Contests
As with most role-playing games, Striker is full of conflict. The very life of an adventurer is on the edges of society, between law and lawlessness, between the known and the unknown, between what is deemed acceptable and what is not.
A contest is a timed adversarial framework where we perform checks on a subset of skills and determine their consequences. In the Strikermechanica, combat is considered a physical contest. There are two other notable contests: technical contests and social contests.
The reason for contests being timed adversarial frameworks, is because in acute situations, many parties to the contest all want to get their thing done. They can't get these things done simultaneously, it is always a series of events with consequences, and we need to know who gets to go first, and how much they can get done, before someone else gets to have their go.
Common Concepts
Regardless of the type of contest being carried out, whether the encounter is:
- a fist fight between two soldiers in a bar;
- a shoot out between the crew of a striker behind a bulkhead and some boarders;
- a shoot out between two strikers surrounded by chunks of ice in a Kuiper belt;
- a striker's engineering officer, tracking down an enemy hacker's attempts to bring down the shields;
- a taunt and reposte between two striker captains;
- a negotiation between delegates at a diplomatic dinner; or
- a combination of two or three of these at once.
there is a common organisation of contests in cycles of rounds, where each creature participating in a contest takes a turn in performing some of their actions.
Actions
We have seen actions already, consider the skill properties of the Machinery skill for some examples:
Category: Engineering, Knowledge
Usage: operate(act) -> chk|sv= +M
◊ know(free-act, R, Tech) -> chk= +M
◊ make(day+, R, Tech) -> chk(CC)= +M
◊ modify(day+, R, Tech) -> chk(CC)= +M + (CC-Q - CC)
◊ bypass(main-act, R, Tech) -> chk(CC-S)= +M -> set(PC)= 8 + M(Stealth+S)
◊ modify-rig(main-act, R, Tech) -> eff= give(d) ½•M to artefact chk|sv
◊ disable(main-act, R, Tech) -> chk(CC)= +M
◊ repair(hr+, R, Tech) -> chk(CC)= +M + (CC-Q - CC)
◊ repair-rig(main-act, R, Tech) -> chk(CC)= +M + (CC-Q - CC)
Usage (aspect): provenance -> Tech
◊ diagnose,salvage,search(min, R, Tech) -> chk(CC)= +M(Investigate) +R
◊ appraise(min, R, Tech) -> chk(CC)= +M(Finance) +R
◊ haggle(min, R, Tech) -> chk(SC)= +M(Persuade|Deceive) +R
Description: Encompasses understanding of engines, and drive systems, whether that means propulsion or traction systems, or systems like gradients, which are a combination of the two.
Each listing under Usage and Usage (aspect) are actions. Given that contests are decided in rounds, which are only 6-seconds long, we can already see that only some of these actions are brief enough to be be accomplished within a contest, whilst others can only be done during a contest (while the contest is going on). Specifically, actions with timings like free-act and main-act can be accomplished during your turn in a contest, because they are both less than 6 seconds.
Of course a likely candidate for use with the physical contest is the Cbt-Ranged skill. Its listing is:
Category: Combat
Usage: generic(act) -> chk|sv= +M
◊ attack(main-act) -> chk(TC)= +M -> eff= +M eff
◊ attack-area(main-act) -> chk(TC-A)= +M -> eff= imp(sv, Agility+B, 8 + M)
◊ know(free-act, R, Tech) -> chk= +M
◊ switch(main-act) -> eff= change weapon
◊ switch(bonus-act, R) -> eff= change weapon
Usage (aspect): provenance -> Tech
◊ assess(min, R) -> chk= +M(Investigate) +R
Description: A knowledge and practice with ranged combat with small arms fire (such as rifles, bows, pistols and shotguns).
We can see that the attack and attack area actions, with their main-act timings, are brief enough to be done during your turn.
The Contest Cycle
Contests take place in a series of rounds.
At the beginning of the encounter we work out where everyone is (particularly important in physical contests, which we often refer to as simply combat), then we decide if anyone is surprised.
If anyone is surprised, we go into a special round at the beginning, called the surprise round. In a surprise round, only the participants that are not surprised can have a turn.
We decide the order of their turns by having these unsurprised participants make an initiative roll, and they get to have their turns in the order of highest initiative to lowest.
