Rules

A dodge roll adds the result to the character’s Defense or Avoid, and is compared against the incoming attack roll. Dodge must be declared before the attack is rolled. Whether the attack is magical or not, the character uses Agility unless otherwise specified and added to the vs. Magic Defense (or Avoid).

Alternatively if the character is wielding a melee weapon and the attack made against them is a melee attack they can attempt to Parry. Parrying is similar to a dodge and uses the same table, however the roll made uses the character’s attack with the wielded weapon.

Two-Handing Weapons

You can two-hand a one-handed weapon. When two-handing a weapon, you deal an additional 1k0 damage with your weapon. Two-handed weapons are already counted to have this bonus applied.

Negative Dice

If a specified check would require you to roll zero dice (such as a penalty making a check 0k2), roll “Negative Dice” for the check. You roll 1 die at zero, and an additional 1 die for each point the penalty would reduce the roll below zero dice (example: a -3k0 to a 1k1 check would make it 2k1 Negative Dice.) Use the Keep Dice of the original roll. Negative Dice, when rolled, take the lowest results rather than taking the highest. The check can still pass, however it is incredibly unlikely as failure occurs more often than not. Effects which cause the dice to explode still work on Negative Dice. 0k1 is effectively 1k1 in Negative Dice.

Being reduced to 0 keep dice results in the roll being impossible to be made, and resulting in immediate failure.

Deflection

Creatures and armor have what is known as “Deflection”, blocking a certain amount of damage to body parts and preventing damage. If damage is reduced to 0 or below through Deflection, it is completely negated. Unless specified, Deflection from multiple sources does not stack together. Only the highest Deflection is used on a specified body part. For example if a creature with 2 Natural Deflection to all body parts wears armor that grant 6 Deflection to its body, the 6 Deflection from its armor supersedes its Natural Deflection. However, if the creature’s listing states that the Natural Deflection stacks with armor worn, it’d receive 8 Deflection to the body.

Energy Resistance

Some creatures and species have resistance to elements (example: Fire Resist 5), and this reduces damage like Deflection only it’s specifically against that damage type, Resistance is applied before Soak like armor.

A stronger form of Resistance is Immunity, which completely negates damage with no reduction.

Absorption is an even more powerful version, transmuting damage that would have been dealt into recovering HP. Creatures healed by holy or creatures healed by unholy are not counted as possessing absorption for those elements, but are considered immune. They can possess absorption in these elements, thus being able to be healed by any source of holy/unholy, even if it's trying to be used as a damaging effect.

Weakness is when a creature takes 2x more damage from a specific damage source or element.

Holy Resistance on a living creature increases healing by the tens digit (minimum of 1), and Unholy Resistance on an undead creature does the same effect for them.

Attacks of Opportunity

Casting a spell, moving through or out of a threatened square, using ranged weapons in melee, and using an item while threatened all provoke attacks of opportunity. Characters have one attack of opportunity per round. This attack of opportunity can be given up in place of making an additional Dodge.

Flanking

When two characters surround a target (being able to draw a line through the center of the square), they both gain a +1k0 bonus to-hit.

It is possible to flank with ranged weapons so long as you can provoke with the range weapon (such as through the Provoking Fire feat).

Called Shots

Taking a called shot deals a -2k0 penalty to your attack. Upon hitting the body part targeted, you deal one of the following effects below alongside damage.

If Deflection would reduce a called shot’s damage to 0, its effects don’t take place. This applies to critical hits on called shots as well.

• • Head: Stagger the opponent for 1 round. A critical hit inflicts daze for 1 round and then staggered for the round thereafter.

  • Arm (Left or Right): Drop held item, -1k0 penalty to attacks for 1 round. A critical hit severs the arm instead, and instead deals a -2k0 penalty.

  • Body: 2 bleed damage for 2 rounds. A critical hit deals 1d5+2 bleed damage for 2 rounds instead. 

  • Leg (Left or Right): -2 land speed per leg hit. A critical hit severs the leg instead, and in place of the penalty permanently deals a -2 land speed.

Critical Hits and Critical Failures

If all results on a roll that would be kept come up as 10, this counts as a critical hit. Skills cannot critically hit. (Example, on a 4k2 roll, two results come up as 10s)

If a roll against a Defense is half or below the Defense’s number, it critically fails which causes you on your next turn to take a -2k0 to all checks.

Critically hitting with a weapon or spell doubles the damage dealt before Soak.

Run

Running is a full-round action and requires the character to move in a straight line. The character who is running moves at quadruple their speed (triple if armor is reducing your movement speed).

Carrying Capacity

Characters have three states of carrying plus three additional states. These weight limits are presented in pounds (lbs.). Light Limit deals no penalty, Medium Limit reduces speed by half, and Heavy Limit reduces speed by half and also applies a -5 penalty to both Defense and Avoid. Over the Head, Off the Ground, and Push/Drag are considered Heavy Limit for the purpose of penalties.

• • Light Limit: 5 + (Strength + Endurance) x 5

  • Medium Limit: 5 + (Strength + Endurance) x 10

  • Heavy Limit: 5 + (Strength + Endurance) x 15

  • Over the Head: Heavy Limit x 1.5

  • Off the Ground: Heavy Limit x 3

  • Push/Drag: Heavy Limit x 5

Surprise Round

If you have caught an enemy unaware before initiating an attack (such as through stealth, or careful deception, or through other forms of ambush) you initiate a surprise round. This is a combat round where only the ambushing group gets a chance to act. Initiative is rolled like normal, however characters not on the ambushing side (or who don’t have abilities that allow them to act in a surprise round) are skipped, and only the ambushing group is factored in for actions.

