StarCluster 2 System Combat

Combat is treated exactly the same as any other skill check in the game, except that in most combat determining the sequence of events is vital, whereas in most non-combat situations, it is not so important.

Initiative:

Initiative is the sequence of events, played out in a series of one minute rounds. It is assumed that during the one minute a lot of things are happening. The characters are moving around, repeatedly firing/slashing with their weapons, seeking cover, etc. The vast majority of shots fired/blows exchanged are NOT REALLY INTENDED TO HIT. They are fired to pin down an opponent, to provide cover for another, to prevent the advance of an enemy into an area, to feint or parry, and many other reasons not having to do with actually hitting the enemy. All this is abstracted out. It isn't important. What is important is those brief moments when there is a chance to hit the enemy seriously. These occur on the character's initiative.

The character's base initiative is rolled on percentile dice. Percentile dice are used so that we are using the same units as chance of success (to hit) and quality of success (damage). This results in a base of 01-100, with lowest going first.

The Players can move their initiative down from their base initiative (go sooner in the round) - rushing their shot, hurrying the blow - by taking a penalty for chance of success and/or quality of success. Similarly, they can move their initiative back (go later in the round) - taking time to aim, setting up the blow - and take a bonus to chance of success and/or quality of success.

The players can also take voluntary penalties to chance of success to increase the quality of that success with a corresponding bonus, or vice versa. This was not detailed in the example, but think of it like an author trying to write a great novel rather than mediocre filler. It's harder to do, but success will be much greater if it succeeds.

Chance of Success (To Hit)

Chance of success is just a standard percentile skill roll for the type of weapon used, with suitable situational modifiers (range, armor, lighting, bonuses from initiative or quality of success, etc.) to the Target Number. Roll under the Target Number to succeed.

For every level of Mastery (number of times the skill plus is evenly divisible by 5, i.e. skill+5 is master, skill+10 is double master, skill +15 is triple master) the PC has an extra chance of success. This is standard for all skills, in or out of combat. In combat, this translates to an extra action for each level of mastery. This extra action takes place 10 points later than the initial attack.

Quality of Success (Damage)

Quality of success is a standard percentile roll with modifiers. Weapons are modifiers to Quality of Success in combat. An automatic rifle, for example, gives a bonus of +25 to the roll.

Example:

Note - this is a simplistic combat. No armor is used, or cover. Colorful descriptions of successes, "Jack hits him, creasing his left bicep on the inside. Blood runs down the bad guy's left arm and drips off his fingers" have been omitted for simplicity.

Peter rolls a base initiative of 41 for his character Jack Kelly. Peter decides that Jack will want to move sooner rather than later. As a master (gun+5) Jack Kelly has a good chance to hit, so Peter moves Jack's base initiative down to 31 and takes a 10 point penalty to his chance of success. As a master, Jack Kelly will have a second attack 10 points later at 41.

Linda rolls a base initiative of 75 for her character Heather Lee. Linda decides that Heather, who is not very good with her weapon (gun+2) would rather go late and take her time. She moves Heather Lee's inititive to 105, gaining 30 points. She applies a bonus of 15 to chance of success, and 15 to quality of success.

The GM rolls a 40 for the bad guy. He is a master, so he has a second chance of success at 50.

Jack Kelly goes first at 31. Peter's Target Number is 55 (65% for skill+5 plus a -10 modifier for rushing his shot) and he rolls a 32. This is a success, and Peter now needs to determine just how much of a success it is. His quality of success roll is a 67, modified with +15 for his weapon, a revolver. This gives a final quality of success result of 82. The result is subtracted from the bad guy's Constitution of 360, putting the bad guy at 298.

The bad guy goes next at 40, firing at Jack while Heather circles around the two, searching for a good angle. He has a Target Number of 65. He rolls a 56, hitting Jack. His quality of success roll is a 21, modified by +15 for his revolver, for a final quality of success result of 36. Peter subtracts this number from Jack's Constitution of 400, bringing him down to 364. He is still 64 points above hindered, so this was a minor hit.

Jack Kelly takes his second shot at the bad guy at 41. Again his chance of success is a 55. This time he rolls a 53, barely hitting. His quality of success roll is a 46, modified by +15 for his revolver, for a final quality of success of 61. This is subtracted from the bad guy's current Constitution of 298, bringing it down to 237. This is below the bad guy's hindered level of 270, and he now has a -20 to all actions until he can heal.

The bad guy now takes his second shot at Jack. His initiative for this shot has been dropped from 50 to 70 because of his wounds hindering his actions, but since the next initiative is Linda's on 105, he still goes next. His Target Number is now 45, dropped from 65, again because of his injuries. The GM rolls a 62, which is not a success. The second shot goes wild.

Heather Lee's shot comes next on 105. Having slowly circled to the left rather than rushing in as Jack did, she is at Long range rather than Medium. She uses her hunting rifle which has no penalty at Long range rather than her automatic pistol, which would be at a severe penalty. Heather's base chance of success is 50, modified by +15 from her deliberate tactics for a final Target Number of 65. Linda rolls a 58, a success. She now rolls 82 for her quality of success, modified by +25 for the hunting rifle and +15 for her careful aim, for a final quality result of 122. This is subtracted from the bad guy's current Constitution of 237, for a new Constitution of 115, just above Seriously Wounded level (90) and well below Unconcious Level (180.) The bad guy attempts to stay up with an Overdo skill check, but fails due to the -20 penalty on all rolls. He pitches over, stunned and out of action. Initiative ends.