Zone Combat

The above venn style image of the abstracted battlefield may help you. The small CLOSE zone in the middle is the melee area, where the main camera will focus during a scene. The small square area can grow in size, pushing the outer zones outward to adjust, or it can slide in any required direction, or even distort itself to expand to include characters as required.

You could also display this as a set of concentric rings as the zones, and the Arms would be quarter segments. The arms however would have an overlap area with each other. Again the inner-most circle would be the melee zone and would be capable to distorting or stretching to cover areas as required.

The important thing to note is that outside the centre/melee area the zones are quite large and this reflects the fact that melee, or contact, is not possible within a zone. The whole purpose of being in a zone is to avoid contact, you are there to use ranged attacks. If you are a melee build the only thing you need do is run the the centre and then drag people to you.

Optional: Greater Melee Area

If you want you can break the Centre Melee Zone into more than one area. A diagonal break into 2 zones, or a quad breakup into four zones works. Each zone is a different melee area and requires movement to get from one to the other. You can also use a major terrain feature to break it in half, eg a strong wall and doorway with the doorway making a choke point to get through.

ACTIONS.

Initiative by cards is performed as normal.

Option: one option we use is to give everyone an extra card and then letting them use one of those cards to control an enemy. Divide the enemy by the number of pcs and each time a PC activates one of their cards they either move themselves, or they move that many enemies.  Boss mobs/Wildcards should stay with the GM to control.

Another otpion carrying on from this is that players cannot go after a player if at all possible. So if the last action was a player action then the next one, if possible, must be a non-player action. There will be plenty of occassions when this is not possible, but when it is...

When it comes to your action you may perform one of the following, unless otherwise stated any action includes/allows any MOVE as an option:

MELEE: ENGAGE an ENEMY and make a MELEE attack, including all forms. Melee ONLY occurs in the CLOSE zone, you must be in there or drag your opponent into it (via Drag action) to melee them. Move your figure into contact with your target, you are considered Engaged whilst in contact with an enemy figure.

RANGE: make a RANGE attack, vs 4 or PARRY if ENGAGED. Includes AIM as a specific action. Consult the following table for relative ranges when shooting from zone to zone. If target is in a different ARM and want to attack they add one zone to the result, and anything past LONG is extreme range except rifles and scopes can bring it back into range.

+ indicates that if in different Arms add an extra range.

Ranges are based on pistol ranges, so rifles should reduce the range by one. Or you can select some range value, say anything above 20 base range reduces the range one level.

ASSIST: MOVE to STAND with a friend (same Zone) and provide ASSIST, +1 per success or raise. No Zone movement.

DISTRACT: AG or SM trick, only vs targets in the same Short or Close zone.

GUARD: Stand (in contact) with a friend and prevent enemies from ENGAGING them. Enemies must attack you before they can attack what you are guarding. Once engaged you are no longer Guarding. No movement whilst Guarding. If you are engaged your friend is moved away as an option. Whilst guarding you move with your friend, as long as they only do standard Moves (no running).

CAST: cast/use a POWER.

HOLD: HOLD your action and enact it at a later time.

DEFEND: Defend vs melee options, -2 with movement or -4 if not.

DODGE: Dodge vs ranged attacks options, -2. Must include a Move action.

COVER: make use of (move to) COVER in the zone (see sporadics). Once in Cover you retain that effect until you Move again.

USE: move to and make use of a sporadic in Zone.

FLEE: leave the encounter. You must be in a LONG Zone.

FLANK: move from a ranged zone to an adjacent Flanking Zone, or from one Flanking Zone to an adjacent one.

SKILL USE: use a skill, such as Notice. If successful with a raise you may perform another action if appropriate (eg Notice to spot someone, then shoot them). A normal success may allow another action at -2. A fail uses up the entire action. Some actions, like First Aid, may take up the entire round.

