Combat

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Listed here is all the HR information about how combat related mechanics should be run on NuMetal. Whenever possible they stick to the listed game mechanics of 20th anniversary edition. Whenever they conflict, we've specified the default rule to be used on NuMetal, consolidating the rules as much as possible.

  • Typical base difficulty for all rolls is 6.
    • If a mechanic is stated in terms of a primary ability, then a relevant secondary ability can be substituted at -1 difficulty.
    • If a mechanic is stated in terms of a secondary ability, then a relevant primary ability can be substituted at +1 difficulty.
    • If you don't have the ability at all, then consult the clarifications for untrained Abilities listed here.
    • If a substitution is explicitly mentioned below, then it's reiterating these clauses, not stacking with them.
  • Actions without a roll are automatically successful.
  • "Reflex" rolls don't count as actions.
    • Spending from a pool is a reflex, unless otherwise noted.
  • General combat maneuvers described here are allowed.
    • If you don't have a relevant stat/level/maneuver, you can still ICly attempt something similar while not benefiting from the system/bonuses and sticking with the game mechanics of general maneuvers.
  • All non-magical weapons and armor use the stats on this Equipment page. All players must follow the guidelines for what equipment must be requested and approved. Individual notes are not valid for any item that is mundane.
  • For mounted combat, see C20 page 279
  • Specialties may apply to combat.

Basics

Initiative

Determining initiative

Each character's initiative is their initiative rating (Dexterity + Wits) + 1d10

  • Optional: For a more dynamic flow of combat, this can be recalculated each turn
  • PCs: '+combat/init'
  • NPCs: '+combat/init <NPC's name>=<sum of NPC's Dexterity + Wits>'
  • Wound penalty reduces your initiative
    • '+combat/init' doesn't apply this or any other modifier automatically, you must account for them manually
  • Gurahl are -2 init during winter

Declaring actions

Characters declare intended actions in order of initiative, low to high

  • Characters performing multiple actions, using supernatural powers, or spending Willpower must declare those things during this step
  • Characters will act in the opposite order (high to low), thus slower characters telegraph their intent and faster ones can take it into account

Simpler alternative (mostly for PRPs)

Characters declare and act in order of initiative, high to low

  • This should be agreed upon before combat starts
  • First character declares and rolls, then types their pose while the next character is declaring and rolling, and so on
  • OOCly faster and simpler, no one has to deal with a large stack of upcoming declared actions
  • PRP runner should consider declaring for NPCs at start of turn, so that they still telegraph

Performing actions

Characters act in order of initiative, high to low

  • A character can delay their action and take it at any point later in the turn
  • If two characters have the same initiative (or delay until the same moment), then the one with the higher initiative rating acts first. If their initiative ratings are also equal, then they act simultaneously

Timing of multiple actions

Extra Actions consist of but are not limited to Celerity, Rage, Split Dice Pools, Etc.

  • Main phase: Each character acts once (unless they lose their action due to being stunned, etc.)(C20/276)
  • Extra phase: Any characters with multiple actions perform the rest of their actions in the usual order of initiative
    • Even if multiple actions are described by a book or +note as simultaneous, the player must choose an order for the purpose of determining their outcomes, and only the first one occurs in the main phase
    • Players may spend rage OR split dice pools for extra actions but not both. (W20/266)
    • Taking more actions than the lowest of your Wits or Dex actions results in a +3 Difficulty penalty to ALL actions for that round. (W20/288)

Attack

Close combat

Roll:

  • Without a weapon: Dexterity + Brawl
  • With a weapon: Dexterity + Melee

Modifiers:

  • If you don't have Brawl, roll Dexterity at normal difficulty
  • If you don't have Melee, roll Dexterity at +1 difficulty
  • +(variable) difficulty for wearing armor / shield
  • +1 difficulty for melee with a weapon designed for throwing

Ranged combat

Attacker rolls:

