2023-09-11

Skirmishes

Please check out Night-Tripper by Chris P. Wolf! You can find the original rules for Skirmishes here. These rules were heavily inspired by what’s there.

Selective Use

Single rolls or just saying what happens are enough to resolve most conflicts. For more complex scenarios, use these combat rules.

Rounds

Combat is divided into rounds. Each round being a flash of time. Each character commits to only one action per round. Resolve actions in the following order:

1. Movement
2. Shooting
3. Grenades
4. Melee
5. Miscellaneous

Moving and speaking are free actions. Communicate at any point in a round, though verbosity consumes an action. Players decide their action as the referee calls and resolves each phase. All characters committing to the same action perform it simultaneously.

Ambushes

Ambushers gain a surprise round. Commit to 1 action without enemy reprisals. Additionally, roll with Advantage for any skill rolls.

Attacks and Damage

Roll 2d6 + relevant Skills, like shooting for example. Usually, NPCs don’t have Skills to add. If the result is 8 or higher, the attack hits. The lower die result determines hit location while the higher is the damage dealt.

Once the combined total of damage taken is 6 or greater, the target is out of combat. They need medical intervention to survive.

Should damage in any of the hit locations reach 6 or greater, consult the following:

• Head: dead.
• Torso: mortal wound. Death in 1d4 hours without stabilizing medical attention.
• Legs or arms: A limb is destroyed. Throw! Heads for the right, tails for the left.

Use luck to reduce the damage of incoming attacks too—1 point of luck to 1 point of damage. Attacks reduced to 0 this way are avoided completely.

Replace armor once it prevents its maximum number of hits in an intended location. The cost for such is listed in Gear. Armor instantly breaks when hit by anti-materiel rifles, plasma casters, and heavy artillery.

If you’re hit by a projectile while wearing intact armor, lose your turn next round as you are forced to hunker down and catch your breathe.

Tracking Ammo

Track every shot, every bullet. Ammo is everything in a world of fully realized scarcity. When your magazine is out of ammo, spend a Miscellaneous action to reload.

Automatic Fire

Automatic weapons consume more ammunition when firing in bursts, but greater chance to hit and damage. Consume 6 shots, but roll with Advantage and +2 to the damage die. However, roll with Disadvantage if you fire an Automatic weapon without the Shooting Skill.

Character Actions

Movement

Run (hopefully to cover) up to 10 meters over open ground. Obstacles or impeding terrain reduce that to 6 meters. If using minis on a table, each meter scales to 1 cm.

Shooting

Or shoot targets within range, even if they’re moving. Advantage is rolling 3d6 and taking the two highest. Disadvantage is rolling 3d6 and taking the two lowest. Shooting beyond the maximum range is a guaranteed miss.

Weapon Range Limits

Cover and Movement

Roll with Disadvantage against targets in cover. If you have Advantage due to range bonuses or other factors, roll normally.

Roll with Advantage against stationary targets out of cover. If you have Disadvantage against those same targets for whatever reason, roll normally.

If shooting after moving, roll with Disadvantage.

If you forfeit your action in a round while in cover, no one has line of sight to shoot you. You are hunkering down. This only applies if opponents aren’t flanking.

Grenades

Fragmentation and High Explosive

When you choose to throw a grenade, cook it. It detonates at the end of the round. Roll 2d6 + Athletics, on a hit, the grenade is able to reach its intended location. On a failure, the grenade harmlessly detonates elsewhere.

The opponent must commit a miscellaneous action to throw the grenade elsewhere out of range. Otherwise, those within short range and not behind cover must roll 2d6 + their Athletics. On a failure, they take the full hit. On a success, they avoid the damage, but they can’t shoot next round.

For players, spend 2 Luck and roll 2d6 + Athletics to throw back the grenade. On a success, the enemy must roll to avoid the hit too. On a failure, the grenade detonates out of range of anyone.

Flashbang

Roll 2d6 + Athletics. On a hit, the grenade detonates immediately. Enemies must roll 2d6 + their Athletics to shield their eyes. If they’re not wearing ear protection and they fail the roll, they forfeit a round.

Smoke

Lightly obscures targets, but only imposes Disadvantage on attacks indoors.

Tear Gas

Roll 2d6 + Athletics to cook then throw. On a hit, all targets within 10m cough and cry uncontrollably and are practically incapacitated, unable to shoot, unless they wear a full-faced gas mask.

Melee

Melee is simultaneous. Fighters with short weapons are only at an Advantage against those unarmed and have Disadvantage against weapons with reach. Medium weapons (e.g. clubs and swords) are at a Disadvantage against longer-reaching weapons (e.g spears and other polearms).

Miscellaneous

Operate machinery, drive a vehicle, perform first aid on someone seriously wounded, or reload. Throwing grenades away or back fall under this action too.

If you aim, roll with Advantage when you shoot next round.