AI:L Rules Testing

Ascension Isle: Legacy

Based on version Rules version 0.302

Combat Damage

As characters take damage they build up Physical Stress. When Physical Stress is high enough, the character is incapacitated, and may even die.

A Character can tolerate a number of Stress Points equal to their Physique + Physical Conditioning + Racial Minimum. For humans the racial minimum is 5. This number forms their Stress Limit. The character is not penalized for any damage that does not exceed the Healthy State stress limit, unless other conditions are attached to the damage. When damage equal or greater than this limit is taken the character is in Critical State and is incapacitated. When damage equal or greater than twice this limit is taken, the character is in Dying State and dies (although advanced medical care can still revive them). When damage equal or greater than five times this limit is taken, the character is in Annihilated State, and their body is completely destroyed.

Heroic characters have additional levels of stress limit equal to their Heroic Level. Characters can also buy additional levels of stress limit through traits. These levels increase the amount of damage a character can take before becoming incapacitated.

Heroic characters can also choose to “cap” damage taken by instead suffering wounds. Capping damage means that a character halts the damage taken at the start of the next level of stress limit, regardless of how many points of damage were inflicted. The price for this is the character must suffer from an ongoing penalty that will reduce their stats, abilities or traits in some way.

For example, a Local Hero with a Stress Limit of 15 has two Healthy State stress levels, for a combined total of 30 stress points. While healthy, the character takes a gunshot which inflicts 35 points of damage. Normally this would blow through all his healthy stress levels, and put him five stress points into Critical State. Rather than be incapacitated, the Hero chooses instead to cap the damage at his first healthy level, taking only 15 points of damage, putting him into the start of his second Healthy State level, and suffering a wound. Note that even if the Hero had previously suffered 14 points of damage, he could still cap the damage from this latest attack, effectively only suffering one point of damage from the hit.

Some particularly powerful attacks have the “Overwhelming” tag, and have limits on how much they can be capped. An Overwhelming 2 attack will blow through two stress levels before it can be capped, and Overwhelming 3 will go through three levels, and so on. An attack that is “Completely Overwhelming” cannot be capped at all, without special traits. Overwhelming attacks are common with particularly powerful weapons, particularly vehicle mounted ordnance.

Other attacks have the “Stressful” tag. A stressful attack will always do damage equal to however many stress points the target has remaining in their current stress level. Stressful 2 will do damage equal to the points remaining in the next two stress levels, and so on. Stressful attacks are common in hand to hand combat, as well as with some magic attacks.

PS resets very quickly out of combat. Once combat ends, PS will reset to the beginning of the current stress level. So a character with a Stress Limit of 10 and sitting at 5 PS would reset to 0 at the end of combat. However, if their Stress limit was 12 putting them in Critical State then they would only reset to 10, remaining in Critical State. PS can also be reset by using various traits both in and out of combat.

Types of Damage

AI has several categories and sub-categories of damage. Physical, Penetrating and Blunt, Explosive, Energy Damage, Fire and Electrical, Mental Damage, Magical and Social, Etheric Damage, Atomic. - Categorize as we go - IX

Change damage roll to be by location: 1-2: Wildcard, 3: legs, 4: arm, 5: chest, 6: head - IX

Wildcard wounds vary by weapon type - chest for guns and etheric, arms for melee and strikes, legs for throws.

Crippling Injuries

Long term badness, much ouch

Lingering Wounds

Ranged Combat

Accuracy Challenge (Combat DC)

AC = Base 10 + Size Modifier + (Natural Stat) + (Skill)

For ranged combat, the character's Senses Stat is added to their AC unless they are surprised or unaware. Their firearms skill is also added to the AC if they have adopted the "Alert" stance. Other modifiers, such as for range, movement or cover, are applied as edge penalties or bonuses to the hit roll, rather than modifying the AC.

Edge Modifiers (Ranged)

Penalties

Additional Range Increment: -1 (rifles) -2 (pistols) -3 (shotguns)
Target Moving: -2
Target Sprinting: -4
Target Speeding (vehicles): -5 to -10
Three Quarter target (limited cover): -2
Half Target (partial cover): -4
Fractional Target (loophole): -6
Full Cover: -10
Limited Visibility (dim light): -2
Low Visibility (dark, smoke): -5

Bonusses

Point Blank Range: +5
High Visibility Target: +1
Aiming: + scope/sight bonus

Combat Maneuvers (Ranged)

Stances

Adopting a stance is a free action, but can only be taken at the start of a character’s turn, before any other actions have been taken. A stance cannot be changed or dropped until the start of their next turn.