If no one is surprised, or when the surprise round is done, everyone else makes an initiative roll. We then start the first standard round, with all participants (both surprised and non-surprised) taking their turns in the order of highest initiative to lowest.
Once everyone has had a turn, we begin the next round, with all participants taking their turns in initiative order.
We continue with all rounds when the participants from one side have quit, surrendered, left with their tail between their legs, or in the case of the physical contest, or combat, have even died.
Surprise
After docking with an ancient battle striker, the crew sneak up on some salvagers, pulling out some tech from the ratus. A sinuous creature seems to come out of the machinery unnoticed by the crew, and snatches one of them. In these situations (a sneak & attack, and an ambush), it is likely that one side is going to gain some surprise over the other.
Surprise occurs when one or more of the participants in a contest is significantly aware before others. There is the potential of a surprise round when:
- they know their adversaries are present;
- they know it's going to be a contest, and
- they know enough time in advance (roughly six seconds) that they can do something.
It is up to the GM to determine whether conditions of surprise exist and for whom. However there are a number of Skills that can help here. Principal amongst them is Stealth and Perception.
How the encounter is set up: a diplomatic dinner, the crew of one striker tracking the movements of another, a hacker moving through a system before anyone from the blue team have realised it, or the two cases mentioned above Determines how Stealth and Perception are used. Sometimes its pretty obvious: the crew sneaking up on the salvagers would each make a chk(Stealth+B) with:
sneak(w/move-act) -> set(PC)= 8 +M(Stealth+B)
The lowest result is the Perception Challenge (PC) of the group. We see if the psv(Perception) of any of the salvagers equals or exceeds the PC. Those salvagers that do succeed will be the non surprised ones and will join the entire crew sneaking up in a surprise round.
If there is a reason for any of the salvagers to be suspicious, they can make a chk+(Perception), instead of us using their psv(Perception).
Initiative
We know from the Resolve skill that initiative is a trait boutne out of that skill:
initiative -> chk= +M(Resolve)
Players roll for their own character, the GM usually rolls a single check for the creatures they are controlling (more on this later). The order of turns for each round of the contest, then goes from the highest initiative score to the lowest. The initiative order remains the same in each round, until the contest is resolved. If a tie occurs in the initiative order, it is the creature with the higher Modifier (M) on Resolve that goes first. If this is still a tie, then the compare Modifier (M) on Perception, if this still doesn’t resolve it then you can just do another d20 roll or just decide arbitrarily.
Your Turn
During your turn, you take one main-act and one move-act (if applicable to the contest).
Most main-acts you can take are detailed under the “Actions in the Contest” section in this chapter, but you are usually provided additional main-act choices from skills provided by your sophontcy, profession or background.
With move-acts, you can move up to your speed. You can move at any time, either before or after your main-act. You can also split your move, carrying out part of your movement before your main-act, and part after your main-act.
More detail on how to move is provided in the “Movement and Position” section, also in this chapter.
You don’t have to perform a main-act or a move-act during your turn. Sometimes you want to wait for something to happen, before you take a move or action. In this case, consider the “Ready” action detailed under “Actions in the Contest”. You also may not have decided what to do, or you can’t think of what to do. Here, you may want to consider the “Watch” or the “Evade” action.
Bonus-Act
Various skills and circumstances let you take an additional action on your turn, called a bonus-act. The Sniper skill, for example, allows you to use a bonus-act to aim a weapon before using your main-act to fire it. Also, if you have ranks in the Cbt-Melee forte, you may change the weapon you are using in combat, using a bonus-act.
Bonus-acts are not available to all creatures all of the time during combat. You are granted bonus-acts by certain skills or rule provisions, which will generally state something like: “you can do (something) as a bonus-act. If nothing allows you do anything with a bonus-act, then you have no bonus-act to take.
Some creatures may be granted more than one bonus-act because of skills or circumstances. If that is the case, they must choose which bonus-act to take. You can only perform one bonus-act in a turn.
In the example of the Sniper skill presented earlier, it makes sense to take the bonus-act (aim) before the act (fire). Other than logic, there are no restrictions on when you can take bonus-acts. They can be before, during or after moves, and before or after actions.
