Complex Scenarios (Combat)
“The Devil can cite scripture for his purpose.” — William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
Combat in Mind’s Eye Theatre is thematic and cinematic rather than hyper-realistic. These rules prioritize speed, flexibility, and ease of use over realism. These scenarios can include wonderful tension and character drama if the Storyteller properly sets the tone. Some conflicts can be resolved by running one or two opposed challenges. However, when two or more characters engage in an extended conflict, the Storyteller should use the complex scenario system.
Contents
Measuring Time
Initiative: Initiative is the order in which characters take their actions. A character’s initiative is equal to her Physical or Mental attribute, whichever is greater. For example, a character with 5 Physical attributes and 8 Mental attributes has an initiative of 8. If two or more characters have the same initiative, the character with the higher Mental attribute goes first. If both characters have the same Mental attribute, the character with the highest Physical attribute goes first. If both characters have the same Physical attribute, the character with the highest Social attribute goes first. If both characters have the same Social attribute, randomly determine who goes first.
Turn: Complex scenarios resolve via a series of turns. Each turn includes at least one round of actions and represents roughly three seconds of time, during which the combat unfolds.
Round: Turns are broken down into one or more rounds. By default, a turn has one round (called the everyman round). In the everyman round, each character takes her actions. The character with the greatest initiative goes first and characters act in the initiative order until all players have taken their actions. Once all characters have acted, the completed round ends. Some characters have the ability to act more than once per turn. These additional actions are resolved in special rounds, called Celerity rounds, that take place after the everyman round. Once all rounds have been resolved, the current turn ends and a new turn begins.
Actions
Each character may take up to two actions, one standard and one simple, per round on her initiative.
Standard Action: Any action that requires a challenge (static or opposed) or requires your character’s full attention is a standard action. Examples include kicking down a door, punching a mugger, climbing a wall, or picking a lock. If there is confusion, the Storyteller determines if your action requires a static challenge or an opposed challenge. Actions that require a challenge are always standard actions, even if the target doesn’t resist your challenge. If you choose to forgo your standard action, you gain an additional simple action instead. Note that you cannot forgo your simple action to gain another standard action.
Simple Action: A simple action is something your character can do without a static challenge or an opposed challenge. Examples of simple actions include readying a weapon, using a supernatural power on yourself, or running around a corner. The difference between a standard action and a simple action is often decided by whether or not it requires a challenge.
Movement
You may use a simple action or standard action to move up to three steps. If you use both your standard action and simple action to move, you may move up to six steps on your initiative.
Advanced Movement
Trying to move by jumping, climbing, swimming, or other unusual means requires a standard action instead of a simple action and often requires a static challenge. For example, climbing a sheer cliff requires a standard action to move three steps and may require a static challenge.
Fair Escape
Fair escape simulates the ability of a character to escape from a dangerous scenario without the player bounding over furniture or diving out of windows. This rule allows players to avoid combat when logical and appropriate without going through cumbersome challenges to see if they can escape the current scenario. Attempts to fair escape automatically fail if there is no logical way for you to leave the area. For example, you cannot fair escape if you are grappled or in a locked room with no windows.
To use this rule, wait until the start of your initiative, raise your hand, and announce that you wish to try and fair escape. You may attempt to fair escape any time you have the opportunity to expend an action, even during Celerity rounds.
To successfully fair escape, you must avoid being involved in any Physical challenges for a full round (or Celerity round); in addition, Mental and Social challenges versus your Physical attribute also block an attempt to fair escape. If you are attacked before your initiative, your attempt to fair escape automatically fails (even if the attack missed). When you declare your intention to fair escape, other players who have not acted yet have the opportunity to announce that they plan to physically attack you later in round. If no one declares intent to attack, you fair escape immediately.
If someone declares the intent to attack, your fair escape is put on hold. If you are attacked later in the round, your fair escape fails. If you are not attacked, then your fair escape succeeds at the end of the round, after all other characters have acted. If you fail to escape, you can take steps or other actions, but not until after your fair escape attempt fails. If it is not possible for your character to be physically attacked in the current round, then your attempt to fair escape automatically succeeds.
Example: On his initiative, Bobby the Brujah attempts to fair escape from a pack of 10 gang members. Bobby hasn’t been attacked yet, but one of the gang members says that he plans to shoot Bobby later in the round. Bobby’s actions are put on hold until the gang members have acted. Later in the round, one of the gang members does attack Bobby, causing his fair escape attempt to fail. Once his attempt fails, Bobby activates Celerity and uses his simple and standard actions to run away from the gang members, moving six steps. When the Storyteller begins to resolve the first Celerity round, Bobby announces that he will attempt to fair escape again. Since none of the gang members can act in Celerity rounds, Bobby’s attempt to fair escape automatically succeeds.
These rules are meant to hasten play, not complicate it. Always try to employ common sense when using fair escape. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of the success of an attempted fair escape. Once you’ve fair escaped from a combat, you cannot return until the combat is over.
Lying Prone
Sometimes, you want to duck for cover, but there isn’t anything to hide behind. By using a simple action to drop to the ground, lying on your stomach, you gain a little protection. Lying prone doesn’t prevent you from acting on your initiative, but it does limit your movement. While prone, you can crawl up to one step by using a simple action.
Alternately, you may use a simple action to stand up and move one step. If you’re lying prone on the ground and an opponent targets you with a Physical ranged attack from more than three steps away, you get a +2 concealment bonus to your defense test pool. If an opponent physically attacks you from within three steps while you are prone, you suffer a -2 penalty to your defense test pool.
Step One: Mediation
Players attempting to create a dynamic scene may elect to agree upon an outcome rather than use mechanics to resolve a challenge. It is possible for players to handle mediation without the assistance of a Storyteller, but if there is any disagreement at all, the Storyteller arbitrates.