Braced: Gain +2 Accuracy Edge, reduce total range and recoil penalties by 1. May not move, lose Senses bonus to ranged AC.

Alert: Gain +2 Initiative Edge, and add weapon skill to ranged AC. May not sprint. All attacks must be Snap Shots.

Standard Actions

Reload: Standard action. Restore Ammunition in current weapon. Lose all stored Advantage.

Aim: Standard action. Gain accuracy advantage equal to scope/sight bonus. Scope Advantage is lost once aiming character moves, sight Advantage is lost once the aiming character sprints.

Snap Shot: Free Action. Before taking a standard attack action, a character may declare that it will be a snap-shot. Snap shots allow characters to maintain their full cover bonus against incoming fire, including that triggered by overwatching, or being overwatched against, but suffer a -4 Accuracy Edge penalty. Pistols only suffer a -2 Accuracy Edge penalty when snap shooting. Scopes cannot be used when snap shooting, but sights can.

Overwatch: Standard attack action. Hold attack and only attack if target attacks or moves, then may convert overwatch to any standard attack action. An opponent who is engaged by an overwatch attack while attempting to attack themselves treats their cover as one level lower, unless taking a snapshot. A character who is overwatching also treats their cover as one level lower against any incoming fire until they cease overwatching. Lose one overwatch action every time damaged by a successful attack. All Overwatch actions expire when initiative is rolled. Gain +2 initiative advantage when one or more of your unused Overwatch actions expire.

Suppressing Fire: Standard attack action. Expend one point of Ammunition from current weapon. Roll standard attack against target AC, ignoring cover. If successful, do no damage but remove Advantage from target equal to 1 Accuracy and Initiative, and inflict -1 Accuracy Edge, for 1 point of success over AC threshold for fully automatic weapons, or for every 3 points over the threshold for semi-automatic weapons, or for every 5 points over the threshold for single shot weapons.

Marching Fire: Standard attack action. Expend one point of Ammunition from current weapon. If shot misses, gain +2 Accuracy Advantage. Can only be used by full-auto weapons.

Burst: Standard attack action. Expend one point of Ammunition from current weapon. Pick a number of consecutive adjacent squares equal to weapon's rate of fire rating, and conduct one rapid fire attack against each target in those squares. Can only be used within the weapon's first range increment, unless braced (adds 1 increment) or using a bipod/tripod/fixed weapon. Can only be used by full-auto weapons.

Rapid Fire. Standard attack action. Expend one point of Ammunition from current weapon. Score an extra hit for every recoil increment over threshold up to the weapon's rate of fire rating. Can only be used by semi- and full-auto weapons.

Move Actions

Dodge: Interrupt Action. Some actions, such as a grenade throw, or some magic attacks, will allow a dodge to avoid. Dodge is a Physique+Athletics roll, and expends a move action. If a character has no actions left, and cannot expend an Adrenaline for an additional Move Action, they cannot dodge.

Hunker: Move Action. A character can hunker to increase their cover by one step, but is unable to fire while hunkered. They must take another move action to get up before they can shoot. A hunkered character suffers a -5 to their AC vs close combat attacks, as they count as prone.

Hit the Deck: Free Interrupt Defensive Action. Hit the Deck is declared after an attack is declared and any modifiers are added, but before dice are rolled. Add +10 to ranged AC against all ranged attacks in the current player's turn, and count as Hunkered and Immobilized for the rest of the round, but grant the current opponent +2 Initiative Advantage. Hit the Deck also expends all Advantage and remaining actions. A character who hit the deck may not roll for Initiative in the following round, and will go last in the next initiative order. If two or more characters took defensive actions, then roll for initiative between them to determine which goes last. Although a Free Interrupt, Hit the Deck counts as a Move Action, and characters who are prevented from taking Move Actions cannot Hit the Deck.

Combat Traits

Basic Traits (possessed by all characters)

Adrenal Surge: Allows a character as a free action to spend one point of Adrenaline for one extra move action during their turn.