STEALTH: Use your STEALTH skill to set a NOTICE target number for your enemies. If they fail to make the Notice roll they cannot interact with you. If they make the roll you are removed from STEALTH. Cannot be used whilst ENGAGED. Uses all MOVEMENT. You may use to get the DROP on an ENEMY, you must be currently STEALTHY and pass a NOTICE vs Stealth Value roll by your TARGET. At any one time you are either STEALTH or not. If you are in COVER when you use STEALTH you may use the mod as a bonus to your STEALTH roll. MA whilst in Stealth mode is at -2 so it will be harder to change zones.

DRAG: can be used to bring someone closer, toward the Centre, eg from LONG to MEDIUM etc.

To do this you must be in the CLOSE zone. You cannot be done whilst engaged with an enemy.

Note: targets (friend or foe) may elect NOT to resist and will then be moved toward the Centre automatically.

The Drag action is very abstracted, it works on the premise that you can suck others toward you regardless of the fact that someone standing near them isn’t sucked in. The MELEE is always at the centre, and surrounding zones move in and out fluidly for each individual based on what others may do to them.

The opposite of Drag is not permissible, you cannot "push" people away. The idea of a combat is to get a result so we are deliberately forcing combatants into contact.

The active figure makes an VG vs 4 roll, plus or minus any modifiers.

The number of zones you move them toward you is the number of success and raises you gain.

If a target is able to actively resist the Drag action (not stunned), they roll their VG vs 4, reducing the number of successes one for one, on an individual basis.

If the target is moved into the Close zone then the active character may elect to be in contact (engaged) with the figure. If they have an action left they could make a melee attack.

Some of you may find this a little radical, so you could limit moves to one zone, preventing big shifts in position. However I would suggest against that as it will be very infrequent due to the high rolls required, and radical changes are good fun - otherwise snipers would have nothing to fear, but how many times in the movies do you see snipers get melee'd... all the time.

eg: Boris is in the Close Zone and wants to melee an opponent in the Long Zone who has been shooting at him. In real life he rushes toward his opponent and tries to get close enough to attack him before he gets shot. This run-down may take 20-30 seconds in real time, maybe longer depending on the distances involved.

From a camera prospective Boris may have the camera looking over his shoulder as he rushes toward his target. As far as the viewer is concerned Boris remains in a constant position in relation to the camera, but gets closer and closer to the target - the area of view slides around Boris and brings the shooter into its scope.

From a panoramic view Boris simply closes on his target, who tries to shoot him as he closes. The scene takes as much time as the director feels is dramatically appropriate, from a few seconds to many. Time is irrelevant as the drama takes precedent.

From a game system point of view we simply need to stretch the time of a round out longer than normal. In structured games each round is 6 seconds (or whatever). By loosening the rigidness of that to allow rounds to overlap the round before and the round after we start covering 18 seconds of time, that varies from character to character. If we then stretch it further for story reasons we get to the 20-30 seconds we needed above to represent the effort required.

Mechanic: Boris wants to Drag his opponent (single) from Long to Close, which means rolling VG vs 4+2 (Target is in Long Zone). To move him from Long to Medium to Short to Close will require a roll of 14, a success and 2 raises vs base target of 6.

If the sniper is prone or using any cover the target is 2 less.

The sniper is free to resist the move and can roll to cancel successes and raises.

If Boris applies his entire turn to the action he gains the -2 modifier, but is unable to do anything.

Modifiers for Drag:

Selection: apply ONE of the following.

+2 if one of your Targets is in the Long range Zone

+1 if one of your Targets is in the Medium range zone.

General modifiers:

+1 per Target over the 1st.

-2 if you apply your entire action (Move and Action).

-1 per success and raise Know(Battle) roll.

-1 Roller has a working Tactical Computer or Tactician edge.

-1 if you have Athletics/Acrobat edge.

+1 Resister has higher base MA than active character (ignore Run status).

-2 if target is prone or using cover.

? Terrain movement effects.

DEFINITIONS.

