Special Movement

Special Movement

Most forms of enhanced mobility have significant effects on combat.

High-Speed Movement

It's possible to go so fast that you can’t easily stop or change course. Such "high-speed movement" occurs whenever your present velocity exceeds your Basic Move. These rules apply equally to living beings and to fast-moving vehicles.

You may decide to accelerate to high speed at the end of any turn during which you've moved your full Basic Move – modified for encumbrance, if any – in one direction, more or less (no more than one 60° turn). You must have taken either a Move or a Move and Attack maneuver that turn, and you must be standing up.

Once you switch to high-speed movement, you move as described under Sprinting. You may start the next turn with a velocity up to 20% greater than your Move (at minimum, +1 Move). If you have the Enhanced Move advantage, or are a vehicle with a top speed greater than your Move, you may start your next turn with a velocity up to 100% greater than Basic Move. In all cases, use the high-speed movement rules below.

Velocity

Keep track of your velocity (in yards per second). You can increase it or decrease it at the end of each turn; see Accelerating, below. You must move as fast as your velocity – that is, if your velocity is 17, you must move 17 yards that turn unless something (e.g., bad footing) slows you down.

Maneuvers During High-Speed Movement

If you're moving at high speed under your own power, you should take either a Move or a Move and Attack maneuver. This applies to a mount, but not to riders or vehicle crew. If you don't (or if no one is controlling a vehicle), see Losing Control.

Direction and Turning Radius

At high speeds, it's hard to change direction quickly. You must continue to move in a generally forward direction. A major change of direction (up to 60°) is only possible after you've moved straight ahead for a distance equal to at least (current velocity/Basic Move) yards, rounded down. This number is your turning radius. For instance, if your current velocity is 13 and you have Basic Move 5, you must move at least 13/5 = 2.6 yards, which rounds to 2 yards, between each change of facing.

Until you have moved a distance equal to your turning radius, you must continue to move forward. If you are using the Tactical Combat rules, you can move into any of your three front hexes, but without changing facing. If you have legs or similar, you can roll against DX or Jumping to cross obstacles; otherwise, you collide with anything you can't maneuver around or which doesn't dodge out of the way.

Note: These rules are cinematic but easy to use. A more realistic turning radius would be (velocity squared)/10 yards; those who enjoy complexity are welcome to use this.

If your Basic Move is 0, do not use the rules above. You cannot turn at all under your own power! You can only drift. To execute a turn, you must be pushed, towed, etc.

Attacking and Defending

You can fight normally during high-speed movement, subject to the limits of your combat maneuver. You can dodge, but you cannot retreat or dive for cover. The GM should always apply speed modifiers when you're under attack – or attacking!

Accelerating

If your velocity is less than your top speed at the end of your turn, you can increase it by an amount up to your Basic Move, to a maximum of your rated top speed. Top speed is 20% over your Move if you are sprinting and don't have the Enhanced Move advantage.

Decelerating

Instead of accelerating, you can decelerate, reducing your velocity by an amount up to your Basic Move (or more, with some risk – see below). If your deceleration reduces your velocity to Basic Move or less at the end of your turn, you are no longer at high speed, and may use the ordinary movement rules next turn.

Pushing the Envelope

You can try to decelerate by up to Basic Move × 2. You can also attempt to change direction before you've moved the requisite distance. Either requires a DX+3 roll – or a vehicle operation skill roll, modified by the vehicle's Handling statistic, if you are driving a vehicle.

Hasty deceleration requires a roll at -1 per two full yards/second beyond Basic Move by which you cut your speed. For instance, if your Basic Move is 5 and you decelerate by 9 yards/second, you must roll at -2.

An earlier turn (or a tighter turn; e.g., 120° instead 60°) calls for a roll at -1 per full increment of Basic Move by which your velocity exceeds your Basic Move. For instance, if you're moving at 23 yards/second and have Basic Move 3, you must roll at -6.

If you fail, you lose traction and fall or spin out of control – see Losing Control, below.

Tactical Movement

If you are using the tactical movement rules with high-speed movement, your movement points equal your velocity at the start of your turn. You cannot sidestep or step back. Turning radius limits facing changes: a 60° turn is a one hex-side facing change.

Minor obstructions and bad footing cost movement points as usual (see Movement Point Costs), and also decelerate you at the end of your turn by an amount equal to the extra movement points paid. For example, if your high-speed velocity is 14 and you run through six yards of mud (+1 movement point per hex), you'll automatically decelerate to a velocity of 8 at the end of the turn. Add this to any voluntary deceleration. If the total exceeds your Basic Move, roll as described for Pushing the Envelope, above. If it exceeds Basic Move × 2, you lose control automatically.

