1001 Nights variant: combat

Game rules - homebrew

Checking on the Coriolis Discord, I read that the publishers are OK with players recreating tables, figures and data from the RPG source material where the only purpose is the facilitation of playing their game and I hereby promise this is my only intent with this article. Here I've taken the Year Zero Engine to modify the Coriolis rules for my own games - Doctor Weather

The aim of these rules is to create a simpler combat system that encourages a tactical choice of manoeuvres. I want to encourage combat situations that have non-lethal goals in which the players can show the flair of cinematic fights. I'm trying to embrace Coriolis's position as a halfway to narrative system, allowing for fun combat, stylish combats but still encouraging tactical, system-based choices. I actually like being in the middle ground and don't want to fall into either extreme. I don't want map-based combat and I don't want a purely descriptive, narrative game. Rather I want the scene from Lord of the Rings where the party protects Gandalf as he approaches a stricken Theoden; I want the scene from The Mummy where the party has to buy time for Jonathan and Evelyn to read the Book of Amun-Ra; I want it to be about tactical combat choices that allow the major plot point to resolve as the win condition.

Attack and defence

Keep the normal attack and defence rolls
You still roll either Melee or Ranged. The attacker's Melee roll can still be contested by the defender's where the defender has set aside at least a fast action for defence, otherwise only the attacker rolls. The attacker or the defender can be the victor and spends successes. Ranged can still only be resisted with armour and cover, so only the attacker will be able to spend successes. The resulting successes determine the spends the victor can make
Any number of manoeuvres can be purchased but only 1 injury or critical hit can be purchased per attack.

COST IN SUCCESSES	EFFECT
1	Complete a manoeuvre Can be purchased multiple times
2	Inflict an injury Can only be purchased once per attack / defence
3	Inflict a critical hit Can only be purchased once per attack / defence

Defender success spends have an extra cost
If the defender in a melee contest has more successes than their attacker then they must spend one success on just overcoming the attack before they can spend any further successes on the table above. If the two rolls are equal then the attack fails. If the defender gains only one extra success then they inflict the 1 point of stress described in the next section covering damage, so that first success spend does achieve something but only a second extra success and beyond can be spent on a real counterattack. This is partly a metagaming principle to make attacking more enticing than turtling, which might make combat less interesting. Actions in combat
Characters can take either:

1 fast and 1 slow combat action
3 fast combat actions

...or take use their full combat round on one non-combat action - e.g. perform first aid or use a mystic power. The GM can decide if any preparatory actions like moving into position or finding an item in a bag can be considered part of this non-combat action or if they delay it to the next round in the moment of the game.

---------	SLOW ACTIONS
Normal attack	A standard attack
Reload	Pistols can auto-fire for one round before needing to reload Carbines can auto-fire for 3 rounds before needing to reload Weapons with the High-Capacity feature can auto-fire for a whole combat unless the GM interferes with DP
---------	FAST ACTIONS
Aim	+2 to next attack
Defend	Hold a fast action back to defend against 1 melee attack
Draw weapon
Items - pick up or move	E.g. pick up a tabula or move a curtain The GM may allow simple items to be activated, like switches, as part of this action but may rule more complicated items like computers and med-kits can only be used with a full round action on your next turn
Move	Up to your move rating
Overwatch	Hold to attack or act later Your attack or action precedes your opponent's action and may prevent it if you are successful You must have sufficient actions remaining to complete the held attack / action
Prone - drop to or stand from	When prone the GM may rule you cannot make certain attacks or apply a penalty to them Ranged attackers get a -1 to hit you when prone though
Quick attack	Attack at -2 Melee: light and personal weapons only Ranged: short range max
Take cover

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Damage and HP / MP changes

Health and mind points are replaced
All actual damage is now by injuries and critical hits; the replacements for health and mind points now allow characters to resist two different versions of 'stress' alone.