• MOVE: Moving is assumed to be automatic within your area. Moving to a new Zone will require a roll of 1d6 less than or equal to your Movement Allowance (MA), which is automatic if you have 6+.
• Moving more than one Zone in an action will apply +6 for the first extra zone, and +12 for the second extra zone. For this case it includes Flank Zones. So to move from Long to Short, two zones, would be a 1d6+6 less than or equal to your MA. Moving from the Long Zone and to a third Flank zone, or Long to Close, would be 1d6+12 less than or equal to your MA. Thus you will need to be very fast.
• RUN: Characters may RUN and it will have the following effects:
  • They will be flagged as RUNNING and have -2 applied to all trait and skill rolls.
  • They are at -1 to hit for ranged attacks as long as their MA is 6+.
  • Increase their MA for this turn by 1d6 (normally)
• ENGAGED: your figure is placed in contact with an ENEMY figure, unless GUARDED. Breaking contact requires wihdrawing from melee and triggers a free attack.
• ENEMY: an opposing hostile figure.
• MELEE: melee attack roll, include all modifying actions, such as Wild, Frenzy Sweep etc.
• RANGED: ranged attack vs 4 or vs PARRY if ENGAGED, includes AIM and MOVE actions.
• STAND: your figurine is moved into contact with a friend and/or enemy, if they move away any ASSIST or GUARD is lost.
• HOLD: delay your action till later in the sequence.
• COVER: cover values for a zone are set at the start of the encounter, either -2 (33%), -4 (66%) or -6 (90%). If you take COVER you gain one of these values to your PARRY/DEFENCE score against any incoming attacks. You may keep the COVER mod as long as you dont move. Any attacks you make whilst in COVER are at -(Cover mod/2), so -1, -2 or -3. You may elect to use a lower Cover value, but once set remains constant unless you take a new Cover action.
• DROP: you surprise an enemy and gain +4 to hit and damage for one attack, usually from a Stealth situation.

FLANK ZONES.

Flank zones are assumed to be obscured methods of moving from one Approach Direction to another. Characters using them are assumed to be taking a long way around, or using pathways that give concealment from the main battle areas.

The Drag action cannot be used on a Flank Zone.

Enemies in the same Flanking Zone may elect to engage each other via ranged combat or via melee as per the normal rules. They are interchangebly at Short or Close range depending on the attack method. Once a melee begins however they count as Engaged and normal rules apply.

AREA of EFFECT Attacks.

AoE attacks will hit a number of targets based on their breadth as follows:

Small template: 1d4, all same zone

Sweep Attack: engaged

Cone template: 1d4+1 – same or adjacent zone

Medium template: 1d6+1, all same zone, close+short

Large template: 2d4+1, any two adjacent zones.

This roll can be made before your casting roll, as a number of modifiers may apply as follows.

The positioning of targets is irrelevant, as we are assuming a dynamic environment where movement and timing are not linear. So targets can be selected at random within a zone, except that Engaged groups are targeted as a whole.

With area effect attacks every EVEN numbered target is assumed to be a friend by default. For each raise on your casting/sweep roll you may convert a friend into an enemy, or it may be used to add an extra target (one only, if EVEN it will still be a friend to start with). A target may only be hit once.

An Engaged group counts as one target, and can be a friend or foe option (assuming at least one of each present).

eg: you cast a medium burst template and get a result of 6 targets (1d6+1 roll). Targets 1,3 and 5 are enemies. Targets 2,4 and 6 are friends. Your casting roll was a single raise, so target 2 is converted from a friend to an enemy.

Option: you may elect to take -2 to your roll for each friend target you convert to an enemy, so if you want to convert target 2 to an enemy your casting roll will be at -2. If you want to convert target 2 and 4 to an enemy you will be at -4.

Option: you may elect to reduce the target number result by any amount, but for each friendly target (even numbers) you reduce your casting roll is modified by -2. Eg you have 6 targets, so to get rid of the 6=friend you drop the targets to 5, but your casting roll will be at -2. You could drop it to 3 and the casting roll would be at -4. To use this you can pre-roll target numbers, or you might allow it post roll and re-assess the result.

Option: you may add extra targets to your roll, upto the max roll possible (6 for d6 etc). For each extra enemy target you add (odd numbers) your casting roll will be at -2.

Range.

Range attacks suffer modifiers to target numbers with increased range or complexity, as follows:

+ indicates that if in different Arms add an extra range.

