The Battlefield

Fights can break out in all manner of places, from cramped hab-blocks, to ancient Necron tombs, to vast plains of barren land. Whatever the battlefield, Imperium Maledictum divides these areas into Zones. Zones have no set size or shape, and are formed along natural divides or breaks in the environment such as walls, doors, rifts, or natural structures. The GM can also use the height or depth of an environment to create Zones, such as the upper levels of a manufactorum or the sunken scribe-pits where overworked Administratum Adepts reside. The sky above the battlefield may be one or more Zones if there are flying combatants.

We recommend that each battlefield has between 5 and 10 Zones. See Chapter 11 for GM advice on creatingencounters using Zones.

While Zones can vary wildly in shape and size, they are typically between 5 to 10 metres in diameter. Most battlefields have at least two Zones, with complex environments having many more. It is possible to create new Zones or destroy existing ones during combat: a well-placed grenade can blast a hole in the side of a Ganger hideout, turning two small Zones into a single larger one.

Zones can also have different Environmental Traits with specific effects, such as difficult terrain, poisonous gas, or walls for cover.

Position

Using Zones means that you don’t need to concern yourself with exact positioning and can immerse yourself in the action and drama of battle. However, some groups like to have a visual aid during play, particularly if there are a lot of combatants. You can do this by using a sheet of paper or software to roughly mark out Zones, while tokens can be used for character positions. Alternatively, you can use a dry-erase board or battlemap, with miniatures for characters and enemies.

Size

Each creature in Imperium Maledictum has a size, which represents the approximate amount of space it occupies. Size is not an exact representation of a creature's physical dimensions, but a representation of the overall space it occupies and needs to act effectively. Size usually has no effect on combat but may become pertinent during roleplaying and exploration (such as squeezing into a space others can't). The exception to this is creatures who are Enormous or larger, as noted below.

The distance between two points is of vital importance in combat: where you can move and how far you can shoot will affect a lot of the decisions you make. In Imperium Maledictum, these distances are relative to the Zones on the battlefield. There are five ranges:

• Immediate Range is anything within arms reach of a character. When you make a melee attack, manually manipulate an object such as a door or piece of machinery, or inspect an object, you are at Immediate Range.
• Short Range represents anything within the Zone you are in (typically between 5 to 10 metres). Moving anywhere within Short Range is a Free Action.
• Medium Range represents any Zone adjacent to your current Zone (up to around 15 or 20 metres). Moving to a point within Medium Range requires the use of your Move.
• Long Range represents a location or target two Zones away from your current Zone (up to 30 metres or more). To move to a point within Long Range, you must use your Move and take an additional Action to Run.
• Extreme Range is anything outside Long Range, and is three or more Zones away from your current Zone. Extreme Range is rarely used in combat and is most often employed as a narrative device by the GM to describe characters or objects a great distance away.

Ranged weapons usually each have a range entry in their profiles, shown as Short, Medium, or Long.

Note that all of these Range descriptions presume your Speed is Normal.

Speed

The rules for moving between Zones assumes an average movement speed for all creatures. However, there are a wide variety of creatures and machines in the 41st Millennium, some of which are slow and lumbering, while others move at terrifying speed. Some psychic powers may also affect a character's movement speed. To manage these variances, Imperium Maledictum uses three movement speeds:

A Normal movement speed is the assumed average speed for all player characters. Anything with a Normal speed can use a Free Action to move anywhere within their current Zone (Short Range), and can use their Move to move to an adjacent Zone (Medium Range).

A Fast movement speed is the quick movement often exhibited by warriors with augmented mobility or the supernatural grace of the Aeldari. Creatures with a Fast speed can use a Free Action to move anywhere within their current Zone (Short Range), and can use their Move to move up
to two Zones away (Long Range).

A Slow movement speed is the slower than average speed often seen in the lumbering gait of biomechanical Servitors or corruption spreading Plaguebearers. Creatures with a Slow speed must use their Move when moving anywhere within their current Zone (Short Range). To move to an adjacent Zone (Medium Range) they must Run.

