Skill Checks
Roll 2d6 and add the character’s most relevant attribute modifier and skill. Sometimes more than one skill might apply; the PC can choose which to roll. If the roll is equal or higher than the check difficulty, the PC succeeds. If less, then they either fail outright, attain only partial success, or suffer an unanticipated turn of events at the GM’s discretion.
For opposed skill checks, both participants roll and the higher roll wins. For NPCs, assume they have a +0 bonus unless the activity is one they’d reasonably be good at. In that case, they can apply their listed skill bonus to the check.
| SKILL CHECK DIFFICULTIES | |
| 6 | A relatively simple task that is still more than the PC would usually e expected to manage in their regular background. Anything easier than this isn't worth a skill check. |
| 8 | A significant challenge to a competent professional that they'd still succeed at more often than not. |
| 10 | Somthing too difficult to be expected of anyone but a skilled expert, and even they might fail. |
| 12 | Only a true master could be expected to carry this off with any degree of reliability. |
| 14+ | Only a true master has any chance of achieving this at all, and even they will probably fail. |
Saving Throws
To make a saving throw, a victim rolls 1d20 and tries to equal or exceed their relevant saving throw score. Target Physical saves for poisons, diseases, and exhaustion, Evasion saves for diving for cover or leaping back from peril, and Mental saves for resisting psychic powers. NPCs have a saving throw score of 15 minus half their hit dice, rounded down.
Injury and Healing
A target reduced to zero hit points by a lethal attack is mortally wounded. One dropped by non-lethal assaults is unconscious.
Dying victims can take no actions and will die soon without help. Allies can attempt an Int/Heal or Dex/Heal skill check as a Main Action to stabilize the victim. With no medical tools, the difficulty is 10 plus the rounds since they went down. With a medkit, it’s difficulty 8 plus the time, and using a Lazarus patch makes it difficulty 6 plus the time. Failed checks can be attempted again, but a victim will die after the sixth round.
Stabilized characters regain 1 hit point after ten minutes and can act normally, but any further damage kills them instantly. This fragility ends after they regain more hit points, either through rest, stims, or biopsionic healing.
Stabilized PCs take at least a week to start recovering hit points normally. Those who have merely been hurt but not mortally wounded regain their level in lost hit points after every night’s peaceful rest.
The Combat Sequence
Combat is divided into rounds of six seconds. Every participant gets a turn, and then the sequence starts over again.First, every participant rolls initiative, rolling 1d8 plus their Dexterity modifier, if they have one. Participants act in order, highest to lowest, with PCs winning ties with NPCs.
On their turn, a combatant can take one Main Action, one Move, and as many On Turn actions as is plausible. A combatant can take Instant actions at any time, even when it’s not their turn, or even if dice have already been rolled.
Acting In Combat
You can use a Main Action to attack an enemy, disengage from a melee, use a skill, reload a gun, produce a Stowed item, take a second Move action, or do anything else you could accomplish in six seconds.You can use a Move action to stand up from prone, club up a ranged weapon, or move 10 meters. Your movement is half that if you’re climbing, swimming, or otherwise navigating rough terrain. You can’t split a Move action around your Main Action. You have to move all at once. If you move away from a melee combatant without spending a Main Action to disengage from the fray, all adjacent melee attackers get a free attack at you.
You can use an On Turn action to fall prone, say something, drop an object, or do anything else that’s very simple to do and takes almost no time or attention.
You can use an Instant action at any time to trigger certain special powers. You can also use it to make a Snap Attack with a weapon or go totally defensive, though both of the latter will cost you your Main Action for the round, and can’t be done if you’ve already used your Main Action.
Hitting in Combat
To hit a target, the attacker rolls 1d20 and adds their attack bonus, the relevant combat skill, and the attribute modifier relevant to their weapon. Weapons with more than one listed attribute allow the PC to use either. If the PC lacks the relevant combat skill entirely, they take a -2 penalty to hit. If the roll is equal or greater than the target’s Armor Class, the attack is a hit.On a hit, the attacker rolls the weapon’s damage and adds their relevant attribute modifier. The target takes that many hit points of damage.
On a miss, a weapon that inflicts Shock damage might still hurt the target. If the weapon’s Shock can harm the target’s Armor Class, the target takes the weapon’s Shock damage even on a miss. This damage is increased by the wielder’s relevant attribute modifier and any other damage bonuses. A weapon never does less damage than its Shock would do on a miss.