Tight Focus: Allows a character as a free action to spend one point of Focus for a free standard action during their turn. This standard action cannot be an attack, although it can be made in support of an attack, such as an aim action.

Feint: If the character's target takes an interrupt action, Feint allows a character as a free action to spend one point of Willpower to cancel the action that triggered the interrupt and recover any Advantage or Exploits spent on that action. The action still counts for the purposes of the character's action limit this turn. Feint also allows a character to perform a Double Feint if their opponent uses Feint, and spend a point of Willpower themselves, in which case the two opponents make an opposed roll Intellect + skill roll, using the skill being used for the current action. If the character performing the Double Feint wins the roll then they can also cancel their interrupt action and any penalties or bonuses it applied. If the character performing the Feint ties or wins the roll, then they also recover the spent Willpower.

Special Traits

Firearms Basics

Recoil

All firearms have a recoil number. This number indicates the amount by which a multi-shot attack, such as rapid fire, must beat the target AC to score additional hits. For every multiple of the recoil number over the threshold, the weapon gains an additional damage roll.

Rate of Fire

All weapons have a rate of fire. Single, Semi-Auto, or Full-Auto. Single shot weapons cannot use the Rapid Fire ability.

Ammunition

All weapons have limited ammunition, however rather than track individual shots, the ammunition stat is used only to track the amount of ammunition available for special attacks, such as rapid fire and suppression.

Grenades

Grenades are thrown using Physique + Athletics. The DC is 10 + (1 per square) + (cover at target location). If the number rolled exceeds the DC by 5 it has scored a direct hit. If the threshold is less than 5 it will scatter, although still land in the rough target area.

Accuracy Advantage does not assist in beating the DC of a throw (so it will not make the grenade fly further), but it can be applied to the scatter threshold.

Scatter Plot - roll 1d6:

-5
-6
3T4
-2
-1

Thrower

Grenades deal their full damage in the square in which they land, and reduce the damage rolled by 1d6 for every square from the epicentre of the explosion (roll the damage dice once, then drop the dice from right to left). Cover provides no benefit to targets in the same square in which the grenade lands, however for targets outside of this square, grenades further reduce their damage by 1d6 for every level of cover between the epicentre and the target.

A character who is affected by a grenade blast may attempt a dodge action with a fixed DC of 15 to make a move action as an interrupt before the grenade explodes. This can allow the character to clear the epicentre, or move behind cover. A thrower can "cook" the grenade, adding +5 to the DC of any dodge, however doing so means that if the throw fails to beat its DC, the grenade explodes in the thrower's hand. Some special grenades also have higher dodge DC values.

Explosives deal Slashing wounds.

Unarmed Combat

Close Combat Accuracy Challenge: Base 10 + (Natural Stat) + (Skill) + (Init or Acc Advantage)

Initiative Advantage may be added to AC for a Dodge, Accuracy Advantage for a Block.

Physical Factor Physique Modifier. 0 Physique +5, 1-2 = +2, 3-4 = +1, 5 = 0, 6-7 = -1, 8-9 = -2, 10 = -3, -1 for every point over 10. Physique modifier can never reduce Physical Factor below half original value (round down) or 2.

Strikes

Strikes build 1 Accuracy Advantage on a success 1d3, with Physical Factor of 8 (+/- Physique modifiers) for additional 1d6/2 damage.

Throws

Throws build 1 Initiative Advantage on a success 1d3, lose one action, with Physical Factor 8 (+/- Physique modifiers) for optional 5m throw distance.

Grapples

Grapples build 1 Accuracy and 1 Initiative Advantage on a success Opponent is grappled

If someone is grappled they lose all stored Advantage, and do not get point blank bonus on their weapon. Can only conduct grapple attacks in turn. In grapple defender can always add Acc Advantage to block. Grappler gains an additional +1 Acc/Init Advantage for every Physical Factor 6 (+/- Physique modifiers) points over the threshold scored by grappler.

Firearms get no point blank bonus when grappled. Additionally, pistols suffer -5 edge accuracy, and other firearms -10.

Standard non-attack actions taken at point blank range allow the other character the option to take a move action as an interrupt.

Stances

Striking Stance +2 Accuracy Edge to Strikes, +1 Accuracy Advantage from successful Strikes +2 Opponents Accuracy Edge to Throws, Cannot add a Skill to Ranged AC, -4 to shoot with pistols, cannot use other long guns.