  • With a gun: Dexterity + Firearms
  • With a thrown weapon: Dexterity + Athletics (or Dexterity + Throwing at -1 difficulty)
    • Maximum range = (5 * Strength) yards
    • This is for objects up to 3 pounds (e.g. grenades, knives); -5 yards for every 2 additional pounds, down to minimum of 1 yard
    • If you can't lift it, you can't throw it
  • With a bow: Dexterity + Athletics (or Dexterity + Archery at -1 difficulty)
    • Before shooting a bow, a character must spend an action nocking and drawing an arrow (house rule: Archery specialty eliminates this requirement)
    • On a botch, the bowstring snaps. Repair requires a spare bowstring and an action (Wits + Archery, or Wits + Crafts)
  • With a crossbow: Dexterity + Athletics (or Dexterity + Archery at -1 difficulty or Dexterity + Firearms at +1 difficulty)
    • Before shooting a crossbow, a character must spend two actions reloading it (house rule: Crossbow specialty reduces this to one action)

Modifiers:

  • If you don't have the appropriate skill, roll Dexterity at +1 difficulty (stacked with other modifiers)
  • +(variable) difficulty for wearing armor / shield
  • +1 difficulty for throwing a weapon designed for melee

Resolution

Damage

Attacker rolls damage

  • A botch just counts as a failure
  • If you got multiple successes on the attack roll, add 1 damage die for each one beyond the first

Soak

Race Bashing Lethal Aggravated
Vampire (V20/272) Stamina + Fortitude Stamina + Fortitude Fortitude
Ghoul Stamina + Fortitude Stamina (unless out of Vitae) + Fortitude Fortitude
Shifters Stamina Stamina (see below) Stamina (see below)
Changeling (C20/282) Stamina Stamina (chimerical only) none
Mage Stamina none none
Mortal Stamina none none

Target rolls soak

  • Reflexive
  • Cannot botch, counts as a normal failure
  • Unsoaked damage decreases target's health

Armor

  • Generally adds to soak, regardless of severity (bashing / lethal / aggravated)
  • May not apply, depending on damage type (kinetic, fire, electricity, mental, etc.)
  • Doesn't apply if an unarmored body part is successfully targeted

Running out of health

  • Health 0 -> incapacitated
  • Incapacitated and take more bashing -> convert it to lethal
  • Incapacitated and take more lethal:
    • Vampires go into torpor (V20 page 283)
    • Werewolves and other shifters fall unconscious but remains in whatever form they were if the damage is bashing. If the damage is lethal (or becomes lethal) they may spend Rage to remain active, otherwise they revert to breed form, but die if they take any more damage of any type (W20 page 255)
    • Others (NPCs) just die
  • Incapacitated and take more aggravated -> die (Most shifters may still be able to Rage-heal, see below for details)

Vampires

  • Vampires, and only vampires, consider firearms attacks to be bashing damage as well — unless the bullets are aimed at the

head (difficulty 8), in which case they are considered lethal. (V20/284)

  • Fire and the rays of the sun inflict terrible wounds on the undead. (agg damage) (V20/285)
  • After the soak roll, any bashing damage applied to a vampire is halved (round down) (V20/285)

Shifters

Shifter Vulnerable to silver/gold/etc?
Ajaba Yes: Silver (Same as Garou, CB20/216)
Ananasi None (CB20/216)
Bastet Yes: Silver (Same as Garou, CB20/216)
Corax Yes: Gold (CB20/94,216)
Garou Yes: Silver (W20/256)
Gurahl Yes: Silver (Same as Garou, CB20/216)
Kitsune Yes: Silver, but damage is Lethal, diff 8 to soak (CB20/126,216)
Mokole Yes: Silver and Gold (CB20/142,216)
Nuwisha None (CB20/167,216)
Ratkin Yes: Silver (Same as Garou, CB20/216)
Rokea Yes: (Same as Garou)

When does a Shifter's Stamina apply to soak? (W20/255)