Some effects, and particularly some conditions, can stop you from taking actions. A bonus-act is a type of action, so these effects will also deprive you of the ability to take bonus-acts.
Free-Acts On Your Turn
You are allowed to do some other activity, on your turn, provided that it is only one activity and it’s not too intricate. These are called free-acts. Any time during your turn, you can:
- communicate a short phrase, such as a command;
- make a gesture; or
- have a simple interaction with an object or feature in your environment, such as pick an item up, drop an item, or get a rifle off your back.
The interaction has to be simple and singular: an interaction with a second object will require a main-act.
Generally, objects that require more intricate, careful or forceful interactions to use them, will always require a main-act.
- Most equipment items indicate what type of action is needed to use them, with some actually listing free-act.
- A stuck door requires jostling to open it, which means a main-act.
As a (very) rough guide, anything needing more then a second to use will usually need a main-act.
Re-acts
Some skills and situations allow you to take another type of action, called a re-act. The re-action is an immediate response to a specific trigger, which can occur on your turn, but usually, it’s someone else’s. The attack of opportunity, described under the Cbt-Melee skill in “Chapter 5: Skills”, is a common type of re-action, which occurs in melee combat.
Just like bonus-acts, if there is more than one opportunity for a re-act, you can only take one of them in any single round. If, for example, you have chosen to ready a main-act to fire at whoever opens the bulkhead door, and someone else happens to run past you (triggering an attack of opportunity), then you must choose, whether to drop the readied action and take the attack of opportunity, or forgo the attack of opportunity to keep that bulkhead guarded.
Movement & Position
This is particularly important in physical contests, especially melee combat can involve a lot of movement. In melee combat, it is often short and frenetic, as opponents dodge blows and find advantageous positions. In ranged combat, its usually about gaining and retaining cover, or getting a better vantage point for attacking.
You can move a distance up to your speed at any point, during your turn (this is part of your move-act). You will typically use your stock move for this, which for humans is walk. As was previously mentioned, you can break this movement up to portions before and after your attack. You can also incorporate other modes of movement into your move-act, such as climbing, jumping or swimming, or these other modes can constitute your entire move.
If you are able to make two attacks during your attack main-act, you can also move between the attacks. If your speed is 10, for example, you can move 2 metres, attack, move another 8 metres, and make the second attack.
If you have two different movements, such as a walk mode and a fly mode, you can switch back and forth between the movement modes during your move. Whenever you switch, subtract the distance you've already moved from the new movement mode. The result determines how much farther you can move. If the result is 0 or less, you can't use the new mode during the current move. If your walk is 10 metres and your fly is 20 metres. You can start by walking two metres, if you switch to fly, then you take the 2 metres you walked from your fly movement, leaving you with 18 metres. If you fly 10 metres, then you will not be able switch back to the walk mode again, because, your total movement so far, 12 metres, exceeds your walk speed.
Difficult Terrain
Rarely are things so contrived that combat occurs on a flat surface, in places free of clutter. Typically combat occurs on the steeply sloping decks of a crashed spaceship, in the midst of a rock strewn canyon, on steep slopes of scree, in conditions of high gravity, or in a warehouse that confounds you by being filled with every imaginable thing that humanity has ever found a use for.
In difficult terrain, the speed of your chosen movement mode is halved.
Other common examples of difficult terrain are deep snow, shallow swamps, thick undergrowth, and the space of another creature, whether they are hostile or not.
Sometimes terrain can be difficult in one movement mode, but not in another. A slope of loose scree is not difficult if you can simply fly over it.
Being Prone
A bipedal creature in combat can often find themselves in a prone position. It could be on-purpose, such as throwing yourself down, or as a result of the fire from a shotgun, knocking you down.
You can drop prone without using any of your movement, but to stand yourself back up costs half your movement. If you are prone and have less than half your movement left, you cannot stand up during your current turn, and must wait to your next turn before standing up.
Barring any other extraordinary abilities, you must crawl, if you want to move while prone. Crawling is particularly slow (crawl is considered an unnatural movement mode for most sophonts) and as such, can only be done at a quarter of your natural movement. If your natural movement is 8 or 10 metres, then your crawl movement is 2 metres.
