STA Rules Brief - Combat

Aug 31, 2023 3:25 pm
Combat!
During a Turn in a Conflict, a Player Character can attempt one Minor Action and one Task. After the character completes his or her Turn, the action passes to the opposing side. However, the Player may spend two Momentum to instead pass the action to another Player Character. This is called Keep the Initiative, but the Players cannot Keep the Initiative again until the opposition have taken a turn of their own.

SET PHASERS TO STUN

In order to stun your opponent, you must declare that you are making a Non-lethal attack before rolling the dice. Alternatively, the ranking officer in charge can make this declaration for the Player Characters by ordering them to set their phasers to stun.

Characters are stunned when they suffer an Injury from a Non-lethal attack. An Injury occurs in one of two ways:
* The character takes 5 or more damage from a single attack (after reduction from Resistance, if any).
* The character is reduced to 0 Stress.

Injured characters cannot attempt Tasks, perform Minor Actions, or participate in the encounter.

LETHAL ATTACKS

A Player Character who makes a Lethal attack, or an "attack to kill," adds one point to the Threat Pool. A Non-Player Character who makes a Lethal attack must spend one point of Threat.

AVOIDING INJURIES

Characters may Avoid an Injury once per scene. There are several ways Player Characters may avoid or temporarily ignore the effects of an Injury (rules booklet, p.14). Notable NPCs can spend two Threat to Avoid an Injury. Minor NPCs do not have this ability.

RECOVERY AND FIRST AID

Characters recover automatically from Non-lethal Injuries at the start of the next scene. If the Injury resulted from a Lethal attack, the character will die if they do not receive First Aid before the scene ends. This is a Daring + Medicine Task, with a Difficulty of 1. Success stabilizes the injured character, but the character needs further treatment to remove the Injury. This cannot be done during a Conflict, and requires a successful Control + Medicine Task, with a Difficulty of 2 (though circumstances may increase this).

CONFLICT ACTIONS

During a Turn in combat a character can attempt one Task and several Minor Actions. A character can perform one Minor Action for free. Each additional Minor Action costs Momentum (Immediate) equal to the number of Minor Actions already performed that Turn. Each Minor Action can only be attempted once per Turn.

MINOR ACTIONS

* Aim: the character may re-roll a single d20 made on an attack during this Turn.
* Draw Item: the character may pick up an item within Reach, draw a weapon or pull out another item carried on their person or stowed in their gear.
* Drop Prone: the character immediately drops to the ground, making them a smaller target. A character may not Drop Prone and Stand in the same Turn.
* Interact: the character interacts with an object in the environment. Complex interactions may require a Task instead.
* Movement: the character moves to any point within Medium range. This Minor Action cannot be carried out if the character performs any movement-related Tasks.
* Prepare: the character prepares for, or spends time setting up, a Task. Some Tasks require a Minor Action to be taken before the Task can be attempted, or the Minor Action gives a bonus.
* Stand: if the character is prone they may use a Minor Action to stand, removing all the benefits and disadvantages of being prone. A character may not Stand and Drop Prone in the same Turn.

COMBAT TASKS

* Assist: the character performs some activity that will grant an ally an advantage. The character nominates a single ally with whom they can communicate and assists their next Task.
* Attack: the character attacks an enemy or another viable target.
* Create Advantage: the character creates some beneficial circumstance or removes a Complication.
* Direct: this action is only available for commanding officers. The character nominates a single other character present who may immediately attempt a single Task, assisted by the commanding character.
* Guard: the character finds some defensible position, focuses on their surroundings, or otherwise gains additional readiness for an attack.
* Pass: the character chooses not to attempt a Task.
* Ready: the character declares that they are waiting for a specific situation or event to occur before attempting
a Task.
* Recover: the character gets behind cover, and attempts a Fitness + Command Task with a Difficulty of 2. They gain one additional Resistance for each Effect rolled on Cover Dice and regain the ability to Avoid an Injury. Further, the character regains 2 Stress per Momentum spent.
* Sprint: the character attempts to move further and more quickly. This is a Fitness + Security Task, Difficulty 0. Success means you move one zone, one additional zone per Momentum spent (Repeatable).
* First Aid: the character attempts to treat the injury of a character within Reach.
* Other Tasks: a range of other Tasks can be performed during combat. The Gamemaster can use their discretion in setting limits on these tasks.