  • Silver/Gold (depending on specific vulnerabilities as noted in the side table)
    • For homid or lupus (or equivalent) in breed form, silver follow normal damage rules, and Stamina applies.
    • Otherwise, touching silver/gold does aggravated damage, and Stamina does not apply.
  • Other lethal/aggravated damage
    • In breed form, Stamina does not apply.
    • Otherwise, Stamina applies
  • Shifters trying to heal during combat (or other stressful or physically intensive activity): Reflexive Stamina roll difficulty 8, failure means no regenerative heal that round. (W20/256)

Wound penalties and healing

  • Wounds may subtract dice from your action dice pools.
    • Not reflex dice pools
    • Not damage dice pools
    • Not Arete rolls unless mage is incapacitated
  • Wounds may also limit your movement.
  • Spend a Willpower to ignore all wound penalties for one turn, unless you're incapacitated or worse
Damage Description Penalty Time to heal 1 bashing Time to heal 1 lethal/agg
1 Bruised none 1 hour 1 day
2 Hurt -1 1 hour 3 days
3 Injured -1, half speed 1 hour 1 week1
4 Wounded -2, walk 1 hour1 1 month1
5 Mauled -2, hobble (3 yards/turn) 3 hours1 2 months1
6 Crippled -5, crawl (1 yard/turn) 6 hours1 3 months1
7 Incapacitated cannot act or move 12 hours1 5 months1
1 Requires medical care (a character with Medicine 2 or better) to avoid further effects Without such treatment, an injured character suffers more-or-less permanent impairment until someone has an opportunity to fix that damage with supernatural powers. (M20/408)

Supernatural healing

Vampires

  • Do not heal due to passage of time like mortals. (V20/268)
  • Blood spent per turn (healing or otherwise) is limited by generation. (V20/121)
  • A level of aggravated damage may be healed only with a full day of rest and the expenditure of five blood points (though a vampire may, at the end of the full day’s rest, cure additional aggravated health levels by spending an additional five blood points and one Willpower point per extra aggravated health level to be healed). (V20/285)

Ghouls

  • Subject to same rules as vampires, except they do heal due to passage of time like mortals.(V20/501)
  • They can also regenerate limbs, though not automatically. To make a regeneration attempt, a ghoul must spend a Willpower point, spend an appropriate number of blood points (one for a finger or eye, two for a foot or forearm, three for an entire limb) and make a Stamina roll (difficulty 8). If the roll fails or is botched, the ghoul may never regrow the limb. Elder ghouls find regeneration easier: for each century of age, the difficulty of the roll decreases by one.(V20/501)

Shifters

  • Homid and lupus (or equivalents for fera) only regenerate this fast in non-breed form. In breed form, they heal 1 per day in critical condition, otherwise they heal like mortals. (W20/256)
  • Metis (or equivalents for fera) regenerate this fast in all forms. (W20/256)
  • If engaged in combat or other stressful activity, roll Stamina vs 8 (reflex). Fail = no healing that turn, botch = no healing until they rest. (W20/256)
  • Once per scene, a werewolf (or other shifter with Rage) past incapacitated can roll Rage (difficulty 8) to heal one health level per success (can avoid death this way), but start next turn in berserk frenzy. This is not a soak roll and is not applied to the damage done, but is rather counted from Incapacitated backwards. Example: 3 Successes on the Rage vs 8 roll puts you at Wounded regardless of damage taken. (W20/356)
  • Ananasi don’t regenerate. Instead, they spend their stored blood points to heal at a rate of one bashing or lethal level per point spent. A full scene of rest and five blood points will heal one level of aggravated damage. Without spending blood, Ananasi heal at the same rate as ordinary humans. (CB20/216)
  • Ananasi may spend blood for healing while in any form but Crawlerling. (CB20/60)
  • Kitsune heal as ordinary humans do, barring the use of healing Gifts. (CB20/126,216)
  • Rokea regenerate as Garou do, save that squamus Rokea also regenerate in breed form when immersed in salt water. (CB20/199,216)

