use a minor spell, but that won't stop the thing, so it is pointless.

Planning ahead, Vanya draws her Ares Predator before her turn is over (using her Fast Hands talent) and waits. The PanGen creation, a twisted mockery of an ork with claws for hands, rushes forward with startling speed, so Vanya spends her Reaction on a Snapshot before it's too late. The range is Short, even for a pistol (half Effective range), but Snapshots override this and incur Disadvantage regardless. Fortunately, Vanya's gun is Smartlinked, so at least the Advantage from that offsets the Snapshot Disadvantage.

With her decent Dexterity and Cunning, Vanya's Ranged (Close) skill isn't half bad at 14. Not bad, but from previous experience, she knows these creatures are hard to hit, so she opts to spend 1 Edge to add 1d10 to the pool. She rolls 2d10 and gets a 1 and a 10. Fortunately, the extra dice from Advantage comes up a '10', so Vanya removes the '1' from the pool, keeping both ‘10s’.

The PanGen Abomination has a Dodge defense of 26, which is much higher than the base TN 20 for a ranged attack, so Dodge is used. There are no modifiers to the TN, so 26 it is.

Vanya's attack roll of 14+10+10=34 is more than enough to hit, so she also gets a +5 to the total for rolling a double for a total of 39. That's a MoS of 13, more than the 10 required for a Perfect hit, so she gets +2d6 damage. The Predator has a base damage of 4d6+2, so the total is 6d6+2.  Vanya also has the Double Tap talent, which can add +1d6 damage to SA (Single Attack) weapons, but this requires a Minor action to be spent to trigger, so it cannot be used as part of a Reaction. She wants to spend another Edge to add +2d6 to the damage, but she can’t since she already used Edge on the attack roll.

The damage roll is decent but not spectacular, with a 23 total, which Vanya is pretty sure, based on previous experience, won't take the thing down. And indeed it doesn’t; the monster is severely injured, but it’s in an adrenaline-fueled rage and won’t stop fighting until literally dead.

She hopes, however, to Double Tap it to death on her next turn.

Unfortunately, the Abomination’s initiative remains unchanged (due to the aforementioned rage effect), and it hits Vanya on its turn and, despite her armor and magical protection, does enough damage to—barely—cause damage.

Vanya is uninjured at this stage, so this would not be an issue, except the attack causes her Stamina to drop to 0 or below, which in turn means she's incapacitated… and won't get to attack on her next turn but instead be Helpless when the Abomination's next turn comes up. It looks like a lot like an Edge Burn moment…

Fortunately, Kicker the Troll steps out of the shadows with his newly acquired assault shotgun and puts the monstrosity to sleep for good.

When she wakes up, Vanaya decides she hates the troll even more for having saved her scrawny ass.