ATTACKS AND DAMAGE

The process for making an attack is as follows:
1. The attacker chooses a weapon for the attack. This can be a ranged weapon, a melee weapon, or attacking with no weapon (an Unarmed Strike).
2. The attacker then nominates a viable target for that weapon. A melee weapon (or an Unarmed Strike) can only be used to attack enemies and objects within Reach. A ranged weapon can be used to attack enemies that are visible to the attacker.
3. The character declares whether the attack is intended to be Non-lethal or Lethal. If the character intends to make a Lethal attack, add a single point to the Threat pool.
4. The attacker attempts a Task, determined by the type of attack:
A. For a melee attack, the attacker attempts a Daring + Security Task with a Difficulty of 1, opposed by the target’s Daring + Security (also Difficulty 1). If the target wins the Opposed Task, then they are considered to have made a successful attack instead.
B. For a ranged attack, the attacker attempts a Control + Security Task with a Difficulty of 2. This is not an Opposed Task. The Difficulty of this Task increases by 1 if there is an enemy within Reach of the attacker. The Complication Range of the attack increases by 1 if there are creatures within Reach of the target. A Complication may indicate that one of the other, nearby creatures is struck by the attack.

5. If the attack is successful the attacker inflicts damage. Roll the number of for the attack or hazard’s damage rating. The total rolled is amount of damage the attack or hazard inflicts.
6. If the target has any Resistance Dice (from Cover and the like), roll those dice, and add the total rolled to the character’s static Resistance, if any. The total is the character’s total Resistance for that attack.
7. Reduce the total damage rolled by one for each point of total Resistance. If there’s one or more damage remaining after this reduction, the character loses one point of Stress for each point of remaining damage. The character may also suffer an Injury if one or more of the following conditions occurs:
A. If the character suffers five or more damage from a single attack or hazard, after reduction from Resistance, the character suffers an Injury.
B. If the character is reduced to 0 Stress by that attack or hazard, they suffer an Injury.
C. If the character had 0 Stress before the attack or hazard, and the attack or hazard inflicts one or more damage, the character suffers an Injury.


If two of the conditions occur the character suffers two Injuries, resolved one at a time.

When a character suffers an Injury they are incapacitated. They cannot carry out any Minor Actions or attempt any Tasks for the remainder of the scene. A character that suffers a second Injury when already suffering from a Non-lethal Injury now suffers from a Lethal Injury instead. A character that suffers an Injury while already suffering from a Lethal Injury is dead. When a character suffers an Injury, they have the option to avoid it as they can dive aside at the last moment, duck into cover, or otherwise dodge out of the way. Avoiding an Injury in this way has a price: it costs 2 Momentum (Immediate), or requires that the character suffer a Complication (minor injury, collateral damage, etc.). A character may only Avoid an Injury once per scene, though they may regain the ability (up to one use) by taking the Recover Task.

A character who succeeds at a melee attack whether they were the attacker or the target can immediately leave their enemy’s Reach instead of inflicting damage. The character fends off their opponent instead of attacking.
Aug 31, 2023 3:27 pm
COMBAT MOMENTUM SPENDS

Momentum is a key tactical resource during combat. When a character generates Momentum in combat, they have numerous options available to overcome their enemies, empower their allies, and bolster their own prowess.

The table below provides additional options available to a character when they generate one or more Momentum in combat. These are in addition to the normal uses of Momentum, and any others that Players or the GM creates. Under Cost, where a spend is listed with an "R", it is Repeatable. Where the spend is listed with an "I", it means the spend is Immediate. If neither note is present, then the Momentum spend may only be used once per Round at most.