Sometimes, to keep the story flowing, players might agree to an outcome that furthers the stories for all of the characters. For example, Julian might simply want to escape the scene with his life, but Edward wants to give Julian a solid thrashing before the escape. If all players agree to an outcome that the Storyteller approves, then the players will end the complex scenario and return to roleplay as quickly as possible. If the players can’t come to an agreement over the outcome, then proceed to the next step.
Step Two: Storyteller Assessment
Once phase two begins, the Storyteller immediately freezes the scene. Players stop talking and remain still to help the Storyteller process the scene. The Storyteller discusses what is happening with the players to determine which characters will be directly involved in the combat scene.
Step Three: Order of Action
Every character participating in combat may expend actions on or after her initiative. When combat begins, the Storyteller determines which action started the combat and resolves it. Once the first action is resolved, all other actions are resolved according to initiative order.
The Storyteller counts down the initiative, starting with the player who has the highest number. When your initiative is called, raise your hand and declare one standard action and one simple action in any order you wish. You might use a simple action to draw a gun and then use a standard action to shoot. Alternately, you might use a standard action to punch someone and then use a simple action to move.
Once the first player is finished, play proceeds in initiative order, from highest to lowest, until all characters have had an opportunity to act. Once everyone has taken their actions, a new round begins. Once all rounds have been resolved, a new turn begins.
Surprise Action
When your character starts a combat, take one action, either your simple or standard action, outside of the initiative order. This action (often called a surprise action) is resolved before anyone else can respond. Your remaining action resolves normally, when your initiative comes up.
Example: You start a combat by using your simple action to draw a gun. Later, when your initiative comes up, you use your standard action to shoot. If you were holding the weapon before the combat started, you could use your standard action to fire, starting the combat, and when your initiative comes up, use your simple action to move behind cover.
Delaying Your Actions
You might want to delay your initiative so that you can take your actions after another character or if a certain condition occurs. When you choose to delay your actions, you may act at any point later in the initiative order of that round. If you delay your initiative until another character’s natural initiative, the individual acting on her natural initiative resolves her actions first. If two or more characters delay their actions until the same moment in a round, the character with the highest initiative goes first.
You can use one action and delay the other until later in the round. If you choose not to take any actions in a given round, your initiative is increased by 5 on the next round in which you have actions. You only gain this bonus if you forgo both of your actions. This bonus is not cumulative. If you delay your action for multiple rounds, you only receive the standard +5 bonus to your initiative.
Ending the Round
Once all players have used (or delayed) their actions, the round is over.
Step Four: Celerity Rounds
Once the first round (the everyman round) has ended, characters capable of acting at supernatural speeds may take additional actions. These extra actions resolve in a series of special rounds called Celerity rounds.
Characters capable of acting on the first Celerity round take their actions in initiative order, skipping characters who cannot act on that round. After resolving all actions in the first Celerity round, the Storyteller progresses to the second Celerity round, and the third Celerity round.
Once all Celerity rounds have been resolved, the Storyteller begins a new turn. This new turn starts with an everyman round.
You can only take Physical actions during a Celerity round. You may move, attack, or activate a Physical power, but you cannot engage in any Mental or Social challenges.
Example: Combat
Situation: Delilah the Gangrel has tracked down Melvin the Nosferatu, looking for some payback.
Turn 1
Delilah walks up behind the unsuspecting Melvin and tries to hit him with a baseball bat. Since swinging the bat is the action that kicks off the combat, the Storyteller resolves it before anyone else can act. Hitting another character requires a challenge and will therefore consume Delilah’s standard action. Delilah’s attack test pool is 15 (Physical 9 + Melee 4 + Baseball Bat 2). Melvin’s defense test pool is 7 (Physical 3 + Dodge 4). Delilah loses the initial test but wins with her overbid retest. Melvin isn’t terribly worried about being hit with a baseball bat, so he opts to save his Willpower for later. Melvin is hit and takes 2 points of damage: 1 (base) + 1 (Potence).
1. Melvin (Initiative 12): Using his simple action, Melvin draws a knife. With his standard action, he attempts to stab Delilah. Melvin’s attack test pool is 9 (Physical 3 + Melee 4 + Knife 2). Delilah’s defense test pool is 12 (Physical 9 + Dodge 3). Melvin ties the initial test, but loses because his test pool is less than Delilah’s. Hoping to impress her enough to back down, Melvin spends a Willpower to retest. Melvin manages to win his retest, but Delilah is one tough Gangrel. The knife slides off of her supernaturally tough skin, inflicting no damage (1 (base) -1 (Fortitude). The Storyteller allows Melvin to monologue without requiring an action, so he shouts, “Stop hitting me you crazy Gangrel!”
2. Delilah (Initiative 9): Having used her standard action to kick off the combat, Delilah is left with only a simple action. Seeing Melvin’s knife, she uses her simple action to draw the shotgun she strapped to her back. Since neither character has a power that allows them to act on Celerity rounds, the turn ends, and a new turn begins.
Turn 2
1. Melvin (Initiative 12): Doing some quick math, Melvin realizes he’s not winning this fight. He uses his simple action to take three steps away from the enraged Gangrel, and he uses his standard action to activate the power Vanish from the Mind’s Eye. Melvin’s test pool to vanish is 16 (Mental 12 + Stealth 4). Delilah’s test pool is 10 (Mental 4 + Willpower 6). Melvin ties the initial test, but his superior pool allows him to win the challenge. Eager to vent her rage, Delilah spends a Willpower to retest, but loses the second test as well. Melvin vanishes and the scene ends.
Chapter 4: Introduction to Core Systems