Throwing Stance +2 Accuracy Edge to Throws, +1 Initiative Advantage from successful Throws +2 Opponents Accuracy Edge to Grapples, Cannot add a Skill to Ranged AC, -4 to shoot with pistols, cannot use other long guns.

Grappling Stance +2 Accuracy Edge to Grapples, +1 Initiative and Accuracy Advantage from successful Grapples +2 Opponent’s Accuracy Edge to Strikes and Melee Weapon attacks, Cannot add a Skill to Ranged AC, -4 to shoot with pistols, cannot use other long guns.

Tumbling Stance +2 close combat AC, +1 Initiative for each unsuccessful enemy attack. Loose all Accuracy Advantage, may not build Accuracy Advantage.

Melee Combat

Weapons have attack and defense values that add Accuracy Edge, and Close Combat AC. Weapons also modify Accuracy and Initiative Advantage gain. Accuracy Advantage can be used for offense or defense.

Melee combat should be mobile, with a continual interplay of attack and defense.

Initiative for defense, Accuracy for offense?

"Brutal" - weapons that deal an automatic wound. Brutal # - weapons that need to roll a set number of dice to deal an automatic wound

"Piercing"

"Slashing"

Physical Factor normal range then minimum range; PF 4-2. Damage Limit - maximum number of die that can be rolled from PF.

Offensive and Defensive Weapons. Weapons which add their bonus regardless of stance

Backstep - Defensive free interrupt - move 5m directly away from attacker, add +5 to AC, and give opponent +1 Initiative. Cannot use if cannot move.

Brandish - Standard Action - an impressive display with the weapon intended to keep the enemy at bay. Roll an attack against target's AC, if roll fails target can riposte. If roll succeeds against a target in melee range, gain +1 Accuracy Advantage. A successful brandish can also be used as basis for a graces or one liner roll. Some opponents are not susceptible to brandish.

Riposte - If your AC beats an attack by 5 or more, gain +1 initiative and as an interrupt immediately launch a move action that must end in a close combat attack against the attacker. Can only move towards attacker by shortest possible route. Some stances can launch an automatic riposte on a hit.

Lunge - Move of at least 5m towards opponent, bonus to piercing damage

Engaged - remain in opponents square at end of your turn (not necessarily round) gain +1 Accuracy Advantage

Using two hands on one handed weapon - reduce PF by 1.

If Attack ties AC then weapons lock - +2 circumstance bonus to one liners. Attacker can choose to press advantage, but if loses will give it to defender

Stances are meant to flow from one to another. The simple ones simply execute one thing over and over, like the basic line infantry offensive or defensive stances. The more skilled ones build bonusses that they cannot use, but another stance can, meaning that the fighter continually shifts from stance to stance, until they are ready to go for the kill. Killing stances don't build accuracy or initiative but use it to get bonusses like better PF, Brutal, Stressful, overwhelming, extra damage or attacks, and so on.

Polearms best weapons, but vulnerable to grappling.

Successfully feinting with melee gives +2 accuracy advantage.

Forcing a backstep or gaining a Riposte gives initiative advantage

Option to strike opponent's weapon to reduce AC or take away advantage very important!

Weapon Strike based on 10 + Stat + Skill, with no other modifiers. Successful strike can take away 1 or more Init or Accuracy Advantage, and knocks the weapon out of line for follow on strike, preventing defender from adding weapon bonus or Advantage bonusses to AC against the next attack. Ready stances are not vulnerable to this.

Stances

High Guard
Add Weapon Edge and Accuracy Advantage to AC, build +2 Initiative Advantage if not struck this turn. Bonus to called shots. Launches piercing attacks

Low Guard
Add Weapon Edge and Initiative Advantage to AC, build +2 Accuracy Advantage if not struck this turn. Bonus to called shots. Launches piercing attacks

High Ready
Uses Accuracy Attacks. Bonus damage. Launches slashing attacks

Low Ready
Uses Initiative attacks. Bonus damage. Launches slashing attacks

All Advantage Moves

General Combat

General Combat; Accuracy Advantage

2. Steady: As a Free Interrupt Action, spend 2 Accuracy Advantage to gain +5 Accuracy Edge on your next attack.

2. Center Mass: As a Free Action, before rolling an attack, spend 2 Accuracy Advantage choose the location of a wound if one is scored on this attack.

