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1. Pre-Combat: Surprise
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- a) Definition - To achieve a true surprise, targets must not be able to perceive the attacker or attack. Surprise consists of one full round of actions which the victim cannot defend against. (snipers, 1st Obfuscated attacks, etc). Dexterity + Stealth resisted by Perception + Alertness.
- i) * Targeting: Aiming for a specific location incurs an added difficulty, but can bypass armor or cover, or can result in an increased damage effect. The Storyteller should consider special results beyond a simple increase in damage, depending on the attack and the target.
| Target
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Size
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Difficulty
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Damage
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| Medium
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(limb, briefcase)
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+1
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No modifier
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| Small
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(hand, head, cellphone)
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+2
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+1
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| Precise
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(eye, heart, lock)
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+3
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+2
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2. Stage One: Initiative
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- a) Initiative - Initiative Dice Pool is equal to Dexterity + Wits vs. 4.
- i) Willpower - Declare any willpower points to be spent on Initiative.
- ii) Roll Initiative Dice Pool at difficulty 4 and determine successes.
- b) Prepare all Actions - Decide on all actions to be taken during the next round. The Storyteller may ask players to declare all actions to be taken in the round.
- i) “Pumping” - Vampires and Ghouls spend Blood Points for statistic “pumping”.
- ii) Multiple Actions - All characters declare number of actions to be taken during the round. Vampires, Ghouls, Werewolves spend Blood or Rage for extra actions. Otherwise the player declares the total number of actions he wishes his character to attempt and determines which of those dice pools is the least amount of dice. He may then allocate that number dice among the actions as he sees fit.
Example: The Character wishes to attack three combatants with his knife. Dexterity + Melee vs. 6 (Dexterity 4, Melee 5, Total 9). The Character has 9 dice to divide between three actions: 3 per action would be the logical conclusion.
- iii) Free Declarations - The amount of movement and a limited amount of speech do not have to be declared but can only be performed at a character’s place in the Initiative Order.
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3. Stage Two: Attack
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- a) Determine Initiative Order - Character with highest Initiative will have the opportunity to perform his actions first. Character with the next highest Initiative is next in line, and so on.
- b) Perform Actions - Characters perform actions in Initiative Order until all characters have completed or held their 1st action. Afterwards, all 2nd actions are performed or held, then all 3rd actions, etc.
- • For unarmed close-combat attacks, roll Dexterity + Brawl.
- • For armed close-combat attacks, roll Dexterity + Melee.
- • For ranged combat, roll Dexterity + Firearms (guns) or Dexterity + Athletics (thrown weapons).
- • A character can abort to a defensive action (block, dodge, parry) at any time before her action is performed, as long as you make a successful Willpower roll (or a Willpower point is spent).
- i) Holding - Characters with higher Initiatives may hold some or all of their actions until later in the round. However, any actions not used by the end of the round are lost.
- ii) Movement - Portions of movement, may take place anytime the character attempts to perform an action or is allowed to by the ST. All movement must be used by the time the character’s last action for the round is performed or it is lost.
- a) Walk – 7 yards/meters per turn.
- b) Jog – 12 + Dexterity yards/meters per turn.
- c) Run – 20 + 3 x Dexterity yards/meters per turn.
- d) Injuries affect speed (p216)
- e) May move up to ½ max running speed and then perform an action.
- f) Move while acting – Each hex moved is -1 to dice pool
- iii) Defensive Actions – Characters may choose to defend and attack or fully defend.
- a) Defensive actions may be used or aborted to as long as at least one action is left. Each defensive action is useful against a single attack.
- • Block: A Dexterity + Brawl maneuver using your character’s own body to deflect a hand-to-hand bashing attack. Lethal and aggravated attacks cannot be blocked unless the defender has Fortitude or is wearing armor.
- • Dodge: A Dexterity + Athletics maneuver useful for avoiding attacks of all types. Your character bobs and weaves to avoid Melee or Brawl attacks (if there’s no room to maneuver, she must block or parry instead). In gunfights, your character moves at least one yard/meter and ends up behind cover (if there’s no room to maneuver or no cover available, she can drop to the ground). If your character remains under cover or prone, cover rules apply against further Firearms attacks (see “Cover,” p. 278).
- • Parry: A Dexterity + Melee maneuver using a weapon to block a Brawl or Melee attack. If a character makes a Brawl attack and the defender parries with a weapon that normally causes lethal damage, the attacker can actually be hurt by a successful parry. If the defender rolls more successes than the attacker does in the resisted action, the defender rolls the weapon’s base damage plus the parry’s extra successes as a damage dice pool against the attacker.
- b) Defensive actions are effective only against actions which take place after the defender’s place in the Initiative Order for 1st actions (I.E. if another character was higher in Initiative Order, the defensive action would be useless against this person’s 1st attack).
- iv) Aborting - Characters may abort to defensive actions (block, dodge, parry) at any time before his last action is performed. This requires a willpower roll at difficulty 6 or the expenditure of a willpower point. If the Willpower roll fails, your character must carry out the action that you declared originally.
- Characters should pose the attempt of their action NOT the outcome.
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4. Stage Three: Resolution
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- a) Determine total damage effect (weapon type or maneuver if applicable), adding any extra dice gained from successes on the attack roll.
- • Targets may attempt to soak damage, if possible (after subtracting armor if applicable).
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5. End of Round
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- a) Characters fall, go unconscious, enter into torpor, or die if appropriate. Werewolves roll to attempt to regain Rage.
- Characters should pose the the outcome of actions made against them taking into account damage suffered if applicable. In certain situation the ST may allow the Character attempting the action to pose the result.
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Close Combat Maneuvers Table
| Maneuver
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Trait
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Accuracy
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Difficulty
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Damage
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| Bite
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Dex + Brawl
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+1
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Normal
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Str +1 (A)
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| Block
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Dex + Brawl
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Special
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Normal
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None (R)
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| Claw
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Dex + Brawl
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Normal
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Normal
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Str +1 (A)
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| Clinch
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Str + Brawl
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Normal
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Normal
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Str (C)
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| Disarm
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Dex + Melee
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Normal
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+1
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Special
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| Dodge
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Dex + Athletics
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Special
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Normal
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None (R)
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| Hold
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Str + Brawl
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Normal
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Normal
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None (C)
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| Kick
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Dex + Brawl
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Normal
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+1
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Str +1
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| Parry
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Dex + Melee
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Special
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Normal
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None (R)
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| Strike
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Dex + Brawl
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Normal
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Normal
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Str
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| Sweep
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Dex + Brawl/Melee
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Normal
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+1
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Str (K)
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| Tackle
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Str + Brawl
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Normal
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+1
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Str +1 (K)
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| Weapon Strike
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Dex + Melee
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Normal
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Normal
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Weapon
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- (A): The maneuver inflicts aggravated damage.
- (C): The maneuver carries over on successive turns.
- (K): The maneuver causes knockdown.
- (R): The maneuver reduces an opponent’s attack successes.
Ranged Combat Maneuvers Table
| Maneuver
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Trait
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Accuracy
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Difficulty
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Damage
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| Automatic Fire
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Dex + Firearms
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+10
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+2
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Special
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| Multiple Shots
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Dex + Firearms
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Special
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Normal
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Weapon
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| Strafing
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Dex + Firearms
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+10
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+2
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Special
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| 3-Round Burst
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Dex + Firearms
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+2
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+1
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Weapon
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| Two Weapons
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Dex + Firearms
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Normal
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+1/off-hand
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Weapon
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