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Lifting and Encumbrance - See STR Lift table in Unit Creation. Roll for fatigue if object is more than 1/2 lift. Roll for fatigue if carrying object 1/4 of lift. Roll for success if object is greater than 3/4 lift. Character will be fatigued when lifting 1/2 lift. The number below the target number divided by 10 is the number of turns it can be held. (Example: If a character has a target of 40% and roll 22, they can hold it for 2 rounds. That is 18÷10 round up. Otherwise, they are simply fatigued until the light encumbrance is removed.) Target will be fatigued 1D turns after putting down the object.

Declared Actions

Whenever a player character or heroic NPC performs a special attack or defense action, they may declare an action that alters the combat rules for that attack; if they state the action, describing how it is performed, the GM may permit it. If the GM chooses, a bonus may apply to the attack, damage or resistance check. Following are a list of declared actions that a player may call during an attack. Each one provides a suggested ruling that the GM may use, or the GM may provide a ruling of their own in its place, or may fulfill a requested ruling by the player. To perform declared action, a success role must be made.

Special rules may involve permitting free attacks, using up attack actions, defining it as an extra action and ruling on the space required or distance covered, among others. This list of declared actions is not hard coded, but is meant to assist GM's in making quick calls and familiarizing them with, and encouraging, special and familiar actions.

Defensive Combat Declared Actions

» Block - Use your warrior melee skill to block blows. On a critical success, you may choose to deflect the blow to an adjacent target.
» Dodge - Move one space to the right or left when rolling a DEX-based resistance check.

Offensive Combat Declared Actions

» Advance - Move the target of your attack back 2 spaces whether they defend the blow or not.
» Berserk – you may get a 5% chance per level to go Berserk that turn. If successful, you can only use one type of attack that turn and you receive no penalty for your next attack and only a cumulative -10 for each attack after the first.
» Called Shots – make an attempt to perform a head shot, remove an arm or leg, disarm your opponent, etc., at -20. Get -10 for each new attempt to do the same thing down to 10%.
» Feint - you may provoke your opponent, as a free action, to perform a resistance check. If they fail, then you may perform an attack action from which they cannot defend.
» Grapple/Submission - Attempt to grab hold of your opponent or break a hold with an unarmed combat check. The opponent becomes unable to move. If grappling your opponent from behind, you may attempt a submission hold instead, in which they are unable to attack or defend.
» Intercept - you may choose to intercept a blow to an adjacent ally using any manner of defense at your disposal.
» Joint Assault - two or more characters may perform their first attacks all at the same time at the sacrifice of all their extra actions that turn. The defending character may only defend against one attack.
» Knock Prone - You knock your enemy flat to the ground.
» Parry - you get DR1 for each weapon in hand.
» Pierce Chink - When you find a chink in your enemy’s armor, you may attack that chink. His DR is halved vs. this attack.
» Shield Bump - if you have a shield in hand, you may move an opponent (your size or smaller) back 1 space and knock them prone.
» Seize the Initiative - Gain initiative. You get to act first the next turn. You cannot perform any more actions this turn.
» Stay Alert - As long as you are not being attacked, you get a +20% to your next action.
» Stunning Strike (Before rolling the dice the player may announce that the character is attempting this special unarmed strike. If his attack hits, it does divide the damage by two and the target counts as stunned and can make normal resistance checks to remove the condition.)
» Taunt - You insult or distract one opponent within five spaces of you. He is at a -10% penalty on attack/casting rolls on their next turn.
» Threaten - You challenge an enemy within 5 spaces of you with an opposed WIL check. He must make his next attack at you.
» Weapons Locked - Use a WIL instead of STR as the base for a combat skill check to keep yours and your opponent's weapons pressed against each other to prevent your opponent from attempting an attack. Requires one level in a combat skill.

Non-Combat Declared Actions

» Balance
» Bluff
» Climb
» Hide
» Intimidate - You may use your combat skill, WIL or STR score to attempt to intimidate your opponent.
» Jump
» Perception Check - Each skill is also a unique form of perception. Choose a skill and use LOG instead of its listed ability. A thief would know who is a prime target and who isn't. A computer technician would notice if a program has been tampered with. A warrior can identify another warrior in plain clothes. A scout can notice something out of place and determine whether it indicates danger.
» Persuade - You may use your LOG or WIL score for a persuasion attempt.
» Run
» Swim
» Technobabble - Confuse, bluff or distract a listener using technobabble specific to your skill and chosen career. Listener may perform opposed WIL check or opposed skill check. Listener is transfixed for 1D rounds per level, after which the listener gives up trying to understand.
 

Techniques

A unit may acquire combat and non-combat actions specific to their skills, called techniques, that can be used as long as success and/or damage can be rolled. Techniques cost 2 DP each. A character's collective techniques for a particular subskill is a "suite". You may acquire a technique only once.

You must call the technique before the roll for success. If able, non-combat techniques may be applied to combat.

Defensive Combat Techniques

The following techniques require at least 1 level in a combat skill.

» Armor Ablation - Cause your armor or shield to take the full damage and be knocked back 1 space. Determine what area the damage was taken. You lose armor in that area or your shield is destroyed.
» Armor Deflection - As long as you are wearing armor or a shield, you get +1 DR.
» Drunken Dodge - When you successfully defend a melee attack, your opponent does 1D damage to their self.
» Luck of the Rat - Cause your opponent to reroll their attack dice and you choose which result.
» Strength of the Ox - Exchange damage done to yourself by this attack for a condition of your choice. (You cannot stack conditions.)
» Transcendent Transformation - Exchange one condition caused by this attack for another of your choice. (Limitations may apply.)
» Will of the Tiger - Get +10 to defense.