2. Precision: As a Free Action, after declaring a Called Shot, spend an additional 2 Accuracy Advantage to reduce opponents armour coverage by 2 against your next attack.

General Combat; Initiative Advantage

2. Quickness: As a Free Interrupt Action, spend 2 Initiative Advantage to gain +5 Initiative Edge on your next Initiative Roll.

Unarmed Combat

Unarmed Combat Strike; Accuracy Advantage

2. Ki I: As a Free Action, spend 2 Accuracy Advantage to gain +1d6/2 damage and reduce PF by 1, to min of 1 for all strikes this round.

4. Ki II: As a Free Action, spend 4 Accuracy Advantage to gain +2d6/2 damage and reduce PF by 2, to min of 1 for all strikes this round.

6. Ki III: As a Free Action, spend 6 Accuracy Advantage to gain +3d6/2 damage and reduce PF by 3, to min of 1 for all strikes this round.

8. Ki IV: As a Free Action, spend 8 Accuracy Advantage to gain +4d6/2 damage and reduce PF by 4, to min of 1 for all strikes this round.

10. Ki V: As a Free Action, spend 10 Accuracy Advantage to gain +4d6/2 damage and reduce PF by 4, to min of 1 for all strikes this round.

Unarmed Combat Strikes; Initiative Advantage

2. Flurry: As a Free Action, spend 2 Initiative Advantage to immediately follow up a successful strike with another free attack. This attack does not have to be a strike, but it must be an unarmed combat attack.

4. Sucker Punch: As a Free Interrupt Action, spend 4 Initiative Advantage to take an immediate move action. This action must end in an strike attack.

6. One vs Many: As a Free Action, spend 6 Initiative Advantage take a second turn immediately after your first. For this turn you have two move actions, and may not attack any target(s) that you attacked (successfully or not) on your first turn.

8. Counter Punch: As a Free Interrupt Action, spend 8 Initiative Advantage to take one free move action immediately after every close combat attack (successful or otherwise) conducted against you this round. For the purposes of this maneuver, point-blank gunfire counts as a close combat attack. These move actions must all end in strike attacks.

10. One Man Army: As a Free Action, spend 10 initiative to take an additional turn after your first and attack a separate enemy. For this turn you have two move actions. After each additional turn, take another turn do long as One Man Army remains active. One Man Army concludes either when there are no new enemies to attack or you end your turn without having landed a successful strike.

Unarmed Combat Throws; Accuracy Advantage

4. Toss

6. Debilitating Blow

Unarmed Combat Throws; Initiative Advantage

2. Trip

Unarmed Combat Grapples; Accuracy Advantage

2 Joint Lock: If opponent fails to break grapple on next action, suffer one automatic light wound.

4. Body Shield:

6. Joint Break: On successful attack deal Stressful 1 damage and one automatic light wound.

8. Immobilize: So long as grapple is maintained, defender loses all actions.

10. Backbreaker

Unarmed Combat Grapples; Initiative Advantage

Ranged Combat

Accuracy Advantage Actions

Critical Shot (I, II, III, IV): As a Free Action, expend 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 Accuracy Advantage to gain +0/ +1 / +2 / +3 Overwhelming on one attack and +1d6 / +2d6 / +3d6 / +4d6 to the damage roll. Certain weapons such as sniper rifles will increase the Critical Shot damage.

Kill Shot: As a Free Action, expend 10 Accuracy Advantage. If next attack hits, target must roll Physique + Physical Conditioning against DC of shooters Senses + Weapon Skill + 1 per damage die on weapon, or be dropped instantly to Dying State, otherwise deal damage as a Critical Shot III.

Initiative Advantage Actions

Quick Draw: As a Free Interrupt Action, expend 2 points of Initiative Advantage for 5 points of Initiative Edge this round (declared before initiative is rolled).

Double Tap: As a Free Action, expend 4 points of Initiative Advantage to make the next attack as a rapid fire attack that does not expend ammunition and does not suffer recoil, but can only score a maximum of one extra hit.

Improved Snap Shot: As a Free Interrupt Action, expend 6 points of Initiative Advantage to make a snap shot at any point in the current turn. Defensive actions cannot be taken against this attack.

Trick Shot:

Insane Trick Shot: