Rules Addendum
These are rules that are in place that may either be vague in the source material, or have been modified for the campaign
Skills: Unless otherwise noted, use the skill progression/description from Rifts Ultimate Edition, including for any mention of per-requisites. If a skill program explicitly gives you a skill (i.e. it is directly listed, and not one you get to choose from), you are assumed to also have any of the per-requisite skills required for the skills listed in the program, with the same education bonus.
Duplicate Skills: If, through the course of skill program selection, you end up with duplicate skills, you may trade these duplicates for a skill in the same category or area appropriate to the skill program. In this case, you are still required to meet the per-requisites to be able to make this new selection - they are not granted outright.
Dodging: When performing a Dodge, you may take your movement after the attempt, as part of the Dodge Action; this may place you behind cover or out of the way for further possible attacks, depending on the circumstances. Uses up your very next attack/actions
Grappeling / Holds: Due to the various powers, levels of strength, etcetera, the grappeling rules are a bit modified
Leaping in Combat: Values in the table below are in inches per point of PS. Running leaps require 4 actions to perform, as you must get up to speed and prepare for the jump. Note that extended "air time" will take possibly take multiple actions to complete, which may mean that you are flying through the air for multiple actions. As a general rule, any leaping beyond 20 feet will take the whole action (may still be used as part of a leap attack/ jump kick), any leap covering more than 70 feet will take two actions, more than 140 will take 3, more than 300 will take 4, and so on. Trying to hit a specific target for these long-ranged leaps will halve your normal strike bonus.
Power Attack: Includes punches, kicks, and even weapon strikes. Counts as 2 attacks, does DOUBLE DICE in damage (do NOT double the static damage bonuses from high PS, Hand to Hand training, or similar sources.) CANNOT be done with Energy or Ranged attacks unless otherwise noted. Prone: Characters who have been knocked down or are otherwise on the ground/not on their feet are considered prone, unless a power or ability would negate this; -2 to all combat actions till they regain their footing (usually requires an action).
Pull Punch: Standard difficulty is 10; CANNOT be used on a Power-Attack, unless otherwise specified. May also be used to lower the intensity of powers to do less- or non-damaging applications, such as providing electricity, a slow, controlled flame, or other such gimmick; the more intricate or fine-tuned the gimmick, the more difficult it is.
Roll with Impact:
General
Auto-Fail: Unless otherwise indicated, die-rolls of 1-4 are considered automatic failures, regardless of the bonuses added to them. (This is to keep things interesting/dynamic, even in the face of large bonuses that are possible when combining powers, abilities, equipment, etc)Skills: Unless otherwise noted, use the skill progression/description from Rifts Ultimate Edition, including for any mention of per-requisites. If a skill program explicitly gives you a skill (i.e. it is directly listed, and not one you get to choose from), you are assumed to also have any of the per-requisite skills required for the skills listed in the program, with the same education bonus.
Duplicate Skills: If, through the course of skill program selection, you end up with duplicate skills, you may trade these duplicates for a skill in the same category or area appropriate to the skill program. In this case, you are still required to meet the per-requisites to be able to make this new selection - they are not granted outright.
Combat
Auto-Dodge: Cannot be used to evade area-of-effect attacks, unless the source of the Auto-Dodge allows complete movement outside of the affected area (such as Teleportation or Distort Space). Does NOT get the movement option that an ordinary Dodge gets (see above)Dodging: When performing a Dodge, you may take your movement after the attempt, as part of the Dodge Action; this may place you behind cover or out of the way for further possible attacks, depending on the circumstances. Uses up your very next attack/actions
Grappeling / Holds: Due to the various powers, levels of strength, etcetera, the grappeling rules are a bit modified
- Manuevers covered by these rules include: Pin, Crush/Squeeze, Choke Hold, all Holds (Arm, Body, Leg, Neck)
- Maunevers available to any: Choke Hold, Crush/Squeeze.