Losing Control

If you are running on the ground and lose control, you trip. You fall over, skid for 1/4 your remaining movement straight ahead (unless you hit something), and then stop. If you land on the ground and skid to a stop without hitting anything, you suffer damage for a fall at your current velocity; see Falling. If you hit something, you suffer (and inflict) collision damage instead; see Damage from Collisions.

Optional Rule: Changing Posture in Armor

For enhanced realism, you can let encumbrance level affect the time it takes to perform a Change Posture maneuver. At encumbrance level 0 (None) or 1 (Light), Change Posture takes one second, as usual. At level 2 (Medium), it takes two seconds to change posture – and so on. While you are partway through a posture change, you are considered tobe in the old posture. This rule may slow play, but it can also give a realistic edge to lightly armored combatants.

You also lose control if you are knocked out, or take any combat maneuver but Move or Move and Attack, while moving at high speed. For instance, if you were stunned and forced to Do Nothing, you would trip as described above.

Exception: If you are moving on three or more wheels, you're more stable. The GM may rule that you merely decelerate your maximum safe deceleration each turn instead of tripping, unless your loss of control was the result was a critical failure or injury (stunned, etc.).

High-Speed Flying and Swimming

Only use Basic Move if you are moving on the ground. Use basic air Move when flying, and basic water Move when swimming (see Move in Other Environments). If you lose control in the air or water, you don't trip; instead, you must move your current velocity straight ahead and then decelerate by your maximum safe deceleration. You can do nothing else – this effectively ends your turn!

Mounted Combat

Knights, cowboys and Indians, and other adventurers often fight from the saddle. A mount not only provides additional mobility, but its extra height and momentum can make the rider's attacks more effective, while the shock of a mounted charge can panic unprepared opponents. Some mounts even fight in their own right.

With the exception of the occasional camel or elephant, mounted warriors usually ride horses, and these rules assume that. For the differences between horses and various mounts from fantasy and science fiction, see the pertinent animal descriptions.

Ordinarily, a rider can direct a wartrained mount by voice and foot pressure, leaving both hands free for weapon use. However, all Riding rolls are at -3 for "no hands," or -1 if only one hand is on the reins. Riders who need both hands to control their mount may drop what they are holding. It requires a Ready maneuver and DX-3 roll to return a weapon to its scabbard while a mount is bucking; a critical failure means you drop it!

Nonsapient mounts without war training (see War-Trained Mounts) are liable to "spook" at danger – especially at the sounds of gunfire and injured animals of their own species! All combat Riding rolls are at -3 for a well-broken mount without war training – and at -6 or worse for one that is not fully broken.

The rider must make a Riding+2 roll to get any mount except a wartrained mount to charge into or over any obstacle, or onto bad footing, or to perform risky maneuvers like jumps, tight turns, etc., unless they're a matter of life and death for the mount! Failure means the mount disobeys; see Spooked Mounts.

Mounting Up

Mounting a horse or similar creature takes two consecutive maneuvers: Move to jump or climb up, followed by Change Posture to seat yourself. You can leap astride in only one turn if you make a Riding, Acrobatics, or Jumping roll at -3 (no penalty if you are using stirrups) – but on any failure, you fall!

When you are using Tactical Combat, a rider is in the center of a 3-hex mount like a horse, or the front of a 2-hex mount like a gryphon. An elephant or similar mount would have a flat back, and a rider could stand up and move around; traditionally, an elephant carries the driver, or mahout, on its neck, and a howdah, a platform with several fighters, on its back.

Movement and Maneuvers

See Riding and Draft Animals for the Move of various mounts. The animal's Basic Move is the pace it can achieve while walking or trotting; its Enhanced Move is for a gallop, and uses the rules under High-Speed Movement. Encumbrance penalties apply normally (see Encumbrance and Move) ... but few mounts willingly carry more than Medium encumbrance.

In combat, the mount can take any maneuver, unless it's moving at high speed. Then it is limited to Move or Move and Attack.

The rider can take any maneuver. Use Change Posture to dismount safely from a mount that hasn't moved, or that has moved only a step. Otherwise, the only way to get off is to jump or fall. To jump off safely, take a Move or Move and Attack maneuver and make an Acrobatics or Jumping roll. On any failure, you fall!