Mages

  • A mage healing another person directly requires Life 3. (M20/407)
  • Mages healing aggravated damage is vulgar and costs 1 Quint per level of agg healed. (M20/407)

Changelings

Chimerical Damage Healing Times (C20/291)
Level Bashing Lethal
Bruised 30 Minutes Six Hours
Hurt 30 Minutes 12 Hours
Injured One Hour One Day
Wounded One Hour Six Hours
Mauled One Hour 12 Hours
Crippled Three Hours One Day
Incapacitated Six Hours Six Hours
  • Chimerical damage heals at an accelerated rate, and healing times are further halved if she recuperates in a freehold or glade. If she is in the Dreaming, these health levels heal at the rate of one per 15 minutes, regardless of their severity. Changelings reduced to Incapacitated outside of the Dreaming must be taken to a freehold, glade, or other strong source of Glamour in order to recover. (C20/290)
  • Physical damage heals at the normal rate, unless the changeling is taken to a freehold, glade, or similar strong source of Glamour, in which case the wounds heal at the rate chimerical wounds heal outside of a freehold or glade. Changelings reduced to Mauled or below on the health level track must receive medical attention in order to heal if they are not taken to a freehold or glade. (C20/290)
  • Aggravated damage must heal at the natural rate, and cannot be enhanced by magic. Even if the changeling recuperates in the freehold or glade, healing times are only halved, with a minimum of one day per health level required — even in the Dreaming, aggravated damage only heals one health level every 12 hours. (C20/290)


Power Healing Cost/time to heal 1 bashing Cost/time to heal 1 lethal Cost/time to heal 1 agg Ref
Vampire, ghoul 1 blood per level / 1 turn 1 blood per level / 1 turn 5 blood / 1 day V20/268,285
Ananasi 1 blood, 1 turn 1 blood, 1 turn 5 blood, 5 turns CB20/60
Shifter 0 / 1 turn 0 / 1 turn 1 day W20/256

General maneuvers

Aborting actions / Changing actions

  • You can abandon your character’s declared action in favor of a defensive action as long as your character hasn’t acted in the turn. Actions that can take the place of a previously declared action include block, dodge, and parry. A successful Willpower roll versus difficulty 6 (or the expenditure of a Willpower point) is required for a character to abort an action and perform a defensive one instead. (V20/274) (M20/416)
  • If your character fails her Willpower roll, she must perform her originally declared action, unless she spends a point of Willpower. (C20/276)
  • When spending Willpower for an abort maneuver, a character may declare the Willpower expenditure at the time of the abort. A Willpower roll to abort is considered a reflexive action. (V20/274) (M20/416)

Ambush

(M20/416) (C20/276) (V20/274)

  • Can't target someone already in combat
  • Resisted roll, attacker's Dexterity + Stealth versus target's Perception + Alertness
    • Attacker wins: one free attack, each additional success adds 1 die to attack roll; the target cannot perform any sort of defensive maneuver, and the target cannot even abort a previous action to perform a defensive maneuver.
    • Tie: attacker acts first but target can perform a defensive action
    • Target wins: determine initiative normally

Flank attacks / Rear attacks

(V20/274) (C20/276)

  • Attack from target's side: +1 die
  • Attack from target's rear: +2 dice
    • Does not apply if the target is not actively engaged with an opponent in melee and can turn to face the attacker.
    • If the target is engaged in melee with one opponent, the target can turn to the side against both to avoid being attacked from behind, giving +1 to both opponents rather than allowing +2 from one.
      • Target does not have this option on the first round if they are successfully ambushed.