- All Holds are gained via skill: Wrestling at first level, H2H Martial Arts/Assassin at level 3, H2H Expert at level 4, and H2H Basic at level 5. Pin is specific to the Wrestling skill
- Applying a manuever requires a successful Strike roll (Which normally does NOT require surpassing an AR; though if any damage is to be done, a roll above the AR must succeed first - getting the appropriate position to inflict damage through whatever protection exists). Maintaining a manuever is a contested roll of the attacker and victims, the default using their PS scores, + 1D20. Rolls to break out occurr on the DEFENDER'S action, while any attempt to change or do damage occurs on the ATTCKER'S action.
- Attackers may add any "+X to Holds" bonus they have. If they knowledge of Holds, they may choose to use their PP score in lieu of the PS score.
- Defenders may choose to use their PS or PP scores to escape a grappel. Those with the Escape Artist Skill can get a +1 bonus for every 15% they succeed in a skill check.
- Different levels of Strength: for each cataorgy of difference in strength, the stronger character enjoys a +10 Bonus on the roll
- While engaged in a grapple, a character cannot normally defend themslves from outside attacks, nor can they attack others, unless they have some form of attack that can be done at range, such as energy expulsion abilities or telekinesis. Any such attack is done "wild", though, as they are in the midst of struggling with the other person/people involved in the grapple
- Applying Damage: Crush/Squeeze does base 1D4 damage. A Choke hold does 1D6 damage straight to HP*. Holds are not intended to do damage, but to immobilize the target; Arm holds allow the attcker to remove items from the hands, leg holds prevent land-based movement, Neck-Holds prevent speech.
- Base Bonus: Use PP Bonus
- H2H Skill Bonus: +1 from Basic or Expert, +2 from any other H2H Skill (Martial Arts, Assassin, Commando, etc). an additional +1 is gained at levels 6 and 12 for all H2H skills
- Other Skill Bonuses: +2 for EACH Acrobatics or Gymnastics; each skill will also add +1 at levels 4, 8, 12, and 15
- Effects: If successful, the target takes the damage but remains on their feet. failure means becoming prone.
Leaping in Combat: Values in the table below are in inches per point of PS. Running leaps require 4 actions to perform, as you must get up to speed and prepare for the jump. Note that extended "air time" will take possibly take multiple actions to complete, which may mean that you are flying through the air for multiple actions. As a general rule, any leaping beyond 20 feet will take the whole action (may still be used as part of a leap attack/ jump kick), any leap covering more than 70 feet will take two actions, more than 140 will take 3, more than 300 will take 4, and so on. Trying to hit a specific target for these long-ranged leaps will halve your normal strike bonus.
Normal PS | Extraordinary PS | Superhuman PS | Supernatural PS | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Running Leap (Distance) | 6 | 12 | 24 | 72 |
Running Leap (Height) | 3 | 6 | 12 | 48 |
Standing Leap (Dstance) | 4 | 7 | 14 | 43 |
Standing Leap (Height) | 2 | 4 | 7 | 29 |
Power Attack: Includes punches, kicks, and even weapon strikes. Counts as 2 attacks, does DOUBLE DICE in damage (do NOT double the static damage bonuses from high PS, Hand to Hand training, or similar sources.) CANNOT be done with Energy or Ranged attacks unless otherwise noted. Prone: Characters who have been knocked down or are otherwise on the ground/not on their feet are considered prone, unless a power or ability would negate this; -2 to all combat actions till they regain their footing (usually requires an action).
Pull Punch: Standard difficulty is 10; CANNOT be used on a Power-Attack, unless otherwise specified. May also be used to lower the intensity of powers to do less- or non-damaging applications, such as providing electricity, a slow, controlled flame, or other such gimmick; the more intricate or fine-tuned the gimmick, the more difficult it is.
Roll with Impact:
- You have a number of "free" roll with Impact attempts equal to half your attacks per melee (rounded DOWN) ; These free attempts do not cost an action to use, but any further attempts would cost you an action each. This count resets at the start of every melee round.
- Roll with Impacts can generally only be taken in response to physical trauma (punches, kicks, weapon attacks, explosions, hit by a vehicle, etc), not against energy attacks.
- If a character involved in a simultaneous attack has the ability to make an auto-dodge, they are still allowed that defense when engaging in a simultaneous attack.
