Damage & Health
When a character is hit, the attack deals damage as specified in the weapon table, based on the type of attack performed. Damage may be modified by various in-game factors, such as the attacker’s strength, weapon properties, or ammunition used.
Damage Modifiers
- Strength Bonus: For melee attacks, the attacker’s Strength bonus modifies the damage. To calculate this, divide the Strength bonus by 5. For example, a Strength bonus of +10 adds +2 to the damage, while a penalty of -5 results in a -1 modifier.
- Weapon or Ammunition Modifiers: Some weapons or ammunition types may modify the damage dealt, either by adding a bonus or inflicting a condition status.
Damage Reduction (DR)
Once the total damage is calculated, subtract the Damage Reduction (DR) provided by the character’s armor, if applicable. Certain types of damage, such as firearm damage, falling, or fire, may ignore DR. Always check with your GM to confirm if DR applies in specific situations.
Critical Hits
When a character rolls a 10 on their attack roll, the attack automatically hits and may inflict a critical hit on the target.
- Automatic Hit: A roll of 10 guarantees that the attack connects, regardless of the opponent’s Defense.
- Critical Hit Potential: If the opponent can parry or avoid the hit, the attack still deals regular damage, but it does not become a critical hit. If the opponent fails to parry or avoid the attack, the attacker rolls a d100 to determine additional effects from the appropriate critical table.
Critical Reduction (CR)
Once a critical hit is confirmed, the severity of its effects may be reduced by Critical Resistance (CR), a value primarily provided by the character’s armor. CR lowers the final result of the critical roll, potentially reducing severe injuries or preventing instant death. However, a critical hit still applies its effects unless fully mitigated.
Certain abilities and conditions may also modify CR, further enhancing a character’s ability to withstand devastating blows.
Against Unarmed Attacks, CR is doubled, reflecting how armor absorbs blunt force more effectively than blades or projectiles.
Critical Tables
- Weapon-Type Tables: Each weapon type has its own critical table, detailing the potential effects of a critical hit. The tables are categorized based on the nature of the attack: Slashing, Bashing, Piercing, or Unarmed.
- Critical Columns: Each critical table is divided into three columns—Basic, Intermediate, and Higher. The column to be consulted depends on the type of attack performed:
- Basic Column: Used for attacks that meet the Base Attack requirement.
- Intermediate Column: Used when the attack meets the Medium Attack threshold.
- Higher Column: Used when the attack meets the Heavy Attack threshold.
As the weapon's damage scales up with increased AP expenditure, so too does the severity of the critical hit effects, shifting the result to the corresponding critical column.
Critical Hit Example
Our character is in a tough battle against a formidable opponent. Desperate to turn the tide, they attack using 30 AP with a one-handed slashing weapon. The character rolls a 10 on the d10, triggering an automatic hit and a potential critical!
Damage Calculation: The base damage, scaled up to medium due to spending 30 AP, is 12 HP. The enemy, unable to parry or avoid the attack, takes the full damage.
Confirming the Critical: The enemy doesn’t have enough AP to parry, so the critical hit is confirmed. The attacker rolls a d100 for the critical effect and gets an 85—a devastating result!
Applying Critical Reduction (CR): Fortunately for the enemy, they are wearing Reinforced Armor, which provides CR 10. This means the critical roll result is reduced by 10, lowering it from 85 to 75.
Critical Effect: Using a long sword, which applies slashing-type criticals, the attack normally shifts to the Intermediate column because the attacker spent 30 AP. However, because the final critical roll result is now 75 instead of 85, the enemy avoids the worst effects.
Outcome: The fight has still shifted in to our character's favor, although, thanks to Critical Resistance (CR), the enemy avoided the most crippling effects. While heavily injured, they retain a fighting chance, proving how CR can be the difference between survival and a fatal mistake.
Additional Damage and Conditions
Special abilities from the Ability Aspects evolutionary trees or critical hits may often inflict additional HP damage and impose condition statuses. Players can refer to the Conditions table to understand the effects of these statuses.