Movement

  • Walk: 7 yards
  • Jog: 12 + Dexterity yards (V20/258)
  • Run: 20 + (3 x Dexterity) yards (C20/252)
  • Swim: 8 + Dexterity (unskilled)/ 12 + Dexterity (skilled) yards (M20/401)
  • Climb: 10 feet (3.3 yards) per (Dexterity + Athletics) success normally; 15-20 feet under ideal conditions; 5 feet per success under poor conditions.
    • Crinos Form: Move an additional 2 yards per turn by dropping to all fours. (W20/269)
    • Hispo Form: Move at one and one-half times human speed.
    • Wolf Form: Move at twice human speed.
  • Movement while performing another action (V20/258):
    • Limited to half your running distance
    • Doesn't count as multiple actions, but the action is -1 die per yard moved
    • Specific types of movement (e.g. leaping, tumbling) may require an action to perform


Multiple actions

(W20/233,/266) (V20/274) (M20/388) (C20/244)

  • The player first declares how many actions the character will take in a turn, and determines which one has the smallest dice pool. He may then allocate that number of dice among the actions as he sees fit, though each action must have at least one die allocated to it.
    • Does not apply to Desperate Defense
  • Extra actions from supernatural powers:
    • Not included in the above penalty
    • Cannot be split further
    • Cannot occur in the same turn as multiple non-supernatural actions, must choose either to split or use multiple actions.(W20/266)(HR for all other spheres)
    • Must be declared with initial action, cannot be added on later.
  • Specific supernatural powers
    • Celerity: spend one blood point per extra action up to the number of dots he has in Celerity at the beginning of

the relevant turn; this expenditure can go beyond her normal Generation maximum. Extra actions occur at the end of the round. (V20/142)

      • Celerity extra actions must be physical, not mental like Dominate. (V20/142)
    • Rage: this turn, get one extra action per point spent (maximum = half your Rage) (W20/266)
      • The 'half your Rage' cap applies only to Rage spent for extra actions, you can spend more Rage on other things in the same turn (W20/144)
      • If you perform more actions in a turn than either Dexterity or Wits, all actions are +3 difficulty. (W20/288)
        • Dexterity is the only limiter during Frenzy, Wits is ignored. (W20/288)
    • Distort Time (Time 3): get one extra action per 2 successes (HDYDT/107)
    • Quicksilver (Wayfare 2): Each success grants a subject one extra action or doubles her movement speed on her next turn. (C20/229)

Targeting

(C20/276) (V20/274) (HR for V and W)

  • May bypass armor or cover
  • Medium (arm, leg, briefcase): +1 difficulty, normal damage
  • Small (hand, head, laptop): +2 difficulty, +1 damage
  • Precise (eye, heart, lock): +3 difficulty, +2 damage
    • Stake through heart: target vampire's heart (+3 diff) and do 3+ damage (after soak). An immobilized victim is conscious (and may use perception powers, such as those in the Auspex Discipline), but may not move or spend blood points. (V20/280)

Defensive maneuvers

  • Each of the target's successes cancels one of the attacker's successes on the attack roll.
  • Even if you have lower initiative, you can declare a defense against an anticipated attack that hasn't been declared yet. If the attack does occur, then your defense resolves at the same time.
  • To abort to a defense, see " Aborting actions / Changing actions".

Block

  • Blocking is using a body part to deflect an attack.
  • Dexterity + Brawl
  • Melee combat only

Dodge

  • Dodging is avoiding contact with an attack.
  • Dexterity + Dodge
    • Difficulty may vary based on how much cover is available (see Cover) and how far away it is (see Movement) (M20/411) (W20/289)
      • Each success on this roll subtracts one success from the attacker’s roll (M20/411) (W20/289)
  • Versus Melee or Brawl: requires enough room to bob and weave (V20/275) (M20/411)
  • Versus Firearms: requires moving at least one yard and ending up behind cover, or dropping to the ground (V20/275)
  • Kitsune can't botch Dodge rolls (counts as simple failure) (CB20/126)

Parry

  • Dexterity + Melee
  • Close combat only
  • Requires weapon or shield
  • If you parry an unarmed attack with a lethal or aggravated weapon and get more successes, you damage the attacker, adding 1 damage die for each success over the attacker's. (M20/411) (V20/275) (C20/281)

Desperate defense

(C20/281) (V20/275) (M20/411)

  • Declare that you'll spend the entire turn performing defensive actions
  • Instead of the usual penalties for multiple actions, just subtract 1 die from the second action, 2 from the third, etc.