Other Kinds of Movement

Traversing the ancient structures and inhospitable landscapes of the Imperium often involves more than walking. You may need to climb, crawl, or swim, to reach your destination.

Getting Knocked Down, and Getting Up Again

In battle, combatants often find themselves lying on the ground, whether through choice or force. When on the ground, you are Prone. Willingly falling Prone is a Free Action. Standing from Prone requires the use of a Move. To move while Prone you must crawl.

Assorted Gymnastics

When you are climbing, crawling, sneaking, swimming, or squeezing into a tight space your Speed is reduced one step, to a minimum of Slow. At the GM’s discretion, you may need to make a Test to succeed, such as a Hard (−20) Athletics (Climbing) Test to safely climb a rickety set of scaffolding.

Falling

Tall spires, teetering walkways, and ancient shuttles are a common sight in the Imperium, meaning the risk of falling is great. When you fall you are knocked Prone. A fall of up to your own height in metres has no additional effect. If you fall further than this, you take a Critical Hit to a random hit location. Add +1 to the Critical Hit roll for every full 5 metres you fall. For short controlled falls (up to 10 metres) the GM may rule that a successful Challenging (+0) Athletics or Reflexes Test negates all Damage.

Flying and Hovering

Many creatures, devices, and preternatural abilities in the 41st Millennium allow a character to achieve flight. The capability to defy gravity is a great advantage, allowing a character to reach new places or gain the upper hand over their unfortunate enemies.

Normal movement rules apply when flying, but your effective Speed may be determined by the mode of flight. Flight can be achieved using a Psychic Power, or potentially a mount, vehicle, or piece of equipment from a future Imperium Maledictum expansion. If your means of flight is rendered ineffective while you are in the air, you immediately begin falling using the rules detailed above.

While flying, you can move over obstacles and other characters. Generally, this means you are unhindered by Difficult Terrain and potentially other Environmental Traits. You can also move vertically between Zones, which may necessitate the creation of a new Zone above the battlefield.

Jump

Your jumping ability is determined by your Strength Characteristic and Athletics Skill.

• You can make a standing vertical leap up to a number of feet equal to your Strength Bonus (StrB). This height is doubled if you take a short run up preceding the jump.
• You can make a standing long jump a number of feet equal to your StrB × 2. This length is doubled if you take a short run up preceding the jump.

If the distance or height you are trying to jump is greater than you can normally achieve, you must make a Challenging (+0) Athletics Test. On a success, each SL adds 1 foot to your leap.

Mounts

Even in the 41st Millennium, some individuals regularly make use of mounts, either as beasts of labour or steeds to ride into battle. Though increasingly rare, descendants of the ancient Terran horse can still be found on certain worlds. More exotic or terrifying creatures, such as the phosphor spewing cybernetic Sulphurhounds ridden by Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii are used in battle on a daily basis.

A willing creature of at least one size larger than you and with the appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount. Mounts use the following rules:

• To mount a creature you must use your Move.
• Dismounting is a Free Action unless you are secured to the mount, such as with a harness. In such cases, dismounting requires an Action.
• While mounted, you use the mount’s Speed in place of your own.
• If your mount is moved against its will, you must succeed a Challenging (+0) Athletics (Riding) or Rapport (Animals) Test or fall Prone within Immediate Range of the mount. If you are secured to the mount, you automatically succeed on this Test.
• If your mount is knocked Prone, you can make a Challenging (+0) Reflexes Test to leap from its back and land on your feet within Immediate Range of the mount. If you fail the Test, you fall Prone instead. If you are secured to the mount, you automatically fail this Test. If a flying mount is knocked Prone, you and the mount begin to fall.
• Attackers can choose to target either you or your mount.
• A controlled or trained mount acts on your Initiative. You can direct the mount to Move as a Free Action. You can use an Action to make a Challenging (+0) Rapport (Animals) Test to have the mount take an Action, such as to Run, Attack, or use one of its Traits.
• An intelligent or untrained mount acts on its own Initiative and is free to move and act how it wishes. To stay atop an untrained mount, you must make a Challenging (+0) Athletics (Riding) or Rapport (Animals) Test at the start of each turn. If the mount is actively trying to throw you off, this is an Opposed Test with the mount using Athletics (Might).

