Visibility

Visibility

A combat situation where some fighters can't see their foes affects attacks and defenses.

Attacker cannot see anything. If the attacker is blind or in total darkness, he can make a Hearing-2 roll – or use some other method – to discover his foe's location. If he fails his Hearing roll, he may attack in a randomly chosen direction (on a map, he must specify the hex). He attacks at -10 (-6 if he is accustomed to being blind). Roll hit location randomly.

Attacker cannot see his foe, but can see his other surroundings. If only the attacker's foe is invisible, use the rules above, but the attack penalty is only -6.

Attacker cannot see his foe, but knows his location for sure. If the foe is in a single smoke-filled hex or the like, use the rules above, but no Hearing roll is required and the attack penalty is only -4.

Defender cannot see his attacker. If the attacker (including his weapon) is invisible but the defender is aware that he is being attacked, he may dodge at -4. If the defender makes a Hearing-2 roll, he may also parry or block – still at -4. If he is completely unaware of his attacker, he gets no defense at all! If the attacker is in smoke or unnatural darkness, but the defender is not, he defends normally, since he can see the weapon coming.

Note also that an unseen fighter can safely try things that a normal fighter could never do – or he may just wait in a corner until his foe is exhausted!

Torches and Flashlights

A torch or flashlight reduces the penalty to attack rolls for darkness. Assume that any such light within line of sight reduces the penalty from -10 (total darkness) to -3. Almost every light source has a limited range or radius – see the item description for details.

You can also use a torch as a weapon: treat it as a baton that does one point of burning damage as a linked effect (see Linked Effects). A torch can set things afire, given enough time. Most oil you're likely to encounter in a medieval world catches fire after three seconds of contact with an open flame; ordinary clothing ignites after four seconds, and kindling after 10 seconds. Other things are left to the GM's judgment.

It's possible to carry a light in your "off" hand, leaving your weapon hand free for combat. It's even possible to parry with it – at the usual penalties for using the off hand. A torch or ordinary flashlight will smash on the first blow if it is used to parry a weapon three times its weight or more! TL7+ "police" flashlights are serviceable batons: triple the cost and weight for an ordinary heavy flashlight (see Camping and Survival Gear).