- A character cannot declare simultaneous attack till their first initiative has come up in the encounter.
Taking Damage & Armor
Body Armor: Unless called shots are made, all strikes hit the body armor/Main Body: the listed AR is the difficulty of a called shot to hit an exposed/uncovered part of the body AND when considering the possibility of penetration by armor-piercing weapons or ammo Penetration Values: As a reminder, here is the table for Penetration values. Hiding behind objects may not entirely protect you from attack (though the interceding barrier will take half of the damage). As a general rule, AR will stop penetrations from attacks with a PV of up to half (Rounded Down) its value; the armor absorbs all the damage. YES, this mean that some attacks will automatically pierce body armor, splitting the damage equally between the armor and being wearing it (Armor takes any odd point remaining), assuming the strike still hits - Natural/Robotic AR still deflects as normal, preventing all damage if the strike roll does not surpass the AR.- PV 1: Poor; Deflects off of bone. Penetrates objects with less than 30 SDC
- PV 2: Fair; Deflects off of bone. Penetrates objects with less than 50 SDC
- PV 3: Adequate; May lodge in bone. Penetrates objects with up to 75 SDC
- PV 4: Good; May break bone. Penetrates objects with up to 100 SDC
- PV 5: Very Good; Shatters bone, wood, goes through cinderblock. Penetrates objects with up to 170 SDC
- PV 6: Excellent; Easily shatters bone, wood, goes through brick and thin metals (car doors). Penetrates objects with up to 225 SDC
- PV 7: Superior; Easily shatters bone, wood, goes through brick and most sheet metals (car doors). Penetrates objects with up to 300 SDC
- PV 8: .50 Caliber; Shatters anything less than concrete, goes through concrete, 1/2 inch armor plate steel, cars, and most walls. Penetrates objects with up to 400 SDC
- PV 9: 20 mm and larger; Goes through anything less than thick military armor and damages anything else. Penetrates objects with up to 500 SDC
- PV 10+: Each level above 9 adds another 100 SDC to the level at which the attack will penetrate.
- Extraordinary PS: Normal punch = PV 4, Power Punch = PV 6
- Superhuman PS: Normal Punch = PV 5, Power Punch = PV 7
- Supernatural PS: Normal Punch = PV 6*, Power Punch = PV 9
- Most Energy Expulsion Powers: PV 5, or PV 4 when a divided attack
- Super Energy Expulsion (Super-Blast): PV 9
- 0% No Treatment (only possible way is through bonuses)
- 18% Treatment by non-professionals with medical skills (Secondary Skills)
- 32% Treatment by an Intern or Nurse
- 46% Treatment by a Doctor, but without the proper facilities
- 56% Treatment by a Doctor at a clinic
- 66% Treatment by a Doctor at a hospital
- 70% Treatment by a Doctor at a large hospital
Ancient Weapons:
Thrown Weapons: Add the PS Damage bonus of the thrower.Modern Weapons & Ranged Combat:
Strike Bonuses: Only use the WP bonuses, the Sniper skill, and any bonuses form associated equipment/systems. Do NOT add in H2H, PP, or other bonuses unless specifically told to do so. Bows and crossbows count as Ancient Weapons, and benefit from PP and H2H bonuses as other Ancient Weapons. Natural Energy Blasts use the bonus listed for the power plus any that from P.P. (if any) only. Aimed, Burst, Shooting Wild:- Aimed: Character has moved less than half their base SPD before taking the shot can make an aimed shot. This includes any movement taken as a dodge between their last action and their current one. +2 Strike, takes 1 Action (must have the appropriate WP)
- Burst: Applies when making more than a single, aimed shot, whether it is a ballistic, energy weapon (pulse), or any similar firing mode. Half your bonus (Rounded down). -3 for those without the appropriate WP
- Shooting Wild: Covers situations where the shooter is rapidly moving (more than half their speed before taking the shot), bursts to cover an area with fire, and other situations where proper aiming or view of the target is not taken/possible. Note that the -6 to strike is applied along with any other applicable bonuses.
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