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Message no. 1
From: "Leszek Karlik, aka Mike" <trrkt@*****.ONET.PL>
Subject: Shadowrun close combat system 1/3
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 22:00:27 +0000
Well, this is the first draft of my system... I borrowed heavily from
all the stuff I could find on the web, while I wanted it to be rather
"generic" (Attack may be a punch, slash, kick, elbow, whatever...)

---
Close combat refers to close-in fighting, regardless the from method
-it can be katana vs. fist, staff vs. nighstick, grapple vs. strike,
or Colt Manhunter vs. kick. Basically, when two opponents are in
close proximity, they can initiate a close combat exchange.

General notes:

· A melee combat maneuver is a Simple action. A melee combat
combination, consisting of two (or sometimes three) maneuvers is a
Complex action.

· When you are attacked and you do not have a held action, you can
only Evade using Combat Pool dice. If you get more successes than the
attacker, you have avoided his attack. If not -roll a normal Damage
Resistance test. Successes from the Combat Pool evasion do apply.
Alternatively, you can sacrifice your next simple action (your Pools
will refresh, though) and receive a simple action for defensive
maneuvers or counters only; you can also sacrifice your next Complex
action and be able to use one of your combinations. (That's the main
advantage of combinations). The problem is that your Pools will only
refresh when you reach the phase in which you would be normally
eligible for action...

· The above also applies if you have occasion for interception
(somebody passes within 1 meter of you, as per the BBB rule, p. XXX),
or if somebody tries to shoot you with a gun, and you're close enough
for a melee defense (see "using guns in close combat").
· Physical damage can be done at +4 to TN. A physad can not use
Killing Hands to do Stun damage. (He can turn them off and do
(Strength) M (Stun), though.)
· Reach advantage only lowers your TN- do not raise the opponent's
TN.
· Trolls have Reach bonus for hand attacks only, not for kicks.
· Multiple attackers in melee do not gain a bonus, they only hamper
their opponent's movement - "friends in melee" penalty is applied to
the attacked person, but multiple attackers do not get a reduction to
the TN...
· Called shot modifier is +2, not +4. It's easier to call your shot
in melee than when shooting at somebody.
· When attacking an unarmed person with a weapon, add +1 to his TN
and subtract one from your TN.
· Fast Jack vs. Slow Joe (;P) - for each +10 difference in initiative
faster opponent gets -1 to his TN.
· Forearm guards lower your block TN by 1 - they do not give
additional impact armor. Dikoted forearm guards give additional die
for blocking, and negate the unarmed vs. armed penalty (your opponent
still gets his -1 TN, though).
· Any armor that reduces your Combat pool slows you down - add half
of the Combat Pool penalty (rounding up) to all your Target Numbers
in close combat.
· Fighting while prone is considered being in "inferior position".
Fighting somebody who's prone is considered being in "superior
position".
· Standing up from prone position requires two simple actions - first
to kneeling, second one to standing. However, you execute a defensive
maneuver with a Kippup option, and defend immediately.
· Note on options' Cost: [given in square brackets in option/maneuver
description] this is the number removed from net successes before
staging. If you do not have enough net successes, the option doesn't
work. Unless, of course, you have just tried to Counter someone's
attack. In this case your opponent wins and receives an amount of
successes equal to the amount you failed by. You'll be better off
failing a fast hand counterstrike than a powerful kick.


Leszek Karlik, aka Mike - trrkt@*****.onet.pl; http://www.wlkp.top.pl/~bea=
r/mike; FIAWOL
FL/GN Leszek/Raptor II/ISD Vanguard, (SS) (PC) (ISM) {IWATS-IIC} JH(Sith)=
/House Scholae Palatinae
Help you out? Certainly. Which way did you come in?
Message no. 2
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Shadowrun close combat system 1/3
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 16:57:29 EST
> (somebody passes within 1 meter of you, as per the BBB rule, p.
> XXX), or if somebody tries to shoot you with a gun, and you're close
^^^^^
Tell me this was a joke :)

-=SwiftOne=-
Message no. 3
From: "Logan Graves <Fenris>" <logan1@*****.INTERCOM.NET>
Subject: Re: Shadowrun close combat system 1/3
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 21:50:48 -0500
In our last episode, Brett Borger wrote:
>
> > (somebody passes within 1 meter of you, as per the BBB rule, p.
> > XXX), or if somebody tries to shoot you with a gun, and you're close
> ^^^^^
> Tell me this was a joke :)

Nope, sorry, Swifty, old son. It's all there in black & white on pg.83
('BBB'), under the heading "Interception:"

<block-kwote>
If movement takes a character within one meter of an opponent, and
the character attempts to pass by without attacking the opponent,
that opponent can take a free melee attack. If the opponent has a
weapon ready, he uses his normal Armed Combat Skill Rating;
otherwise, he uses Unarmed Combat Skill. The attacker's target
number is 4. The only modifiers are those applied for reach,
movement, or the attacker's condition. ... The Defender is assumed
to be in Full Defense (p.103).
</block-kwote>

That last bit about the modifiers sounds a bit screwy. I guess you
only take into account your own reach boni. (But what about situational
mods? -visibility? -prone? etc?) Presumably, you are melee'ing without
the other guy getting a return volley. So, if you miss, nothing bad
happens to you ('less yer wielding a monowhip!).
Note that Full Defense means that the (moving) Defender gets to add
pool dice to his Dam Res test.

I've used this method before, but I'm not sure it was handled right,
'cause IIRC, the other guy broke-off his intended movement & engaged my
character after I successfully tagged him (with ~adjusted~ Moderate
dam).

The moral here is, never move too close to your opponents,
*especially* if you're fighting trolls!!

--Fenris
_______________________________________________logan1@*****.intercom.net
(>) To live is to war with trolls. --Henrik Ibsen
(>) To war with trolls is to die! --Genghis Grimtooth
Message no. 4
From: "Leszek Karlik, aka Mike" <trrkt@*****.ONET.PL>
Subject: Re: Shadowrun close combat system 1/3
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 13:49:37 +0000
On 2 Dec 97, Brett Borger disseminated foul capitalist propaganda by
writing:

> > (somebody passes within 1 meter of you, as per the BBB rule, p.
> > XXX), or if somebody tries to shoot you with a gun, and you're close
> ^^^^^
> Tell me this was a joke :)

Well, I didn't have the BBB, so I decided I could take a small snipe
at our Favorite Gaming Company (TM)... ;P


Leszek Karlik, aka Mike - trrkt@*****.onet.pl; http://www.wlkp.top.pl/~bear/mike; FIAWOL
FL/GN Leszek/Raptor II/ISD Vanguard, (SS) (PC) (ISM) {IWATS-IIC} JH(Sith)/House Scholae
Palatinae
Modem Police...we clocked you at over 1600 cps.
Message no. 5
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Shadowrun close combat system 1/3
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 07:57:02 +0000
> > > (somebody passes within 1 meter of you, as per the BBB rule, p.
> > > XXX), or if somebody tries to shoot you with a gun, and you're close
> > ^^^^^
> > Tell me this was a joke :)
>
> Nope, sorry, Swifty, old son. It's all there in black & white on pg.83
> ('BBB'), under the heading "Interception:"
>
> <block-kwote>
<snip Quote>

Actually, I was refering to his use of "page XXX", which was a common
problem in early FASA books. (or rather, page XX)

-=SwiftOne=-
Brett Borger
SwiftOne@***.edu
AAP Techie

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