Pursuit

Desperate chases through the crowded streets of a hive, and high-speed vehicular pursuits are staple of many exciting missions. To run a pursuit, use the following rules:

1. Determine Distance: The GM assigns a number to represent the size of the head start the Quarry has over the Pursuer, called the Distance. The Distance ranges from 0 (Quarry is caught) to 10 (Quarry escapes). 1 means the Quarry is almost within reach, 4 represents a good head start, and 8 means the Quarry is close to escaping.
2. Test: Everyone involved in the pursuit rolls a Challenging (+0) Test for their movement. This may be Athletics (Running) for those on foot, Athletics (Riding) for those on a mount, and Piloting for those driving vehicles.
3. Update Distance: The lowest SL of the Quarry and the highest SL of the Pursuer are compared. If the Quarry has a better result than the Pursuer, the difference in SL is added to the Distance as they pull away. If the Pursuer gets a better result, the difference in SL is subtracted as they draw closer. If the results are equal, there is no change.
4. Determine Outcome: If the Distance falls to 0 or less, the Pursuer has caught the Quarry. The Quarry must either sacrifice their slowest member to delay the Pursuers as the rest flee, or one of them can choose to stop to confront their Pursuers. The Pursuers can then decide who stops to confront the Quarry they have caught, and who continues the pursuit. If the Distance reaches 10 or more, the Quarry have escaped and the pursuit is over.
   

Battles are rarely fought on even terrain. Most battlefields are riddled with obstacles and hazards that affect combatants and influence the outcome of the fight. To create interesting combat, some Zones should have one or more of the following Environmental Traits. Environmental Traits affect an entire Zone.

Barrier

A Barrier is anything that impedes movement between Zones, such as a sealed door, a force-field, or fallen debris. Barriers typically occur at natural choke points between Zones, such as doorways, but it is possible for a large Barrier to cover a much broader area. To bypass a Barrier, you must use an Action to make a Test determined by the GM. This may be a Tech (Security) Test to deactivate a force- field, or an Athletics (Climbing) Test to clamber over fallen debris, or anything else deemed appropriate. If you succeed on the Test, you get past the Barrier and make it to the Zone you were trying to reach. If you fail, you remain in your current Zone. Regardless of whether you succeed or fail, your turn immediately ends.

Cover

Fallen statues, large munitorum containers, and shattered ruins can provide cover, granting some protection against incoming ballistics. There are three types of cover: Light Cover, Medium Cover and Heavy Cover. A target can only benefit from one type of cover at a time.

• Light Cover is usually about chest-high, and is large enough for a character to crouch behind to cover most of their body. Light Cover grants +2 Armour to all Hit Locations for ranged attacks.
• Medium Cover can protect most of a character's body, but still leaves some areas exposed. Medium Cover grants +4 Armour to all Hit Locations for ranged attacks.
• Heavy Cover can protect a character’s entire body, and is large enough to comfortably stand behind. Heavy Cover grants +6 Armour to all Hit Locations for ranged attacks.

If you start your turn in a Zone with the Cover Trait, you can use your Move to get into cover and immediately gain its benefit. If you enter a Zone with the Cover Trait, you must use the Take Cover Action to gain its benefit this turn.

At the GM’s discretion, Light Cover may only grant Armour to certain areas, like a low wall only providing Armour to the legs.

Dark

Forbidding ruins in the dead of night, or an abandoned manufactorum are both Dark. Travelling in darkness can greatly impede your abilities — or aid clandestine pursuits. A Dark Zone has the following effects:

• While in the Zone, you can use the environmental conditions to Hide and have Advantage on Stealth (Hide) Tests.
• Awareness (Sight) Tests to see creatures, objects, or details only succeed on a 01–05.
• Ranged Tests to target anyone in the Zone only succeed on a 01–05.

You have Disadvantage on Dexterity, Melee, Reflexes, and Tech Tests, or any Tests that would be affected by the absence of light. An area in shadow but with some illumination is Poorly Lit instead of Dark.

You can still shoot out of the Zone into an illuminated Zone with no penalty.

Difficult Terrain

The Imperium is filled with shattered landscapes that are difficult to traverse. Heavy snow, crowded streets, and sludge-filled swamps all make movement more difficult.While in Difficult Terrain, you suffer the following:

• When you begin your turn in an area of Difficult Terrain, your Speed is reduced one step, to a minimum of Slow.
• Athletics (Running) and Reflexes (Dodge) Tests are made at Disadvantage.

Moving into an area of Difficult Terrain uses any remaining movement you have. You reach your destination, but you must use the Run Action to
move further, such as to an adjacent Zone.

Feature

Features are objects and environmental details that you can interact with, such as doors, cogitators, containers, vats of corpse-starch, tables to flip for cover, and so on.

Features do not have an effect themselves, but using them might trigger or remove other Environmental Traits. Turning a valve might cause steam to vent and fill the area, making it Heavily Obscured; using a cogitator might open a sealed bulkhead, removing a Barrier; or using a flamer on a promethium container might cause it to erupt, creating a Major Hazard.

As a GM, adding Features to a combat encounter can be a great way to get players to engage with the environment and think creatively. Try adding one or two to each battlefield — you don’t even need to know what they do, your players will probably think of something!

Hazard

Hazards are dangerous environmental effects. Burning buildings, poisonous spores, or pools of corrosive acid are all Hazards. There are three types of Hazards: Minor Hazards, Major Hazards, and Deadly Hazards.

• Minor Hazards cause small wounds or discomfort. Examples include thorny branches or a small fire. When you enter the Hazard or start your turn there, you suffer 5 Damage.
• Major Hazards cause serious injury. Examples include poisonous spores or a promethium fire. When you enter the Hazard or start your turn there, you suffer 10 Damage.
• Deadly Hazards cause near fatal injury. Examples include molten metal or a plasma leak. When a you enter the Hazard or start your turn there, you suffer 15 Damage.

Obscured

Heavy rain, thick smoke, and other environmental effects can affect your vision, making it hard to gauge your surroundings or even see your allies. Zones can be either Lightly Obscured or Heavily Obscured.

A Zone filled with mist, steam, or light rain is Lightly Obscured. A Lightly Obscured Zone has the following effects:

• You can use the environmental conditions to Hide, and have Advantage on Stealth (Hide) Tests.
• You have Disadvantage on Awareness (Sight) Tests and Ranged Tests.

Creatures outside your Zone have Disadvantage on Awareness (Sight) Tests to see into the Zone, and on Ranged Tests to target anyone in the Zone.

A Zone covered in thick smoke, heavy smog, or torrential rain is Heavily Obscured. A Heavily Obscured Zone has the following effects:

• You are Blinded.
• Creatures outside your Zone can’t see into the Zone at all, and can’t target anyone in the Zone with ranged attacks.

Though they can still target your Zone with grenades and other explosives.

Poorly Lit

Shadowy alcoves, habs illuminated by the faint light of a glow-globe, or a cathedrum lit by flickering candles are all Poorly Lit. A Poorly Lit Zone has the following effects:

• While in the Zone, you can use the environmental conditions to Hide.
• Awareness (Sight) Tests to see creatures, objects, or details in the Zone are made at Disadvantage.
• Ranged Tests to target anyone in the Zone are made at Disadvantage.

Warp-Touched

A Warp-touched environment bears the lasting corruption of the Warp, and the veil that holds back the immaterium is thin here. A Warp-touched Zone has the following effects:

All Psychic Power Tests are made with Advantage.

Psychic Powers generate additional Warp Charge equal to the SL, regardless of if they succeed or fail.

This Zone is a source of Minor Exposure. When you end your turn in the Zone, you must make an Routine (+20) Fortitude Test (at the GM’s discretion) or gain 1 Corruption. Additionally, to represent the area’s unnatural state, the GM can choose to roll on the Psychic Phenomena Table and apply the result to this environment.