Falling Off: If the mount makes a successful DX roll for a difficult action like a jump, tight turn, or hasty deceleration, the rider must make a Riding roll. On a failure, the rider is unseated, even though the mount performed the maneuver. If the mount fails its DX roll for a risky action, see result 12 on the Mount Loss of Control Table (below) for effects.

Spooked Mounts

If a mount fails a Fright Check, or refuses to perform a particular feat, it will usually shy and buck. The rider must make a Riding roll and take a Ready maneuver every second to regain control.

A critical success calms the mount immediately; three ordinary successes in a row will have the same result. Three failures in a row, or a single critical failure, means a total loss of control (see below). A long alternation of successes and failures means you spend your time fighting your mount instead of the enemy! Fortunately, a bucking mount is still free to dodge, as is the rider – although no other defenses are possible.

Mount Loss of Control Table

Roll 2d on the following table if you completely lose control of a mount. Also refer to the appropriate result – without rolling – whenever a rider is thrown, a mount falls, etc.

2 – You are thrown from your mount. Take damage for a three-yard fall (adjust this for an unusually tall or short mount). If you remain conscious, you may attempt an immediate Animal Handling-3 roll to call your mount back. If you fail, you may make a repeated attempt every 5 minutes.

3 – You lose your grip and fall. Take damage for a two-yard fall; a Jumping or Acrobatics roll will negate this. Otherwise, as 2, above.

4 – You drop whatever you were holding. Now roll again!

5 – The mount charges directly toward the foe, hazard, etc.

6-7 – The mount is exhausted and will not fight, or move at faster than a slow walk (Move 2), until it gets several hours of rest.

8-9 – The mount seems to settle down, but is now fractious: -1 to all Riding rolls for the rest of this engagement. If you get this result multiple times, the penalty is cumulative.

10 – The mount charges directly away from the foe, hazard, etc.

11 – The saddle comes loose. All Riding rolls and attack rolls made while riding are at -3 until you dismount and spend 4d seconds tightening the straps. If you're riding without a saddle, treat as 3, above.

12 – The mount falls! It must make a DX+1 roll or it breaks a leg. In any case, the rider must roll vs. Riding-2. On a failure, he is unseated and takes damage for a three-yard fall. On a success, he must make another Riding roll, this one at a penalty equal to his Encumbrance, to leap clear of the falling mount. On a success, he leaps clear and takes damage as per 3, above. On a failure, the mount falls on him, inflicting thrust/crushing damage based on its ST, plus the damage for a 2-yard fall.

Attacks by Mounts

A war-trained mount can attack if it takes an appropriate maneuver. A horse can bite, kick with hooves, or trample; iron horseshoes give +1 to kicking or trampling damage. The rider's attack is at an extra -2 if the mount attacked on its last turn.

Panic: If a mounted fighter charges directly toward an NPC who is unused to facing cavalry (GM's option), the GM may require him to make a Will roll to stand his ground and fight. If he fails, he'll try to run instead. Anyone with Combat Reflexes gets +6 to this roll. Those with a SM equal to or greater than that of the mount do not have to roll!

Cavalry Weapons

Melee Weapons: A rider uses melee weapons at the lower of his Melee Weapon skill or Riding skill. Thus, a trained rider has no penalties to use melee weapons while mounted. If the mount's velocity is 7 or more relative to the foe, the attack has -1 to hit but +1 damage. Use the same rules when attacking from a motorcycle or similar open vehicle (substitute Driving skill for Riding skill above).

Lances: Lance skill appears on. To couch a lance, a rider must have a saddle and stirrups. A couched lance's damage depends on the mount's mass and velocity. Work out damage for a collision between the mount and the target – (mount's ST) × (distance moved last turn)/100 dice of damage, rounded down – and add the lance's thrust/impaling bonus of +3. Example: A ST 25 warhorse charging at Move 8 inflicts 2d+3 impaling damage.

Tournament jousting uses blunted wooden lances, specially designed to break if they strike very hard. These inflict the same amount of damage, but it is crushing – and if the damage exceeds 15 points, the lance snaps, limiting damage to 15 points.

Using Ranged Weapons While Mounted

Attack: Firing from atop a moving animal tests both marksmanship and riding. Roll against the lower of Riding or ranged weapon skill to hit. If you are firing a noisy weapon (e.g., an unsilenced gun), you must make a Riding roll after each attack. On a failure, the mount is spooked (see Spooked Mounts, above); on a critical failure, you lose control (see Mount Loss of Control Table, above).