MOMENTUM SPEND COST EFFECT
I = Immediate Spend, R = Repeatable (may be done multiple times)
Added Stress 1 (R) Increase the Stress inflicted by a successful attack by 1 for each Momentum spent.
Disarm 2 One weapon held by the target is knocked away and falls to the ground within Reach.
Extra Minor Actions 1+ (I, R) Take additional Minor Actions.
Keep the Initiative 2 (I) Pass the action order to another ally instead of the enemy; may only be done once before the enemy has taken at least one turn.
Penetration 1 (R) Ignore 2 Resistance for each Momentum spent.
Re-roll A Pool 1 Re-roll any number of CD in your current dice pool.
Avoid an Injury 2 (I) Avoid suffering a single Injury. The cost may be paid by suffering a Complication instead. Other factors may increase the cost further. May only be used once per scene, though additional uses can be obtained.
Secondary Target 2 A second target within Reach of the attack’s target is also affected by the attack, and suffers half the attack’s Stress, rounding down.
Swift Task 2 The character may attempt one additional Task, increasing the Difficulty by 1 over what the Task would normally require.
Aug 31, 2023 3:28 pm
WEAPON STRESS EFFECTS

The following abilities provide additional benefits whenever an Effect is rolled on the [CD] (see Challenge Dice on p.53). Whether one or more Effects are rolled, all Stress Effects that apply to that attack are triggered.
Area The attack affects a wider area, and can affect several targets at once. The attack automatically affects any character or damageable object within Reach of the initial target, and then one additional target within Close range of the initial target for each Effect rolled, starting with the next closest (as determined by the Gamemaster). If one or more Complications is rolled when using an Area attack, the Gamemaster may choose to use Complications to have an ally in the area affected by the attack. A target cannot be hit if it would have been more difficult to hit than the initial target.
Intense The attack is designed to inflict massive harm on a target, incapacitating them far more swiftly. The Cost to Avoid an Injury caused by an Intense weapon increases by one Momentum for each Effect rolled.
Knockdown If one or more Effects are rolled on this attack, the target is knocked prone. The target may resist this effect by adding a number of points to Threat equal to the number of Effects rolled (NPCs spend points from Threat instead of adding to Threat).
Piercing X The attack ignores X points of the target’s total Resistance for each Effect rolled.
Vicious X The attack inflicts X additional Stress for each Effect rolled.
Aug 31, 2023 3:29 pm
WEAPON QUALITIES

The following additional qualities alter the way the weapon functions, some in positive ways, others by applying restrictions.
Accurate The weapon is especially precise, often incorporating additional sights that allow the user to use the weapon more accurately. If the character performs the Aim Minor * * Action before making an attack with this weapon, then any number of d20s may be re-rolled, instead of the normal benefits of aiming.
Charge The weapon has an adaptable energy supply, allowing its potency to be scaled to various levels. If the character performs a Prepare Minor Action before attacking with this weapon, they may add one of the following Stress Effects to the attack: Area, Intense, Piercing 2, or Vicious 1.
Cumbersome The weapon takes patience and precision to use effectively. The weapon cannot be used to attack unless a Prepare Minor Action is performed during the same turn.
Deadly The weapon is designed to be lethal; if the character attempts to make a Non- Lethal attack with this weapon, the Difficulty of the attack increases by 1.
Debilitating Medicine Tasks to perform First Aid on characters injured by this weapon, or to heal Injuries caused by this weapon, increase in Difficulty by 1.
Grenade The weapon is a throwable explosive or energetic device, normally carried in small quantities. It cannot be used to make attacks against an enemy at Long or Extreme range. A character with a Grenade weapon has sufficient grenades to make three attacks with it during a scene.
Hidden X The weapon is easy to conceal, or designed to be disguised. When the weapon is hidden, any search of the owning character requires an Insight + Security or Reason + Security Task, with a Difficulty of X, to locate the weapon. A character may use a Minor Action to conceal a Hidden weapon.
Inaccurate The weapon is imprecise and clumsy, and very little can be done to change that. The character gains no benefit from the Aim Minor Action when making an attack with this weapon.
Non-Lethal The weapon is non-lethal, rather than deadly; if the character attempts to make a Lethal attack with this weapon, the Difficulty of the attack increases by 1.

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