You can stand or perform your natural movement, starting from prone, on a successful chk(Acrobatics,10).
Moving Around Other Creatures
You can always move through any other creature’s space, but it is difficult terrain for you, and you cannot willingly end your move there.
Note also that leaving a hostile creature’s space, or any adjacent space to that, triggers an attack of opportunity from them.
Flying Movement And Falling
Provided that the creature is not in zero-G, or is otherwise able to hover, a flying creature that is knocked prone, has their movement reduced to 0, deprived of their ability to move in some other way, will fall.
Actions in Contests
The actions that you commonly take in contest are detailed in the following headings. Some of these are more useful on some contests over others. Your skills may provide additional actions, and opponents may also have additional actions as described in their properties. You can assume that all actions described in the following headings, are main-acts, unless free-acts, bonus-acts, or re-acts are explicitly mentioned.
Attack
The attack action is used in physical contests and is its most commonly used action. it represents stabbing with a blade, firing a plasma gun, or raking with your disease-ridden claws.
The attack action consists of making a check against a Target Challenge (TC) or and Area Target Challenge (TC-A) on one of the combat skills or associated techniques, and has the form:
attack(main-act) -> chk(TC)= +M(Cbt-Skill) -> eff= +M eff
In your attack you use your main-act and roll a d20 adding your Modifier (M) in the appropriate Combat Skill to the score.. If the result equals or exceeds your opponent’s TC, you hit.
The rest of the line indicates that you can also add your Modifier (M) to the weapon’s effect as well. Therefore, if your weapon does 2d6(hp,frc), then you roll 2d6 and add your Modifier (M) to the result.
Dash
Remembering that on your turn, you can move up to your speed. The dash action is to move again at your speed, using your main-act, allowing you to move twice your normal movement overall, during your turn.
The additional movement is governed by the same restrictions or advantages of your normal move. If, for example, your speed is reduced to 5 because of difficult terrain, your dash action is similarly reduced to give you a total of 10 for your normal movement and your dash action combined.
Disengage
In melee combat, taking the Disengage action means that you consume your main-act, so that your movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity for the rest of your turn.
Evade
Using your main-act for the Evade action instead, means that you are focussing entirely on defence. In melee, this can mean a combination of dodging and parrying, while in ranged, it is moving between cover, or otherwise unpredictably, and making no attempt to fire. When you take the Evade action, all attacks on you by opponents you can see, are made at disadvantage. Also all sv(Agility) you make are at advantage. You are still subject to attacks of opportunity, during your movement, and lose these benefits if you are incapacitated, or you are rendered unconscious.
Assist
Using your main-act for the Assist action means that you are helping an ally in a chk(Skill), so long as they make their chk(Skill) before the start of your next turn. As described in already, you are allowed to contribute your R in that skill as an assistance bonus (or skill aspect) to their chk(Skill).
Hide
You take the Hide action by using your main-act for performing a chk(Stealth+B), and setting a Perception Challenge (PC) for your opponents. If successful, your opponents have disadvantage when attacking you, and you have advantage when attacking them. For success, there must be a plausible way for hiding in the vicinity. If you are obviously an enemy, and you are in flat, open ground, with no obstacles whatsoever, then you don’t have an opportunity to make a chk(Stealth+B).
Note however, that the moment you attack, whether you hit or miss, you will give away your position and your intentions.
Ready
The ready action allows you to forego your main-act, and instead using your re-act, when a circumstance (called the trigger) arises. “I will fire my flechette, when any opponent comes around that corner”, is a good example of a readied action. When your nominated circumstance arrives, your re-action is triggered and you can make the attack, provided it is before your next turn.
You can ready movement or ready interactions with objects, such as pulling levers or opening doors.
You can also ready again in the next round, if the trigger does not arrive before your next turn.
Use an Object
While simple manipulations of objects can be done using a free action, something that requires delicate handling, or is particularly fragile, or requires a complex sequence of steps, will need more of your attention, and will require you to use a main-act.
Each item of equipment lists a timing for its main usage, which in not necessarily a main-act.
Switch Object
If you are using an object in a contest (either having in hand or as an interface you are currently using), you need to use your main-act in a Switch action, to change that object for another that you have handy.