Resilience	This is still the total of the character's Power and Co-ordination but is now a measure of the physical stress the character's body can undergo through bruising and winding but also adrenaline surges and the stress that comes from the body being under threat - weapons that don't connect well enough to cause an actual injury still cause 'stress' damage in one of these threatening ways Resilience is the stat Stress is the damage to it Characters have a Total Resilience and a Current Resilience, where Current Resilience is reduced by Stress damage At zero Current Resilience they are physically broken and can't move their body through some form of exhaustion or fatigue Current Resilience heals at 1 point per hour of rest and can be healed by Command and Medicurgy, all as given for HP in the Core Rules.
Fortitude	This is still the total of the character's Wits and Empathy but represents their resistance to the emotional and spiritual trauma, such as witnessing fellow humans in danger and the evils of the Dark Between the Stars - such threatening situations and encounters may cause characters to suffer Shock damage Fortitude is the stat Shock is the damage to it Characters have a Total Fortitude and a Current Fortitude, where Current Fortitude is reduced by Shock damage At zero Current Fortitude they are spiritually overcome and can't think clearly enough to act through horror, fear, misery or other emotional trauma Shock does not automatically heal: time and effort must be put in to clear it: 1 Fortitude can be regained through prayer or rest but the rest needs greater action Regaining further points requires taking an action to build spiritual or emotional strength or undergoing some form of therapy: the GM and player can agree something specific to the PC or the PC can take charitable action defined by a priest Command and Medicurgy rolls can still bring someone back from being broken - i.e. to 1 Current Fortitude

All successful attacks do 1 point of 'physical stress'
In addition to the effects of any manoeuvres, injury or critical hit the target also suffers 1 point of - physical - Stress: the character loses 1 Current Resilience. This may be augmented by weapon features. Special weapons may inflict spiritual Shock instead but this will be explicitly described under their features if they can. Melee-defence first-success-spend also does Stress damage
As described above, where a melee defender gets more successes than their attacker they spend that first success on doing the 1 point of Stress to their attacker. This can be augmented by weapon features. Any remaining bonus successes can then be spent on manoeuvres, injuries and criticals. For the defender then, the Stress is not in addition to other success spends, it must be purchased separately and first. JUMP TO CONTENTS

Manoeuvres

Standard and advanced manoeuvres
Standard manoeuvres are available to everyone, covering anyone's scramble for victory. Trained fighters get access to the advanced manoeuvres too, through purchase of a 'martial arts' talent. JUMP TO CONTENTS

Standard manoeuvres

Standard manoeuvres
These cost one success each. Each manoeuvre can be purchased once unless stated otherwise.

	STANDARD MANOEUVRES Available to everyone
MELEE AND RANGED
- Disarm	Your opponent drops an item or weapon of your choice The GM decides where it ends up and may use Darkness Points to send the object to interesting places May be purchased more than once
- Intimidate	Your attack does +1 Stress - useful for defeating opponents without permanently hurting them by getting them to break May be purchased more than once Role play differences only between this and Subdue
- Upper Hand (gain the)	+2 to your next attack against one opponent
MELEE ONLY
- Grapple	You grab hold of your opponent and they can't get away from you They may make an opposed Melee, Athletics or Agility roll to break the grapple as a slow action They can instead attack you but can only use their body or light / small weapons to do so and suffer a -2 penalty You may also attack them with your body or with light / small weapons with future actions with a +2 bonus
- Knock Back	Push your opponent back a few paces in a direction of your choosing - you can even get them to move passed you by feinting and then moving out the way +2 to your attacks against the same opponent until the end of your next turn
- Subdue	Your attack does +1 Stress - useful for defeating opponents without permanently hurting them by getting them to break May be purchased more than once Role play differences only between this and Intimidate - you're using weapon pommels and blunted parts or strikes to vulnerable areas to try and bring your opponent to unconsciousness rather than a lethally wounded state
- Trip	Knock your opponent prone +2 to your attacks against the same opponent until the end of your next turn

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Advanced manoeuvres - martial arts

Martial Arts talents
Each of the martial arts styles contain a series of talents that allow practioners access advanced manoeuvres. Talents can be purchases as normal, although the GM might require a PC to seek out a suitable teacher first.