Modifiers.

Target is Engaged: -2 or random target on 1 or 1-2 (burst, auto or shotgun).

For zones: -2(medium),-4(long)

Cover modifiers: as applicable.

Light and visibility modifiers: as applicable

Target is Dodging/Prone: -2.

Target is Running: -1 vs ranged.

Shooter is Engaged: vs Parry

Aiming: +2, no move, one action

Size: +or-1 per 2 Size pts.

Targeting effects.

Targeting allows the user to select specific areas of the target to strike. On a humanoid form this will be: Torso, Arms, Legs, Head. This is at a -2 penalty.

A second level of targeting can be used to zero in on parts of the above: eg Arms-Hand or Legs-Knee. This will be at -4 penalty.

A third level of targeting will allow the attacker to strike at a specific location called a 'vulnerability', IF ONE EXISTS! Eg: the unprotected patch of a dragons underbody would be, Torso-Underbody-Vulnerability. This will be at -6 penalty.

Targeting will be used to create benefits (wound effects) rather than damage, although they will also create options to bypass armour if the location is not armoured.

The following table illustrates a humanoid target effect.

Cyberware-Break: specific cyberware can be targeted and damage will inflict breakage, needing repairs. Cyber-ware that fills a whole location (eg cyberleg=whole leg) can be targeted and a random component will break. Some components are multi-location (like wired reflexes) and can usually be assumed to be Torso, but can be targeted in any location they apply to. A single Wound or Stun=temp break (Repair roll vs quality 4,5,6,7), greater Wounds=downtime.

Disarm: drop weapon if stunned and fail STv4, thrown extra zone if any wounds suffered.

Paralysed: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness the arm is at -2, +1 per wound from this attack, until fully healed. Parry is reduced 1.

Broken Arm: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness anything associated with the arm suffers a -2 penalty until fully healed, +1 per extra wound. Tuffness is reduced 1. Parry is reduced 1.

Crippled: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness your movement is reduced -2, plus an extra 1 per wound inflicted from this attack, until fully healed. Parry is reduced 1.

Broken Leg: -1 to move, plus an extra 1 per wound from this attack, until fully healed. Tuffness is reduced 1.

Winded: suffer 1 FAT if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness.

Pain: -1 to all actions, +1 per wound suffered in this attack, until fully healed. Tuffness is reduced 1.

Guts: you lose 1 point off your Tuffness score, +1 per wound inflicted by this attack, until fully healed.

Scarred: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness you suffer a permanent nasty visible scarring which causes a 1 penalty to interaction rolls of a co-operative nature, OR +1 to all rolls to recognise you, per wound inflicted upto 2.

Deafened: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness you are confused, all SP rolls are at -2 until fully healed. Plus you are deaf for the duration.

Blinded: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness you are Blind (see Hindrance) until fully healed. Parry is reduced 1.

Uncon: if final damage inflicts a wound, roll your SP vs 4+Wounds. If you fail you suffer 1FAT and must roll again. Repeat till pass.

Sever/Maim: if final damage inflicts a wound make a VG roll vs 4+Wounds, pass and the limb is maimed until fully healed (all wounds removed). Fail and the limb is severed (take hindrance). Parry is reduced 1.

Weakened: if final damage inflicts a wound, roll your VG vs 4+Wounds. If you fail you suffer 1FAT and must roll again. Repeat till pass.

Bleeder: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness the target suffers 1d4 damage at the start of their next action and every action after that. Each extra wound will increase the damage dice. Can be stopped with a successful Heal skill use, or a successful Heal power use.

Knock-down: if final damage equals or exceeds Tuffness the target is forced to the ground and their Parry is reduced by 2. Extra wounds will increase the penalty by 1 each. Penalties remain till they unstun or are healed.

ZONE TERRAIN & CONDITIONS.

A zone can have dominant terrain and conditions that can be applied. The extent and degree of COVER is such a conditional. Movement effects are another that would have a big impact, such as saying that all Movement rates are 3/4 of normal due to rough terrain, or simply -1 to MA due to terrain. Lighting is a very common conditional that can apply to a zone.

Zone Traits

COVER: available max COVER mod (-2, -4 or -6).

LIGHT: general mod for light, effects all rolls that require visibility.

VISIBILITY: a mod to rolls relating to directional visibility (a straight line), reflecting restricted visibility. Eg Shooting, Casting, Notice rolls.

ENTRY: the max number of figures that may enter or leave a Zone during a single turn.

WIDTH: the max number of figures that the environment allows in the CLOSE Zone. If the Zone is full then a spot must be created (ranged combat). One creature may melee from the Short Zone against a single target (of the occupants choice) as a special circumstance.

TERRAIN: modifier to Movement Allowances.

DEBRIS: both natural (plants) or artificial (furniture).

STACKING: the number of figures that can ENGAGE a single target is normally 4. Due to the confines of the environment, or obstacles, this can be reduced for the entire field setting a max number of 1,2 or 3. The Size of large creatures can be used to increase the number of opponents that can stack around it +1 per Size).

Sporadics

Sporadics are blocks/options available to anyone in the combat. To use them you must move to them and seek them out, your figure is placed on the block of the sporadic you want to use. As long as you do not move you keep the benefit. Others can move to you but you keep the benefit is plausible.

Some conditionals however are sporadic, they dont apply to the whole zone, so how do you implement something that may or may not randomly apply. For movement you just make every move make a dice roll, and if they roll a 1 they have encountered one of your sporadics. Ideally you should have a list of whichever sporadic you want to use, and advertise this to your players ahead of time, but keep it short (1-3 items). Unless your sporadics are moving themselves, then anyone who doesnt move cannot encounter one, so doesnt roll. If your sporadics are moving around then put them into the sequence of play and randomly target them on their action (include a few extra 'no target' options in the roll). A target is a group, so a bunch of figures that are engaged are all one target.

Sporadics can be generated during play by deliberate actions or by random events. Bennies can be spent to create a sporadic.

List of sporadic:

· Pit - you fall down, AG to avoid, ST to get out of, count as permanently PRONE till you get out of it.

· Walls - Your move option is stopped as you come up against a wall. You may be able to JUMP over it (set a target value), or you may not. Your turn ends and you are free to move next round. If anyone tries to engage you can adopt the wall as a Defensible 2.

· Doorway - you come upon a closed doorway, ST to break down. It may be locked. Treat as a wall until it is unlocked or broken.

· Window - Same as a door, but easier to break.

· Furniture - counts as an obstacle, AG to avoid. Can be adopted as COVER -2 if you end your turn there. Could be thrown at opponents?

· Debris - forces a AG or your turn ends, provides cover -1.

· Vegetation - may slow movement, may cause an AG roll, can provide cover, can give +1 or 2 to Stealth rolls.

· Traps - Notice roll to spot, AG roll to avoid, inflicts 2d6+1 damage if not avoided.

· Slippery - AG roll not to fall prone and end turn.

· Slowing - decreases movement allowance by 1,2,3 or 4 points, causing a movement check.

· Fire - may JUMP over it, AG roll to avoid or check for catching fire. You must MOVE next action or you DO catch fire.

· Defensible - a location that restricts the number of opponents that can ENGAGE you at anyone time (vack into a corner etc). The number of opponents that can get at you at one time will be limited to 1,2 or 3. Once you adopt this sporadic you cannot move without losing it, and you cannot move while engaged (they have trapped you in it).

· Animals – wild or uncontrolled.

· Falling debris – AG to avoid or take 3d6 damage.

Fixed Assets:

A single fixed asset isnt a problem, as you can move that around as the players move the focus. When you have two or more fixed assets then you have the problem of keeping them apart. Essentially only one fixed asset can be brought into focus at a time (ie brought into the centre). Any other fixed asset must remain at Long. When you want to swap to a different fixed asset you need to moved the two objects relative to each other, so as the new one is brought into focus, the old one is moved out. There may be issues if you have players with conflicting wants, but this is a directorial issue - the players have to decide who is the star of the moment and go with it.