Aim: You may Aim a ranged weapon while mounted, but if the mount moves more than a step, you suffer the same penalties that you would if firing from a moving vehicle: you can't benefit from extra turns of Aim, or from telescopic scopes and other targeting systems.

Tricks: To turn in the saddle and fire at the foe behind you: -4 to weapon skill, and -1 to any Riding roll made that turn. To hang on the far side of the mount and shoot over it or underneath it: -6 to weapon skill, -3 to any Riding roll. This latter move means your foe's only targets are your foot, face, eyes, skull, and one hand. But if he attacks and misses by 4 or less, he hits your mount!

Mounted Defense

A mount's only defense is Dodge. Some mounts may have barding (see Horse Armor (Barding) Table or natural DR.

A rider can Dodge, Block, or Parry. If he has Riding at 12+, all of these defenses are at normal levels. For a less-skilled rider, reduce active defenses by the difference between 12 and the rider's skill; e.g., someone with Riding-9 would have -3 to all active defenses.

Height Difference

A cavalryman on horseback is effectively three feet above a standing foe. See Combat at Different Levels.

Mounted Combat Results

A rider who is stunned must make a Riding roll at -4 or fall off. A rider who suffers any knockback is automatically knocked off unless he has a saddle and stirrups, in which case he gets a Riding roll at -4 per yard of knockback to stay on.

If any attack aimed at a rider misses by 1, it hits the mount unless it makes its active defense roll; the reverse is true for attacks aimed at the mount. Of course, either may be attacked intentionally!

If the mount is hit, the rider must roll vs. Riding, minus the shock penalty suffered by the mount, to keep it from spooking. If the mount is crippled and falls, effects are as per result 12 on the Mount Loss of Control Table.

Multiple Riders

On a horse-sized or larger mount, a second human-sized or smaller rider can hang on behind the one controlling the mount. The controlling rider has an extra -1 to Riding skill. The passenger uses the lower of the controlling rider's skill or his own ST on any roll to avoid falling off, but does so at -3.

Flying Combat

Heroes may fly using advantages (Flight, Telekinesis, etc.), magic spells, antigravity belts, and so forth. A few special rules apply to combat while airborne.

Aerial Movement

If the ceiling is high enough, fliers can move over other fighters! Humans normally fly in a horizontal position (so that they can watch the ground and see where they're going); treat them as two-hex figures when using the Tactical Combat rules.

Changing Height: Vertical movement costs the same as horizontal movement. Moving a yard vertically and a yard horizontally simultaneously (diagonal movement at 45°) costs the same as 1.5 horizontal yards.

Steps and Retreats: Use your basic air Move to calculate the distance you can step or retreat during combat (see Step); flyers are often fast enough to step 2+ yards. If a flyer retreats as part of an active defense, he can specify that he is doing so vertically.

Flying Fast: See High-Speed Movement. A diving flyer can accelerate faster: add +10 to basic air Move and double top airspeed on any turn spent diving and doing nothing else (a Move maneuver).

Cannot Hover: If you are flying under your own power using Flight with the Cannot Hover, Controlled Gliding, or Gliding limitation, you must take a Move or Move and Attack maneuver and move at least 1/4 your top airspeed each turn, or you'll stall and start to fall. You might also stall if you lose control during high-speed movement and suffer sudden deceleration that pushes you below 1/4 your top airspeed. You may recover from a stall by turning your fall into a dive and regaining speed. Roll vs. DX-4 each turn to do so.

Flight Ceiling

On Earth, an unprotected human has trouble breathing past 6,000' (1,800 m), and needs an oxygen mask or an advantage such as Doesn't Breathe past 20,000' (6,000 m); see Atmospheric Pressure. On worlds with greater air pressure, higher flight is possible. On worlds with little atmosphere, the reverse is true. If you use wings to fly, you can't fly in a trace atmosphere or a vacuum.

Aerial Attack and Defense

There is no penalty to attack or defense rolls in flight. Flyers are normally no less stable than fighters on the ground.

Attack: When flyers attack foes on the ground, use the Combat at Different Levels rules. Weapon reach becomes very important! Don't worry about the relative height of two battling flyers – as long as they're close enough to engage at all.

Defense: When a flyer retreats, he can retreat out of the plane of an attack – not merely away from his attacker. If a flyer can hover, and has enough space to move one step up or down, he gets +1 over and above the usual retreating bonus when he retreats. To perform an Acrobatic Dodge, use Aerobatics skill.