From:	Mark Steedman <RSMS@******.EEE.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject:	Spirit combat
Date:	Thu, 28 Sep 1995 15:43:18 GMT

Paolo Marcucci writes
>
> Is there a kind soul that wants to remind me (and all the participants to
> this exquisite board) the rules for spirit combat?
>
ok FASA rules where i remember them and 'what i use when somethings
happens they don't have a rule for'. The real pain about some of this
is the sheer number of holes.


Quite a few references to the capabilities of insect spirits below,
it you don't know read with care [not much of a problem round here i
suspect]


> Specifically:
>
> 1. Hand to hand combat w/o powers
Depends on what it is and where it is.
Physical as you listed astral below.
Only the spirits listed with a H-H damage code can initate this sort
of combat, and use thier reaction as skill unless listed otherwise.
bugs use force not reaction unless you are in Chicago in which case
FASA changed it to reaction, yes that does give the force 10 queen 30
dice + threat rating 10 for a staggering 40 dice hand attack!

the problems start when some enterprising soul wallops a nature
spirit with a sword of fist etc, especially when the spirit win sthe
result. I use reaction as skill and set the damage code a force M,
lacking a FASA one.

You hit it. I think its willpower to hit but no immunity or normal
skill if using killing hands or a weapon focus.

> 2. Combat with powers
well engulf is a hand to hand attack, noxious breath is a ranged area
attack, Storm is simply devastaing and the rest would take for ever
even with the book to remind me.

spells and the like follow normal rules to blow it up, unless its a
bug damaging manipulations work best.

> 3. Astral combat
They all have damage force M, and skill = reac = force, except the
bugs. Which are genarally force or reac (depending on version)
attack, note i still use reac = force * 2 or 3 on the astral as its
really silly if they are slower on the astral [FASA support this one
in Double exposure, force 10 queen 40+D6 manifest, 50+D6 astral, yep
guess whos going first, and i couldn't wonder why one of these still
holds both the astral and physical all time initative records in my
experience]

if you want to wallop it use sorcery or skill, your choice, no
default and most spirits don't have armour.

> 4. Firearms and grenades (my players are avid Aliens fans....)
>
roll willpower to hit (default no pool dice), it gets immunity to
normal weapons (f*2) unless flesh form bug and also gets armour if
2nded grimoire true form bug, yep force 10 queen ant, 30 points of
armour vs firearms!, laugh laugh laugh!


> Bye, Paolo
>

Mark