Alternatively a fixed asset, such as a Tower, can be treated as a mini-zone of its own. It remains out in a zone and characters move to it and then enter it, where-upon it is a melee zone of its own (so such fixed assets should be deployed as a tile to allow figures to be placed on them).

Eg Watch Tower fixed asset:

Entry; Climb -2 roll + OpporAtk; Shoot +1; Cover 2; Capacity 4.

Encounters

Step 1:

If surprise is not pre-determined by events or the GM, make Notice rolls (all players and one roll by GM, with WC). Compare all cards.

• If differential of 8+ or a joker is drawn on one side, the high side can spend a benny to gain 'surprise'.
• If surprise is chosen the winner gets to position the encounter setup as they wish, goto Step 2.

Otherwise

• Highest roll of each side determines number of cards chosen in Step 2: 2, 3 or 4 cards.
• Highest card gets option for who is in Centre.
• Next highest card choose one Arm they control (deploy in, start in Medium zone), loop...

Step 2:

At the start of each encounter each side draws 2,3 or 4 cards. Extra or less cards can be used if players/GM want to spend bennies, + or - one card for each. If one side has Surprise they elect to draw 2 sets of 2-4 cards.

• Cards 2-4 no effect (still counts for suits etc)
• Cards 5-9 apply a minor effect (-1)
• Cards 10-Q apply a moderate effect (-2)
• Card K apply a heavy effect (-3)
• Card A apply player choice of severity effect (counts as a wild card for value) AND allow narrative flexibility with regard to that effect.
• Joker = player choice (wild card).
• The winner in Step1 gets to place the first terrain tile, then alternate placing.
• Any side may spend a benny to place the next tile, then back to alternating.
• The loser may not play bennies during the setup if surprised.

Generally one effect tile (see below) for each card will be laid.

Players and the GM may use bennies to create, and lay, extra copies of existing tiles (placed after card created tiles).

Step 3:

From the cards drawn compare to the following via suits and number of each.

CLUBS – surface state

1. club – Cover, provides cover options, one Arm and/or Centre
2. clubs – Debris, movement effects and cover, whole map
3. clubs – Conditionals - 1Open, 2Exposed, 3Shortcut, 4Advantage, 5Concealment, 6Danger, 7Fire, 8Test, 9Slippery, 10Slowing, 11Obstacle, 12Clatter. These can be placed face up or down (concealed or unknown).
   1. Your choice.

SPADES – barriers

1. spade - Walls (interior/exterior style walls) through one or two zone or boundry
2. spades - Barriers (bricks/concrete walls) through two or three zones or boundries.
3. spades - Sporadics - 1Pit, 2Trap, 3Wire, 4Alarm, 5Hidey, 6Defence, 7Clatter, 8Fire, 9Danger, 10Test. These should be placed face down (concealed or unknown).
4. Your choice

DIAMONDS – Sight

1. diamond – Light
2. diamonds – Rain
3. diamonds – Fog/Smog
4. Your chocie

HEARTS – Noise

1. heart - Wind
2. hearts - Noise (audible noise)
3. hearts - Buzz (net noise)
4. Your choice.

Eg: Draw three cards and get: 5 Diamonds, Ace of Spades, 8 of Diamonds.

5D = Minor sight tile (ignored due to higher card or place on one arm)

8D = Medium sight tile

2 Diamonds means it will be Medium Rain.

AS = counts as any Spade card, tiles starts with a benny, player choice. The player choses a Medium effect so it becomes a Medium Barrier, player choses (narrative freedom) for it to be an concrete wall with a door and window, running along the Close/Short boundry on the arm they are entering by. The door is locked and the window is boarded up so vision is initially blocked.

Bonus options:

On Pairs: Hazards, such as fire, structural damage, repair work, environmental dangers, unexpected alarm systems.

On Triples: Interventions, such as Police, third parties, bugs, enemies, vehicle crashes.

On Straights: Acts of God, earthquakes, explosions, major vehicle crashes.

Tiles.

Define tiles to be one of the four types: Surface, Barrier, Sight, Noise.