Stage 1: Initiative
Initiative is defined as an Initiative Rating (Wits+Dex) + a d10 for randomness. The Gift 'Spirit of the Fray' adds an additional 10, and may add 10 more per point of Gnosis spent.
Note that the Wits+Dexterity is not a diepool, but a number. All you roll is one d10.
Initiative
(Wits+Dexterity) +d10
Roll for initiative. Actions are declared in order of worst score first, allowing the faster characters to react faster. (moderator discretion) The character with the highest initiative performs her action first. Offensive Actions can be delayed to any time later in the order of initiative. If two players have reached the same score, the one with the higher Initiative Rating goes first (otherwise assume it is simultaneous). Wound penalties are applied to the total number after the roll.
Also, Defensive Actions may be held to the end as well. Multiple actions ALWAYs occur at the end of each round in the order of initiative. Actions increased by Rage, or other powers, can not be split.
Declare any multiple actions, reducing dice pools accordingly. Declare Gift activation and Willpower expenditure.
Dice Pool Splitting
Sometimes a character needs to dodge or perform multiple actions at once. Previously, the physical number of dice used were split between those actions. That has changed.
The new system is summarized best as a formula. Take the number of actions. That is how many dice are removed from the first action's dice pool. Each action after that gets an additional penalty of one die removed.
For example. Bob has three actions he wants to do, with dice pools of 7, 5, 6. The modifiers are 3 (# actions) , 4 (# actions +1), 5 (# actions +2, etc). This does not affect the difficulty, only the die pool.
So the dice rolled are 4, 1, 1.
Number of Actions |
Dice Pool Reduction: First |
Dice Pool Reduction: Second |
Dice Pool Reduction: Third |
Dice Pool Reduction: Fourth |
Dice Pool Reduction: Fifth |
2 |
2 |
3 |
— |
— |
— |
3 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
— |
— |
4 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
— |
5 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
Stage 2: Attack
Close Attack
Dex+Brawl/For Hand-to-Hand
Dex+Melee/For Weapons
Ranged Attack
Dex+Firearms/Archery/For guns and bows
Dex+Athletics/For thrown weapons
Dexterity Alone/ If you have no combat abilities. Firearms or Melee get a +1 to diff if you don't have that skill.
Attacks are made at difficulty 6, with variable modifiers.
Attacks can be aborted by making a increasing the difficulty by one (WRev p206), or spending a WP.
Botches and Successes
Botches now only occur when absolutely no successes were rolled in the failed attempt. In other words, if you roll 1 success and 8 1’s, it still is not a botch. Keep in mind that some abilities now have a severe penalty for botches.
Before, Firearms received a bonus to the damage roll equal to the number of successes needed for the attack to be successful. This now applies to ALL forms of combat and is referred to as the Accuracy Bonus. So if you rolled 4 successes on the attack and your opponent rolls 1 successful dodge, you get to add two more dice of damage.
(4 successes to hit - 1 dodge = 3 successes. 3 successes = 1 success to hit and 2 successes over what you needed applied to damage dice pool)Accuracy Bonus also refers to certain actions (like Automatic weapon fire), but that is applied to the To Hit roll.
Keep in mind that a player may decide that an action is at least minorly successful anytime their die pool is as large as the difficulty. Although players with sufficient die pools in combat may get an autosuccess, keep in mind that only one success on a dodge/parry/block is easy and also possible to be an autosuccess. Autosuccesses are a good justification for ST purposes, but should not be used on combat.
Stage 3: Avoidance
Block is Dex + Brawl used to deflect bashing attacks. Lethal and aggravated assaults require Armor.
Dodge is Dex + Dodge used to sidestep or roll for cover.
Parry is Dex + Melee used to redirect an attack. If a character makes a brawl attack and the defender parries with a lethal weapon, than the attacker can be hurt by a parry if the defender rolls more successes. (Damage = Weapon’s base damage + successes)
Remember that multiple dodges have an increased difficulty in the dice pool based on the new multiple actions rule!
Stage 4: Soak & Damage
A soak roll for all is always a Stamina roll at diff: 6. Armor can be applied to physical based aggravated attacks (claws), lethal, or bashing. Certain called shots may negate this addition to the Stamina roll. We do not support the optional rule for soaking lethal at a difficulty 8.
Damage exists in three types for most supernaturals, now. Bashing (or blunt trauma), Lethal (piercing or slashing trauma), and Aggravated (system specific weaknesses).
Bashing damage applied to the head (+2 to a difficulty) is lethal damage due to brain damage.
Mortals generally have only Bashing and Lethal Damage. All damage listed as aggravated (such as teeth and claw attacks) do Lethal damage to normal mortals. Face it, a claw or a knife is going to disembowel a person the same way.
Bashing is soakable by Stamina and Armor. Lethal is not soakable. Lethal damage has extended healing times.
Garou and Fera possess all three levels.
"Werewolves recover from wounds at a very rapid pace, healing one Health Level per turn unless the damage is aggravated. There are two exceptions: homid and lupus Garou in their natural breed forms heal no faster than normal humans(wolves)"
Breed forms can soak aggravated, silver, lethal, and bashing, but can not regenerate, unless they are Metis. Metis can never soak silver.
Bashing is soaked by Stamina, Gifts, and Armor. Regenerates automatically, although a Stamina roll is required in combat.
Lethal is soaked by Stamina, Gifts, and Armor. Regenerates automatically, although a Stamina roll is required in combat.
Aggravated is soakable only by Stamina, Gifts or Armor and only in Non-Breed Form (Metis exception).
Special for Shifters: Silver. Nonsoakable. Silver is soakable in Homid and Breed Forms (Metis exception). Silver automatically does at least one point of damage.