Offensive Combat Techniques

The following techniques require at least 1 level in a combat skill.

» Black Widow Affliction - Cause a persistent non-damaging condition.
» Defensive Stance - Your attack sets you up for your defense. You get a free resistance roll as your next action.
» Deflect Arrows (Warrior) - Prerequisite: Choose a skill to associate with deflect arrows. Your character trains regularly to be able to deflect incoming arrows as an action one at a time with a skill check.
» Lightning Attack - You can attack another opponent that qualifies for an attack without a multiple action penalty.
» Lotus blossom - Make attacks on multiple adjacent targets at once with only a cumulative -10 penalty for each additional target. All adjacent individuals must be attacked. You may keep from striking any individual sharing the same space as you.
» Mantis Precision - Get +10 to attack.
» Mighty Blow - You inflict extra 2d10 damage.
» Rapid Reload - You can reload a missile weapon as a free action this turn.
» Riposte (Warrior) - when you successfully defend an attack in your frontal region, you may attempt an attack of opportunity. (The player must describe the action.) Unless the attacker has prepared a defense against riposte, the riposte succeeds with a successful skill check as a free action. If attacked from behind, instead, you may do this, but sacrifice your first action on the next turn. You may also defend against riposte with a prepared action.
» Simian Rage - As long as you are engaged with your target, performing no other actions than attack, your target cannot attack anyone but you.
» Skewer/Shatter (Warrior) – you may attempt to run an opponent of a certain subsize through with a single sword strike or shatter ribs with a crushing weapon, depending on the following STR requirement: Very Large (9'+) 90, Large (8'+) 80, Very Tall (7'+) 70, Tall (6'+) 60, Average (5'+) 50, Short (4'+) 40, Very Short (3'+) 30, Small (2'+) 20, Very Small (1'+) 10. The weapon does maximum damage. (10 for each 1D. 5 for each 1D/2) Armor DR does not apply.
» Sunder/Splatter (Warrior) – you may attempt to sunder with a blade or splatter with a crushing weapon an opponent of a certain subsize with a single blow, according to your STR: Very Large (9'+) 100, Large (8'+) 90, Very Tall (7'+) 80, Tall (6'+) 70, Average (5'+) 60, Short (4'+) 50, Very Short (3'+) 40, Small (2'+) 30, Very Small (1'+) 20. (Weapon subject to GM approval.) This is an instant kill from which the opponent cannot recover or be resurrected by a non-deity. Situational modifiers may apply.
» Viper Strike Lingering Death - You inflict a wound that continues to do 1D/2 damage every hour. The target cannot recover from damage until the residual damage condition is removed.
» Wasp Infliction - Do an additional 1D Damage to a single target.
» Wind Strike - Split up the damage dice down to 1D/2 or more. (Restricted from ranged non-magical attacks)

Spell Techniques

» Combat Magic - Use a weapon to attack with a spell in a single action.
» Fast Casting - You can cast a spell this turn without a multiple action penalty.
» Fearsome Display - The effect of the spell is much more dramatic than usual. Until the beginning of your next turn, anyone attempting to make a melee attack against you must make a Willpower test -10% per spell caster level or be only able to move or defend.
» Mighty Spell - Once each turn, if a spell does damage, you may have one target of the spell of your choice take an extra 2d10.
» Skillful Casting - You increase the usage of one spell by one extra casting per day/turn/level, whichever applies. You may take this multiple times, but only once for each spell chosen.

Non-Combat Techniques

» Controlled Failure - You safely spring a device or circumstance by choice and control the result.
» Damage Control - Doubles in failure have no effect.
» Jackpot - On a critical success, you determine the result directly related to your effort. (You cannot control the responses of NPC's and external factors, only the response of an NPC to which you are applying a persuasion attempt.)
» Simulacrum - If you fail by 10%, you are still able to achieve similar, but less effective results.
 

Signature Tactics (Combos)

Signature tactics, or action combos, are predetermined sets of two or more actions and movements triggered under specific criteria that are standard for a particular character. Each character gets one signature tactic that they can tell the GM they wish to perform automatically whenever the triggering conditions are met. These tactics are performed with a +10 bonus to success where a roll is required. The GM assumes the character performs those actions under the triggering criteria with the permission of the player. This allows the GM to take shortcuts and move through battle more quickly.

To create a signature tactic, a player designs a suite of consecutive actions they can perform using a +10 bonus to success, designed to take place under specific circumstances defined by the player to act as a trigger. It is recommended that the circumstances be commonplace. The actions do not have to all take place in the same turn, but must be consecutive. No actions can be injected. They are treated as pre-planned actions.

Example: Whenever Tamiryl, the elfin archer, moves in on a target, he shoots his bow, draws his kopesh sword as he casts an offensive strike (fire) spell on it, strikes with it and prepares to defend against that opponent. He normally receives 63% for ranged weapons, 65% for spellcasting, 59% for melee weapons and 78% for a physical resistance check. With the bonus and extra action penalties, he now receives 73% for ranged weapon in first strike, 55% for spellcasting as a second action, 29% for melee weapons strike as a third action, and 38% for a reflex check on that opponent's next attack as a prepared action, but gets no defense against any other opponent's attack. This is known as his closing attack and starts from between 5-9 spaces per GM's restriction.

A player can change their character's signature tactics at any time with notice to the GM prior to combat. The GM describes the actions of the character, allowing the player to cancel the combo to use different actions.

The application of poultices or eating are prohibited from combos. (Drinking is not a prohibited action.)