STYLE	VARIANTS	TALENTS Detailed in a separate table below * Under development *
DANCE OF THE BLACK LOTUS	Dance of the Black Lotus Ahlams Temple Having a focus on subtlety of movement and complete control of the body, The Dance was designed to allow courtesans, coutiers and dancers alike both to defend themselves and take offensive action unseen, disguised within other actions such as handshakes, cheek kisses and dancing. Key components of The Dance are surprise and stealth.	Flower in Moonlight: use Agility (and the Infiltration specialisation) instead of Melee with surprise attacks; allows injury and critical spends when unarmed Many Petal Strike: disguise your attacks as another action Rise From the Waters: an improved disarm that lets you now steal the item, controlling where it ends up; gain a bonus to Disarm The Lotus's Nectar: an improved subdue attack; gain a bonus to Subdue
	Spinning Lotus Petals Draconites Over the years, the Draconites have adapted the movements they learned from Ahlams Temple: Though they retaining the principle of total control of the body they had no need to disguise their actions, favouring a simple directness in their attacks.	Alien Worlds: adapted from the Zenithian ideologies, this is 'Path of the Sky' Mysteries Preserved: retained from the Ahlams Temple teachings, this is 'Rise from the Waters' No Wasted Energy: gain a free success on your next attack against the same opponent; allows injury and critical spends when unarmed Only Growth: gain an extra attack against an opponent who has just hit you with an injury or a critical
THE JUDGE'S SWORD	The Judge's Sword Order of the Pariah The Judge's rulings are felt in each brutal attack of this style that focues on putting the enemy down quickly and completely. The enemy is not restrained or non-lethally incapacitated in any way; if it has come to combat then the enemy is to be killed.	Her Conviction: spend a success to regain either 2 current Resilience or 1 current Fortitude Her Focus: spend a success to gain bonuses to your next attack on the same opponent; allows injury and critical spends when unarmed Her Skill: unarmed attacks gain Armour Piercing 1, by taking advatange of weak spots in armour; allows injury and critical spends when unarmed Her Sword: gain +2 to Melee or Ranged with a signature weapon - Martyrs may choose Animate Armour for Melee
	The Life of the Blade The Legion Derived from the Judge's Sword, The Life of the Blade retains its lethal strikes but has faced practical adaptions over time to allow weilders to operate just as effectively in the confined and restricting spaces of ship and formation combat.	Blade in the dark: remove all penalties for fighting blind Use What You Are: when not in their battle exos, Fleet Legionaries can fight lethally with their hands and feet, gaining a Melee bonus and the ability to spend success on injuries and criticals Use What You Have: improvised weapons lose the Awkward feature and gain +2 for manouevres Use Where You Are: +2 Melee in confined spaces and unit formations
THE WAY OF TRUTH AND THOUGHT	The Way of Truth and Thought Zenithians The Way of Truth and Thought is a both a form of self defence and a philosophy that encourages its practitioners to be the best a human can be when following civilised behaviours. Less interested in defeating the enemy, its ideals are to allow the user to escape or force them to accept that combat is futile, leading to negotiation.	Path of the Body: you may spend a second (or subsequent) success to pin or throw your grappled opponent Path of the Heart: gain a further +2 bonus when defending in melee; allows injury and critical spends when unarmed Path of the Land: improved knock back and trip, gaining bonuses to both Path of the Sky: ingore all terrain penalties to combat, gaining a bonus when opponents are on bad ground
	Alley Diplomacy The Syndicate 'Alley Diplomacy' is a dark cousin to the original Way of Truth and Light - and many would call it a degenerate form. The harsh world of the slums of Coriolis however, has no time for fancy philosophy and the high ideals of civilised behaviour; there it is all about survival.
DANCE AROUND THE SUN	Dance Around the Sun Nomad Federation Unlike the Horizon's other martial arts, the Dance Around the Sun is a weapon-based art, whose disciplines are designed to teach mastery of the sword, the spear and the staff. Each discipline has a partnered display element that is used both in ceremony and in allowing combatants to appreciate each other's skill, for if a victor is obvious by their skill alone then there is no need to lose a precous life in actual combat. The display forms used in ceremonies are more stylised and higly influenced by the nomad fleets' Star Seer dances and reveries.

	ADVANCED MANOEUVRE TALENTS
ALLEY DIPLOMACY



DANCE AROUND THE SUN



DANCE OF THE BLACK LOTUS
Flower in the Moonlight	You may use Agility (including any Infiltration specialisation) instead of Melee when making a surprise attack You may spend successes on injuries and criticals when fighting unarmed
Many Petal Strike	You can disguise small actions and subtle attacks - agreed between GM and player - as another action Observers must beat your attack - or relevant skill - successes in an Observation roll to realise the attack for what it truly is
Rise From the Waters	Improved Disarm You also gain control of the object, e.g. putting the sword in your hand, the hat on the coat hook in the corner or the key in your pocket You may choose to gain +2 to your attack and defence rolls but you can only then spend successes on the Disarm, Intimidate, Subdue and Upper Hand manouevres
The Lotus's Nectar	Improved Subdue Each success does 2 points of Stress instead of 1 You may choose to gain +2 to your attack and defence rolls but you can only then spend successes on the Intimidate, Subdue and Upper Hand manouevres
JUDGE'S SWORD	--- --- ---
Her Conviction	Spend a success to regain either 2 current Resilience or 1 current Fortitude
Her Focus	Spend a success to gain a free success and +2 on your next attack on the same opponent You may spend successes on injuries and criticals when fighting unarmed
Her Skill	Unarmed attacks - i.e. not in Animate Armour - gain Armour Piercing 1, by taking advatange of weak spots in armour You may spend successes on injuries and criticals when fighting unarmed
Her Sword	Gain +2 to Melee or Ranged with a signature weapon Martyrs may choose Animate Armour for Melee
LIFE OF THE BLADE	--- --- ---
Blade in the Dark	Attackers fighting blind would normaly face cover penalties of -3 or impossible to hit; these are removed as long as the weilder of this talent can still hear their target
Use What You Are	When fighting unarmed and not in an exo suit, gain +2 Melee You may spend successes on injuries and criticals when similarly fighting
Use What You Have	Your improvised weapons lose the Awkward feature You may choose to gain +2 to your attack and defence rolls with improvised weapons but you can only then spend successes on manouevres
Use Where You Are	An improved Close Quarters Fighting Gain the same +2 to Melee in confined spaces but also when fighting in tight unit formations
SPINNING LOTUS PETALS	--- --- ---
Alien Worlds	Ignore physical terrain and environment penalties to combat - these must be from physical, touchable, non-supernatural objects, including confined spaces, with one exception: you still gain this benefit fighting in zero-G If you opponent is suffering such a penalty then you gain a further +2 bonus to attack them when fighting unarmed
Mysteries Preserved	Improved Disarm You also gain control of the object, e.g. putting the sword in your hand, the hat on the coat hook in the corner or the key in your pocket You may choose to gain +2 to your attack and defence rolls but you can only then spend successes on the Disarm, Intimidate, Subdue and Upper Hand manouevres
No Wasted Energy	Spend a success to gain a free success and +2 on your next attack on the same opponent You may spend successes on injuries and criticals when fighting unarmed
Only Growth	Whenever you take an injury or critical hit from an opponent within melee range you may make an extra attack against them with one free success before suffering the damage from their attack
WAY OF TRUTH AND THOUGHT
Path of the Body	You may choose to gain +2 to your attack and defence rolls but you can only then spend successes on the Grapple, Intimidate, Subdue and Upper Hand manouevres Pin The target is completely immobilised Their only attack action choice is to attempt to break the pin with an opposed Melee, Athletics or Agility roll to break the grapple as a slow action at a -2 penalty Throw You may move the target a few paces in a direction of your choice and leave them prone They must pass an Agility test or suffer an injury - even if they pass the test they suffer 1 extra point of Stress
Path of the Heart	Gain a further +2 bonus when defending in melee - you don't have to be unarmed You may spend successes on injuries and criticals when fighting unarmed
Path of the Land	Improved knock back and trip You may choose to take +2 to your attack and defence Melee rolls but you can then only spend successes on the Knock Back, Trip, Intimidate, Subdue and Upper Hand manoeuvres You may combine knocking your opponent backwards and knocking them prone in the same, single success spend - if you do, then your next attack against them is at a +3 bonus instead of the normal +2
Path of the Sky	Ignore physical terrain and environment penalties to combat - these must be from physical, touchable, non-supernatural objects, including confined spaces, with one exception: you still gain this benefit fighting in zero-G If you opponent is suffering such a penalty then you gain a further +2 bonus to attack them when fighting unarmed

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Injuries

Author's note: I have absolutely no medical knowledge and assume my table is wildly inaccurate; all suggested to improve it will absolutely be taken GM chooses a method for determining the injury suffered
The GM and player might agree on the most likely injury based on the PC's chosen action or someone can roll a d3 and a d6 on the table below.

d36	INJURY	TIME TO DEATH	EFFECT	HEAL TIME
11	Bruised arm	Not fatal	Drop item -1 to skills using that limb	days
12	Bruised leg	Not fatal	Fall prone -1 to skills using that limb	days
13	Bruised abdomen	Not fatal	Fall prone -1 to physical skills for rest of combat	days
14	Bruised torso	Not fatal	Winded -3 to physical skills for 1 round	days
15	Bruised head	Not fatal	Dazed -1 to all skills for 1 hour	days
16	Blood in eyes	Not fatal	-2 to Observation and any skill relying on sight for 1 hour	hours
21	Sprained wrist/elbow	Not fatal	Drop item -2 to skills using that limb	weeks
22	Sprained ankle/knee	Not fatal	Fall prone -2 to skills using that limb	weeks
23	Broken fingers	Not fatal	Drop item -2 to skills that use that limb	weeks
24	Broken toes	Not fatal	Fall prone -2 to skills that use that limb	weeks
25	Broken nose	Not fatal	-2 to social skills	weeks
26	Minor concussion	Not fatal	Lose that round's actions then -3 to all skills for the rest of the combat -1 to all skills thereafter	days
31	Dislocated shoulder	Not fatal	Drop item That limb cannot be used and -1 to physical skills even that don't use that limb	months
32	Small rib fracture	Not fatal	-2 to all physical skills	months
33	Broken arm	Not fatal	Drop item That limb cannot be used and -1 to physical skills even that don't use that limb	months
34	Broken leg	Not fatal	Fall prone and cannot walk That limb cannot be used and -1 to physical skills even that don't use that limb	months
35	Fractured hips	Not fatal	Fall prone and cannot walk Skills that require mobility cannot be used and -2 to all other physical skills	months
36	Broken rib	Not fatal	Constant pain through any movement, even breathing to some degree Srenuous tasks are impossible and -3 to all other physical skills	months

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Criticals

Author's note: I have absolutely no medical knowledge and assume my table is wildly inaccurate; all suggested to improve it will absolutely be taken GM chooses a method for determining the critical suffered
The GM and player might agree on the most likely critical based on the PC's chosen action or someone can roll a d2 and a d6 on the table below.

d26	INJURY	TIME TO DEATH	EFFECT	HEAL TIME
11	Crushed / shattered arm	Days	Limb useless and -2 to all skills using that limb until healed During recovery -1 Co-ordination and cannot use that limb (if you expect it to heal)	months
12	Crushed / shattered leg	Days	Limb useless and -2 to all skills until healed During recovery -1 Power and cannot use that limb (if you expect it to heal)	months
13	Internal damage - lower torso	Hours	-1 Co-ordination until healed	months
14	Internal damage - upper torso	Hours	-1 Power until healed	months
15	Internal bleeding	Hours	-1 Co-ordination and Power until healed	months
16	Serious concussion	Hours	-3 to all skills until healed -1 to all skills during recovery	months
21	Destroyed or severed arm	Minutes -1 to Medicurgy	Limb useless and -2 to all skills until healed During recovery -1 Co-ordination and cannot use that limb	-
22	Destroyed or severed leg	Minutes -1 to Medicurgy	Limb useless and -2 to all skills until healed During recovery -1 Power and cannot use that limb	-
23	Prime artery severed	Minutes -1 to Medicurgy	Immobilised until healed During recovery -1 Co-ordination and Power	months
24	Massive internal trauma	Minutes -1 to Medicurgy	Unconscious until healed During recovery -2 Co-ordination and Power	months
25	Crushed chest	Minutes -2 to Medicurgy	Unconscious until healed During recovery -2 Co-ordination and Power	months
26	Head trauma	Minutes -2 to Medicurgy	Unconscious until healed During recovery -1 Empathy and Wits, -2 Co-ordination	months

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Armour, shields and cover

Provide combinations of Stress Resistance and Injury Resistance
Special armour types like the Martyrs' animate armour can also provide some protection against manoeuvres and the Dark Between the Stars but most only grant the following:

Stress Reduction X	Reduce the Stress taken from a hit by X points
Injury Reduction X	Increase the cost to buy injuries and criticals on you by X successes - manoeuvres against you still just cost 1 success

Cover may also obscure sight of your body as a target
This provides a penalty to any attack roll made against you. JUMP TO CONTENTS

Armour

ARMOUR	STRESS REDUCTION	INJURY REDUCTION	FEATURES	TECH TIER
Light primitive	0	1	-	P
Heavy primitive	1	2	Bulky	P
Flight suit	0	0	-	O
Protective clothing	0	1	-	O
Modern light armour	0	1	Extra Features (1)	O
Modern heavy armour	1	2	Extra Features (1)	O
Exo	0	1	Bulky, Oxygen Supply, Thermostatic Suit, Vacuum Suit	O
Reinforced exo	0	1	Bulky, Extra Features (1), Oxygen Supply, Thermostatic Suit, Vacuum Suit	O
Armoured exo	1	2	Extra Features (2), Oxygen Supply, Reinforced Exo Servos, Thermostatic Suit, Vacuum Suit	A*
Battle exo	1	2	Extra Features (5), Oxygen Supply, Reinforced Exo Servos, Thermostatic Suit, Vacuum Suit	A*

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Cover

Obscures vision of, or access to, the target giving an attack penalty

Just your legs or one side covered	-1
A good half of your body covered	-2
Leaning just one side of your body out for a look or a shot	-3
Complete, hard cover	The attack is not possible

Coming out of cover for an attack may reduce the penalty your attacker gets
If you spend time coming out of cover to attack then the GM could reduce the penalty to attack you. For example, 'I hide behind the bulk head' is infinite protection but if you add 'I pop out for a quick shot' it’s -3; for a normal shot -2; for the whole round -1. Cover also provides equivalent of armour ratings
The rating depends on the hardness of the material. Your cover's equivalent armour rating stacks with any armour you are wearing, giving a single total to use. For example:

	ATTACK PENALTY	STRESS RESISTANCE	INJURY RESISTANCE
A full-length curtain that you can see through just a little in bright light but can completely hide behind	-3	0	0
Ducked behind a chair on the bridge of your ship	-2	0	1
A raised flowerbed but at least one made of two stone walls filled with soil in between	-1	1	2

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Shields

Shields can be used as active or passive defence
Shield users must choose between actively defending themselves and getting a bonus to their defensive melee rolls or passively hiding behind the shield as cover.

SHIELD TYPE	ACTIVE DEFENCE Bonus to melee roll	PASSIVE DEFENCE Counts as cover	FEATURES	TECH TIER
Primitive shield	+2	Attack penalty -1 Stress Resistance 0 Injury Resistance 1	Heavy	P
Riot shield	+3	Attack penalty -2 Stress Resistance 1 Injury Resistance 1	Heavy	O
Combat shield	+3	Attack penalty -2 Stress Resistance 1 Injury Resistance 2	Heavy	O

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Weapons

Weapons are constructed from a series of features
I could write out tables of the stats later if that seems best but am starting with the features to preserve the narrative-tactics idea: features all focus on a particular area of these combat rules to assist in different combat goals. JUMP TO CONTENTS

Features

---------	FEATURES - MELEE
Improved Grapple	You may choose to take +2 to your attack and defence Melee rolls but you can then only spend successes on the Grapple, Intimidate, Subdue and Upper Hand manoeuvres
Improved Trip	You may choose to take +2 to your attack and defence Melee rolls but you can then only spend successes on the Trip, Intimidate, Subdue and Upper Hand manoeuvres
Martial	+2 to your attack and defence rolls
Personal	+2 initiative Never suffers attack penalties in confined spaces
Reach	You count as on overwatch whenever someone attacks you in melee that isn't using a weapon with Reach This doesn't give you extra actions in a turn but if you have actions left to use then you may attack that opponent before they attack you, no matter what your initiative score is
---------	FEATURES - RANGED
Auto-fire	Attack multiple targets Attack your first target at -2 but then you may attack further targets but where each one is at a further cumulative -1 Suppression fire You can cover a number of locations equal to your Ranged skill (without Agility added) in a hail of bullets Potential targets in those areas suffer 1 Stress even if they are in full cover and cannot actually be fired upon normally You count as on overwatch against any target that enters the locations you've targeted or that break cover there and may make an attack against them using the attacking multiple target rules above Auto-fire uses up both your fast and slow action and you may not do anything else this turn except fire on your suppressed targets Reloads Pistols can auto-fire for one round before needing to reload: Auto-fire 1 Carbines can auto-fire for 3 rounds before needing to reload: Auto-fire 3 Weapons with the High-Capacity feature can auto-fire for a whole combat unless the GM interferes with DP: Auto-fire X
Blast	Grenades have a blast range that allows them to hit multiple targets within a radius of Close or Short
High Capacity	These weapons can auto-fire for a whole combat unless the GM interferes with DP
Range	Ranged weapons are either Short Range, Long Range or Extreme Range
Silent	The ranged weapon has a silent mode that means an Observation test is needed to detect the shot but the attack is slightly less powerful and your Ranged roll is made at -1
---------	FEATURES - BOTH MELEE AND RANGED
Armour piercing X	Ignore X points of both Stress Resistance and Injury Resistance
Awkward	For unweildy improvised weapons -2 to attack and defence rolls
Devastating	Injuries cost 1 success instead of 2 Critical hits cost 2 successes instead of 3
Easy Use	+2 to your attack (not defence) rolls
Fast	+2 initiative
Heavy	2 inventory slots Minimum Power of 4 to weild
Light	Adds +1 to your initiative Never suffers attack penalties in confined spaces Can be concealed on your person, needing an Observation roll to spot it Takes up only half an inventory slot
Stun	Successes with this weapon can only be spent on stun: 1 success does 1 Stress to the target The base Stress damage for hits with this weapon is now 2 instead of 1
Threatening	The base Stress damage for attacks with this weapon is 2 instead of 1 +2 to Intimidation tests when brandishing this weapon

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Melee weapons

Weapons are focused to a particular combat tactic
Though this is not completely realistic, I want the players to choose a weapon based on how can help them perform a particular manoeuvre or combat style that suits their character or circumstance. Moreover, I want them to be able to appreciate this from the point of seeing the weapon stats and not have to work it out from the maths in-game.

	PRIMITIVE MELEE WEAPONS	UPGRADES
Axe	Devastating, Heavy	Dura
Claws	Personal	Dura
Club	Heavy
Halberd	Devastating, Heavy, Reach	Dura
Knife	Light	Dura, Mercurium
Mace	Armour Piercing 1, Easy Use, Heavy	Power
Spear	Reach
Staff	Improved Trip	Energy
Sword	Martial	Dura, Mercurium
Unarmed	Personal	Power (using gloves)
Whip	Improved Grapple	Energy

	ORDINARY MELEE WEAPONS	UPGRADES
Baton, expandable	Easy Use A modern, improved club	Energy

	ADVANCED MELEE WEAPONS Advanced weapons' bonus dice are d8s	UPGRADES
Hand fan	Light, Personal Cell-powered affectation turned hidden weapon by Ahlam's Temple

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Materials and enchancement

Modern and advanced technologies add extra features
Weapons can only have one of the following technologies added.

	MELEE WEAPONS
Dura	A cell-powered, vibrating blade designed to cause extra damage: Adds Threatening if the weapon doesn't already have it Other points of note: Can only be added to certain bladed melee weapons Upgrades Primitive tech-tier weapons to being Ordinary
Energy	A cell-powered enhancement that exchanges injuries and criticals for stress, seeking a non-lethal victory that stuns the target Weilders can choose to use the weapon normally or turn on the energy With the energy on: The base Stress damage for hits with this weapon is now 2 instead of 1 Successes can be spent on Stress - this is the same as Subdue but flavoured as Stun energy Other points of note: Can only be added to certain melee weapons Upgrades lower tech-tier weapons to being Advanced (also making bonus dice d8s)
Mercurium	A cell-powered blade whose light-weight metal shrinks into its hilt: Adds Light: If the weapon is Heavy, then the Heavy feature is removed If the weapon is already Light then Observation rolls made to spot the hidden hilt are made at -2 and the weapon's initiative bonus gains a further +1 Adds Martial if the weapon doesn't already have it Other points of note: Can only be added to certain bladed melee weapons Upgrades lower tech-tier weapons to being Advanced (also making bonus dice d8s)
Power	Uses hydraulic pistons that engage on impact Adds Devastating if the weapon doesn't already have it Other points of note: Can only be added to certain bludgeoning melee weapons Upgrades Primitive tech-tier weapons to being Ordinary

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Ranged weapons

	PRIMITIVE RANGED WEAPONS	UPGRADES
Pistol	Easy Use, Long Range, Single Shot	Accelerator, Thermal, Vulcan
Machine gun	Auto-fire, Heavy, High Capacity, Long Range	Accelerator, Vulcan
Rifle	Long Range (but extendable with a scope), Single Shot	Accelerator, Thermal

	ORDINARY RANGED WEAPONS	TYPE Must use a modern ammo type
Carbine	Auto-fire, Long Range	Accelerator, Thermal, Vulcan
Cricket	Easy Use, Light, Short Range	Thermal, Vulcan

Accelerator Nestera Parox Rifle	+1 Armour Piercing	Accelerator
Legionary Carbine Dayal-3	Grenade Launcher, High Capacity, Long Range (retained despite being a Vulcan weapon)	Vulcan
Vulcan Carbine PDW	Fast, Short Range (despite being a carbine)	Vulcan
Vulcan Scorpion pistol	Auto-fire 2 but loses Easy Use	Vulcan

	ADVANCED RANGED WEAPONS Advanced weapons' bonus dice are d8s	-
Disruptor	Shock, Short Range
Stun gun	Easy Use, Stun, Short Range

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Types

Modern and advanced technologies change the ammunition type
Modern weapons must use one of the new ammunition types and cannot be single shot.

