Armed close combat
Grundlegendes:
Fundamentally, the armed close combat is just like the unarmed: Various attacks hit on parries (or, ideally, of course, the enemy). Extraordinary skills, like those for unarmed combat, exist but unlike those (that is, the fighting styles “Judo”, “Boxing” and “Kung Fu”) they just ease the handling of certain close combat weapons – but don't give the user new attacks or parries.
The table in which the close combat weapons are described in detail, looks a bit different than, say, the table for pistols. Let's look at the example of the machete and explain the various points.
Machete:
Kind:
Cost:
Damage:
AP-Costs:
Size category:
Rarity:
Minimal strength:
Weight:
Special rule:
Description:
bladed weapon, short sword
30 $
Swing: 2 D3 + ((ST + AG): 2)
Thrust: 2 D3 + 2 + ((ST + AG): 2)
Swing:
2 AP + handicap
Thrust:
3 AP + handicap
Medium
Very common
2
6 pounds
None.
A machete: the perfect tool to hack through the jungle … or slaughter teenagers
in horror flicks.
Kind:
Kind:
Damage:
AP-Costs:
Size category:
Rarity:
Minimal strength:
Weight:
Special rule:
Description:
The kind is especially important for extraordinary skills, but also for the starting equipment.
As always, given in NCR Dollars.
The formula of which the damage is calculated. It's recommended to add together the SPECIAL-C values in the combat sheet.
How much the single attacks cost. Here you'll find all possible attacks listed, as well as the formula for the test. Details further down.
The size is most important for hiding, but often also for the starting equipment.
Again, mostly used for starting equipment, but also useful for the master.
Characters that lack the minimal strength, have disadvantages when using this.
The weight in pounds.
Possible special rules are listed here, just like they would be for firearms.
As with all other items, a short description of said item.
The attacks:
Prinzipiell haben die meisten Nahkampfwaffen wenigstens zwei grundlegende Angriffsarten. Fast
immer sind das Schwingen und Stoßen. Üblicherweise kostet einer der Angriffe weniger AP und
macht weniger Schaden, der andere kostet mehr AP und macht mehr Schaden. Geprobt wird auf den
Wert der Fähigkeit „Nahkampfwaffen“. Ein besonders guter Kämpfer kann zusätzlich eine selbstauferlegte Erschwernis auf den Wurf geben. Dabei kann er vor der Probe sagen, dass er den Angriff um X AP verteuert und dafür (X*5) Punkte Erleichterung auf die Probe erhält.
Die Parade:
Paraden kommen immer direkt nach dem Angriff. Greift Kämpfer A grade Kämpfer B im
Nahkampf an, darf direkt nach dem gelungenen Angriffswurf Kämpfer B die Parade würfeln und so
vielleicht verhindern, getroffen zu werden.
Einzige Ausnahme: Kritische Treffer treffen immer.
Paraden können nicht erleichtert werden, sind aber erschwert durch die Erschwernis die der
Angreifer auf seinen Angriffswurf gelegt hat. Bei Paraden hängt auch einiges davon ab, was der
verteidigende Charakter in den Händen hält. Nähere Details stehen bei den Paraderegeln.
Optional, additional combat rules:
Aimed attack:
An aimed attack is one, that directly attacks one of the hit zones. Those are the following 7 areas of the body: Arms, legs, torso, head and weapon. Wait a second, 7? Those are 5. Correct, but usually, people have 2 arms and 2 legs. And now we have the missing two hit zones. They even become 8, if the target swings two weapons.
An aimed attack costs one AP more and is especially handicapped. The handicap is added to that of the self imposed handicap.
The handicap is:
When aiming for the head by 25 points.
When aiming for the legs by 30 points.
When aiming for the weapon by 35 points.
When aiming for the arms by 20 points.
When aiming for the torso by 5 points.
The chance for a critical hit is raised by half of the handicap for hitting a certain body part.
Furthermore, it's of course immediately clear where the damage is created. The raised probabilities for critical hits are as follows:
When aiming for the head by 13 points.
When aiming for the legs by 15 points.
When aiming for the weapon by 18 points.
When aiming for the arms by 10 points.
When aiming for the torso by 3 points.
Two handed fighting:
Two handed fighting, that is, using a weapon in each hand is easily possible. There are some extra AP costs and handicaps, but also a level 6 bonus ambidextrous that negates the handicaps.
In principle, the minimal strength requirement of the used weapon is raised by 1. The AP costs for the attack are also raised by 1. The attack counts, in terms of damage, as two separate attacks (therefore, with a bit of luck when rolling the dices, double damage). However, there is only one
test to see if one hit and it needs just one parry to deflect the whole attack.
Instead of going by lists like those used with firearms, this time it's separated by kind. Are both weapons of the completely same kind, the handicap is 10 points.
Is one of the kinds different, the handicap is 25 points.
Are to or more kinds different, the handicap is 40 points.