Close combat maneuvers

Attacks that require you to either directly touch the target, or hold a weapon that does so.

Bite

(M20/420) (W20/296) (V20/276)

  • Dexterity + Brawl, Damage: Str + 1
  • The most basic attack utilized by creatures with teeth.
  • Vampires: To use a bite attack, the vampire must first perform a successful clinch, hold, or tackle maneuver. On the turn following the successful attack, the player may declare the bite attempt and make a roll with a +1 bonus to attack. (V20/276)
    • Garou in Crinos, Hispo, and Lupus, and Vampires inflict aggravated damage with their bites, while many other creatures deal out lethal damage. (W20/296)
      • Glabro-form Garou may bite a target at difficulty 8, inflicting Strength –1 in lethal damage. (W20/296)

Claw

  • Dexterity + Brawl
  • Shifters: A werewolf inflicts aggravated damage on his opponent when in Crinos and Hispo form, bashing damage in Glabro or Lupus form. (W20/296)
  • Vampires: This attack is available to vampires with claws, such as those from the Protean power of Feral Claws or bone spurs constructed with the Vicissitude power of Bonecraft. (V20/276)
    • A Vampire claw attack inflicts aggravated damage (if Feral Claws) or lethal damage (if a Vicissitude-constructed weapon). (V20/276)
  • Mages: Cyborgs, beasts, shapechanged mages, and folks wearing surgically implanted claws can slash their enemies. Again, this inflicts lethal, not aggravated, damage unless the attacker has some sort of special advantage like Primium claws or Quintessence enhancement. Normal claws inflict Strength +1; Wolverine-style claws dish out Strength +2, and holy-shit-lemmie-outta-here claws may deal out Strength +3. (M20/420)
  • Changeling: Only characters, or more commonly monsters, with claws can use this maneuver. Claws inflict lethal or aggravated

damage. (C20/277)

Clinch / Grapple

(M20/421) (W20/297)

  • Strength + Brawl
  • Seizing an opponent, the attacker tries to either crush him (a clinch) or immobilize him (a hold).
  • If she wants to bring the pain with her attack, the player can roll her Strength to inflict damage, beginning on the next turn and continuing until her opponent breaks free.
  • Either character already in a clinch can use their action to:
    • Do damage = Strength
    • Escape (succeed at resisted Strength + Brawl versus Strength + Brawl)
    • Something else that doesn't require moving limbs

Disarm

(M20/420) (W20/296) (V20/276) (C20/277)

  • Target their weapon with your weapon: Dexterity + Melee, +1 difficult
    • Target their weapon without a weapon: Dexterity + Brawl - 1, +2 difficulty
  • If if the attacker' successes exceed her opponent’s Strength score, the target takes no damage but is disarmed. If the attacker doesn’t score enough successes to disarm the opponent, the attacker still inflicts her usual damage. If the attacker botches that roll, the attacker loses their own weapon instead.
  • Garou can only do this in Homid/Glabro/Crinos

Hold

  • Strength + Brawl
  • On success, attacker holds target (no damage)
  • Either character already in a hold can use their action to:
    • Escape (succeed at resisted Strength + Brawl versus Strength + Brawl)
    • Something else that doesn't require moving limbs

Jab pistol

(M20/423)

  • Dexterity + Brawl with pistol
  • Jamming a firearm directly into his opponent’s body, the attacker blasts a rather large hole in her.
  • +2 damage dice
  • Only pistols can be used this way

Kick

(M20/421) (W20/297) (V20/276) (C20/278)

  • Dexterity + Brawl, +1 difficulty, damage = Strength + 1
  • Garou can only do this in Homid/Glabro/Crinos
    • A Crinos werewolf kicking a normal human, however, may inflict lethal damage from sheer mass and power.