Actions

• • Standard Action: Attacking with a weapon, using an item, reloading a crossbow/firearm, casting a spell. Skills; Deception, Heal, Persuasion, Use Computers, and Use Magic Device.

  • Move Action: Moving (up to full speed), drawing an item or weapon, standing up from prone, opening or closing a door, and moving a heavy object by force. Skills; Artisan (to perform), Acrobatics, Drive, and Ride.

  • Swift Action: Picking up an object, changing a weapon’s settings (semi to auto), some abilities and powers. Skills; Handle Animal and Linguistics.

  • Free Action: Dropping an item, dropping prone, talking, and freeing a hand from a two-handed weapon. Skills; Awareness, Fortitude, Knowledges, Spellcraft, and Stealth.

  • Full-Round Action: Making multiple attacks with a weapon, charging, delivering a coup de grace, running, withdrawing, and loading a siege weapon.

  • Immediate Action: Taking a prepared action.

  • Reaction Action: Making an attack of opportunity, dodging, parrying.

* Drawing a weapon while moving or taking a step action changes it to a free action.

Actions per Round

In a typical round, a character can take a single standard, move action, and swift action or a single full-round action and swift action. You can also take as many free actions as you want in your turn (up to GM’s discretion).

Immediate actions can only be taken once per round but they can be taken outside of your turn. Reactions are similar to immediate actions, except they must be triggered by someone else (such as moving through a threatened square and thus provoking an attack of opportunity).

Characters can downgrade a swift action into a move action, and a move action into a standard if they so wish. Thus, if they want to take two swift actions they would need to expend a swift and their move action doing this. If they’d want to spend three swift actions, they’d expend their swift, move, and standard.

Full-Round Attack

If a character has more than one attack in a round, they can take a full-round action to make a Full-Round Attack. Doing this allows you to attack as many times as you have Attacks per Round (as listed on your class). A Full-Round Attack can be made before or after a Step.

Charge

A charge requires you to move in a straight line to reach your opponent. You double your speed (though at minimum you must move 2 squares) and make a single attack at a +2 bonus to hit and damage, yet take a -2 penalty to Defense and Avoid until the end of the next turn. If you are limited to only a standard action, you can do a charge at your normal movement speed as a standard.

Coup de Grace

This is made as a full-round attack against a helpless opponent.

When a coup de grace is made, treat the character’s soak as 1 for the purpose of the damage of the attack made. Though the damage is rolled normally, effects which trigger on a critical hit also trigger on a coup de grace (such as having a Deadly weapon.)

Withdraw

Making a withdraw attempt is a means to get away from a fight without getting harmed. Double your movement speed when you move, and you are immune to attacks of opportunity while withdrawing. If you are limited to only a standard action, you can take a withdraw action at your normal movement speed.

Preparing an Action

Preparing an action is made on your turn in place of taking an action itself (example: “I prepare to attack if I see any enemies”). You can prepare standard actions, move actions, swift actions, or free actions. Using a prepared action is an immediate action once the condition is met. Your initiative does not change when taking a prepared action.

Holding an Action

You can hold an action if you wish to take your action later in the initiative turn order. This changes your initiative to the new initiative.

Attack Location

If an attack is made but it’s unsure where the attack would hit when dealing damage, roll a 1d10 before damage is dealt and consult below (reroll on missing body parts). This is also repeat on the Armor page.

If you wish to speed up combat in your turn, you can default to hitting the enemies’ Body (it has a 50% chance of being hit, while the rest of the body parts have a 10% chance each).

NOTE: If the characters aren’t making a called shot and a critical hit is scored against a body part that is randomly rolled, that critical hit effect doesn’t take place. For example, critically hitting the head on a random roll doesn’t decapitate the opponent.

Combat Flow

This is meant to help some players understand the flow of combat, and how to structure their turn. This should also be understood by the GM in order to keep combat flowing properly and at a steady rate.

Taking/Dealing Damage

Character 1 attacks and rolls 8k4 (result of 28) against Character 2’s Defense. It’s a hit! First, the roll to see where it hit is made (result of 6, the Body) and then damage is rolled at a 6k3 (result of 27, Penetration 4).

Character 2 wears armor with 5 Deflection, and is reduced by 4 because of the weapon’s Penetration ending with 1 Deflection total. 1 is subtracted from the total damage for a new total of 26 damage. This is then divided against a Soak of 4, resulting in a 6.5 (rounded down to become 6). Character 2 takes 6 damage, and is reduced to 4 HP.

In return, Character 2 wishes to retaliate on their turn. They make an attack and rolls 8k4 as well (result of 36) against Character 1’s Defense. It’d be a critical hit, however Character 1 wishes to Dodge. At their level they roll 6k1 for a Dodge. It results in a 10, and adds to Defense. It doesn’t stop the attack from hitting, but transforms it from a critical hit into a regular hit. Damage is then carried out like above in a similar manner.

Dissecting a Turn

Characters in The Fade Tabletop each take turns during combat, representing their actions taken within a short time. Sometimes however it can be confusing when to take what actions. This reference turn is one of the most common types of actions taken by players - no fancy tricks needed. All you need to do is make sure beforehand that the numbers on your sheet are correct!

1. Move to the closest enemy (or Step if they are close enough)

2. Make an attack with your held weapon or chosen spell.

a) If you have multiple attacks, make them.

3. On a hit, deal damage.

a) Roll where you hit on the body if you do not make a called shot (or default to the Body).

b) Check your weapon’s Penetration against the body part’s Deflection if any.

4. End your turn.