	RANGED WEAPONS
Accelerator	+1 Armour Piercing Adds Silent if the weapon doesn't already have it Increase the Range by one step to a maximum of Extreme Removes the Single Shot feature Other points of note: Can only be added to certain ranged weapons Upgrades Primitive weapons to being Ordinary
Shock	Rumours abound of a lost, advanced technology that can create energies that disrupt a person's spirit or at least emotional balance... Successes with this weapon can only be spent on shock: 1 success does 1 shock to the target
Thermal	Adds Devastating if the weapon doesn't already have it Adds Threatening if the weapon doesn't already have it Adds Auto-fire if the weapon doesn't already have it Removes the Single Shot feature Other points of note: Can only be added to certain ranged weapons Upgrades lower tech-tier weapons to being Advanced (also making bonus dice d8s)
Vulcan	Adds Threatening if the weapon doesn't already have it Removes the Single Shot feature Reduces to Short Range (unless enhanced like the Dayal-3) Other points of note: Can only be added to certain ranged weapons Upgrades Primitive weapons to being Ordinary

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Grenades

	ORDINARY WEAPONS
Concussion	Short Blast, Easy Use, Stun
Frag	Close Blast, Easy Use, Devastating
Sensor smoke	Short Blast, Easy Use, blocks sight and scanners
Smoke	Short Blast, Easy Use, blocks sight
Thermal	Short Blast, Easy Use, Devastating, Fire 2

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Unarmed combat

Only Stress damage without a martial-arts talent
With one of the martial-arts talents desiged to improve unarmed combat a character can only inflict Stress damage and perform manoeuvres; they can't buy injuries or criticals. Weapons, and even improvised weapons with no other features, allow this character to inflict injuries and criticals. Martial-arts talents allow injury and critical spends
Most of the martial arts styles have a talent that allows characters to spend successes in unarmed combat on injuries and criticals. Improvised weapons without features don't offer this character that particular advantage anymore. However, in general their talents should be better than such poor weapons. JUMP TO CONTENTS

Improvised weapons

'Awkward' feature
All improvised weapons have this feature. Unique, improvised features
The GM and player might agree on a suitable improvised bonus to particular manoeuvres based on the size and shape of the object along the lines of the 'improved trip' and 'improved grapple' manoeuvres:

The character then gets +2 to their attack and defence rolls but can only spend successes on that manoeuvre or Intimidate, Subdue and Upper hand
The 'awkward' feature might be ignored for this particular manoeuvre

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Initiative

Action order runs highest to lowest on the most relevant skill to the contest
This ensures that the trained characters go first. In a verbal contest a PC might select any relevant Empathy skill; for melee combat it would be Athletics; ranged combat, Agility; in a maths quiz it would be Science. Different characters may choose different skills where appropriate to their choice of action. If the party diplomat tries to outwit an NPC in verbal debate they might act on 9 through their Performance whilst the party mercenary - who's had enough of this - still declares Agility 7, getting ready to punch the NPC in the face no matter what gets said. Changing your mind
When it comes to your point in the order you can change your action, using a different skill but this change of mind means you don't suddenly get faster - you lost time in indecision. If your new action uses a skill with a rating the same or higher then you still act at the point determined by your declared skill still. If your new action uses a skill with a lower rating then you have to wait until that new, lower point in the initiative order - indecision can't speed you up. Ties mean actions occur simultaneously
Ties are first broken in order of most skilled character to lowest. If characters have the same dice total then then their tied actions are applied simultaneously, adjudicated by the GM. If two characters attack each other then they both roll their attacks and neither rolls for defence. The person who rolls highest then becomes the actual attacker and the lower the defender for the purposes of resolution. Combat Veteran update
You are no longer distressed by being in combat; it's normal to you and you can handle yourself in any fight. Combat Veteran grants a +2 to your initiative stat in a combat situation - usually Athletics or gility for a fight but could be Manipulation in a command situation. Anyone with Combat Veteran also automatically wins initiative ties against someone without it. Further, you take 1 less Stress from hits in combat, stacking with your armour's Stress Reduction. JUMP TO CONTENTS

Main: 1001 Nights variant overview Related

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1001 Nights variant: combat

Game rules - homebrew

Attack and defence

Damage and HP / MP changes

Manoeuvres

Standard manoeuvres

Advanced manoeuvres - martial arts

Injuries

Criticals

Armour, shields and cover

Armour

Cover

Shields

Weapons

Features

Melee weapons

Materials and enchancement

Ranged weapons

Types

Grenades

Unarmed combat

Improvised weapons

Initiative

Comments

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