Multiple opponents

(M20/417) (V20/276) (C20/278)

  • Attack and defense are +1 difficulty per each additional attacker, maximum +4
    • A mage who has Correspondence 1, Mind 1, or Time 2 and has an active sensory Effect in one of those Spheres going at the time of combat can ignore this penalty.

Strike / punch

(M20/421) (W20/298) (V20/276) (C20/278)

  • Normal brawl attack
  • Garou can only do this in Homid/Glabro/Crinos

Sweep

(M20/422) (W20/298) (C20/279)

  • Dexterity + Brawl (leg) or Melee (weapon)
    • Garou in Crinos can sweep smaller target with arm
  • +2 difficulty
  • On success: knockdown
    • Damage = none

Tackle

(M20/422) (W20/298)

  • Strength + Brawl
    • Damage = Strength + 1
  • A tackle requires at least two yards of distance to achieve effective momentum.
    • Each combatant must make a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 6 for the attacker, difficulty 6 + the attacker’s successes for the target) or else wind up sprawled on the ground afterward.
  • A would-be tackler who botches trips and falls (inflicting one die of damage upon himself for every yard he ran); slams into something else (inflicting that damage plus his Strength damage upon himself); or crashes into his target and bounces off (suffering the opponent’s Stamina in damage, but leaving the target unharmed).

Weapon length / Close distance

(M20/420) (W20/296) (V20/277) (C20/288)

  • Target's weapon longer than yours: -1 die

Ranged maneuvers

Aiming

(M20/418) (W20/293) (V20/277) (C20/280)

  • Requires at least one dot in the skill being used (Firearms, Energy Weapons, Athletics, Archery)
  • Can't be used with shotguns or SMGs
  • Spend one or more turns doing nothing but aiming (cannot move faster than a slow walk)
  • +1 die per turn (maximum of your Perception)
  • Additional +2 dice (regardless of number of turns) if using a scope or laser sight
  • Target must be moving no faster than walk

Automatic fire

(M20/418) (W20/294) (V20/278) (C20/280)

  • Requires SMG or assault rifle with clip at least half full
  • +2 difficulty, +10 dice, empty clip
  • May not target a specific area of the body

Strafing / Spraying

(M20/418) (V20/278) (C20/280)

  • Requires SMG or assault rifle with clip at least half full
  • +2 difficulty, +10 dice, empty clip
  • All targets must be within 3 yards of each other
  • Successes divided evenly among all targets, attacker chooses how to assign leftovers
    • If only one target, successes are halved
  • Dodging such an attack is +1 difficulty
  • Can't target specific body parts

Cover

(M20/419) (W20/294) (V20/278) (C20/280)

  • Light (lying prone, behind telephone pole / streetlight): +1 difficulty to be hit, normal difficulty to attack
  • Moving (faster than a walk): +1 difficulty to be hit, +1 difficulty to attack
  • Good (behind wall): +2 difficulty to be hit, +1 difficulty to attack
  • Superior (only head exposed): +3 difficulty to be hit, +2 difficulty to attack
    • Note that difficulties for combatants who are both under cover are cumulative. If two people are firing at each other from Superior cover, both are at +5 difficulty to be hit and +5 difficulty to hit the other.

Multiple shots

  • Multiple-action penalties apply as normal
  • Can't exceed weapon's rate of fire

Range

(M20/419) (W20/294) (V20/278) (C20/280)

  • Within 2 yards (point-blank): -2 difficulty
  • Outside normal range: +2 difficulty
  • Outside maximum range (twice normal range): automatic miss

Reloading

(M20/419) (W20/295) (HR for V and C)

  • Takes an action, but can still be fired in the same turn at a -2 dice penalty, if using a magazine, clip, or speedloader.

Three-round burst

(M20/419) (W20/295) (HR for V and C)

  • Requires rate of fire 3+
  • +1 difficulty, +3 dice

Two weapons

(M20/420) (V20/278) (C20/276)

  • Off hand is +1 difficulty, unless you have the Ambidextrous merit
  • Multiple-action penalties apply as normal

Complications

Blinded

(M20/416) (W20/292) (V20/274) (C20/283)

  • If a character is completely blind or fighting in complete or almost complete darkness, then she cannot perform any ranged attacks or defensive maneuvers, and the difficulty of all of her other visually dependent actions increase by +2.
  • Given the keen senses of some supernatural characters, a player could take an action to sense her character’s surroundings in order to reduce that penalty, or else use a power to compensate for blindness.

Dazed / Stunned

(M20/417) (W20/292) (C20/283) (HR for V)

  • If – after the soak roll – a character suffers health-level damage that equals or exceeds her Stamina rating, she’s stunned until the end of the following turn. The stunned character can’t do anything except perhaps stumble around in a daze.
  • Attack rolls against her during that time reduce their difficulty by -2.

Immobilized

(M20/416) (W20/292) (C20/283) (HR for V)

  • When a character gets held down, paralyzed, or otherwise rendered unable to move, any other character who attacks him reduces her difficulty by -2 if the target can still move around a bit.
  • The attacker may hit him automatically if he cannot move at all.

Knockdown

(M20/416) (W20/292) (C20/283)

  • If an attack or other circumstance causes a character to fall down, he must take one action to scramble back to his feet. If for some reason he can’t, he’s counted as partially immobilized until he regains his feet.

(V20/279)

  • After suffering a knockdown, the subject makes a Dexterity + Athletics roll. If successful, she may get back on her feet immediately, but her initiative is reduced by two in the next turn. On a failed roll, the subject spends her next action climbing to her feet, if she chooses to rise. On a botch, she lands particularly hard or at a severe angle, taking an automatic health level of bashing damage.
    • Dexterity + Athletics (reflex)
      • Success: get up immediately, but -2 initiative next turn
      • Failure: getting up requires an action
      • Botch: 1 bashing, unsoakable
  • Until you get up: partially immobilized (see above)

Movement

  • Attacker moving faster than walk: +1 difficulty
  • Target moving faster than walk: +1 difficulty

Multiple Opponents

  • A character who’s fighting several opponents at close range suffers a penalty of +1 difficulty per attacker to both her attack

and defense rolls, up to a maximum penalty of +4. (M20/417)

    • A mage who has Correspondence 1, Mind 1, or Time 2 and has an active sensory Effect in one of those Spheres going at the

time of combat can ignore this penalty. (M20/417)

Magic during combat

Limits by race

  • SA player cannot use both Rage and Gnosis in the same turn, whether spending points or rolling the Trait. The only exceptions are certain Gifts that demand both to function. These two forces are very powerful, and the Garou’s body is not strong enough to pull the power from these two natures simultaneously. (W20/146)
    • See "Multiple actions" for limits on Rage for extra actions.
  • A mage can cast only one Effect per turn, even if she’s using Time 3 magick to speed up her activities. She may, however, keep any number of Effects running at a time, although it becomes more and more difficult for her to do so. Game-wise, you add +1 to your difficulty for every two Effects you have running at one time – that is, +1 difficulty for two Effects, +2 for four Effects, +3 for six Effects, and so on. And by “running,” we mean an Effect that demands ongoing concentration - a summoning, a force field, weather control, and so on. An Effect that has a Time-based trigger, one which has been locked into another Pattern, or one that has been cast but whose duration has not yet expired, does not count toward that total. (M20/528-529)
  • No more than two Effects can be used at once during the casting of a ritual. (M20/529)
    • Triggering an Artifact/Invention uses your Arete and thus counts against your limit. Continuously active items don't need to be triggered.
    • Triggering a Talisman/Device uses the item's Arete and thus doesn't count against your limit; you and the item can each cast one Arete effect per turn.

Additional fera stuff

  • Corax in Crinos or Corvid: -1 diff Athletics
  • Gurahl in anything but Homid: -2 diff Perception based on smell, +2 diff Perception based on sight
  • Rokea in Chasmus or Gladius have jagged skin (hit them barehanded -> 2 levels lethal, soakable if you can soak lethal)